Deck 4: Making Ethical Decisions

Question 1

Following norms is often part of behaving ethically.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The major application of universalism comes in the common tension between self-interest and ethical values.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Deontological theories of ethics determine the ethics of an act by looking to the probable outcome or consequences of the decision.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Teleological theories of ethics determine the ethics of an act by looking to the process of the decision.

Question 5

Utilitarianism is a much more motivational or inspirational approach than universalism,which can seem "cold" or impersonal.

Question 6

Universalism implies a consideration of whether a decision would be acceptable if everyone in every situation made the same decision.

Question 7

Secondary stakeholders are people who will be directly affected by any ethical decision that is made.

Question 8

Ethical commitment refers to your level of dedication or desire to do what is right even in the face of potentially harmful personal repercussions.

Question 9

Researcher Thomas Jones identified proximity as one of the ways in which ethical issues can be perceived as more or less intense.

Question 10

Utilitarianism directs us to make decisions based on the greatest "good" for the greatest number.

Question 11

Those who are ethically conscious make themselves aware of the implications of their actions.

Question 12

"Individual versus community" is a type of "right-versus-right" scenario.

Question 13

Universalism recognizes that human beings act in and from character.

Question 14

The law can be an efficient mechanism to prevent serious harm,but it is not very effective at promoting "good."

Question 15

Most ethical people act in ways that reflect ethical commitment,consciousness,and competency.

Question 16

People are likely to interpret events as more important or urgent when others are present.

Question 17

The way in which we perceive ethical dilemmas depends heavily on the moral intensity the issue possesses.

Question 18

The ethical perspective of utilitarianism was put forth by German philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Question 19

Obedience to the law is sufficient to fulfill one's ethical duties.

Question 20

Moral imagination is defined as the ability to understand the worst possible scenario in an ethical framework of distributive justice.

Question 21

Interactional justice is comprised of two important fairness perceptions: interpersonal treatment and informational adequacy.

Question 22

Ethical decisions and behavior require of an individual:

A)cooperation,collusion,and collaboration.
B)rules,regulations,and competency.
C)punishment,reinforcement,and consciousness.
D)values,commitment,and standards.
E)commitment,consciousness,and competency.

Question 23

A decision that is based on equality is a fair and ethical decision.

Question 24

Procedural justice occurs when the process used to determine the outcome is perceived as fair.

Question 25

Distributive justice is perceived when people view fairness in personal treatment.

Question 26

A recent survey of college student actions reported the highest incidence of cheating in this activity.Students:

A)copied material without footnoting.
B)copied from another student.
C)helped another student cheat.
D)falsified a bibliography.
E)turned in work done by another.

Question 27

Students with which career choice reported the lowest incidence of cheating as an undergraduate?

A)Medicine
B)Business
C)Engineering
D)Education
E)Government

Question 28

The truth is that much of our behavior is guided by watching others and simply following their lead.Hence,it is a myth that:

A)people are less ethical than they used to be.
B)it is easy to be ethical.
C)ethics can be managed with codes of conduct.
D)unethical behavior is simply a problem of "bad apples."
E)managing ethics is not my problem.

Question 29

Which of the following "right-versus-right" scenarios does a professor encounter when he catches a student cheating?

A)Truth-versus-loyalty
B)Justice-versus-mercy
C)Short-term versus long-term
D)Individual versus community
E)Fairness versus economics

Question 30

At the heart of many issues that concern ethics and fairness are perceptions of justice.

Question 31

The Platinum Rule test is a good way of judging if distributive justice is taking place.

Question 32

Ethical ______________ involves a thoughtful consideration of ethics in each stage of the problem-solving process.

A)attitude
B)competency
C)attribution
D)commitment
E)consciousness

Question 33

Which of the following is a "right-versus-right" scenario?

A)Dishonesty-versus-loyalty
B)Individual-versus-loyalty
C)Short-term versus immediate
D)Justice-versus-dishonesty
E)Individual versus community

Question 34

Ethical ______________ is about accepting the challenge to be an ethical person.

A)consciousness
B)competency
C)attitude
D)commitment
E)perception

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT an ethical decision-making myth?

A)It is hard to be ethical.
B)Unethical behavior is simply a problem of "bad apples."
C)Ethics can be managed with codes of conduct.
D)People are less ethical than they used to be.
E)Managing Ethics is not my problem.

Question 36

One way for managers to encourage unethical behavior is to simply focus performance evaluation of employees on results only.

Question 37

In a reward situation,people are likely to examine the outcome of a decision's impact based on equality.

Question 38

One way of testing your moral imagination is to use the Wall Street Journal test.

Question 39

The law can be considered to be a "___________" with respect to ethics.

A)ceiling
B)door
C)wall
D)floor
E)window

Question 40

Procedural justice matters most in situations of high outcome favorability.

Question 41

Which of the following steps toward making an ethical decision includes utilizing checks such as the Platinum Rule test and the Mom test?

A)Consider your integrity
B)Check your instincts
C)Define the ethical issues
D)Think creatively about actions
E)Identify the affected parties,consequences,and obligations

Question 42

A classic example of where people invoke _____ as a determination for distributive justice is the case of distributing medical benefits.

A)equity
B)loyalty
C)logic
D)need
E)equality

Question 43

People should act in ways meant to better the world.This is an example of which major ethical theory?

A)Universalism.
B)Utilitarianism.
C)Virtue ethics.
D)Situational ethics.
E)Cultural relativism.

Question 44

_____ justice is perceived when people know that those with power in an organization are suspending their personal biases and relying on objective data to the best possible extent.

A)Interpersonal
B)Interactional
C)Informational
D)Procedural
E)Distributive

Question 45

At the completion of a presentation,students were told by the professor that although their talk was solid as far as content,the grade was a "C." The professor failed to mention that the talk lacked several elements of excellence.The graphics were inconsistent,the presenters mumbled,and the team failed to answer any of the follow-up questions.The student team leader threw the documentation packet at the professor,shouting,"Whatever,toad!" and slammed the door on the way out.This scenario presents an ethical issue of _____ justice.

A)distributive
B)interactional
C)generational
D)procedural
E)normative

Question 46

"I believe some principles can't be sacrificed for anything" is an example of the major ethical theory of:

A)universalism.
B)utilitarianism.
C)virtue ethics.
D)situational ethics.
E)cultural relativism.

Question 47

Which of the following steps to making an ethical decision follows the fact-gathering step?

A)Consider your integrity
B)Check your instincts
C)Define the ethical issues
D)Think creatively about actions
E)Identify the affected parties,consequences,and obligations

Question 48

A food pantry gives groceries to the needy.This action is seen as:

A)interpersonal justice.
B)interactional justice.
C)informational justice.
D)procedural justice.
E)distributive justice.

Question 49

Should a manager try to improve his ability to make tough ethical choices by improving his moral imagination?

A)Yes.Rationalization helps ease the conscience.
B)No.Tough choices are business necessities.
C)Yes.Sometimes tough ethical problems require new approaches.
D)No.Fairness requires strict adherence to the rules.
E)Yes.Blaming others for a mistake is acceptable sometimes.

Question 50

Which of the following is the last step toward making an ethical decision?

A)Consider your integrity
B)Check your instincts
C)Define the ethical issues
D)Think creatively about actions
E)Identify the affected parties,consequences,and obligations

Question 51

The failure of personal ethics among such companies as Enron and WorldCom led to the creation of the:

A)Hepburn Act.
B)Lloyd-LaFollette Act.
C)Bayh-Dole Act.
D)Landrum-Griffin Act.
E)Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Question 52

Which of the following is based on an arbitrary analysis of impact and does not reflect collective logic that is consistent from situation to situation?

A)Duty ethics
B)Utilitarianism
C)Particularism
D)Virtue ethics
E)Universalism

Question 53

German philosopher Immanuel Kant developed the _________________ to identify the universal duties based on which ethical dilemmas ought to be resolved.

A)logical perspective
B)teleological theory
C)utilitarian ideology
D)categorical imperative
E)unified perspective

Question 54

Which of the following types of justice judgments is considered a little "soft" or "touchy feely" to handle?

A)Normative justice
B)Interactional justice
C)Economic justice
D)Procedural justice
E)Distributive justice

Question 55

In a series of classic studies over many decades,researchers have found that,by and large,individuals are more likely to help those in need when they are:

A)young.
B)economically well-off.
C)old.
D)with their families.
E)alone.

Question 56

It is wrong to impose personal values on other people.This example indicates that you are using the ______________ ethical perspective.

A)utilitarianism
B)duty ethics
C)Kantism
D)virtue ethics
E)universalism

Question 57

______________ is viewed as a strong and powerful theory because it is liberal and it appeals to no authority in resolving differences of opinion.

A)Universalism
B)Duty ethics
C)Utilitarianism
D)Virtue ethics
E)Particularism

Question 58

In a reward situation,people are likely to examine the outcome of a decision's impact based on:

A)equity.
B)loyalty.
C)logic.
D)need.
E)equality.

Question 59

Which of the following perspectives of ethics is neither teleological nor deontological but rather emphasizes the affective side of peoples' character?

A)Duty ethics
B)Utilitarianism
C)Kantism
D)Virtue ethics
E)Universalism

Question 60

The most basic form of ____________ analysis is cost-benefit analysis.

A)utilitarian
B)Kantism
C)virtue ethics
D)deontological
E)duty ethics

Question 61

What are the two categories of ethical theories? Describe the theory most representative of the teleological approach.

Question 62

It has come to your notice that Harry,a member of your group,regularly steals office stationery supplies.What is the course of action that you will follow in response to this?

Question 63

Jennifer has been a part of your group for last five years.She is both a sincere worker and the best performer in your group.She confided in you yesterday that her father is not doing well and she might have to soon take two weeks off to take care of him.She is not sure exactly when she will need the leave,so she also asks you to keep this information to yourself.Today,your boss informs you about a critical project that has to be finished within next two weeks.He also wants Jennifer to be a part of that project and casually asks you,"I hope she is available for this project.It is very critical that this project is done well and done on time." What kind of a "right-versus-right" scenario does this ethical dilemma reflect? What would your action be? Will you tell your boss about Jennifer's plans of taking leave? Explain.

Question 64

Ryan has been an exemplary student throughout the term.However,he fell seriously ill two weeks before the end-of-term exam and could neither attend the last few critical lectures nor prepare for the exam.Desperate for a good grade that will reflect the kind of job offers he gets after finishing the course,Ryan cheats during the exam.You,his professor,catch him cheating.
What kind of a "right-versus-right" scenario does this ethical dilemma reflect? Suggest a course of action that you will follow to resolve this dilemma.

Question 65

What are the advantages and disadvantages of utilitarianism as an ethical approach in organizations?

Question 66

Identify some common situations that act as ethical traps for managers.

Question 67

What is moral intensity? Give an example of how moral intensity affects our ethical decision-making.

Question 68

Your community has seen a sudden spike in gunshot violence lately.The police department has directed all gun shops in the locality to not sell guns to potential customers who have previous criminal records.This is an example of which kind of ethical decision-making myth?

Question 69

A racial minority interest group has recently gone to press saying that the government is discriminating against members of that race by infringing on their individual and privacy rights in the name of national security.What kind of a "right-versus-right" scenario does this ethical dilemma reflect?

Question 70

According to researcher Thomas Jones,identify any four ways in which ethical issues are perceived as more or less intense and therefore as more ethical or unethical.

Question 71

A pharmacist sells counterfeit drugs,which might lead to death of patients taking those drugs.His wife works as an accountant and has a habit of regularly bringing office stationery home.Whose action would you label as more unethical: the pharmacist's or his wife's? Why?

Question 72

Identify a few reasons why the law may not align with ethics in organizations.

Question 73

Identify a few of the most common rationalizations used to justify unethical behavior.

Question 74

Describe the three important dimensions of ethical behavior.

Question 75

Describe three ethical decision-making myths.