Research in progress: the effects of ethical climate on attitudes and behaviors toward software piracy

ABSTRACT

Software piracy, the unauthorized copying of computer software, is widespread in many organizations today. From the perspective of managers in organizations, software piracy means the threat of costly litigation on the one hand, balanced against the reduced expense for additional software if unauthorized copies are used. It should be possible to exercise more effective control over software piracy with a more complete understanding of the factors that lead to the decision to copy software. The goal of this study is to assess the direct and moderating effects of the organization's ethical climate on a variety of attitudes and behaviors regarding software piracy. Prior research on software piracy has tended to focus on individual factors that influence piracy. This study is part of a multi-year, multi-university study of software piracy. Results from our prior studies suggest that while individual factors such as age and gender influence piracy attitudes and behaviors, these effects appear to be overshadowed by organization effects. In this study, we measure organization ethical climate as perceived by students in three universities and their attitudes and behaviors towards software piracy. The measures of ethical climate used in the literature have been modified to fit the university setting.

Our study promises to make several important contributions. From the perspective of theory, our work should demonstrate the importance of including organizational ethical climate in theoretical models of the antecedents of software piracy attitudes and behaviors. Prior research on software piracy has tended to focus on the effects of individual differences; however, individuals are embedded in organizational contexts that can influence their attitudes and behaviors. From the perspective of practice, demonstrating that different ethical climates directly impact and moderate software piracy attitudes and behaviors has a number or implications for the management of information systems professionals. It is important to know whether certain ethical climates encourage or discourage software piracy attitudes and behaviors. Managers may work to change an ethical climate that fosters software piracy; alternatively, they may need to implement strong measures in the existing ethical climate to discourage software piracy.

Finally, it is important to study software piracy in a university setting, as this is where future information systems professionals are trained. It is imperative for educators to understand students' ethical attitudes and behaviors concerning software piracy, and how these attitudes and behaviors may be influenced.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY

General Terms:
Documentation, Management

Keywords:
computer crime, computer education and training, management of information systems, software ethics, software piracy