Exam 2: Business Ethics and Social Responsibility: Doing Well by Doing Good

An individual's ethical beliefs are influenced by his or her social group and culture.

A company's code of ethics gives employees the information they need to make ethical decisions across a range of situations.

A code of ethics should be local in scope, because it is far too difficult to ensure that employees in every country understand the general principles and specific applications.

Discuss two ways in which Canadian corporations can monitor corruption and enforce corporate policies in their foreign supplier locations.

Ben and Josh are good friends who are working on a team assignment in statistics. They had planned to work on the project last night, but Josh called at the last minute saying he had a conflict, so Ben ended up doing all of the work. The instructor is giving each student the opportunity to critique the effort of his or her partner. Ben knows Josh needs the points on the assignment in order to pass the course and would like to keep Josh as a friend. If Ben decides to say that Josh deserves equal credit, he would be using relative ethical standards.

What have the motion picture and television industries done in response to the threat of government regulation?

When all is said and done, all choices and actions have definite ethical implications.

In order to make ethical decisions, it is helpful to think about several questions, including (1) who will be impacted by the decision, (2) who will benefit from the decision, and (3) who will suffer from the decision.

Companies should discourage whistleblowing because it creates an atmosphere of fear and mistrust.

The ethical standards a company establishes should be clearly communicated to outside parties such as suppliers and customers.

Three weeks ago, your boss had a private conversation with you. She explained that the company's financial performance is poor and that the firm is looking at the possibility of layoffs. She then asked you to help her determine whether positions in your division should be cut-and if so, which positions. After analyzing the situation, you believe that cutting jobs would almost certainly improve the company's profitability. However, several of the workers who are most likely to be cut are good friends, and you know they would suffer significant financial hardship if they lost their jobs. Your report to your boss is due tomorrow. Which of the following are you facing?

The easiest business challenges to address are those involving business ethics.

A written code of ethics provides guidelines for ethical behaviour in the workplace.

Before conducting a successful social audit, a company must define socially responsible goals and determine realistic measurements for those goals.

Which of the following refers to the moral principles that govern behaviour?

A company demonstrates its corporate philanthropy when it allows employees time off to volunteer at community events.

Which consumer right is reflected when Mattel recalls toys from the marketplace due to toxic chemicals in the paint that are harmful to children?

A business using a green marketing strategy promotes environmentally safe products in an effort to gain a competitive edge within an industry.

Quest Systems, a local information technology firm, donates old computer equipment to a recycling company. What is Quest demonstrating?

Which of the following would considered unethical behaviour within an organization?