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A survey of ethics and regulation within the ICT industry in Australia: ethics education

Richard Lucas (Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia)
Nyree Mason (Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia)

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society

ISSN: 1477-996X

Article publication date: 21 November 2008

1867

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary analysis of age and gender across a number of questions asked in a survey of ethical attitudes of professionals in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Australia. While a large number of demographic questions regarding ethics and regulation, only those concerning age and gender are examined here.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted of the ICT workplace in Australia. The results were analyzed using SPSS.

Findings

There are some significant differences across the generations as well between the genders. Gen Y is different when compared to the others on how important ethical regulations ought to be. Gen Y thinks that ethical regulations ought to be less important. When gender was examined it was clear that males thought that ethical regulations ought to be significantly less important when compared with what females thought.

Research limitations/implications

While a larger sample size was desired, the consistency of the replies, when compared against a number of comparative populations, indicated that the replies we received were representative of the ICT workforce.

Originality/value

This paper raises many issues that demand greater care and attention be given when constructing new models of governing ethics within the Australian ICT workplace.

Keywords

Citation

Lucas, R. and Mason, N. (2008), "A survey of ethics and regulation within the ICT industry in Australia: ethics education", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 349-363. https://doi.org/10.1108/14779960810921141

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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