A Guided Guide

The 2008 Science and Mathematics Education Conference (SMEC) at AUB was being announced, along with a call for volunteering students to participate as guides in the event. Coming from a family involved in the field of education, I thought it would be an interesting experience to be part of SMEC, so I signed up as a guide, not knowing that in this experience, I was to be guided instead.

Part of my job was to attend workshop sessions, making sure that all technical matters were under control. Sitting at the side of the classroom, I witnessed the deliverance of a wholehearted message from Bicharaf (“With Honor”), where the session addressed a crucial topic which I sadly thought no longer impacted many people’s thoughts and actions. But Bicharaf was there, reassuring me that academic integrity and ethics did not die, and that it is we (you and I) who should revive them and keep them going.

Towards the end of the workshop session, I was as shocked as I was pleased to know that an organization like Bicharaf existed. From there, I was determined to join this enthusiastic team in willingly working for a good cause.

At a time when getting away with academic dishonesty has become an easy task, and competition among students has fueled the need to cheat and plagiarize, Bicharaf’s efforts are directed at increasing students’ awareness by educating them of the consequences behind dishonesty and encouraging them towards honest behavior. More importantly, however, I believe that Bicharaf is there to revive and instill ethical principles in our community, whereby each and every individual shall willingly think and behave “With Honor”.

The Ethics of IT

Following the exceedingly publicized Enron scandal, legislative reforms, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, have been undertaken as a response to the public uproar over corporate corruption. Even though the Sarbanes-Oxley Act underlines the rules to be followed in the post-Enron era, “it’s still up to the CIO to embrace and champion the new IT and corporate ethics" as Gartner INC. analyst Joe Bace says.

According to Lisa Ferri, author of the article in question, IT ethics are not only a necessity – even obligation – but they are also key ingredients in the success and stability of any given enterprise. Ferri goes on by stating that a clear and effective ethics policy enables a CIO to manage and maneuver through difficult situations; such as: justifying actions that go against the chain of command; addressing employee behavior that may hurt the network; or blocking partner companies whose resources may include harmful files. In the first case Stephen Northcutt and Cynthia Madden mentioned in the IT Ethics Handbook that, when deciding upon which course of action to pursue in a systems audit situation, ethics must be utilized. In the second case, was it meant is that a sound ethical policy prevents employees from bringing faulty data into the network or overwhelming the infrastructure. In the third case, allies and partners today may also be rivals, and a defined ethical policy helps to avoid any political conflicts that may arise.

However, in some situations, many CIOs make “rookie mistakes”, says Meta Group analyst Maria Schafer, such as: assuming that an ethics policy exists when in fact it does not, or not adhering to or being aware of it. In order to instate an ethics policy and resolve any further confusion, companies should start off by conducting an ethics audit, which entails a clear definition of what is ethical and what is not, as well as a detection of areas of possible malpractice. Steps to follow during this process may include clearly stating what constitutes a “conflict of interest”; making sure that all vendors are aware of a company’s ethics policy, and employees are dealing with information correctly; or, communicating with employees and getting their feedback/input on where weaknesses lie; or, reviewing accounting systems to make sure they meet the terms of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Nonetheless, in Joe Bace’s point of view, the most significant element of all in the implementation of an ethics policy has to do with mindset. In other words, companies are obliged to establish a “zero tolerance” culture so as to enforce and ensure ethics. To facilitate this shift of culture, two strategies are offered: The Three Strike Rule and The Whistleblower Environment. The former consists of giving a warning to an employee the first time he/she is caught mishandling information, a reprimand on the second, and firing them on the third. The latter obliges employees, who witness their coworkers behaving in an unethical manner, to confess or report such actions.

Ferri ends her article by asserting that freedom is a CIO’s ultimate reward for developing a solid ethics policy. At that point, rules and regulations must be known by the organization and its employees, and they must act accordingly. One way of keeping track of ethical conduct is to use “automated governance tools” which monitor employees’ activity on the network; thus, allowing the CIO to spread responsibility the information environment throughout the company.

For more information relating to the article, please press on the following link: http://articles.directorym.com/The_Ethics_of_IT-a903434.html

Ethical Awareness Inventory (EAI)

Given that every one individual possesses a different viewpoint of what is right and what is wrong, it is imperative for a person to realize with which perspective he/she is dealing. The Ethics Awareness Inventory program completes the mentioned goal in that it can evaluate one’s ethical style via asking a series of questions, evaluating the answers, and eventually revealing the type of ethical person one is. Despite the fact that results vary from one to the other, the majority of people base their ethical views on four perspectives: character, obligation, results, and equity; and, it is possible for some to have blended styles which places them into two categories at the same time.

According to Vladimir Collak, the author of the paper on EAI, the results of the test revealed that his ethical perspective is based on character. People with a viewpoint centered on character strive to achieve “moral excellence” by highlighting virtues such as integrity, honesty, justice, and wisdom. Their stance on ethics emphasizes the fact that a person must not only be a good character, but also be morally good at all times. In Collak’s case, he often perceives some of the people he comes into contact with as unethical due to his focus on character, when in fact it is probable that they merely have a different stand on ethics. Thus, it is only natural for conflicts to arise between two people with different perspectives.

Collak gives the example of his boss, whom he considers to be a results-oriented person, and his wife, who is an obligation person according to the test, so as to shed light on the different-perspectives-equates-conflict situation mentioned earlier. The differences between the two comes down to the following: the former takes into account benefits versus costs, which may produce unethical decisions sometimes; and the latter perceives the idea of righteousness as what is expected or supposed to be done by one. This obviously creates clashes between how Collak and his boss view ethics, as well as how he and his wife do.

The author concludes by saying that the notion of various perspectives was an enlightening one for him because he now understands some “theory” behind ethical decisions, and therefore can be more understanding and accepting of others’ viewpoint instead of looking at the issue from a character-based angle. In addition, he asserts that this new-found knowledge has not only helped him examine other people’s decisions objectively, but also it has armed him with the ability to recognize and cope accordingly with the conflicts that may surface when facing different standpoints.

Ethical Franchising

Business franchising occurs when a company agrees to or authorizes the sale of its goods and services in a certain manner to interested buyers. Franchising is a good and sound idea because buying a proven business formula grants the franchisee with a competitive advantage in the sense that he/she will learn from the success of others.

The challenges or obstacles begin when trying to explore the innumerable possibilities. A franchisee must not focus solely on finding the one that best fits his/her needs or lifestyles, but rather address the issue of ethics surrounding the entire agreement.

Laura Jayne McDonald, a relatively new franchisor herself, shares a few tips to guide franchisees along their way. To begin with, the first sign one should look out for is trade associations that screen its members for ethical business practices; examples of such associations are the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) in Canada and the International Franchise Association (IFA) in the United States. These two review the franchisor’s legal documents to make sure they correspond with legal and ethical standards.

Another element that one should pay attention to is legal documents. These are guidelines as to what should be included in the franchisor’s franchise agreement, along with other legal documents to be handed down to the franchisee. For example, the requirements in the U.S. Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) entail a thorough account of the details surrounding the franchise agreement.

Moreover, it is necessary to have a wait and review period, granted by the franchisor, between receiving the legal documents and signing any agreement. In Canada, it is usually fourteen days; in the United States, it is ten business days – fourteen calendar days in Illinois. Also, a franchisor must always provide the needed information concerning earnings. The franchisor must include in its UFOC the earnings claims, and not rely on idle promises of success and higher income.

Additionally, contacting existing franchisees may provide potential ones with information and insight that might help them afterward, even though each has his/her life circumstance and income goal in mind.

Last but not least, disputes and conflicts between franchisors and franchisees must be resolved no matter what the circumstance. By doing so, ethical standards are being practiced. In a nutshell, the key is open communication between both parties.

Briefly, the franchisee should identify with the product, the branding, and the company’s philosophy and goals; he/she should hire legal counsel to look over the franchise agreements; and, should gather as much information as needed. Also, the franchisor should provide all the information requested and answer to any questions that might arise during the process.

Bicharaf to head to Dar Jana, KSA

The Dar Jana International School in Jeddah, KSA, has recently invited the Bicharaf team to conduct sessions for their teachers and students. Bicharaf team members will be present at the school on May 5 through 7. Bicharaf will conduct workshops for students to promote academic integrity and work to foster an ethical environment.

Representatives from the school were introduced to Bicharaf during the last SMEC conference, in which they expressed their admiration for the Bicharaf initiative and invited the team to Jeddah to hold workshops.

One session will be conducted for students introducing them not only to Bicharaf, but also to the different violations that students might undertake and some possible solutions to each.Teachers will also attend similar workshops discussing various tips and tricks that help deal with these violations. Additionally, various topics ranging from ethical behavior to misconduct will be addressed.

Bicharaf takes part in 3rd Annual ICTD Conference in Qatar

Bicharaf attended the 3rd Annual International Conference on Information and Communications Technologies and Development (ICTD) held at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar on April 17 through 19. The ICTD conference highlighted the importance of technology and its usability in developing societies. The conference presented research and demos by many organizations on how to utilize technology for development. According to Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s official website “ICTD is the premiere conference for innovating technology accessible and relevant to developing economies. It is a multidisciplinary forum for academic researchers and practitioners designing, deploying, and evaluating computing technology solutions.” The conference was attended by researchers and organization representatives from across the globe to illustrate how technology is used for development. In a demo session, Bicharaf presented its role in using technology in fostering an online networking community to promote academic integrity. Dr. Tony Feghali and Mr. Rami Abi Sleiman presented their paper entitled “The Virtual Community as a Channel for Promoting Academic Integrity: Bicharaf.org.” Keynote speakers of the conference included William H. Gates, Chairman of Microsoft and Co-Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Carlos A. Braga, Director of the Economic Policy and Debt in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network at The World Bank

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Recruiting Ethical Employees

While more and more work is being done in the field of managing employee ethics within companies, less discussed is the issue of how to use the hiring process to recruit ethical employees. According to the Business Rountable's Institute for Corporate Ethics, recent research shows that only one in 20 corporate recruiters include ethics inquiries when interviewing job candidates. In addition, recruiters report that a rising number of job applicants act unethically during the interview process, such as embellishing a résumé or reneging on a job offer.

Ethics World