Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Construction of an Appropriately Professional
Working Environment for IT Professionals:
A Key Element of Quality IT-Enabled Services
Kiyoshi Murata
4.1
Introduction
In industrial nations, information technology (IT) is ubiquitous, and is necessary for
a great number of individual and organisational activities. As a result of IT develop-
ment centred on database and network technology, and the explosive growth of the
Internet, a great majority of organisations conduct operations in an e-business
environment, wherein most communication is conducted via Internet technology.
It is no exaggeration to claim that the quality of people's home, work, and social life
in general significantly depends on the quality of IT-enabled services they receive.
A consequence of society's dependence on IT-enabled services is that defects
and malfunctions in the services along with IT abuse, cause serious, and sometimes
catastrophic, situations. Malicious or negligent development or use of IT-enabled
services (or disservices) has led to a number of incidents that have infringed on
human rights and corroded human values. Thus, an IT-dependent society is vulner-
able. The development and maintenance of high-quality information systems which
function as a platform of IT-enabled services, and their reliable operation, are
essential to the dependable and secure functioning of society as a whole.
Since business organisations play such a major role in the development and
utilisation of IT-based information systems, IT technology professionals who are
employed by business organisations, and develop and maintain systems for
IT-enabled services, have both intentional and unintentional power over a broad
range of people. They must recognise their responsibility to the general public and
develop their professional ethics and outlook in order to maintain safety and
security, both in the e-business environment and in society.
There are already well-organised, carefully developed codes of IT professional
conduct to guide IT professionals in their professional behaviour (e.g. Gotterbarn
