Week 3

Question 1

What is business ethics?

Answer 1

Business ethics is the study of business situations, activities, and decisions where issues of right and wrong are addressed.

Question 2

Ethics and law

Answer 2

Law can be considered as something that is required by society, whereas ethics is something that is expected.

Question 3

Carols period of social responsibility

Desired by Society

Answer 3

Philanthropic

Responsibilities

Question 4

Carols period of social responsibility

Expected by Society

Answer 4

Ethical

Responsibilities

Question 5

Carols period of social responsibility

Required by Society

Answer 5

Legal

Responsibilities

Question 6

Carols period of social responsibility

Required by Society

Answer 6

Economic

Responsibilities

Question 7

Ethical theories

Answer 7

Consequentialism
Deontology
Contractualism

Question 8

Motivation and the role of Corporate culture

Answer 8

The prevailing ethical climate of an organization, its morals and values have a great effect on the employee

An organization that couples a strong set of ethical values with a successful HR policy towards its employees, where people are valued and rewarded, can prevent dysfunctional behaviour

Where unethical practice is accepted in organizations or rewarded the temptation to help oneself is reinforced

Question 9

Socialization

New individuals learn about the organization they have joined through a number of socialization processes

Answer 9

Ethical

Dysfunctional

Question 10

Socialization

Ethical

Answer 10

In ethical organizations, these socialization processes reinforce the messages of ethical activity and the individual accepts the group norms of moral behaviour

Question 11

Socialization

Dysfunctional

Answer 11

In dysfunctional organizations, the socialization process can perpetuate unethical or corrupt behaviour

Question 12

Socialization techniques

Answer 12

Co-optation ( reward for doing something that you maybe had doubts about)

A bonus or promotion

Incrementalism (Step by step learning to do the wrong thing)

Compromise

Question 13

Identifying Groupthink

Answer 13

Overestimation of the group
Closed mindedness
Pressures towards uniformity

Question 14

Preventing unethical behaviour and the role of management

Answer 14

Lead from the front

Train employees to question their actions (e.g. headline test)

Require an internal audit

Use performance evaluations to look at behaviour rather than outcomes

Nurture an ethical environment within the organization

Review practices to ensure that dysfunctional behaviour has not been institutionalized

Introduce change agents or external reviewers (Changing the mindset)

Question 15

Whistleblowing

Answer 15

Whistleblowing is a major source of information about dysfunctional behaviour in the organization.

The organization should set up a whistleblowing policy to encourage the flow of information.

The challenge for management is to encourage people to speak out.

Many innocent people are afraid to speak out of fear and loyalty

Question 16

Consequentialism

Answer 16

The end justifies the means (if the outcome is moral or ethical then the steps taken to achieve it are moral or ethical)

Question 17

Deontology

Answer 17

For something to be ethical or moral all actions leading up to it should be moral or ethical as well.

Question 18

Contractualism

Answer 18

It sits somewhere in the middle of the end justifies the means and everything regarding the action should be moral