Free Practice Questions for WGU Ethics-In-Technology Exam

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a global rating system that helps organizations evaluate and select eco-friendly electronic products. Since the telecommunications company is committed to green computing and seeks to compare and select environmentally friendly suppliers, EPEAT is the appropriate tool.

EPEAT criteria include:

Energy efficiency

Material recyclability

Reduction of hazardous substances

Sustainable manufacturing practices

Green Computing & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – Companies must minimize environmental impact through responsible sourcing.

Sustainability & IT Ethics – EPEAT ensures ethical environmental practices in product selection.

Utilitarian Ethics (Sustainable Impact) – Green computing benefits society by reducing e-waste and energy consumption.

ISO 14001 Environmental Standards – Encourages companies to adopt sustainable environmental management systems.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is A. Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), as it helps assess eco-friendly technology options.

Adherence to a professional code of ethics ensures that individuals, their profession, and society benefit from ethical consistency and industry best practices.

1. Standardized Business Practices:

Ethical codes establish clear guidelines for professional conduct.

They promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in business.

2. Consistent Decision-Making:

A well-defined ethical framework helps professionals make fair and ethical choices in various situations.

Ensures uniform application of ethical principles across different cases.

C. Assured Employer Integrity: Ethics applies to individual conduct rather than guaranteeing an employer's behavior.

D. Faster Career Advancement: Ethical behavior may help long-term career growth, but it is not a guaranteed outcome.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answers are A. Standardized business practices and B. Consistent decision-making.

ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

IEEE Code of Ethics (2020).

References in Ethics in Technology:

Organizations must understand the distinction between ethical and legal decision-making frameworks to ensure responsible governance.

Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks:

Guide organizations in upholding moral standards and values.

Help navigate moral dilemmas where laws may not provide clear guidance.

Are based on societal values and professional codes of ethics (e.g., ACM Code of Ethics, IEEE Code of Conduct).

Legal Decision-Making Frameworks:

Provide a set of enforceable rules that dictate what is permissible and impermissible.

Help organizations comply with laws and regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, and consumer protection laws).

Ensure legal liability is minimized.

A & D: These options incorrectly suggest that legal and ethical frameworks are comprehensive guides for each other, which is false. Ethics go beyond legal rules, and legal decisions do not always ensure ethical behavior.

C: This reverses the correct roles of ethical and legal frameworks.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the best answer is B, as it correctly distinguishes the role of ethics and law in decision-making.

Moor, J. (1985). "What is Computer Ethics?" Metaphilosophy, 16(4), 266-275.

Floridi, L. (2013). The Ethics of Information. Oxford University Press.

IEEE Code of Ethics (2020).

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018).

References in Ethics in Technology:

Contingent workers (e.g., contractors, freelancers, or temporary employees) can provide short-term solutions for resource gaps, but they come with disadvantages.

Why is minimal internal process understanding a disadvantage?

Contingent workers do not have long-term exposure to the company's workflows, culture, or business strategies.

Training contingent workers on company-specific processes takes time and effort, reducing initial productivity.

They may not be as committed to organizational goals as full-time employees.

A. Any skills gained during employment will be lost to the company at the project's completion. – While true, companies can retain knowledge through documentation and collaboration.

C. The company may require the same worker for other projects. – This is not a disadvantage; it could be a benefit if the worker is rehired.

D. The company does not have to provide benefits throughout the project's lifecycle. – This is an advantage, not a disadvantage.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is B. Internal business process understanding will be minimal given the temporary nature of the workers.

Kalleberg, A. L. (2000). Nonstandard Employment Relations: Part-time, Temporary, and Contract Work.

Harvard Business Review (2022). Managing Contingent Workers Effectively.

References in Ethics in Technology:

The issue in this scenario stems from scope creep—when a project’s requirements expand beyond the original contract. The IT firm's project leader verbally agreed to additional features without ensuring their feasibility, leading to incomplete delivery and incompatibility issues.

By following a professional code of ethics, the project leader would have:**

Carefully assessed whether the additional scope was feasible

Formalized the agreement in writing rather than relying on verbal commitments

Ensured realistic expectations regarding system compatibility

Project Management Ethics (PMI Code of Ethics) – Encourages informed decision-making and clear scope agreements.

ACM & IEEE Codes of Ethics – Stress honest communication, responsibility, and due diligence in IT projects.

Contract Law & Professional Responsibility – Professionals should document scope changes to avoid miscommunication.

Utilitarian Ethics (Preventing Harm) – Poor decisions on scope cause project failures and stakeholder losses.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct answer is B. Improving decision-making around agreeing to additional scopes, as ethical decision-making could have mitigated scope creep issues.

The factory manager is applying consequentialism, an ethical theory that evaluates actions based on their outcomes or consequences.

Why Consequentialism?

The manager is weighing all possible outcomes and choosing the action that produces the greatest good—a fundamental characteristic of consequentialist ethics.

This aligns with utilitarianism, a form of consequentialism, which suggests that an action is ethical if it maximizes overall benefits (e.g., higher profits, safety, lower costs).

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill developed utilitarianism, emphasizing that ethical decisions should be based on maximizing happiness or well-being.

A. Deontology: Focuses on moral duties and rules rather than consequences. A deontologist might argue that replacing workers with robots is wrong if it violates workers' rights, regardless of the positive outcomes.

B. Relativism: Suggests that morality is subjective and varies by culture. The factory manager's decision is based on objective outcomes, not cultural or subjective ethical norms.

C. Virtue Ethics: Focuses on the moral character of the decision-maker rather than the outcomes of actions. The manager is making a cost-benefit analysis, not prioritizing virtues like fairness or compassion.

Why Not the Other Theories?Thus, the correct ethical framework that describes the factory manager’s decision is D. Consequentialism because it is based on maximizing benefits while accepting potential negative consequences.

Mill, J. S. (1863). Utilitarianism. London: Parker, Son, and Bourn.

Bentham, J. (1789). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Brey, P. (2000). "Disclosive Computer Ethics." ACM SIGCAS Computers and Society, 30(4), 10-16.

IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (2019).

References in Ethics in Technology:

The first step in ethical decision-making for IT professionals is to develop a problem statement, which involves clearly identifying and defining the ethical issue at hand. Before choosing solutions, an IT professional must fully understand the nature and scope of the problem.

Ethical Decision-Making Models – Models like the Kidder Ethical Decision-Making Model and Rest’s Four-Component Model emphasize problem identification as the first step.

ACM Code of Ethics – Encourages IT professionals to assess issues carefully before taking action.

Deontological Ethics (Kantian Ethics) – Ethical decisions require a clear understanding of duty and obligations, which begins with defining the problem.

Business & IT Governance (COBIT Framework) – Ethical IT management requires problem assessment before action.

Relevant Ethical References in Technology:Thus, the correct first step in ethical decision-making is B. Develop a problem statement

Confidentiality ensures that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive information.

Why Confidentiality Was Violated?

Payroll information is sensitive and should be accessible only to authorized employees.

The erroneous access granted to new hires means private financial information is at risk.

Confidentiality is a fundamental principle in cybersecurity, ensuring that data is accessed only by those who need it.

A. Availability – Ensures systems remain operational, but this case concerns unauthorized access, not system downtime.

B. Accessibility – Relates to making data usable for authorized individuals, but this case involves an unauthorized access issue.

C. Integrity – Ensures data remains accurate and unaltered, but the issue here is privacy, not data accuracy.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is D. Confidentiality, as it ensures that only authorized users can access sensitive information.

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.

ISO/IEC 27001: Information Security Management Systems.

References in Ethics in Technology:

Since the organization is hiring external software engineers for a fixed six-month project, independent contractors are the best option.

Why Independent Contractors?

They work on a project basis, as defined in a legal contract.

The organization does not provide full-time benefits.

Contractors are specialists hired for short-term needs, making them ideal for temporary projects.

A. Full-time employees: Not suitable, as the work is temporary (six months only).

B. In-house expertise: The company is hiring external workers, not relying on existing staff.

C. Part-time salaried workers: Part-time employees receive benefits, while contractors do not.

Why Not the Other Options?Thus, the correct answer is D. Independent contractors, as they are ideal for temporary project-based work.

U.S. Department of Labor Guidelines on Independent Contractors.

Harvard Business Review (2022). Managing Independent Contractors Effectively.

References in Ethics in Technology: