Chapter 10

Ethics of IT Organizations

Questions to consider:

1.     How can an organization ensure that all the members of its supply chain will behave ethically?

Answer:

-Ensure that all Purchasing transactions are conducted ethically and that CSR is given the appropriate attention. 

-Review and Maintain Kanban levels in conjunction with the Master Scheduler, Production Controller and Manufacturing Engineering department. 
-Ensure all Item Planning Data for purchased parts is accurately maintained. 

-Provide information to Manufacturing regarding availability of material and expedite where necessary. 


-Create and maintain procedures that are consistent with the company s ISO 9001:2008 quality standard. 


-Annually review standard costs and drive product costs down. Monitor ppv throughout the year. 


-Measure and report appropriate departmental KPI s. 


-Manage the Purchasing Staff.

2.     What responsibility does an organization have to ensure that its 
suppliers and business partners behave ethically?

Answer: 




Customers who work more closely with suppliers will also be able to create a more responsive supply chain that can meet final demand in a timely manner.

 Manufacturers Compete on Green Computing

 Discussion questions:

1.     How have green computing efforts lowered the total cost of computer ownership?

Answer: 




As a result of green computing efforts, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of servers and computer systems has decreased significantly over time. [Each of green computing 93%+ efficient systems, comparing to others equipped with traditional 70% to 80% efficient power supplies, can save up to $200 to $500 per year depending on configuration and usage. Alternatively, this savings can provide a reduction of more than half a metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions from the generation of electric power from fossil fuels. These savings add up quickly when a Super Blade chassis is fully populated with 10 servers. By eliminating the overhead in 1U discrete servers and using high-efficiency (up to 93%) power supplies, the Super Blade? can save customers between $700 and $1,000 per year in power - even more when lower cooling costs are included. And the carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by more than 5.5 metric tons - the equivalent to planting 1.7 acres of trees.]

Source: http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=9771CF9C

2.     Which approach can yield greater benefits-building greener computers or implementing programs that change users’ behavior so they operate their computers in a more responsible manner?  Explain your response.

Answer: 




In my opinion implementing programs that change users? behavior so that they operate their computers in a more responsible manner is the best approach that can yield greater benefits, in the manner that such programs will definitely change the attitude of every individual in the working environment with regards to operational procedures of computers thus resulting to responsibility education to the manpower through green operation that will in turn minimize the greenhouse effect to the whole world itself.

3.     Do research at the EPEAT Web site and determine which computer manufacturer currently has the best green computing ratings.

Answer: 

For me the computer manufacturer currently has the best green computing ratings are Apple.

Chapter 9

Twitter Emerges as News Source for Iran protesters

Questions to consider:

1.     Many people question the value of Twitter’s goal of helping people stay connected in real time. Do the events in Iran illustrate the potential value to society of social networking tools such as Twitter? Are there other ways that Twitter and other social networks could be used by people and organizations to add real value?

Answer: 




Twitter is an online social networking service and micro blogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets". Also the Facebook is an online social networking directory that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

2.     How trustworthy is the information one gleans from social networks such as Twitter?

Answer: 




Twitter is owned by the company called Obvious. They don't have many products, just Twitter. They operate a blog. It was opened publicly in July 2006 and it’s their only international product currently.

Social Networking Disasters for Dominos

 Discussions question:

1.     Some observers believe that if an organization does not respond to an attack on its brand within the first 24 hours, then the damage has been done—lack of management response is judged as an admission of guilt. Others feel that some time is required to gather facts and figure out what happened before responding. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, how might Domino’s have reacted more effectively?

Answer:

2.     Do you find it unusual that Domino’s response was primarily through the online media rather than the usual printed press releases? Does this seem an effective and appropriate way to respond under these circumstances? Why or why not? Does Domino’s use of the online media set a precedent for others to follow in the future?

Answer:

3.     Identify three lessons that other companies could learn from Domino’s experience.

Answer: 




Once they became aware (more on how long this took later), the company worked to get the videos removed from the original hosting provider (doesn’t matter, as they have since been uploaded to other sites). Dominos then responded with email communications from Tim McIntyre, Vice President of Communications. He indicated how repulsed he was, and described that their security team was going to look into the matter to identify which store and responsible individuals.

Source: http://www.kenburbary.com/2009/04/dominos-learning-painful-lessons-about-the-social-era/

Chapter 8

THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ON PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Questions to consider:

1.     How important is access to ICT in children’s education?

Answer: 

A computer is important to the children living in villages because it help them to do research on various issues that they don’t know so that they can be able to know more about it.

2.     What are the barriers that stand in the way of universal access to ICT for everyone who wants it?

Answer:




 A computer is important to the children because it help them to do research on various issues that they don’t know so that they can be able to know more about it.

Discussion questions:

1.) Can you provide examples that either refute or confirm the idea that a gap exists between the kinds of healthcare services available to the wealthy and the poor in the United States?

Answer: 


 Inequality in economic resources is a natural but not altogether attractive feature of a free society. [ As health care becomes an ever larger share of the economy, we will have no choice but to struggle with the questions of how far we should allow such inequality to extend and what restrictions on our liberty we should endure in the name of fairness. “At its root, the lack of health care for all in America is fundamentally a moral issue. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not have some form of universal health care (defined as a basic guarantee of health care to all of its citizens). While other countries have declared health care to be a basic right, the United States treats health care as a privilege, only available to those who can afford it... Americans purport to believe in equal opportunity. Yet, in the current situation, those who do not have health care are at risk for financial ruin and poorer health, both of which disadvantage them in society and thereby do not give them equal opportunity.

Source: http://www.weegy.com/?ConversationId=9771CF9C

  

     2.) Should healthcare organizations make major investments in telemedicine to provide improved services that only the wealthy can afford?

Answer: 


For me, not only for the wealthy or rich people can afford the telemedicine, also for the poor people can benefits so that it’s not fair to others.

3.) What are the drawbacks of telemedicine? What situations might not lend 
themselves to telemedicine solutions?

Answer: 




Drawbacks of telemedicines are that they can be expensive and may or may not be completely covered by every insurer. Demand of telemedicine is pretty high as well. Situations where telemedicine might not be useful might be to the elderly.

Chapter 7

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Questions to Consider:

1.) Is this example of software problems holding up the introduction of a major new product and impacting a firm’s customers and suppliers unusual, or is it a common occurrence?

Answer: 

 Not all software have same problems some softwares have a defects or totally damage.

 

2.) What can organizations do to reduce the negative consequences of software development problems in the production of their products and the operation of their business processes and facilities?

Answer:

Organization develops plans and strategies to deal with the opportunities and challenges that arise in its particular operating environment, it should design a system that is capable of producing quality services and goods in demanded quantities in acceptable time frames.

Read more: Operations Management - advantage, cost, Key issues in operations http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Op-Qu/Operations-Management.html#b#ixzz1v8TL45oC

Discussion questions:

1.)   With the benefit of hindsight, what steps could have been taken during development of the Patriot software to avoid the problems that led to the loss of life?  Do you think these steps would have improved the Patriot’s effectiveness enough to make it obvious that the missile was a strong deterrent against the Seud?  Why or why not?

Answer:

  To prevent some problems the first steps could have been taking during development of the Patriot software is checked carefully to avoid in danger and serious problems.

2.) What ethical decisions do you think the U.S. military made in choosing to deploy the Patriot missile to Israel and Saudi Arabia and in reporting the effectiveness of the Patriot system?

Answer:


 The U.S. military made in choosing to deploy the Patriot Missile to Israel and Saudi Arabia because in the desert they have a field area and far in accident.

3.) What key lessons from this example of safety-critical software development could be applied to the development of business information system software?

Answer:

 There are many reasons why safety is very important. For example, how would you demonstrate that a system was absolutely safe? Even if it continued to operate without any threat to safety for several years, there may be no guarantee that it will not fail in the next 24 hours. Changes in the environment, hardware failures, untested modes in software systems can all work together to expose systems in ways that had not been done in a previous period of safe operation.

Chapter 6

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Questions to consider:

1.)  Is the RIAA’s strong stand on copyright infringement helping or hurting the music recording industry?

 Answer:

  I think the RIAA help the music recording industry, because The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies. Its members are the music labels that comprise the most vibrant record industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate recorded music produced.

Source:

http://riaa.com/newsitem.php?content_selector=newsandviews&news_month_filter=4&news_year_filter=2012&id=692D1CFB-5B21-0DB9-899E-6A6C4E8F561D

2.)  Could an ISP’s implementation and enforcement of the RIAA’s multitier strategy have a negative impact on the ISP?

Answer:

 Though the RIAA says the music industry has fully embraced the Internet as a major channel for distribution to consumers, the group has called on the Federal Communications Commission to endorse efforts to curb illegal downloads of copyrighted works.

Discussion questions:

1.) Go to your school’s computer lab or a PC software store and experiment with current versions of any two of the Quattro, Excel, or Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet programs.  Write a brief paragraph summarizing the similarities and differences in the “look and feel” of these two programs.

 

Answer:

  Lotus 1-2-3 is a spreadsheet program from Lotus Software (now part of IBM). It was the IBM PC's first "killer application"; its huge popularity in the mid-1980s contributed significantly to the success of the IBM PC in the corporate environment. While the Microsoft Excel is a commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications.

For me I like excel because I can run it using visual basic program.

2.) The courts took several years to reverse their initial decision and rule in favor of Borland.  What impact did this delay have on the software industry?  How might things have been different if Borland had received an initial favorable ruling?

Answer:

 Because we hold that the Lotus menu command hierarchy is copyrightable subject matter, we further hold that Borland did not infringe Lotus's copyright by copying it. Accordingly, we need not consider any of Borland's affirmative defenses.

3.) Assume that you are the manager of Borland’s software development.  With the benefit of hindsight, what different decisions would you have made about Quattro?

Answer:

  If ever that I ‘am the manager of the Quattro the first thing to do is to resign my employment so that we can protect our company to the illegal. Because we all know that even if you are the manager you have obliged to face any problems, to face in the court and for the investigation so be careful for your employee.

Chapter 5

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:

Questions to consider:

1.)   Does sexting represent a form of expression that is protected by the First Amendment?

Answer:

  If the particular sexting is legally "obscene," then the First Amendment does not protect it. The state and Federal laws that prohibit obscene materials would therefore apply. Today, however, obscenity prosecutions are extremely rare, partly because it is so hard to prove that sexual material is legally "obscene" under applicable "community standards."

 

2.)   What can be done to protect people from the dangers of sexting while still safeguarding our First Amendment rights? 

Answer:

 People who engage in more destructive forms of sexting often have other problems, ranging from abuse of drugs or medications to binge drinking. The best way to cope with sexting is to maintain a healthy home environment where people feel like part of a connected family.

Discussion questions:    

 

1.)     Visit the EEF Web site at www.eff.org and develop a list of its current “hot” issues.  Research one EFF issue that interests you, and write a brief paper summarizing EFF’s position.  Discuss whether you support this position and why.

                  
               Answer:

2.)  What reasons might a firm give for joining and supporting EFF?  

         Answer:


I've been supporting it in a minor way for many years, joining early on and making small contributions of news services and money.

         

3.)      The vice president of public affairs for your midsized telecommunications equipment company has suggested that the firm donate $10,000 in equipment and services to EFF and become a corporate sponsor.  The CFO has asked if you, the CIO, support this action.  What would you say?   


         Answer:

Chapter 4

Questions To Consider:

1.       What information about you is being held, who is holding it, and what is this information being used for?

              Answer

  The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS. We help taxpayers who are experiencing economic harm, such as not being able to provide necessities like housing, transportation, or food; taxpayers who are seeking help in resolving problems with the IRS; and those who believe an IRS system or procedure is not working as it should.

2.       What measures are being taken to safeguard this information, and what happens if it is inadvertently disclosed or deliberately stolen? 

      Answer

Sometimes a taxpayer will claim a dependent and the dependent also files claiming his or her own personal exemption. The computer systems that process tax returns screen for duplicate dependents. The second tax return filed that uses the same Social Security Number for a dependent will receive an electronic-filing error message indicating that the dependent has already been claimed on another return. This should act as an early warning signal. If the IRS rejects your tax return over a dependent, you should carefully review all the criteria for dependents. If you meet all the criteria for claiming a dependent on your return, then you should mail in your tax return to the IRS for further processing. Just be prepared to defend your tax return in an audit.

Case Study #4 (Is Google Watching You?)

Discussion Questions:

1.       How does Google’s business model use personal data?

Answer

Google is firmly committed to the privacy of our advertisers and users. Further, Google does not collect or track personally identifying information, and does not reveal individual information to third parties. Users who do not wish to participate in tracking activities can easily disable Google's conversion tracking cookie in their Internet browsers.

2.       What do you are the major privacy concerns raised by Google’s business model and applications?

Answer

         I think the major privacy concerns raised by Google's business model      and an application is there technology was very open to the public and so others can sneak on it.

 

3.       Do you think Google has taken adequate measures to protect its user’s privacy? Explain

             Answer

  For me, Google it is not really secured to protect the user’s privacy in handling our own or personal data because we all know that the database of Google will last forever.