Emerging Electronic Performance-Monitoring Technologies
Instructions
1. Read Chapter 6 – Privacy (Ethics and the Conduct of Business, 8th edition: Authors: John R. Boatright & Jeffery Smith)
2. Read the article: “The Boss Will See You Now.”
Questions
Please remember that the assignment is for you to write an essay. Therefore, the questions below should be addressed within your essay. An essay should be written. Do not provide a list of responses or short answers to each question. Present one essay, organized according to the instructions, in which the following questions are addressed.
In the assigned article, we read: “As it happened, the 1980s and 1990s were a major turning point in surveillance, the period when companies went on their first buying sprees for electronic performance-monitoring...” “The second big turning point in electronic performance-monitoring is happening right now. It’s driven by wearable tech, artificial intelligence, and Covid. Corporations’ use of surveillance software increased by 50 percent in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, according to some estimates, and has continued to grow.”
1. Please provide a brief summary of the electronic performance-monitoring technology that has recently emerged, as discussed in the article.
a. Which of these technologies do you argue are ethically acceptable to use to monitor performance in businesses? (You may argue that none of them or all of them). Why? Please base your arguments on ethical theories and concepts and explain.
2. Examine these performance-monitoring technologies from a utilitarian perspective.
a. Briefly summarize the good and the harm that results from their use. Ultimately, does their use provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people? Why? Please explain.
The article finishes with the following statement:
“This matters because work is not an afterthought for democratic society; the relationships built at work are an essential building block. With wholly atomized workers, discouraged from connecting with one another but forced to offer a full, private portrait of themselves to their bosses, I cannot imagine a democracy.”
3. Please explain why you agree or disagree with such arguments. In other words, do you agree or disagree that (a) “the relationships built at work are an essential building block” for a democratic society, and do you agree or disagree that (b) the performance-monitoring technologies discussed (i.) threaten these relationships and (ii.) therefore, area threat to democracy. Please explain.
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Workplace surveillance has recently undergone a rapid transformation due to the adoption of intricate and advanced electronic performance-monitoring technologies. These technologies range from sophisticated software that tracks digital activities to hardware devices that monitor physical movements. Businesses have embraced these tools in their pursuit of enhanced productivity and efficiency. However, this transformation has ignited a heated debate regarding the ethical boundaries of workplace surveillance, with a particular focus on privacy and its significance within the realm of business ethics (Teachout, 2022; Rice University, 2018).
This discussion centers on two fundamental questions: First, what are the emerging electronic performance-monitoring technologies, and what is the extent of their scope? Second, which technologies can be ethically justified in a business context while upholding employee privacy? Addressing these inquiries necessitates an exploration of ethical theories and concepts related to workplace privacy, employee autonomy, and the delicate balance between organizational control and individual rights.
The ethical evaluation of these technologies is a multifaceted endeavor influenced by factors such as the nature of the technology, its context, and its impact on privacy. By examining ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics, one can construct arguments in favor of and against specific electronic performance-monitoring technologies. These arguments may range from complete acceptance, emphasizing efficiency and security benefits, to outright rejection, citing concerns about employee privacy and autonomy (Teachout, 2022; Rice University, 2018).
Our analysis will delve into these technologies in detail, comprehensively understand their implications, and critically assess their