MI 720 Session #11

Ethical Issues and IT Use/IFA ShopSense Case

Session #11: Ethical Issues and IT Use

• Agenda – Due date reminders

– Final exam info

– Team Presentations

– IFA/ShopSense Case – Ethics & Customer Analytics

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Upcoming Due Dates

• Monday Dec 5th by midnight:– 3rd blog post (note, you’re welcome to keep blogging if you

want…)

• Wed Dec 7th by midnight:– Have at least 6 comments (again, you can keep making

comments after Wednesday)

• Friday Dec 9th by midnight:– Complete peer reviews of students’ blogs

– Nominate issues to discuss in the course wrap/exam review (optional)

• Monday Dec 12th by midnight:– Nominate candidate exam questions (optional)

• Wed Dec 14th by midnight:– Complete wiki project peer reviews

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Final Exam

• Will be held Friday Dec 16th 11am-1:00 pm– Section 1: Fulton 130, Section 2: Fulton 150

• Main Focus: Managerial, not technical– Except, you have to understand key features of technologies to

really understand managerial implications…

• Exam will be open book & open note, closed computer

– Emphasis: Analysis and applications

– Format: Essay

• Will have some choice on which questions to answer• Will curve if necessary. Rarely necessary.

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What are you responsible for?

• Responsible– All required readings & cases, all class discussions

• Readings: Should master key concepts and frameworks

– Especially important: Lecture notes (Sessions 2, 4, 10, 11, 12), Gallaugher chapters on Strategy and Social Media, “Options Thinking” Article

• Cases: Should be familiar with the high points of each case, and know where to look for reminders on key details. But don’t need to memorize details

– See study guide to be posted on the wiki for details

• Not responsible– Tech basics web site, optional readings, team wiki projects, blog postings,

individual wiki pages

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Example question

• Suppose that Dean Boynton has observed the ways that the IT faculty have been using Wiki technology to support teaching and would like to see this be adopted as a standard by the CSOM faculty, both to host course materials and to introduce the benefits of social media to the education process. The faculty, as you know, currently use a variety of alternatives to Wiki technology: WebCT Vista, regular Web pages, or nothing. Which deployment barriers do think would present the greatest difficulties for this proposed initiative? Why? How, specifically, should these barriers be over come?

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Essay Questions – Likes & Dislikes

• Likes

– Answers that are clear, and concise

– Answers that show good insights and a depth of understanding

– Answers that cover the most important issues pertaining to the topic of a question

– Answers that are in your own words

• Dislikes

– Answers that do not stay focused on the specific question (or questions) asked.

– Answers that are “generic” rather than tailored to the specifics of the example.

– Answers that include “filler”, such as repeating the question, or unnecessary introductory phrases

– Answers repeat verbatim material from an article or slides without indicating you understand those passages

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IFA/ShopSense – Proposed collaboration

Ethical Principles

• Utilitarianism

• Rawls' "Veil of Ignorance" Principle

• Universal Application Principle

• Golden Rule

• Shining Light Principle

• Human Rights

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Is it the proposed collaboration good business?

Alternative ways to proceed?

5 Barriers to an Ethical Organization [Brazerman & Tenbrunsel 2011]

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Wrap up on IT Ethics

• Why does IT lead to new ethical quandaries?– Complexity, intangibility, pervasiveness

• The ethical reasoning process1. Choose (in advance) the ethical principle to be used to

guide you 2. Identify the key facts that pertain to a particular decision

situation.3. Apply your ethical principle.

– Draw the correct logical conclusion about the suggested ethical course of action based on the facts of the situation, and then choose that course of action.

• Avoiding barriers to ethical behavior– Ill-conceived goals, motivated and indirect blindness,

slippery slope, overvaluing outcomes

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