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Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 12e (DuBrin)
Chapter 15 Enhancing Ethical Behavior
15.1 Multiple Choice Questions
1) With respect to ethics, moral intensity refers to how
A) strongly one feels about an issue.
B) far a person deviates from an ethical code.
C) deeply others might be affected by one's actions.
D) well a person's moral code is developed.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
2) Restaurant manager Sue has a utilitarian predisposition, so she doesn't mind serving
customers food that fell on the floor so long as
A) the food was costly.
B) no customer gets sick.
C) the issue is not covered in the company code of conduct.
D) she can blame the problem on somebody else.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
3) A person who morally disengages thinks in such a way as to avoid being moral
A) without feeling distress.
B) while feeling terribly guilty.
C) while looking out for the good of the other person.
D) with work associates who have high work engagement.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
4) Bud is the credit manager at a motorcycle dealer, and the dealership is behind sales quota so
far this year. This afternoon, a customer applied for a $20,000 loan to purchase the motorcycle he
has chosen. Bud engages in motivated blindness when he
A) approves the credit application because he likes the way the customer dresses.
B) approves the credit application because it is filled out carefully.
C) turns down the credit applicant because he is driving a competitive brand motorcycle.
D) overlooks the fact that the applicant is facing a home foreclosure.
AACSB: Analytical thinking
1
5) A survey of ethical problems found that when employees report ethical problems
A) they frequently receive praise from top-level management.
B) about one in five are retaliated against.
C) are frequently subject to criminal charges.
D) they are typically fired immediately.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
6) How should the practice of unauthorized copying of software be classified?
A) illegal and unethical
B) legal but unethical
C) immoral but not unethical
D) legal and illegal
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
7) In a fair workplace, the most important factor for evaluating people is
A) whether they are liked by the right people.
B) demographic factors like sex, race, or age.
C) how well the person is liked by his or her supervisor.
D) qualifications and job performance.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
8) Karl, a small business owner, practices cronyism when he gives a job to an unqualified friend
who
A) helps shovel his driveway.
B) has strong potential to learn the job in question quickly.
C) has worked for a competitor.
D) is in desperate need of a job.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
9) Sexual harassment is considered to be an ethical issue because
A) the federal government outlaws sexual harassment.
B) it is usually only practiced against young women.
C) all acts of sexual harassment flunk an ethics test.
D) it involves both managers and workers.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
2
10) Anna, a supervisor, places herself in a conflict of interest when she
A) asks her boss for a raise even though her performance has been mediocre.
B) recommends the same salary increase for everyone in the department.
C) attempts to sell vitamins and food supplements to her subordinates.
D) attempts to sell vitamins and food supplements to poor people in her neighborhood.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
11) Human resources director Priscilla is dating Larry who works for another company. Priscilla
faces a conflict of interest on the job when
A) Larry wants to take her for lunch on a Friday.
B) Larry asks her advice about his retirement plan at his company.
C) she screens the résumé of Larry's son who applies for a job with her company.
D) she plans to quit if she and Larry decide to get married.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
12) It is considered ethical to divulge confidential information when
A) the person providing the information is unethical.
B) you know that a coworker is looking for a job.
C) the company does not have an ethical code prohibiting such behavior.
D) the welfare of others is at stake.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
13) Wasting company time is an example of a practice that
A) is unethical primarily in a company that cares about high productivity.
B) is unethical primarily in a company that does not care about high productivity.
C) may not be unethical but is illegal.
D) may not be illegal but is unethical.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
14) Engaging in unethical behavior to help the company, such as adding a few extra dollars
beyond the actual price to credit card bills,
A) is still classified as unethical behavior.
B) helps the company so it is not unethical.
C) is classified as a defining moment.
D) is classified as misusing company resources.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
3
15) A businessperson would be faced with a defining moment in terms of ethics when he or she
A) has a chance to cheat on the expense account.
B) has to choose between two or more morally sound choices.
C) receives recognition for outstanding ethical behavior.
D) has to report on the unethical behavior of a coworker.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
16) "Follow the Golden Rule" is an example of a(n)
A) ethical conflict.
B) legal guideline.
C) ethical guideline.
D) outmoded rule in a competitive work environment.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
17) Inventory specialist Virginia is highly virtuous on the job, so according to the analysis
presented in the human relations text, she is likely to
A) not worry about the consequences of her actions.
B) be loyal to her convictions.
C) give a little company money to a poor employee.
D) never forgive an immoral act, however small.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
18) Ralph, a maintenance supervisor for an airline, sees the big picture when he
A) understands that his work affects the safety and lives of thousands of airline passengers.
B) recognizes that if he performs well now, he will get a salary increase.
C) asks his maintenance technicians to arrive at work promptly.
D) suggests that the company install more murals in the waiting area.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
19) Ethical screening refers to
A) running a contemplated decision or action through an ethics test.
B) evaluating job applicants based on their charitable contributions.
C) making sure that all company employees have ethics training.
D) avoiding contact with unethical people wherever possible.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
4
20) A recommended first step in a sound guide to ethical decision making is to
A) identify the affected parties.
B) identify the consequences.
C) check your intuition.
D) gather the facts.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
21) The symbolic consequences of a decision involving ethical issues refers to the
A) importance attached to the decision.
B) timeliness of the decision.
C) fit between the decision and company philosophy.
D) message communicated by the decision.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
22) According to the guide to ethical decision making, when trying to decide on a way to resolve
an ethical dilemma,
A) weigh each alternative according to its financial consequences.
B) make an intuitive decision within five minutes.
C) imagine several possible options.
D) decide to either do or not do something.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
23) Nurse Jessica, who works at a hospital, is being "green" when she
A) encourages patients to smoke outside the hospital doors.
B) skips sterilizing needles before reusing them.
C) advocates that the hospital engages in more recycling.
D) drives an SUV with a sun roof to the hospital.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
24) A professional code of conduct provides members of that profession
A) sources of legal help when convicted of a crime.
B) a list of criminal actions to avoid.
C) ways to defend oneself when charged with ethical violations.
D) a guide to ethical behavior in that field.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
5
25) Tax accountant Byron exerts upward ethical leadership when he
A) advises his coworkers that they might be engaging in a questionable practice.
B) advises his boss that she might be engaging in a questionable practice.
C) brags about his ethical accomplishments to his boss.
D) uses upper-level management as a guide to ethical behavior.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
Job Scenario, Multiple-Choice
Bruce is the administrative support manager at a large legal firm. His managerial duties include
purchasing supplies and equipment, human resource management, and supervising the support
staff. The law firm has been cited by the state bar association for engaging in several unethical
practices such as overcharging clients and advertising too aggressively. The partners at the firm
have therefore decided that the law firm must reestablish its reputation by being highly ethical in
dealing with the public and employees.
26) A representative from a computer manufacturer calls on Bruce with the intent of equipping
the entire legal staff including both attorneys and paralegals with a new model tablet computer.
The rep, Samantha, explains that if the entire staff is equipped with this line of computers,
productivity will increase by at least 15 percent, based on experience with other legal firms.
Bruce is a little skeptical of these productivity gains, yet he is willing to listen because part of his
responsibility is to enhance the firm's efficiency. Samantha invites Bruce to dinner to discuss
business. During dinner, Samantha mentions casually that her company treats decision makers
very well. How should Bruce handle this situation?
A) Ask if any kickback Samantha might have in mind could also be shared with his boss.
B) Request immediately that their conversation be kept strictly confidential.
C) Explain to Samantha that his law firm makes purchasing decisions strictly on the merits of the
product or service.
D) Ask Samantha what she means by "treats decision makers very well" before discussing the
possible purchase of tablet computers any further.
AACSB: Analytical thinking
6
27) One of the senior partners in the firm says that he has a niece he thinks would be a good fit
for an internship with the firm this summer. The partner, Ronald, says that his niece, Charlotte, is
a kid with great potential as a lawyer. However, Ronald believes that a human resource
professional such as Bruce should also interview her to help determine his suitability for the
firm. As part of the screening, Bruce conducts an Internet search and finds out that a few years
ago, Charlotte ran a red light and severely injured a bicycle rider. How should Bruce deal with
this situation?
A) Go through the motions of interviewing Charlotte, and then report back to Ronald that she
appears to have a "teenage brain," but provide no specific explanation.
B) Advise Ronald of the Internet search findings, and ask if Charlotte should still be interviewed
for the summer internship.
C) Not advise Ronald about the findings for fear of irritating and perhaps getting in bad with
him.
D) Discuss his findings about the vehicular accident with several other people in the office, and
ask their opinion on how he should proceed.
AACSB: Analytical thinking
15.2 True/False Questions
1) Ethics helps us turn our values into action.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
2) One problem noted with highly unethical behavior is that it has several negative financial
consequences.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
3) One reason making ethical decisions isn't easy is that people may not always be aware of the
ethical issues in making a decision.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
4) Sally is a production manager in a processing plant that makes fruit juice for babies. She
waters down the juice to cut costs, and says the practice is okay because the babies won't know
the difference–showing that Sally has a utilitarian perspective.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
7
5) A well-known financial executive cited in the human relations text believes that self-interest is
the reason behind many major financial scandals.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
6) Marty shows moral disengagement when after having filled up his own vehicle at the
company gas tank without paying, he thinks, "Why not? I work very hard for this company
without getting much appreciation."
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
7) Accounts payable specialist Shirley demonstrates motivated blindness when she does her best
to pay the accounts of the neediest suppliers first.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
8) A national survey found that close to one-half of employees observed a violation of the law or
ethics standards in their workplace.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
9) A completely fair working environment would be one in which qualifications and performance
would be the only factor that counted in making human resource decisions.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
10) Sexual harassment is an example of behavior that is both illegal and unethical.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
11) Leslie is Chris' boss and lends Chris $1,000. Chris is having difficulty paying back the loan,
so Leslie recommends Chris for an extra-large salary increase to help Chris pay back the loan.
Leslie is involved in a conflict of interest.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
8
12) An ethical guideline for dealing with confidential information is not to pass it along unless
the welfare of others is at stake.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
13) A rule of thumb for the ethical use of corporate resources is that an employee has the right to
use any resource as long as it is not an object or money.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
14) A study showed that employees were more likely to engage in unethical behavior to help
their employer when they both identify with the employer and expect to be rewarded for the
unethical behavior.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
15) With respect to ethics, a manager faces a defining moment when he or she must fire an
employee for committing an illegal act such as stealing money from the company.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
16) An employee is considered to be virtuous so long as he or she engages in behavior that fits
the employee's value system, such as stealing company money to donate it to a food bank.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
17) Bart, a human resources specialist, sees the big picture when he thinks, "If I recommend that
we hire this under-qualified candidate for a key position just because she is a friend, will I be
contributing to making the company weaker?"
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
18) A key part of an ethical screening test is to estimate how much money you are likely to lose
by behaving ethically.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
9
19) The symbolic consequences of a decision refer to the message sent by a particular decision,
such as the lesson communicated when a company fires people in November mainly to avoid
paying them a year-end bonus.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
20) Making an ethical decision usually boils down to accepting or rejecting the alternative at
hand.
AACSB: Application of knowledge
21) One perspective on workplace ethics is that people who have close ties to each other are less
likely to behave unethically toward each other.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
22) Helping sustain the physical environment is considered to be part of having good ethical
skills.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
23) A professional code of conduct provides guidelines to members of that profession on how to
be unethical without violating the law.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
24) A person who exerts upward ethical leadership will often upset the boss.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
25) According to the upward ethical leadership approach the worker first blows the whistle on an
unethical boss, then follows up by advising the boss that he or she is engaging in unethical
behavior.
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning
10
