Mike Healy

The Establishment and Enforcement of Codes

Information and communications technology (ICT) is now used more by non-IT professional end-users than by IT professionals. A survey of 125 London-based organisations found that the majority had instituted codes of conduct designed to govern the use of ICT by their employees. However, the primary purpose of adopting such codes was to ensure the security and efficient operation of the organisations information systems rather than for wider ethical considerations. Hence, few of the codes of conduct addressed issues relating to the collection, storage and dissemination of data about individuals (personal data); this was especially the case with codes emanating from IT departments rather than senior management. In general, codes of conduct were found to be ineffective in influencing end-user behaviour in the organisations surveyed. Codes of conduct are a means by which organisations seek to exercise power, control and ownership, but their effectiveness is compromised by the nature of ICT itself as well as the attitudes of employees. The failure of well-publicised ethical policies to influence use of ICT by business studies students – the managers of tomorrow – suggests that these tensions are likely to remain unresolved.

Ethical aspects of e‐business: the use of codes of conduct

This paper examines the establishment and enforcement of codes of conduct governing the use of Internet technology as a means of providing a basis of trust in the e-business context. The discussion draws on the findings of a survey of 80 UK organisations, and considers the relationship between factors such as organisation size, type, use of IT, the length of time with an Internet connection and the use of a code of conduct, as well as the specific areas of Internet technology covered by codes of conduct. The paper also investigates the extent of disciplinary cases associated with the misuse of Internet technology, as well as the ownership and responsibility for implementing codes of conduct. The survey results suggest that the use of codes of conduct varies significantly from organisation to organisation, and that those who initiate such codes are not those seen as being responsible for implementing them. The results also indicate that a growing number of employees are disciplined for misuse of facilities offered by Internet technology.

Marx, Alienation and the Denial of Dignity of Work

This chapter examines the relevance of Marx’s theory of alienation to discussions concerning dignity and work. Ultimately, We provide an exposition of Marx’s theory of alienation, which includes Marx’s view of what he calls our species-being, the nature of alienated labour, the implications for dignity denial arising from a lack of control over work products and work processes, the adverse impact alienated labour has on working relationships, and the relationship between labour and dignity. This theoretical discussion is followed by a reference to a case study concerning ICT professionals in an attempt to illustrate how effective Marx’s view of alienation can be in comprehending the experiences, including dignity denial, of these professionals at work. This section of the chapter opens with a number of comments about the overarching environment within which these professionals work before focusing tightly on a key aspect of the working conditions these professionals experience: namely, control of their work process and its impact on dignity at work. The chapter concludes by discussing the implications of using Marx’s theory of alienation to research and oppose dignity-denying work.