Abstract Science Construction’s business is in planning, developing and building road projects. The major of its clients are municipalities, city governments, and other public sector entities. While the bankruptcy rates for these clients is very low, when economic downturns happen, their ability to pay in a timely fashion also suffers. This leads to businesses such as Science Construction needing to take on additional debt and to find creative methods in order to stay afloat during times of recession. Methods such as selling accounts receivables at discounted rates and taking larger lines of credit through banks and other lending institutions are some of the ways organizations can remain viable when their cash inflows have turned into a trickle. Science Construction is asking the Turkish Courts to postpone their bankruptcy proceedings for a year while they attempt to restructure. Through this, suggestions such as forcing shareholders to pay their debt to the organization, gaining credi
Globalization is the term used to refer to the integration of goods, services, and culture among the nations of the world. Globalization is not necessarily a new phenomenon; in many ways, we have been experiencing globalization since the days of European colonization. Further advances in telecommunication and transportation technologies accelerated globalization. The advent of the worldwide Internet has made all nations next-door neighbors (Bourgeois, 2014).
Information Technology (IT) is a driving factor in the process of globalization. Improvements in the early 1990s in computer hardware, software, and telecommunications greatly increased people’s ability to access information and economic potential. While advancements in Internet-based tools over the past five to ten years, such as social networking websites, twitter, and other Web2.0 applications are changing the way people use and share information for personal, political, and commercial purposes. These developments have facilitated efficiency gains in all sectors of the economy. IT drives the innovative use of resources to promote new products and ideas across nations and cultures, regardless of geographic location. Creating efficient and effective channels to exchange information, IT has been the catalyst for global integration (globalization101, 2016). Technology is the vital force in the modern form of business globalization. Technology has revolutionized the global economy and has become critical competitive strategy. It has globalized the world, which drives all the countries to more ethical standards (Lamba & Malhotra, 2009).
As the Internet continues to progress throughout the world, it also creates a separation between those who have access to this global network and those who cannot access it. This separation is called the "digital divide" (Bourgeois, 2014). Defining the digital divide involves so many different aspects. The most obvious definition refers to those that have access to effective digital technology and those that do not. Neilson defines it in three different parts (Neilsen, 2006):
- Economic divide: Neilsen describes the economic divide as people cannot afford to purchase a computer even if they are affordable. Even though, in underdeveloped countries, people there will probably not be able to afford a computer for twenty years or more.
- Usability divide: Neilsen states “Far worse than the economic divide is the fact that technology remains so complicated that many people couldn't use a computer even if they got one for free. Many others can use computers, but don't achieve the modern world's full benefits because most of the available services are too difficult for them to understand”.
- The empowerment divide: Neilsen describes that this one is based on individual drive to want to learn how to effective use emerging technology. Even though technology has made our lives easier, not everyone takes advantage of this opportunity. The people described here do not want to spend the time to learn advanced techniques or new software or even invest in minimal costing software that could make life easier for them.
The term ethics is defined as “a set of moral principles” or “the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group”. The introduction of new technology can have a profound effect on human behavior. New technologies give us capabilities that we did not have before, which in turn create environments and situations that have not been specifically addressed in ethical terms. Digital technologies have given us the ability to aggregate information from multiple sources to create profiles of people. What would have taken weeks of work in the past can now be done in seconds, allowing private organizations and governments to know more about individuals than at any time in history. This information has value, but also chips away at the privacy of consumers and citizens. Therefore; there is a need for what is called Code of Ethics which is a document that outlines a set of acceptable behaviors for a professional or social group; generally, it is agreed to by all members of the group. The document details different actions that are considered appropriate and inappropriate (Bourgeois, 2014).
References:
- Bourgeois, D. T. (2014). Information systems for business and beyond. Saylor.org. Licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY) Attribution.
- Globalization101. (2016). Information Technology. Retrieved from: http://www.globalization101.org/information-technology/.
- Lamba, T. & Malhotra, H. (2009). Role of Technology in Globalization with Reference to Business Continuity. Retrieved from: http://www.informaticsjournals.com/index.php/gjeis/article/view/2956
- Nielsen, J. (2006). Digital divide: The three stages. Retrieved August 9, 2010 from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/digital-divide.html.
Comments