Relevance of Ethical Theories in ICT †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Relevance of Ethical Theories in ICT. Answer: Introduction ICT is defined as the information and communication technology. It is a technology of using computers and internet. These technological inventions have caused positive and negative influences in the society. Ethical theories help in decision making as they give guidelines to decision makers. For good result, there are principles (Mertens Ginsberg 2009) to be looked upon; these principles include; Beneficence which guides decision maker to do what is right and good. Autonomy which allows decision makers to focus on decisions which makes people autonomous and with control over their lives. Justice is another principle which helps in focusing on fairness in decision making. Types of ethical theories Deontology which says that obligations and duties should be followed strictly when making decision (Gray 2009). Utilitarianism which is a form of consequentialism theory and is states that ones activity is used to predict the outcome of an action and the one that produces high benefits which is ethically right (Jones Bigley 2007). Have two types; Act utilitarianism and Rule utilitarianism. Rights theory whereby all rights are defined by a society and should be protected and given high priority. Virtue theory which shows a person by character than by action. Professional code of ethics is the ethical benchmark for professionals globally despite of jobs, culture, laws (Bynum Simon 2004). Relevance. How the information of a company is captured, processed and stored, accessibility and its safety are all ethical, hence its importance in the ICT industry. Conclusion .Professionals should re-evaluate their ethical standards during their re-assessment period. References Bynum, T.W. and Simon, R., 2004.Computer ethics and professional responsibility. Gray, M., 2009. Moral sources and emergent ethical theories in social work.British Journal of Social Work,40(6), pp.1794-1811. Jones, T.M., Felps, W. and Bigley, G.A., 2007. Ethical theory and stakeholder-related decisions: The role of stakeholder culture.Academy of Management Review,32(1), pp.137-155 MERTENS, D. M., GINSBERG, P. E. (2009).The handbook of social research ethics. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications.