ETHICAL CASE – LITTLE WHITE LIES

QUESTIONS

1. Analyze Patricia’s behavior. What ethical dilemma is she facing?

Patricia's ethical dilemma consists of the choice between following the orders of her
superiors, possibly facing legal consequences in the short or medium term, and keeping
her job at JCN or properly carrying out the processes affec ng the company's interests,
but keeping her principles intact.

In other words, Patricia faces an ethical conflict between her responsibility as an IT

professional to report and improve the company's security and the pressure from her
superiors to hide these problems.

2. According to the IEEE Code of Ethics, which principles would be jeopardized in this
case?

 to hold paramount, the safety, health, and welfare of the public, to strive to
comply with ethical design and sustainable development prac ces, to protect the
privacy of others, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public
or the environment;

 to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose

them to affected par es when they do exist;

 to avoid unlawful conduct in professional ac vi es, and to reject bribery in all its
forms;

These three principles are being violated in the current ethical dilemma case, as if Patricia
decides to engage in these unethical acts, she could poten ally harm public health and
safety. In addi on, engaging in illegal and unprofessional ac vi es such as hiding and
showing false informa on could lead to legal issues that cannot be avoided.

Lastly, as previously men oned, hiding informa on may seem like a quick and easy
solu on for some, but it will ul mately affect the interests of all par es involved. Failing to
promptly disclose this informa on can result in significant problems for everyone involved
and can lead to many nega ve consequences.
3. Argue possible consequences for Patricia, in the case she violates the principles
iden fied in the last ques on.

Patricia, in case she violates the aforemen oned principles, she may face legal
consequences in case of being discovered and even be disqualified from the exercise of
her posi on, as is the case in Colombia where she may even fall under the circumstances
of aggrava on and her penalty and fine may be increased according to Law 1273 of 2009,
as a ached below:

4. Finish this exercise wri ng a recommenda on for Patricia. Adequately support your
asser ons.
Our recommenda on for Patricia in this scenario would be to priori ze her ethical values
and maintain the accuracy of the reports, even if it results in losses for the company or
poten ally affects her job. It's essen al to consider that tampering with sensi ve data and
deceiving JCN's customers could lead to legal complica ons and significantly damage her
ethical reputa on.