Consequence Ethics: “Email and Privacy: A Novel Approach” 1

Consequence Ethics: “Email and Privacy: A Novel Approach”

 Consequence Ethics: “Email and Privacy: A Novel Approach” 2

Receiving incoming emails organization-wide is ethical because it produces the greatest

good for the most people. The major stakeholder groups impacted by the action include

employees (qty 10) (Bowern, 2017, p. 408), customers (qty 100-approximation), and business

partners (qty 10-approximation). Employee impact is negative because they have limited

privacy, the significance is low since employees agreed to this arrangement. Customer impact is

positive because this creates better customer service through faster responses, the significance is

high since customers are keeping the company in business. Business partner impact is positive

since they are able to easily disseminate information to the team, the level of significance is high

since they need to keep information flowing through the organization. The net good is +2.

Having only email recipients receive emails is unethical because it does not produce the

highest net good. The employee impact is positive because they would have privacy, but the

significance is small since only ten people are affected. The impact on customers is negative

because customer service will decrease due to slower response times, the significance is high

because the organization can lose customers. The impact on business partners is negative since

sharing information will be a slower process, the significance is high because information will

move slower and so will business. The net good is -2.

Everyone receiving incoming and outgoing email is unethical because it does not produce

the highest net good. Employee impact is negative because they will lose privacy, the

significance is low since they agreed to this arrangement. Customer impact is positive because

this creates better customer service through faster responses, the significance is high since

customers are keeping the company in business. Business partner impact is negative this creates

inefficiencies due to the volume of emails; the level of significance is high since the organization

needs to run efficiently. The net good is -2.

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While the Software Improvements case can be analyzed through utilitarianism, it can be

challenging to do so. Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of actions taken; however, it

can be challenging to know whether the action taken will result in the desired consequences. For

example, if Software Improvements changes their email policy so that everyone in the

organization receives all incoming and outgoing emails, the business partners may believe the

customers will favor the change and they will get more business, but rather than a positive

outcome, the customers hate the change and switch to a different provider. The strength of

analyzing this case through utilitarianism is that all stakeholder impacts and various actions are

considered so that, potentially, the greatest good to the greatest number of people is achieved.

The response plan for this case includes providing information to customers, suppliers,

vendors, prospective clients, and others who come in contact with the organization about the

email policy. Disseminating this information ensures they are aware that the information they are

sending is being transmitted to all members of the agency rather than just to the individual they

originally sent the message to. Providing this information to stakeholders outside of the

organization will allow them the opportunity to opt out of this method if they are uncomfortable

with it and it provides more transparency. Software Improvements should also identify whether

this mode of communication is effective or if it is slowing efficiency by making employees read

information that does not necessarily apply to their job. If the result is negative, then they should

discontinue the practice.

Software Improvements Pty. Ltd. does not have an accessible code of ethics on their

website, they only have a statement under their Company Information page that they will

perform all of their activities ethically, although there is no definition of what ethics means for

Software Improvements. (Software Improvements Pty. Ltd, webpage). When an organization

 Consequence Ethics: “Email and Privacy: A Novel Approach” 4

conducts itself in an honest and transparent manner it helps its employees adopt the same

practices, but in the case of Software Improvements, just because there is no formalized code of

ethics, does not mean that ethics are not actively practiced in the organization. A formal code of

ethics would benefit this organization by providing guidelines for employees if they encounter an

ethical issue in the workplace, for example, if they know that their customers feel uncomfortable

with the email policy, the code of ethics can provide them a means for how to address this with

their superiors. This would also provide employees with a means to report unethical behavior

should the need arise.

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References:

Software Improvements Pty Ltd Web Page. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2019, from

http://www.softimp.com.au/sodis/company.html.

Bowern, M. (2017). E-mail and privacy: A novel approach. In F. Allhoff, A. Sager, and A. J.

Vaidya (Eds.), Business in ethical focus: An anthology (2nd ed., pp. 408-410).

Peterborough, Ontario, Canada: Broadview Press.