Ethics final
An "ethical blind spot" refers to ___________________.
A person's underestimation of his or her own potential to commit misconduct
What is the definition of an ethics audit?
An investigation into the ethical climate of the firm
Which statement about organizational ethical role models is true?
Co-workers can be ethical role models, especially when the manager is distant.
Which leadership style is likely to be ineffective at promoting ethical conduct?
Coercive leadership
Which of the following statements is true regarding organizational conflict?
Conflicts provide an opportunity to listen to the other party's viewpoints.
What is a potential downside of overusing the compromising style of conflict management?
Each side has something to give up.
Why might ethical conflicts be important to an ethical culture?
Ethical conflicts can be used to identify ethical issues.
Which of the following is true about dissent in organizations?
Ethical cultures are likely to have strong internal dissent mechanisms
Why is an organization characterized by workplace politics perceived negatively by employees?
Followers are rewarded based on whether they serve the leader's best interest
What do all effective ethical leaders share in common?
Good communication skills
What is the best way to avoid an ethical misconduct disaster?
Identify a potential ethical issue before it snowballs into a crisis
What does external whistle blowing often indicate about a firm's corporate culture?
Internal reporting is perceived to be ineffective.
Training employees in leadership techniques _________________.
Is a form of employee empowerment
Which statement is true about employee feedback?
It helps leader identify the firm's strengths and weaknesses
Why is the collaborating style of management most favorable to ethical conflict resolution?
Leaders desire to meet the needs of others but adhere to their own goals and values
Which of the following is a step companies take in the recovery process?
Reinforcing the firm's reputation with positive messages
Which statement best describes how autocratic leaders communicate?
They limit communication to need-to-know information
Why are principles and values so important to companies?
They provide guidance for employees and leaders in making ethical decisions.
As a lower-level employee, how might you be able to ethically influence new hires?
You can communicate organizational principles and values.
What does mediation involve?
an objective third party helps two parties settle their differences
What should an ethical leader do if a conflict begins to escalate?
bring the discussion back to the core issues
Which characteristic best describes a mixed-motive approach to handling conflict?
collaborating
What is the first step toward making an ethical decision?
identifying the ethical issue
What is the problem with an accommodating style of conflict management?
leaders might allow unethical employees to continue their misconduct.
When handling a conflict situation, it is important for a leader to realize that the other party's concerns are _________.
legitimate
What do zero-sum leaders believe?
there always has to be a winner and a loser in a conflict situation
According to Ethics Consultant, David Gebler, most unethical behavior is committed ______________.
to meet performance goals
Which mediation skill is important for an ethical leader to have in a conflict situation?
use of neutral language
Which of the following is an important part of an organizational culture?
values
What actions can teams take to aid in the ethical decision making process?
Collectively look for ethical solutions or alternatives
Why might listening be just as important as speaking for an ethical leader?
It can establish credibility and increase morale among employees
What is organizational ethics?
Right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable conduct in an organizational environment
What should an ethical leader do in managing an ethical dilemma?
Select the most desirable path in a situation in which no decision is optimal.
What does an effective ethics program require?
Support from top management and frequent communication with employees
Leaders who display good character________________________.
Take responsibility for ethically meeting stakeholder needs
How can ethical leaders increase employee empowerment?
Make discussions about ethics commonplace
What is a downside to being a variable-sum leader?
They might give in to employees making unethical decisions
What might be true of leaders who adopt a competing style of conflict management?
They score high on assertiveness
Why is external whistle blowing a serious decision?
Whistle blowers have been fired for reporting.
Which of the following is part of the discovery process?
assessment
Which of the following is important in catching misconduct internally before it becomes a major issue?
employee feedback
This approach emphasizes obedience to legal requirements.
compliance-based approach
Which of the following is a barrier to communication between leaders and followers?
power differentials
Separating the people from the issue in an ethical conflict situation allows the leader to approach the conflict situation with more __________.
objectivity
In a rigid hierarchical organization, communication generally consists of ______________.
one-way communication
Good communication skills __________.
promote leader-follower congruence
What is a disadvantage of small group communication and decision making?
It can lead to excessive risk taking
An ethical leader with good interpersonal communication skills should ____________.
Demonstrate both respect and firmness in communication
How should ethical leaders manage their employees?
Demonstrate ethical values through role modeling
____________ occurs when both the communicator and receiver considers the unique worth of the other party and tries to understand what the other is communicating.
Dialogue
Leaders with an avoiding conflict management style are more likely to exhibit ______________.
Ethical complacency
What should an employee do after discovering illegal conduct?
Immediately report to your immediate supervisor.
Which situation demonstrates reciprocity?
In response to co-workers help making a deadline, you assist them with a similar crisis
Why is the mixed-motive conflict management style considered to be the most effective?
It bases decisions on the goals and values of the firm.
Why would organizations prefer that employees provide their personal information when making reports?
It is easier to handle a conflict situation when all parties have been identified.
Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication is false?
It is less trustworthy than verbal communication
Why are leaders important even in a democratic organization?
Leaders often make the final call on major decisions
__________ occurs when ethical leaders observe and identify ethical risk areas.
Recognizing
How might a comprehensive code of conduct prove ineffective in curbing misconduct?
The code of conduct is not effectively communicated to employees
Which of the following factors impact the length of time it takes for companies to recover from ethical misconduct?
The length of time it takes for the company to resolve the issues How stakeholders perceive the company's response How the company responds after discovering the misconduct
What is one of the disadvantages higher-level executives face when overseeing an ethical climate of the organization?
Their tendency to be socially isolated from employees
According to most companies' ethics codes, what happens to whistle blowers if their reportings are wrong?
They do not face retaliation for good faith reporting.
What is a necessary component of an ethical corporate culture?
an ethics program
An effective team should possess which characteristic?
diversity
An effective ethics program should show _____________________.
intolerance of misconduct
According to the information shared in this section, ________ might provide a solution to a disagreement, but it is unlikely that both parties will be happy with the decision.
litigation
What is group polarization?
When the group moves toward a more extreme position than what each member would have done individually
Ethical leaders should consider their employees to be ____________ in contributing to the firm's values.
partners
To help prevent misconduct, ethical leaders should:
Develop and manage systems to maintain an ethical culture
Why are managers reluctant to engage in the discovery process?
They fear uncovering misconduct could harm the firms reputation.
Why might ethics mistakes actually improve an organization in the long-run?
They give the firm an opportunity to learn from its mistakes
When might a zero-sum conflict approach be necessary?
When compromise would break a law.
In order to promote an open communication culture, leaders should ____________________.
adopt more of a democratic process toward ethical decision making
