In a global news environment there is almost a story to be read everyday about some failure of a company’s ethics.

“Thousands lose retirement funds in collapse of company.” “Accounting firm shreds documents.” “Top executive commits suicide as investigation widens.” “President pardons tax evader.” “Police officer admits taking bribe.” “Priest confesses to murder.” “Crematory operator faces 339 charges of theft by deception.” “Quality of surgical facilities woefully inadequate.”  I could of course go on but I think you get the picture.

So with all of this poor ethical behaviour-taking place can we perhaps enhance and maybe enforce better ethical behaviour by using technology in the work place?

Ethical behaviour, in its most basic form, is behaviour that conforms to accepted professional standards of conduct. The use of the Internet in the workplace can cause problems especially if some staff use it to access pornography. Using tools like Websense organizations can enforce an Internet acceptable usage policy that ensures they provide a workplace that is welcoming to everyone. Automated auditing tools are also an important way of ensuring ethical behaviour is observed in the handling of financial accounting and other financial based services. Likewise tools that ensure email is not used to disparage other organization or individuals can also be used. In a survey in the USA it was revealed that around 1-in-five companies had fired an employee for violating email rules. This survey, conducted by the American Management Association and ePolicy Institute, found that 22% of the 1,100 U.S. employers who participated in the study said they had fired an employee for email infractions.

I’m very aware that so far it has sounded that I am proposing the use of technology (and therefore by implication, the  IT department) to work almost as a policing tool, that is not my point. Organisations must have a clear vision and ethics policy in place before it deploys these tools. Staff need to understand what the organisation deems the professional standards of conduct it expects for the business to perform effectively. Then these technology tools can work to help enhance this vision by ensuring it is kept to. But where technology can educate it can also educate. The delivery of training in work places to the desktop is easy to achieve now and can use a combination of computer based learning modules as well as corporate video message and seminars. Linked to the network login system organizations can also make sure these training programs are engaged with by all their staff helping get the message across to the entire organization. A good simple example of this approach is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which uses a web, based ethics-training program for their staff. The New Employee Ethics Orientation can be viewed here. I think this is a good example where a simple use of technology can be used to enhance ethical behaviour in a company through education. 

Providing a means of enforcement and training of ethics are not the only factors technology can take a part of in a companies ethical work sphere. Used correctly it can provide a channel to report unethical behaviour. An important part of a company’s ethics is allowing and providing a way for employees to report the unfair activities of their colleagues or superiors, for example a Head of Department that attends lavish events paid for by companies in contract negotiations or already providing services to their company. An anonymous web form on the Intranet, a secure voicemail number can also be ways technology tools can help support this vision as well as an internal whistle bowing policy to protect the staff. However, whatever a company chooses to do it must be honest and ethical about the way is goes about its business and this means informing staff of the practices in place that support the ethical behaviour of the organization.  

The Chinese social philosophy Confucius summed it up perfectly  ”What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others.” (Wikipedia)