Hacking into Harvard Essay Example

goals, to include the highest standards of integrity, sound judgment and a strong moral compass. An intuitive sense of what is morally right vs. rong, in this case the applicants who hacked into the website failed to pass such test, lack of judgment, versus lack of integrity.

The result of applicants finding out the verdict to their applications, were not taken lightly by the schools A general principle that should be followed by such potential leaders is to take responsibility for your actions. Ethics and morals may appear to be the same to some degree, but if one were to analyze, there is definitely some difference. This implies that ethics define the code that a society or group of people adhere to while morality delves into right and wrong at a much deeper level.

The ethics that a person adheres too are impacted upon by perception like the nation, society, peer group, religions, and profession, and could change with a change in any of these influencing factors. In the case presented, it is really hard to determine if this is an unethical act. This was an act of “Curious George” to say the least, many applicants were nervous and they allowed their curious mind to wonder. Is it ethical or unethical, to be “curious” that should be the question. Even though the schools, involved stated this was not an accident, but it took some effort to find out the verdicts to said applications.

Discussion Questions: 1. Suppose that you had been one of the MBA applicants who stumble across an opportunity to learn your result early? What would you have done, and

why? Would you have considered it a moral decision? If so, on what bases would you have made it? I would have read the message, that would have been the norm for me, going into the instructions and following them, would have felt right. The reason I say that because a weekly Business message board, that I frequently visit on a day to day basis, must be legit to say the least.

It was posted for hundreds of applicants to see, having it displayed on that particular online site that I visited would have let me know, or made me believe that this is what the school wanted me to do in order for me to learn of my results. Yes, to me this decision would have been moral, the decision of me following the instructions to get into the software in the first place. But if the website was so restricted, than why was it so easy for me to find out the outcome of my results, and why did it take so long for the programmers at “Apply Yourself” to figure out what went wrong. This decision is solely based off my curious mind, my anxiety to thinking, or rather yet believing that this is what I was supposed to do, rather than testing my judgment and integrity.

2. Assess the morality of what the curious applicants did from the point of view of egoism, utilitarianism, Kant’ ethics, Ross’ pluralism, and rule utilitarianism. Egoism The applicants are morally correct as long as their action promotes their long term interest.

If their action produces or will produce for them a greater outcome

of good, versus evil in the long hall than any other alternative, than that action is the right one to act on, and the individual should take that to be a moral act. An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net I believe that in terms of egoism, the applicants were action morally. The applicant simply followed instructions on a web page, logged in with their personal username and password, and was, able to view their results. The term “hack” to me is a bit evasive; the applicants did not view the results of their peers, but of their own.

Learning of their results early may or may not affect their long term interests. An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net Even though the applicants chose to let their curious mind to get the best of them, and they did gain access to the site, it really did not change the outcome of the decision that was already made. Utilitarianism The applicants acted morally, because their actions produced the greater good, over the bad. The act utilitarianism state “ that we must ask ourselves, what are the consequences of my actions, and what will be the outcome if I decided to act on my actions.

If the consequences equals to more good, compared to any other alternative course of action then yes this action was the right one to take. An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net In terms of utilitarianism, the applicants were not acting morally. Act utilitarianism states” we must ask ourselves what the consequences may be, in a particular situation, and who shall be affected by the decision I made to

act on. The applicant must not only take into consideration their family, other applicants, the school, etc. Finding out early are their results, is a cure for their high anxiety.

The results of acceptance or rejection could leave you feeling happy or unhappy. An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net Kant’s ethics The actions of the applicants were anything but moral, Kant maintains, “That an action is morally right if and only if we can will it to be a universal law. ” He asserted “it is not enough just to do the right thing an action has to have moral value only if it is done from a sense of duty---that is, from a desire to do the right thing for its own sake. When we act out of feelings, inclinations, or self-interest, the actions have no moral value.

An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net The applicants that have applied to the prestigious MBA programs were not doing the right thing, and is not defined a sense of duty. They were acting on behalf of their own best interest, and the interest that was to be gained, through learning of their results early. They did not really think about their own motivation, and the motives behind their actions. . An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net Ross’s Pluralism The applicant’s actions were not moral, Ross contended that we are faced with different situations every day; they require a different moral approach.

Difference in relationships and different circumstance, generate a world of moral possibilities. When defining the saying “common sense” Ross says “he supported equal rights and human rights” and found

the guidance needed though the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net The actions of the applicants do not fall under the exception of a prima facie obligation than knowing their acceptance status earlier than expected. The schools had an obligation to give the acceptance notification in a timely manner in accordance with their application process and policies.

This was unfair to all applicants involved, because all applicants have equal rights. However, they did not take into consideration their actions, and what consequence followed their actions to have effect on the rights of other involved. . An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net Rule Utilitarianism The applicants could actually be morally correct, this theory maintains that the standards should be applied to a moral code as a whole, and not to the actions of the individuals; they adopt moral principles that guide their own individual actions.

The “optimal” moral code must be within reason, taught, obeyed and inculcated at a practical cost. The Rule utilitarianism determines the moral principal of the entire situation, rather than the consequences of said action. An Assessment of Morality by Ethicsinbusiness. net If this is applied to the entire society as a whole, that it is okay to find out your results early, than there would be nothing to look forward too, no surprises. This means putting a limit on the amount of happiness, one is allowed to have.

3. In your view, was it wrong for the MBA applicants to take an unauthorized peek at their application and files? Explain why you consider what they did morally permissible or

impermissible. What obligations, ideals effects should the applicants have considered? Do you think as some have suggested that there is a generation gap on this issue? From my point of view, I do not find the applicants taking a peek at their results early unless they had knowledge of the act that was being acted on; I believe that if the applicants knew that this would be hacking into the system, I believe they wouldn’t have took a chance.

If the message was broad to say the least, meaning if the message was so blatant put out there for everyone to see, than yes the act was moral, but if it took some effort than yes the act was immoral. But I don’t believe the applicant’s intention was to affect anyone else involved, by them taking a glance at their results, does not change the results of a decision already made. The applicants could not reverse any decision, but could cure their own anxiety, to know the unknown

4. Did Harvard and MIT overreact, or was it necessary for them to respond as they did in order to send a story message about the importance of ethics? If you were a business school admissions official, how would you handled the situation. Yes, to some degree I would have to say they did overreact, they could have taken a different approach. By questioning the applicant’s ethics and poor judgment making skills. But in good business is always good to show the weakness of another, that’s business nothing personal. And to that same effect, the Apply Yourself Inc. program should have been more security on these

sorts of files, to protect what’s in the best interest of the applicant and the school.

Yes, this can be defined as a lack of judgment, or letting their emotions get the best of them to make them want to find out earlier than expected. If I was a school official, I would have took a case by case approach, and analyzed each case. There is a reason for all actions, and a reaction to those actions, I would want to hear from the applicants point of view, with a one on one interview to determine for myself their motives behind the act itself. 5. Assess the argument that the applicants who snooped were just engaging in the type of bold and aggressive behavior that makes for business success.

In your view, are these applicants likely to make good business leaders? What about the arguments that it’s really the fault of the universities for not having more secure procedure, not the fault of the applicants who took advantage of that fact? It’s really difficult to categorize this as a bold behavior, but aggressive yes, the applicants were so anxious to know the awaiting news, and followed instructions to do so. In the argument of this type of behavior making for great business leaders, is a great point to make, it’s always important in business to show your opponents weakness to say the least.

The Apply Yourself Inc. , programmers should have made the site more secured, and less vulnerable to be tampered with like that, for it to be so easy for them to gain access, by simply changing a few letters

on the last of the URL. One must ask themselves “what would you do? ” if this opportunity presented itself to you, you would too also take a peak, just humanly thinking that “who would know. ” 6. One of the applicants admits that he used poor judgment but believes that his ethics should be questioned? If he exercised poor judgment on a question of right and wrong, isn’t that a matter of his ethics?

Stanford Derrick Bolton distinguishes between a lapse of judgment and a lack of integrity. What do you see as the difference? Based on this episode, what, if anything, we say about the ethics and the character of the curious applicants. An ethical lapse is a mistake or error in judgment, which equals out too bad over good. A lapse in ethics doesn’t show a complete lack of integrity, just a preview or an ethical highlight. Routinely powering harmful results are not considered a “lapse”, that just considered being unethical. Ethical lapses can be big or small, depending on the circumstances, a simple lapse of carelessness.