Information System and Society
The information system has transformed the way information is transmitted and communicated from one place or person to another. This use of computer technology has allowed business and social communities to interact, interconnect, and manage data among themselves. Therefore, this system has helped organizations by providing them with efficiency, innovation, ease, speed, quality, security, accuracy, and reliability in information transfer. However, the innovation brought by the information system in data collection, processing, and storage practices has also introduced many social and ethical concerns that require attention and adequate solutions.
There are many challenges faced by common people, businesses, and national and international institutions. Millions of computers are linked with millions of miles of optical fibre, wires, and airwaves connecting people around the globe (Mason, 1986). We are living in the age of technology, where information is being handled and employed by people who want to retain, control, and distribute information as they desire for various purposes (Mason, 1986). Information systems can only be successful when they are reliable, accurate, and efficient so that data can be available in an appropriate place when required.
As we humans live together in an information society rather than in isolation, enforcement of laws is essential, but it also requires some unwritten etiquette, collective norms, and ethics to maintain social harmony. Ethics is an important concern in information systems because businesses that adopt ethical practices will sustain, grow, and earn consumer acceptance in the market. The unethical practices adopted by organizations have caused social turmoil and interference from authorities, creating problems for them and disturbing the whole information system. Besides ethics, social and political issues are very important to consider because all these concerns are closely related (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004).
The social issues related to information systems dwell on the privacy of individuals and organizations. It is important to note that not all data are meant to be publicly accessed and discussed by the general public. So, in cases where sensitive data about an individual, business, or institution are illegally accessed, it counts as cybercrime, and regulatory procedures are followed for accountability and penalization (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). The ethical dilemma encountered by the manager is usually reflected in the social and political debate. Therefore, it is very important to manage ethical, social, and political issues at strategic levels, but before proceeding to the solutions, it is important to highlight the main issues.
Non-material values become highly significant when society becomes affluent. Informed consumers will prefer corporations that function in a feasibly ethical environment, thereby alerting those organizations that altogether ignore the practice and scope of the moral environment. Therefore, those with ethical practices can seize the opportunity.
Managing Ethics
Ethical responsibility applies to everyone when performing a particular function in a particular environment. Webster’s dictionary defines ethics as the doctrine that distinguishes good from bad. In this respect, when business is conducted with justice and truth, it will be a business with ethics. Other ethical aspects include robust and fair competition, corporate behavior, consumer autonomy, social responsibility, public relations, and satisfying the requirements of society (Simmons, 1994). There are three theories that come to mind when we talk about the management ethics of a corporation (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004):
- Theory of justice
- Theory based on rights
- Utilitarian theory
Actions and plans, according to utilitarian theory, can be assessed based on their results or outcomes. This assertion is backed by the fact that the actions are supposed to yield good results for the great majority of people.
People have fundamental rights in an organization, as the theory based on rights suggests. It implies that an organization should value and consider people’s rights and must avoid exploiting what they deserve in a humanitarian sense. In an organization, managers are responsible for initiating ethics to prolong its survival, meaning that our daily actions need to be oriented toward ethical concepts (Simmons, 1994). Appropriate company policy can be established to create an ethical business atmosphere; a committee can be set up to train and educate managers regarding organizational ethics so that they can demonstrate a code of conduct in a corporation (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004).
Factors that raise ethical standards
The enhanced concern of an informed public and public disclosure are important factors identified in this respect. These elements, together with highly educated professionals and government regulations, cause organizations to exercise ethics. In this regard, necessary provisions have been established. Unethical managers should be terminated from the corporation. Another significant point is that we should use a code of conduct to resolve our issues. This is because people try to use any means when they encounter an issue. But in the presence of a code of conduct, we do not tend to be unethical in our resolutions. On the other hand, the key responsibility is to teach ethics to people when they are in schools and universities. People also have to develop these ethics or codes of conduct through their families, knowing family values and their scope. In an organization, whistleblowing is an effective way to encourage ethical discipline in a corporation, which will make people aware of unethical practices. Making necessary changes is the responsibility of managers in the appropriate organizational environment according to the need to know, customer expectations, and global warming so that organizations can respond quickly to environmental changes. The key motive is to bar and protect people from practising unethical behaviour. In the olden days, there was caring, loyalty, integrity, trust, and the habit of keeping promises in a corporation, which helped the organizational culture to develop, but people will do anything nowadays because their sole motive is to profit from the organization. Whistleblowing, therefore, works for the accountability of business and enforces environmental laws in that case (Simmons, 1994).
Technological aspects of ethics
There are many advantages and disadvantages of technology. Managers operate in a complex environment and, together with other management personnel, make necessary decisions based on that environment. Therefore, it is the main focus of organizations to establish an environment favourable to society as well as to business; every corporation has some responsibility toward society and individuals. Therefore, nowadays, corporations are working to establish social responsiveness by incorporating policies and operations into the social environment in ways that will benefit both society and the company. Ethics, therefore, deals with moral obligations and duties, what is good or what is bad. Technology has helped to establish value for manufactured products, achieve economies of scale, and simplify operations, helping to minimize production costs and giving more revenue to organizations for products manufactured (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). What a corporation can do in case of increased revenues is work in the best interests of society, provide items that satisfy customer needs, provide more employment opportunities, and keep the environment free from waste emissions, thereby reducing the chances of environmental issues.
Legal Issues in Information Systems
In Information Technology, legal issues are considered by managers and technologists responsible for implementing and creating policies for the protection of IT resources within government agencies or private corporations. Surveys are established for understanding regulatory laws, intellectual property, crimes, and privacy that establish boundaries and liability related to an organization’s information systems; this section focuses on the practical aspects and issues of these legal implications (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). In an organization, working people are encouraged to suggest standard practices as well as spot issues to minimize risk. This activates cyber defences by ensuring a preliminary look at the surrounding and legal issues.
Individuals use original methods to protect themselves from trouble in the future while operating information systems. If we make use of pirated versions or unauthorized versions of software, we tend to face serious trouble (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). The security system or firewall is not inclined to provide any assistance for such systems because these systems can be seriously impacted by spammers, hackers, etc. Therefore, we should use only original software to get maximum safety and protection from damage in case anything happens in the future.
Ethical Issues of the Information Age
According to Richard O. Mason, there are four main ethical issues being faced in this age of information, which are discussed in this section (Mason, 1986). Information develops the intellectual capital that shapes human life and enables people to secure their self-esteem. This social contract among people is threatened by four ethical issues in this information age, named privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility—PAPA (Mason, 1986).
Privacy: This concern relates to questions about what information should be shared. With whom? What information should people be required to keep to themselves? The privacy concern has increased the importance of information sensitivity and its value at a strategic level, so sensitive information is required to be kept private and not shared.
The privacy of an individual is very important in relation to his/her information. Personal information is legally required by many organizations for different functions; e.g., banks require personal information for the safety of funds and security to ensure anti-money laundering, theft prevention, and security. Individuals must know about the intended purpose of the organization that is asking for it and also about privacy protection laws.
Accuracy: This concern is related to the question of who is going to be responsible for the authenticity of the information. If the authenticity is compromised, who is going to be held responsible for the inaccurate information being conveyed and the loss occurring as a result?
In an information system, inaccurate data will bring inaccurate results, so it is essential to ensure data integrity while using, referring to, and citing it. The validity and correctness of the information involve data verification checks and the reliability of sources from which it is collected. For instance, the data collection procedure in research requires data integrity to generalize the results in a related context.
Property: The third ethical issue is the property of the information. Who is conveying the information, and at what price? Who owns the means and channels through which information is being transferred?
The complex issue of privacy relates to the intellectual property of the information, and it is important to disseminate the information during replication and preserve the original version (Kizza, 2007). Institutions try to maintain their intellectual property through patents, copyrights, confidentiality laws, and encryption. For instance, official documents, products, and services have copyrights owned by the specific organization, and other organizations are not allowed to use their formulas, products, and documents without permission.
Accessibility: This concern relates to questions about what right an individual or organization has to access information and the conditions under which this access is obtained.
The last main ethical issue is accessibility to information data. In general, information systems should be designed in such a way that individuals have access to educational information through databases, the Internet, libraries, and other sources (Kizza, 2007). However, sensitive information, e.g., personal information on individuals, examination papers, research articles not intended to be shared publicly, and sensitive information about national and international institutions, is not meant to be shared on public sources without legitimate approval (Kizza, 2007).
Social Issues in Information Systems
The information system has many social issues that are triggered by unethical behaviours. These social problems have a great impact on culture and society. Due to the advancement of technology, various moral and political issues are the main cause of social unrest and unethical practices (Laudon & Laudon, 2015). The information system has made the social structure very complex, as it is very tough to avoid privacy invasion and protect traditional norms and values from being violated through the impact of globalization. Cultural issues are the most closely linked with technology because of the conceptualization of social issues and their related underpinnings (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). The social issues mainly include the topics of culture, relationships, law and order, behaviour patterns and the importance of cultural identity, use of information, health and safety, and accountability.
Culture: The issues of education, uneven distribution of wealth, and the multiethnic and multigenerational workforce are commonly discussed in society. Information systems have made it difficult for everyone to learn the latest knowledge, as this latest education can be possessed by privileged social classes only, which is increasing disparity in society. Therefore, a specific educated class is benefiting from technology in a true sense. Furthermore, information technology has highlighted the generation gap, as senior citizens lack knowledge about information systems and new technology.
Relationship Issues: Unlike in the past, the development of partnerships is more diverse, with distant teams working together. The relationship between buyers, sellers, and suppliers has become easier, but it has also created social issues like lack of trust and low moral values. Many cases have been reported where people have used personal and business information for their own interests or for fraudulent purposes.
Law and Order Issues: National and international databases have information about millions and billions of people for identity purposes. However, cybercrime practices and the hacking of these sensitive websites have laid the foundation for many law-and-order problems. Nowadays, it is very easy to access someone’s information through social networking sites, but cases of ATM scamming and the use of fake SIM cards and national identity cards have made it very difficult for law enforcement agencies to maintain peace.
Cultural Behavior and Identity Issues: The pace of globalization has become possible due to the introduction of the information system. This system has enabled businesses to grow on a global level due to online inventory systems and information transfer. This aspect has had a great impact on human interaction, organizational recruitment systems, networking, and societal presence, which are also transforming the cultural behaviors of people. Furthermore, people who are part of the social world are more inclined toward a global identity, which is dangerous for traditional norms and the preservation of cultural identity (Jensen, Arnett, & McKenzie, 2011).
Information Usage Issues: Information is created or collected for a purpose, but inappropriate use of information can cause serious problems. For example, in the controversial scandal of the “Blue Whale” game in many countries (“Blue Whale Game Blamed,” 2017), the convicts had an e-mail address and information about the teenagers and children who installed the game, and it caused them to kill themselves as it was a trap from the game designers. Therefore, using technology and social websites or search engines has various risks attached to it.
Health and Safety: People-oriented organizations have health and safety concerns faced by workers in their workplaces, which require responsible regulations and acts to provide them with legal cover. Most participants in information systems work at various computer stations in their workplaces, and it is important to outline the rights and responsibilities of both employers and employees to maintain occupational health and safety.
Accountability and Control: The moral obligation related to information systems demands accountability and control over information transfer from one point to another. This is important for complying with rules and regulations. For example, information gathered by a bank about clients requires complete secrecy, and the Central Bank of any country has accountability and monitoring standards for commercial banks for evaluation and regulation purposes to avoid fraud and secure consumer rights (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004).
Managing Issues and Theoretical Support
It is the responsibility of all people to be ethical in all spheres of life, whether in business, personal relationships, or other activities. For centuries, humans have been judged on their actions, decisions, and their approach toward human interaction (Kizza, 2007). Ethics are concerned with being just and true in personal and professional relations because ethics is the main element in developing public relationships, performing corporate social responsibility, and organizational behavior. The code of ethics has drawn up various ethical theories that have generated processes of reasoning, explanation, and justification (Kizza, 2007). But when we think about managing ethics, there are three theories that are mostly referred to: Utilitarian Theory, Theory of Justice, and Theory Based on Rights.
According to the utilitarian theory of ethics, when planning a project, it should be strategically analyzed, and it must yield long-term benefits for a large number of people in society. This theory suggests that an action should be examined while keeping in mind its results so that maximum good for people can be extracted from that action or plan (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). Secondly, the theory of justice focuses on the solution of problems related to distributive justice in society so that each member can enjoy the possibility of liberty by agreeing on the social contract (Rawls, 2009). Lastly, the theory based on rights considers that an organization should recognize basic human rights and value them, and that it has no right to thwart the basic rights of people in society (Simmons, 1994).
All these theories have laid the foundation for managers to manage ethics in their organizations and social forums so that a setup, which can be a family, business, or state, survives longer by initiating ethics (Simmons, 1994).
Conclusion
Information technology has had a greater impact on human life in all aspects, so it is very necessary to highlight the issues associated with it. Information systems have created many ethical, social, political, and moral issues related to data privacy, integrity, accessibility, ownership, accountability or control, cultural values, behaviours and identity, and health and safety. In this paper, the main issues have been highlighted in a broader sense, as they are disturbing the social order on a global level (Beauchamp, Bowie, & Arnold, 2004). These ethical and social issues concerning individuals, groups, businesses, and institutions have a serious and dramatic impact that needs to be addressed with long-term strategic approaches, research-based possible solutions, and theoretical support available in all fields.
References
Beauchamp, T. L., Bowie, N. E., & Arnold, D. G. (2004). Ethical theory and business.
Blue Whale game’ blamed for the suicide of Texas teenager (2017, July 2011), BCC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40561086.
Jensen, L. A., Arnett, J. J., & McKenzie, J. (2011). Globalization and cultural identity Handbook of identity theory and research (pp. 285-301): Springer.
Kizza, J. M. (2007). Ethical and social issues in the information age (Vol. 999): Springer.
Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2015). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm Plus MyMISLab with Pearson eText–Access Card Package: Prentice Hall Press.
Mason, R. O. (1986). Four ethical issues of the information age. Mis Quarterly, 5-12.
Rawls, J. (2009). A theory of justice: Revised edition: Harvard university press.
Simmons, A. J. (1994). The Lockean theory of rights: Princeton University Press.
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