1. ETHICS AND IT PROFESSIONAL PRACTISES
CISB412
MS RUBIJESMIN ABD LATIFF
ASSIGNMENT 2
GROUP ASSIGNMENT
GROUP MEMBERS:
SHOBANA A/P KASANAN SW088911
SHUBAHSHINI A/P GANESAN IS090693
HINTHUMATHI A/P SANGAR IS091037
FARAH MUNEERA AZUDIN SN093971

2. TASK 1 (COMPULSORY)
Scenario:
You lead a group of five software engineers involved in the testing of a new product. Your
manager tells you that because of a company-wide layoff, you will need to give notice to
one member of your team. From your interactions with the team members, you can easily
identify the two members who are least productive, but you are not sure which of them you
should lay off. You know that the company keeps track of all Internet traffic to each
person’s computer, although you have never shared this information with your team. You
could use this information to determine how much time, if any; these two employees are
spending surfing the Web.
Is it wrong to access these records?
Discuss your answer based on the following ethical principles:
a) Kantianism
b) Subjective Relativism
c) Act Utilitarianism
d) Divine Command Theory

3. ANSWER TASK 1
 a) Kantianism
 According to Kantianism, any action is taken as it known as the duty of the individual.
As I am the leader for the group of five software engineers were asked to give notice
to one of the member of the group. I was assigned to do so as the company-wide
layoff. As I know the company keeps track on the Internet traffic to each person’s
computer so I can easily observe which members are least productive. As I already
analysed two out of five of them as least productive through interaction with them.
Thus, accessing the records of Internet traffic will be very helpful to fulfil my task as
assigned by my manager. Therefore, accessing to the record makes it easier to view
on the member who surf Internet for unwanted information and wasting time and can
be notified as least productive. So he can be given lay off. Though information on
Internet traffic is not shared to the members, as the team I was assigned and given
duty to give notice for one member. By accessing to these records, it is not wrong at
all based on the ethical principle of Kantianism as it is my duty to do so.


4. ANSWER TASK 1(Cont.)
 b) Subjective Relativism
 According to subjective relativism, it is not wrong to access the information or records
of Internet traffic to each person's computer in order to determine how much time that
the two employees are spending on surfing the Web. As what I was instructed by my
manager, due to company-wide layoff, I have to give notice to one of my team
members. There are two members who are least productive and I have to lay off one
of them. In order to choose the better or more productive team member among these
two people, I can use records of Internet traffic to each person's computer although I
have never shared this information with my team members. From these records, I can
identify which team member is more committed with work, can contribute and work
together as a team to improve the company's productivity and has better discipline or
ethics at working place. Therefore, this action can help me to make better decision for
the company, so it is ethically right.

5. ANSWER TASK 1(Cont.)
 c) Act Utilitarianism
 Based on act utilitarianism, it is not wrong to access the record of the two members
who are least productive based on the scenario because there will be more benefit
than harm for the company as well as for me also. The company will gain more
benefit in term of gain more workforce productivity and maybe will gain more profit
and also will motivate the others employees to work harder instead of lazy off around.
Besides that, it also prevent me from being scolds by the upper management if I did
not give the notice to one of my member. As for the consequences, my member will
lose her job and I will have not enough man power to testing the new product. But
that is just a minority problem and does not affect the company productivity and in
facts in the future the remaining employees will gain a bonus. Therefore, the
happiness exceeded the harm and this show that it is morally right to access those
records.

6. ANSWER TASK 1(Cont.)
 d) Divine Command Theory
 Based on Divine Command Theory it is wrong to view the information or records
that has been access by each person's in order to identify how much time that the
two workers are spending on surfing the web. Morally this action of is consider
wrong. Divine command theory, always refers whether the action is correct or
wrong in wise of moral values. Meanwhile, this action is morally wrong in divine
command theory as the management team can use any other method to track
their working productivity.

7. TASK 2 (Choose THREE only)
Titles to choose;
1. IT and automation leads to widespread unemployment. Provide an example to describe this
notion.
2. IT and automation leads to job creation. Provide an example to describe this notion
3. IT and automation has caused an increase in working hour. Provide an example to describe this
notion.
4. Telework describes employees work away from traditional place of work (e.g. home office, sales
person with no office). Identify and explain advantages and disadvantages of teleworking
5. IT in workplace has made ‘monitoring’ possible. 82% of companies monitor employees in some
way. The purpose of monitoring is to identify inappropriate use of company resources as well as
detect illegal activities among the employees. Identify and explain advantages and disadvantages
of workplace monitoring.

8. ANSWER TASK 2 Q1
 IT and automation is mushrooming in all the departments in today’s world. Improvement in
ICT allows globalization and automation to be brought into workplace. An example of this
work unemployment is in the banks. IT and automation plays a role in the reduction of
employee in the banking department.
 In South Korea, Standard Chartered is expanding "smart banking" branches that employ a
staff of three, compared with an average of about eight in traditional branches. The bank
has closed a dozen full-service branches, replacing them with the smart branches, and
expects to have 30 more by the end of this year. Customers do most of their banking on
computer screens, and can connect with Standard Chartered specialists elsewhere by
video-conference if they need help.
 Comerica, a bank based in Dallas, is using new video-conferencing equipment that lets
cash-management experts make pitches to potential corporate clients from their desks.
Those experts, based in Livonia, Mich., used to board planes and visit prospects in person.
Now, they get Comerica colleagues in various cities to pay visits to local companies and
conference them in.

9. ANSWER TASK 2 Q4
 Teleworking which allows employees work at home or at a local teleworking center
one or more days per week. They usually will communicate using phone, fax, modem,
Internet teleconferencing, e-mail or IM, to perform their work duties from a remote
location.

10. ANSWER TASK 2 Q4(Cont.)

11. ANSWER TASK 2 Q5
 The main advantage of workplace monitoring is that it improves job performance. A frequent
or active monitoring activity gives the opportunity to check or witness on how the employees
perform their job duties. Surveillance equipment which is relatively cheap can be used for
workplace monitoring. This will help to ensure that the employees are performing at their best
level since they are aware of the monitoring activity. In addition, monitoring helps
to discourage many wrongdoings such as illegal activities, misuse of company's resources
and isolate certain work habits and behaviours that might contribute to poorer performance
and harm or destroy the company's reputation. So, workplace monitoring can also improve
the security. As the employees' performance increases, the quality of product and
productivity of the company also increases. By implementing workplace monitoring,
employers can gauge the productivity of the company and take appropriate actions.
 Besides that, when employees are aware that their work activities are being monitored, they
are more likely to serve the customers in the best manner possible. For instance, in the call
center industry, agent calls are routinely monitored. Employees are unaware of which calls
are being monitored and who might be listening in. This act of monitoring encourages them
to adhere to policies and procedures on each call and ensure that they are resolving issues
to the customer's satisfaction which means it increases customer's satisfaction.

12. ANSWER TASK 2 Q5(Cont.)
 One of the disadvantages of workplace monitoring is that it tend to increase stress
level. When employees are aware that they are being monitored or listened to, they
might be more careful of their behaviour. Employees might also feel pressured to behave
or perform in certain ways according to their employer's standards. They may start to feel
that meeting the requirements or metrics is more vital than quality which will lower the
quality of the product.
 Furthermore, workplace monitoring might cause the employees to feel that they are not
trusted by their employer. Some may have the impression that the employer is treating
them more like children rather than adults and this can encourage resentment. These
kind of feelings can lead to job dissatisfaction or trigger the employees to go after other
employment opportunities. The act of monitoring can be considered as breaching the
employees' privacy, as well the feeling that this monitoring activity is not really suitable or
fair, as well the employees might feel like machines that they have work non-stop or they
will be declared as non performer.