Effective Technical & Human Implementation of Computer-based Systems (ETHICS)

Ethics, devised by Enid Mumford of the Manchester Business School is a methodology based on a participative approach to information systems development. In addition, it encompasses the socio-technical view that for a system to be effective the technology must fit closely with social and organisational factors. In particular, this means that an improved quality of working life and enhanced job satisfaction of the users must be a major objective of the systems design process. This is not simply to guard the interests of the users in the introduction of computing and technology, although this is obviously of major importance, but it is an essential prerequisite to achieve effective systems from an organisational and managerial viewpoint. To support her case, Mumford points to the failure of many traditionally performed system implementations, where technical and economic objectives were the only considerations.

The philosophy of ETHICS is different from most information system developm...