46. The top factor in managers’ unethical behaviors is consistently cited as
a.
greed.
b.
financial need.
c.
peer pressure.
d.
behaviors of superiors.
47. Based on surveys of managers, the society’s moral climate appears to
a.
be a direct factor in managers’ ethical deliberations.
b.
be irrelevant to managers.
c.
be a leading influence in managers’ decisions.
d.
serve as a background factor in managers’ decisions.
48. The moral tone of an organization is set by
a.
b.
c.
d.
49. The pressure to compromise one’s personal ethical standards is felt most by
a.
board members.
b.
senior managers.
c.
middle managers.
d.
lower level managers.
50. The most important factor in ethical leadership is
a.
what leaders talk about.
b.
the code of ethics.
c.
what leaders do.
d.
discipline of ethics violators.
51. Ethical leadership is founded on two pillars. These are
a.
rewards and punishments.
b.
the manager as a moral person and a moral manager.
c.
ethical climate and ethics training.
d.
ethics principles and ethics tests.
52. The three attributes of being a moral person include all of the following except
a.
traits.
b.
behaviors.
c.
attitudes.
d.
decision making.
53. Being a moral manager involves all of the following activities except
a.
role modeling.
b.
communicating about ethics and values.
c.
delegating effectively.
d.
using rewards and discipline effectively.
54. Being forthright, sincere, and honest in communicating with others is referred to as
a.
candor.
b.
transparency.
c.
feedback.
d.
criticism.
55. ____ refers to a quality, characteristic, or state in which activities, processes, practices, and decisions in companies
become open or visible to the outside world.
a.
Opacity
b.
Corporate Transparency
c.
Deontological
d.
Utilitarianism
56. Virtue ethics have brought back the idea that _________ education be taught in more schools and corporations.
a.
Leadership
b.
Management
c.
Communication
d.
Character
57. Each of the following are characteristics of servant leaders except:
a.
Persuasion
b.
Deception
c.
Stewardship
d.
Building community
58. An ethics screen is
a.
a set of select standards against which the proposed action is compared.
b.
a set of financial criteria which must be met before the proposed action is evaluated ethically.
c.
a set of investment criteria used by ethical investors.
d.
a set of ethical standards against which job candidates are evaluated.
59. The critical factor in the success of codes of conduct is
a.
who wrote the document.
b.
giving employees the chance for feedback before the document is adopted.
c.
whether or not the codes become “living documents.”
d.
the level of precision in defining what is unacceptable behavior.
60. Moral organizations are
a.
organizations that do not have unethical behaviors within their ranks.
b.
developed through continuous ethics training.
c.
fully populated by moral managers making moral decisions.
d.
more prevalent in the United States than in other countries.
61. Which of the following is not an element of effective ethics and compliance programs?
a.
compliance standards
b.
systems for monitoring, auditing, and reporting
c.
delegation of authority
d.
enforcement
62. Which of the following is NOT a way of perceiving ethical codes?
a.
as a magnifying glass.
b.
as a compass.
c.
as a shield.
d.
as a club.
Provide a short answer to each of these questions. Be sure to fully explain your answer.
63. The authors state that it seems that more often than not individuals think about a moral situation briefly, and then go
with their instincts. Do you agree with this characterization of moral judgment? What evidence can you provide to support
your position?
64. Some people argue that we are experiencing a “proliferation of rights claims,” in which more and more people are
claiming more and more rights. Do you agree with this argument? What are the implications for our society, if it is true?
65. The concept of servant leadership states that leaders should seek first to serve their followers, and by doing so, they
become great leaders. Evaluate this idea. Is it something that would work in the United States?
66. From your knowledge of human behavior, do you agree with Carol Gilligan’s contention that women tend to view
ethics differently than do men?
67. Some people have proposed that character education be provided in schools and in corporations. Evaluate this
proposal.
68. Discuss and evaluate the Rawls principle of justice provided in the textbook.
69. Account for the differences in perceived pressure to compromise personal standards of conduct among senior
managers, middle managers, and lower managers. Are the actual pressures really different, or is there a difference in
perception, or is there some other reason?
70. One answer that has been provided to combat the sinking status of ethics officers is for them to “manage ethics
upward,” i.e., overseeing the ethical practices of officers above them in the organization chart. Evaluate the potential
effectiveness of this solution.
71. Discuss the criticism of ethics hotlines that most of the reported wrongdoings are false accusations, which can cause
great harm to company morale.
72. Discuss the board of directors’ role in the firm’s ethical climate.
73. Compare and contrast compliance vs. ethics orientation.
Utilize the knowledge you have gained to respond to the following essay questions. Your answers should state your
position and use logical arguments and content from this and other chapters in the textbook to support it.
74. Evaluate the principle of utilitarianism.
75. Defend the idea of character education being provided by corporations.
76. The motive behind managers’ pressure on subordinates to perform is most likely the emphasis on economic success.
Assuming this statement is true, relate this fact to Lawrence Kohlberg’s observation that most adults operate at Level 2,
the conventional level of moral development. What implications do these facts have for ethical behavior in organizations?
77. Think of a time when you were presented with an ethical dilemma. How did you respond? What motivated you to act
as you did? How did you feel after you made the decision and its resulting consequences took place? Did you regret your
decision or did you feel proud of it? Why?
78. Explain the concept of corporate transparency. Evaluate its usefulness in creating an ethical climate within an
organization.
79. Throughout the text, theory after theory has been offered. Some would even say that you should just go on your “gut
feeling” anyway. With this in mind, what relevance does the common sense test and one’s best self ethical tests have in
this idea.