Information ethics: An exploratory study from an international perspective.

Abstract

This article examines the role of culture on information technology (IT) practices by comparing attitudes toward information and IT-related social issues among university students in three Chinese cultures (Hong Kong, Taiwan and China) and in the United States. The survey instrument contained ethical dilemmas based on Mason's (1986) four areas of information ethics: privacy, access, property and accuracy. The results indicate that significant differences exist between the groups of students in their overall assessment of ethical dilemmas, as well as the factors that they view as important in making that assessment. Consistent with cultural differences, students from the United States tended to view decisions from a more legalistic or rule-based perspective while students from the Chinese cultures placed more emphasis on relationships. In contrast, the groups differed only slightly in their responses to an accuracy scenario. These findings indicate that, while culture still has a strong influence, there are areas where views of information ethics seem to converge.