Personal Integrity As The Key Principle Of Information Ethics (Research Paper Sample)

PERSONAL INTEGRITY AS THE KEY PRINCIPLE OF INFORMATION ETHICS
Moses Muihia
Ethics 311: Personal Integrity and Information Ethics
September 15, 2016
Personal Integrity as the Key Principle of Information Ethics
Modern technology has revolutionized business and personal practices. In addition, work has been made easier and its quality improved. However, there are challenges that have been brought by the improper use of this technology. The infiltration of technology in almost all aspects of human life means that a lot of issues have been put at risk. The integration of personal integrity and information ethics enables businesses and individuals to manage their private data properly. This paper examines how personal integrity is the key principle of information ethics.
Information ethics refer to a number of issues that regulate how people prepare, distribute, use and store information. This involves all the process and guidelines that regulate what and how people should prepare information intended for personal or public use. The ethics surrounding this concept are aimed at ensuring that people do not misuse information. Personal integrity refers to the way individuals manage their lifestyles, interactions and other aspects in the society.[Donald C. Menzel, Ethics management for public administrators: Leading and building organizations of integrity (New York: ME Sharpe, 2012), 31.]
The relationship between personal integrity and information ethics stems from the need to ensure that people do not produce or distribute information that may injure the reputation of others. This involves spreading falsehoods aimed at portraying other people as evil, incompetent or weak. Personal integrity ensures that all the information produces is intended for noble purposes. These purposes include education, awareness, entertainment and warnings. Therefore, people are supposed to pay attention to the information they produce or distribute to ensure it does not affect the lives of other people.
Secondly, the present society witnesses competition among innovators of various ideas. Issues like intellectual property and copyright protection are to be considered by anybody who wants to produce, share or use information available in various platforms. The conflicts between the traditional cultures of countries and individuals create a barrier and hinder the proper implementation of copyright regulations. For instance, China and most western countries companies are in conflicts over copyright issues since there are no clear guidelines or interpretations of the existing laws. Personal integrity helps individuals and companies to respect the copyrights of others and follow the necessary channels when they want to use their information.[Laura Pincus Hartman, Joseph R. DesJardins, and Chris MacDonald, Business ethics: Decisio making for personal integrity and social responsibility (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014), 71.]
Lastly, the advancement and implementation of professional ethics ensure employees apply ethical solutions in all situations that promote individual and organizational responsibility and accountability. Each profession has a code of conduct that guides the behavior of its members. All employees under the same profession are supposed to abide by these rules and ensure they are followed all the time. The high number of professional bodies implies that there are numerous professional codes of conduct. Today, most of the codes regarding information ethics promote responsible communication. Integrating personal and professional ethics enables employees to use information responsibly and ...