BLAW 372. Ethical and Legal Aspects of Managing Technology (3)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Virtually every aspect of business and management decision making is touched by computing, information technology, and digital media. These influences are pervasive in private and public communication, transactions, and social interactions, and often serve as the infrastructure for organizations including commercial, banking and financial organizations, federal, state and local government and politics, utilities, national defense, educational organizations, and entertainment. This class will examine some of the ethical and legal issues associated with computers, information systems, and public and private networks, including the Internet, as they relate to management decision making in a wide variety of areas. Some of the areas to be covered include intellectual property protection, business-related crime, viruses, privacy, security, reliability, work environments, liability, and artificial intelligence. Balancing of the needs and desires of individuals or groups against those of other individuals or groups (including business, economic, professional, individual, governmental and social interests) within a business context will be a focus of the class.