Question 1

You are the decision maker for purchasing office equipment in your organization.One sales representative privately offers you season tickets to the Chicago Bears if you help him out.This tactic is _____.

Accepted Answer

The sales representative is offering personal benefits in exchange for the decision maker's help. This is a form of bribery and is unethical. Accepting the offer could lead to legal and ethical consequences for both the decision maker and the organization.

Question 2

Which specific area of business communications presents ethical questions by sometimes containing false and misleading messages for adults and especially children?

Accepted Answer

Advertising often presents ethical questions by sometimes containing false and misleading messages, especially for vulnerable groups like children.

Question 3

What are the three sets of factors that influence the standards of behavior in an organization?

Accepted Answer

The three sets of factors that influence the standards of behavior in an organization are opportunity, individual factors, and social factors. Opportunity refers to the circumstances and resources available to employees to engage in ethical or unethical behavior. Individual factors include personality traits, values, and beliefs that may influence an employee's behavior. Social factors refer to the influence of peers, leaders, and the culture within the organization. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 4

You are the executive vice president for Cooper Tire, the sixth largest U.S.tire maker.You have the responsibility to locate land for a new distribution center in Mississippi, and you own over 1,000 acres of land near one site in Tupelo.Your situation could create

Accepted Answer

As the executive VP owns land near one of the potential locations, this creates a conflict of interest. It would not be ethical to choose the location solely based on the fact that they own land nearby. They should take steps to avoid the appearance of impropriety and ensure that the decision is made solely based on what is best for the company.

Question 5

Metabo-Miracle offers a guaranteed weight loss of 10 pounds in one week without dieting or exercise.Thousands of customers purchase the products and about 200 call in with complaints that the product was ineffective.What action should Metabo-Miracle take?

Accepted Answer

Metabo-Miracle should take responsibility for the product failure and provide a refund to the disappointed customers. It is important for the company to address the complaints and maintain customer satisfaction. Option A is an extreme measure that may not be necessary, and option B and C are unethical business practices. Option E is not a viable solution as ignoring customer complaints can harm the company's reputation.

Question 6

A large computer manufacturer forbids its executives and managers from serving as directors or officers for Intel Corporation or any other corporations from which it might purchase component parts.The company is trying to prevent

Accepted Answer

The company is trying to prevent a conflict of interest by forbidding its executives and managers from serving as directors or officers for corporations from which it might purchase component parts. This is because such positions could potentially lead to biased decisions that benefit the other corporation rather than the computer manufacturer.

Question 7

Ranee is a businessperson who works for a successful and admired Fortune 500 company.How often is Ranee likely to encounter ethical issues in the workplace?

Accepted Answer

Ranee is likely to encounter ethical issues on a daily basis because she works for a successful and admired Fortune 500 company. These companies are often held to a higher ethical standard than smaller companies, and employees are expected to be aware of and follow the company's ethical guidelines.

Question 8

At Ledbetter Industries, employees are allowed one-hour lunches, but most stroll back fifteen minutes late every day.The factor affecting the ethical behavior of Ledbetter's employees is _____.

Accepted Answer

Social factors, such as group norms and expectations, can influence ethical behavior. In this case, the employees' acceptance of being late for lunch is a social factor that affects their ethical behavior.

Question 9

Taking credit for others' ideas or work or not meeting one's commitments in a mutual agreement are ethical issues concerning _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Taking credit for others' ideas or work...

Question 10

The ____ factor affecting ethical behavior includes individual knowledge of an issue, personal values, and personal goals.

Accepted Answer

The individual factor relates to personal characteristics and attributes that influence ethical behavior, such as one's knowledge, values, and goals. This factor is internal to the individual and is specific to each person. Therefore, it best describes the factors that affect ethical behavior related to individual characteristics.

Question 11

Publisher's Clearing House has a policy that no employees or their family members are eligible to win the big sweepstakes.This policy was likely implemented to

Accepted Answer

The policy of not allowing employees or their family members to win the sweepstakes is likely implemented to avoid an apparent conflict of interest. This ensures that there is no perceived bias towards employees or their families and maintains the integrity of the sweepstakes.

Question 12

All of the following are factors that affect the level of ethical behavior in an organization except ______.

Accepted Answer

Demographic factors are not a significant factor in affecting the level of ethical behavior in an organization. The other factors listed (individual factors, social factors, opportunity, and moral values) all play a role in shaping ethical behavior in organizations.

Question 13

Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, frequently shows television ads aimed at children on Saturday mornings, when many children are known to watch cartoons.Some of these ads mix cartoon-type animation and "real" shots of the dolls so that it is sometimes difficult for even an adult to determine what the doll can or cannot do.This most likely represents

Accepted Answer

The mixture of animation and real shots may be deceiving for children and can lead to unrealistic expectations about what the doll can do. This can be considered an ethical problem as it potentially misleads children and their parents.

Question 14

Ed works in a position where there is very little supervision.In fact, although he considers himself ethical, he figures he could go away for a week without anyone noticing.Which general set of factors is most likely to influence Ed's ethical behavior?

Accepted Answer

The most likely factor to influence Ed's ethical behavior in this scenario is opportunity. With very little supervision and the ability to "get away" with certain behaviors, Ed may be more likely to engage in unethical behaviors if the opportunity presents itself. The other factors listed could also have some influence, but are not as directly applicable to this specific situation.

Question 15

At Victoria's Secret, managerial approval is required whenever an employee makes a purchase at the store using an employee discount.Which factor affecting ethical behavior is Victoria's Secret seeking to control?

Accepted Answer

Victoria's Secret is seeking to control the opportunity factor affecting ethical behavior by requiring managerial approval for employee purchases with a discount. This is to prevent employees from taking advantage of the discount for personal gain, which can be seen as unethical behavior.

Question 16

Publix, a southeastern grocery store chain, has signs saying that tips are not accepted and employees are all informed of this policy.However, many of the baggers commonly accept tips from customers anyway and they often compare to see who makes the most.The factor affecting the ethical behavior of Publix's employees is _____.

Accepted Answer

This behavior is influenced by social factors, such as peer pressure and competition among colleagues, rather than individual factors, opportunity, demographic, or the company's internal code.

Question 17

When medical research indicated that a high-fiber diet might help reduce one's risk of colon cancer, a few producers of fiber cereals suggested in their advertisements that if you eat fiber cereal, you will not get cancer.This is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of unethical communications, as the advertisement makes a misleading claim that cannot be completely substantiated by medical research. It is important for advertisers to avoid making false or unethical claims in their communications.

Question 18

If a company deals with violations of its ethical codes ____, the opportunity to be unethical will be reduced.

Accepted Answer

Dealing firmly and consistently with ethical code violations sends a clear message to employees that unethical behavior will not be tolerated, which can deter them from engaging in such behavior in the first place. This approach also helps to maintain the integrity of the company's ethical standards.

Question 19

For health-related companies such as Weight Watchers, one of the most frequent ethical issues related to communications that they face is

Accepted Answer

Deception can be a common ethical issue for health-related companies like Weight Watchers because they may be tempted to make exaggerated claims about the effectiveness of their programs or products. This can mislead consumers and potentially harm their health, which is a serious ethical concern. Companies must ensure that all of their communications are truthful and not misleading in any way.

Question 20

Which of the following holds true in the case of bribes?

Accepted Answer

Bribes are generally considered unethical as they involve offering or receiving money or gifts in exchange for an unfair advantage or favorable treatment. While bribery may be more common in some foreign countries or cultures, it does not make it ethical.

Quiz 2: Being Ethical and Socially Responsible