Assignment 1: Ethical Analysis Discussion Paper

Assessment weighting: 20% of ISYS3300 total grade

Specification

Scenarios are hypothetical case studies that describe realistic instances, mostly situated in the workplace, where there is a concern about what an appropriate course of action might be (even if it is ‘No Action’ or ‘More background details are required’ with an appropriate explanation, of course). Read and reflect upon the scenario presented below. Provide an in-depth ethical analysis elaborating on the issues involved in the scenario via a well-argued, written discussion.

Suggested framework for an ethical analysis of a scenario

The following framework may assist in your ethical analysis of the scenario but this is only a suggestion and other creative strategies may be adopted if they are justified via valid description and enhance the clarity of what you outline.

The technique of ethical analysis depends upon asking questions like:

• What is going on?
• What are the facts?
• What are the issues?
• Who is affected?
• What are the ethical issues and implications?
• What can be done about it?
• What options are there?
• Which option is best? – and Why?

Using such questions as headings in your responses to scenarios is an option.

The Scenario

You have been recently appointed as the project manager for a new and high profile information system.

After undertaking an initial estimation, you recognise that the project will cost four times the costs being talked  about by the project’s business sponsor. You suspect that upon being informed of the revised estimates, the project sponsor will not approve the project. You also know that if the project is not approved, your appointment and the jobs of a number of IT professionals could be at risk. In addition, you are sure that the project will provide  ubstantial benefits to your organisation even with the higher costs. So, you underestimate the cost of the project taking a relatively low risk that by delaying notification of the true costs until the project is well under way, the project sponsor will be reluctant to stop the project.

Analyse what the ethical implications are and then recommend what actually needs to be done and why.

Requirements

• Your written discussion paper containing an ethical analysis of the scenario should be no longer than 1500 words in length. This maximum word count does not include your list of references.
• In your ethical analysis you must refer to appropriate journal articles and/or scholarly books in support of your arguments. The prescribed course text-book can help you to find further references BUT it should NOT be cited as a reference itself in this written discussion paper. You should read more widely. Web-based references are NOT permitted unless they are online journals and appropriately cited. Wikipedia articles MUST NOT be cited as references.
• Referencing in your ethical analysis discussion paper should be according to the Harvard style.
• You MUST include your full name and student ID number at the beginning of your written submission and on the signed assignment coversheet which you should ATTACH to your work when you submit.
• Your ethical analysis MUST use at least some of the philosophical concepts and theories featured in weeks 2 and 3 of the ISYS3300 course in the justification and support of your positional arguments.

Grading details

Please refer to the Marking Criteria listed in the ISYS3300 course guide for generic grading details. To meet satisfactory standards and beyond, it is expected that a completed assessment task will demonstrate self-directed critical interpretation of course content, aligned with depth in scholarship where appropriate through consultation of
supporting journal articles, books and/or other relevant references that are engaged in independent research. Clarity in expression of well-reasoned verbal arguments in defending a position or outlining a conceptual description is of particular significance in this regard. In particular, your presentation should seek to succinctly apply philosophical
ideas in ethics with explanatory reference to practical situations and/or hypothetical scenarios: To excel, theory should inform practice and vice-versa. This can be done by using ethical concepts and theories from weeks 2 and 3 of the course to support your explanations. It can also be achieved through wide reading.

Assessment criteria

• Clarity of written expression, logical flow and attention to detail. (Do your arguments make sense?)
• The written submission should contain clear and effective introduction and conclusion sections that open and close the discussion.
• Inclusion of any ISYS3300 course content from weeks 2 and 3 dealing with ethical concepts and/or theories (NOTE: These are usually associated with a particular philosopher and/or philosophical movement.)
• As a rough guide, submissions that include at least THREE different applications of relevant ethical concepts and/or theories can expect a HD grade or less depending also on the overall quality of the work. An  understanding of the meaning and application of the ethical concepts used in context should be made
  clearly evident.
• Ethical theories and related philosophical ideas used in discussion should be clearly indicated via stylistic techniques (eg. bold or italic text) and/or sub-headings. Use of signposting sentences to explain the logic of an argument in an essay is another strategy. (What is signposting? – http://tinyurl.com/k6lzx27 )
• Evidence of research through wide reading for those seeking high grades. Is there clear evidence of academic scholarship to suggest that more than just the course text-book and Wikipedia or web-sites were used as references in support of arguments?
• As a rough guide, submissions that include at least THREE references (books and/or scholarly journal articles ONLY) can expect a HD grade or less depending also on the overall quality of the work. (NOTE: These cited references DO NOT include the prescribed course textbook.)
• NO Wikipedia articles or websites should be used as references, except in cases where you are obviously referring to online journals. References must be used to support what you say and not included as mere filler. These should be formatted according to the Harvard referencing style.
• Overall presentation of written work (including a title, appropriate use of sub-headings, layout of text into sections, formatting of text into readable short paragraphs and other creative aspects of document production.)