本文探讨的主题包括当前资讯人员对专业伦理的信念,将世界五大资讯专业组织:ACM(The Association for Computing Machinery)、DPMA(The Data Processing Management Association)、CIPS(The Canadian Information Processing Society)、BCS(The British Computer Society)、及ICCP(The Institute for Certification of Computer Professions)的资讯人员伦理守则内容,以「社会层级」(social level)及「伦理议题」(ethical issue)为分析主轴,探讨五个IS组织中伦理守则在社会层面及伦理议题上的异同。伦理议题发生时,面对不同的对象,义务会不同,「社会层级分析」是考虑义务发生的对象,包括公众、雇主、顾客、同僚、专业组织、及专业;「伦理议题分析」则是针对目前社会上常见的伦理议题,包括财产权、隐私权、机密、专业品质、公平、责任、软体风险、利益冲突及未授权存取。希望从以上的主题分析,可以了解当前资讯界的伦理现况,以提供国内资讯专业组织或协会在制定资讯人员共通的专业伦理守则时应该注意的现象。研究结果发现:五个IS组织的伦理守则中,在社会层级方面的重视程度依序为公众、雇主、顾客、专业组织、专业、及同僚;对伦理议题的重视程度依序为专业品质、责任、利益冲突、软体风险、财产权、隐私权、公平、机密及未授权存取。另外,我们发现五个IS组织的伦理守则都有不同的著眼点,主要是因为-个组织的定位及成立宗旨有所差异。
从以上分析可以认知到资讯伦理议题与其它社会上的伦理议题在本质上或程度上存在著一些的差异,这突显伦理行为对资讯专业人员的重要。因此,资讯专业人员面临伦理两难时,必须比一般非资讯人员更小心谨慎,一方面是因为资讯产品有许多独特的性质,另一方面是资讯专业人员不仅代表个人,也代表整个专业。对于伦理行为的规范,除了法令的制定、伦理训练的加强之外〔Messick and Bazerman 1996〕,资讯人员在面临伦理议题时,常需要一些参考架构做为行动的依据,而伦理守则(ethical code)是一个非常有效的方法 〔Frankel 1989〕。
然而不仅国内电脑相关法令的制定赶不上资讯科技发展的脚步,国内资讯专业组织或协会也一直未有一个完整明确的伦理守则做为资讯从业人员面对伦理议题时的行动依据。为了了解当前资讯界的伦理现况,并提供国内资讯专业组织或协会在制定资讯人员共通的专业伦理守则时应该注意的现象,本文将世界五大资讯专业组织:ACM(The Association for Computing Machinery)、DPMA(The Data Processing Management Association)、CIPS(The Canadian Information Processing Society)、BCS(The British Computer Society)、及ICCP(The Institute for Certification of Computer Professions)的资讯人员伦理守则内容,以「社会层级」及「伦理议题」为分析主轴,探讨五个IS组织中伦理守则在社会层面及伦理议题上的异同。面对不同的社会层面、对象,资讯人员的权利与义务会不同,「社会层级分析」是探讨资讯人员面对公众(society)、雇主(employer)、顾客(clients)、同僚(colleagues)、专业组织(professional organization)、及专业(profession)等不同义务对象时,五个IS组织之伦理守则的适用情形。另一方面,面对不同的伦理议题,伦理规范也会不同,「伦理议题分析」则针对目前社会上常见的伦理议题,包括财产权(property rights)、隐私权(privacy)、机密(confidentiality)、专业品质(professional quality)、公平(fairness or discrimination)、责任(liability)、软体风险(software risks)、利益冲突(conflicts of interest)及未授权存取(unauthorized access to computer system)等九个议题,探讨五个IS组织之伦理守则的适用情形。
发展一套专业伦理守则,对专业人员而言,可以作为面对道德模糊情况下的行为准则,对于社会大众而言,可以作为监视专业人员行为是否逾越职权及作为日后判断责任归属的标准〔Frankel 1989〕。Frankel(1989)认为伦理守则具有下列八点功能:(1)行动范本(enabling document)-由于专业伦理守则的制定一部份来自集体的经验与反应,故伦理守则能提供个人简化的道德准则及行动方案的评估架构;(2)大众评估的来源(source of public evaluation)-专业伦理守则可以做为大众对该专业的期望和评估他们专业表现的之基础;(3)专业社会化(professional socialization)-专业人员的力量与声誉不只来自其成员所拥有的专业知识,同时也来自群体的团结与否和专业伦理守则所表现的共同目的为何;(4)提升专业声誉和大众信赖(enhance profession's reputation and public trust)-就某种程度而言,专业伦理守则能提供顾客利益,这对说服大众专业人员是值得信任、尊敬和获得更高的回报有正面的效益;(5)保有既有的专业利益(preserve entrenched professional biases)-为了使专业人员能善尽其在社会上的义务并增加其所提供的价值,社会大众也会以一些权力和特权做为回报;(6)制止不伦理行为( deterrent to unethical behavior)-使专业人员相信违反专业伦理守则会受到惩罚;(7)支持专业系统(support system)-当顾客、雇主或政府有不当的要求时,专业伦理守则可强化集体成员的抵抗;(8)判决(adjudication)-当专业成员或成员与非成员间有判决上的争议时,专业伦理守则可以做为判决的基础。
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