Due Diligence
Northern Arizona University
September 29, 2013
ACC 205 11:10
Due Diligence
Known Facts:
Ykom had a very open and free thinking approach to its apps and technology
Employees were praised and rewarded for creating cutting edge products that pushed the envelope
Ykom had a wide range and diversity of apps including; Bible, Koran, and Torah apps, apps about coming out of the closet, defensive marriage apps, and more. baby shaker app was taken off of the apple store after it received negative criticism
Desired Facts:
How much of Ykom was about developing apps.
Have they had any controversial or removed products in the past
How much money was made on the Baby Shaker app?
Viable Alternatives:
Not changing company policy or regulations to keep the creative ideas flowing.
Changing company policy to limit the crossing of ethical boundaries.
Censoring more of the apps and products that the developers come up with.
Stakeholders:
James Smith-President/founder of Ykom
Shelly Watson-director of the app division at Ykom
Ykom’s development team that allowed the baby shaker app to hit the market
Ykom’s employees
Ethical Issue:
There is an obvious ethical issue behind the Baby Shaker app. the whole point of the app is to get a baby to stop crying by forcefully shaking it until it is dead. there is an obvious ethical issue with abusing and killing a baby for any reason, especially for crying.
COVER Model for Ethical Decision Making:
Code (C)
This would require the company to adopt a code of conduct/ethics for all its employees and products to follow. Had this been adopted by Ykom the Baby Shaker app would not have made it through the ethical screening process and would have never reached the market. Outcomes (O)
This is based on utilitarianism which is the belief that; “actions are right in proportion to their tendency to promote happiness or absence or pain, and wrong insofar as they tend to produce pain or displeasure.” The Baby Shaker app
September 29, 2013
ACC 205 11:10
Due Diligence
Known Facts:
Ykom had a very open and free thinking approach to its apps and technology
Employees were praised and rewarded for creating cutting edge products that pushed the envelope
Ykom had a wide range and diversity of apps including; Bible, Koran, and Torah apps, apps about coming out of the closet, defensive marriage apps, and more. baby shaker app was taken off of the apple store after it received negative criticism
Desired Facts:
How much of Ykom was about developing apps.
Have they had any controversial or removed products in the past
How much money was made on the Baby Shaker app?
Viable Alternatives:
Not changing company policy or regulations to keep the creative ideas flowing.
Changing company policy to limit the crossing of ethical boundaries.
Censoring more of the apps and products that the developers come up with.
Stakeholders:
James Smith-President/founder of Ykom
Shelly Watson-director of the app division at Ykom
Ykom’s development team that allowed the baby shaker app to hit the market
Ykom’s employees
Ethical Issue:
There is an obvious ethical issue behind the Baby Shaker app. the whole point of the app is to get a baby to stop crying by forcefully shaking it until it is dead. there is an obvious ethical issue with abusing and killing a baby for any reason, especially for crying.
COVER Model for Ethical Decision Making:
Code (C)
This would require the company to adopt a code of conduct/ethics for all its employees and products to follow. Had this been adopted by Ykom the Baby Shaker app would not have made it through the ethical screening process and would have never reached the market. Outcomes (O)
This is based on utilitarianism which is the belief that; “actions are right in proportion to their tendency to promote happiness or absence or pain, and wrong insofar as they tend to produce pain or displeasure.” The Baby Shaker app