ANALYTICS - SOME ETHICAL DIMENSIONS
MANI, RAJAN
ANALYTICS - SOME ETHICAL DIMENSIONS MANI, RAJAN - HYDERABAD ICFAI DECEMBER 2015 - 56-62
THE INCREASING USE OF DATA AND ANALYTICS IN TODAY'S WORLD OF BUSINESS IS NOT AN UNMIXED BLESSING. WHILE, IN THE FACE OF EVER-INCREASING COMPETITION, THERE IS PRESSURE ON THE EXECUTIVE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S CUSTOMER, THE KEY QUESTION HERE IS, 'HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?' WHERE DOES THE EXECUTIVE DRAW THE LINE IN HIS QUEST TO KNOW HIS CUSTOMER BETTER? HOW MUCH OF PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED IS A MOOT POINT, APART FROM EVEN MORE BASIC ISSUES SUCH AS THE PROCESS OF COLLECTION OF HIS DATA AND THE USES TO WHICH IT IS PUT. A GREATER THREAT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE DATA 'TRAVELS' - HAS THE ORGANIZATION TAKEN ENOUGH SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED USE? FROM THESE ISSUES, ANOTHER GRAVE DANGER WHICH COMES OUT IS THAT OF MANIPULATION OF THE CUSTOMER. THE EXECUTIVE HAVING INSIGHTS INTO THE CUSTOMER'S BEHAVIOR OFFERS CERTAIN CUES, E.G., A BANDLING OF OFFERINGS WHICH THE CUSTOMER HAS BOUGHT IN CONJUNCTION EARLIER. IS THIS MANIPULATION THE CUSTOMER'S BEHAVIOR AND IS IT CORRECT? WHERE AND HOW DOES THE ORGANIZATION: (A) DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN LEGITIMATE ACTION AND IMPINGEMENT ON CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY; (B) MAINTAIN THE SECURITY OF THE DATA ITSELF; AND (C) USE AND MANIPULATE THE FINDINGS FROM THE DATA THAT BECOME CRITICAL ISSUES WITH ETHICAL DIMENSIONS? THE PAPER GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF ETHICS FIRST, INCLUDING A COUPLE OF GENERIC THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK USEFUL FOR BUSINESS DECISION MAKING. IT THEN PROCEEDS TO GIVE A SIMILAR OVERVEIW OF BUSINESS STRATEGY BEFORE GETTING INTO THE NITTY-GRITTY OF THE ETHICAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE USE OF ANALYTICS.
ANALYTICS - SOME ETHICAL DIMENSIONS
ANALYTICS - SOME ETHICAL DIMENSIONS MANI, RAJAN - HYDERABAD ICFAI DECEMBER 2015 - 56-62
THE INCREASING USE OF DATA AND ANALYTICS IN TODAY'S WORLD OF BUSINESS IS NOT AN UNMIXED BLESSING. WHILE, IN THE FACE OF EVER-INCREASING COMPETITION, THERE IS PRESSURE ON THE EXECUTIVE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S CUSTOMER, THE KEY QUESTION HERE IS, 'HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?' WHERE DOES THE EXECUTIVE DRAW THE LINE IN HIS QUEST TO KNOW HIS CUSTOMER BETTER? HOW MUCH OF PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED IS A MOOT POINT, APART FROM EVEN MORE BASIC ISSUES SUCH AS THE PROCESS OF COLLECTION OF HIS DATA AND THE USES TO WHICH IT IS PUT. A GREATER THREAT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE DATA 'TRAVELS' - HAS THE ORGANIZATION TAKEN ENOUGH SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED USE? FROM THESE ISSUES, ANOTHER GRAVE DANGER WHICH COMES OUT IS THAT OF MANIPULATION OF THE CUSTOMER. THE EXECUTIVE HAVING INSIGHTS INTO THE CUSTOMER'S BEHAVIOR OFFERS CERTAIN CUES, E.G., A BANDLING OF OFFERINGS WHICH THE CUSTOMER HAS BOUGHT IN CONJUNCTION EARLIER. IS THIS MANIPULATION THE CUSTOMER'S BEHAVIOR AND IS IT CORRECT? WHERE AND HOW DOES THE ORGANIZATION: (A) DRAW THE LINE BETWEEN LEGITIMATE ACTION AND IMPINGEMENT ON CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY; (B) MAINTAIN THE SECURITY OF THE DATA ITSELF; AND (C) USE AND MANIPULATE THE FINDINGS FROM THE DATA THAT BECOME CRITICAL ISSUES WITH ETHICAL DIMENSIONS? THE PAPER GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF ETHICS FIRST, INCLUDING A COUPLE OF GENERIC THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK USEFUL FOR BUSINESS DECISION MAKING. IT THEN PROCEEDS TO GIVE A SIMILAR OVERVEIW OF BUSINESS STRATEGY BEFORE GETTING INTO THE NITTY-GRITTY OF THE ETHICAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE USE OF ANALYTICS.
ANALYTICS - SOME ETHICAL DIMENSIONS