Blog Entry 9

Ethical Dilemma: Chapter 8 Empowering computers in the workplace

In this chapter we have discussed the use of computer to monitor the performance and activities of employees. As we have seen, this sort of monitoring process can be carried out for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to increase productivity by enhancing the quality of work carried out by employees. Naturally, by and large the raison d’etre for increasing the quality of work is to increase profits.

In chapter 1 we briefly discussed the negative impact that the disposal of computer-based equipment can have on the environment, and here we highlight a simple situation in which computer technologies can be used to ameliote negative environment impact – specifically in relation to carbon emissions – atmospheric pollution. At the same time we illustrate frequent reluctance on the part of management to adapt their working procedures to embrace these technologies. Our simple example is as follows.

Consider Alice, who is a staff member in a computer science department in New Zealand. She applies for a job at a university in the UK and is invited to travel to the UK for a three-hour interview. Thus, Alice will have to fly some ten thousand miles each way in order to be present for three hours at the interview. Let us suppose that you are heading the interview committee in the UK, and are therefore Alice’s Primary point of contact. Alice sends you an e-mail asking whether it would be possible for her to be interviewed using videoconferencing facilities. She points out that this will not save her a huge amount of flying time (at least 20 hours each way), but also will alleviate stress, and furthermore – as she mentions – avoiding long-haul journeys that are not absolutely necessary has a positive impact on the environment. In this respect she points out the significant amount of fuel that will be burnt in transporting her from New Zealand to the UK and on her return journey. She has access to high-quality videoconferencing facilities, and so does your university in the UK.

You bring this situation to the attention of other members of the interview committee – your head of department, and the like – but find that nobody is particularly willing to make use of videoconferencing facilities. This surprises you, especially as after all you are working in a computer science/IT department and therefore had supposed that staff would have been quite willing to embrace new technologies. You mention that costs will be saved in not having to pay Alice’s airfare, and also stress that this is an opportunity to make use of computer technologies to avoid negative impact on the environment (in actual fact it is surprising how much fuel is consumed in supporting Alice’s round-the-world trip).

What are your views on this situation? Do you feel that this highlights (even in a small way) the opportunity to reduce environment damage by using technologies to support communication and therefore avoid unnecessary travel?

Do you believe that people should be willing to adapt to the use of such videoconferencing technologies – is this an ethical issue? Given a willingness to adapt, is it possible that the interview process can be carried out in such a way as to overcome the possible deficiencies of the technology – so that the candidate is not disadvantaged by not being physically present, and also provide the interview committee with the opportunity to gain a clear impression of Alice?

Finally, in the chapter we have briefly discussed the imposition of computer-based technologies to monitor the activities of members of a workforce. Do you feel that if members of a workforce are expected to adapt to the deployment of such technologies, then members of a management team should be willingness of a management team to employ even videoconferencing facilities)? To what extent to you think senior management is generally willing to accept the introduction of computer-based technologies to monitor their own activities during the working day?

Answer:

The scenario is quite merely happening on the real life. There are too much factors that to be consider in using videoconferencing as medium on the work. Maybe the seniors are thinking beyond future risks and the possibility of changing the usual routine of their company transactions.

Adopting and embracing the new era of communication technologies is not a bad act, hence many transactions nowadays are using this method to make business, but what Alice had failed to consider is that, the scene was only focus to her, I mean the situation itself has centered on her only and it may not right to engaged and change usual routines for the sake of one employee.

Citing the actual scene of the situation, it may not be balance to balance to weight the risk of everyone to the good of one but rather the reverse of it. Proposing the change of one’s company like videoconferencing may add as a debit on the bright side, however adjusting to the terms and capital of the proposed project may cause money lost and time consuming that can be converted to profit if not wasted. So, at our own opinion, the head and the seniors of the committee are always be the reliable on deciding on allowing or not the proposal of Alice.