Privacy and business ethics

Businesses strive to maintain their privacy especially in this era which is characterized by competition and globalization. Advancement in technology have threatened the privacy of most businesses thus business are implementing and advocating for more strict business ethics while dealing with technology to ensure vital information concerning a business is safeguarded. However, cases of unethical practices by businesses have increases which are attributed to the increasing use of technology in organizations.

Business code of ethics is a vital requirement for any business as it outlines the accepted behavior in an entity.

Business ethics refers to the standardized behavior in operation in any workplace and it applies to all employees while they are carrying out their task, dealing with partners and also the customers. Most organizations have resorted to the use of technology in almost all areas of management and even in production processes. This has increased the risk of losing private data by organization through data mining by competitors.

This increased risk of lose of privacy of an organization caused by the extensive use of technology in organizations have called for a more stringent measures to ensure business ethics are followed (Beauchamp & Arnold, 2008).

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Use of technology in relation to business ethics and privacy Technology use by most organizations has not only transformed or changed the way businesses carry out their tasks but it has also led to many ethical issues regarding business privacy, property rights protection and also freedom from obtaining or being sent unwanted materials.

As mentioned above, business privacy is vital as this ensures that the competitive strength of an organization is not tampered with by the competitors.

Use of technology has also led to an increase in unethical practices by most organizations as they try to gain a competitive edge in the market leading to calls for implementation of strict ethical measures in the businesses. Advancement in technology has also brought its own ethical dilemmas in the business world (De George, 2003).

Use of technology has led to an increase in competition in different industries with corporations doing every possible thing that they can to destroy their competitors. Use of computers and internet has made it easier for corporations to access private information of their competitors. Employees are usually bribed to give out private information by the competitors thus increasing the risk of loss of privacy by organizations.

Most organizations’ business and product plans have been stolen and duplicated regardless of their patent rights and copyrights. Such information while circulated is harmful to the company while it increases the completive powers of the competitors. As such, increased use of technology by businesses has reduced business ethics while at the same time threatened the privacy of most organizations (Cardinali, 1995).

Data mining has been the most notable cases of unethical practices by business which has been made possible by improvement of and use of technology by businesses. Data mining refers to the act of illegally obtaining data (mostly confidential) of another person without obtaining permission from the owner. Data mining is one of the means which companies are using so as to out do their competitors thus increasing their profits. Increase in cases and types of internet crime have contributed greatly to this scenario being employed by businesses.

Business ethics dictate that a business entity should not do activities which are more likely to harm your competitors with an aim of creating a market for your company or business. However, most of the organizations are engaging in data mining practices thus posing a threat to their competitor’s privacy and survival. Data mining is unethical and should be discouraged always by the management instead of being encouraged (De George, 2003).