Etisk medvetenhet i systemutveckling. En fallstudie av systemutvecklarens ansvar i systemutvecklingsprojekt
Many professions, such as doctors and psychologists, have a long history of work practice which have resulted that these professions have created their own ethical guidelines. The IT profession, which can be viewed as a relative young and somewhat immature profession, have yet to accommodate any clear guidelines regarding ethics. It?s therefore imperative to create discussions regarding ethical actions to raise the ethical awareness and also create ethical guidelines. The development of the IT profession is moving forward at a quick pace and it?s important to understand that this rapid advancement is not only changing the profession but also changing the society and the environment. The purpose of this study is, from a responsibility aspect, to investigate the system developer?s ethical awareness and trough that be able to contribute to the discussion regarding the system developer?s education and profession. To make this contribution we are therefore asking us the following question: Which ethical aspect can help to enhance the system developer?s education and profession?To answer this question we performed a case study where we underwent a live systems development projects. The reason we did this was to test our own ethical awareness and ethical knowledge and also to investigate the kind of ethical dilemmas a system developer can come to face in the profession. Later we made interviews with both experienced and inexperienced system developer?s to be able to present a contrast regarding experienced and inexperienced developers related to ethical awareness. The research was made with ethical theories. For this study we used a qualitative approach in order to get a deeper and richer insight in the research subject. The outcome of the study showed that it wasn?t the ethical awareness that played the most important role, but instead the ability respond to the ethical dilemmas that can arise in the IT profession. The aspects that was of most importance was: ethical guidelines, monetary impulsions, responsibility and the ability to influence.Keywords: Ethics, systems development, responsibility, ethical awareness, systems development project.