Studying Moral Tendencies of Information Professionals by Problematic Ethical Dilemmas

Professional ethics studies in information science usually concentrates on users and dominantly forgets ethical relationships of colleagues, superiors and subordinates in organizational hierarchy. Besides, ethical standards or guidelines and also researches on professional ethics in information science always adhere general principles rather than close focus on ethical dilemmas, whereas moral details become apparent in ethical dilemmas. In this research I tried to investigate moral autonomy and heteronomy (Kantian, Rawlsian, Sandelian, and McIntyrian autonomy and heteronomy) of information professionals, working in the Iran Public Libraries Foundation (IPLF) as a trial to provide an approach to professional self-reflection and evaluation. For this reason, 406 number of mentioned professionals (n=406) were chosen randomly from 704 selective reading advisors (p=704) of IPLF for responding ethical dilemmas. Findings showed that heteronomous tendency is dominant among professionals and their heteronomy is prominently Rawlsian. Also, their heteronomous tendencies reduces by increase in their age and this is a proof to the Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. Moreover, results of structural equation modelling suggested that Rawlsian heteronomy and McIntyrian autonomy are prominent in the formation of professional’s moral tendency but Rawlsian heteronomy is obviously powerful than McIntyrian autonomy. Rawlsian heteronomy denotes stiff and formal adherence of external rules (religious, national, conventional, organizational and so on) and in this stance, ethical reflection and act on the basis of internal moral sense with responsible acceptance of its ramifications goes away as a marginal stance