Answer to Question #231163 in Management for Tahir Moiz

Question

In many ways, technology has made all of us more productive. However, ethical

issues do arise in how and when technology is used. Take the sports arena. All kinds of

technologically advanced sports equipment (swimsuits, golf clubs, ski suits, etc.) have

been developed that can sometimes give competitors/players an edge over their

opponents. We saw it in swim meets at the Summer Olympics and on the ski slopes and

ice rinks at the Winter Olympics.

Part 1. What do you think? Is this an ethical use of technology?

Part 2. What if your school (or country) was competing for a championship and couldn’t

afford to outfit athletes in such equipment and it affected your ability to compete? Would

that make a difference?

Part 3. What ethical guidelines might you suggest for such situations?

Answer 1

• Athletes have contributed to improving movement and technological efficiency, reducing harm and improving performance coherence by using biomechanical analytical methods to correct techniques in golf, tennis and cricket.
• The ethical issues concerning the use of technology in sport include access equity. Even some equipment is costly, and competition is unfair due to inequality in access to technology without all competitors having access to technology.
• In international sporting competitions there is no level of equity. In poor developing countries, individual athletes cannot always afford the same technology as athletes in developing countries, notably in countries of high sport value.