The Social And Value Dimensions Of Technology

Running Head: Ethics 1

The Social and Value Dimensions of Technology: Part One and Two

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Running Head: Ethics 2

Part One

Step 1. Describe the issues discussed in the case study

The library seeks to put in place a software system that will enhance the method of data

keeping and recording. This implies that the software system has to be effective in the

management of data. Secondly, the library is also taking into consideration that all the current

employees cannot operate the system. As a result, the library has to fully rely on the services of

an IT expert from outside. This makes the business of installing the software system to be a

business that is supported by mutual trust between the service provider and the library. In

addition, the library is also concerned with the type of system that will be installed in the library

in terms of the initial and maintenance cost (Harris, et al., 2013, 278).

Step 2. Present the concepts and principles that could be applied to address those issues.

Basically, the general principle of this cases study is the management of the library based

on the ethical employee-employer relationships. In addition, the data under concern needs an IT

expert to confidentially handle the data of the library in order to prevent leakage of information

or unauthorized access into the system that may cost the library. A good relationship between the

person managing the software and the library translates to professional ethics. Conversely,

working to ensure that the matters of the organization are handled confidentially and diligently

applies the ethics or principle of good works. The person in charge of the IT department also

needs to have personal morality in order to conduct his work diligently without much supervision

from the library or from the company he works for (Harris, et al., 2013).

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Step 3. Analyze the case study using the principles.

Professional ethics provides the codes of practice by which employees attached to a given

company are supposed to abide. This implies that if the code provides that the employee ought to

deliver services without overcharging the client unnecessarily then that is exactly what the

employee is supposed to do. It is the personal morality that makes a person work diligently and

effectively without much supervision. The nature or degree of quality work will highly depend

on how an individual employee applies the good works ethics and personal morality. These two

principles are the core of ensuring employees work with diligence and effectiveness (Harris, et

al., 2013).

Step 4. Discuss your solution to resolve the ethical issue.

In order for these ethical principles to operate, there is a need for the company offering

the software system and the library to set the guiding principles. These principles will be the

reference point for the software system installers and the software system operator in order to

ensure confidentiality and quality work. For instance, if the installers know the method through

which a person can crack into the system, it is important that they keep this information from

leaking to any other person regardless of who they are. Similarly, the management of the school

ought to be informed that the login information to the system is not supposed to be given to any

other person in the school regardless of their position this will help to ensure credibility and

quality in the nature of service being offered (Harris, et al., 2013).

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Step 5. Answer the questions asked in the assignment.

1. Discuss social issues raised by technology regarding privacy and intellectual property.

In this case, the matter of privacy comes in when the library seeks to establish a system

that will safeguard the information in the files. This translates to confidentiality. When

confidentiality is compromised in any form of organization, it is easy for information to leak out.

This leakage of information can translate to a massive loss of information or even hacking of the

system (Harris, et al., 2013, 97).

Intellectual property is also another important aspect that needs to be considered. This is

because there is no employee in the library who can operate the system that is yet to be installed.

The library runs on some principles that govern registration, membership, lending of books, and

charges to delayed returning books, as well as, replacement fee for lost or damaged books. These

principles might be the business secrets that help the library to earn revenue. The person

managing the software needs to know these principles in order to define the manner in which the

system will operate. When the person comes to the knowledge of these principles, then he ought

to ensure that secrets of the organization that makes the library to earn a profit are confidentially

kept (Harris, et al., 2013, 101).

2. Explain the terms determinism, optimism, and pessimism in evaluating technology with

regards to social effects.

Technological determinism argues that the developments that are seen in technology have

their own life. This implies that neither humans nor the entire society are capable of controlling

the internal logic which runs technology. Determinism continues to argue that is inevitable for a

Running Head: Ethics 5

technology that was to be developed and put to a particular use to eventually be developed and

used respectively (Harris, et al., 2013, 93).

The arguments posed by determinism regarding technology are hard to comprehend. This

is because and fault in technology has never been accounted to technology. Rather it is humans

who take responsibilities for all the blunders caused by technology. For determinism to hold then

there is a need for technology to be responsible for its actions (Harris, et al., 2013, 93).

Technological optimism argues that all the resulting effects of technology are good to

humans. It is true that technology helps humans to meet their luxury needs, as well as, their basic

needs. Technological optimism is worth supporting since there are innumerable amounts of

benefits that humans have obtained from these developments (Harris, et al., 2013, 93).

However, it is also important to consider the negative sides of these technological

innovations. Optimism in the technological aspect tends to overlook the negative effects of

technology. This basically implies that the negative sides of technology are overweighed be the

positive effects. This might not be true especially in the present times when technology is

amounting to a relatively equal amount of damage compared to the good it brings (Harris, et al.,

2013, 93).

Technological pessimism argues from a point of view that sees technology as being an

enemy to man. Technological pessimists argue from a standpoint that fails to consider the

positive impacts of technology. They consider technology as the root cause of the environmental

degradation that depleted the beauty of nature (Harris, et al., 2013, 93).

Pessimists on technology have lots of evidence to support their argument. For instance,

many skin cancer cases today are as a result of depletion of the ozone layer. It is technology that

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amounted into industrialization. Industrialization fully matured to release sufficient smoke and

other substances in the environment which has successfully managed to deplete the atmosphere

(Harris, et al., 2013, 93).

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Part Two

1. How does the line-drawing approach help solve ethical problems and limit the risk on

projects?

The line drawing principles operate like a boundary between two properties. This is its

definition in a layman’s language. Professionally or ethically, the line drawing technique can be

defined as defining the roles and duties of employees. Roles may with regards to the position of

the employee. In the same manner, an employee has a duty of responsibility that he ought to

fulfill to the client of the company, the managers of the company, fellow employees and to

himself. One of the major ethical problems at work is the conflict between employees and their

fellow employee, their employer and the client. Just as the name of this technique suggests, it

operates by basically defining the roles and duties of employees clearly. Another issue that can

be determined using line drawing is whether an employee has been indulged in corruption while

rendering or making an order for the company. For instance, it is unethical to buy cheaper

products for use in the in order to have a personal gain from the money that will be left (Harris,

et al., 2013, 80).

2. How does working with a team cause potential ethical problems? How can these issues

be limited and avoided?

A team is normally comprised of many people from different backgrounds. As such, a

manager of any team needs to make these people work together. Conflict is an inevitable

problem in a team. In other cases, some employees fail to take responsibility for their mistakes

and blame it on others. This act may cause misunderstandings and poor co-operation among the

members of the team. In order to solve these problems, it is important for any team manager at

Running Head: Ethics 8

work to help the employees bond via workshops and retreats. This will help the employees to be

more conversant with the weaknesses and strengths of their fellow employees. This mutual

understanding among employees helps to reduce conflict and facilitate a better working

environment (Harris, et al., 2013).

3. What makes engineering a true profession? What are the reasons of engineering not being

considered to be the same level as medicine and law?

Engineering is a true professional because engineers deal with real life issues in a practical

way. In engineering, the structural calculations have to be correct unless the engineer wants to

defile his reputation by doing shoddy work that will make the building to collapse. On the

contrary, an advocate can come up with false stories to make his client win or lose a case.

Compared to medicine, an engineer has to come up with a customized design of structures that

match the requirement of the clients. In the medical field, things are done according to the set

standards and procedures. Customization of practices is not allowed as the case with engineering

(Harris, et al., 2013).

4. Why is analyzing a case study central to ethical problem-solving? What benefits does this

analysis provide?

Analyzing a case study provides an example of a real-life experience. As such, it gives a

learner prior experience to solving problems that may have the same definition. In addition to

this, the principles applied in a case study can be applied in another problem. A case study also

makes a learner think of possible alternative means that can be applied to solve problems (Harris,

et al., 2013).

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5. Is the problem-solving approach presented in this course similar or different from the

engineering problem-solving approach? Explain how and why it is different or similar?

The problem-solving approach presented in this course seems to be similar to that applied in

the engineering course. The similarity is established in the fact that regardless the means used,

the problem gets solved eventually. Ethical problems, as well as problems arising from

teamwork, are also evident engineering. This implies that the mechanisms used to solve these

problems can be applied universally (Harris, et al., 2013).

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Reference

Harris, C., Pritchard, M., Rabins, M., James, R., & Englehardt, E.(2013). Engineering ethics.

Concepts and Cases, 5

Edition. Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 978-1-337-05592-5

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