Question

Subject: Professional ethics in computing

Question

You lead a group of five software engineers involved in the testing of a new product. Your manager tells you that because of a company-wide layoff, you need to give notice to one member of your team. From your interactions with the team members, you can easily identify the two members who are least productive, but you are not sure which of them you should lay off. You know that the company keeps track of all Internet traffic to each person’s computer, although you have never shared this information with your team. You could use this information to determine how much time, if any, these two employees are spending surfing the Web. Is it wrong to access these records?

Answer 1

We can approach this senario along the following ethical principles:

a) Kantianism b) Subjective Relativism c) Act Utilitarianism d) Divine Command Theory

a) Kantianism

According to Kantianism, any action is taken as it known as the duty of the individual. As I am the leader for the group of five software engineers were asked to give notice to one of the member of the group. I was assigned to do so as the company-wide layoff. As I know the company keeps track on the Internet traffic to each person’s computer so I can easily observe which members are least productive. As I already analysed two out of five of them as least productive through interaction with them. Thus, accessing the records of Internet traffic will be very helpful to fulfil my task as assigned by my manager. Therefore, accessing to the record makes it easier to view on the member who surf Internet for unwanted information and wasting time and can be notified as least productive. So he can be given lay off. Though information on Internet traffic is not shared to the members, as the team I was assigned and given duty to give notice for one member. By accessing to these records, it is not wrong at all based on the ethical principle of Kantianism as it is my duty to do so.

b) Subjective Relativism

According to subjective relativism, it is not wrong to access the information or records of Internet traffic to each person's computer in order to determine how much time that the two employees are spending on surfing the Web. As what I was instructed by my manager, due to company-wide layoff, I have to give notice to one of my team members. There are two members who are least productive and I have to lay off one of them. In order to choose the better or more productive team member among these two people, I can use records of Internet traffic to each person's computer although I have never shared this information with my team members. From these records, I can identify which team member is more committed with work, can contribute and work together as a team to improve the company's productivity and has better discipline or ethics at working place. Therefore, this action can help me to make better decision for the company, so it is ethically right.

c) Act Utilitarianism

Based on act utilitarianism, it is not wrong to access the record of the two members who are least productive based on the scenario because there will be more benefit than harm for the company as well as for me also. The company will gain more benefit in term of gain more workforce productivity and maybe will gain more profit and also will motivate the others employees to work harder instead of lazy off around. Besides that, it also prevent me from being scolds by the upper management if I did not give the notice to one of my member. As for the consequences, my member will lose her job and I will have not enough man power to testing the new product. But that is just a minority problem and does not affect the company productivity and in facts in the future the remaining employees will gain a bonus. Therefore, the happiness exceeded the harm and this show that it is morally right to access those records.

d) Divine Command Theory

Based on Divine Command Theory it is wrong to view the information or records that has been access by each person's in order to identify how much time that the two workers are spending on surfing the web. Morally this action of is consider wrong. Divine command theory, always refers whether the action is correct or wrong in wise of moral values. Meanwhile, this action is morally wrong in divine command theory as the management team can use any other method to track their working productivity.