Ethical Dilemma Decision Making Based on Personality: The Case of Installation of a Keylogger System

Abstract

The use of artificial intelligence, including keylogger systems, is unavoidable. Companies install keylogger systems on office computers to ensure that their employee is working effectively and efficiently. Meanwhile, the employee perceived it as spying and breaching their privacy. The study examines 448 business students about their ethical decision-making. Is it ethical for a company to install a keylogger system on office computers? Besides, the study observes whether ethical decision making derived from personality. First, the research shows that more than 70% of the students perceived the installation of the keylogger system is ethical. Second, it reveals that the extraversion and conscientiousness dimensions of personality impact ethical decision-making. The higher the score of extraverted, the higher the student likelihood in perceiving that the keylogger system installation is unethical; in contrast, the higher the score of conscientiousness, the higher the student likelihood in perceiving that the keylogger system installation is ethical.