Codified Rules of Ethics and How They Guide Information and Communication Technology ICT Enterprises

1
Codified Rules of Ethics and How They Guide
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Enterprises Public Discourse-Based Approach

• Nordplus Neighbour Seminar on "Contextual
  Approaches to Responsibility in Business
  Management and Leadership"
• 13.-15.6.2006
• Presentation Slides, Spring 2006
• Ms Mirja Airos,
• Mirja.Airos_at_econ.jyu.fi,358 400 672 475

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Introduction

• The Codified Rules of Ethics and Responsibility
  in Information and Communication Technology Era
• Scientific Groundings of This Presentation and
  Study
• Codifying Organizations and Associations
  International and Finnish-Origin Ones
• Major Codified Rules
• Enterprises Own Principles Some Practical
  Examples

3
Codified Rules of Ethics and Responsibility in
ICT Era

• Many businesses today have developed a code of
  conduct, ethics or something like that and are
  willing to act in a responsible way Enterprises
  operating in ICT era are not exceptions
• In my study I consider codified rules as
  discursive statements of the shared commitments,
  as agreements upon values and concerns and as
  sentisizing methods for related actors.
• In this study the discourses in focus are then
  ethics and responsibility and how these are
  constructed in ICT era

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Scientific Groundings Theoretical Framework
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Scientific Groundings Methodological Framework

• This study belongs to qualitative research
  tradition
• In this study the focus is in discursive
  structures as communicational elements
• This research focuses on the construction of
  codifying rules of ethics and responsibility
  discourse
• Aim of this study is finding out public
  representational discourses, which derive from
  oncoming ethical quandaries
• Rules of ethics are presented in a descriptive
  manner with some signs of analytical viewpoints
• This study has both theoretical and
  empirical/practical dimensions

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International Codifying Organizations

• Association of Information Technology
  Professionals (AITP) http//www.aitp.org/organizat
  ion/about/ethics/ethics.jsp
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
  http//www.acm.org/constitution/code.html
• Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical
  and Electronics Engineerings (IEEE-CS)
  http//www.ieee.org/portal/pages/about/whatis/code
  .html
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE,
  USA) http//www.nspe.org/ethics/
• British Computer Society (BCS) http//www.bcs.org/
  server.php?shownav.6029
• Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ)
  http//www.ipsj.or.jp/english/somu/ipsjcode/ipsjco
  de_e.html

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Finnish Codifying Organizations

• Finnish Federation for Communications and
  Teleinformatics (FiCom) http//www.ficom.fi/en/lyh
  yesti.html
• The Finnish Information Processing Association
  (FIPA) http//www.ttlry.fi/osaamisyhteisot/etiikan
  _tyoryhma/
• Federation of The Finnish Information Industries
  http//www.tietoalat.fi/tietoalojen_liitto/english
  /index.php
• The Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers
  (TEK) http//www.tek.fi/teknologia/etiikka/index.h
  tml
• The Employers Association (TIKLI)
  http//www.tikli.fi/english/

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Other Codifying Organizations

• European Commissions Directorate-General for
  Enterprise and Industry http//ec.europa.eu/enterp
  rise/csr/index_en.htm
• Global Reporting Initiative http//www.globalrepor
  ting.org/
• Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
  http//www.sustainability-index.com/
• The Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange
  Company (FTSE) http//www.ftse.com/index.jsp
• The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK)
• Finnish Business Society Network (FiBS)
  http//www.businessandsociety.net/index_en.html

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Other Codifying Organizations Legal Aspects

• Codifying rules of ethics have some legal
  implications as well
• Most familiar ones are collective labour
  agreements and agreements on terms of employment
• For Instance Collective Agreement for Information
  Technology Service Sector http//www.tietoalat.fi/
  tietoalojen_liitto/suomi/tes/collective_agreement/
  index.php
• Other remarkable ones are statutes on
  telecommunications, mass media, postal operations
  and e-commerce enacted by governmental
  organizations http//www.liikenneministerio.fi/scr
  ipts/cgiip.exe/WServicelvm/cm/pub/showdoc.p?docid
  2200menuid235

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Codified Rules Societal Level (1)

• In recognition of my obligation to society I
  shallSupport, respect, and abide by the
  appropriate local, state, provincial, and federal
  laws(AITP Standards of Conduct)
• 1. General Moral Imperatives. As an ACM member I
  willContribute to society and human
  well-beingHonor confidentiality (ACM Code of
  Ethics)
• We, the members of the IEEEdo hereby commit
  ourselves to the highest ethical and professional
  conduct and agreeto reject bribery in all its
  forms(IEEE Code of Ethics)

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Codified Rules Societal Level (2)

• The Public Interest You shall ensure that within
  your professional field/s you have knowledge and
  understanding of relevant legislation,
  regulations and standards, and that you comply
  with such requirements. (BCS Code of Conduct)
• Ethical Growth Computer professionals shall
  encourage ethically sustainable ways of working
  to become more common in the field of
  computing(FIBA Ethical Codes version 3)

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Codified Rules Societal Level (3)

• Living conditions and development status of
  societies have huge differences globally. Wider
  utilizing of technic is major way to solve the
  problems caused by these differences (TEK
  Honorarycode)
• The prohibiting of the processing of location
  data and the service-specific consent referred to
  in this Chapter are decided in the case of minors
  under the age of 15 by their guardian under
  section 4 of the Child Custody and Right of
  Access Act (361/1983), and in the case of legally
  incompetent persons other than minors by their
  guardian under the Guardianship (FINLEX Act on
  the Protection of Privacy in El. Comm. 516/2004)

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Codified Rules Business Level (1)

• That I have an obligation to my employerI shall
  endeavor to discharge this obligation to the best
  of my ability, to guard my employers interests,
  and to advise him or her wisely and honestly.
  (AITP Code of Ethics)
• As an ACM member and an organizational leader I
  willArticulate social responsibilities of
  members of an organizational unit and encourage
  full acceptance of those responsibilities. (ACM
  Code of Ethics)
• We, the members of the IEEEagree to maintain
  and improve our technical competence and to
  undertake technological tasks for others only if
  qualified by training or experience, or after
  full disclosure of pertinent limitations (IEEE
  Code of Ethics)

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Codified Rules Business Level (2)

• Communication Professional shall attempt to
  communicate with clearly stated language and when
  needed also to define concepts he is using. Aim
  of the communication shall be shared vision and
  understanding thus creating the basis of
  collective action. (FIPA Ethical Codes version 3)
• Responsible business means that enterprises are
  carrying out sustainable development principles.
  Sustainable development is based on economical,
  environmental and social part. All of these three
  should be in harmony. (EK, also used in TIKLI and
  Federation of The Finnish Information Industries)

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Codified Rules Business Level (3)

• Processing for marketing purposes A
  telecommunications operator may, for the purpose
  of marketing communications services or value
  added services, process identification data to
  such an extent and for such a period of time as
  the marketing requires if the subscriber or user
  to whom the data applies has given his or her
  consent thereto. (FINLEX Act on the Protection of
  Privacy in Electronic Communications 516/2004)

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Codified Rules Professional Level (1)

• In recognition of my obligation to my fellow
  members and the profession I shall Be honest in
  all my professional relationshipsNot take
  advantage of the lack of knowledge or
  inexperience on the part of others for personal
  gain. (AITP Standards of Conduct)
• More Specific Professional ResponsibilitiesStrive
  to achieve the highest quality in both the
  process and products of professional work. (ACM
  Code of Ethics)
• We, the members of the IEEEagreeto assist
  colleagues and co-workers in their professional
  development and to support them in following this
  code of ethics (IEEE Code of Ethics)

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Codified Rules Professional Level (2)

• Attitude Professional is not acting only for
  himself but also for others. He is taking into
  account the viewpoints of other parties in focus.
  He is not giving opportunities for greediness and
  disregard. He also understands that his work has
  some meaning only through other people. (FIPA
  Ethical Codes version 3)
• Employer is responsible for that remoteworkers be
  not displaced or isolated, employer shall give
  them opportunities, to meet other employees
  regularly and to gain information produced by
  enterprise. Remoteworker himself shall nurture
  communication with enterprise and other workers.
  (TIKLI Guide for Remote Work in the Field of ICT)

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Codified Rules Professional Level (3)

• Current and former employees of a
  telecommunications operator, value added service
  provider, corporate or association subscriber or
  telecommunications contractor referred to in
  section 137 of the Communications Market Act must
  not disclose knowledge obtained through their
  employment about messages, identification data
  and location data without the consent of a party
  to the communication or the party to whom the
  location data applies, unless otherwise provided
  by law. (FINLEX Act on the Protection of Privacy
  in Electronic Communications 516/2004)

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Codified Rules Personal Level (1)

• In recognition of my obligation to management I
  shall Keep my personal knowledge up-to-date and
  insure that proper expertise is available when
  needed. (AITP Standards of Conduct)
• As an ACM computing professional I willhonor
  contracts, agreements, and assigned
  responsibilities. (ACM Code of Ethics)
• We, the members of the IEEEagreeto treat fairly
  all persons regardless of such factors as race,
  religion, gender, disability, age, or national
  origin9. to avoid injuring others, their
  property, reputation, or employment by false or
  malicious action (IEEE Code of Ethics)

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Codified Rules Personal Level (2)

• Knowledge and Experience Professional shall be
  aware of his limitations he shall know, what he
  is capable of doing and what he is not. In
  developing field of industry he shall keep his
  knowledge up-to-date. He shall know the
  legislation which concerns his work, for example
  privacy protections laws. Professional shall not
  withhold information but shall try to increase
  the knowledge of his own and other parties
  involved. He shall share his experiences with
  others. Professional shall protect the privacy
  and confidentiality of customers own information
  and all information entrusted to him. (FIPA
  Ethical Codes 3)

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Codified Rules Personal Level (3)

• Honesty and Responsibility In my duties I shall
  be incorruptible and honest. I shall always be
  responsible for my own actions. My personal
  responsibility shall not be deducted in cases
  where I act as a representative of my wider
  profession. (TEK Honorarycode)
• Whoever receives or obtains in any other way
  knowledge of a confidential message or
  identification data not intended for him or her
  must not disclose or make use of the content or
  identification data of such a message, or the
  knowledge of its existence, without the consent
  of a party to the communication, unless otherwise
  provided by law. (FINLEX Act on the Prot. of
  Privacy in Electronic Communications 516/2004)

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Enterprises Own Principles Some Practical
Examples

• TeliaSonera Corporate Social Responsibility
• http//www.teliasonera.com/article/0,2858,l-en_h-1
  2628,00.html
• Nokia Corporate Responsibility
• http//www.nokia.com/A4126690
• Tietoenator Corporate Responsibility
• http//www.tietoenator.com/default.asp?path1,92,1
  639
• SysOpen Digia
• http//www.sysopendigia.com/C2256FEF0043E9C1/fwhom
  e?readform
• F-Secure
• http//www.f-secure.com/virus-info/bulletins/bull-
  212.shtmllinkki30

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Conclusions

• According to this short presentation and study
  codified rules of ethics and responsibility
  discourse as a whole could be seen as
  multidimensional issue
• Codified rules comply with the normative business
  and ICT ethics and responsibility discourses as
  well as with the traditional philosophical
  discourses
• This means that stockholders stakeholders and
  social contracts are represented, same goes to
  more philosophical universal thoughts of human
  rights, trust, honesty, fair etc.

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Thank You for Seminar Participants!

• Any Questions? Specifications needed?
  Counter-arguments?
• If You wish to get some additional information or
  You wish to share Your ideas with me later on, do
  not hesitate to contact me.
• Please, send me e-mail or give me a
  ringMirja.Airos_at_econ.jyu.fi, 358 400 672 475