Pass the WGU Courses and Certificates Ethics-In-Technology Questions and answers with ExamsMirror

IT leaders can encourage ethical behavior by conducting social audits to evaluate the organization's ethical performance and then communicating clear goals for improvement.

A social audit is a structured evaluation of a company’s ethical, social, and environmental impact, ensuring transparency and accountability. By sharing ethical goals, IT leaders create an organizational culture that values integrity and responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – Ethical leadership requires accountability in areas like employee welfare, environmental impact, and digital ethics.

Stakeholder Theory (Freeman, 1984) – Ethical leadership involves transparency and engagement with employees, customers, and society.

IEEE and ACM Ethical Guidelines – Highlight the importance of corporate ethics policies and performance reviews.

Ethical IT Governance (ITIL & ISO 26000) – Emphasize corporate responsibility, ethical leadership, and transparency in IT decision-making.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, conducting social audits and communicating ethical goals is the most effective way to promote an ethical culture.

Since the U.S. military contract explicitly requires new parts, using refurbished parts violates the contract and potentially U.S. federal regulations. The engineer ethically and legally must report this violation because it could:

Compromise national security

Violate contract law

Lead to safety risks in military operations

Reporting to a government agency (such as the Department of Defense or an inspector general) ensures that the issue is properly investigated and addressed.

Whistleblower Protection Act (1989) – Protects employees who report unethical or illegal activities.

Defense Contracting & Ethics (False Claims Act) – Companies must comply with military contract specifications.

Deontological Ethics (Moral Obligation to Report Violations) – Engineers have a duty to act responsibly when ethical violations occur.

ACM & IEEE Engineering Ethics – Require professionals to prioritize honesty, safety, and compliance with regulations.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is A. Report the activities to the government, as the engineer must expose contract violations involving military equipment.

Contingent workers (temporary employees, contractors, or freelancers) can help fill workforce gaps, but they lack deep familiarity with internal business processes, which can be a disadvantage.

Why Internal Business Process Understanding is a Concern?

Contingent workers are not deeply integrated into company culture, workflows, and long-term strategies.

They require time to adapt to internal systems, which can slow productivity initially.

Unlike full-time employees, they may not retain or transfer institutional knowledge to future projects.

A. Any skills gained during employment will be lost to the company at the project's completion. – While true, documentation and knowledge-sharing can mitigate this loss.

C. The company may require the same worker for other projects. – This is a potential benefit, not a disadvantage.

D. The company does not have to provide benefits throughout the project's lifecycle. – This is an advantage, not a disadvantage.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is B. Internal business process understanding will be minimal given the temporary nature of the workers.

Harvard Business Review (2022). Managing Contingent Workers Effectively.

Kalleberg, A. L. (2000). Nonstandard Employment Relations: Part-time, Temporary, and Contract Work.

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Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) is a digital system that allows healthcare providers to enter medication orders electronically, reducing errors related to handwriting and incomplete prescriptions.

Why CPOE?

Eliminates handwriting misinterpretation errors.

Ensures complete medication details, reducing omissions.

Often integrates decision support tools, warning about drug interactions and incorrect dosages.

B. Health Information Exchange (HIE): Shares patient records across providers but does not focus on medication ordering.

C. Electronic Medical Record (EMR): Digitizes patient records but does not prevent prescription errors directly.

D. Clinical Decision Support (CDS): Helps providers make better decisions but does not replace the ordering process like CPOE does.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is A. Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE), as it directly addresses prescription errors.

Bates, D. W. et al. (1998). Effect of Computerized Physician Order Entry and a Team Intervention on Prevention of Serious Medication Errors.

Institute of Medicine (2000). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System.

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Agile development is a flexible, iterative approach to software development that allows continuous testing, feedback, and adjustments. In this scenario, the organization is developing a consumer-profiling tool and has concerns about its ability to accurately capture and process data. By using an iterative approach, the team ensures that the software is continuously refined and improved.

This contrasts with Waterfall development (which follows a linear, step-by-step approach without iteration) and quality assurance (which is a process within development, not a methodology itself).

Agile Manifesto (2001) – Emphasizes iterative development, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Ethical Software Development (IEEE/ACM Standards) – Encourages adaptive methodologies to ensure fairness, accuracy, and responsible AI.

Privacy by Design (GDPR, Cavoukian, 1995) – Agile allows real-time testing and mitigation of data privacy risks.

Utilitarian Ethics in Software Engineering – Agile development maximizes benefits by improving software accuracy and efficiency.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is D. Agile development, as it supports continuous testing and adjustment of software capabilities.

The issue in this scenario stems from scope creep—when a project’s requirements expand beyond the original contract. The IT firm's project leader verbally agreed to additional features without ensuring their feasibility, leading to incomplete delivery and incompatibility issues.

By following a professional code of ethics, the project leader would have:**

Carefully assessed whether the additional scope was feasible

Formalized the agreement in writing rather than relying on verbal commitments

Ensured realistic expectations regarding system compatibility

Project Management Ethics (PMI Code of Ethics) – Encourages informed decision-making and clear scope agreements.

ACM & IEEE Codes of Ethics – Stress honest communication, responsibility, and due diligence in IT projects.

Contract Law & Professional Responsibility – Professionals should document scope changes to avoid miscommunication.

Utilitarian Ethics (Preventing Harm) – Poor decisions on scope cause project failures and stakeholder losses.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is B. Improving decision-making around agreeing to additional scopes, as ethical decision-making could have mitigated scope creep issues.

Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) is a digital system that allows healthcare providers to enter medication orders electronically, significantly reducing medication errors.

Why CPOE?

Eliminates handwriting-related errors from illegible prescriptions.

Ensures complete medication details before processing.

Often integrates with decision support tools to flag incorrect dosages and drug interactions.

B. Health Information Exchange (HIE): Facilitates data sharing between healthcare providers but does not focus on preventing medication errors.

C. Electronic Medical Record (EMR): Stores patient data but does not address prescription-related errors directly.

D. Clinical Decision Support (CDS): Assists providers in making clinical decisions but does not replace the ordering process like CPOE.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is A. Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) because it directly prevents prescription errors caused by illegible handwriting or incomplete data.

Bates, D. W. et al. (1998). Effect of Computerized Physician Order Entry and a Team Intervention on Prevention of Serious Medication Errors.

Institute of Medicine (2000). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System.

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Virtue ethics focuses on the moral character of individuals rather than just the consequences or rules governing their actions. In this scenario, a game designer is concerned about how their participation in the game development process will reflect upon their moral character, which is a hallmark of virtue ethics.

Virtue ethics, as developed by Aristotle, emphasizes traits like honesty, integrity, and compassion. The designer is questioning whether contributing to a game that rewards violent or unlawful acts aligns with virtues such as responsibility and ethical integrity. This aligns with virtue ethics' central question: What kind of person should I be? rather than What rules should I follow? or What consequences will my actions have?

Virtue Ethics (Aristotle's Ethics) – This ethical theory asks whether designing a game that rewards violent behavior aligns with good moral character.

Ethics of Representation in Media and Gaming – Studies have shown that media can influence real-world behaviors, raising ethical concerns about glorifying violence.

Industry Standards (ESRB, PEGI) – While rating systems classify content, ethical concerns go beyond ratings to the moral responsibility of developers in shaping digital culture.

Moral Identity in Design – Developers must consider whether creating certain game mechanics aligns with their personal and professional ethical identity.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the designer's concerns reflect virtue ethics by focusing on their personal integrity and professional responsibility in game development.

MYSTIC is a secret NSA surveillance program used to intercept and record telephone conversations in multiple non-U.S. countries. The program was revealed in 2014 by Edward Snowden and reportedly enabled full audio recording of phone calls in certain nations.

MYSTIC’s ethical concerns stem from mass surveillance, privacy violations, and the lack of transparency in government data collection.

Mass Surveillance Ethics (Snowden Leaks, 2013–2014) – Revealed NSA’s large-scale digital surveillance programs, including PRISM and MYSTIC.

Privacy & Government Surveillance (Fourth Amendment & FISA) – Raises concerns about warrantless surveillance of foreign citizens.

Utilitarian vs. Deontological Ethics – Justifications for national security must balance against individual privacy rights.

International Human Rights (UN Privacy Guidelines) – Warrantless global surveillance challenges privacy rights under international law.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is C. MYSTIC, as it was used by the NSA to intercept and record telephone conversations in non-U.S. countries.

The consultant was hired by the organization to test its cybersecurity and identify vulnerabilities. This is the role of a white hat hacker, also known as an ethical hacker.

Why White Hat Hacker?

White hat hackers conduct security assessments legally and ethically to help organizations strengthen their cyber defenses.

The consultant demonstrated SQL injection attacks in a controlled manner to expose weaknesses without malicious intent.

Ethical hacking is a recognized practice under cybersecurity frameworks like NIST and ISO 27001.

A. Cybercriminal – Engages in illegal hacking for personal or financial gain, whereas the consultant was hired to help the organization.

C. Cyberterrorist – Motivated by political or ideological goals, not cybersecurity testing.

D. Black Hat Hacker – Malicious hackers who exploit vulnerabilities for personal benefit, unlike ethical hackers.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is B. White Hat Hacker, as the consultant was conducting authorized penetration testing.

CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Guidelines.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.

OWASP Top Ten Security Risks (2023).

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