global business chapter 8

Beiug a moral manager iuvolves all of the followiug activities except a. role modeliug. b. communicating about ethics and values. c. delegating effectively. d. using rewards and discipliue effectively.

c. delegating effectively.

Which of the following is not an element of effective ethics programs? a. compliance standards b. systems for monitoring, auditing, and reporting c. delegation of authority d. enforcement

c. delegation of authority

Which of the following is the most basic assumption we make in discussing personal and managerial ethics? a. With effort, the "right" answer can be reached. b. The object of ethical principles is to minimize harm done to others. c. The object of ethical principles is to maximize benefits to others and ourselves. d. People want to behave ethically.

d. People want to behave ethically.

The top factor in managers' unethical behaviors is consistently cited as a. greed. b. financial need. c. peer pressure. d. behaviors of superiors.

d. behaviors of superiors.

Ethical issues at the organizational level a. represent conflicts between two or more companies. b. display conflicts between a person's role as family member and employee. c. are generally more difficult to solve than issues at the personal level. d. confront people in their roles as managers or employees.

d. confront people in their roles as managers or employees.

Integrity is the quality most sought after in leaders.

true

From your knowledge of human behavior, do you agree with Carol Gilligan's contention that women tend to view ethics differently than do men?

Because Dr. Gilligan has never shared her data with anyone, there is a siguificant controversy over the validity of her research. That aside, there seems to be some "face value" to the claim that women focus more on relationships in their ethical judgments than do men, who are more focused on more abstract concepts of justice and rights. However, even if there is a distinction, we should guard against the tendency to think one approach is "better" than the other. Both approaches have value, and both can contribute siguificantly to our ethical judgments.

One answer that has been provided to combat the sinking status of ethics officers is for them to "manage ethics upward," i.e., overseeing the ethical practices of officers above them in the organization chart. Evaluate the potential effectiveness of this solution.

Certainly, any employee of an organization should attempt to "manage upward" to the extent possible. Everyone has a superior in the organization, and learning how to deal with bosses effectively is very important. However, asking ethics officers to be willing and able to question the ethical practices of their superiors would have a chilling effect on their effectiveness. If ethics are truly central to the organization's climate, the ethics officer should be at the very top of the organization chart.

Some people have proposed that character education be provided in schools and in corporations. Evaluate this proposal.

Character education purports to help develop virtues in people, so that they become better humans. Few people disagree that this is a "good" thing, but there is significant disagreement about who should provide the education and what virtues should be taught. The family seems an appropriate place for this type of education, and perhaps religious institutions; but when schools and business fmns are discussed, disagreements begin. The argument for having schools and corporations provide character education seems to be based more on the lack of it from other sources rather than an affirmative argument that they are the appropriate social institutions to provide the education.

Compare and contrast compliance vs. ethics orientation.

First, a pure compliance focus could undermine the ways of thinking or habits of mind that are needed in ethics thinking. Ethics thinking is more philosophical or principled based while compliance thinking is more mle-bound and legalistic. Second, it has been argued that compliance can squeeze out ethics. An organization can become so focused on following the law that ethics considerations no longer get factored into discussions. Third, the issue of "false consciousness" has been raised. This means that managers may become accustomed to addressing issues in a mechanistic, rule-based way, and this may cause them to not consider tougher issues that a more ethics focused approach might require

Account for the differences in perceived pressure to compromise personal standards of conduct among senior managers, middle managers, and lower managers. Are the actual pressures really different, or is there a difference in perception, or is there some other reason?

I doubt that there is any less pressure at higher levels of management than at lower levels. Thus, there must be other reasons for the difference in perception. One possible explanation is that the managers who have advanced to higher levels of management have become accustomed to the pressure, and so do not notice it as readily. Second, lower level managers have more direction provided to them (contrasted with upper level managers, many of whom set their own agendas and are more self-directed), which often comes across as pressure to achieve the desired objective, regardless of how it is done.

One criticism of ethics hotlines is that most of the reported wrongdoings are false accusations, which can cause great harm to company morale.

If the majority of reports to ethics hotlines are false accusations, there may be cause for concern. This is an empirical question that can be answered only by observation of the claims and subsequent investigation. The criticism, by itself, is not sufficient reason to shut down the hotlines. The second step of the analysis (assuming that the majority of claims are indeed false accusations) would be to determine the motivation behind the false reports. If the reports are malicious in nature, the company obviously does have a problem. However, if the reports are filed out of genuine concern for the firm's ethical practices and well-being, that is an entirely different matter. In that case, the hotline is not the problem--it is a way of monitoring the ethical performance of the firm. There may be better ways to accomplish the task, closer to the precipitating event, but it does not seem that the hotline itself is the problem.

The authors state that it seems that more often than not individuals think about a moral situation briefly, and then go with their instincts. Do you agree with this characterization of moral judgment? What evidence can you provide to support your position?

In my discussions with students over a number of years, my perception is that they think most people just use instinct. However, two factors make me question this assumption. First, this would seem to invalidate most of Lawrence Kohlberg's fmdings. Over some twenty years of research, Kohlberg found that people do make progress in developing their moral judgment skills, and they, in fact, do deliberate about the moral dilemma presented to them. Second, in a book entitled The Moral Sense, James Q. Wilson argues that the vast majority of humans are born with a moral sense, "an intuitive or directly felt belief about how one ought to act when one is free to act voluntarily" (xii). Although this defmition is not exactly the same thing as an instinct, it is close enough to make my point. The same students who say they think most people use instinct nevertheless tend to disagree with Wilson's contention. Thus, while people say they use instinct, the more likely case is that they do deliberate about the situation, but are unable to articulate their thoughts.

Some people argue that we are experiencing a "proliferation of rights claims," in which more and more people are claiming more and more rights. Do you agree with this argument? What are the implications for our society, if it is true?

Keshavan Nair, in his book A Higher Standard of Leadership, argues that people are forced to claim their rights because others are not fulfilling their duties to those people. Nair's argument contains two relevant points for this question. First, he would agree that there is a proliferation of rights claims. Second, and more to the point, is why those claims are arising. One of the more enlightening revelations I have had in the classroom is the realization that many students have not made the connection between one person's rights and the duties those rights impose on others. Simply put, for every right there is a corresponding duty. Ifl have a right to free speech, you have a duty to observe that right. If I have a right to life, you have a duty not to kill me. Nair's point is that we tend not to focus on duties in our society, thus forcing those whose rights we abridge to demand their rights. Thus, the implication for our society is that if we would fulfill our duties (deontology!), we would not have to demand our rights.

The concept of servant leadership states that leaders should seek first to serve their followers, and by doing so, they become great leaders. Evaluate this idea. Is it something that would work in the United States?

Robert Greenleafs book, Servant Leadership, is in some ways a searing indictment of the American model of management and leadership. He makes it clear that our leaders (in all segments of society) do a pretty mediocre job compared to what is possible. He makes a strong argument that servant leadership, while requiring a completely different mindset than what we normally expect of our leaders, provides the opportunity to greatly enhance the performance of our social institutions. In the context of this particular chapter, it seems that the mindset of service provides much less opportunity to contemplate unethical acts than does the stereotypical mindset of "me first" leadership.

Discuss the board of directors' role in the finn's ethical climate.

There is a great deal of criticism of boards now because of their lack of oversight in a number of different areas. Critics charge that many boards have become puppets of senior management, instead of performing their traditional functions as advisors and overseers (Greenleaf was especially critical of this in Servant Leadership). To the extent these accusations are tme, boards are not fulfilling their obligations to provide ethical leadership. However, boards are not involved in the day-to-day operations of the finn. Because of this fact, they do not have the opportunity to set the ethical climate. They defmitely should demand an ethical climate in the finn, and take action if the senior managers do not create one.

An ethics screen is a. a set of select standards against which the proposed action is compared. b. a set offmancial criteria which must be met before the proposed action is evaluated ethically. c. a set of investment criteria used by ethical investors. d. a set of ethical standards against which job candidates are evaluated.

a. a set of select standards against which the proposed action is compared.

Being forthright, siucere, and honest in communicatiug with others is referred to as a. candor. b. transparency. c. feedback. d. criticism.

a. candor.

Decisions about ethical situations often present a(n) a. conflict of interest. b. fmancial dilemma. c. unresolvable problem. d. legal problem.

a. conflict of interest.

An ethical concept or rule that helps the decision maker take an ethical course is called a(n) a. ethical principle. b. moral challenge. c. moral dilemma. d. ethical rubric.

a. ethical principle

The test of one's best self relies on one's a. self concept. b. individual motivation. c. self leadership. d. self delusion.

a. self concept.

____ refers to a quality, characteristics, or state in which activities, processes, practices, and decisions in companies become open or visible to the outside world. a. Opacity b. Corporate Transparency c. Deontological d. Utilitarianism

b. Corporate Transparency

Each of the following are characteristics of servant leaders except: a. Persuasion b. Deception c. Stewardship d. Building community

b. Deception

Which of the following is NOT a way of perceiving ethical codes? a. as a magnifying glass. b. as a compass. c. as a shield. d. as a club.

b. as a compass.

According to research done by David Callahan, all of the following are reasons why cheating is on the rise except a. bigger rewards for winning. b. declining wages. c. temptation. d. trickle-down corruption.

b. declining wages.

Reasons to use the Golden Rule as an ethical principle include all of the following except a. it is accepted by most people. b. it is a uniquely Christian principle. c. it is easy to understand. d. it is a win-win philosophy.

b. it is a uniquely Christian principle

One of the most powerful ethical tests is the test of a. one's best self. b. making something public. c. ventilation. d. the purified idea.

b. making something public

Kant's categorical imperative argues that one's sense of duty is derived from a. divine command. b. reason. c. emotion. d. desire.

b. reason.

Ethical leadership is founded on two pillars. These are a. rewards and punishments. b. the manager as a moral person and a moral manager. c. ethical climate and ethics training. d. ethics principles and ethics tests.

b. the manager as a moral person and a moral manager.

The ethics of care may help managers utilize a. deontological principles. b. the stakeholder perspective. c. utilitarianism. d. the principle of rights.

b. the stakeholder perspective.

. Kant's categorical imperative emphasizes all of the following concepts except a. respect for persons. b. virtues. c. universalizability. d. duty.

b. virtues.

Moral rights a. depend on a legal system for their validity. b. are derived from religious teachings. c. are important, justifiable claims. d. are earned as people demonstrate their moral responsibilities.

c. are important, justifiable claims.

The three attributes ofbeiug a moral person iuclude all of the followiug except a. traits. b. behaviors. c. attitudes. d. decision making.

c. attitudes.

Ethical issues at the industry level a. are usually handled by industry trade associations. b. are typically resolved through the legal system. c. can also be related to a specific profession. d. can usually be rectified by individual managers.

c. can also be related to a specific profession.

Teleological theories focus on a. duties. b. rights. c. consequences. d. virtues.

c. consequences.

Moral organizations are a. organizations that do not have unethical behaviors within their ranks. b. developed through continuous ethics training. c. fully populated by moral managers making moral decisions. d. more prevalent in the United States than in other countries.

c. fully populated by moral managers making moral decisions.

The personal level of ethical challenges include situations we face in our personal lives a. at work. b. and in our families. c. outside of the work context. d. and spiritual lives.

c. outside of the work context

The basic idea that underlies the principle of rights is that a. they must be earned. b. they are granted by the goverrnnent. c. they cannot be overridden by utility. d. they are universal to all peoples.

c. they cannot be overridden by utility.

The moral tone of an organization is set by a. the board of directors. b. regulatory agencies. c. top management. d. first line managers.

c. top management.

The ethical principle that states, "we should always act so as to produce the greatest ratio of good to evil for everyone" is a. deontology. b. virtue ethics. c. utilitarianism. d. hedonism.

c. utilitarianism.

The most important factor in ethical leadership is a. what leaders talk about. b. the code of ethics. c. what leaders do. d. discipline of ethics violators.

c. what leaders do.

The critical factor in the success of codes of conduct is a. who wrote the document. b. giving employees the chance for feedback before the document is adopted. c. whether or not the codes become "living documents." d. the level of precision in defming what is unacceptable behavior.

c. whether or not the codes become "living documents."

Which of the following is not a formulation of Kant's categorical imperative? a. Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. b. So act to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of any other, in every case as an end and never as merely a means. c. Every rational being is able to regard oneself as a maker of universal law. d. Act only according to that maxim by which you increase the overall happiness of everyone affected by your action.

d. Act only according to that maxim by which you increase the overall happiness of everyone affected by your action.

A growing school of thought argues that_____ should be made part of management training, executive development programs, and business school education. a. Leadership b. Management c. Communication d. Ethics

d. Ethics

Ethical theories that focus on duties are called a. teleological. b. virtue theories. c. principled rights. d. deontological.

d. deontological.

The key to the Golden Rule is a. canng. b. duty. c. justice. d. impartiality.

d. impartiality.

Which of the following is not an act of misconduct commonly observed in the workplace? a. misreporting time worked b. discrimination c. sexual harassment d. industrial espionage

d. industrial espionage

The pressure to compromise one's personal ethical standards is felt most by a. board members. b. senior managers. c. middle managers. d. lower level managers.

d. lower level managers.

The Rawls Principle of Justice indicates that we need a fair method by which we may choose the principles through which conflicts will be resolved. Which of the following is not a principle of justice underlying his theory? a. each person has equal rights to the most extrinsic basic liberties compatible with similar liberties for all others. b. social and economic inequalities are arrange so that they are both to be everyone's advantage and attached to positions and offices open to all. c. each person is to be treated equally. d. public policy should raise as high as possible the social and economic well-being of society's best-off individuals.

d. public policy should raise as high as possible the social and economic well-being of society's best-off individuals.

Based on surveys of managers, the society's moral climate appears to a. be a direct factor in managers' ethical deliberations. b. be irrelevant to managers. c. be a leading influence in managers' decisions. d. serve as a background factor in managers' decisions.

d. serve as a background factor in managers' decisions.

Which of the following is not a level at which ethics may be addressed? a. personal b. industry c. global d. small group

d. small group

Unlike other ethical principles, virtue ethics focuses on a. what acts should be done. b. the consequences of our actions. c. human dignity. d. the individual becoming virtuous.

d. the individual becoming virtuous.

Which of the following is not a type of justice mentioned in the textbook? a. distributive justice b. compensatory justice c. proceduraljustice d. utilitarian justice

d. utilitarian justice

Ethics audits are designed to uncover acts that violate the finn's code of conduct.

false

Individual managers, through ethical leadership, can have a direct effect on business ethics at the societal and global levels.

false

Most people use some type of ethical principle when making decisions about a moral dilemma.

false

The categorical imperative is closely associated with the principle of utilitarianism.

false

The ethical principle of rights is categorized as a teleological theory.

false

The principle of caring is derived from utilitarianism.

false

Virtue theory is the best example of a deontological theory.

false

According to research done by Phillip V. Lewis, there is almost a step-by-step process to make a moral decision.

true

Even the most routine decisions that managers make have ethical implications.

true

Failure to discipline someone who violates the organization's ethics standards implies approval of the person's behavior.

true

For managers, the most powerful and useful ethical principle is the Golden Rule.

true

Leadership is the primary factor in improving an organization's ethical climate.

true

Personal and managerial ethics entails making decisions.

true

Society's moral climate has an indirect impact on organizational ethics.

true

The basis of the principle of justice is the concept of fairness.

true

The ethical principle of justice is a deontological theory.

true

The ethical tests approach is considered a more pragmatic approach than the principles approach to ethics.

true

The lower one's position in the company, the more pressure one feels to compromise ethical principles.

true

Utilitarianism can be summarized by the saying "the greatest good for the greatest number."

true