How can organizations differentiate between ethical decision-making and legal decision-making frameworks?

Organizations must understand the distinction between ethical and legal decision-making frameworks to ensure responsible governance.

Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks:

Guide organizations in upholding moral standards and values.

Help navigate moral dilemmas where laws may not provide clear guidance.

Are based on societal values and professional codes of ethics (e.g., ACM Code of Ethics, IEEE Code of Conduct).

Legal Decision-Making Frameworks:

Provide a set of enforceable rules that dictate what is permissible and impermissible.

Help organizations comply with laws and regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, and consumer protection laws).

Ensure legal liability is minimized.

A & D: These options incorrectly suggest that legal and ethical frameworks are comprehensive guides for each other, which is false. Ethics go beyond legal rules, and legal decisions do not always ensure ethical behavior.

C: This reverses the correct roles of ethical and legal frameworks.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the best answer is B, as it correctly distinguishes the role of ethics and law in decision-making.

Moor, J. (1985). "What is Computer Ethics?" Metaphilosophy, 16(4), 266-275.

Floridi, L. (2013). The Ethics of Information. Oxford University Press.

IEEE Code of Ethics (2020).

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018).

References in Ethics in Technology: