Exam 2: Business and Its Ethical Dilemmas

One newspaper headline, following Prudhoe Bay and the refinery explosion read, "BP = Big Problems for Oil Giant."    Who of the following would feel a connection with the headline test?

Peter Drucker believes that the ethical obligation of business is to bluff within reason.

Goldman was originally founded as a partnership.

It would not be unethical to have your friends and families write reviews of your company and its products even though most of them do not use your company's products.

Who was the key witness against Mr. Sandusky at his trial?

King David struggled with ethical issues throughout his life before he became the leader of his nation.

Albert Carr believes that people have to disregard personal ethical standards in order to be successful in business.

The only ethical issue involved in the Valeant case was its pricing model.

Why did it take so long at Penn State for the conduct of Jerry Sandusky to emerge?

Albert Carr believes that bluffing in business is justified because it is understood as part of the game of business.

You work for a construction firm that has had several employees express safety concerns about the procedures your company uses for digging basements. You raise the issue to your supervisor who explains that it would cost too much to do the job safely.  I t would be unethical for you to notify someone else about the safety problems.

The cost of reporting our mistakes often outweighs our commitment to ethical choices.

BP engineers had no objections to the way Deepwater Horizon was built.

Rod Mohr was having trouble sleeping. His physician prescribed a CPAP machine. Rod's insurance covers the machine for 30 days, with physician certification that the patient is using the machine every night and that the patient is seen every 30 days. After 30 days, Rod went to see his doctor and the doctor asked if he was using the machine. Rod said, "Well, I use it, but about half the time." Rod's physician says, "I am going to go ahead and certify that you are using it daily. But let's do better this next month. I am not really fond of all this insurance intervention into how I treat my patients, and insurers have plenty of profits. So, I am just signing." Which of the following is correct?

An environmentalist stated, following the BP Prudhoe Bay pipe problems, "These companies simply cannot behave responsibly," and went on to voice objection to opening up ANWR for drilling. Discuss the long-term implications of BP's decision to keep maintenance costs low.

Which of the following would Peter Drucker favor as a way of encouraging ethical behavior in business?

BP's approach to safety prior to the Deepwater Horizon spill was:

The SEC does not require disclosures about health issues involving CEOs of publicly traded companies.

Which of the following best reflects the Patriots' attitude about rules?

Rod Mohr was having trouble sleeping. His physician prescribed a CPAP machine. Rod's insurance covers the machine for 30 days, with physician certification that the patient is using the machine every night and that the patient is seen every 30 days. After 30 days, Rod went to see his doctor and the doctor asked if he was using the machine. Rod said, "Well, I use it, but about half the time." Rod's physician says, "I am going to go ahead and certify that you are using it daily. But let's do better this next month. I am not really fond of all this insurance intervention into how I treat my patients, and insurers have plenty of profits. So, I am just signing." Which of the following best describes the physician's decision?