Question 1

Which of the following is the primary element of properly developed disciplinary procedures?

Accepted Answer

B) Proper disciplinary procedures require employers to clearly specify rules and expectations of behavior, otherwise employees do not know what is required of them. Severe punishment may be required in some cases but not all.

Question 2

How can a firm identify ethical people during the selection process?

Accepted Answer

B) Managers can use screening tools like honesty tests and background checks to screen out ethical undesirables. Closed-ended questions and job evaluations are not likely to uncover ethical behavior.

Question 3

Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following best supports the argument that Health-Tech should distribute an opinion survey to employees?

Accepted Answer

A) Employee opinion surveys are used by firms to provide employees with an anonymous method of bringing questions or problems to management's attention. Employees who feel uncomfortable raising concerns with managers or fear retribution for doing so would benefit from an opinion survey, which facilitates two-way communication in a nonthreatening manner.

Question 4

Where are an organization's rules and regulations usually stated?

Accepted Answer

A) The purpose of the rules is to inform employees ahead of time what is and is not acceptable behavior. Employees should be told, preferably in writing, what is not permitted. This usually occurs during the employee's orientation. The employee orientation handbook should contain the rules and regulations.

Question 5

Which of the following is a procedure that corrects a subordinate for violating a rule or procedure?

Accepted Answer

C) The purpose of discipline is to encourage employees to adhere to rules and regulations. Discipline is necessary when an employee violates one of the rules. The manager builds a fair discipline process on three pillars: rules and regulations, a system of progressive penalties, and an appeals process.

Question 6

Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Health-Tech's HR department has devised a brief ethics test for employees to use when determining if their actions match Health-Tech's code of conduct. Which of the following questions is LEAST likely to be included on the ethics test?

Accepted Answer

C) The impact of a decision on co-workers and Health-Tech's image are important to consider. Employees should also question the legality of their decisions. It is less relevant to ask if the action would be taken if the person worked for another firm because the other firm's values and ethics are not the issue.

Question 7

A fair discipline process is built on all of the following EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

C) The manager builds a fair discipline process on three pillars: rules and regulations, a system of progressive penalties, and an appeals process. The purpose of discipline is to encourage employees to adhere to rules and regulations.

Question 8

What is the most likely reason for more firms providing ethics training to employees?

Accepted Answer

B) For all practical purposes, ethics training is mandatory. Federal sentencing guidelines reduced penalties for employers accused of misconduct who implemented codes of conduct and ethics training. An amendment to those guidelines now outlines stricter ethics training requirements.

Question 9

Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following best supports the argument that Health-Tech should make significant changes to its disciplinary process?

Accepted Answer

D) Arbitrators are more likely to overturn employers' decisions when the employer fails to have clear rules and regulations. Opinion surveys are useful in establishing two-way communication but do not directly relate to disciplinary processes.

Question 10

According to experts, ethical behavior in the workplace begins with ________.

Accepted Answer

C) Ethical behavior starts with moral awareness. In other words, does the person even recognize that a moral issue exists in the situation?

Question 11

Employees at R&R Carpet and Tile are allowed to take one-hour lunch breaks. Todd's assistant, Suzanne, took a two-hour lunch break today without prior approval. Suzanne has never broken any other rules since being employed by the company. R&R has a nonpunitive discipline policy. Which of the following will most likely be Todd's response to Suzanne's violation?

Accepted Answer

A) The first step in nonpunitive discipline is issuing the employee an oral reminder. After that, a formal written reminder, decision-making leave, and the employee's dismissal are appropriate.

Question 12

Johnson & Johnson has a corporate ethics code that states "We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, mothers and fathers, and all others who use our products and services." What is the most likely purpose of Johnson & Johnson's ethics code?

Accepted Answer

D) Managers should make clear their expectations with respect to the values they want subordinates to follow, such as with the example of Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson's ethics code clarifies the firm's expectations with respect to the values it considers critical. The firm expects its employees to follow the ethics code, but it does not clarify disciplinary procedures or offer incentives.

Question 13

When an employer informs everyone of the standards for judging performance and the penalties for failure up front, the employer is enhancing the perceived fairness of the situation via ________.

Accepted Answer

A) One study concluded that three actions contributed to perceived fairness in business settings: engagement, explanation, and expectation clarity. Expectation clarity occurs when managers make sure that everyone knows by what standards they will be judged and the penalties for failure.

Question 14

When a company rewards employees who behave ethically using the firm's incentive plan and appraisal system, they are ________ to encourage ethical behavior.

Accepted Answer

A) The physical manifestations of the manager's values-the incentives, appraisal criteria, and disciplinary procedures he or she uses, for instance-send strong signals regarding what employees should and should not do.

Question 15

Which of the following is a true statement regarding ethical behavior in the workplace?

Accepted Answer

B) Highly challenging goals pursued blindly and job pressures can contribute to unethical behavior. Discussing ethics and punishing bad behavior improve the overall ethical behavior in an organization. When people join firms, their moral compasses usually shift towards the ethics of the organization.

Question 16

Which of the following suggests that when a woman fails to act as anticipated, men and women will treat her more harshly than if a man had acted in the same manner?

Accepted Answer

B) The Evil Woman Thesis argues that women who commit [certain] offenses violate stereotypic assumptions about the proper behavior of women. These women will [then] be penalized for their inappropriate sex role behavior in addition to their other offenses. In other words, it argues that when a woman does not act the way other men and women think she should act, the men and women tend to overreact and treat her more harshly than they might if a man committed it.

Question 17

The CEO of Southwest Airlines can sometimes be seen helping out at a gate, handling luggage, and assisting cabin attendants while in flight. This is an example of ________ to create and sustain the company's culture.

Accepted Answer

D) Symbolism-what the manager actually does and thus the signals he or she sends-ultimately does the most to create and sustain the company's culture. Managers need to "walk the talk," such as how the Southwest Airlines CEO does.

Question 18

Which of the following enforces the need for organizations to provide ethics training to employees?

Accepted Answer

A) Since 1991, federal sentencing guidelines have prescribed reduced penalties for employers accused of misconduct who implement codes of conduct and ethics training. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 makes ethics training even more important. The other legislative acts are not related to corporate ethics.

Question 19

Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that Health-Tech should utilize online ethics program software?

Accepted Answer

D) Online ethics program software enables firms to keep track of how well a firm and its employees are doing in terms of maintaining ethical standards. Such software would allow managers at Health-Tech to measure what ethical issues are most common in order to determine the most relevant training.

Question 20

The periodic administration of employee opinion surveys helps managers to ________.

Accepted Answer

D) Some firms administer periodic opinion surveys to facilitate two-way communication. Opinion surveys allow employees to express feelings about the company and their managers and to some extent about service, pay, and benefits. Each manager then has an opportunity to discuss the anonymous department results with his or her subordinates, and create an action plan for improving work group commitment.

Quiz 12: Ethics, Employee Relations, and Fair Treatment at Work