Question 1

Which of the following best describes how new information systems can result in legal gray areas?
A) They work with networked, digital data, which are more difficult to control than information stored manually.
B) They result in new situations that are not covered by old laws.
C) They are implemented by technicians rather than managers.
D) They are created from sets of logical and technological rules rather than social or organizational mores.
E) They are so complex that they cannot be covered by existing laws.

Accepted Answer

New information systems can result in situations that are not covered by old laws, creating legal gray areas. As technology advances and new systems are created, legal frameworks may not keep up, leading to uncertainty about how existing laws apply to new situations.

Question 2

NORA is:
A) a profiling technology used by the EU.
B) a federal privacy law protecting networked data.
C) a data analysis technology that finds hidden connections between data in disparate sources.
D) a sentencing guideline adopted in 1987 mandating stiff sentences on business executives.
E) an ethical principle.

Accepted Answer

NORA stands for Non-Obvious Relationship Awareness, which refers to a data analysis technology that finds hidden connections between data in disparate sources. It is commonly used in law enforcement and intelligence agencies to identify patterns and relationships in large datasets that may not be immediately apparent. It is not a profiling technology, privacy law, sentencing guideline, or ethical principle.

Question 3

The introduction of new information technology has:
A) a dampening effect on the discourse of business ethics.
B) a ripple effect, raising new ethical, social, and political issues.
C) a beneficial effect for society as a whole, while raising dilemmas for consumers.
D) a waterfall effect in raising ever more complex ethical issues.
E) no impact.

Accepted Answer

The introduction of new information technology raises new ethical, social, and political issues continuously, and the repercussions or effects on society, individuals, and businesses can be far-reaching and complex. So, option B is the most accurate choice.

Question 4

List and describe the five moral dimensions that are involved in political, social, and ethical issues. Which do you think will be the most difficult for society to deal with? Support your opinion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List and describe the five moral dimensions...

Question 5

In the information age, the obligations that individuals and organizations have regarding the preservation of existing values and institutions fall within the moral dimension of:
A) family and home.
B) property rights and obligations.
C) system quality.
D) quality of life.
E) accountability and control.

Accepted Answer

The moral dimension of "quality of life" involves the obligations to preserve existing values and institutions, ensuring that technological advancements do not degrade societal well-being.

Question 6

A classic ethical dilemma is the hypothetical case of a man stealing from a grocery store in order to feed his starving family. If you used the utilitarian principle to evaluate this situation, you might argue that stealing the food is:
A) acceptable, because the grocer suffers the least harm.
B) acceptable, because the higher value is the survival of the family.
C) wrong, because the man would not want the grocer to steal from him.
D) wrong, because if everyone were to do this, the concept of personal property is defeated.
E) wrong, because society could not survive if everyone did this.

Accepted Answer

The utilitarian principle is based on maximizing overall happiness and minimizing overall suffering. In this case, the higher value is the survival of the family, and therefore stealing the food would bring more happiness than harm. So, option B is the best choice.

Question 7

Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative states that:
A) if an action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at any time.
B) one should take the action that produces the least harm or incurs the least cost.
C) one can put values in rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action.
D) if an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone to take.
E) if something someone else has created is useful to you, it has value, and you should assume the creator wants compensation for this work.

Accepted Answer

Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative states that if an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone to take. This means that actions should be universalizable and not produce conflicting outcomes.

Question 8

In today's legal climate, there is little incentive for firms to cooperate with prosecutors investigating financial crimes at their firm.

Accepted Answer

In recent years, there have been increased incentives for firms to cooperate with prosecutors, such as deferred prosecution agreements and leniency in sentencing. Additionally, failure to cooperate can lead to reputational damage and loss of trust from investors and customers. However, there may still be some situations where firms may not see the benefits of cooperation or may prioritize protecting their executives over cooperating with prosecutors.

Question 9

Ethics refers to the principles of right and wrong that can be used by individuals to make choices to guide their behavior.

Accepted Answer

Ethics is often defined as a set of moral principles that guide behavior and decision-making, based on what is considered to be right and wrong. It can vary between individuals or cultures, but generally involves upholding values such as honesty, fairness, and respect for others.

Question 10

The practice in law-governed societies in which laws are known and understood, and there is an ability to appeal to higher authorities to ensure that the laws are applied correctly is called:
A) liability.
B) due process.
C) the courts of appeal.
D) accountability.
E) responsibility.

Accepted Answer

Due process refers to the idea that laws must be known, understood, and applied correctly, with the ability to challenge or appeal decisions made by authorities. This is an essential feature of law-governed societies, as it ensures fairness and accountability. Liability, accountability, and responsibility are related concepts, but do not capture the full meaning of due process. The courts of appeal are a part of the legal system that facilitates due process, but they are not the only element.

Question 11

A colleague of yours frequently takes small amounts of office supplies for his own personal use, noting that the loss to the company is minimal. You counter that if everyone were to take office supplies the loss would no longer be minimal. Your rationale expresses which of the following ethical principles?
A) Kant's categorical imperative
B) The Golden Rule
C) The risk aversion principle
D) The ethical "no free lunch" rule
E) The utilitarian principle

Accepted Answer

Kant's categorical imperative suggests that one should act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law. If everyone took office supplies, it would lead to a significant loss, thus it cannot be universalized.

Question 12

The feature of social institutions that means mechanisms are in place to determine responsibility for an action is called:
A) due process.
B) accountability.
C) the courts of appeal.
D) the judicial system.
E) responsibility.

Accepted Answer

Accountability refers to the idea that individuals or organizations are responsible for their actions and may be called upon to answer for them. This includes having mechanisms in place to determine responsibility for actions taken within social institutions such as businesses or government entities. Due process, the courts of appeal, and the judicial system are all related concepts but do not specifically refer to the feature of social institutions mentioned in the question.

Question 13

All of the following are current key technology trends raising ethical issues except:
A) data storage improvements.
B) data analysis advancements.
C) increase in data quality.
D) increase in use of mobile devices.
E) advances in networking technology.

Accepted Answer

While the other options listed all involve advancements in technology that raise ethical issues (such as privacy concerns with increased use of mobile devices or potential biases in data analysis), an increase in data quality does not inherently raise ethical issues. However, how that data is gathered and used may still raise ethical concerns.

Question 14

Which of the five moral dimensions of the information age do the central business activities of DoubleClick raise?
A) Property rights and obligations
B) System quality
C) Accountability and control
D) Information rights and obligations
E) Quality of life

Accepted Answer

The central business activities of DoubleClick involve collecting and analyzing user data for targeted advertising, which raises concerns about information rights and obligations. Customers may not be aware of the data being collected about them and may not have given their informed consent for this data to be used for advertising purposes. This raises ethical concerns about privacy and the appropriate use of personal information.

Question 15

Accepting the potential costs, duties, and obligations for the decisions you make is referred to as:
A) responsibility.
B) accountability.
C) liability.
D) due process.
E) ethics.

Accepted Answer

Responsibility refers to accepting the potential costs, duties, and obligations for the decisions one makes.

Question 16

Advances in data storage have made routine violation of individual privacy more difficult.

Accepted Answer

Advances in data storage have actually made routine violation of individual privacy easier. With the increasing amount of personal data being collected and stored, it is becoming easier for individuals' privacy to be compromised.

Question 17

In the information age, the obligations that individuals and organizations have concerning rights to intellectual property fall within the moral dimension of:
A) property rights and obligations.
B) system quality.
C) accountability and control.
D) information rights and obligations.
E) quality of life.

Accepted Answer

The moral dimension concerning rights to intellectual property is related to property rights and obligations, as it involves the ownership and use of intellectual creations.

Question 18

Which of the following is not one of the five steps discussed in the chapter as a process for analyzing an ethical issue?
A) Assign responsibility.
B) Identify the stakeholders.
C) Identify the options you can reasonably take.
D) Identify and clearly describe the facts.
E) Identify the potential consequences of your options.

Accepted Answer

Assigning responsibility is not typically considered a step in the process of analyzing an ethical issue. The other options are part of a structured approach to ethical analysis.

Question 19

The use of computers to combine data from multiple sources and create digital dossiers of detailed information on individuals is called:
A) profiling.
B) phishing.
C) spamming.
D) targeting.
E) spyware.

Accepted Answer

Profiling involves collecting and combining data from multiple sources to create a detailed profile of an individual's interests, behavior, and preferences. This practice is often used by marketers and advertisers to target their advertising efforts more effectively.

Question 20

Discuss at least three key technology trends that raise ethical issues. Give an example of an ethical or moral impact connected to each one.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss at least three key technology trends...

Quiz 4: Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems

Which of the following best describes how new information systems can result in legal gray areas?

NORA is:

The introduction of new information technology has:

List and describe the five moral dimensions that are involved in political, social, and ethical issues. Which do you think will be the most difficult for society to deal with? Support your opinion.

In the information age, the obligations that individuals and organizations have regarding the preservation of existing values and institutions fall within the moral dimension of:

A classic ethical dilemma is the hypothetical case of a man stealing from a grocery store in order to feed his starving family. If you used the utilitarian principle to evaluate this situation, you might argue that stealing the food is:

Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative states that:

In today's legal climate, there is little incentive for firms to cooperate with prosecutors investigating financial crimes at their firm.

Ethics refers to the principles of right and wrong that can be used by individuals to make choices to guide their behavior.

The practice in law-governed societies in which laws are known and understood, and there is an ability to appeal to higher authorities to ensure that the laws are applied correctly is called:

The feature of social institutions that means mechanisms are in place to determine responsibility for an action is called:

All of the following are current key technology trends raising ethical issues except:

Which of the five moral dimensions of the information age do the central business activities of DoubleClick raise?

Accepting the potential costs, duties, and obligations for the decisions you make is referred to as:

Advances in data storage have made routine violation of individual privacy more difficult.

In the information age, the obligations that individuals and organizations have concerning rights to intellectual property fall within the moral dimension of:

Which of the following is not one of the five steps discussed in the chapter as a process for analyzing an ethical issue?

The use of computers to combine data from multiple sources and create digital dossiers of detailed information on individuals is called:

Discuss at least three key technology trends that raise ethical issues. Give an example of an ethical or moral impact connected to each one.