Deck 7: Blowing the Whistle

Question 1

When an employee discovers evidence of malpractice or misconduct in an organization,he or she faces an ethical dilemma.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Everyone views whistleblowers as brave men and women who put their careers and personal lives at risk in the name of "doing the right thing."

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The threat of losing your job and being alienated by your colleagues should outweigh the possible financial gains a whistleblower might receive.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Whistle-blowing is ethical when the company,through a product or decision,causes serious and considerable harm to the public or breaks existing laws,the employee should report the organization.

Question 5

One of the first uses of the term whistleblower occurred in 1943,when Otto Otopeka was dismissed from the U.S.State Department after giving classified documents on security risks to the chief counsel of the Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security.

Question 6

Sherron Watkins was the individual who blew the whistle on WorldCom's illegal activities.

Question 7

Whistle-blowing is ethical if the employee has valid reasons to believe that revealing the wrongdoing to the public would result in changes necessary to remedy the situation.

Question 8

One could argue that whistleblowers provide an invaluable service to their organizations and to the general public.

Question 9

If an employee brings the misconduct of an organization to the attention of law-enforcement officials,he or she is external whistle-blowing.

Question 10

When a whistleblower's immediate supervisor does not act,the whistleblower should exhaust the company's internal procedures and chain of command up to the board of directors.

Question 11

The discovery of illegal activities before the situation is revealed in the media could potentially save organizations millions of dollars in fines and lost revenue from the inevitable damage to their corporate reputations.

Question 12

Since internal whistle-blowing usually receives media attention,it is possible to track the history of such actions.

Question 13

Whistle-blowing is unethical if the employee is motivated by the opportunity for financial gain,media attention or that the employee is carrying out an individual vendetta against the company.

Question 14

Internal whistle-blowing is when an employee discovers corporate misconduct and brings it to the attention of his or her supervisor and then brings it to the attention of law-enforcement agencies and/or the media.

Question 15

Whistle-blowers are often severely criticized as informers,"sneaks," spies,or "squealers," who have in some way breached the trust and loyalty they owe to their employers.

Question 16

Under the Federal Civil False Claims Act,whistle-blowers who expose fraudulent behavior against the government are only entitled to less than 10 percent of the amount recovered.

Question 17

An employee does not need irrefutable evidence before becoming a whistleblower; just an inclination is sufficient.

Question 18

External whistle-blowing is a 20^th century phenomenon.

Question 19

A Qui Tam Lawsuit is a lawsuit brought on behalf of the federal government by corporations against whistle-blowers.

Question 20

A whistleblower is an individual who discovers corporate misconduct.

Question 21

When an employee discovers evidence of malpractice or misconduct in an organization,he or she faces ______.

A)an ethical dilemma
B)a cut and dry situation
C)a legal decision
D)an everyday occurrence

Question 22

Companies should be prompt and provide a thorough investigation of all complaints in today's legal environment.

Question 23

A whistleblower hotline can only be successful if trust exists between employees and their employer.

Question 24

A(n)______ whistleblower is an employee discovering corporate misconduct and chooses to bring it to the attention of law enforcement agencies and/or the media.

A)external
B)internal
C)organizational
D)governmental

Question 25

One could argue that whistleblowers provide ______.

A)a positive image of their organization
B)an invaluable service to their organization
C)investors an unrealistic outlook of a company
D)a disservice to the public

Question 26

The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 finally addressed the issue of company retaliation against corporate employees who bring accusations of unethical behavior.

Question 27

______ whistle-blowing rarely gains media attention.

A)Governmental
B)Internal
C)Coercive
D)External

Question 28

Since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,Congress has taken an integrated approach to the matter of whistle-blowing by prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers and by encouraging the act of whistle-blowing itself.

Question 29

Public awareness of whistleblowers reached its peak in 2002.

Question 30

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires public companies not only to adopt a code of business ethics,but also to set up an internal apparatus to receive,review,and solicit employee reports concerning fraud and/or ethical violations.

Question 31

Prior to 2002,legal protection for whistleblowers did not exist.

Question 32

A(n)______ whistleblower is an employee who discovers corporate misconduct and brings it to the attention of his supervisor,who then follows established procedures to address the misconduct within the organization.

A)external
B)internal
C)organizational
D)governmental

Question 33

Employees who prevail in whistle-blower cases are entitled to damages,which include double their back pay.

Question 34

In today's environment,experts highly recommended that becoming a whistleblower and taking your story public should be a first resort.

Question 35

After blowing the whistle on fraud,most of the whistle-blowers said they wouldn't blow the whistle again.

Question 36

After blowing the whistle on fraud,90 percent of the whistle-blowers were fired or demoted.

Question 37

The choice for employers is to ignore whistle blowers and face public embarrassment and potentially ruinous financial penalties,or to create an internal system that allows whistle-blowers to be heard and responded to before the issue escalates to an external whistle blowing case.

Question 38

Employees are becoming less willing to respond to any questionable behavior they observe in the workplace.

Question 39

If the investigation is perceived to be half-hearted or there is even the remotest suggestion of a cover-up,then the hotline will definitely never ring again.

Question 40

A(n)_______ is an employee who discovers corporate misconduct and chooses to bring it to the attention of others.

A)tattle-tail
B)internal spy
C)whistle-blower
D)chief ethics officer

Question 41

______ is a telephone line where employees can leave messages to alert a company of suspected misconduct without revealing their identity.

A)A whistleblower hotline
B)An employee crisis hotline
C)A company hotline
D)A legal hotline

Question 42

All of the following can cause a whistleblower to lose legitimacy,EXCEPT:

A)motivation by financial gains
B)motivation by media attention
C)the employee is carrying out a personal vendetta
D)the employee is trying to protect the public

Question 43

The _____ finally addressed the issue of retaliation against federal employees who bring accusations of unethical behavior.

A)Sarbanes-Oxley Act
B)Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989
C)False Claims Act of 1963
D)Federal Sentencing Guidelines Act

Question 44

A Qui Tam Lawsuit is a lawsuit brought on behalf of the federal government by ______.

A)all employees
B)a whistle-blower
C)the community
D)the state government

Question 45

What year did public awareness of whistleblowers reach a peak?

A)1998
B)2000
C)2002
D)2004

Question 46

Congress took an integrated approach to the matter of whistle-blowing by prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers and encouraging the act of whistle-blowing under which act?

A)The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
B)The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989
C)False Claims Act of 1963
D)Federal Sentencing Guidelines Act

Question 47

The media often portray whistle-blowers as _____.

A)devious
B)fraudulent
C)models of honor and integrity
D)deceitful

Question 48

Under the Federal Civil False Claims Act,whistle-blowers who expose fraudulent behavior against the government are entitled to _______ of the amount recovered.

A)between 20 and 30 percent
B)under 10 percent
C)30 percent
D)between 10 and 30 percent

Question 49

Prior to ______,legal protection for whistleblowers existed only in the form of legislation that encouraged behavior by employees who felt compelled to speak out,without offering any safeguards against retaliation aimed at them.

A)2000
B)2002
C)2004
D)2006

Question 50

Given the new legal environment surrounding whistleblowers,employers would be wise to put all of the following mechanisms in place,EXCEPT:

A)a detailed report of all investigations,documenting all corporate officers involved and all actions taken
B)a well-defined process to document how such complaints are handled
C)an employee hotline to file such complaints
D)a prompt and thorough investigation of serious complaints

Question 51

_______ requires public companies not only to adopt a code of business ethics but also to set up an internal apparatus to receive,review,and solicit employee reports concerning fraud and/or ethical violations.

A)The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
B)The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989
C)False Claims Act of 1963
D)Federal Sentencing Guidelines Act

Question 52

If the investigation is perceived to be _______,or there is even the remotest suggestion ________,then the hotline will definitely never ring again.

A)half-hearted; that it was forgotten
B)forgotten; seen as insignificant
C)half-hearted; of a cover-up
D)seen as insignificant; of a cover-up

Question 53

Employees are becoming ______ to respond to any questionable behavior they observe in the workplace.

A)less willing
B)hesitant
C)uncooperative
D)increasingly willing

Question 54

Whistle-blowing is ethical under all of the following conditions,EXCEPT:

A)when the motivation is financial gain
B)when the employee identifies a serious threat of harm
C)when the company will cause serious and considerable harm to the public
D)when the employee's immediate supervisor does not act,and the internal procedures and chain of command have been exhausted

Question 55

_____ was the CEO of Enron when Sherron Watkins blew the whistle?

A)Joseph Berardino
B)Jeffery Skilling
C)Bernard Ebbers
D)Kenneth Lay

Question 56

All of the following are possible damages entitled to employees who prevail in whistleblower cases,EXCEPT:

A)interest
B)back pay
C)all compensatory damages to make the employee whole
D)reinstatement at a higher seniority status

Question 57

Under _______,whistle-blowers who expose fraudulent behavior against the government are entitled to between 10 and 30 percent of the amount recovered.

A)a Qui Tam Lawsuit
B)the Federal Civil False Claims Act
C)Title VII of the Sarbanes Oxley Act
D)the Federal False Claims Act

Question 58

The potential for financial gain in some areas of corporate whistle-blowing can be ______.

A)small
B)personally devastating
C)considerable
D)minuscule

Question 59

Since internal whistle-blowing _____,it is ______ of such actions.

A)usually receives media attention; possible to track the history
B)rarely receives media attention; possible to track the history
C)rarely receives media attention; impossible to track the history
D)usually receives media attention; impossible to track the history

Question 60

A Qui Tam Lawsuit is a lawsuit brought on behalf of ________ by a whistle-blower.

A)the federal government
B)corporate executives
C)the industry
D)the community

Question 61

An ____________________ whistleblower is an employee who discovers corporate misconduct and brings it to the attention of his supervisor,who then follows established procedures to address the misconduct within the organization.

Question 62

A ________________________ is a telephone line where employees can leave messages to alert a company of suspected misconduct without revealing their identity.

Question 63

A ___________________________ is a lawsuit brought on behalf of the federal government by a whistle-blower.

Question 64

The potential for financial gain in some areas of corporate whistle-blowing can be ____________________.

Question 65

In the year _________ public awareness of whistleblowers reached a peak.

Question 66

After blowing the whistle on fraud,only 16 percent of the whistle-blowers said they ______.

A)would blow the whistle again
B)wouldn't blow the whistle again
C)would resign rather than speak up
D)would confront those involved

Question 67

A Qui Tam Lawsuit is a lawsuit brought on behalf of the federal government by _______________________.

Question 68

Discuss the term whistle-blower.Give an example of a whistle-blower.

Question 69

A study of 233 whistleblowers by Donald Soeken of St.Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington,DC,found that the average whistleblower was __________.

A)a woman in her fifties with an extroverted personality
B)a man soon to retire
C)a woman in her thirties with strong moral values
D)a man in his forties with a strong conscience and high moral values

Question 70

The __________________________ requires public companies not only to adopt a code of business ethics but also to set up an internal apparatus to receive,review,and solicit employee reports concerning fraud and/or ethical violations.

Question 71

The ____________________________ finally addressed the issue of retaliation against federal employees who bring accusations of unethical behavior.

Question 72

_____________________ whistle-blowing rarely gains media attention.

Question 73

_______________________ was the CEO of Enron when Sherron Watkins blew the whistle.

Question 74

An ___________________ whistleblower is an employee discovering corporate misconduct and chooses to bring it to the attention of law enforcement agencies and/or the media.

Question 75

When an employee discovers evidence of malpractice or misconduct in an organization,he or she faces an ______________________.

Question 76

Employees are becoming ______________ willing to respond to any questionable behavior they observe in the workplace.

Question 77

Under the _____________________________ Act,congress took an integrated approach to the matter of whistle-blowing by prohibiting retaliation against whistleblowers and encouraging the act of whistle-blowing.

Question 78

Summarize and discuss the differences between internal and external whistleblowers.

Question 79

A _________________________ is an employee who discovers corporate misconduct and chooses to bring it to the attention of others.

Question 80

Prior to the year _________,legal protection for whistleblowers existed only in the form of legislation that encouraged behavior by employees who felt compelled to speak out,without offering any safeguards against retaliation aimed at them.