Incorporating an ethical perspective into problem formulation: implications for decision support systems design

As organizations become ever larger and increasingly complex, they become more reliant on information systems and decision support systems (DSS), and their decisions and operations affect a growing number of stakeholders. This paper argues that DSS design and problem formulation in such a context raises ethical issues, as DSS development and use puts one party, the designers, in the position of imposing order on the behavior of others. Thus, decision support systems are more than technical artifacts and their implications for affected parties should be considered in their design and development. The paper integrates Jones' model [Acad. Manage. Rev. 16 (1991) 366] of moral intensity with Mitroff's five strategies for avoiding Type III errors [I.I. Mitroff, Smart Thinking for Crazy Times: The Art of Solving the Right Problems, Barrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco, 1997], solving the wrong problem [H. Raiffa, Decision Analysis, Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1968], and proposes a model for incorporating ethical issues into DSS design and problem formulation. A survey of managers is used to assess the current situation regarding use of elements of the integrated model. The results are somewhat encouraging in that 40% of the respondents felt that their organizations did follow the model reasonably well, yet 23% felt their organizations did not.