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Business Ethics Assignment

FACTS

Owen is a software program engineer who works for a large tech organization. His crew
is tasked with developing a brand-new product for the agency's flagship product. As the mission
progresses, Owen discovers a main protection flaw in the system that could be exploited by
malicious actors to compromise the private records of millions of users. Owen brought this issue
to his team leader and project manager, but his concerns were dismissed. His supervisors
emphasized that he was being pressured to keep quiet about the matter and proceed with the
development as planned.

ISSUE

The ethical issue is whether Owen should comply with the directives of his supervisors,
knowing that it could result in a significant breach of user privacy, or stand firm and insist that
the security flaw be addressed. Owen has to choose between being loyal to his supervisors or
gathering enough courage to demand that the team be transparent about the potential risks.

ANALYSIS-APPLICATION OF ETHICAL THEORIES

Utilitarianism

From a utilitarian perspective, consideration should be given to the decision maximizing

the general interest or welfare of the majority (Daniel Currie). Owen must therefore consider the
overall impact of his actions on the happiness or utility of all stakeholders, including users, the
company, and the general public.

Requiring the group to explicitly disclose potential risks from the project could certainly
cost Owen himself. It, however, seems to be the most utilitarian solution. While this decision
may cause short-term challenges for the company, such as delays and budget overruns, it will
ultimately prevent harm to millions of users and protect the company's long-term interests. A
proactive approach to security issues enhances a company's reputation, trustworthiness, integrity,
and ethical practices.

Alternatively, if Owen chooses to be loyal to his supervisors and ignore security risks,
malicious parties will eventually exploit security flaws, resulting in a data breach significantly
affecting millions of users. Thus, based on utilitarian principles, Owen should prioritize the
welfare of users and the long-term interests of the company by insisting that the security
deficiency be remedied.

Despite utilitarianism being a good ethical lens, it poses a challenge because it is difficult
to quantify harm or benefit (Daniel Currie). This can lead to subjective interpretations of what
actions will result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Owen may therefore
face difficulties in determining the most appropriate course of action in this situation.
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Business Ethics Assignment
Universal Ethics
Universal ethics, also known as categorical imperatives, holds that behaviour should be
governed by principles that can be universally applied by all individuals in similar situations. In
Owen’s case, implementing universal ethics would require consideration of whether his actions
conform to principles that can be applied by all software engineers facing similar dilemmas.

From a Kantian perspective, Owen’s primary moral obligation would be to follow the
principle of treating others as ends of their own rather than as means to an end (CrashCourse). In
this case, the "others" include the millions of users whose personal data could be compromised
by the security flaw. By ignoring or covering up the mistake, Owen would effectively be treating
these users as mere means to the end of meeting project deadlines and budget constraints, rather
than respecting their autonomy and right to privacy.

Moreover, Kantian ethics emphasizes action by moral obligations and principles,

regardless of the consequences. While complying with his managers' instructions may seem
appropriate in the short term, Owen should consider whether he is willing to universalize such
practices (CrashCourse). If any software engineer prioritizes project timelines and budgets over
fixing critical security flaws, it can lead to serious violations of user privacy and trust,
undermining the integrity of the entire technology profession.
However, like utilitarianism, universal ethics also presents a challenge. The principle
does not allow for any compromise. For example, if Owen discloses the risk and in the process
realizes that the company is on the verge of bankruptcy while his project is critical to raising
enough capital to save the company, he is not allowed to consider these factors. This scenario
illustrates the criticism that a universal framework cannot adequately account for exceptional
circumstances in which adherence to strict ethical rules may result in serious overall harm
RECOMMENDATIONS
In this case, utilitarianism appears to be the superior ethical theory for guiding Owen's
decision-making. Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing overall happiness or utility for the
majority of stakeholders, which aligns to prevent harm to millions of users and protect the long-
term interests of the company. By insisting on addressing the security flaw, Owen prioritizes the
welfare of users and upholds the integrity and trustworthiness of the company, which ultimately
contributes to the greater good.
Therefore, following the utilitarian approach, Owen must prioritize the welfare of users
and the long-term interests of the company. Owen should first seek the help of ethics committees
within the company to advocate for transparency and ethical decision-making. He should
thereafter document all communications regarding security deficiencies and efforts to remediate
them, ensuring legal and ethical protection. Ultimately, Owen must remain firm in his
commitment to ethical principles and insist on fixing the security flaw to prevent potential harm
to millions of users and to maintain the integrity of his work.
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Business Ethics Assignment
REFERENCES

CrashCourse. “Kant and Categorical Imperatives: Crash Course Philosophy #35.” YouTube, 14

Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bIys6JoEDw.

Daniel Currie. “Ethical Reasoning 2 | GENB 4350 Business Law and Ethics.” YouTube, 18 Oct.

2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=135U7HTGDPM.