Group Assignment 2 involves two tasks. Task 1 is compulsory and requires analyzing an ethical scenario about accessing employee internet usage records when making a layoff decision. Task 2 involves choosing three of five options analyzing topics related to IT, automation, and monitoring in the workplace. The options provide examples and analyze advantages and disadvantages from different perspectives. Submission is due by January 29th via emailing a blog link to the specified email address.

1. Group Assignment 2
There are two tasks to be completed. Task 1 is COMPULSORY, meanwhile Task 2 is for you to
choose THREE (3) of the questions listed. Complete the tasks by presenting yourwork published in
your blog. Send an email of submission (blog link) to rubi@uniten.edu.my. Dateline of submission:
29 January 2015 (THURSDAY), before 5pm.
TASK 1 (COMPULSORY)
Scenario:
You leada groupof five software engineersinvolvedinthe testingof anew product.Your manager tellsyou
that because of a company-wide layoff,youwill needtogive notice toone memberof yourteam.Fromyour
interactionswiththe teammembers,youcaneasilyidentifythe twomemberswhoare leastproductive,but
youare not sure whichof themyou shouldlayoff.Youknow that the companykeepstrackof all Internet
trafficto eachperson’scomputer,althoughyouhave neversharedthisinformationwithyourteam.Youcould
use thisinformationtodetermine howmuchtime,if any;these twoemployeesare spendingsurfingthe Web.
Is it wrong to access these records?
Discussyouranswerbasedon the followingethical principles:
a) Kantianism
According to Kantianism, any action is taken as it known as the duty of the individual. As I am the
leader for the group of five software engineers were asked to give notice to one of the member of the
group. I was assigned to do so as the company-wide layoff. As I know the company keeps track on the
Internet traffic to each person’s computer so I can easily observe which members are least productive.
As I already analysed two out of five of them as least productive through interaction with them. Thus,
accessing the records of Internet traffic will be very helpful to fulfil my task as assigned by my
manager. Therefore, accessing to the record makes it easier to view on the member who surf Internet
for unwanted information and wasting time and can be notified as least productive. So he can be given
lay off. Though information on Internet traffic is not shared to the members, as the team I was
assigned and given duty to give notice for one member. By accessing to these records, it is not wrong
at all based on the ethical principle of Kantianism as it is my duty to do so.
b) Subjective Relativism
According to subjective relativism, it is not wrong to access the information or records of Internet
traffic to each person's computer in order to determine how much time that the two employees are
spending on surfing the Web. As what I was instructed by my manager, due to company-wide layoff, I
have to give notice to one of my team members. There are two members who are least productive and
I have to lay off one of them. In order to choose the better or more productive team member among
these two people, I can use records of Internet traffic to each person's computer although I have never
shared this information with my team members. From these records, I can identify which team
member is more committed with work, can contribute and work together as a team to improve the
company's productivity and has better discipline or ethics at working place. Therefore, this action can
help me to make better decision for the company, so it is ethically right.

2. c) Act Utilitarianism
Based on act utilitarianism, it is not wrong to access the record of the two members who are least
productive based on the scenario because there will be more benefit than harm for the company as
well as for me also. The company will gain more benefit in term of gain more workforce productivity
and maybe will gain more profit and also will motivate the others employees to work harder instead of
lazy off around. Besides that, it also prevent me from being scolds by the upper management if I did
not give the notice to one of my member. As for the consequences, my member will lose her job and I
will have not enough man power to testing the new product. But that is just a minority problem and
does not affect the company productivity and in facts in the future the remaining employees will gain
a bonus. Therefore, the happiness exceeded the harm and this show that it is morally right to access
those records.
d) Divine CommandTheory
Basedon Divine CommandTheoryitiswrongto view the informationorrecordsthathas been access by each
person'sin order to identify how much time that the two workers are spending on surfing the web. Morally
thisactionof isconsiderwrong.Divine commandtheory,alwaysreferswhetherthe action is correct or wrong
in wise of moral values. Meanwhile, this action is morally wrong in divine command theory as the
management team can use any other method to track their working productivity.
TASK 2 (Choose THREE only)
Titlestochoose;
1. IT and automationleadstowidespreadunemployment. Provide an example to describe this notion.
IT and automation is mushrooming in all the departments in today’s world.
Improvement in ICT allows globalization and automation to be brought into workplace. An
example of this work unemployment is in the banks. IT and automation plays a role in the
reduction of employee in the banking department.
In South Korea, Standard Chartered is expanding "smart banking" branches that employ
a staff of three, compared with an average of about eight in traditional branches. The bank has
closed a dozen full-service branches, replacing them with the smart branches, and expects to
have 30 more by the end of this year. Customers do most of their banking on computer
screens, and can connect with Standard Chartered specialists elsewhere by video-conference if
they need help.
Comerica, a bank based in Dallas, is using new video-conferencing equipment that lets
cash-management experts make pitches to potential corporate clients from their desks. Those
experts, based in Livonia, Mich., used to board planes and visit prospects in person. Now, they
get Comerica colleagues in various cities to pay visits to local companies and conference them
in.

3. 2. IT and automation leads to job creation. Provide an example to describe this notion
3. IT and automation has caused an increase in working hour. Provide an example to describe this notion.
4. Telework describes employees work away from traditional place of work (e.g. home office, sales person
with no office). Identify and explain advantages and disadvantages of teleworking.
Teleworking which allows employees work at home or at a local teleworking center one or more
days per week. They usually will communicate using phone, fax, modem, Internet teleconferencing,
e-mail or IM, to perform their work duties from a remote location.
In the view of EMPLOYER :
Advantages Disadvantages
 Less cost  Increased costs in wise of providing IT
gadgets for teleworkers
 Lower the level of stress  Less of group discussion
 Produce more productive  Increased risk mainly on information
security
 Improve motivation  Certain type of work which unsuitable
for teleworking
 Employer might allow an employee to
work part-time from home their
personal circumstances changes
 Difficult to manage teleworkers
 Increased applicant pool  Difficult to monitor the performance
of certain teleworkers whom providing
less performance
In the view of EMPLOYEE :
Advantages Disadvantages
 Save time and energy in wise of
traveling hours to offices
 Lack of connectivity with co-workers
and upper management
 Provide flexibility in working  Potential of direction of project can be
distracted
 Provide chance to balance the
personal life and family
 Lack of connectivity to the company
 Save cost  May have lack of self-disciplines
 Able to do work even the days
with unstable weather or climate
 Teleworkers may feel isolated
 Reduce distractions  Teleworkers may unable to work

4. effectively
5. IT in workplace has made ‘monitoring’ possible. 82% of companies monitor employees in some way. The
purpose of monitoring is to identify inappropriate use of company resources as well as detect illegal
activities among the employees. Identify and explain advantages and disadvantages of workplace
monitoring.
The main advantage of workplace monitoring is that it improves job performance. A frequent or
active monitoring activity gives the opportunity to check or witness on how the employees perform
their job duties. Surveillance equipment which is relatively cheap can be used for workplace
monitoring. This will help to ensure that the employees are performing at their best level since they
are aware of the monitoring activity. In addition, monitoring helps to discourage many wrongdoings
such as illegal activities, misuse of company's resources and isolate certain work habits and behaviors
that might contribute to poorer performance and harm or destroy the company's reputation. So,
workplace monitoring can also improve the security. As the employees' performance increases, the
quality of product and productivity of the company also increases. By implementing workplace
monitoring, employers can gauge the productivity of the company and take appropriate actions.
Besides that, when employees are aware that their work activities are being monitored, they are more
likely to serve the customers in the best manner possible. For instance, in the call center industry,
agent calls are routinely monitored. Employees are unaware of which calls are being monitored and
who might be listening in. This act of monitoring encourages them to adhere to policies and
procedures on each call and ensure that they are resolving issues to the customer's satisfaction which
means it increases customer's satisfaction.
One of the disadvantages of workplace monitoring is that it tend to increase stress level. When
employees are aware that they are being monitored or listened to, they might be more careful of their
behavior. Employees might also feel pressured to behave or perform in certain ways according to their
employer's standards. They may start to feel that meeting the requirements or metrics is more vital
than quality which will lower the quality of the product.
Furthermore, workplace monitoring might cause the employees to feel that they are not trusted by
their employer. Some may have the impression that the employer is treating them more like children
rather than adults and this can encourage resentment. These kind of feelings can lead to job
dissatisfaction or trigger the employees to go after other employment opportunities. The act of
monitoring can be considered as breaching the employees' privacy, as well the feeling that this
monitoring activity is not really suitable or fair, as well the employees might feel like machines that
they have work non-stop or they will be declared as non performer.