|
Many issues—such as letting a vendor splurge on an expensive dinner—are pretty black and white, but there's a lot of gray when it comes to IT business ethics, according to a recently completed CIOZone poll. Here's how CIOZone member said they would handle a number of potential conflicts of interest.
Also See:
Blog: David Hunter Tow On The Ethical Enterprise
How To Make Companies More Open
By Laton McCartney
More often than not CIOs are at the top of an IT vendor's dance card. Put out a request-for-proposal for anything from an enterprise application project to database services and you can be assured that vendors will come calling with flowers in hand, ready to whisper sweet nothings in your ear.
Problem is that sometimes dealing with such ardent suitors can present an ethical tightrope, and in many instances organizations have no clear cut guidelines in place for what's acceptable and what's not in working with vendors.
In fact, a recent survey of CIOZone members indicates that almost half of the respondents—46%—work for organizations that don't have an ethics policy in place.
However, of the some 54% of organizations that do have vendor guidelines, most—95%—work with their IT employees to make sure they are familiar with those guidelines.
Still, with a pretty even split between those companies with ethical guidelines and those without, it's not surprising that there are divergent views on what is and what isn't acceptable in dealing with a vendor.
A couple of scenarios CIOZone posed in its survey illustrates the wide opinions members have about what is and isn't proper conduct.
Say the vendor asks you and your significant other out to an expensive restaurant and foots the bill. Acceptable? Some 76% of the survey respondents say "no," while a little more than 23% give this question a thumbs up.
Or say a vendor offers to pay for a potential CIO client's tickets and a room at a resort where a vendor-related conference is being held. The idea is that you, as CIO, can meet and greet vendor management, talk to customers and maybe sample product offering, all on the vendor's nickel. OK? Not according to 88% of the respondents, who say CIOs need to pay their own way. That leaves just under 12% who don't have a problem letting the vendor foot the bill.
Another "what if": Suppose a vendor volunteers to provide you with some proprietary information about one of your competitors that could possibly give your company a market edge. Ethically, should you decline to accept this information as long as it wasn't obtained illegally? Nearly 59% of the respondents said "no," while 41% were all ears.
Now, say, you hire a vendor, and once the job is completed, the vendor offers you a senior level job - corner office, big expense account, the whole deal. In Washington, this is known as a revolving door policy. Is this ethical? Just under 58% of the respondents say "no,' while 42% would have no problem with taking the job.
How about this: Once the vendor's new system has been implemented, the vendor wants to fly you and/or your employees to a facility for training. Again, the vendor offers to pick up the entire tab. Nearly 59% of the respondents consider this unacceptable, while 41% don't have a problem here.
Finally, the vendor offers you or one of your employees a small gift, a token of appreciation, such as flowers or a box of candy. Is this OK? Seventy-percent say "yes," while just under 30% believe that accepting even a dozen roses crosses the ethical line.
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
