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Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The Future and Changing Paradigms
Pierre Massotte
First published 2017 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley amp Sons Inc
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study or criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 this publication may only be reproduced stored or transmitted in any form or by any means with the prior permission in writing of the publishers or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address
ISTE Ltd John Wiley amp Sons Inc 27-37 St Georgersquos Road 111 River Street London SW19 4EU Hoboken NJ 07030 UK USA
wwwistecouk wwwwileycom
copy ISTE Ltd 2017 The rights of Pierre Massotte to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988
Library of Congress Control Number 2017945469 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-78630-237-3
Contents
Foreword xiii
List of Acronyms xvii
Introduction xxi
Chapter 1 Evolution and Impact of Advanced Technologies on Humankind and Business 1
11 Introduction 1 12 Evolution of technologies 2
121 A challenge 5 13 The United Nations concerns and recommendations 7 14 Evolution of production systems 10
141 Question Innovation and usefulness 11 142 Question Anticipation 12 143 Toward personification 13
15 Emergence of nanotechnologies 16 151 Characteristics of nanotechnologies 16 152 A paradigm change 17 153 Perspectives prospective and comments 19 154 Questions of ethics a new way of thinking 20
16 Development of biotechnologies 21 17 3D printing and the future of manufacturing 23
171 Impacts of innovation 23 172 Some applications of 3D printing 24 173 Basic questions of ethics 26 174 How to fulfill ethics with 3D printing 27
vi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
18 The future wedding of transdisciplinary technologies 29 19 New opportunities precision and sustainability 30
191 Bio-wasting 31 192 Importance of the precision process 32 193 Application oenology of ldquoprecisionrdquo and the sustainability 34
110 The current digitization strategy 35 111 Robotics how and for which purpose 37 112 Cognitive sciences cognitivism 38
1121 Weak artificial intelligence 39 1122 Strong artificial intelligence 39 1123 False artificial intelligence 41
113 NBIC innovation business models 41 1131 Vertical integration of the technological innovations 41 1132 Horizontal integration of the technological innovations 42 1133 Organization the new business model 43 1134 ldquoData is centricrdquo 45
114 How to link ethics and innovation 48 1141 Introduction 48 1142 Some practices in innovation 49 1143 Ethical frameworks for innovation 51 1144 Conclusion on ethics and innovation 53
115 Conclusion 54
Chapter 2 Ethics and Transhumanism Control using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence 57
21 Introduction to transhumanism 57 22 Ethics robotics and artificial intelligence 58
221 Differences between computer human brain artificial intelligence and thinking 58 222 We cannot predict the future as we are living in a complex system 60 223 People who fear risks are predicting reproducible robots 64 224 Ethics why scientists are so worried 64 225 Ethics and safeguards in business 66
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The Future and Changing Paradigms
Pierre Massotte
First published 2017 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley amp Sons Inc
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study or criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 this publication may only be reproduced stored or transmitted in any form or by any means with the prior permission in writing of the publishers or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address
ISTE Ltd John Wiley amp Sons Inc 27-37 St Georgersquos Road 111 River Street London SW19 4EU Hoboken NJ 07030 UK USA
wwwistecouk wwwwileycom
copy ISTE Ltd 2017 The rights of Pierre Massotte to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988
Library of Congress Control Number 2017945469 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-78630-237-3
Contents
Foreword xiii
List of Acronyms xvii
Introduction xxi
Chapter 1 Evolution and Impact of Advanced Technologies on Humankind and Business 1
11 Introduction 1 12 Evolution of technologies 2
121 A challenge 5 13 The United Nations concerns and recommendations 7 14 Evolution of production systems 10
141 Question Innovation and usefulness 11 142 Question Anticipation 12 143 Toward personification 13
15 Emergence of nanotechnologies 16 151 Characteristics of nanotechnologies 16 152 A paradigm change 17 153 Perspectives prospective and comments 19 154 Questions of ethics a new way of thinking 20
16 Development of biotechnologies 21 17 3D printing and the future of manufacturing 23
171 Impacts of innovation 23 172 Some applications of 3D printing 24 173 Basic questions of ethics 26 174 How to fulfill ethics with 3D printing 27
vi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
18 The future wedding of transdisciplinary technologies 29 19 New opportunities precision and sustainability 30
191 Bio-wasting 31 192 Importance of the precision process 32 193 Application oenology of ldquoprecisionrdquo and the sustainability 34
110 The current digitization strategy 35 111 Robotics how and for which purpose 37 112 Cognitive sciences cognitivism 38
1121 Weak artificial intelligence 39 1122 Strong artificial intelligence 39 1123 False artificial intelligence 41
113 NBIC innovation business models 41 1131 Vertical integration of the technological innovations 41 1132 Horizontal integration of the technological innovations 42 1133 Organization the new business model 43 1134 ldquoData is centricrdquo 45
114 How to link ethics and innovation 48 1141 Introduction 48 1142 Some practices in innovation 49 1143 Ethical frameworks for innovation 51 1144 Conclusion on ethics and innovation 53
115 Conclusion 54
Chapter 2 Ethics and Transhumanism Control using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence 57
21 Introduction to transhumanism 57 22 Ethics robotics and artificial intelligence 58
221 Differences between computer human brain artificial intelligence and thinking 58 222 We cannot predict the future as we are living in a complex system 60 223 People who fear risks are predicting reproducible robots 64 224 Ethics why scientists are so worried 64 225 Ethics and safeguards in business 66
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The Future and Changing Paradigms
Pierre Massotte
First published 2017 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley amp Sons Inc
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study or criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 this publication may only be reproduced stored or transmitted in any form or by any means with the prior permission in writing of the publishers or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address
ISTE Ltd John Wiley amp Sons Inc 27-37 St Georgersquos Road 111 River Street London SW19 4EU Hoboken NJ 07030 UK USA
wwwistecouk wwwwileycom
copy ISTE Ltd 2017 The rights of Pierre Massotte to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988
Library of Congress Control Number 2017945469 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-78630-237-3
Contents
Foreword xiii
List of Acronyms xvii
Introduction xxi
Chapter 1 Evolution and Impact of Advanced Technologies on Humankind and Business 1
11 Introduction 1 12 Evolution of technologies 2
121 A challenge 5 13 The United Nations concerns and recommendations 7 14 Evolution of production systems 10
141 Question Innovation and usefulness 11 142 Question Anticipation 12 143 Toward personification 13
15 Emergence of nanotechnologies 16 151 Characteristics of nanotechnologies 16 152 A paradigm change 17 153 Perspectives prospective and comments 19 154 Questions of ethics a new way of thinking 20
16 Development of biotechnologies 21 17 3D printing and the future of manufacturing 23
171 Impacts of innovation 23 172 Some applications of 3D printing 24 173 Basic questions of ethics 26 174 How to fulfill ethics with 3D printing 27
vi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
18 The future wedding of transdisciplinary technologies 29 19 New opportunities precision and sustainability 30
191 Bio-wasting 31 192 Importance of the precision process 32 193 Application oenology of ldquoprecisionrdquo and the sustainability 34
110 The current digitization strategy 35 111 Robotics how and for which purpose 37 112 Cognitive sciences cognitivism 38
1121 Weak artificial intelligence 39 1122 Strong artificial intelligence 39 1123 False artificial intelligence 41
113 NBIC innovation business models 41 1131 Vertical integration of the technological innovations 41 1132 Horizontal integration of the technological innovations 42 1133 Organization the new business model 43 1134 ldquoData is centricrdquo 45
114 How to link ethics and innovation 48 1141 Introduction 48 1142 Some practices in innovation 49 1143 Ethical frameworks for innovation 51 1144 Conclusion on ethics and innovation 53
115 Conclusion 54
Chapter 2 Ethics and Transhumanism Control using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence 57
21 Introduction to transhumanism 57 22 Ethics robotics and artificial intelligence 58
221 Differences between computer human brain artificial intelligence and thinking 58 222 We cannot predict the future as we are living in a complex system 60 223 People who fear risks are predicting reproducible robots 64 224 Ethics why scientists are so worried 64 225 Ethics and safeguards in business 66
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
First published 2017 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley amp Sons Inc
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study or criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 this publication may only be reproduced stored or transmitted in any form or by any means with the prior permission in writing of the publishers or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address
ISTE Ltd John Wiley amp Sons Inc 27-37 St Georgersquos Road 111 River Street London SW19 4EU Hoboken NJ 07030 UK USA
wwwistecouk wwwwileycom
copy ISTE Ltd 2017 The rights of Pierre Massotte to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988
Library of Congress Control Number 2017945469 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-78630-237-3
Contents
Foreword xiii
List of Acronyms xvii
Introduction xxi
Chapter 1 Evolution and Impact of Advanced Technologies on Humankind and Business 1
11 Introduction 1 12 Evolution of technologies 2
121 A challenge 5 13 The United Nations concerns and recommendations 7 14 Evolution of production systems 10
141 Question Innovation and usefulness 11 142 Question Anticipation 12 143 Toward personification 13
15 Emergence of nanotechnologies 16 151 Characteristics of nanotechnologies 16 152 A paradigm change 17 153 Perspectives prospective and comments 19 154 Questions of ethics a new way of thinking 20
16 Development of biotechnologies 21 17 3D printing and the future of manufacturing 23
171 Impacts of innovation 23 172 Some applications of 3D printing 24 173 Basic questions of ethics 26 174 How to fulfill ethics with 3D printing 27
vi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
18 The future wedding of transdisciplinary technologies 29 19 New opportunities precision and sustainability 30
191 Bio-wasting 31 192 Importance of the precision process 32 193 Application oenology of ldquoprecisionrdquo and the sustainability 34
110 The current digitization strategy 35 111 Robotics how and for which purpose 37 112 Cognitive sciences cognitivism 38
1121 Weak artificial intelligence 39 1122 Strong artificial intelligence 39 1123 False artificial intelligence 41
113 NBIC innovation business models 41 1131 Vertical integration of the technological innovations 41 1132 Horizontal integration of the technological innovations 42 1133 Organization the new business model 43 1134 ldquoData is centricrdquo 45
114 How to link ethics and innovation 48 1141 Introduction 48 1142 Some practices in innovation 49 1143 Ethical frameworks for innovation 51 1144 Conclusion on ethics and innovation 53
115 Conclusion 54
Chapter 2 Ethics and Transhumanism Control using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence 57
21 Introduction to transhumanism 57 22 Ethics robotics and artificial intelligence 58
221 Differences between computer human brain artificial intelligence and thinking 58 222 We cannot predict the future as we are living in a complex system 60 223 People who fear risks are predicting reproducible robots 64 224 Ethics why scientists are so worried 64 225 Ethics and safeguards in business 66
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Contents
Foreword xiii
List of Acronyms xvii
Introduction xxi
Chapter 1 Evolution and Impact of Advanced Technologies on Humankind and Business 1
11 Introduction 1 12 Evolution of technologies 2
121 A challenge 5 13 The United Nations concerns and recommendations 7 14 Evolution of production systems 10
141 Question Innovation and usefulness 11 142 Question Anticipation 12 143 Toward personification 13
15 Emergence of nanotechnologies 16 151 Characteristics of nanotechnologies 16 152 A paradigm change 17 153 Perspectives prospective and comments 19 154 Questions of ethics a new way of thinking 20
16 Development of biotechnologies 21 17 3D printing and the future of manufacturing 23
171 Impacts of innovation 23 172 Some applications of 3D printing 24 173 Basic questions of ethics 26 174 How to fulfill ethics with 3D printing 27
vi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
18 The future wedding of transdisciplinary technologies 29 19 New opportunities precision and sustainability 30
191 Bio-wasting 31 192 Importance of the precision process 32 193 Application oenology of ldquoprecisionrdquo and the sustainability 34
110 The current digitization strategy 35 111 Robotics how and for which purpose 37 112 Cognitive sciences cognitivism 38
1121 Weak artificial intelligence 39 1122 Strong artificial intelligence 39 1123 False artificial intelligence 41
113 NBIC innovation business models 41 1131 Vertical integration of the technological innovations 41 1132 Horizontal integration of the technological innovations 42 1133 Organization the new business model 43 1134 ldquoData is centricrdquo 45
114 How to link ethics and innovation 48 1141 Introduction 48 1142 Some practices in innovation 49 1143 Ethical frameworks for innovation 51 1144 Conclusion on ethics and innovation 53
115 Conclusion 54
Chapter 2 Ethics and Transhumanism Control using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence 57
21 Introduction to transhumanism 57 22 Ethics robotics and artificial intelligence 58
221 Differences between computer human brain artificial intelligence and thinking 58 222 We cannot predict the future as we are living in a complex system 60 223 People who fear risks are predicting reproducible robots 64 224 Ethics why scientists are so worried 64 225 Ethics and safeguards in business 66
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
vi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
18 The future wedding of transdisciplinary technologies 29 19 New opportunities precision and sustainability 30
191 Bio-wasting 31 192 Importance of the precision process 32 193 Application oenology of ldquoprecisionrdquo and the sustainability 34
110 The current digitization strategy 35 111 Robotics how and for which purpose 37 112 Cognitive sciences cognitivism 38
1121 Weak artificial intelligence 39 1122 Strong artificial intelligence 39 1123 False artificial intelligence 41
113 NBIC innovation business models 41 1131 Vertical integration of the technological innovations 41 1132 Horizontal integration of the technological innovations 42 1133 Organization the new business model 43 1134 ldquoData is centricrdquo 45
114 How to link ethics and innovation 48 1141 Introduction 48 1142 Some practices in innovation 49 1143 Ethical frameworks for innovation 51 1144 Conclusion on ethics and innovation 53
115 Conclusion 54
Chapter 2 Ethics and Transhumanism Control using Robotics and Artificial Intelligence 57
21 Introduction to transhumanism 57 22 Ethics robotics and artificial intelligence 58
221 Differences between computer human brain artificial intelligence and thinking 58 222 We cannot predict the future as we are living in a complex system 60 223 People who fear risks are predicting reproducible robots 64 224 Ethics why scientists are so worried 64 225 Ethics and safeguards in business 66
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Contents vii
23 Ethics and robotics 67 231 Introduction 67 232 Some characteristics about the weapons sciences intelligent robots and wars 68
24 Artilects 71 25 The world a hybrid planet with robotics and living species 72
251 Application of the cobots 73 252 From the drone to the autonomous car 74 253 A necessary adaptation 76
26 Ethics and the elementary rules of Asimov in robotics 77
261 Ethics and sustainability 78 262 General comments 78
27 Conclusions and perspectives the problems that could arise from robotics 79
Chapter 3 Ethics and the New Business and Labor Organizations 81
31 Preamble 81 32 The context new BDIs of the population new opportunities 83 33 Major changes in the shared and collaborative economy 84 34 Concepts some definitions and recollections 85
341 The WTS is a modern market organization 85 342 Web-to-Virtual Store 86 343 Characteristics of the new ways of working 90
35 Key factors of the new economic models 91 351 Networking and the uberization of operations 92 352 Positive and negative impacts of uberization 94 353 The problem of consumerndashproducer and producerndashconsumer 95 354 Underlying mechanisms differences with the present economic systems 96 355 A social hypocrisy 98
36 The P2P management rules 99 361 Ethics liberalism and autonomy 100
37 Assignments of means and resources 101
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
viii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
38 Uber a resources allocation problem 102 381 Ethics 103 382 Simplexification 104 383 Complexification influence of the cognitive approaches 104
39 Business ethics a resources allocation problem 106 391 Business ethics and goods assignment 107 392 Modeling ethics with utility theory 108
310 Ethics in the business more perspectives 110 311 Ethics in Web-to-Virtual Store applications 111
3111 Introduction 111 3112 Ethics in the new transportation and moving opportunities 112 3113 Four other ways Uber is ethically challenged 114
312 GIG economy are the workers at Uber and Lyft happy 116 313 The real price of innovation 118
3131 Digitization 119 314 Conclusion 120
Chapter 4 Ethics and Social Networking 121
41 Preamble 121 42 Introduction social networking 122
421 Main characteristics of social innovation 123 422 Consequences 125
43 Some basic social definitions and principles 127 431 Inclusion the main principle of social networks 128 432 Inclusiveness and virtues 129 433 Principles of emergence 130
44 Emergence and reverse engineering 131 441 The paradigm change principle of circularity 133
45 Moving beyond technology-based solutions to complexity 134
451 Changing our ways of thinking 134 452 Changing the operational context 135 453 Toward a new toolkit 138 454 Consequences 140
46 How to link ethics and social innovation 141 461 Introduction 141 462 Some practices in innovation 141
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Contents ix
47 Ethical frameworks for innovation 144 471 Utilitarianism the greatest good for the greatest number 144 472 Rights an individualrsquos rights should not be violated 145 473 Enterprise personal involvements 145 474 Conclusions 146
48 Collaboration and cooperation 147 481 Evolution the development of cooperation and collaboration 147 482 Definitions of collaboration and cooperation 148 483 Main characteristics of collaboration and cooperation 148 484 Differences between cooperation and collaboration approaches 149
49 Comparison of the different modes of management 150 491 Implementation of the different modes of management 152 492 Required quality properties for an optimal management of ldquocollective systemsrdquo 154 493 Methodologies and learning in cooperationndashcollaboration-based systems 155 494 Some specificities and ethical concerns 156
410 Ethics and mimicry a natural approach to social networking 157
4101 Artificial life and collective thinking science 159 4102 Application role of feedbacks in mimicry and ascendancy over the others 159
411 Conclusion 160
Chapter 5 Ethics Misuses and Whistleblowing in Big Data and the Web 163
51 Introduction 163 52 Some statistics 164 53 Problematic situation 165
531 Data privacy and social networking 165 532 The root causes of data breach 167 533 The GDPR 168 534 Where did ethics begin and is there good or bad ethics 170
54 Accelerating factors 171 541 Consequences 173
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
x Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
55 Whistleblowing 174 551 Definition of a whistleblower 175 552 Two types of whistleblowing ndash same ethics 176 553 Notions of ethics in the case of whistleblowing 177 554 Public support is growing for whistleblowers 178
56 Business ethics elements of methodology and implementation 179
561 How to discuss new ethical issues in business 181 57 Whistleblower policies and corporate governance 182
571 Lack of the above processes will erode ethics 184 572 Benefits of whistleblower policies and procedures 184
58 Conclusion 185 581 Useful links and further information 186
Chapter 6 The Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Ethics Virtues Laws and Cultures 187
61 Introduction 187 62 Examples of unethical behavior in the economy 189
621 Example 1 the climate a common idea of ldquocatastrophismrdquo 189 622 Example 2 ethics and scientific advances 190 623 Example 3 ethics risks and uncertainties in the economy 191
63 An exclusive or inclusive society ethics and social relationships 194
631 Example 4 social relationships and the ldquoinclusive societyrdquo 195 632 The challenge of aging in a company or in our society proper ethics 198
64 Better ethics Some constitutive elements 201 641 Ethics and virtues a reminder 201 642 Ethics virtue and corporate culture in a company 204
65 Ethics and Christian culture 204 66 Ethics and the evaluation of a corporate culture application to IBM 206
661 Consequence and aggregation of the concepts of ethics 209 662 Elements involved in a corporate ethics 209
67 Ethics and the Rotary culture 210
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Contents xi
Chapter 7 Uses of Ethics Between Virtue Humanism and Illiteracy 213
71 Ethics an attitude between responsibility and conviction 213
711 A reminder evolution and the role of antagonisms 213 712 Notions of responsibility and conviction in ethics 213
72 Ethics between the exact requirements and the intents of the letter and spirit of the law 214
721 Introduction 214 722 The letter and the spirit of the law 215 723 Ethics is not an ideology 219 724 Ethics illiteracy education and learning 220 725 The global situation of education and training in France 220
Chapter 8 Ethics Temporality and Spirituality 227
81 Introduction problematics 227 82 Truth general characteristics of ethics and morals 228 83 Ethics and morale 231
831 Ethics an open door to transcendence 232 832 Morality as a limited concept in the content of a law 232 833 Is there a divergence or contradiction between morale and ethics 233
84 Ethics and spirituality 233 85 Application ethics and bioethics 235 86 Ethics spirituality identity and religion 235 87 Synthesis hierarchy of ethics concepts 238 88 Spirituality out of the religion framework 240 89 Beyond ethics the contribution of religious fact to excluded people 240 810 Conclusion 241
Chapter 9 Ethics Perspectives and the Future 243
91 Introduction 243 92 The crisis is still here 244 93 Post-modernism in detail the story never ends 246
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
94 Consequences worldwide governance and hyper-democracies 247
941 Application to a global governance 248 942 Ethics and worldwide governance 249 943 Evolution of hyper-collectivities or communities impact on ethics 249
95 Business ethics new trends and perspective 249 96 Ethics of consideration a new concept 251
961 The problem 251 962 Generalization 252
97 Toward a more Sustainable Ethics 254 98 Ethics evaluation and measurement 256 99 A future vision of networking and Business Ethics 258 910 Main conclusions 261
9101 Ethics difficulties and limits of present approaches Toward which future 262 9102 Some comments 263
Bibliography 265
Index 275
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Foreword
Humanity which as a topic is so difficult to define is a creation of everyday life of which we are not always sufficiently and consciously aware Yes it involves all of us collectively but especially every one of us individually This global community is the fundamental issue that must gather all men and women in a single worldwide project because it is a referral for unity and inclusivity
It is naive to try to make us believe in the immediate feasibility and unimpeded achievement of such ambition The contribution of Humanity is also the result of advanced progress that of the sciences whether physical or mathematical natural or environmental technological or philosophical
This last philosophical dimension confronts us with deep thinking it is an invitation to give a meaning to the progress of technology that only morality and ethics can bring
There is no greater task than trying to confront human beings with themselves Although human nature has always been invited by man and science to progress it is clear that evolution has not systematically followed natural courses which in any case are harmonious and inclusive The risk that humanity runs is that of perverting itself in a vision that goes beyond the highest interest of the community to serve only that of individual destinies Subjugation emerges under this condition
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The principles of good ethical conduct depend on postures which do not appear to be simply ldquospontaneousrdquo and which call for a real awareness of the actions generated and the indirect consequences resulting from them
We are therefore dealing with the question of what can constitute intangible principles related to the matter of foundations in morality this is a means of having a strong source of inspiration and reference values
It is therefore natural that Pierre Massotte invites each of us to discover the Ethics of Responsibility outlined in the essential registries of good conduct of people in the world of business Therefore we have a code of conduct that crosschecks and merges all the implications of human beings in their relationships within a global societal framework
There is certainly a difficulty in formalizing a modeling framework in this subject matter Indeed forging vital reference values naturally leads to creating and defining the conditions for the necessary in-depth elaboration before a given action of the elements that will be used in different inherited situations It provides an inspiration based on the values of virtue coming to question societal relationships either socially or business oriented Finally they form only one whole as soon the implied behavior of anybody at this level of involvement is to be virtuous
It is not by chance that many of the references quoted in this book come from large companies or social organizations across many fields Among the organizations the Rotary plays an important role that cannot be ignored because for more than a century it has created the conditions for a global involvement in ethics to provide an active contribution to working towards peace and therefore working for humanity as a whole
Through its programs and its membersrsquo requests for impartiality and integrity both on a personal and vocational level the Rotary calls on its members to adopt an ethical conduct in all of their actions The goal is thus to set up a reference framework with which to bring together or interconnect people in order to lead a noble novation There is a distinction to be made between what makes cohesion possible and what enables the resilience of this cohesion The humanitarian challenge is thus converging toward the principle of necessity in ethics
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Foreword xv
The Rotaryrsquos four-way test urges its members (Rotarians) to ask themselves the following questions before making a decision and putting it into action
ndash Is it the truth
ndash Is it fair to all concerned
ndash Will it build goodwill and better friendships
ndash Will it be beneficial to all concerned
It is not enough to be convinced in order to assert an ethical posture Each of us must be responsible for this which inevitably refers to the question of ldquopublic affairsrdquo in the sense in which the Romans understood it that is to say in the so-called res-publica which corresponds much more to the common domain of the society rather than the public domain
This is the strength of Pierre Massottersquos invitation in this book for which he did me the honor of writing this foreword The best intent is to serve the development thus produced at the level of humanity convincing us that this development is an incentive to go even further
The acceleration of time we are currently experiencing due to the arrival of new information and communication technologies gives an even greater dimension to this issue We must continue believing that it is sometimes necessary and important to take a break and make time for a period of thought and analysis
Thus it is up to us to answer and live up to this invitation and to make the aspirations and dreams which arise from this more real in order to make Ethics a good deal but above all an ambition to be shared and realized
Reacutegis ALLARD Past Governor D1780
Rotary International Presidentrsquos Representative President of leRotarien magazine
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
List of Acronyms
AFI Agro-Food Industry
AI Artificial Intelligence
ANN Artificial Neural Networks
ANS Autonomic Nervous System
B2C Business to Customer
BAU Business as usual
BDI Beliefs Desire and Intents
BE Business Ethics
BECC Business Ethics Code of Conduct
CBR Case-based Reasoning
CNN Convolutional Neural Networks
CNS Central Nervous System
CSCL Computer-supported Collaborative Learning
CSCW Computer-supported Cooperative Work
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
CSP Constraint Solving Program
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
DQN Deep Q Network
DSP Digital Service Providers
DSS Decision Support Systems
DTI Diffusion Tensor Imaging
EMA Ecole des Mines drsquoAlegraves
ENS Enteric Nervous System
EOC Entrepreneurial Organizational Culture
EU European Union
GA Genetic Algorithms
GDPR General Data Protection Regulation
GMO Genetically Modified Organisms
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IOE Internet of Everything
IOT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IT Information Technology
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
List of Acronyms xix
LAR Lethal Autonomous Robots
LAW Lethal Autonomous Weapons
MAS Multi-agent Systems
MFG Mean Field Games
MID Mobile Internet Device
MMS Multimedia Messaging Service
MRi Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NGO Non-governmental Organization
NLDS Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
OR Operations Research
P2P Peer to Peer
PC Personal Computer
PLC Product Lifecycle
PLM Product Lifecycle Management
PLOOT Plant Layout Optimization
RampD Research and Development
RFID Radio Frequency Identification
SIC Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
SMS Short Message Service
VFDCS Virtual Factory Distributed Control System
VPN Virtual Private Networks
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xx Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
WAN Wide Area Network
WIP Work in Process
WTO World Trade Organization
WTS Web to Store
WTVS Web to Virtual Store
WWW World Wide Web
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Introduction
In this introduction we recall some theory and practices introduced in Volume 1 [MAS 17a] The objective is to have a common understanding about these practices either in the enterprises or in the organizations leading to the corporate culture specific to the various populations in some different countries
Furthermore we may find some weaknesses and shortcomings that we will try to refine or enhance in the second volume in order to better face the new challenges of our environment
I1 Main principles and definitions used in Volume 1
The first book (Volume 1 [MAS 17a]) is dedicated to the conventional approach of ethics as developed by the ancient Greeks due to our rationality we keep looking for items facts approaches causes and implementations that govern the design and governance of a new business world
We have focused on the operationalization of business ethics either in the Rotary or in industry and organizations To summarize our approach and to avoid any misunderstanding in the future we will consider the following concepts
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xxii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
ndash Ethics ethics is part of the philosophy related to the meaning of all the aspects of human behavior Theoretical ethics considered in the book is a part of what is called normative ethics (based on the notions going from right to wrong) It is supremely intellectual and refers to personal consciousness as a branch of philosophy rational in nature It applies to any human population behavior
As often recalled it is an alternative each time no laws no rules and procedures are available However it is of help when developing codes of conducts rules and principles (norms) by which executives and others in positions of responsibility will judge and guide meaningful decision-making
ndash Business ethics business ethics (BE) is also called corporate ethics or professional ethics It is a subset of ethics but that used most often in the usual fields of activities
BE covers the ethical and moral principles and problems that arise in a business environment It is expressed through written and unwritten codes of principles and values it governs decisions and actions within an organization In most cases BE makes the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right according to the consciousness of the decision maker
To be more precise and to make it easier to understand BE we will provide a rule that we have applied across the two volumes according to the level of the structure to be considered we denote personal ethics (the kind of ethics used on a microscale such as very small SME entrepreneurship small team work etc) professional ethics (on an intermediate scale such as a production unit etc) and corporate ethics (on a macroscale such as a large company etc) All three levels are intricately related as in a fractal structure [MAS 06]
I11 Comment the different kinds of ethics
When specialists or philosophers try to classify ethics they generally use a qualitative clustering based on psychological mental or philosophical variables Therefore when analyzing the available documentation in most case studies one considers three or four different types of ethics [YAN 14]
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Introduction xxiii
Here as an example we will consider four main ethical segmentations based on individualism utilitarianism Kantianism or virtues relevant to an action or decision that can be seen as ethical or unethical
1) Individualism individualism states that the main goal of a business is to maximize profit for a part or all of the stakeholdershellipor customers The objective is to act in order to maximize a profit In doing so the executive only chooses to keep the cheaper and more efficient solutions to boost some profits This is what happens for example with big department stores The damages can be significant as they can harm the producers and providers and develop non-sustainable practices Ultimately this a non-ethical behavior
2) Utilitarianism utilitarianismrsquos main intent is to make everyone happy Here specialists consider the societal environments that are developing in the area of hedonism and eudemonism This was developed in Business Ethics Volume 1 but also in [MAS 15a]
Utilitarianism theory consists of bringing happiness or justice to everyone and acts in the interest of the overall good When doing so people put their cooperation in jeopardy but are trying to make the best from a bad situation
3) Kantianism Kantianism is based on making rational decisions and allowing others to do the same for themselves There is no lying or deceit of any kind or the use of people without their rational consent also people must act from a sense of duty in order to be sure to go the right way This consists of treating the situation as a mere means but rather globally and always as an end This is seen as a non-ethical approach with regard to Kantian theory when the people need to be given the necessary knowledge to act only on their own rational being So deviances in the behaviors can be observed if the consequences of actions that make a decision right or wrong are not evaluated It is also non-ethical from Kantrsquos perspective when a decision process is conducted against or in a clear violation for the motive and consciousness of the decision maker
4) Virtue theory virtue theory focuses on four main characteristics courage honesty self-control and fairness (We have great similarities with the cardinal virtues as defined by Plato courage justice prudence and temperance) Therefore generally speaking a business must act while keeping these characteristics in mind They must be willing to take a stand for the right ideas and actions
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xxiv Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
Virtue theorists recommend being honest in the mutual agreements and relationships with both employees and customers Also people must work hard produce quality have good ideas and should be fair in their practices Finally people are required to be courageous in their actions they merely conform to the nominal security
For the sake of simplicity in our book we did not consider such philosophical classifications Several times we said it was necessary to use our best judgment according to our consciousness considering the following three factors lack of skills ignorance and greed It is a kind of ldquosocialrdquo ethics that causes the death of a civilization or any type of organization and inevitably leads to exclusivity In the framework of the Rotary or even in social networking or businesses it may cover most of the encountered situations
I12 Objectives of this book
Volume 1 presented an overview of what is happening in the working world Theory practice and current recommendations were developed through examples issued from the Rotary or industrial companies
In it we spoke primarily of our experience in ethics and BE We described some notions of complexity and evolution and we could better understand why and how ethics is becoming essential for the sustainability of our systems
Moreover we saw how BE can be implemented in current enterprises according to a corporate and societal culture the geographical context etc Thus in this book we are both in the present and in the short-term horizon
BE is linked to system complexity and evolution theory In its more mundane context BE expresses the fact that responsible people and executives are afraid of losing control of complex phenomena It is associated with the need to preserve a situation in the face of apparently irreversible changes This is the reason why ldquointegrationrdquo of BE becomes so important
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Introduction xxv
Also concerning the intrinsic system complexity and the growing complexity of nature we stated in this book that simplexification was necessary to manage monitor and control complex systems I will add that simplexification enables us to understand complexity Indeed as often said in the Advanced Technology Group within IBM EMEA the simple modeling of a complex system is able to generate 50 of the solution about a given problem while re-engineering provides the remaining part of the solution everything starts with an organization everything ends with another
In this book some people will find that a lot of things are wrong This may be true but some of them will be useful it is a positive statement since the whole content is not just a survey and review of conventional and various integrated processes
Finally concerning learning principles and the need for diversity developed in the book we will recall two points
ndash it is only the one doing nothing who is never wrong
ndash in a complex situation we do not learn efficiently if we are simply trying not to commit any error
I2 Main changes and trends in ethics toward new ways of thinking
I21 Paradigm changes
In this book we consider that the world is changing We are living in a very dynamic environment following Moorersquos Law The future will again impose a paradigm shift
This is mainly related to the new context with the impact of new technologies advanced sciences and societal evolution Thus we will talk about the extension of concepts related to the dissemination and intrusive impact of the advanced sciences
Indeed ethics (BE) will now manifest itself along several directions
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xxvi Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
The new technologies considered and described in Chapter 1 are related to the general concept of NBIC NBIC refer to Nanotechnologies Biotechnologies Information technologies and Cognitive sciences
Thus it will here be very important to describe this new context in order
ndash To anticipate the emergence of any improvement that affects human performance and sustainability More specifically this concern is related to robotics and the development of artificial Intelligence (the role and influence of humankind is both enlarged by and subject to transhumanism but all of this can come at a loss)
ndash To see how the business and human environment evolves where are we going What are the benefits for human beings
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and artificial intelligence in terms of task optimization transhumanism Asimov etc (Chapter 2)
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and logistics transportation the shared economy and new work organization (Chapter 3) including uberization of the business (the economy of sharing) with the development of new ways of consuming products and services
ndash To better understand the relationships we will have between ethics and social networks the sharing of ideas the emergence of new needs and innovation the new working modes based on cooperation and collaboration (Chapter 4) More generally social networking based on the emergence of new patterns and orders will produce the development of new business models which we may suffer without being able to control
ndash The handling of big data and cloud computing inevitably leads to data breaches glitches and data hacking that lead to loss of control in large databases and to the generation of the whistleblowing effect associated with risk and alarms management (Chapter 5)
ndash Finally in the same way the world becomes spiritual relations to virtue (and religions) raise new problems concerning the evolution and adaptation of BE this will be addressed in the last chapter of Volume 2
This is consistent with the following results concerning a review of the main challenges involved in sustainable (then ethical) systems
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
Introduction xxvii
I22 Global challenges of ethics in advanced sciences
ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo report updated annually is a good introduction to the key issues of the early 21st Century in professional areas and vocational services [MAR 16]
Figure I1 Interconnected challenges Network
In Figure I1 the last challenge (Global Ethics 15) is in fact the most important one Here ethics is a comprehensive concept covering influencing or relating to the whole word As usual the whole word is considered as a set of elements closely interconnected through telecommunications networks and as being interdependent economically technically socially and politically The description of the above figure with a range of views and actions to address each issue enriched with regional views and progress assessments have been updated each year since 1996 and published in an annual status report [MAR 16]
In ldquoThe 15 Global Challengesrdquo a framework to assess the global and local prospects for humanity is provided We can briefly describe these 15 challenges through a set of questions as follows
1) How can sustainable development be achieved for all while addressing global climate change
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the
xxviii Ethics in Social Networking and Business 2
2) How can everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict
3) How can population growth and resources be brought into balance
4) How can genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes
5) How can policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives
6) How can the global convergence of information and communication technology work for everyone
7) How can ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor
8) How can the threat of new and reemerging diseases and pathogens be reduced
9) How can the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change
10) How can shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts terrorism and the use of weapons of mass destruction
11) How can the changing status of women help improve the human condition
12) How can transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises
13) How can growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently
14) How can scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition
15) How can ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions
The challenges studied and covered in Volume 1 are those included between 1 and 11
In Volume 2 we will address the challenges 12 up to 15
Whatever the volume considered and considering the complexity theory we can say that all the challenges are interdependent an improvement in one makes it easier to address others in the same way the deterioration in one makes it harder to address others No challenge is more important than the