Title: Microchip implants' logistical efficiencies and ethical issues

Authors: Alan D. Smith

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 - 3099, USA

Abstract: With businesses striving for better methods and government agencies looking to improve public security, RFID-related technologies have the ability to supply more information than the standard barcode, eliminating the potential for inventory stockouts and reducing theft occurrences. These relationships were empirically investigated through a survey of working professionals and it was found that there was at least some support for companies' initiatives based on RFID-related technologies that allow for improved corporate-level quality assurance initiatives, reduced logistical costs and improved accountability through package and product tracking, as also the use of governmental applications to improve the quality of public services for the general population, based on such stakeholders' personal perceptions of the usefulness and ethical issues associated with microchip implants. However, though on the cutting edge of business technologies, such applications and initiatives still prove to be difficult processes to implement and achieve, despite recent managerial efforts and technological innovations.

Keywords: commercial applications; government agencies; microchip implants; operations; RFID technology; radio frequency identification; technological innovation; public security; quality assurance; logistics costs; accountability; package tracking; product tracking; public services; ethical issues; ethics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2012.048113

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2012 Vol.10 No.3, pp.281 - 302

Published online: 22 Jul 2012 *

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