Question 1

The failure to speak out when an ethical or legal lapse occurs within your firm is in itself an ethical violation.

Accepted Answer

The failure to speak out when an ethical or legal lapse occurs within your firm is known as a violation of ethical responsibility. It is essential to recognize that speaking out when an ethical or legal lapse occurs is a crucial responsibility for maintaining ethical standards, and failing to do so is an ethical violation.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Accepting gifts from suppliers and vendors can create bias and influence in future bid decisions, even if no bid decisions are currently pending. It is generally considered unethical and can lead to conflicts of interest.

Question 3

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.

Accepted Answer

Accepting gifts or entertainment from suppliers can be perceived as a conflict of interest and potentially lead to unethical behavior. It is best to avoid any appearance of impropriety and politely decline the invitation.

Question 4

If my supervisor asked me to cover for him by lying about his whereabouts, I should agree to do it but remind him that I can't make it a habit.

Accepted Answer

It is not ethical to lie for someone else and compromising one's own integrity is not worth it. It is better to have a conversation with the supervisor and address the issue honestly rather than agreeing to cover up their actions.

Question 5

Taking advantage of a party in a contract situation due to the party's inexperience, and not due to any lack of disclosure on your part, is ethical.

Accepted Answer

Taking advantage of someone's inexperience in a contract situation is considered unethical even if there was full disclosure. It is important to ensure that all parties involved understand and agree to the terms before entering into any contractual agreement.

Question 6

Labeling infertility surgery as "diagnostic surgery" in order to allow the patient to recover the costs from an insurer is unethical.

Accepted Answer

Labeling a surgery as "diagnostic" when it is actually a treatment for infertility is misrepresenting the purpose of the surgery and going against ethical principles. It can also be considered insurance fraud. The correct approach would be to accurately code the surgery as a treatment for infertility and have a conversation with the insurer about coverage options.

Question 7

If I discover that a fellow employee is reporting falsely his overtime hours, it is best for me to say nothing and ignore the situation.

Accepted Answer

Reporting falsely on overtime hours is a form of fraud and can harm the company's finances, productivity, and morale. As an ethical employee, it is advisable to report the situation to the appropriate authority, such as a supervisor or HR department. Staying silent can be seen as condoning the wrongdoing and may cause repercussions for the employee and the company in the long term.

Question 8

Ethical choices often prove costly to firms in the short term.

Accepted Answer

Making ethical choices can sometimes require additional expenses or loss of profits in the short term, such as investing in sustainable sourcing or paying fair wages to workers. However, in the long term, ethical practices can lead to increased reputation, customer loyalty, and profitability.

Question 9

Your company's policy on company vehicles is that no family members may use them or ride in them.It would be unethical to use a company car to drive you and your spouse to a movie.

Accepted Answer

The company policy prohibits the use of company vehicles by family members and using them for personal entertainment purposes would be a violation of this policy and unethical.

Question 10

The failure to disclose relevant information about a product or service is unethical.

Accepted Answer

The failure to disclose relevant information can deceive or mislead customers, leading to potential harm or dissatisfaction. Therefore, it is considered unethical.

Question 11

Attending a class on company time would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Attending a class on company time would...

Question 12

Long-term relationships create ethical and legal obligations between the parties through conduct and accommodations.

Accepted Answer

Long-term relationships, whether personal or professional, can give rise to ethical and legal obligations between the parties involved. This can happen through the conduct of the parties, such as promises made or actions taken, as well as through accommodations made for each other over time. These obligations may not always be explicit or formally stated, but they can still be legally enforceable and morally binding.

Question 13

A company executive exerting pressure on a scientist and her university to delay disclosure of study results harmful to the company and its products would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

As a scientist, it is important to prioritize the integrity of one's research findings and not allow external pressures to interfere with the objective reporting of results. Delaying the disclosure of harmful study results to benefit a company would be a violation of scientific and professional ethics.

Question 14

If I worked in purchasing in my company, it would be unethical for me to accept season tickets for my city's NBA team from the company that has supplied catering for the company's training sessions.

Accepted Answer

Accepting gifts or other forms of compensation from suppliers can create a conflict of interest and compromise the ability to make objective purchasing decisions. Therefore, accepting season tickets from a supplier would be considered unethical.

Question 15

With respect to #55, using your work computer and paper to complete the case analyses would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

Using company resources for personal use and gain is generally considered unethical as it is a misuse of the resources and time that the company has provided for work-related activities.

Question 16

If I discovered that I unintentionally violated a federal environmental regulation, I should just wait and see if anything happens before taking any action.

Accepted Answer

It is important to take immediate action to correct the violation and notify the appropriate regulatory agency. Waiting to see if anything happens could result in further violations and potential penalties or fines.

Question 17

You are taking a graduate level course in management that will help you in performing your duties at work.Each week you must submit case analyses to your professor.Using work time to complete the analyses would be unethical.

Accepted Answer

Using work time to complete personal assignments, such as case analyses for a graduate class, is generally considered unethical. It is important to separate personal and professional responsibilities and not use company resources for personal gain. If necessary, the analyses should be completed on personal time.

Question 18

"The lawyers have okayed this," is a signal that the decision/action is legal and ethical.

Accepted Answer

While lawyers may confirm that a decision or action is legal, it does not necessarily mean it is ethical. Legal standards and ethical standards are not always aligned.

Question 19

"Everyone else does it," is a signal of an ethical pitfall.

Accepted Answer

Just because others are doing something does not make it ethical or right. The ethical choice is to make decisions based on what is morally correct, regardless of what others may be doing.

Question 20

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.

Accepted Answer

Accepting a gift or invitation from someone who is subject to your inspection or supervision could be perceived as a conflict of interest and a violation of ethical standards. It is important to maintain impartiality and avoid any appearance of impropriety.

Quiz 1: Ethical Theory, Philosophical Foundations, Our Reasoning Flaws, and Types of Ethical Dilemma