Chapter 14 exam review

14.4a We are all faced with difficult decisions in our work and in our personal life, and most of us have developed a decision-making process that we execute almost automatically, without thinking about the steps we go through. For many of us, the process generally follows these steps:

(1) gather information, (2) develop a problem statement, (3) consult those involved as well as other appropriate resources, (4) identify options, (5) weigh options, (6) choose an option, (7) implement a solution, and (8) review results (see Figure 14.5).

14.3a Health Concerns

-Organizations can increase employee productivity by paying attention to the health concerns in today's work environment. -Heavy computer use can affect one's physical health as well. A job that requires sitting at a desk and using a computer for many hours a day qualifies as a sedentary job. Such work can double the risk of seated immobility thromboembolism (SIT), the formation of blood clots in the legs or lungs. People leading a sedentary lifestyle are also likely to experience an undesirable weight gain, which can lead to increased fatigue and greater risk of type 2 diabetes, heart problems, and other serious ailments. -Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is an injury or disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, or joints caused by repetitive motion. RSI is a very common job-related injury. Tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon due to repetitive motion on that tendon. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is an inflammation of the nerve that connects the forearm to the palm of the wrist. CTS involves wrist pain, a feeling of tingling and numbness, and difficulty grasping and holding objects.

14.4b code of ethics

A code that states the principles and core values that are essential to a set of people and that, therefore, govern these people's behavior.

14.4a Law

A system of rules that tells us what we can and cannot do.

14.2f Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

An act directed at websites catering to children, requires site owners to post comprehensive privacy policies and to obtain parental consent before they collect any personal information from children under 13 years of age.

14.1c Examples of other useful policies to minimize waste and mistakes include the following:

Changes to critical tables, HTML, and URLs should be tightly controlled, with all changes documented and authorized by responsible owners. A user manual should be available covering operating procedures and documenting the management and control of the application. Each system report should indicate its general content in its title and specify the time period covered. The system should have controls to prevent invalid and unreasonable data entry. Controls should exist to ensure that data input, HTML, and URLs are valid, applicable, and posted in the right time frame. Users should implement proper procedures to ensure correct input data.

14.1b Some of the most common computer-related mistakes include the following:

Data-entry or data-capture errors Programming errors Errors in handling files, including formatting a disk by mistake, copying an old file over a newer one, and deleting a file by mistake Mishandling of computer output Inadequate planning for and control of equipment malfunctions Inadequate planning for and control of environmental difficulties (e.g., electrical and humidity problems) Inadequate planning for hardware and software upgrades Installing computing capacity inadequate for the level of activity Failure to provide access to the most current information either by not adding new Web links or not deleting old links

14.1c The final step in preventing computer-related waste and mistakes is to review existing policies and procedures to determine whether they are adequate. During the review, people should ask the following questions:

Do current policies cover existing practices adequately? Were any problems or opportunities uncovered during monitoring? Does the organization plan any new activities in the future? If so, does it need new policies or procedures addressing who will handle them and what must be done? Are contingencies and disasters covered?

14.4 ________ issues deal with what is generally considered right or wrong. People are continually faced with ethical issues in a wide range of settings, and the use of information systems brings with it some new and challenging ethical considerations for end users and for society as a whole. Ethical information system users define acceptable practices more strictly than just refraining from committing crimes; they also consider the effects of their IS activities, including Internet usage, on other people and organizations.

Ethical

14.2b The _________ ________ has developed strict regulations to enforce data privacy standards across all members of the organization

European Union (EU)

14.2j Sample Privacy Notice

Figure 14.3

14.4a Steps Involved in the Decision-Making Process

Figure 14.5

14.4a There are Many Factors to Weigh in Decision Making

Figure 14.6

14.2k Although numerous state and federal laws deal with privacy, the laws do not completely protect individual privacy. In addition, not all companies have privacy policies. As a result, many people are taking steps to increase their own privacy protection. Some of the steps that you can take to protect personal privacy include the following:

Find out what is stored about you in existing databases. Be careful when you share information about yourself. Be proactive in protecting your privacy. Take extra care when purchasing anything from a Web site.

14.3b ___________ is a major component of ergonomics and an important consideration in the design of computer devices. People come in many sizes, have differing preferences, and require different positioning of equipment for best results. Some people, for example, want to place the keyboard in their laps; others prefer it on a solid table. Because of these individual differences, computer designers are attempting to develop systems that provide a great deal of flexibility. See Figure 14.4.

Flexibility

14.4 ___ _________ are often faced with their own unique set of ethical challenges in their work developing, implementing, and maintaining information systems. As a result, some IS professional organizations have developed codes of ethics to guide people working in IS professions. The next few sections provide an overview of ethics and ethical decision making before moving on to a discussion of code of ethics, including a review of a sample code of ethics.

IS professionals

14.4b _______ do not provide a complete guide to ethical behavior. Just because an activity is defined as legal does not mean that it is ethical (see Figure 14.7). As a result, practitioners in many professions subscribe to a code of ethics that states the principles and core values that are essential to their work and, therefore, govern their behavior. The code can become a reference point for weighing what is legal and what is ethical. For example, doctors adhere to varying versions of the 2,000-year-old Hippocratic Oath, which medical schools offer as an affirmation to their graduating classes.

Laws

14.2g _______ involves publishing an intentionally false written statement that is damaging to a person's or organization's reputation

Libel

14.2e _______ _______ _______ is a means of acquiring data (i.e., location, noise level, traffic conditions, and pollution levels) through sensor-enhanced mobile devices and then sharing this data with individuals, healthcare providers, utility firms, and local, state, and federal government agencies for decision making. While such data can be potentially useful in a variety of fields, the technology carries with it some privacy risks if people are unaware (or forget) that their personal mobile data is being shared.

Mobile crowd sensing (MCS)

14.2j __________ companies face an extremely difficult challenge in implementing data collection and dissemination processes and policies because of the multitude of differing country or regional statutes. For example, Australia requires companies to destroy customer data (including backup files) or make it anonymous after it's no longer needed. As discussed earlier in the chapter, firms that transfer customer and personnel data out of Europe must comply with European privacy laws that allow customers and employees to access data about themselves and determine how that information can be used. Links to some sample corporate privacy policies are provided in Table 14.4.

Multinational

14.4a Morals

One's personal beliefs about right and wrong.

14.2i __________ also implement filtering software to prevent employees from visiting Web sites not related to work, particularly those involving gambling and those containing pornographic or other offensive material

Organizations

14.2j The BBB Code of Business Practices (BBB Accreditation Standards) requires that BBB-accredited businesses have some sort of privacy notice on their Web site. See Figure 14.3. BBB recommends that an organization's privacy notice include the following elements:

Policy. What personal information is being collected on the site Choice. What options the customer has about how/whether his or her data is collected and used Access. How a customer can see what data has been collected and change/correct it if necessary Security. State how any data that is collected is stored/protected Redress. What a customer can do if the privacy policy is not met Updates. How policy changes will be communicated

14.2 _______ is an important social issue related to the use of information systems.

Privacy

14.2b In early 2016, EU and U.S. negotiators agreed on a revised framework, termed "_____ _______" that would allow transborder data transfer to continue based on written guarantees, which must be renewed annually, that U.S. intelligence agencies would not have unlimited access to such data

Privacy Shield

14.2d Even outside of work, users of texting and instant messaging apps should be aware of the potential privacy issues associated with such technology. The following are some tips to keep in mind:

Select a texting or instant messaging app that receives high security ratings, and consider using a service that encrypts texts. Disable text previews (which include the name of the sender and a portion of the incoming message) that appear in a pop-up window on the lock screen by default. Do not open files or click links in messages from people you do not know. Never send sensitive personal data such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or passwords via text or IM. Choose a nonrevealing, nongender-specific, unprovocative IM screen name (Sweet Sixteen, 2hot4u, UCLAMBA, all fail this test). Don't send messages you would be embarrassed to have your family members, colleagues, or friends read.

14.2i filtering software

Software used to help protect personal data and screen objectionable Internet content.

14.1a _________ ________ is the structured and collaborative process of analyzing an organization's spending patterns to better leverage its purchasing power, eliminate contract duplication, reduce costs, and improve overall performance

Strategic sourcing

14.2a Key Federal Privacy Laws and Their Provisions

Table 14.1

14.2h The Right to Know and the Ability to Decide Federal Privacy Laws and Regulations

Table 14.2

14.2i Top-Rated Internet Filtering Software

Table 14.3

14.2j Links to Sample Corporate Privacy Policies

Table 14.4

14.3b Avoiding Common Discomforts Associated with Heavy Use of Computers

Table 14.5

14.4a Key Questions to Ask at Each Step in the Decision-Making Process

Table 14.6

14.1 Computer-related waste and mistakes are...

major causes of computer problems, contributing to unnecessarily high costs and lost profits.

14.3b ergonomics

The science of designing machines, products, and systems to maximize the safety, comfort, and efficiency of the people who use them.

14.2b Fourth Amendment

This amendment to the U.S. constitution protects individuals against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires that warrants be issued only upon probable cause and specifying the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

14.1c Training programs for individuals and work groups as well as _______ ________ ______________ covering the use and maintenance of information systems can also help prevent computer waste and mistakes.

manuals and documents

14.1c __________ _____ _______________ are the keys to the successful acceptance and implementation of policies and procedures.

Training and communication

14.1b If users do not follow proper procedures, however, even the most sophisticated hardware cannot produce _________ output

meaningful

14.3b The following is a useful checklist to help you determine if you are properly seated at a correctly positioned keyboard:

Your elbows are near your body in an open angle to allow circulation to the lower arms and hands. Your arms are nearly perpendicular to the floor. Your wrists are nearly straight. The height of the surface holding your keyboard and mouse is 1 or 2 inches above your thighs. The keyboard is centered in front of your body. The monitor is about one arm's length (20 to 26 inches) away. The top of your monitor is at eye level. Your chair has a backrest that supports the curve of your lower (lumbar) back.

14.1b Despite many people's distrust of them, computers rarely make _________.

mistakes

14.3b Two primary causes of computer-related health problems are:

a poorly designed work environment and failure to take regular breaks to stretch the muscles and rest the eyes.

14.2g Individuals can post information on the Internet using anonymous email accounts or screen names. This ___________ makes it more difficult, but not impossible, to identify the libeler. The offended party can file what is known as a John Doe lawsuit and use the subpoena power it grants to force the ISP to provide whatever information it has about the anonymous poster, including IP address, name, and street address. (Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, ISPs are not usually held accountable for the bad behavior of their subscribers.) Brian Burke, the current general manager (GM) and president of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Calgary Flames, and former GM of several other NHL teams filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of British Columbia against 18 individuals who allegedly made defamatory statements regarding Burke on various Internet message boards and blogs.

anonymity

14.2i The U.S. Congress has made several attempts to limit children's exposure to online pornography, including the Communications Decency Act (enacted 1996) and the Child Online Protection Act (enacted 1998). Within two years of being enacted, the U.S. Supreme Court found that both these acts violated the First Amendment (freedom of speech) and ruled them to be unconstitutional. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was signed into law in 2000 and later upheld by the Supreme Court in 2003. Under CIPA, schools and libraries subject to CIPA do not receive the discounts offered by the E-Rate program (provides funding to help pay for the cost of Internet connections) unless they certify that they have certain Internet safety measures in place to _____ __ ________ "visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or are harmful to minors." (The E-Rate program provides many schools and libraries support to purchase Internet access and computers.)

block or filter

14.1a As a result, many __________ are exploring new tools to help improve workers' productivity, such as using an open space layout instead of cubicles, banning personal calls/cell phones, monitoring emails and Internet usage, and blocking certain Internet sites entirely.

companies

14.3 The use of __________-_________ ________ _________ has changed the makeup of the workforce.

computer-based information systems

14.3 As ______________ and other IS components drop in cost and become easier to use, more workers will benefit from the increased productivity and efficiency provided by computers.

computers

14.1a A study conducted by researchers at the University of Nevada estimated that wasting time online (or "___________," as it is sometime called) costs U.S. businesses more than $85 billion annually

cyberloafing

14.4a Often the __________ on what course of action to take in a given situation is further complicated because it involves significant value conflicts among the various stakeholders as to what is the fairest option to pursue. Such a decision represents an ethical dilemma, and all parties involved can benefit when ethical considerations are introduced into the decision-making process by answering the questions outlined in Table 14.6. There are many factors to be considered, and reaching a good, ethical decision can be difficult, as illustrated in Figure 14.6.

decision

14.1a Many organizations unknowingly waste money to acquire systems in different organizational units that perform nearly the same functions. Implementation of such _______ systems unnecessarily increases hardware and software costs.

duplicate

14.1 Computer-related mistakes refer to...

errors, failures, and other computer problems that make computer output incorrect or not useful; most of these are caused by human error.

14.1c To employ IS resources efficiently and effectively, employees and managers alike should strive to minimize waste and mistakes. This effort involves:

establishing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing effective policies and procedures.

14.2j A _______ ________ _______ ______ is to assign a single unique identifier to each customer so each has a single record describing all relationships with the company across all its business units. That way, the organization can apply customer privacy preferences consistently throughout all databases. Failure to do so can expose the organization to legal risks—in addition to upsetting customers who opted out of some collection practices. The 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act requires all financial service institutions to communicate their data privacy rules and honor customer preferences.

good database design practice

14.2j The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces federal consumer protection laws (e.g., Federal Trade Commission Act, Telemarketing Sale Rule, Identity Theft Act, and Fair Credit Reporting Act) t... This gives it the power to enforce the terms of privacy policies as promises made to consumers. So it cases where an organization does not follow the terms of its privacy policy, consumers may file lawsuits which can result in settlements or judgments. However, such lawsuits are often not an option, due to arbitration clauses in the privacy policies or other terms of service agreements.

hat prevent fraud, deception, and unfair business practices

14.3b The _________ activities associated with these unfavorable conditions are collectively referred to as work stressors. Although these problems might not be of major concern to casual users of computer systems, continued stressors such as repetitive motion, awkward posture, and eye strain can cause more serious and long-term injuries. If nothing else, these problems can severely limit productivity and performance.

hazardous

14.1c After companies plan and develop policies and procedures, they must consider how best to _________ them.

implement

14.1a Such __________ systems add to the growth in healthcare costs.

inefficient

14.2j Corporate privacy policies should address a customer's ...They can also cover who has access to private data and when it can be used.

knowledge, control, notice, and consent over the storage and use of information.

14.1 Examples of computer-related waste include...

organizations operating unintegrated information systems, acquiring redundant systems, and wasting information system resources.

14.1c Many organizations perform audits to measure actual results against established goals, such as...

percentage of end-user reports produced on time, percentage of data-input errors detected, and number of input transactions entered per eight-hour shift. Audits can also be used to track the amount of time employees spend on non-work-related Web sites and to determine if specific system policies and procedures are being followed consistently.

14.2 In 1890, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis stated that the "________ _____ ____ ______ ________" is one of the most "comprehensive of rights and the most valued by civilized man."

right to be left alone

14.1c The process of implementing policies and procedures to minimize waste and mistakes varies by organization. Most companies develop such policies and procedures with advice from the firm's internal auditing group or its external auditing firm. The policies often focus on...

the implementation of source data automation, the use of data editing to ensure data accuracy and completeness, and the assignment of clear responsibility for data accuracy within each information system.