Abstract
A technological revolution with first order implications is undeniable and underway. That is the permeation of society by computers and telecommunications technology. For western society, committed to a social, economic, and value structure premised upon an industrial society, the move to an information society is more than disruptive; it is transformational. Current changes are so rapidly paced in relation to business planning that it creates major challenges and opportunities to reach out, influence, and guide the change.
The telematics revolution will affect every aspect of our society since it will affect every aspect of our world which involves the generation, production, storage, or handling of information. Many ethical issues are touched upon. To sum them up, the new immorality is to choose to act in ignorance of future consequences.
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Joseph F. Coates, 3738 Kanawha Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 70015. This paper was presented at ‘The Management of Computer Technology: Values and Choices in Corporate and Public Policy’, during The Fourth National Conference on Business Ethics, Bentley College, Waltham, Mass., April 3, 1981.
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Coates, J.F. Computers and business — A case of ethical overload. J Bus Ethics 1, 239–248 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382776
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382776