Knowledge management using information technology: Ethical and legal, issues in a university

Knowledge management is critical to the success of organisations today and many have adopted information technologies (IT) to facilitate this process. However, serious ethical and legal issues arise in knowledge management and unethical behaviours are escalated by the widespread adoption of IT. There has been limited discussion on these issues in knowledge management literature. This paper aims to create awareness of these problems in an educational institution. The researcher argues that students and academics using IT to facilitate knowledge management have moral and legal obligations to fulfill. A survey to examine ethical practices and awareness of privacy risks in student social networks was conducted in a South African university. The results indicate that many students do not fulfill their moral and legal responsibilities and as such expose themselves and the institution to serious legal liabilities.