IT Ethics and Professionalism: A Study Guide

Ethics

External rules of conduct recognised by a group, society, culture, or profession; more flexible and adaptable to various situations.

Morals

Internal principles on which an individual's judgments of right and wrong are based; consistent and unchanging for an individual.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory that focuses on maximising overall happiness for the greatest number.

Deontology

An ethical theory that emphasizes moral rules and duties, regardless of consequences.

Virtue Ethics

An ethical theory focusing on the development of moral character and virtues like honesty, courage, and compassion.

Rights-Based Ethics

An ethical approach that emphasizes the protection of inherent individual rights.

Social Contract Theory

An ethical theory suggesting morality is based on agreements for societal benefit.

Relativism

The theory that ethical right and wrong are determined by cultural, societal, or individual beliefs.

Care Ethics

An ethical approach that places a strong emphasis on caring relationships and compassion.

Natural Law Theory

An ethical theory positing that inherent moral laws can be discovered through reason.

Consequentialism

An ethical framework that evaluates morality based on outcomes.

Divine Command Theory

The moral code that is determined by God's will.

Pragmatic Ethics

An ethical view suggesting that moral principles evolve over time.

Hedonism

An ethical theory arguing that pleasure and happiness are the highest moral goods.

Stoic Ethics

An ethical approach focused on self-control, rationality, and acceptance of things beyond one's control.

Existentialism

An ethical perspective emphasizing individual freedom, responsibility, and authenticity.

Buddhist Ethics

An ethical framework rooted in principles like compassion, mindfulness, and the avoidance of harm.

Nihilism

An ideology that rejects objective meaning, values, and moral truths.

Intuitionism

The belief that humans have an innate moral sense guiding them in distinguishing right from wrong.

Professionalism

The conduct, qualities, and characteristics that mark an individual as a professional.

Compliance

The act of adhering to policies, regulations, standards, and laws.

IT Professional

An individual working in the IT field, involved in software engineering, implementation, and maintenance.

STAR Method

A conflict resolution technique that involves describing the Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

ICT Professional

An individual eligible for professional level of membership with the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

SLA

Service Level Agreement, a detailed written agreement of standards between service providers and clients.

Dogma

Principles or beliefs that an authority insists are true.

Objectivity

Making decisions based on facts rather than personal feelings.

Democratization

Making systems, tools, and resources accessible to everyone, not just a select few.

Hypocrisy

The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs that one's own behavior does not conform to.

Certification

The confirmation of specific characteristics of an object, person, or organization.