Moral Philosophy and Ethical Decision Making in an Information Technology Dilemma

This study explores the fundamental philosophical differences found in the ethical decision making approaches of students enrolled in a Management Information Systems (MIS) course required at an accredited university in New England. The decision choices of the students were classified according to five widely accepted theories of ethics: (a) Axiological, (b) Deontological, (c) Perfectionist, (d) Utilitarian, and (e) Relativistic. Based on their major areas of study, students were classified into three categories: (1) Arts & Sciences majors, (2) Business majors, and (3) Information Technology majors. The analysis of 103 decisions confirms the existence of statistically significant differences among students in their ethical approaches to resolving an information technology dilemma based on their major areas of study. While the Arts & Sciences majors prefer Utilitarian ethics, Business majors prefer Axiological, and Information Technology majors favor Relativistic approach. Some possible reasons behind these differences are discussed in the paper.