Title
The Ethics of IT Professionals in Japan and China
Abstract
The ethical integrity and accountability of Information Technology (IT) professionals is important given our reliance on various forms of IT. We examined the applicability of Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of Cognitive Moral Development (CMD) in non-Western contexts by investigating the ethical values of IT professionals in Asia's two largest economies. Analysis of survey data from Japan (n=289) and China (n=290) indicates support for the basic six-stage model of CMD. The concept of abiding by universal laws and rules (termed stage 4 reasoning by Kohlberg) was widely accepted by IT professionals in both Japan and China, despite the Confucian cultural emphasis on personal relationships with particularistic obligations. However, differences between Japanese and Chinese IT professionals were found while, in direct contrast with the stage-wise theory of CMD, the respondents from Japan and especially China exhibited significant volatility, reasoning at different stages simultaneously. The implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Year
Venue
Keywords
2009
JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS
it professional
Field
DocType
Volume
Public relations,Engineering ethics,China,Psychology
Journal
10
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
11
1536-9323
12
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.55
5
7
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Robert M. Davison11084104.85
Maris G. Martinsons280952.87
Carol Xiaojuan Ou324121.32
Kiyoshi Murata42810.84
Damon L. Drummond5451.78
Yuan Li667349.15
Henry W. H. Lo7121.23