Question 1

A person who sees beyond authority, laws, and norms and follows his own self-chosen ethical principles is most likely to be in the _____ stage of Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development.

Accepted Answer

People in the principled stage of Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development see beyond authority, laws, and norms and follow their self-chosen ethical principles.

Question 2

_____ considers acceptable behavior to be that which maximizes benefits for the individual.

Accepted Answer

According to egoism, acceptable behavior is that which maximizes benefits for the individual. According to its proponents, if everyone follows this system, the well-being of society as a whole should increase.

Question 3

Which of the following should be done for constructing an effective ethics code?

Accepted Answer

To make an ethics code effective, do the following: involve those who have to live with the code in writing it; focus on real-life situations that employees can relate to; keep it short, simple, and easy to understand and remember; write about values and shared beliefs that people can really believe in; and set the tone at the top, having executives talk about and live up to the statement.

Question 4

An ethics program that is designed by corporate counsel to detect, prevent, and punish legal violations is called a(n) _____ ethics program.

Accepted Answer

Ethics programs can range from compliance-based to integrity-based. Compliance-based ethics programs are designed by corporate counsel to prevent, detect, and punish legal violations.

Question 5

Which of the following is one of Kohlberg's stages of cognitive moral development?

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development classifies people into categories based on their level of moral judgment. The stages are preconventional, conventional, and principled.

Question 6

Brittany works as a receptionist for a medical office. Some of the doctors have asked her to tell patients that they are in an appointment when in fact they are playing golf. She wants to quit the job because she hates to lie to people and believes that all people should uphold certain values that society needs to function. Which of the following best describes the ethical system used by Brittany?

Accepted Answer

Universalism states that all people should uphold certain values, such as honesty, that society needs to function. Universal values are principles so fundamental to human existence that they are important in all societies, such as rules against murder, deceit, torture, and oppression.

Question 7

Which of the following statements best describes relativism?

Accepted Answer

Relativism defines ethical behavior based on the opinions and behaviors of relevant other people. Relativism acknowledges the existence of different ethical viewpoints, often based on norms.

Question 8

The Caux Principles are based on two ethical ideals

Accepted Answer

Two basic ethical ideals underpin the Caux Principles: kyosei and human dignity. Kyosei means living and working together for the common good, allowing cooperation and mutual prosperity to coexist with healthy and fair competition. Human dignity concerns the value of each person as an end, not a means to the fulfillment of others' purposes.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is true?

Accepted Answer

Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 to improve and maintain investor confidence. The law requires companies to have more independent board directors, to adhere strictly to accounting rules, and to have senior managers personally sign off on financial results.

Question 10

When he stays in hotels, Jamal packs whatever towels he hasn't dirtied into his suitcase. Because all his friends do the same thing, he thought it was acceptable to do so. In this scenario, which of the following ethical systems has Jamal used to rationalize his decision?

Accepted Answer

Relativism defines ethical behavior based on the opinions and behaviors of relevant other people, such as Jamal's colleagues. Relativism acknowledges the existence of different ethical viewpoints, such as norms.

Question 11

The management of an organization follows the ideology that if they work keeping in mind the company's own economic self-interest, the total wealth of the society will be maximized. Which of the following best describes the ethical system used by the organization?

Accepted Answer

According to egoism, acceptable behavior is that which maximizes benefits for the individual. The idea is that if every organization follows its own economic self-interest, the total wealth of society will be maximized.

Question 12

Which of the following is a question associated with the "sunshine" ethical framework?

Accepted Answer

One ethics suggestion is to imagine how you would feel if you saw your decision and its consequences on the front page of the newspaper. This "light of day" or "sunshine" ethical framework can be powerful.

Question 13

_____ acknowledges the existence of different ethical viewpoints and uses norms as guidelines.

Accepted Answer

Relativism defines ethical behavior based on the opinions and behaviors of relevant other people. Relativism acknowledges the existence of different ethical viewpoints, such as norms.

Question 14

Utilitarianism is centered around the idea that

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism is an ethical system stating that the greatest good for the greatest number should be the overriding concern of decision makers.

Question 15

The top executives of Granite Financial have established processes to review the company's financial dealings and communications with customers to make sure everything is legal and honest yet remain focused on profits. These processes are part of the company's _____.

Accepted Answer

The ethical climate of an organization refers to the processes by which decisions are evaluated and made on the basis of right and wrong. For example, General Electric's top executives have demonstrated a commitment to promoting high levels of integrity without sacrificing the company's well-known commitment to business results.

Question 16

Which of the following is a danger sign that organizations may be allowing or even encouraging unethical behavior?

Accepted Answer

Many factors create a climate conducive to unethical behavior. Excessive emphasis on short-term revenues over longer-term considerations, failure to establish a written code of ethics, and a desire for simple, quick fix solutions to ethical problems are some signs that an organization may be allowing or even encouraging unethical behavior.

Question 17

Steve is a marketing agent who determines his work behavior solely on whether he thinks he can do actions without receiving immediate punishment from his boss. According to Kohlberg, which of the following stages of moral development does Steve's behavior exemplify?

Accepted Answer

People in the preconventional stage of Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development make decisions based on concrete rewards and punishments and immediate self-interest.

Question 18

Omar acknowledges the importance of the conventional rules of society, but he wants to hold himself to a higher standard, according to the principles that he has decided are moral and ethical. Which of the following best describes the system that Omar uses?

Accepted Answer

Virtue ethics is a perspective that goes beyond the conventional rules of society by suggesting that what is moral must also come from what a mature person with good "moral character" would deem right. Society's rules provide a moral minimum, and then moral individuals can transcend rules by applying their personal virtues such as faith, honesty, and integrity.

Question 19

According to Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development, people in which of the following stages tend to make decisions based on rewards and punishments and immediate self-interest?

Accepted Answer

Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development classifies people into categories based on their level of moral judgment. People in the preconventional stage make decisions based on rewards and punishments and immediate self-interest.

Question 20

Jessie's behavior is typically guided by what she thinks would be acceptable to her parents. According to Kohlberg, which of the following stages of moral development does Jessie's behavior exemplify?

Accepted Answer

People in the conventional stage of Kohlberg's model of cognitive moral development conform to the expectations of ethical behavior held by groups or institutions such as society, family, or peers.

Quiz 5: Ethics, Corporate Responsibility, and Sustainability