Exam 4: Responding to the Ethical and Social Environment

Sealed Air packages food, which preserves it and leads to less waste.  Sealed Air launched an initiative in China to package chicken, because more than half of the chicken there spoils before consumption.  Sealed Air's initiative focuses on an untapped market and is an example of the a(n)____ stance toward social responsibility because it helps the environment, farmers, and consumers of China.

The Internet is also seen as having the potential to play an important role in natural resource conservation, as many e-commerce businesses and transactions are reducing both energy costs and pollution.

In Major League Baseball, the Cardinals were accused of hacking into the Astros computer system to steal information.  The former General Manager of the Cardinals now worked for the Astros.  The Cardinals had a log of past passwords used by the GM, which enabled front office executives to enter the Astros' system.  The FBI investigated the incident.  This is an example of ethical issues with ______.

Secrecy and confidentiality are major considerations in the relationship of the employee to the firm.

The Siemens Foundation uses money to support and promote the importance of math, science, and technology education. It is taking a(n) ____ approach to social responsibility.

A manager paying an employee less than he deserves, simply because the manager knows the employee cannot afford to quit or risk losing his job by complaining, might be considered unethical.

A manager who discriminates against a fifty year old man in hiring is exhibiting both unethical and illegal behavior.

____ justice relates to the degree of fairness people see in how they are treated by others in their organization.

Procedural justice refers to people's perceptions of the fairness with which rewards and other valued outcomes are distributed within the organization.

The Nation Football League executives shorted unrestricted free agency requirements from six seasons to four, which gave individual players greater mobility and negotiating power. This is an example of how the

____________________ justice refers to the perceived fairness of information used to arrive at decisions.

A(n) ____________________ occurs when a decision potentially benefits the individual to the possible detriment of the organization.

Which of the following is NOT an example of a formal approach to social responsibility?

Under U.S. law, it is illegal for a U.S. firm operating in a foreign country to pay bribes to get what it needs. Natives of some of those same countries consider the payment of bribes to be perfectly acceptable. Which of the following influences may account for this difference?

Companies that take a(n) ____ stance to social responsibility cross the ethical or legal line that separates acceptable from unacceptable practices, and often deny or cover up their actions.

For firms that do NOT want to take a proactive stance with respect to social responsibility, the next most responsible position in the eyes of proponents of social responsibility would be a(n) ____ stance.

One way the government regulates or tries to influence businesses is by using political action committees.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an example of which of the following areas of government regulation?

Which of the following is the MOST important action that top managers can take to promote ethical behavior?