ABSTRACT
How do effective directors ensure that their decision-making is effective and gives rise to ethical outcomes?
Based on a framework of global corporate governance best practice, which can be used in all organisations anywhere in the world, this chapter of Questions To Ask (QTA) in the boardroom gives a high-level but succinct introduction to data ethics.
Data ethics is a broad topic encapsulating data and ethical decisions, data-based judgement, bias, ethics of collecting and analysing data, and the ethics of automation created by data.
The data we collected in 2010 could paint a low-quality, black and white, abstract picture of our world, and the data could be used to inform, frame, or guide. In 2020, the data collected can describe our world in high-definition colour and is being used to mould, form, and shape actions in complicated environments. Data collection and data use is accelerating, and boards need to get comfortable with the ethics of judgement based on data – complex and often requiring new skills.
The chapter’s introduction leads into the key Questions To Ask in the boardroom, giving the reader further insight into how to initiate discussions about ethical data-driven decision-making.
