Deck 2: Understanding Ethical and Legal Considerations

Question 1

When exporting goods, U.S. companies can face ethical challenges that they do not face when selling goods in the United States.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

According to Chapter 2, what is the potential downside to whistle-blowing?

Answer 2

not answered

Question 3

It is generally acceptable to use company boilerplate without attribution.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

According to Chapter 2, using social media ethically entails avoiding false endorsements. What are three other guidelines for the ethical use of social media?

Question 5

The standard of utility is concerned with what?

Question 6

Contract law affects technical communication because technical documents sometimes contain warranty statements.

Question 7

To be effective, a code of conduct must stipulate penalties.

Question 8

Chapter 2 lists four areas of law relevant to ethical issues in technical communication. One is copyright law. What are two others?

Question 9

According to the principle of the moral minimum, it is permissible for companies to passively reinforce patterns of discrimination in product information if the audience to which the product is being sold practices that discrimination.

Question 10

Fair-use guidelines apply to graphics just as they do to words.

Question 11

What does the symbol ® stand for, and what rights does it grant a company?

Question 12

When warning users about the dangers of products, writers should avoid using mandatory language such as must and shall.

Question 13

Under the concept of work made for hire, anything written on the job by an employee being paid by the organization is the property of the organization-provided that the employee agrees after the document is written to surrender his or her copyright.

Question 14

Chapter 2 lists four factors governing the fair-use exemption, which allows you to use copyrighted material without permission under certain conditions. One factor is the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work. What are the other three factors?

Question 15

According to Chapter 2, saying that a new line of air fresheners is "guaranteed to stave off any and every odor that comes your house's way" would be an example of what?

Question 16

Fair use is best described as a set of general guidelines on ways to use small parts of someone else's copyrighted material for purposes such as commentary, criticism, and research.

Question 17

An effective code of conduct has three characteristics. One is that it protects the public rather than members of the organization or profession. What is one other characteristic of an effective code of conduct?

Question 18

Only professionals with management responsibilities have ethical responsibilities to the environment.

Question 19

What advantage does using a trademark symbol confer upon an organization?

Question 20

Chapter 2 states that as an employee, you have five obligations to your employer. One obligation is honesty and candor. What are two of the other obligations?

Question 21

According to Chapter 2, ethicists such as Manuel Velasquez (2011) argue that whistle-blowing is justified if three conditions are satisfied. One condition is that there is strong evidence that the organization is doing something that is hurting or will hurt other parties. What is one other condition?

A) The employee has made a serious attempt to resolve the problem through internal channels.
B) The employee can be reasonably certain he or she will not be penalized for whistle-blowing.
C) The employee has suffered personal harm as a result of the wrongdoing, such as the loss of a promotion, a substantial decrease in salary, or physical injury.
D) The wrongdoing involves members of a minority group or affects individuals granted specific rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Question 22

A writer preparing an electrician's manual is considering inserting company-designed danger symbols to denote the potential for electrocution. In deciding whether to do so, what should the writer's primary concern be?

A) codes of conduct
B) liability law
C) copyright law
D) whistle-blowing

Question 23

Systems Software, Inc. is introducing a new piece of sophisticated graphics software. A recently hired writer has been assigned to write the Getting Started manual for the product. Being a novice, the writer first pages through similar manuals written by other graphics software companies to get ideas about how to write the manual. Which of the following statements is true?

A) The writer has violated copyright law.
B) The writer has ignored an express warranty.
C) The writer has taken advantage of the fair-use concept.
D) The writer has done nothing ethically wrong.

Question 24

The standard of utility is concerned with which of the following?

A) the relationships we have with other individuals
B) whether the positive and negative effects of an action or a policy will be distributed fairly among a group
C) the positive and negative effects that an action or a policy has, will have, or might have on others
D) the basic needs and welfare of individuals

Question 25

Which of these resources is likely to be available to employees of a company with a strong ethical culture?

A) a formal code of conduct
B) a way to avoid regulations that might affect the company's profitability
C) kickbacks from suppliers or customers
D) conflicts of interest

Question 26

According to Chapter 2, saying that a recently fired employee was "offered an alternative career opportunity" would be an example of which of the following?

A) exaggeration
B) euphemism
C) legalistic construction
D) none of the above

Question 27

You work for a pharmaceutical company. During your lunch breaks, you have become acquainted with one of the graphic artists at your company. He has just finished designing a logo for a new product, and the logo is now on your company's website. He mentions that he created the new design by downloading a logo that he found on an automaker's website and changing it a little. Which of the following statements is true?

A) Your company is protected by the fair-use concept because your company and the other company are in different industries.
B) Your company is protected by the work-made-for-hire concept.
C) Your company has probably violated the automaker's trademark.
D) Your company is protected because there is no trademark or registered trademark symbol after the logo on the automaker's website.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a guideline for using social media ethically and legally, according to Chapter 2?

A) Keep your private social-media accounts separate from those at work.
B) Avoid revealing unauthorized news about your own company.
C) Work efficiently by repurposing pieces of content you wrote for other workplace documents.
D) Avoid false endorsements.

Question 29

Which of the following preferences does Creative Commons NOT give copyright owners a means to control?

A) whether their work can be shared only in noncommercial environments
B) whether users of the work must attribute it
C) whether the copyright will expire after a fixed amount of time
D) whether others may alter or build on the existing work

Question 30

In one state, West County and East County share a border. The state capital is in East County. Many residents of West County (almost half of all adults in the county) commute to East County for work. East County has high levels of air pollution, and residents there must get their car exhaust systems tested every two years. Although West County has less air pollution than East, the pollution levels in West are rising. The state Department of Environmental Regulation orders that residents of West County must now get their car exhaust systems tested every two years as well. What moral standard best explains this decision by the Department of Environmental Regulation?

A) care
B) utility
C) rights
D) clarity

Question 31

Your company, Acme Co., is sponsoring a three-hour field day for children at a local park, featuring games, sports, and snacks. Parents must register their children for the field day online. Your company wants to take pictures of children at the event, but it needs parents' permission. Which option below best describes an ethical way to get parents' permission?

A) Place a checkbox on the online form next to text that reads "I agree to the terms and conditions of the field day" and provide a link to a separate page of terms and conditions. Design the form so that this checkbox is already checked when the parent gets to that page.
B) Provide a link in the online form to a separate page of terms and conditions. Have the company lawyers write the terms and conditions in legal language and with citations of relevant laws in case another lawyer reads them.
C) Place a checkbox on the online form next to text that reads "I agree to allow Acme Co. to take pictures of my child or children to record and promote field-day activities." Design the form so that this checkbox is not checked when the parent gets to that page.
D) Include a note in small print at the bottom of the sign-up form informing parents that children may be photographed at the event.

Question 32

You are writing the second edition of a user manual to be included with software sold to the general public. You want to reuse a portion of the introductory materials from the first edition but cannot determine who wrote that section or what the contractual conditions were. What should you do?

A) nothing
B) Rewrite the introductory materials yourself.
C) Register the work with the appropriate government agency.
D) Include a disclaimer when you insert the materials from the first edition.

Question 33

Chapter 2 lists four areas of law relevant to ethical issues in technical communication. One is copyright law. What are two others?

A) trademark law and contract law
B) international law and criminal law
C) martial law and liability law
D) international law and martial law

Question 34

When your state's revenues for the year are 40 percent below estimates, the state legislature cuts education funds by 40 percent but reduces farmers' subsidies by only 20 percent. Which moral standard does this action violate?

A) care
B) utility
C) justice
D) rights

Question 35

What does the symbol ® indicate about a word, phrase, or symbol?

A) It has been registered for trademark protection under the Regency d'Internationale Agreement of 1996.
B) It has been registered for trademark protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
C) It has been registered for trademark protection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but with "reserved" status.
D) The company claims the design or device as a trademark but has not yet registered the trademark.

Question 36

Chapter 2 lists four factors governing the fair-use exemption, which allows you to use copyrighted material without permission under certain conditions. One factor is the nature and purpose of the copyrighted work. What is another factor?

A) the effect of the use on the potential market for the copyrighted work
B) the degree of difficulty you might encounter if you did seek permission to use the copyrighted work
C) whether the copyrighted work was published on the Internet, in which case it can be considered to be in the public domain
D) whether you intended to cause the copyright holder any harm-financial or otherwise-by using the copyrighted material

Question 37

What does liability law have to do with technical communication?

A) Liability law regulates the words and pictures available for use in sets of instructions.
B) Liability law says that a manufacturer or seller of a product is liable for injuries or damages caused by the use of that product.
C) Liability law puts the responsibility for product safety on consumers.
D) Liability law requires instructions to fit on a single printed page.

Question 38

Juliana was assigned to analyze the process her company uses to write proposals. She worked on her report for more than a month. Rashmi in the marketing department and John in the finance department gave Juliana a lot of information and had several meetings with her. Juliana placed an acknowledgments section in her report, where she thanked Rashmi and John. What standard best explains Juliana's decision to acknowledge her colleagues?

A) justice
B) rights
C) utility
D) care

Question 39

Chapter 2 lists four ways you can help protect your client's or your employer's trademark. One is to use the trademark symbol. Which one of the following methods is also listed in the chapter?

A) Distinguish trademarks from other material, perhaps by setting the trademark in a different typeface or by using boldface type for emphasis.
B) Use the trademarked item in various grammatical forms, including as an adjective (Xerox® copiers), a noun (Xeroxes®), and a verb (Xerox® 500 copies).
C) Use the plural form (Xeroxes®) or the possessive form (Xerox's® quality) of the term whenever possible.
D) Include a prominent warning about the civil and criminal penalties for infringing on the protections afforded by trademark law, similar to the FBI warning about copyright that appears at the beginning of rental movies.

Question 40

Steven is selling a used car that is 10 years old. He found a way to set the odometer back 50,000 miles, making his car appear more valuable than it actually is. A potential buyer looks at the car and is amazed at the low mileage. He asks Steven if anyone has tampered with the odometer. Steven replies, "Hey, that would be illegal. No one wants to get caught doing something illegal." What type of misleading statement did Steven make in his reply?

A) an exaggeration
B) a euphemism
C) a false implication
D) a double negative