The Ethics of IT Professionals in China

Efforts to maintain ethical integrity are often overwhelmed by desires to make money.

In modern information societies, the ethical integrity and accountability of IT professionals is particularly important, given the extensive reliance of individuals as well as organisations and governments on various forms of IT.

The idea “that there are universal norms applicable to all irrespective of conditions … [is] … more or less anathema to traditional Chinese.”3

...reasoning at the level of stage 4 or above. This represents the key finding from our study and leads us to conclude that, consistent with the principle of cultural convergence, the ethical reasoning of IT professionals in China is based primarily upon an international (if not universal) set of ‘IT professional’ norms rather than on Confucian-derived, relationship-based ideals.

...indicate not only their most likely choice of action, but also their second most likely choice of action. The choice-shift that is indicated can be analysed using what Snell et al.7 term volatility analysis; for example, the extent to which an individual may be governed by reasoning at different Figure 1. Summative Responses By Stages Figure 1: Summative Responses By...

...Of these 5,000 individuals, 290 (5.8%) submitted valid responses. Demographically, the vast majority of respondents are well-educated (87% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher), young (68% are below 30), predominantly male (79%), and have less than 10 years of working experience (86%). Only 33% can be observed, but older individuals clearly express a preference for stage 4 and 5...

...for Information Industry Development (CCIID) to email an invitation to participate in the survey to 5,000 randomly selected IT professionals out of the 1.2 million members in their membership database. Of these 5,000 individuals, 290 (5.8%) submitted valid responses. Demographically, the vast majority of respondents are well-educated (87% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher), young (68% are below 30),...

For illustrative purposes, scenario 12 (Duty to the IT Profession) and the available alternatives, corresponding to the seven stages (0 to 6) follows: “You believe that as an IT Professional, you...

In modern information societies, the ethical integrity and accountability of IT professionals is particularly important, given the extensive reliance of individuals as well as organisations and governments on various forms of IT.

To study this topic empirically, we developed an instrument that incorporates all six stages in Kohlberg’s model and an additional stage zero – modeled as being entirely devoid of ethical reasoning.

When the responses are analyzed across all 13 questions, it is clear that Stage 4 is the most popular (37%) and that 73% of responses are at Stage 4 reasoning or above (see Figure 1).

Significantly, Chinese philosophies concerning individual rights, duties, ethics, equality and freedom are “compatible with … the subordination of the individual to society and state.”

Remarkably, Snell7 found that Chinese employees were very likely to obey requests from their boss to do something unethical either in order to fulfil contractual obligations, and thereby avoid punishment (stage 1) while serving their own interests (stage 2), or in order to fulfil interpersonal obligations (stage 3).

Remarkably, Snell7 found that Chinese employees were very likely to obey requests from their boss to do something unethical either in order to fulfil contractual obligations, and thereby avoid punishment (stage 1) while serving their own interests (stage 2), or in order to fulfil interpersonal obligations (stage 3).

These statistics are consistent with the profile of CCID’s members, 90% of whom work directly in the IT field.

The six stages of Kohlberg’s model are: (1) obey to avoid punishment; (2) comply for immediate self-interests; (3) observe mutual interpersonal expectations and relationships; (4) abide by established laws and rules; (5) conform to the principles and spirit of a socially established system for law and order; (6) uphold principles of rights and justice.

To study this topic empirically, we developed an instrument that incorporates all six stages in Kohlberg’s model and an additional stage zero – modeled as being entirely devoid of ethical reasoning.

Our data from China indicates a good degree of fit with Kohlberg’s theory and the gradually evolving principles of Chinese management.5 Indeed, Ip1 documents employee and management practices in a Chinese-owned and managed company that are remarkably consistent with the higher stages of CMD theory, suggesting that the moral reasoning implicit in the theory is not so alien to the Chinese context at all.

Lo, and Yuan Li Ethical integrity is a critical, yet also problematic, component of commercial life.

Firstly, that Kohlberg’s CMD theory is valid in the Chinese context: most IT employees and managers can be expected to reason at levels similar to those of their international counterparts.

Significantly, Chinese philosophies concerning individual rights, duties, ethics, equality and freedom are “compatible with … the subordination of the individual to society and state.”

Our respondents were asked to rank the likelihood of performing seven alternative actions for each of the 13 scenarios.

Secondly, a small minority of Chinese IT professionals do not appear to have a well developed sense of ethical reasoning: they tend to be amoral and make impulsive decisions.

The six stages of Kohlberg’s model are: (1) obey to avoid punishment; (2) comply for immediate self-interests; (3) observe mutual interpersonal expectations and relationships; (4) abide by established laws and rules; (5) conform to the principles and spirit of a socially established system for law and order; (6) uphold principles of rights and justice.

The Weizhi group of Xian: A Chinese virtuous corporation.

The fundamental role of personal relationships and obligations in mainland China in lieu of an underdeveloped legal system reinforces this tendency.

The current IT-driven transformation of Chinese business and society4 is stimulating huge demand for new IT applications.

Nevertheless, it is notable that older respondents tended to reason at a higher stage than younger respondents.

The Weizhi group of Xian: A Chinese virtuous corporation.

Remarkably, Snell7 found that Chinese employees were very likely to obey requests from their boss to do something unethical either in order to fulfil contractual obligations, and thereby avoid punishment (stage 1) while serving their own interests (stage 2), or in order to fulfil interpersonal obligations (stage 3).

A further 20% occupy other positions typically associated with the IT profession, such as analysts, programmers, network and security specialists.

The six stages of Kohlberg’s model are: (1) obey to avoid punishment; (2) comply for immediate self-interests; (3) observe mutual interpersonal expectations and relationships; (4) abide by established laws and rules; (5) conform to the principles and spirit of a socially established system for law and order; (6) uphold principles of rights and justice.

Not only do most IT professionals in China attain stage 4 or above reasoning, but of those who do so as their first choice, 72%-83% have a second choice that is either not volatile at all, is higher, or if lower, is still within the ‘stage 4 and above’ group.

Individuals who choose to reason at Stage 0 are of particular concern to organisations, since they appear to make decisions without any moral or social foundation, acting entirely according to impulse.