Overview

Information technology reshapes business, jobs, and society—but progress brings ethical dilemmas. This topic explores outsourcing decisions, intellectual‑property rights, IT’s effect on workforce design, and the benefits and risks of social networking. Understanding these issues helps leaders maximize value while safeguarding stakeholders.

Key Issues and Considerations

• Economic Decisions: Outsourcing vs. insourcing vs. offshoring; total cost of ownership, hidden costs, and green computing.
• Property Rights: Copyright, patents, trade secrets, software licensing (proprietary vs. open source).
• Workforce Impact: Telecommuting, virtual teams, job redesign, automation, and ergonomics.
• IT Careers: Roles (BA, sysadmin, data analyst), career paths, certifications (CompTIA, AWS, PMP).
• Social Networking: Benefits (community, marketing) vs. risks (privacy, misinformation); ethical content moderation.

Step-by-Step Example

Scenario: A SaaS firm is considering offshoring its 24/7 help‑desk to reduce costs. Evaluate the social and ethical factors.

Step 1 – Financial Analysis: Offshoring saves 40 % salary expense but adds training and turnover costs.

Step 2 – Quality Concerns: Time‑zone alignment may enhance response speed, but language barriers could hurt customer satisfaction (KPIs).

Step 3 – Workforce Impact: Domestic layoffs affect morale and local community; must budget for severance and retraining.

Step 4 – Data Privacy: Offsite agents require VPN and strict PII controls to comply with GDPR/CCPA.

Final Answer: Offshoring is viable only if the firm implements rigorous data‑protection measures, invests in cross‑cultural training, and offers ethical transition plans for displaced staff.

Quick Tip