Read the following article then draft a position in 500 - 750 w.o.r.d.s.

ETH103 Ethical Decision Making

E-mail Workplace Privacy Issues in an Information- and Knowledge-based Environment Alan D. Smith and Robert A. Faley resently, business is in the Pmidst of a total transforms According to Stallings & Slyke ment will generally employ a (1998), the number of com- pull, rather than a push, strategy tion In the management of puters and terminals at work in since knowledge workers will information flow in the decision- the world totals over 100 know what information is wanted making process. This new million. Hence, to eliminate the and will actively search for it via management generation emphas error inherent with the human KMS. A need to develop izes the movement of elements in data collection, appropriate critical success information and virtually all some type of automatic factors for measuring the forms of electronic surveillance identification and data capture contribution of KMS to the and may provide the basis for a system is necessary to ensure enterprise will arise. As more firm's sustainable competitive the level of accuracy needed to companies downsize, KMS will advantage. By definition, strate- support managerial decision- become more critical to the gic assets are "simultaneously making systems. According to company since people leaving the valuable, rare, imperfectly Piggott (1997), E-commerce is a company will take the knowledge imitable, and nonsubstitutable" fairly new application of the they had gained with them. Thus, (Michalisin, Smith, & Kline, Internet and World Wide Web, websites, various types of 1997: 360). Businesses are and its viability will depend on information infrastructure, and extremely dependent on com the development of globally scanning equipment provide not puters and the communication accepted legal rules and only a direct contact between the devices and services that regulations, as recognized by the organization and Its customers promote this information flow. U. S. President's nine but also present an opportunity recommendations. An obvious for innovation in both the key to the success of Internet delivery and selling of products. commerce will lie in improved Many employers are insisting Alan D. Smith, Ph.D., is professor privacy protection regulations that these types of informational of operations management, and trusted encryption software. technologies, coupled with e-mail Department of Management & Another key lies in the surveillance, are needed to mon- Marketing, Robert Morris College, application of knowledge itor security issues concerning Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3099. management and knowledge employees in the workplace. As Robert A. Faley, Ph.D., is professor management systems (KMS), to illustrated In Table 1, the use of of management, Graduate School ensure that the right information e-mails and associated informa- of Management, Kent State reaches the right people in the tional technologies in the United University, Kent, OH 44242-0001. company, with the Web acting as States has greatly increased. One the enabler. Knowledge manage- factor determining whether the FALL 2001 Southern Business Review