Chapter 8

Ethical Dilemma


What are your views on this situation?

• Basically, videoconferencing are very rampant. It helps to construct a good communication medium between the employers and the employee, particularly those who are involved with outsourcing. It enables flexibility in communications. Being applicants, it will be better for us to follow our employers instructions even before using videoconferencing during the interview.

Do you feel that this highlights (even in a small way) the opportunity to reduce environmental damage by using technologies to support communication and therefore avoid unnecessary travel?

• The employer may save money for Alice' fare for flying to UK from New Zealand. But since the flight schedule is fix, it is impossible for him to save money because the plane will still fly to UK with or without Alice. Instead of flying her to UK, videoconferencing is quite best alternative way for the employer to save money.

Do you believe that people should be willing to adapt to the use of such videoconferencing technologies - is this an ethical issue? Given a willingness to adapt, is it possible that the interview process can be carried out in such a way as to overcome the possible deficiencies of the technology-so that the candidate is not disadvantaged by not being physically present, and also provide the interview committee with the opportunity  to gain a clear impression on Alice?

• Considering the use of technology like videoconferencing which gives an almost real-time events, employers may not still be fully satisfied to recruit an employee over the line. It is because they follow standards for recruitment, like considering hand gestures of the interviewee during the interview. These standards give the employers a hint on choosing the right employee. Since videoconferencing is more likely to become only a pure conversation, it generates hesitations for many employers to recruit. On the other way around, this is beneficiary for employees since it can give confidence to communicate  to the employers because they were not really on actual or physical conversation.

Do you feel that if members of a workforce are expected to adapt to the deployment of such technologies, then members of a management team should be willing to do likewise (in the above discussion, we have demonstrated an example of the unwillingness of a management team to employ even videoconferencing facilities)? 

To what extent to you think senior management is generally willing to accept the introduction of computer-based technologies to monitor their own activities during working day?

Chapter 7: Computer Technology and accessibility issues

Ethical Dilemma

So far in this chapter we have not paid any particular attention to the impact of ICT on older people – people who have previously lived in a fairly stable environment. Today the momentum of change (in which computer – based technologies play a pivotal role) is ever increasing. Consequently, older people are becoming ever more concerned and bewildered by the constant alterations that are occurring in practically every aspect of their daily lives. Stability is being replaced by instability. As younger people embrace e-mail, cellular phones, text messaging and the like, the older generations see their post offices closing, no longer is there any personal contact at the bank, and who knows for how much longer they will able to use a chequebook?

How do you perceive the ramifications of computer-based technologies and the current pace of change impacting on older people?

• It's alarming for those people who were not used to do things along with computers. Another impact is that with computers, people may learn how to become more tardy since everybody are dependent with computers. Hence for those people who were not used with computers will call for help from people who knows to operate the computer to do their tasks, since they were  not still familiar with it. This will generate inferiority to people who were not used with computers since their services as manual contractors will no longer be needed during the operational works because of computers.

To what extent are they becoming increasingly isolated?

• Definitely people who can't cope with the use of computer will be isolated. One main reason is that younger people of today's generation exceeds the learning capacity of the older ones in terms of computer manipulation. 

Is direct personal contact being gradually eroded?

• No, because there are limitations with computer. 

Perhaps discuss these issues with older person that you know, such as a family member. Identify the issues.

• Upon having a chat with the older ones, according to them one factor why we use computer is to make things easy, fast, efficient and comfortable for daily living. Just like communicating people through internet chatting which makes it more convenient for people abroad to keep in touch with their love ones.

Have these people gained as a consequence of the proliferation of and reliance we place upon computer- based technologies and the pace of change that has ensued?

• Yes