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Discussion Forum 8

Question: 

Describe the role of information technology in globalization



Define the digital divide and explain Nielsen’s three stages of the digital divide.



Describe what the term information systems ethics means

Response: I.

Globalization is the term used to describe the global intertwine between cultural, economic, environmental, and social exchanges. It is safe to say that the most important contributing factor to globalization is an information technology (IT). For instance, earlier, it used to take ages for people to communicate between different nations, but today WIFI and smartphones/tablets/computers had made it possible to connect with anyone at any time within seconds. Earlier news stations would take days or even weeks to get hold of meaningful news, and by the time they print it in the newspaper, it was already too late for the readers. But now, getting to know about world affairs is all in realtime. I have stated only two examples, but there is a truckload more of them. In the above two examples, everything was possible due to IT. In earlier days, there were no computers, then a handful of people had them, and now it's a necessity in our lives. After the personal computers followed dial-up modem, then web services (such as worldwide web), then fiber-optic cables, then workflow software, then open-sourcing and what not. I believe the colossal advantage the organizations got through IT was digitalization. Organizations reached a massive customer base through the digitalization of their content. IT helps businesses in the supply chain as well. For instance, whenever Walmart consumers buy and scan the item at the cashier, a signal is sent to the supplier of the product, irrespective of his location throughout the globe (Lawlor, 2008).

II.

The segregation of having internet in one place and not at another is termed as digital divide (Bourgeois, 2014). The digital divide can happen between the same societies, regions, or nations. For instance, it is easy to access the internet in the United States, but

people of North Korea are far from having it. In terms of the same societies, one family might have access to the internet while other low-income families or senior citizens might not have access to it (Bourgeois, 2014). Jacob Nielsen, in 2006, wrote in his article that the digital divide comprises of three stages, i.e., the economic divide, the usability divide, and the empowerment divide (Bourgeois, 2014). Economic divide, as the word suggests in the divide where some people can afford to have internet access while others cannot (Bourgeois, 2014). The prices of computers and the internet have dropped significantly in past years, and still, people of poor countries can't afford them. The usability divide is the inability to use computers even if they got them for free (Bourgeois, 2014). A major contributing factor to it could be lower literacy skills. Another factor could be senior citizens. When the senior citizens today were young didn't have access to technology as the computer and internet have revolved in recent times. Lastly, the empowerment divide is a complex issue of how individuals can use technology to empower themselves (Bourgeois, 2014). Not everyone knows how to take advantage of the internet and computers. Only a handful of users can leverage the internet to their advantage by using advanced search or distinguish paid search ads from organic search results (Bourgeois, 2014). III.

Information system ethics is defined as "the branch of ethics that focuses on the relationship between the creation, organization, dissemination, and use of information, and the ethical standards and moral codes governing human conduct in society" ("Information ethics," 2006). With new emerging technologies, new behavior and environment also emerged that gave individuals capabilities they didn't have before (Bourgeois, 2014). For instance, the design of missiles gave power to one nation, and the

nation that didn't design missiles didn't have the power. But does that mean the nation that designed a missile can use it on different nations whenever they want? Absolutely not. It is where ethics come into play. Another example as a student is plagiarism. Many students post their answers on different websites that can be used as a reference. Copying someone's ideas or papers is unethical. It is ethics that teaches individuals the difference between right and wrong.

References Bourgeois, D. T. (2014). Information Systems for Business and Beyond. Saylor.org. Information ethics. (2006, February 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_ethics Lawlor, B. J. (2008). The Age of Globalization: Impact of Information Technology on Global Business Strategies [Doctoral dissertation]. https://digitalcommons.bryant.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1000&context=honors_cis...