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February 19, 2001

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ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Business Ethics for IT Managers--What You Can Do

By Clinton Wilder (cwilder@cmp.com)

s E-business moves more and more business processes and transactions online, information technology and the people who manage it are at the forefront of decisions with ethical implications.

The debate over ethical standards in business isn't new. What is new, or at least more apparent than ever, is IT's central role in some of the most important business-ethic issues of the day: privacy, the ownership of personal data, and the obligations created by extended E-business partnerships. How have these controversies affected IT managers and others involved with technology? What ethical issues, if any, are business executives grappling with in connection with cutting-edge IT? And where do IT people go for guidance on ethically ambiguous situations? Far from self-evident, the answers may be critical to the development of the trust and integrity needed to succeed at E-commerce and online business.

Here's what you can do to make sure your company considers ethics in conducting E-commerce:

Be proactive. It's not enough to have a great ethics policy that sits on a shelf with the corporate mission statement. Institute regular ethics training and awareness programs. Move ethics away from "rules to be followed" to becoming a way of doing business.

IT-related ethics must be cross-functional. Work with marketing, human resources, and other departments to determine proper ethical standards.

Link ethics policies to real-world scenarios that your employees may face. Establish clear procedures about who employees should contact with ethics-related questions when questionable situations arise.

Identify areas where IT management can take the lead in establishing new ethics guidelines. For example, IT executives at Praxair Technology Inc. and Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. have led the charge to establish policies for employees' safe use of cell phones and wireless devices while driving.

Make clear that your standards of ethical behavior also apply to third-party contractors and on-site consultants working in your company.

If your company doesn't already have one, push for a publicly displayed privacy policy regarding customer data. And pay attention to how that data is shared within the company, as well as with outsiders.

Above all, emphasize that good ethics makes good business sense. Sacrificing ethics for short-term gain is sure to lose customers and partners in the long run. Ethics is not just a matter of moral correctness--it also means business success.

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Illustration by Jonathan Weiner