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Intro, Intrest, Ethics
Intro, Intrest, Ethics
Intro, Intrest, Ethics
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Lecture 1 Introduction
Why ethics
What is ethics?
What is the difference between ethics and morals?
What is a Code of Ethics?
Symmetrical ethics, and assymetrical ethics
Open and closed systems
Instrumental and principle based ethics
Other ethical principles
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Why ethics for organisations?
* To motivate employees
* Part of governance
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Why ethics II
* Not contributing to society Greed is good. Embrace it. Love it. Live it. In fact, greed
may be the one thing that can save us. Don’t believe me?
Greed was the foundation for this country. The brave souls
who risked their life to settle in a new country did so out of
* Money only management self interest. Our forefathers recognized the importance of
self-interest in the Declaration of Independence where they
emphasized our unalienable right to pursue happiness.
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Why ethics III
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Relevance of ethics to ICT
* Contribute to knowledge
Moral philosophy.
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Definition Morals
* Group of nations
* Profession or similar
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Forms of ethics
1. Metaethics (what is good? etc)
2. Normative ethics (what should we do?)
3. Applied ethics (how do we apply ethics to work and lives?)
4. Moral psychology (the biological and psychological bases)
1. Descriptive ethics (what morals people follow)
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Codes of ethics
* ICT
* Engineering
* Medicine The Challenger disaster
* Law
* Journalism
* Psychology
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Symmetrical ethics – the golden rule
* Empathy http://www.kevinmd.com/bloghttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog
the Gold-in Rule: Do whatever is necessary to bring in the maximum gold, without
getting caught
* Need to be considerate
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Instrumental ethics
«Greenwashing»
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Principle based ethics
- Organisation
- Profession
- Society
- Environment
- and other stakeholders
www.strategie-aims.com
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The moralist The ethicist
My life view is My life view is
superior based on
reflection
I evaluate life
? Other views
are inferior
views
I have questions
I have the
answers
I need no other I respect other
authority views
Aristotle (384-322)
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Openness and privacy
Openness Privacy
Issues:
Data Protection
Data Inspectorate
Open Government Tore Audun Høie
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Discussion
Wikileaks
Villains or heroes?
* Correct
* Timely
* Relevant
* Interesting
* Useful
Already:
Openness – privacy
Symmetrical – asymmetrical ethics
Quality
Also:
Legitimacy
Credibility
Traceability
Accountability
Stewardship
Objectivity
Fairness
Flexibility
Creativity
Sustainability
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Ethics applies to:
• Professional duties
• Employee care
• Customer care, and supplier responsibilities
• Environment care
• Ownership (price, value, opportunities..)
• Financing
• Exploration
* - the list is being extended
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Conclusion lecture 1
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Homework for lesson 2
Look up Pfizer on Internet. What do they do, and how big are
they? What does their website say about social responsibility and
ethics? Do they mention a recent fine? What were they fined,
and why? What happened to the Pfizer CEO, and why? Is it
easy to find this information? What is your evaluation of their
social responsibility?
• Crimes
• Greed
• Poor quality
• Incompetence
• Other
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Philosophical problems
”Koordination och informationssystem i företag och nätverk”. PhD thesis. Ulf Melin, Linköping Universitet 2002.
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Consequences customer:
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Consequences supplier:
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Ethical problem in ICT
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Consequences of Dell problem
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Conclusion from many ICT problems
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Damning BP verdict points to cost cuts
Years of cost-cutting and lack of investment led to BP's
Texas City refinery fire that killed 15 workers, a watchdog
has said
An ad from 1999:
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BP Alaska
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BP Macondo field
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BP Norway
Fire 13 July 2011. Nobody hurt, but work stalled for weeks.
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The trade organisation:
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General consideration, perhaps valid outside oil:
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Fake medical journals
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Elsevier's viewpooint
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Merck's viewpoint
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Book viewpoint:
In a new book, ‘All The Justice Money Can Buy,’ former National Public Radio
reporter Snigdha Prakash, who was embedded with a team of plaintiffs’ lawyers
for one of those trials, describes legal machinations, strategies and battles that
eventually led Merck to reach a $5 billion settlement
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Professional viewpoint
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Finance crisis
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Professional issues
Financial models did not forecast crisis, and one was called a
«receipe for disaster» Tore Audun Høie
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Ethical problems
Naysayers ignored
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The Arab Spring – and ethical reflection
The Arab People did not have (Ali Kadri 2011, London School
of Economics):
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Background
The general problem is according to Ali Kadri that the ruling elite
derive the benefits, and for their own good, with few trickle down
effects. The estimated “excess savings” are estimated at some five
trillion dollars over 40 years, invested abroad, mostly in US
treasury bills.
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Ethics Western Powers before Arab Spring
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Hardball
«To play Hardball means being aware of when you are entering
the «caution zone» - that area so rich in possibility, that lies
between the place where society clearly says you can play the
game and the place where society clearly says you cannot»
«Fakes are an accepted part of business life and good fakers are
to be admired.
Stalk, George & Lachenauer, Rob Hardball. Harvard Business School Press 2004.
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Ethical view
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Reasons for disaster (engineering)
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Overall disaster conclusions (Chiles 2001)
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Summing up chapter
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Aristotle:
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Homework for lecture 3
Name at least two other philosophers from the same period, and
their influence today
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