Midterm Exam

Question 1

What is ethics?

Answer 1

Moral Philosophy. The study of what is right or wrong. How we ought to live and act

Question 2

What is Utilitarianism?

Answer 2

A moral act is the act which provides the greatest good or happiness for the greatest number of people.

Question 3

What is Rights and Duties?

Answer 3

A moral act is the act which recognizes the rights of others.

Question 4

What is the Fairness of Justice theory?

Answer 4

A moral act is the act which treats similarly situated people in similar ways with regard to both process and outcome, and maintains a sense of proportion in results.

Question 5

What is Kant’s Duty-based approach?

Answer 5

Rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether they fulfill our duty. Kant believed that there was a supreme principle of morality, and he referred to it as The Categorical Imperative.

Question 6

What is Virtue Ethics?

Answer 6

A moral act is the one which a virtuous person would perform in a given circumstance. Based upon the writings of Aristotle. Difficult to apply to ethics situations. Thoughtful view of society.

Question 7

What is normative ethics?

Answer 7

Prescribes what people should do.

Question 8

What is the principle of utility?

Answer 8

Actions or behaviors are right in so far as they promote happiness or pleasure, wrong as they tend to produce unhappiness or pain.

Question 9

Three components that define fairness are:

Answer 9

Reciprocity, equity and impartiality.

Question 10

What is descriptive ethics?

Answer 10

Descriptive ethics describes the actions people take that have ethical implications and how they explain these actions.

Question 11

What are expansive values?

Answer 11

Values that create an opportunity for organizations to change ethical standards that potentially challenge an organization’s ability to align with complex and changing values of the stakeholders.

Question 12

What are instrumental values?

Answer 12

Instrumental values are what we traditionally discuss in relation to moral and ethical behavior. These values moderate our daily behavior, based on associated consequences.

Question 13

What are terminal values?

Answer 13

Terminal Values are the end result values that indicate what you want your life to ultimately be about when your time on life is over

Question 14

What is the rational and moral reasoning model?

Answer 14

Suggest that in moral situation contemplation is an essential element of moral decision making.

Question 15

What is moral judgment?

Answer 15

Evaluations or opinions formed as to whether some action or inaction, intention, motive, character trait, or a person as a whole is (more or less) Good or Bad as measured against some standard of Good.

Question 16

What is cognitive moral development?

Answer 16

According to cognitive moral development theory. individuals move to a higher reasoning stage when there is a contradiction between his or her current moral reasoning stage and the next higher one.

Question 17

How does organizational culture affect ethical or unethical behavior?

Answer 17

A positive corporate culture encourages employees to behave in responsible,ethical ways, resulting in a happy workplace, team collaboration and employee empowerment. Negative corporate cultures, on the other hand, promote unethical behavior, causing a wide variety of problems.

Question 18

What is a stakeholder?

Answer 18

A person with an interest or concern in something, especially a business.

Question 19

What is disengagement?

Answer 19

Employee feels disconnected from the organization.

Question 20

What is the important step in blowing the whistle?

Answer 20

Informing your supervisor and any other corporate ethical channels.

Question 21

Before engaging in whistleblowing, what do you need to consider?

Answer 21

Importance of Issue. Your intentions. Risks and benefits of action.

Question 22

What choices do you have when given unethical commands on the job?

Answer 22

Report to supervisor, report to ethical channels in corporation, report to government regulatory agency, report to media (last resort).

Question 23

What are the barriers to an ethical workplace culture?

Answer 23

Ill conceived goals, motivated blindness, indirect blindness, slippery slope, overvalued outcomes.

Question 24

The majority of CSR research is based on what type of organization?

Answer 24

Publicly traded companies.

Question 25

CSR – is crucial how?

Answer 25

(CSR) initiatives are a crucial component of a company’s strategy and the development of sustainable competitive advantage. Companies often pursue CSR initiatives to address social and community concerns, as well as to grow business.

Question 26

How do small organizations feel about CSR?

Answer 26

They see it as an opportunity to connect with their clients.

Question 27

What is the concept of globalization?

Answer 27

The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

Question 28

How does Dodd-Frank affect employees?

Answer 28

Individuals reporting a violation of securities laws. Anti-retaliation provisions to protect whistleblower. Must be reporting an SEC violation. Specific rules for reporting.