978-0538731089 Chapter 5 Solution Manual

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Chapter 5

Ethics At Work: Your Attitude and Responsibility

FOCUS

The purpose of this chapter is twofold. The first is to highlight issues that comprise ethics. Given

the complexities of ethical decision making in today’s work environment, students must be

familiar with the problems, and issues they will face. The second purpose is to present

information that will help students become better decision makers so that misconduct can be

ultimately reduced.

CHAPTER PREVIEW

OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

TEACHING-LEARNING SUGGESTIONS

Supplementary Exercise 5.1

Introduce chapter 5 with a question: Why is ethical behavior important in the business

world? Ask students to give recent examples of unethical business or professional

practices described in the news media. Discuss the actions leading up to that activity and

the consequences of some of those behaviors while focusing on the role values and ethics

had in each situation. Encourage student discussion about the importance ethics plays in

maintaining balance and fairness.

Answers to Jump Start

1. Answers will vary depending on past knowledge of this very public case.

2. Answers will vary but should begin to bring about students’ awareness of their

5.1 KNOWING YOUR PERSONAL ETHICS

Ethics is the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be

made by individuals in their relationships with others. Values tie into ethics as principles,

standards, or qualities one considers worthwhile or desirable, and integrity is the strict

adherence to those values. Societal issues, internal policy issues, and personal issues are

all ethical issues that both individuals and corporations must deal with on a day-to-day

basis. Business ethics are rules of conduct that apply to businesses and their employees

and put values into play in the business setting. Ethics have an overarching impact on

organizational productivity and human relations systems. Ethics are closely tied to life

and career skills, self-direction, and accountability and play a strong role in our everyday

decision making.

Answers to ask yourself

1. Answers will vary widely and may generate some humorous discussions of

2. Students should have an awareness of industries that are now or have struggled

5.2 UUNDERSTANDING ETHICS AT WORK

Issues of legality, personal morality, enlightened self-interest, corporate and professional

codes of ethics and other common practices are methods for evaluating ethical decisions.

The heart of ethical dilemmas is not whether you know what is right or wrong but

whether you will choose the right behavior. Many organizations will have established

policies or guidelines to follow, but in some cases the responsibility for the ethical

choices falls on employees. Being aware of company policies and following these

guidelines can be helpful in making smart choices.

Discuss Figure 5.1 The National Management Association’s Code of Ethics. Ask

students to pick two of the codes they feel are the top two most important to follow.

Identify the two that get the most votes from the students and ask the students to discuss

why they think these were the top choices. Encourage discussion about the other codes

and the dilemmas of picking just two from the ten.

Answers to Ethical Connection

These questions should generate lively discussions about social networking and the

Supplemental Exercise 5.2 with T.M.5.1

Ethics bring our value systems into play. Use the exercise in Teaching Master 5.1 to

demonstrate that individuals have very different value systems and, therefore, view

ethical issues differently. Duplicate the T.M.5.1 for students to complete. Students are to

Answers to Ethical Connection

These questions should cause interesting conversation and some controversy over the

Answers to Ask Yourself

1. This discussion centers around how unethical dilemmas can be avoided and how

2. Student answers will vary. Instructor should encourage students to identify what

5.3 ADDRESSING BUSINESS ETHICS

Organizations are taking steps to incorporate ethics and core values into their operations

by facing ethical problems and providing guidelines to their employees for dealing with

contractor, competitors, and customers. One of the more prominent concerns in business

and industry today is social responsibility–the obligation to make choices or decisions

that are beneficial to the whole of society. While the Foreign Corrupt Policy Act of 1977

began the government’s intervention in requiring United States companies to operate

ethically in their worldwide business dealings, it also prompted a greater public

awareness for fair and ethical behavior practices in business dealings. Today, the general

public has a genuine interest in what corporations are doing to protect the environment

and in other social issues affecting their communities. Corporate social responsibility is

the idea that corporations have an ethical obligation beyond their economic, profit-driven

purpose to stockholders and owners. Everyone has a stake in the welfare of the

community.

Answers to In the News

Answers to Global Connection

Supplemental Exercise 5.3

Ethical Dilemma: Some individuals have sued cigarette manufacturers and held them

responsible for damages to their bodies from smoking. Have students respond to the

following questions: Should cigarettes continue to be available? Are warnings on

cigarettes ethically satisfactory? Should individuals take responsibility for their own

behavior? Should companies have to pay for employees to stop smoking? What rights

should second-hand smokers have? Encourage discussion on any other ethical issues

related to this topic.

Answers to Global Connection

Supplemental Exercise 5.4

Ask students to think about recent whistleblowers mentioned in the media and what the

Answers to In the News

Answers to Ask Yourself

1. The instructor should invite students to share ideas about how they would solve

2. Student answers will vary. Challenge them to concentrate on the reasons for the

3. Student answers will vary and discussions may include topics on greenwashing or

5.4 MANAGING YOURSELF ETHICALLY AT WORK

Behaving ethically and responsibly enhances your life, makes human interactions less

stressful and more rewarding, and boosts self-esteem. You can practice ethical behavior

by knowing your own value system, learning about and respecting the value systems of

others, learning about the ethics and the norms of your place of business, taking time to

think when you are confronted with something that feels uncomfortable, and making your

own decisions.

Supplemental Exercise 5.5 with T.M.-5.2

Ethical dilemmas: Ask students to apply the methods for resolving ethical decisions to

the dilemmas described on Teaching Master 5.2. Have students verbalize their thought

process as they work through the various questions and the methods they use with each

dilemma. This exercise can be done in groups of three or more with time allowed for

each group to prepare a mini-presentation on how they reached their conclusions and if

their values were in complete harmony or if the opinions widely varied and why.

Answers to Technology Connection

Answers to Ask Yourself

5.5 SOLVING ETHICAL DILEMMAS

Ethical dilemmas arise when your sense of values or social responsibility is questioned

internally or challenged externally. Often the rules or laws for handling dilemmas or

questionable situations are covered by company procedures or government regulations.

However, in many cases the employee is the one responsible for knowing what the best

ethical choice will be for a win-win outcome.

Supplemental Exercise 5.6

Discuss and resolve each of the four ethical dilemma scenarios described at the opening

section of 5.5. They are meant to help students think about their behavior if they are ever

faced with a similar situation. These discussions can be done as a class or in small

groups and reported back with discussions on differences encountered within the groups.

Discuss Figure 5.2 Example of Unethical Behaviors

This can be used as an interesting exercise in how the student will choose to handle each

of the situations. Most of these are likely covered in a company’s code of ethics, office

policy and procedures manual, or government law or regulation. The employee is still

responsible for knowing how these affect them at work and how to react when faced with

a quick decision to make about the dilemma. Would they know what steps to take?

Discuss each of these situations and randomly select a student to offer a quick ethical

resolution.

Answers to Ask Yourself

1. Answers may vary but must pinpoint the concept of ethical conclusions being the

2. Answers will vary here depending on the questions bothering the student that they

KEY TERMS DEFINITIONS

Ethics the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be

made by individuals in their relationships with others; a set of moral principles or values.

Values principles, standards, or qualities considered worthwhile or desirable.

Business ethics rules of conduct that apply to business and their employees.

Code of Conduct a set of rules for required behaviors and responsibilities expected of a

company and its employees or members of a group.

Intellectual properties the knowledge or confidential business information an employee

may have about the company.

Non-disclosure agreement legal contracts between you and the company that forbid you

from disclosing certain information defined in the document.

Trade secret certain confidential business information protected by law under the

Social Responsibility the obligation to make choices or decisions that are beneficial to

Corporate social responsibility the idea that corporations have an ethical obligation

Classical perspective the belief that businesses need not feel responsible for social issues

Accountability perspective a view that businesses are accountable for their actions,

Public perspective links businesses with the government and other groups to solve social

Foreign Corrupt Policy Act a law requiring companies to operate ethically in their

Sarbanes-Oxley Act a set of complex regulations that protects investors and enforces

Whistleblower a person who identifies organizational wrongdoing or unethical practices

Ethical dilemma arises when our sense of values or social responsibility is questioned