Exam 1: Ethical Theory, Philosophical Foundations, Our Reasoning Flaws, and Types of Ethical Dilemmas

Matt Walsh, a golf pro from Hawaii, was a video operator for the New England Patriots from 1999-2002. Walsh says that he taped the Patriots' opponents' signals, information that he says was then used by the Patriots when they next met that team. If you know the signals, then you know what defense has planned. Offense is then a tad easier. Some quotes emerged from the situation: From Patriots' coach, Bill Belichick,   "I misinterpreted the rules." From Jacksonville Coach Jack Del Rio on the videotaping, " I think all teams do that. That's been going on forever." From Matt Walsh, "I had always been a big Patriots fan. I wasn't going to question what they wanted me to do." From Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, "If you can cheat in the NFL, you can cheat in college, you can cheat in high school, you can cheat on your grade-school math test. There's no limit as to what you can do. I think they owe the public a lot more candor and a lot more credibility." What is Senator Specter concerned about?

Submitting a new pair of shoes as a travel expense is an example of a dishonest act.

Attending a class on company time would be taking advantage or taking things that do not belong to you and unethical.

Ethical choices often prove costly to firms in the short term.

Henry Rauzi, the controller for Sunbeam, issued an offer to Linda Croce for an entry-level accounting position at Sunbeam at a salary of $34,000 per year. Ms. Croce accepted the offer and gave notice to her employer. When then-CEO of Sunbeam, Paul Kazarian, was informed of the offer, he demanded that Mr. Rauzi rescind it because Kazarian had not approved it prior to it being made. Mr. Rauzi called Ms. Croce at 10:00 P.M. three days before she was scheduled to being work and told her of Mr. Kazarian's action. Ms. Croce had no job and remained unemployed for several months while she searched for a new job. Evaluate the legality and ethics of Sunbeam's officer's actions with respect to Ms. Croce.

Professor Dan Ariely's work focuses on the impact of stepping outside ethical norms.

What did the inspection reports of Blue Bell Ice Cream not indicate?

In November 2009, world-class golfer Tiger Woods crashed his Escalade into a tree near his Florida home. One of the windows in his Escalade had been smashed with a golf club. Mr. Woods' wife pulled him from the car and he was taken to the hospital, treated for injuries, and released. A sordid tale emerged over the next few days of a pattern of extra-marital affairs by Mr. Woods with a resulting separation from his wife and their eventual divorce. Following these public disclosures, sports writers, golf pros, country club staff members, and even CEOs of companies said that they were all aware of Mr. Woods' infidelity and that it was the best kept widely known secret among and between those who were golf players and/or fans. One said, "We just had a pact of silence." When the news of Mr. Woods' serial infidelity made international news, some of his sponsors dropped him and others continued with him as a spokesperson. Are there any ethical issues here?   Who faces them?   Discuss whether you would have gone along with the pact.

The Rights Theory is the same as the Theory of Justice.

Which of the following is not an element of the Laura Nash's model for evaluating ethical dilemmas?

"The lawyers have okayed this," is a signal that the decision/action is legal and ethical.

List the categories of ethical dilemmas.

"Whack a mole" results once an unethical course of action begins.

Into which group would those who falsify rèsumés fall?

It is more ethical to remain silent about misdeeds.

Which of the following is not a conflict of interest?

"Recall creep" is part of the Blue Bell investigation into the Listeria issue.

Two male students fired guns off the balcony of Linda's apartment. The police were able to see which apartment it was by counting floors and windows. While the police run to Linda's apartment, her two friends run out her door and disappear into the crowd of students out and about on a Friday night. When the police question Linda she refuses to tell them who her two friends with the guns were. "I would never rat on a friend," is Linda's statement. One of the police officers tells Linda she could be charged with obstruction of justice. Linda still refuses. Which school of ethical thought would best suit Linda?

Locke and Rawls are contractarians.

Which philosopher feels that we all hold a set of rights and that it is the role of government to protect those rights?