Unit 2: Common Ethical Issues

Question 1

The difference in right and wrong.

Answer 1

Ethics

Question 2

Act that is permissible or in conformity with the law of the land

Answer 2

Legal

Question 3

Codes, principles, and values that shape people’s interactions with others

Answer 3

Personal Ethics

Question 4

Shared set of beliefs derived from what a person is taught by family, church or other group.

Answer 4

Morals

Question 5

Principles and beliefs that are most important to the individual.

Stable, enduring goals that a person has for life.

Answer 5

Values

Question 6

Branch of applied ethics that focuses on rules, principles, and standards in the context of business activities.

Priciples/beliefs that are the foundation of an organization’s culture.

Answer 6

Organizational ethics

Question 7

Concerns issues relating to the world as a whole. Involvement happens because of the ethics the organization creates out of care and concern for individuals.

Answer 7

Societal Issues

Question 8

Concerns policies that affect its customers, employees, suppliers, and people within the community.

Issues effect those that depend on the company. Example would be moving an operation overseas

Answer 8

Stakeholder Issues

Question 9

Concerns internal relationships between a company and its employees. Examples include fairness in management, pay, and employee participation.

Issues effect employees. Example would be ‘Equal pay for equal work’.

Answer 9

Internal Policy Issues

Question 10

Concerns how people treat others in their organization. Examples include gossiping at work or taking credit for another’s work.

Relates to individuals and how they feel they are treated or valued at work. Example would be a manager bullying or belittling an employee.

Answer 10

Personal Issues

Question 11

How does a company’s ethical behavior impact organizational outcomes?

Answer 11

Ethical behavior can attract the attention of more talented employees and attracts customers.

Question 12

How does a company’s unethical behavior impact organizational outcomes?

Answer 12

Unethical behavior will push customers and employees to break ties with an organization they believe to reflect negatively on them by being associated.

Question 13

Speaking the truth, respecting my elders, and never purposely hurting someone are examples of _________ ethics.

Answer 13

Personal

Question 14

Offering paid services on your time off to a company customer is an example of a _____________?

Answer 14

Conflict of Interest

Question 15

__________ reflects beliefs about what is right and what is wrong.

Answer 15

Ethics

Question 16

Being punctual, refraining from gossip, and having good time management are examples of _________ ethics.

Answer 16

Professional

Question 17

__________ are the principles that are counted as most important to the individual.

Answer 17

Values

Question 18

__________ are the principles that are counted as most important to the individual.

Answer 18

Morals

Question 19

The below is an example of?

A police officer may personally believe that a law that he is required to enforce is wrong. However, under the Code of Conduct for the New Zealand Police, he is required to obey all lawful and reasonable instructions to enforce that law unless there is good and sufficient cause to do otherwise.

Answer 19

When personal and professional ethics may conflict.

Question 20

Where do an organization’s ethics tend to start?

Answer 20

They start at the top and trickle down

Question 21

What is a code of ethics?

Answer 21

Rules of conduct based on an organization’s core values.

Question 22

What is included in a company’s code of ethics?

Answer 22

Company’s values, vision for the future, and ethical / moral standards

Question 23

Define the term greenwashing.

Answer 23

When a company promotes CSR but in reality acts against it’s own pronounced values.

Question 24

Define the term internal transparency.

Answer 24

Having an open dialog of information within a company or organization

Question 25

What steps can organizations take to encourage transparent practices?

Answer 25

Having an open-door policy for all employees. Guarantee a process for employees to air their thoughts or complaints without fear of retribution. Equality in treatment of employees.

Question 26

Why was Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) passed?

Answer 26

To prevent corporate financial fraud. To protect shareholders, and the public.

Question 27

Who is considered a whistleblower?

Answer 27

Someone that reveals wrong doing by the business they work for.

Question 28

Which of the following is true about Corporate Social Responsibility?
(A) It can be framed as a response to public backlash for a long track record of harming environments

(B) It guarantees the company is acting ethically;

C) It encourages promotion from within the organzation

(D) It comes at little additional cost to the organization.

Answer 28

(D) It comes at little additional cost to the organization.

Question 29

Why is Corporate Social Responsibility important to an organization and its local community? (A) It helps promotes a caring company culture; (B) It immediately increases the profit margin; (C) Increase long-term profits and shareholder trust; (D) It provides good marketing material and ways for the company to advertise.

Answer 29

(C) Increase long-term profits and shareholder trust;

Question 30

XYZ Inc. uses images of a leafy forest to promote their Green-Clean Cleaning Wipes. They advertise the wipes as being biodegradable, but the chemicals in the wipes do not break down well in the environment and the plastic container is definitely not biodegradable. This is an example of _______

(A) code of ethics

(B) greenwashing

(C) whistleblowing

(D) Morals

Answer 30

(B) greenwashing

Question 31

Cheyenne Jenkins, VP for a large gas company, wrote a letter to her boss regarding the extremely fraudulent accounting practices in their publicly traded company. She demanded that the company take action. Her letter became public five months after she wrote it and was fodder for national outrage. This is an example of ______________. Cheyenne continues to work while the matter is investigated. She is likely protected under ________ (A) whistleblowing, Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (B) internal transparency, Sally Mae Act; (C) code of ethics, Securites and Exchange Commision; (D) whistleblowing, Title VII.

Answer 31

(A) whistleblowing, Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

Question 32

Name the 4 organizational ethics issues (PISS)

Answer 32

Personal

Internal

Social

Stakeholder