The Bogarts Engineers and Constructors Inc. case study explores the ways in which businesses get destroyed by workers’ failure to observe ethics, professionalism and search for vengeance when developing corporate strategic information system. In the case study, the involved programmers, contracted by Bogarts Engineers and Constructors Inc., attempted to claim ownership of the Bogart Strategic Information System. They rebuilt the program in a way it would self destroy after a given time.
This paper, therefore, addresses what Bogart Engineers and Constructors Inc. needed to observe as a shield against these unethical employees. The protective measures recommendable to Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. after information tampering by employees include development, maintenance, and operation of the strategic information systems. To protect strategic information system and their use, Bogarts Engineers and Constructors Inc. could have applied the below logical and consistent management policies to strengthen the management controls.
First, the Bogarts Engineers and Constructors Inc. management need to signal the policies that governs the use and misuse of corporations software to its workers (Smart, Barman, and Gunasekera 6). It should uncompromisingly improve these policies to guarantee conquering implementation of the policy. When Bogarts Engineers and Constructors Inc. uses strategic information systems, it is faced with the difficulty of planning and controlling their workers particularly the computer programmers whose unethical actions makes this association defenseless. For instance, Jerry and William, programmers at Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc., has the knowledge of how Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. systems utilizes codes to effect daily routines.
Thus, they modify the codes to sabotage the software and intend using the system codes to create pirated software to a competing organization. Hence, the executive of Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. could employ ways of containing the computer knowledge in their firms to avoid them from tampering with the information system. The executive members will have thought of a way to guard the company against these unique critical resources in the development of strategic information system or else they expose their corporate competitive advantages.
Second, the members of the executive should play a part in managing the installation of the strategic information system (Smart, Barman, and Gunasekera 1). They should train employees on how to recognize a tampered with computer application and how to report those cases. This increases the awareness among employees of the possibility of attacks from unethical programming employees. Hence, this stops the possibility of the operating staffs linking up with the programmers in altering the programs of the organization.
Third, the access to computer application should be restricted to few workers. Those in need of knowing any information from the computer application need to seek permission from the appropriate managers. In case workers need information in the strategic information systems, the approval and review of these permits need the consent of the executive staff. When information in the strategic management system gets exposed to other unprofessional members participating in information system development or maintenance, the system is liable to destruction of some key parts.
As a result, close monitoring of the department entrusted with the development and maintenance of the information system by the members of the executive is crucial. This calls for Bogart Engineers and Constructors Inc. to modify the roles of its senior management staff to incorporate information technology into their corporate management strategy.
Fourth, workers should be made to comprehend and sign an acknowledgement of the organizations scholarly rules and regulations guiding them when using companys computer software. The middle management at Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. could have been extra careful. Besides, they failed to find the right technical personnel who upheld honesty and integrity in their undertakings (United Nations, 58). However, signing acknowledge of the organizations intellectual policy could have avoided the extra cost and ensure they finalize the project in time. Hiring and monitoring their employees work as assigned by the management could also have taken necessary measures to protect the project.
Fifth, the Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. needed to build a sense of ethical commitment among their programmers’ staffs (Strahlendorf 1). Instead, the programmers are separated from other workers, given the freedom to work from their homes, making it hard for the programming staff to get exposure to the organization’s operations and have some sense of belonging to the company (United Nations, 58). Moreover, the Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. elevated the status of Johnson and Williams quickly into the management staff due to their expertise in programming without having assessed their observance of ethical value.
As a result, these workers attempt to endorse dishonorable behaviors in areas entrusted to them. To avoid this, Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. should have taken time before incorporating them into the management staff. The time which would have been crucial for them to absorb the organizations norms and codes of ethics. As a result, the involved programmers reveal devotion to their technicalities than they’re in the development of the strategic information system.
Sixth, under the Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. constitution, there was no article punishing dishonest programmers (Smart, Barman, and Gunasekera 1). Whenever an organization fails to severely punish its unprofessional workers, the fellow workmates begins to question the constitution of the company. For instance, the Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. depended on states constitution to punish unprofessionalism shown by Johnson and Williams. In order to avoid the occurrence of such behavior, the Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. should have an article in its constitution punishing the workers who behave in unethical ways.
Seventh, the management of a firm need to identify the computer programs that are strategically placed on the organizations activities, and monitor how employees use them carefully than the organizations computer applications with fewer strategic impacts. The management should assign the role of developing, maintaining, and operating these strategic information systems to an employee of high integrity. Moreover, the management needs to ensure secure recovery procedures are put in place to minimize the risk of information getting compromised. Finally, the Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. management need to frequent review the strategic information system by independent personnel hired by the organization, with more advanced skills and technicalities.
Eighth, the organization needs to limit the possibility of telecommunication between workers. For instance, allowing workers to work from home is not secure not unless the worker has proven professional conducts and meeting deadlines as it is difficult to control employees working outside the organizations facilities. Working from home and telecommunicating between the involved workers increases the chance of abusing the strategic information system.
Ninth, Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. management should emphasize on quality assurance of the strategic information system through frequent checking of the information system development and operations. The value assurance team should categorize information system into significant strategic information systems and the non-strategic information system. The strategic information system should be assessed further. This value assurance team should provide the back up of the strategic information system at separate levels other than the programming team. This diversifies the sources of the system back up in case the system is compromised.
Lastly, Bogart Engineers and Construct Inc. managers should have self-governing strategic Information System Audit Team to verify the purposes of the information system, calculate administration measures engaged in improvement and maintenance, and determine the use of the strategic information system. The audit team determines the systems compliance with the set corporate objectives.
Bibliography
Smart, Victor, Barman, Tanya, and Gunasekera, Nilushika. “Incorporating ethics into strategy: developing sustainable business model.” Chartered Institute of Management Discussion Paper. (n.d.): 1-19. Web.
Strahlendorf, Peter, n.d., Professional ethics. Web.
United Nations, 2010, Incompetency development: a practical guide. Web.