Collins, Business Ethics 3e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Test Bank
CHAPTER 6: ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING
Multiple Choice
1. What is the first step of James Rest’s ethical decision-making model?
a. moral judgement leads to moral intentions
b. moral awareness leads to moral judgements
c. moral intentions lead to moral actions
d. moral actions lead to moral intentions
2. Among individual characteristics, which of the following is considered a variable
within an individual’s control?
a. gender
b. culture
c. age
d. locus of control
3. Among variables that can impact ethical decision-making, in which of the following
ways are individual characteristics within a person’s control different than those not in
one’s control?
a. They are more related to physical location and family.
b. They support more positive ethical decisions than negative ones.
c. They become less influential on the decision-making process over time.
d. They can be further developed through personal initiative.
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4. Which of the following is among the most prominent organizational reasons for
unethical behavior at work?
a. existing immoral organizational culture
b. known punishments for unethical behaviors
c. retaliation against more successful coworkers
d. seeking to be a team player
5. Min-Wae is initiating an employee-driven initiative to increase ethical behaviors in the
company. Which of the following will have the greatest impact on encouraging ethical
behaviors of the organization?
a. communicating the intention of the employee-driven ethics initiative in an interoffice
e-mail
b. scheduling an ethics training session on rational and ethical behaviors
c. creating a committee to evaluate the current state of organization culture
d. inserting inspiring ethical quotes at the bottom of all company e-mail messages
6. In a particular country, there is an understanding in the workplace that deference
should be shown to those who have a higher status in the organization. This means that
workers with lower status are expected to do what their supervisors say without
questioning. Based on the value continuum described by Geert Hofstede, this is
probably a(n) ______ culture.
a. collectivist
b. high power distance
c. low uncertainty avoidance
d. indulgent
7. In a self-restraint culture, the common feeling is that ______.
a. it is better to use force than express sympathy
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b. duty is more important than freedom
c. links with the past should be stronger than the perception of the present
d. people have a low tolerance for unexpected events
8. Corruption is more likely to thrive in a culture when which of the following
characteristics are met?
a. individualistic and feminine
b. high power distance and high masculinity
c. collectivist and high self-restraint
d. high uncertainty avoidance and low indulgence
9. How does the text define “moral awareness and sensitivity”?
a. recognizing a situation has ethical dynamics
b. possessing an ability to make highly ethical decisions in uncertain situations
c. sensing when others are in a moral or ethical dilemma
d. the ability to resist unethical behavior when it is the easier choice
10. Which of the following statements about moral awareness is accurate?
a. A person’s moral awareness is likely to be stronger as a teenager than as a young
child.
b. People with low moral awareness will likely make ethical decisions in situations they
do not recognize as ethical.
c. A person’s moral awareness remains constant at the various stages of moral
development.
d. A person with high moral awareness may understand to act ethically while only
considering the impact of their decisions on themselves.
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SAGE Publishing, 2021
11. Which of the following would be an example of Icek Ajzen’s theory of planned
behavior in action?
a. A person chooses to stop a person from stealing a pack of gum because they believe
they may be rewarded and respected by others.
b. A person steals a pack of gum because it will provide happiness even though they
know stealing is morally wrong.
c. A person does not steal a pack of gum because all those they love and respect
believe that stealing is wrong.
d. A person does not steal a pack of gum because they fear the punishment that will
happen if they are caught.
12. How does moral identity differ from moral awareness?
a. Moral identity is fact based; moral awareness is emotion-based.
b. Moral identity is easier to quantify than moral awareness.
c. Moral identity can show strong or weak morality, but moral awareness cannot.
d. Moral identity is self-determined; moral awareness is situation-determined.
13. A member of a sales team speaks out against an intentionally unethical treatment of
a customer even though the other members of the team strongly encourage silence.
This person is likely to have ______.
a. a low moral awareness
b. a high moral identity
c. ambiguous ethical beliefs
d. low ethical intuition
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SAGE Publishing, 2021
14. Which of the following is sometimes compared to having a “gut reaction” about the
moral nature of an issue or action?
a. ethical intuition
b. moral awareness
c. moral identity
d. moral sensitivity
15. When witnessing a person unknowingly drop a ten-dollar bill, Kumail instantly grabs
the bill and hands it back, using ethical intuition. From what source did this
subconscious decision likely flow?
a. a consideration of society’s value system
b. reflection using moral awareness
c. execution of a theory of planned behavior
d. a deeply embedded value system
16. Research shows that the ethical intuition of conservatives differs from liberals in that
conservatives are ______ than liberals.
a. less motivated by a respect for authority than by notions of reciprocity
b. less motivated by fairness than they are by group loyalty
c. more motivated by the perception of harm than by notions of purity
d. more motivated to ignore the ethics of outgroups
17. Moral intensity deals mostly with ______ factors.
a. organizational
b. individual
c. issue-related
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d. cultural or societal
18. An issue of low moral intensity to a person is most likely to ______.
a. not garner their attention
b. be addressed first
c. have high consequences if ignored
d. illicit unethical behavior in response
19. Which of the following is likely to cause an act to have high moral intensity to a
person?
a. The outcome of the act is highly unpredictable.
b. The act will not affect others to a very serious degree.
c. The morality of the act is likely to illicit many varying opinions from those witnessing it.
d. The act is going to cause someone harm within just a few minutes.
20. Business ethics scholar Tom Jones would likely consider which of the following to
cause an act to have a high moral intensity?
a. removing vending machines from the employee lounge
b. responding to customer complaints with a form letter
c. changing employee healthcare plans at the next benefit period
d. intentionally hiding from employees that their branch is closing
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21. If a negative act of high moral intensity occurs in a business, which of the following
is most likely to happen?
a. The company will face legal consequences, and employees of high moral intensity
will be most upset.
b. The company will face relatively low societal outrage, and those employees of low
moral quality will react strongly.
c. The public will experience strong moral outrage, but the company’s employees will be
largely unaffected emotionally.
d. The public will have almost no moral outrage, but the company’s employees will be
very emotionally affected.
22. Which of the following incidents would business ethics scholar Tom Jones consider
the highest moral intensity?
a. A company’s poor sanitation conditions causes a fire that kills 17 people.
b. A company’s continued pollution over a decade contributes to lower respiratory
health for everyone in a tristate area.
c. A company corruption scandal forces the resignation of several members of top
management.
d. A company corruption scandal plummets the company’s social standing and lowered
profits bring about many layoffs.
23. Which of the following best encompasses the factors that influence a person’s
ethical judgement?
a. ethical intuition and deep reflection
b. deep reflection on morality based on the society’s perceived beliefs
c. deeply ingrained value patterns and beliefs
d. individual, organization, and societal characteristics, moral consciousness, and moral
intensity
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24. Which of the following has research shown to be positively correlated with better
ethical decision-making?
a. quicker ethical reflection
b. deontology
c. lower idealism
d. high rationality
25. How does the text define “ethical intention”?
a. mentally deciding if one will act unethically or ethically
b. mentally committing to take an action that is morally appropriate
c. mentally committing to apply ethical intuition to a situation
d. evaluating the act of another to determine whether or not to respond ethically or
unethically
26. Which of the following statements about ethical intention is accurate?
a. Ethical intention leads to ethical judgment.
b. Just because a person forms an ethical intention does not mean they will act on it.
c. It is easier to form an unethical intention than an ethical intention.
d. Old habits help strengthen the will to follow through with an ethical intention.
27. Mack has never reported any coworkers for unethical behavior despite witnessing it
many times. Mack forms an ethical intention to say something for the first time. What
can the organization do to help Mack in following through with this intention?
a. Provide employees with decision-making tools, such as ethics scenarios and
answers.
b. Make clear how harsh the punishments are for the specific unethical behavior.
c. Reduce the amount of interaction employees have with each other.
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d. Offer private counseling to all employees.
28. Which of the following best describes the ethical character of a new employee at an
organization?
a. They have preconceived ideas about what is right and what is wrong.
b. They exhibit “tabula rasa” characteristics.
c. They more likely to commit unethical behavior.
d. They have a low moral awareness with respect to the organization.
29. What usually follows a failure of ethical intuition?
a. a reliance on deeply-ingrained moral beliefs
b. an altered decision based on reflexive intuition
c. a reflective systematic rational ethical decision-making process
d. an action based on self-preservation
30. You reason at a Stage 3 conventional level of moral development. Which of the
following characteristics apply to you?
a. You often think about moral issues and have a moderate to high moral awareness.
b. You have a high moral identity.
c. You have a highly individualistic sense of morality.
d. Praise by your superiors has a major influence on you.
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SAGE Publishing, 2021
31. For which of the following reasons is the Volkswagen emissions cheating of modest,
rather than high, moral intensity, according to the textbook?
a. It is not clear that there would be any damage to the environment.
b. Management would take the primary blame for the cheating.
c. The social consensus will be that the cheating was not that bad.
d. The harm done will be diffuse and widely dispersed.
32. In the initial Volkswagen emissions scenario, at what point does the engineer who
helped with the cheating first question why they were complicit in the cheating?
a. when the environmental report was released
b. when the cheating software was developed
c. when first approached to help with the cheating
d. when rumors of fines and lawsuits started circulating
33. Which statement best describes the Golden Rule?
a. “What was I thinking?”
b. “Do to others as you would want done to you.”
c. “Do no harm”
d. “I am my brother’s keeper”
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SAGE Publishing, 2021
34. One benefit of understanding the ethical foundation is increased confidence when
applying the systematic rational ethical decision-making process. Which of the following
is an additional benefit?
a. It helps employers identify knowledge gaps in decision-making.
b. It identifies potential ethical hazards before a problem occurs.
c. It helps explain why different moral conclusions are reached.
d. It makes decision-making easier.
35. A quality control inspector identifies a flaw with a new syringe. The inspector knows
the importance of beating a competitor to market, but fears being terminated if the
product does not pass inspection. Using the systematic rational ethical decision-making
process, what might the inspector do?
a. reflect on how to do what is right without being fired
b. report the flaw, as it generates the greatest good for more people
c. ask the engineers how much the project will be delayed if the flaw is fixed
d. determine the likelihood of failure and if low, then pass the inspection
36.What is the simplest, easiest-to-apply ethical theory?
a. egoism
b. social group relativism
c. cultural relativism
d. utilitarianism
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37. Which of the following rationales would Maria, an egoist, most likely use for deciding
to give money to a local charity?
a. Giving to the charity would help Maria fit in with society’s expectations of moral
behavior.
b. The money may go to people who truly need it, and it may benefit their lives.
c. Telling people about the donations and be respected for it.
d. Giving to the charity is a clear moral act.
38. Adam Smith and Ayn Rand would most likely agree on which of the following
statements?
a. The suffering of others should not factor into a calculation of one’s decisions or
behaviors.
b. Communal harmony is just as important as the pursuit of self-interest.
c. People should pursue their self-interests at all costs.
d. People tend to place their self-interests above those of others.
39. In a business where egoism is the predominant ethical theory, which employee
would receive a scarce resource when there is competition over that scarce resource?
a. the one who needs it the most
b. the more politically powerful employee
c. all competing employees through equal distribution
d. the employee who makes a better argument to management
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40. What is lacking in both egoism and social group relativism?
a. decision-making based on the norms of friends, coworkers, or close acquaintances
b. adherence to personal preference
c. decision-making based on societal ethical principals
d. interpreting ethics based on the beliefs of others
41. Social group relativism would argue that a manager would make an ethical decision
based on ______.
a. what other managers would do in a similar situation
b. how their close friends, coworkers, and relatives would act in a similar situation
c. what their cultural values tell them to do
d. the outcome that would give them the best chance of promotion and success
42. The voting pattern of a partisan political party member is likely to be best described
by ______.
a. cultural relativism
b. deontology
c. social group relativism
d. egoism
43. Within the context of organizations, what do egoism and social group relativism
have in common?
a. The more politically powerful party is likely to get the scarce resource.
b. Self-interest plays less of a role than does departmental interest.
c. Cultural rules dominate ethical decision-making.
d. Parties tend to apply the same standards to different individuals or groups.
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SAGE Publishing, 2021
44. A follower of which ethical theory is most likely to equate governmental laws with
proper ethical behavior?
a. egoism
b. cultural relativism
c. social group relativism
d. utilitarianism
45. A financial services company has just lost its CFO and is seeking to hire someone
for the position. As the CEO goes about the process of looking at applicants, why might
the CEO want to hire a cultural relativist?
a. They want someone who is motivated to achieve a high level of personal success,
thus working hard for higher salaries and bonuses.
b. They want someone who adheres to universal ethical principles, thus elevating the
public reputation of the company.
c. They need someone who wants the company to operate within the law.
d. They want someone who looks out for the interests of upper management.
46. Which of the following statements about cultural relativism is accurate?
a. The follower of this theory believes that members of larger society have and should
respect common interests.
b. It seeks to minimize human bias.
c. It will naturally advance the personal success or interests of one who follows it.
d. Being a higher-level ethical theory, it is not possible to advance out of cultural
relativism.
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SAGE Publishing, 2021
47. In which of the following ways does utilitarianism differ from cultural relativism?
a. A utilitarian might take an action if it benefits only the minority, while a cultural
relativist would seek to benefit the majority.
b. Utilitarians think of fewer people when considering the consequences of an action.
c. Utilitarians consider the norms of the larger society as an important source of ethical
thinking.
d. A utilitarian would not consider the mere existence of a law as a reason to follow it.
48. What would a utilitarian consider to be the ultimate goal of an ethical decision?
a. benefiting their in-group
b. creating the most good in the world
c. bringing about equality of income
d. doing no harm to any party or individual
49. In theory, where do democracy and utilitarianism converge?
a. Both justify policies in which the majority of voters desire.
b. Both seek to make laws that will ensure social harmony.
c. Both argue for the primacy of self-interest.
d. Both believe in seeking harmony among nations.
50. What is a weakness of utilitarianism within organizations?
a. A manager might make a decision that causes extreme harm to a few people so that
the good of the majority is preserved.
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b. A manager might choose to harm or destroy the organization if the larger society
disapproves of its mission.
c. A manager may choose to play favorites with departments based on which has the
best ethical record.
d. A manager will have the organization repeatedly break the law if they do not believe
in the good of those laws.
51. Which of the following correctly ranks its theories from lower to higher stage of
moral reasoning, according to general consensus?
a. cultural relativism, social group relativism, utilitarianism, deontology
b. social group relativism, cultural relativism, utilitarianism, deontology
c. utilitarianism, virtue ethics, deontology
d. cultural relativism, utilitarianism, egoism, deontology
52. How does virtue ethics differ from deontology?
a. It is habit- and action-based instead of rule-based.
b. It allows for more emphasis on self-interest.
c. It is ends-based instead of rule-based.
d. It takes into consideration the welfare of all individuals, not just the majority.
53. A business manager who is a deontologist would consider the consequences for
whom before making an action?
a. every stakeholder
b. every shareholder
c. their own moral character
d. the majority of stakeholders