Ethical Dilemma Assignment: Case Study Analysis Of Software Company
Question
Task: You are required to prepare an ethical dilemma assignment considering the below case study where existing problems need to be solved.
Case Study
Software testing:
A small software company is working on an integrated inventory control system for a very large national shoe manufacturer. The system will gather sales information daily from shoe stores nationwide. This information will be used by the accounting, shipping, and ordering departments to control all of the functions of this large corporation. The inventory functions are critical to the smooth operation of the system. Jane, a quality assurance engineer with the software company, suspects that the inventory functions of the system are not sufficiently tested, although they have passed all their contracted tests. She is pressured by her employers to sign off on the software. Legally she is only required to perform those tests which have been agreed to in the original contract. However, her considerable experience in software testing has led her to be concerned over risks of the system. Her employers say that they will go out of business if they do not deliver the software on time. Jane contends if the Inventory sub-system fails, it will significantly harm their client and its employees. If the potential failure were to threaten lives, it would be clear to Jane that she should refuse to sign off. But since the degree of threatened harm is less, Jane is faced with a difficult moral decision (ACS, 2004).
Ethical dilemma: Should Jane sign off on the software?
Answer
1.0 Introduction
The softwarecompany has prepared an integrated inventory control system for a very large national shoe manufacturer. The inventory takes data from shoe companies nationally that include shipping, accounting and ordering sections. Jane is a quality assurance manager whosuspects that the system is not properly tested and therefore is not sure if she should sign off the system. Her superiors force her to sign off the system as thecompany will fail if the inventory is not delivered on time. Jane believes that if the system fails, it can cause damage to the customers and also the employees. Though as the damage if caused is less, she faces an ethicaldilemmawhether to signoff the inventory system or not. The case study uses the theories of utilitarian ethical theory and ACS's code of ethics to solve the ethical dilemma faced by Jane.
2.0 Case Study Report for Ethics Case Study
2.1 Question- consequence-based (utilitarian) ethical theory
2.1.1 Overview of theory
Utilitarianism is a moral hypothesis that decides the correct from incorrect by concentrating on results. It is a type of “consequentialism”. “Utilitarianism” considers that the majority of moral option is the one that will create the maximum good for the maximum number. It is also the largely ordinary advance to ethical analysis utilised in commerce due to how it explainsexpenses and profits.The mainthought is that whether performances are ethicallycorrect or incorrect relies on their results. More specially, the singleresults of deedspertinent are the good and bad consequences that they create (Yazdani& Murad, 2015). Utilitarians consider that the reason of ethics is to make existenceenhanced by raising the quantity of good stuff (for example, enjoyment and contentment) in the earth and lessening the quantity of bad stuff (for example, ache and sorrow). They refuseethicalsymbols or schemes that comprise of orders or forbidden that is derived frombehaviour, customs, or instructionsspecified by leaders or paranormalentities. In its place, utilitarians believe that what createsethics be accurate or justified is its optimisticinvolvement to person (and maybe non-human) entities.
“Utilitarianism” is a type of “consequentialism” as it relies on the thought that it is the penalty or consequences of events, rules, strategies, and so on which decide if they are good or bad, correct or incorrect. On the whole, anything thatis being assessed, the one that might create the finest general consequences, is selected (Savulescu, Persson, & Wilkinson, 2020). In the words of utilitarians, we must decide the alternative that “exploits usefulness,” that is, that act or strategy that creates the major quantity of good. “Utilitarianism” materialises to be an easy hypothesis as it comprises of merely one evaluative standard: “Do what creates the most excellent results.”
2.1.2 Analysis and solution
The moral dilemma that is presented to Jane is whether she should sign off the inventory system or not. She believes that if she signs off the inventory, the consequences of it might be harmful as it can cause damage to the customers and also the workers. Therefore the inventory might do more harm than good. This is not suitable according to the utilitarianethical theory, which suggests that people must involve in actions that must do better and less bad. According to the ethical theory, the actions must have a positive contribution to the human andmechanical entities (Kahaneet al., 2015). This is not followed if the system is signed off and is made accessible to humans. Therefore the solution to the ethical dilemma faced by Jane is not to sign off the inventory and therefore do more good in the actions.
2.2 Question- ACS's code of ethics
2.2.1 Overview of theory
The two elements of the code of ethics that are considered are “competence” and “public interest”. In the background of this Code, the community interest takes priority over individual, confidential and sectional welfare, and any disagreements must be determined in support of the public interest. The element of public interest makes sure that the people that are affected by the action are identified, and their interest is considered (Boddington, 2017). This element also makes sure that any issues or conflicts of interests that might be present in the executionof the action are advised to the stakeholders.
The element of competence makes sure to offer the facilities and products that justify the financial and operational requirements of the stakeholders. A person must acknowledge merely such a job which is believedcan be competent to execute, and there must not be any hesitation to find extra know-how from properly competent persons where sensible. The person must always be conscious of their boundaries and not deliberately entail that she has the ability that is not possessed (Ferguson, Thornley, & Gibb, 2016). It also guarantees that the stakeholders are advised about when a product or service is not in their best interests and might cause harm. Competence also makes sure that the person in charge takes responsibility for the work.
2.2.2 Analysis and solution
By following these two elements, the ethical dilemma Jane can be solved. According to The element of public interest, Jane has identifiedthe people who might be impacted if the system Is signed off, which are the customers and the workers. Jane also has advised the stakeholders about the harm that might be caused if the inventory system is open to the public, as if she suspects that it is not properly checked and might be harmful to the personalinformation that is gathered by the system. The conflicts ofinterests and the objections that she has been stated. According to the element of competence, the company has made the products that might match the stakeholders' financial needs, though Jane suspects about the operational efficiency of the product (Jones& Salo, 2017). The service made is not in the stakeholders' best interest, which includes the clients and workers. This is informed by Jane to the management. She takes true responsibility for her work and has given advice that the products of is released might be harmful, be it more harmful or less. Therefore for abiding by the code of ethics of ACS, she should not sign off the system and therefore follow competency and understand the public interest (Boddington, 2017).
3.0 Conclusion
Jane is faced with a moral dilemma as she is unsure whether she needs to sign off the system or stop it from going into the market. She faces the dilemma as she has considerable experience in the field and doubts that it might cause significant risks to the customers and the workers if the system is provided to the shoe company. Based on the utilitarian theory, she must stop off from signing as the system as itmight cause moreharm than good and, therefore, negatively impact a person's moral rights. It can also be stated that the ACS code of ethics prohibits her from signing off the system as it violates the element of public interest and also competence.
Reference list
Boddington, P. (2017). Towards a code of ethics for artificial intelligence (pp. 27-37). Cham: Springer.Retrieved from: http://library.sadjad.ac.ir/opac/temp/18533.pdf
Ferguson, S., Thornley, C., & Gibb, F. (2016). Beyond ethics codes: how library and information professionals navigate ethical dilemmas in a complex and dynamic information environment. International Journal of Information Management, 36(4), 543-556.Retrieved from: http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/7076/1/Information_ethical_dilemmas_eprints.pdf
Jones, K. M., & Salo, D. (2017). Learning analytics and the academic library: Professional ethics commitments at a crossroads. College & Research Libraries, Forthcoming.Retrieved from: http://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/viewFile/16603/18049
Kahane, G., Everett, J. A., Earp, B. D., Farias, M., & Savulescu, J. (2015). ‘Utilitarian’judgments in sacrificial moral dilemmas do not reflect impartial concern for the greater good. Cognition, 134, 193-209.Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027714002054
Savulescu, J., Persson, I., & Wilkinson, D. (2020). Utilitarianism and the pandemic. Bioethics, 34(6), 620-632.Retrieved from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/bioe.12771
Yazdani, N., & Murad, H. S. (2015). Toward an ethical theory of organising. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), 399-417.Retrieved from: http://escholar.umt.edu.pk:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1108/1/Toward%20an%20Ethica l%20Theory%20of%20Organizing.pdf
