Ethical Issues in the Information Systems Within the Business Environment

In the contemporary business environment, information systems have revolutionized the strategy firms employ in doing businesses. Apart from increasing the customer market base, businesses have been able to carry out international businesses without leaving their physical locations. Moreover, advanced information systems have assisted increasing number of businesses to be more competitive both locally and internationally. Despite the benefits derived from the use of information systems, the firm still faces ethical issues in the businesses environment. A violation of privacy of customers, employee, and suppliers have been one of the ethical issues with the use of information systems. Fur example, an online business can assist firms to collect private information of their customers, which include the credit card information and other personal information. Many firms go to the extent of storing the credit card information of their customers thus violation privacy law in the United States. Moreover, firms themselves have been affected with the recent advanced in the information systems, firms intellectual properties and secret trade may also be compromised with the new technology.

The objective of this proposal is to discuss the ethical issues in the information systems in the businesses environment. The study develops the hypothesis that will be used to test the research data.

Hypothesis

H1: Use information systems is the primary factor that contributes to the ethical issues within the business environments.

Definition of Key Terms

Information Systems: These are the collection of computer and other information processing tools used to store and transmit information within thin the businesses environment.

Information Ethics: The Information ethics are the branch of ethics dealing the moral use of information systems in the corporate business environment.

Intellectual Properties: The Intellectual properties are the information intellect or other products created by individuals or organizations and enjoying the monopoly,... By discussing the research problem, the researcher will be able to identify the problems pertinent to the proposal and develop the strategy to address the problems.

Statement of Problem

The use information systems have created both opportunities for businesses and risks. While businesses many are able to improve their competitive market advantages with the recent improvement in the information systems, one of the greatest risks is the loss of revenue with an increase in pirating. Before a new product is launched, businesses are required to invest million of dollars through an R&D ( research and development), and the costs of the R&D are part of the costs of operations anticipating recovering the costs after the products have been launched in the markets. However, many companies may face challenges to recover the costs with the recent problems of pirating. This is a particular issue in the software businesses where some unscrupulous individuals may develop the copies of the original products and sell them on the internet at cheap prices. These issues have made many firms to lose millions of dollars and unable to recover the costs of operations in the process. Violation of intellectual properties has been the greatest problems that businesses face with the recent advanced information systems. Some companies have experienced their intellectual properties being stolen, and their products available online before they are even launched. In the contemporary businesses environment, businesses are no more storing their information at the physical location, they store their information online. However, faced with recent hacking activities in the business environment, a loophole in the information systems can make cogent information of firms being stolen and customer information being exposed. Moreover, information systems have made illegal coping of the digitalized MP3 music very…