Abstract

Information Systems technology promises to transform our world. The pertinent ethical question is whether that transformation will be for good or for ill. Who will make the decisions, and upon what basis? Who will benefit? Who will be harmed? As computers and the software programs they run become more pervasive in modern life, there is a growing apprehension of the potential harm they can cause and an awareness that, in America, the professionals and semi-professionals whose programs influence our lives are a non-regulated, non-certified group, in large measure not bound by any code of conduct beyond their own conscience. Hence there are moves afoot in the United States and Canada (Gotterbarn, Kerr) to legislate formal licensing and certification for InformationSystems (IS) professionals. Unless national and international professional associations are able to police their own members, society at large may seize the reins. For professional, political, philosophical, and economic reasons, it is preferable to institute measures of self-governance. This paper surveys an eclectic literature in order to provide a framework for future research developing a system of professional ethical training and a self-governance system.

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