IS4542 Seminar 2

1
IS4542 - Seminar 2

• The Components of Professionalism in Information
  Systems

2
Why is Computer Use a Special Challenge?

• Computers change the relationships between
  people.
• Electronic information is more fragile/volatile
• Conflicts arise -
• Benefits of sharing
• Need to protect confidentiality/integrity
• Lack of widespread authentication measures

3
Characteristics of Contemporary Computing

• Database technology that is far more powerful
  than 10 or 20 years ago
• Almost unlimited GHz and GB and MBps
• Pervasive Computer devices
• Toshiba's e-domestic devices bluetooth
  wireless networks
• A wired society?
• Applications and opportunities in the e-society
• eCom, eGov, mCom,

4
Characteristics of Contemporary Computing

• If cost/benefit analysis indicates little value,
  people won't bother to ...
• If the effort required is minimal, and the value
  is significant,
• E.g. Compiling focus marketing lists of email
  addresses
• How much SPAM do you receive?
• Email, SMS, MMS?

5
Social and Economic Issues

• IS Professionals work in society - not in a
  vacuum
• You are contracted to design and build systems,
  but those systems have the potential to cause
• job loss deskilling dis(satisfaction)
  injury/death...
• You may also be subject to psychological stress
  in your work

6
Workplace Issues

• Ergonomics
• Are systems
• Reliable and dependable?
• Environmentally safe?
• Appropriate for the task?
• Electronic monitoring
• are employees (including you) monitored at their
  (your) workplace?
• Do they (you) know?

7
Data Protection Issues

• In 1996, HK set up laws for data
  privacy/protection - to promote international
  trade, trans-border data flows, etc.
• Laws include six principles relating to the
• Collection
• Storage
• Access

• Confidentiality
• Privacy
• Accuracy

of data. Do you have a professional
responsibility to be familiar with these laws?
8
Resource Exploitation Issues

• Planting viruses (by mistake or on purpose)
• Hacking (for fun or for profit)
• Using an employer's computer for personal gain,
  entertainment or criminal purpose?
• Letting another person use your computer
  account/password
• What policies might you create if you were
  employed as a security officer?

9
Vendor ? Client Issues

• Contracts and agreements
• Software (non)functionality
• On-time delivery
• Reselling a programme
• Maintenance
• Risks and liabilities - i.e. penalties

10
Computer Crime Issues

• Computers for fraud - embezzlement
• Microcent transactions
• Most crimes committed by employees
• Most crimes also unreported
• Insider trading - using inside information to
  gain an unfair advantage
• What is the job of an IS security officer?
• What actions should be taken against criminals?
  Defence or offence?

11
In Contemporary Hong Kong, what are the key
issues?

• IPR, Privacy, Monitoring - are these really
  important issues?
• Do you think that there will be more computer
  crime?
• Should we worry? Should we try to do anything
  about it? What if we don't?
• What might your role as an IS Professional look
  like in the next few years?

12
How Do We Recognise Lack of Professionalism ?

• Failure to deliver
• Unethical conduct
• Products/service not fit for purpose
• Products not of merchantable quality
• Poor customer care
• What do you call someone when s/he sells you a TV
  that a) arrives late, b) costs more than was
  quoted, c) breaks on the second day, d) is
  unfixable?
• Thanks to Jerry Niman, 2000, for slides 12-23.

13
Professionalism

• Someone who can be relied on to do a good job
• Customer care
• Reliability
• Technical competence
• Ethical conduct

14
Professionalism - The 4 Ps

• Proficient in action
• Permanent in membership
• Professing in membership
• Promise keeping
• Tom DeMarco

15
Professions and Professionalism

• The collective vs the individual
• Collective reputation preconditions our
  expectations of individuals
• If one professional has a generally poor
  reputation, then all in that profession are
  contaminated even though a few may be excellent
• Likewise, if the professional reputation is good,
  all benefit, though some may be awful
• Which professions do you rate highly? Poorly?

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Professions

• A skilled occupation
• Within an organised framework
• With
• An accepted body of knowledge
• An ethical code
• Structured training
• Skills maintenance
• The Engineering Council

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Professions
Engineering Evolution Paradigm
Craft
Mary Shaw Carnegie Mellon University
18
Professions

• Professional bodies
• Membership is expected
• Authority
• Technical standards
• Codes of practice and conduct
• Respect
• IT professionals (like other professionals) are
  generally well respected

19
How Does IS Measure Up ?

• Delivery
• 25 of large scale projects are cancelled.
• Technical standards
• Standards of conduct
• Quality of products
• Costs are frequently 50 or more over budget.
• 75 of all large systems are failures!
• Continuous professional development
• Customer care
• Some good, some lousy
• Professional body

20
Why is it like this?

• The IT Industry is very immature
• Pace of technological change always faster
• Nature of entrants
• Few people become IT professionals because they
  enjoy working with other people. Often they have
  terrible communication skills!!!
• Are the wrong people working in this profession?
• Training and education
• Very technically oriented
• Little general business knowledge (BBA is an
  exception)

21
So What ?

• Individual prestige suffers
• Lack of representation at senior levels in
  organisations
• CIOs/CTOs are not as senior as CEOs
• IS/IT people seldom get beyond Assoc-Vice
  President level.
• Does society/the economy suffer as well?
• The economy is highly dependent on effective
  IS/IT, so why isnt IS/IT better represented?

22
Its Not All Bad News!

• 2003-04 Survey of ethical values of IT
  professionals in HK
• 75 have high standards of ethical reasoning
• Older, more experienced people tend to have
  higher levels of reasoning
• There is volatility in the reasoning process
• People reason at multiple levels simultaneously
• Bugs are seen as a natural hazard of software, so
  there is little concern about this.
• A self-defeating argument.
• Some customers are treated better than others.

Davison, R.M. et al. (2005) Ethical Values of IT
Professionals Evidence from Hong Kong, IEEE
Transactions on Engineering Management,
forthcoming.
23
Seven Stages of Reasoning

• (0) do whatever you feel like
• (1) obey to avoid punishment
• (2) comply for immediate self-interests
• (3) observe mutual interpersonal expectations and
  relationships
• (4) abide by established laws and rules
• (5) conform to the principles and spirit of a
  socially established system for law and order
• (6) uphold principles of rights and justice

Based on Kohlberg, 1969, 1981
24
Survey Responses
25
HK Professional IT Ethics

• even with clearly articulated rules that are
  deeply respected, IT professionals in Hong Kong
  are likely to give preferential treatment to some
  of their customers
• Guanxi????

26
What Can the Industry Do ?

• Demand higher standards from large developers
  and individual professionals.
• Is Microsoft professional?
• Is releasing buggy software professional?
• Make sense of certification
• How do we know that someone is qualified?
• Can we certify software itself?

27
What Can You (and I) Do ?

• Join the professional body
• Develop ourselves
• Expect professional behaviour from peers
• Behave professionally
• See ourselves as others see us
• What would impress you "Wow! That is really
  professional! I'd like to be like that!"

28
Can one individual really make a difference?

• It is easy to use this argument to justify doing
  nothing.
• But then one can use the same argument to justify
  software piracy!
• If you care, if you want to change the world,
  then you can help take the first step.
• Part of professionalism (in any field) is being
  willing to act professionally and uphold the
  values that you believe to be correct, even if
  others dont like it, even if you may suffer
  negative consequences.

29
For Example

• You are a programmer with a software house,
  working on a system for a prominent customer.
• The system is due for delivery soon, but the
  project is behind schedule.
• Your boss advises you to reduce the number of
  bug-checks that you do so as to speed things
  up. He also advises that you dont bother with
  the sophisticated security measures that the
  customer requested.
• What do you do? What are your professional
  principles? Obey the boss, report to the
  customer, report to ICAC/HKPF/HKCS?