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Caution: This module is still in its developmental phase. It is being tested by Business Ethics students at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. Biomatrix was a biotechnology company that manufactured Synvisc, a lubricant injected into the knee to take the place of natural lubricants that disappear with age. From April 1999 to August 2000, a series of messages (16,000 in all) highly critical of this company were posted on the Yahoo financial bulletin board. These postings may have led to a sharp drop in the company's stock value during this period. Three individuals were identified as the authors of these messages. When they were unable to substantiate the accusations made in the messages, they were found guilty of defamation. This module provides a time line and exercises that allow students to explore the details of this case. Research for this case was carried out in conjunction with Computing Cases, an NSF-funded project devoted to developing and displaying cases studies in computer ethics in an online format. Biomatrix along with nine other cases will be published by Jones&Bartlett as Good Computing: A Virtue Approach to Computer Ethics, a textbook in computer ethics. This module is being developed as a part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation, "Collaborative Development of Ethics Across the Curriculum Resources and Sharing of Best Practices," NSF-SES-0551779.
Write your module for a student audience. To complete or edit the sections below erase the provided textual commentaries then add your own content using one or more of the following strategies: - Electronic Privacy Information Center provides updated information on online privacy issues - The linked Amicus Curiae provides insight into how John Doe Lawsuits can be used to suppresslegitimate speech - Computing cases link provides supporting information on socio-technical systems- David van Mill's article, "Freedom of Speech" in the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy nicely summarizes J.S. Mill's defense of free speech and Feinberg's "Offense Principle."

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Introduction

In this module you will study a real world ethical problem, the Biomatrix case, and employ frameworks based on the software development cycle to (1) specify ethical and social problems, (2) generate solutions that integrate ethical value, (3) test these solutions, and (4) implement them over situation-based constraints. This module will provide you with an opportunity to practice integrating ethical considerations into real world decision-making and problem-solving in business and computing. This whole approach is based on an analogy between ethics and design (Whitbeck).

Large real world cases like Biomatrix pivot around crucial decision points. You will take on the role of one of the participants and problem-solve in teams from three such points. Problem-solving in the real world requires perseverance, moral creativity, moral imagination, and reasonableness. These skills are developed through practice. Designing and implementing solutions requires identifying conflicting values and interests, balancing them in creative and dynamic solutions, overcoming technical limits, and responding creatively to real world constraints.

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Source:  OpenStax, The environments of the organization. OpenStax CNX. Feb 22, 2016 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11447/1.9
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