Exam 2: Solving Ethical Dilemmas and Personal Introspection

You are a building inspector for the county. A friend of yours is a plumbing contractor. Under county regulations, all steps in plumbing construction from the initial dig to the final installation of sink and bathroom fixtures requires an inspection sign-off. Your plumbing contractor friend has just called and wants to take you to dinner for your birthday at a five-star restaurant. Because you are friends anyway, the dinner presents no ethical problems.

Your supervisor has had a calendar with pictures of naked women on the inside panel of his desk for several months. A secretary spotted the calendar and commented to your supervisor that it was not appropriate for an office. Your supervisor took down the calendar and has asked you to back him up if any complaints are filed. He has asked you to say that you never saw the calendar. It would not be unethical for you to do as your supervisor requests because he has removed the calendar.

Taking information from a confidential file accidentally left on your desk is not unethical.

Ikea fell into the either/or conundrum in solving its problems in dealing with Russian authorities.

Most ethical lapses are sudden and not foreseen.

What happened to Martha Stewart's own company as a result of the criminal charges?

James Dodgsen is a student in a graduate course in business. The professor in the course has given Dodgsen and his classmates a surprise quiz in class. Dodgsen did not do the reading for class that day because he had been grading papers as part of his TA position. He has been prepared for every other class that semester. As he glances as the quiz questions, he realizes that he does not know any of the answers. However, he sees that Jane Frampton, the student who sits next to him, is well prepared and answering the questions with great ease. He can see her answers because of her large, block-style printing. Dodgsen copies her answers.

Primum non nocere is associated as an ethical philosophy of:

How did Goldman avoid violation of SOX in advancing cash to two of its officers?

In the equation P=ƒ(x), P stands for profits.

CDOs:

What was AIG's role in the Goldman stock offerings?

If my supervisor asked me to cover for him by lying about his whereabouts, I should agree to do it but remind him that I can't make it a habit.

It would not be unethical to continue interviewing for positions after you have already accepted employment with a particular firm.

Who was Martha Stewart's friend who was also the CEO of the company she invested in?

A radar detector:

Professor Reba McGintry is the head of the Student Conduct Board. Charges have been brought against 3 students who are also members of the university basketball team. The charges are based on the criminal charges brought by the local district attorney against the 3 men for sexual assault. Professor McGintry's husband was one of the staff attorneys in the DA's office who made the decision to go forward with the prosecution. Professor McGintry:

A professor for one of your courses has assigned reading materials from various publications. He tells you that the materials are on reserve and that each student should go and copy the materials individually. He notes that for him to copy the materials for students and then sell them or distribute them would be a violation of copyright law. The professor's conduct:

"To bribe or not to bribe" is a set-up for the either/or conundrum.

Violation of company rules would not be considered an ethical violation.