Question 1

Which of the following best encompasses the influences on a person's ethical judgement?
A) ethical intuition and deep reflection
B) deep reflection on morality based on the society's perceived beliefs
C) deeply ingrained value patterns and beliefs
D) individual, organization, and societal characteristics, moral consciousness, and moral intensity

Accepted Answer

D is the most comprehensive option, as it includes individual, organizational, and societal characteristics, along with moral consciousness and moral intensity, all of which can influence a person's ethical judgment. This option recognizes the complexity and multifaceted nature of ethical decision-making.

Question 2

What is the purpose of the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?
A) determine the internal morality of an individual
B) analyze the ethical dimension of a decision
C) analyze the degree of moral awareness of an individual
D) help an individual develop ethical character

Accepted Answer

The Rotary International's Four-Way Test is designed to help individuals analyze the ethical dimension of a decision by asking four questions about truth, fairness, goodwill, and benefits to all concerned.

Question 3

What is lacking in both egoism and social group relativism?
A) decision-making based on the norms of friends, coworkers, or close acquaintances
B) adherence to personal preference
C) decision making based on societal ethical principals
D) interpreting ethics based on the beliefs of others

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is lacking in both egoism and...

Question 4

Which of the following incidents would Tom Jones consider to have the highest moral intensity?
A) A company's poor working and sanitation conditions causes a fire that kills 17 people.
B) A company's continued pollution over a decade contributes to lower respiratory health for everyone in a tristate area.
C) A company corruption scandal forces the resignation of several members of top management.
D) A company corruption scandal plummets the company's social standing and lowered profits bring about many layoffs.

Accepted Answer

The incident involving poor working and sanitation conditions leading to a fire that kills 17 people would be considered to have the highest moral intensity by Tom Jones because it involves significant harm to individuals, making it a situation with a high degree of moral urgency.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about ethical intention is accurate?
A) Ethical intention leads to ethical judgment.
B) Just because a person forms an ethical intention does not mean he or she will act on it.
C) It is easier to form an unethical intention than an ethical intention.
D) Old habits help strengthen the will to follow through with an ethical intention.

Accepted Answer

Ethical intention does not guarantee action due to various factors such as external pressures, situational constraints, or personal limitations that might prevent the translation of intention into action.

Question 6

What usually follows a failure of ethical intuition?
A) a reliance on deeply-ingrained moral beliefs
B) an altered decision based on reflexive intuition
C) a reflective rational ethical decision-making process
D) an action based on self-preservation

Accepted Answer

When ethical intuition fails, individuals often resort to a reflective rational ethical decision-making process. This involves consciously thinking through the ethical dimensions of a situation and making a decision based on reasoned arguments and principles, rather than on gut feelings or immediate emotional responses.

Question 7

If a negative act of high moral intensity occurs in a business, which of the following is most likely to happen?
A) The company will face legal consequences, and employees of high moral intensity will be most upset.
B) The company will face relatively low societal outrage, and those employees of low moral quality will react strongly.
C) The public will experience strong moral outrage, but the company's employees will be largely unaffected emotionally.
D) The public will have almost no moral outrage, but the company's employees will be very emotionally affected.

Accepted Answer

A negative act of high moral intensity in a business is likely to lead to legal consequences due to the violation of laws or regulations. Employees with high moral standards are more likely to be upset by such acts because they conflict with their personal values and the ethical standards they expect the company to uphold.

Question 8

Which of the following has research shown to be positively correlated with better ethical decision making?
A) quicker ethical reflection
B) deontology
C) lower idealism
D) high rationality

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that deontology, which emphasizes adherence to rules and duties, is positively correlated with better ethical decision making.

Question 9

You reason at a Stage 3 conventional level of moral development. Which of the following characteristics apply to you?
A) You often think about moral issues and have a moderate to high moral awareness.
B) You have a high moral identity.
C) You have a highly individualistic sense of morality.
D) Praise by your superiors has a major influence on you.

Accepted Answer

At Stage 3 of Kohlberg's conventional level of moral development, individuals are influenced by social approval and the desire to maintain relationships, so praise by superiors is significant.

Question 10

What is the simplest, easiest-to-apply ethical theory?
A) egoism
B) social group relativism
C) cultural relativism
D) utilitarianism

Accepted Answer

Egoism is considered the simplest and easiest-to-apply ethical theory because it focuses on the self-interest of the individual making the decision, without requiring complex considerations of cultural norms, societal impacts, or the greatest good for the greatest number.

Question 11

In a business where egoism is the predominant ethical theory, which employee would receive a scarce resource when there is competition over that scarce resource?
A) the one who needs it the most
B) the more politically powerful employee
C) all competing employees through equal distribution
D) the employee who makes a better argument to management

Accepted Answer

In a business environment where egoism is the predominant ethical theory, resources would likely be allocated to the more politically powerful employee. Egoism emphasizes self-interest and personal gain, which means those with more power and influence are more likely to secure resources for themselves.

Question 12

For which of the following reasons is the Volkswagen emissions cheating of modest, rather than high, moral intensity, according to the textbook?
A) It is not clear that there would be any damage to the environment.
B) Management would take the primary blame for the cheating.
C) The social consensus will be that the cheating was not that bad.
D) The harm done will be diffuse and widely dispersed.

Accepted Answer

The Volkswagen emissions cheating is considered of modest moral intensity because the harm caused by the cheating is diffuse and widely dispersed, affecting a broad and not easily identifiable group of people and the environment in a less direct manner.

Question 13

How does the text define "ethical intention"?
A) mentally deciding if one will act unethically or ethically
B) mentally committing to take an action that is morally appropriate
C) mentally committing to apply ethical intuition to a situation
D) evaluating the act of another to determine whether or not to respond ethically or unethically

Accepted Answer

Ethical intention is defined as mentally committing to take an action that is morally appropriate, indicating a proactive decision to behave in a way that aligns with ethical standards.

Question 14

Which of the following rationales would Maria, an egoist, most likely use for deciding to give money to a local charity?
A) Giving to the charity would help her fit in with society's expectations of moral behavior.
B) The money may go to people who truly need it, and it may benefit their lives.
C) She could later tell people about giving money and be respected for it.
D) Giving to the charity is a clear moral act.

Accepted Answer

An egoist acts primarily out of self-interest. Maria would likely give money to the charity if it benefits her, such as gaining respect from others by telling them about her donation.

Question 15

Adam Smith and Ayn Rand would most likely agree on which of the following statements?
A) The suffering of others should not factor into a calculation of one's decisions or behaviors.
B) Communal harmony is just as important as the pursuit of self-interest.
C) People should pursue their self-interests at all costs.
D) People tend to place their self-interests above those of others.

Accepted Answer

Both Adam Smith and Ayn Rand recognized the importance of self-interest in economic and ethical theory. Smith, in his concept of the "invisible hand," suggested that individuals pursuing their own interests often benefit society more than if they were trying to benefit society directly. Ayn Rand, a proponent of Objectivism, emphasized rational self-interest as a key component of her philosophy. Both would agree that people naturally prioritize their own interests, which can lead to positive outcomes for society as a whole.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the ethical character of a new employee at an organization?
A) She already believes she knows what is right and what is wrong.
B) She has a kind of "tabula rasa," blank-slate conception of morality.
C) She is more likely to commit unethical behavior than ethical behavior.
D) She has very low moral awareness with respect to the kinds of issues faced in this organization.

Accepted Answer

An individual's ethical character, especially in a new environment such as an organization, is often shaped by their pre-existing beliefs about what is right and wrong. This foundation influences how they perceive and react to ethical dilemmas in the workplace.

Question 17

How does the moral philosophy literature differ from the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?
A) It allows for a more systematic approach for reaching moral conclusions.
B) It is somewhat narrower in scope.
C) It offers fewer moral perspectives for analyzing an ethical issue.
D) It asks more direct questions about the benefit or harm of an act.

Accepted Answer

Moral philosophy literature provides a systematic framework for analyzing ethical issues, offering various theories and perspectives, whereas the Rotary International's Four-Way Test is a simpler, more direct set of questions for evaluating actions.

Question 18

Mack has never reported any of his coworkers for unethical behavior despite witnessing it many times. He forms an ethical intention to say something for the first time. What can his organization do to help him follow through with this intention?
A) Provide employees with decision-making tools, such as ethics scenarios and answers.
B) Make clear how harsh the punishments are for the specific unethical behavior.
C) Reduce the amount of interaction employees have with each other.
D) Offer private counseling to all employees.

Accepted Answer

Providing decision-making tools, such as ethics scenarios and answers, can help Mack by giving him guidance and confidence in how to handle the situation ethically.

Question 19

What is a weakness of the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?
A) It doesn't raise the issue of dishonesty.
B) It doesn't offer advice on how to deal with a conflict between two questions.
C) It cannot be applied to very many scenarios.
D) It doesn't deal with issues such as friendship.

Accepted Answer

The Rotary International's Four-Way Test may not provide guidance on what to do when there's a conflict between the questions it poses, such as choosing between being truthful and being beneficial or fair. This can be seen as a weakness because it doesn't offer a clear way to prioritize or balance these values when they are in conflict.

Question 20

In the chapter's initial Volkswagen emissions cheating scenario, at what point does the subject--the engineer who helped with the cheating--first truly question why he or she was complicit in the cheating?
A) when the scheme appears to be successful
B) when the environmental effects are considered
C) when first approached to help with the cheating
D) when the first serious consequences become apparent

Accepted Answer

The engineer first truly questions their complicity when the first serious consequences of the cheating become apparent, indicating a realization of the real-world impact of their actions.

Quiz 5: Ethical Decision Making

Which of the following best encompasses the influences on a person's ethical judgement?

What is the purpose of the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

What is lacking in both egoism and social group relativism?

Which of the following incidents would Tom Jones consider to have the highest moral intensity?

Which of the following statements about ethical intention is accurate?

What usually follows a failure of ethical intuition?

If a negative act of high moral intensity occurs in a business, which of the following is most likely to happen?

Which of the following has research shown to be positively correlated with better ethical decision making?

You reason at a Stage 3 conventional level of moral development. Which of the following characteristics apply to you?

What is the simplest, easiest-to-apply ethical theory?

In a business where egoism is the predominant ethical theory, which employee would receive a scarce resource when there is competition over that scarce resource?

For which of the following reasons is the Volkswagen emissions cheating of modest, rather than high, moral intensity, according to the textbook?

How does the text define "ethical intention"?

Which of the following rationales would Maria, an egoist, most likely use for deciding to give money to a local charity?

Adam Smith and Ayn Rand would most likely agree on which of the following statements?

Which of the following best describes the ethical character of a new employee at an organization?

How does the moral philosophy literature differ from the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

Mack has never reported any of his coworkers for unethical behavior despite witnessing it many times. He forms an ethical intention to say something for the first time. What can his organization do to help him follow through with this intention?

What is a weakness of the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

In the chapter's initial Volkswagen emissions cheating scenario, at what point does the subject--the engineer who helped with the cheating--first truly question why he or she was complicit in the cheating?