Judgements about computer ethics: Do individual, co-worker, and company judgements differ? Do company codes make a difference

When faced with an ambiguous ethical situation related to computer technolo gy (CT), the individual's course of action is influenced by personal experi ences and opinions, consideration of what co-workers would do in the same s ituation, and an expectation of what the organization might sanction. In th is article, the judgement of over three-hundred Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) members concerning the actions taken in a s eries of CT ethical scenarios are examined. Respondents expressed their per sonal judgement, as well as their perception of their co- workers' judgemen t, and their understanding of the organization's judgement of the actions d escribed in the scenarios. The findings show that there are differences in respondents' judgements for self, co-workers, and organization. Definitive patterns were also found between groups with and without organizational cod es related to CT.