business ethics (chapter 1)

Accepting a moral principle a) is a purely intellectual act like accepting a scientific hypothesis. b) generally involves a desire to follow that principle for its own sake. c) means you will never go against that principle. d) is a religiously based act of faith.

B

Proper logic states a) all valid arguments are sound arguments. b) all sound arguments are valid arguments. c) a sound argument may have a false conclusion. d) a sound argument may have a false premise.

B

The authors use the murder of Kitty Genovese to illustrate a) ethical relativism. b) bystander apathy. c) groupthink. d) the paradox of hedonism

B

The benefits within moral standards are best seen in which statement? a) There is a complete list of adequacy criteria for moral judgments that philosophers all agree on. b) Professional codes are the rules that are supposed to govern the conduct of members of a given profession. c) Professional codes of ethics provide a complete and reliable guide to one's moral obligations. d) People who are exclusively concerned with their own interests tend to have happier and more satisfying lives than those whose desires extend beyond themselves.

B

The code or principles of conduct that a person accepts a) constitute the whole of his or her morality. b) can be distinguished from the person's morality in a broader sense that includes his or her values, ideals, and aspirations. c) rarely guide his or her conduct in practice.

B

Which of the following characteristics distinguishes moral standards from other sorts of standards? a) moral standards are purely optional b) moral standards take priority over other standards, including self-interest c) moral standards cannot be justified by reasons d) moral standards must be set or validated by some authoritative body

B

According to divine command theory, if stealing is wrong then it is wrong because: a) Our reason determines stealing to be wrong. b) God forbids stealing because stealing is wrong. c) God leaves right and wrong up to humanity. d) Stealing is wrong only because God commands us not to steal.

D

If an argument is valid, then a) the argument is sound. b) the argument's conclusion must be true. c) the argument's premises are true. d) its conclusion must be true, if its premises are

D

In the essay, "Is Business Bluffing Ethical?" Albert Carr would agree with all of the following except for: a) Business has the impersonal character of a game like poker. b) Business demands special strategy. c) Business requires an understanding of its special ethical standards. d) Business should be evaluated by society's moral standards

D

The famous experiments by social psychologist Solomon Asch show a) the truth of utilitarianism. b) the power of peer pressure has been greatly exaggerated. c) business organizations put more pressure on individual integrity than do other kinds of organization. d) even temporary groups can pressure people to conform.

D

Which of the following is one of the four broad categories of law? a) statutes b) constitutional law c) common law d) contractual law

D

Which statement is true concerning moral principles and self interests? a) Statutes are laws applied in the English speaking world before there were any common laws. b) Philosophers agree that morality is based on the commands of God. c) "Groupthink" is a positive and necessary characteristic of all groups. d) Morality serves to restrain our purely self interested desires so that we can all live together.

D

If you do the right thing only because you think it will pay off, then you are truly motivated by moral concerns. True False

False

If your conduct is legal, it will also be moral. True False

False

In a broad sense morality is the moral code of an individual or of a society (insofar as the moral codes of the individuals making up that society overlap). True False

False

Organizational norms always and inevitably lead to groupthink. True False

False

Rules of etiquette are always moral rules. True False

False

The paradox of hedonism (or the paradox of selfishness) is that people who are exclusively concerned with their own interests tend to have happier and more satisfying lives than those who are concerned about other people. True False

False

One of the major characteristics of an organization is the shared acceptance of organizational rules by its members. True False

True

Our conscience evolved as we internalized the moral instructions of the parents or other authority figures who raised us as children. True False

True

There are four basic kinds of law: statutes, regulations, common law, and constitutional law. True False

True

Moral standards concern behavior that can be of serious consequence to human welfare. True False

True

POSSIBLE SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: List and explain why Robert Solomon contends ethics is good business. What is the divine command theory? Explain how good ethics can benefit an organization and business. What is meant by "diffusion of responsibility"? Some philosophers distinguish between morality in a broad sense and morality in a narrow sense. What is this difference? Explain why being ethical is good business. Is it possible to be ethical and be successful? To many, the two do not go together. State your position with reasons. What dollar value would you give to a good reputation in business? How much is a good reputation worth? How do we develop our ethics? What are the primary sources for us to develop our ethical position? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of groupthink.

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Ethical relativism supports the theory that: a) what is right is determined by what a culture or society says is right. b) there are no moral values whatsoever. c) morality is relative to the goal of promoting human well being. d) different societies have similar ideas about right and wrong

A

For philosophers, the most important issue is not where our moral principles came from, but: a) whether those moral principles can be justified b) how we acquired the beliefs we have c) to what extent religion influences people's moral beliefs d) the legal basis for acting morally

A

Morality and self interest a) can sometimes conflict. b) boil down to the same thing. c) can never come into genuine conflict. d) are in basic, irreconcilable conflict.

A

Our relationship with the law is best described by which of the following? a) To a significant extent, law codifies a society's customs, norms, and moral values. b) The law is a completely adequate guide to the moral standards that we should follow. c) The law makes all immoral conduct illegal. d) Violating the law is always immoral.

A

Philosophical discussion of moral issues typically a) involves the revision and modification of arguments. b) polished rhetoric and skill at debate. c) circular reasoning. d) determining what the majority thinks.

A

When religion and morality are considered: a) the moral instructions of the world's great religions are often general and imprecise. b) most people act rightly only because their religion tells them to. c) atheists are likely to be less moral than religious people. d) in practice, people who share a religion will agree on all moral questions.

A

A tangible truth about having moral principles is a) moral behavior always pays off in strictly selfish terms. b) morally responsible companies are rarely among the most profitable. c) if you do the right thing only because you think it will pay off, you're not really motivated by moral concerns. d) business is fundamentally an amoral activity.

C

Choose the statement that gives the most accurate description of etiquette: a) the rules of etiquette are a fundamental branch of morality b) conformity with the rules of etiquette is sufficient for moral conduct c) etiquette refers to any special code of social behavior or courtesy d) the rules of etiquette are backed by statutory law

C

Choose the statement that is a true reflection of moral beliefs. a) Conscience is a perfectly reliable guide for moral behavior. b) Morality in the broad sense is the set of moral rules you obey. c) Bystander apathy appears to result in part from diffusion of responsibility. d) Rules of etiquette are usually moral assertions.

C

Good moral judgments should be logical and a) based on religion. b) beyond rational doubt. c) based on facts and acceptable moral principles. d) coincide with what most scientifically trained people think.

C

Moral attitudes are best depicted by which of the following? a) As long as your conduct is legal, then it will be moral. b) If you follow the rules of etiquette, your conduct will be moral. c) Moral standards typically concern behavior that can be of serious consequence to human welfare. d) There is no distinction between morality in a broad sense and morality in a narrow sense.

C

The example of Huckleberry Finn shows a) one should always obey one's conscience. b) when in doubt, one should ignore one's conscience. c) we shouldn't rely uncritically on what our conscience says. d) unlike most people, Huckleberry Finn lacked a conscience.

C

When ethical relativism is put into practice, it implies that a) societies never share any moral values in common. b) in ethics, sometimes the minority is right. c) we cannot say that slavery is wrong if the society in question believes it is right. d) as societies evolve, their morality improves.

C

"Etiquette" designates a special realm of morality. True False

False

An argument is valid only if all its premises are true. True False

False

An individual does not have to follow the code of one's profession. True False

False

Enron executives acted wrongly simply because they broke the law. True False

False

Most people don't distinguish between a person's "morals" and his or her "ethics." True False

True

According to Tom Regan, our considered moral beliefs are those we hold only after we have made a conscientious effort (a) to attain maximum conceptual clarity, (b) to acquire all relevant information, (c) to think about the belief and its implications rationally, (d) impartially, and with the benefit of reflection, (e) coolly. True False

True

According to divine command theory, if something is wrong, then the only reason it is wrong is that God commands us not to do it. True False

True

An argument is a group of statements, one of which is claimed to follow from the others. True False

True

An organization is a group of people working together to achieve a common purpose. True False

True

Business ethics is the study of what constitutes right and wrong, or good and bad, human conduct in a business context. True False

True

Bystander apathy appears to result in part from diffusion of responsibility. True False

True

Ethical relativism is the theory that what is right is determined by what a culture or society says is right. True False

True

For philosophers, the important question is not how we come to have the particular moral principles we have, but whether we can justify them. True False

True

In business and elsewhere, your only moral obligation is to act within the law. True False

True

In theory and practice, law codifies customs, ideals, beliefs, and a society's moral values. True False

True