Deck 7: Ethics, Business Operations, and Rights

Question 1

It is illegal for an employer to look on MySpace in screening potential employees.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Boeing's internal investigation did not reveal any misconduct on the parts of Darlene Druyon or anyone at Boeing.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In the Kodak case, the parties involved faced federal fraud charges.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Your supervisor has had a calendar with pictures of naked women on the inside panel of his desk for several months. A secretary spotted the calendar and commented to your supervisor that it was not appropriate for an office. Your supervisor took down the calendar and has asked you to back him up if any complaints are filed. He has asked you to say that you never saw the calendar. It would not be unethical for you to do as your supervisor requests because he has removed the calendar.

Question 5

The Kodak case involved a consultant, a Kodak employee, and the government appraiser.

Question 6

Darlene Druyon obtained positions for family members at Boeing before she began working there.

Question 7

Walmart still retained the ad agency Ms. Roehm had selected for Walmart before her termination.

Question 8

Darlene Druyon had to enter into two plea agreements for different charges.

Question 9

Deleted e-mail cannot be obtained during discovery when a company is in litigation.

Question 10

A supplier has just been awarded a large contract by your company. As an employee in purchasing, you were largely responsible for awarding that supplier the contract. The supplier's sales representative has just called and would like to take you to lunch to thank you for the support. Going to lunch with the sale representative does not present any ethical problems.

Question 11

English-only policies are discriminatory per se .

Question 12

E-mail can be obtained during discovery when a company is in litigation.

Question 13

Ms. Roehm was successful in her wrongful termination suit against Walmart.

Question 14

Accepting gifts from suppliers and vendors is not a problem so long as no bid decisions are pending.

Question 15

No one at Boeing faced criminal charges over the Darlene Druyon job offer.

Question 16

You are a building inspector for the county. A friend of yours is a plumbing contractor. Under county regulations, all steps in plumbing construction from the initial dig to the final installation of sink and bathroom fixtures requires an inspection sign-off. Your plumbing contractor friend has just called and wants to take you to dinner for your birthday at a five-star restaurant. Because you are friends anyway, the dinner presents no ethical problems.

Question 17

Compensation for the consultant in the Kodak case was a percentage of taxes saved.

Question 18

Your supervisor has told you that he wants to "get rid of Jane."   Jane is a Hispanic female co-worker who is very bright and capable and hardworking. Your supervisor has asked you to document everything Jane does and says that will help build a case for termination. You should do as your supervisor tells you.

Question 19

Employers are permitted to monitor employee e-mails and use of the Internet.

Question 20

Voice mail messages on employee phones can be monitored by employers.

Question 21

Hospitals and nuclear plants would be examples of employers who could justify English-only policies.

Question 22

A journalist who fails to disclose his or her financial interest in the subject of a story he or she is covering has a conflict of interest.

Question 23

It is now illegal to require job applicants to disclose whether they have ever been convicted of a felony.

Question 24

Employers should try to control the sexually suggestive content of worker e-mails.

Question 25

"Fair chance" states require employers to offer a second drug test after a failed one.

Question 26

Costco does not allow accommodations for tattoos and piercings.

Question 27

Employer e-mail systems have been ruled as employer property in which employees have no rights of privacy.

Question 28

When there is a developing safety issue in the workplace, it is best for an employer to just wait and see how much harm can result before taking precautions.

Question 29

A purchasing agent whose daughter works for a supplier has a conflict of interest.

Question 30

Employers cannot monitor employee e-mails.

Question 31

"Ban the Box" refers to the trucker movement to stop installation of black boxes in the cabs of their trucks.

Question 32

If whistleblowers do not have internal avenues for dealing with issues, they will quit or turn to external avenues.

Question 33

Employer hiring practices must be balanced with prospective employees' rights to privacy.

Question 34

Whistleblowers who turn to external avenues for dealing with issues are unethical.

Question 35

The failure to disclose a current employee's conduct that resulted in dismissal and harm to a prospective employer is a breach of ethics.

Question 36

Whistleblowers have both internal and external avenues for dealing with issues.

Question 37

The safest and simplest conflict of interest policy for purchasing agents is to accept nothing from suppliers.

Question 38

There are 70 million people in the United States with some type of criminal record.

Question 39

Employers cannot prohibit office romances between employees who work together.

Question 40

A purchasing agent for a company could accept a Rolex from a supplier so long as there is no bid pending.

Question 41

OSHA reportable injury figures are the same as injuries claimed under workers' compensation systems.

Question 42

Confrontation is easy for most people.

Question 43

Facebook does not permit political discourse on its site.

Question 44

The First Amendment only applies to government censorship of speech.

Question 45

JC Penney missed signals on its buyer who was taking kickbacks.

Question 46

Confrontation is a key part of ethics.

Question 47

A purchasing agent who is an owner of 25% of the shares in a supplier does not have a conflict of interest.

Question 48

Paypal founder Peter Thiel has had his firm boycotted because of his political views.

Question 49

Malden Mills was able to emerge after the fire with a story of continuing success.

Question 50

If an employee can return to work, there is not a lost work day even if the employee is on a stretcher.

Question 51

Facebook is subject to federal mandates on the removal of content from its site.

Question 52

English-only policies in the workplace are not permitted by the EEOC.

Question 53

A commercial broker who accepts fees from both the seller and the buyer of the business without disclosure to either has not committed an ethical violation if both parties are happy with the transaction.

Question 54

A real estate agent who recommends a management firm to an apartment complex buyer without disclosing that the agent owns 50% of the firm has committed an ethical violation.

Question 55

Mr. Zuckerberg boycotted Peter Thiel for his support of President Trump.

Question 56

It is more ethical to remain silent about misdeeds.

Question 57

An agreement by an agent to accept a 10% commission from a seller who will sell goods to the agent's employer is ethical so long as the agent would have chosen that seller anyway.

Question 58

Facebook decided to ban certain presidential candidates from its site.

Question 59

Commercial bribery is only a crime for the purchasing agent accepting the money.

Question 60

Malden Mills employees continued to work for Malden and Feuerstein without any problems after Feuerstein paid them whilst the factory was being rebuilt.

Question 61

Employers are not liable if a baby is born with defects that resulted from its mother's exposure to harm from chemicals at work.

Question 62

Employers can require that employees cover up tattoos at work.

Question 63

Giving preferential treatment in contract bidding to the daughter of a member of the company board is not a conflict of interest.

Question 64

A researcher must disclose stock ownership in a company that manufactures a product that competes with the subject of his research.

Question 65

You work for a construction firm that is submitting a bid for the construction of a new company headquarters building for Smithco. A friend you have known since high school works in Smithco's capital budgeting area and has full knowledge of all the bids from all firms.  I t would be unethical for you to hire your friend to get him to bring the information to your company.

Question 66

Purchasing agents accepting a pleasure trip from a supplier when no bids are pending is still an ethical violation.

Question 67

You work for a construction firm that is submitting a bid for the construction of a new company headquarters building for Smithco. A friend you have known since high school works in Smithco's capital budgeting area and has full knowledge of all the bids from all firms. It would be unethical for your friend to share that information with you before you submitted your bid.

Question 68

Having loan applicants pay for the expenses of bank officer travel for purposes of evaluating collateral is not a conflict of interest.

Question 69

Most employees believe that their performance evaluations are accurate.

Question 70

A physician conducting a study on a new prescription drug manufactured by a firm in which he is a 10% shareholder does not have a conflict of interest so long as his stock ownership is disclosed in his report on the drug.

Question 71

Employers cannot prohibit women of child-bearing age from working in areas with chemicals that harm fetuses.

Question 72

You are a building inspector for the county. A friend of yours is a plumbing contractor. Under county regulations, all steps in plumbing construction from the initial dig to the final installation of sink and bathroom fixtures requires an inspection sign-off. Your plumbing contractor friend has just called and wants to take you to dinner for your birthday at a five-star restaurant. Because you are friends anyway, the dinner presents no ethical problems.

Question 73

A physical fitness expert retained by a fitness magazine to evaluate walking shoes has a conflict of interest if she has an endorsement contract with one of the shoe companies that manufactures the shoes she will be evaluating.

Question 74

Payments of royalties from drug sales by a pharmaceutical firm to the university where a researcher conducting studies has validated the firm's claims is a conflict of interest.

Question 75

Employers cannot impose restrictions on office romances.

Question 76

A member of the city council who is employed by a waste management firm would have a conflict of interest in voting on the city's award of a contract for the handling of the city's waste.

Question 77

Physician referrals of patients to laboratories for work-ups when the physicians own all or part of the labs, but do not disclose such, is a conflict of interest.

Question 78

A member of the city council who is employed by a waste management firm would have a conflict of interest in voting on the city's award of a contract for the handling of the city's waste.

Question 79

You should disclose to your employer if a relative of yours has submitted a bid for work with your company.

Question 80

A major donation by one of your long-term suppliers to a non-profit organization run by your spouse should not create perception problems so long as your purchasing decisions are based on the merits.