Question 1

Do you believe the people are innately altruistic?

Accepted Answer

The question of whether people are innately altruistic is a complex one that has been debated by philosophers, psychologists, and biologists for centuries. Altruism, defined as the selfless concern for the well-being of others, can be observed in various forms across human societies and even in the animal kingdom. However, whether it is an innate characteristic of human beings is not a question with a straightforward answer.On one hand, evolutionary biologists have argued that altruism may have evolved as a beneficial trait because it can enhance the survival of a group or kin. This is known as kin selection or inclusive fitness, where individuals may act altruistically towards those who share their genes, ultimately promoting the propagation of those genes. There is also the concept of reciprocal altruism, where individuals help others with the expectation that the favor will be returned in the future, thus providing a survival advantage.
On the other hand, some psychologists and social scientists suggest that altruism may be more of a learned behavior, influenced by cultural norms, societal values, and upbringing. From this perspective, while humans may have the capacity for altruistic behavior, it is not necessarily an innate quality but rather one that is cultivated through social interactions and experiences.
Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that humans exhibit a range of behaviors from selfishness to selflessness, and the expression of altruistic behavior can depend on various factors such as the context of the situation, personal beliefs, emotional state, and the perceived cost and benefits of the altruistic act.
In conclusion, while there is evidence to support the idea that humans have the capacity for altruism, whether it is an innate trait is still a matter of debate. It is likely that both genetic predispositions and environmental influences play a role in shaping altruistic behavior, making it a complex trait that cannot be wholly attributed to nature or nurture alone.

Question 2

What factors should a potential whistleblower consider before actually deciding to divulge information to a workplace authority? Do the factors that a potential whistleblower should consider depend on whether they are divulging information to a workplace authority rather than a governmental authority?

Accepted Answer

Potential whistleblowers should consider several factors before deciding to divulge information to a workplace authority. These factors include the potential consequences of their actions, such as retaliation from colleagues or superiors, the impact on their career and reputation, and the potential legal and ethical implications of their disclosure. They should also consider the credibility and responsiveness of the workplace authority, as well as the likelihood of their concerns being addressed and resolved.

The factors that a potential whistleblower should consider may vary depending on whether they are divulging information to a workplace authority or a governmental authority. When divulging information to a workplace authority, whistleblowers may need to consider the internal policies and procedures for reporting misconduct, as well as the potential support and protection offered by the organization. On the other hand, when divulging information to a governmental authority, whistleblowers may need to consider the legal protections and incentives available for reporting misconduct, as well as the potential impact on the organization and its stakeholders.

In both cases, potential whistleblowers should carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of their decision, seek legal and ethical guidance if necessary, and consider the potential impact of their disclosure on the organization, its employees, and its stakeholders. Ultimately, the decision to divulge information to a workplace or governmental authority should be made after careful consideration of the specific circumstances and potential consequences involved.

Question 3

If an internal auditor discovers a suspected illegal act involving financial statement presentation at the company she serves,the internal auditor:

Accepted Answer

A)  Has a duty to inform her supervisor, even if she suspects her supervisor was aware of, and permitted, this act to occur 
B)  Has a duty to report this misconduct to the SEC if she serves a client that is a publicly traded company 
C)  Has the opportunity to collect a significant reward under the Dodd-Frank Act if the she informs the SEC 
D)  Cannot collect a reward, even if the SEC ultimately recovers substantial sums as a direct result of information supplied to it by the internal auditor 
A)  Has a duty to inform her supervisor, even if she suspects her supervisor was aware of, and permitted, this act to occur 
B)  Has a duty to report this misconduct to the SEC if she serves a client that is a publicly traded company 
C)  Has the opportunity to collect a significant reward under the Dodd-Frank Act if the she informs the SEC 
D)  Cannot collect a reward, even if the SEC ultimately recovers substantial sums as a direct result of information supplied to it by the internal auditor D

Question 4

For employees who work in a corporation,which of the following are more common?

Accepted Answer

A)  Vertical whistleblowers 
B)  Horizontal whistleblowers 
C)  Internal whistleblowers 
D)  External whistleblowers 
A)  Vertical whistleblowers 
B)  Horizontal whistleblowers 
C)  Internal whistleblowers 
D)  External whistleblowers

Question 5

Many potentially successful "qui tam" cases never are asserted in court because:

Accepted Answer

A)  The government does not have adequate available resources for pursuing the lawsuit 
B)  The private citizen who desires to assert the court case cannot afford the time and expense of litigation 
C)  The private citizen who wishes to bring the lawsuit cannot demonstrate that an accounting fraud violation did in fact violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
D)  The private citizen and the government do not successfully negotiate a joint profit-sharing arrangement for dividing prospective lawsuit winnings 
A)  The government does not have adequate available resources for pursuing the lawsuit 
B)  The private citizen who desires to assert the court case cannot afford the time and expense of litigation 
C)  The private citizen who wishes to bring the lawsuit cannot demonstrate that an accounting fraud violation did in fact violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
D)  The private citizen and the government do not successfully negotiate a joint profit-sharing arrangement for dividing prospective lawsuit winnings

Question 6

Which of the following,according to research studies,motivates company employees to become external whistleblowers?

Accepted Answer

A)  A desire for revenge 
B)  A desire for financial rewards 
C)  A desire to avoid guilt by association 
D)  All of the above 
A)  A desire for revenge 
B)  A desire for financial rewards 
C)  A desire to avoid guilt by association 
D)  All of the above

Question 7

An informant's identity will not be vigorously protected:

Accepted Answer

A)  By the IRS, under its whistleblower program 
B)  By the SEC investigators, under the SEC's whistleblower program 
C)  By appointed SEC officials 
D)  In connection with "qui tam" claims 
A)  By the IRS, under its whistleblower program 
B)  By the SEC investigators, under the SEC's whistleblower program 
C)  By appointed SEC officials 
D)  In connection with "qui tam" claims

Question 8

Which of the following provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act encourages internal whistleblowing?

Accepted Answer

A)  Whistleblowers customarily are given a greater reward percentage if they first reported internally before reporting externally 
B)  External whistleblowers who became aware of corporate misconduct while working as a corporation's employee may not collect a financial reward for providing that information to governmental authorities 
C)  Whistleblowers qualify to receive financial rewards only if they first reported their concerns internally before reporting them externally 
D)  Whistleblowers receive anti-retaliation protections only if they first reported their concerns internally before reporting them externally 
A)  Whistleblowers customarily are given a greater reward percentage if they first reported internally before reporting externally 
B)  External whistleblowers who became aware of corporate misconduct while working as a corporation's employee may not collect a financial reward for providing that information to governmental authorities 
C)  Whistleblowers qualify to receive financial rewards only if they first reported their concerns internally before reporting them externally 
D)  Whistleblowers receive anti-retaliation protections only if they first reported their concerns internally before reporting them externally

Question 9

Have you ever committed an act out of revenge that you later came to regret?

Accepted Answer

As an artificial intelligence, I do not

Question 10

Should whistleblowers receive financial rewards if they are not acting out of altruistic motives?

Accepted Answer

The question of whether whistleblowers s

Question 11

The IRS informant program,like the Dodd-Frank program,gives people who are informing a sliding scale recovery.What factors do you believe should entitle inform it to the maximum possible percentage?

Accepted Answer

There are several factors that could ent

Question 12

What personality attributes do you believe that whistleblowers typically possess?

Accepted Answer

Whistleblowers are individuals who expos

Question 13

A company has an "Internal Whistleblower of the Year" award and intends to announce the employee who won the accompanying $25,000 cash prize at the company's annual employee awards banquet.The company:

Accepted Answer

A)  May not do so without getting the employee's permission 
B)  May not do so, even if it obtains the employee's permission 
C)  May do so to encourage others to employees to speak out 
D)  May do so based on the "honorary award" exception in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
A)  May not do so without getting the employee's permission 
B)  May not do so, even if it obtains the employee's permission 
C)  May do so to encourage others to employees to speak out 
D)  May do so based on the "honorary award" exception in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Question 14

What factors do you believe contribute to a person developing a sense of altruism toward others?

Accepted Answer

There are several factors that can contr

Question 15

If an auditor discovers that a suspected illegal act involving financialstatement preparation occurred at a client,the auditor has a duty to:

Accepted Answer

A)  Never inform management to prevent management from potentially engaging in a cover-up 
B)  Inform management, unless the auditor suspects that management is involved 
C)  Inform the company's Audit Committee 
D)  Determine if key client financial personnel were involved in the misconduct 
A)  Never inform management to prevent management from potentially engaging in a cover-up 
B)  Inform management, unless the auditor suspects that management is involved 
C)  Inform the company's Audit Committee 
D)  Determine if key client financial personnel were involved in the misconduct

Question 16

According to statistics on external employee whistleblowers,the least important factor that motivates them to bypass internal company reporting mechanisms is:

Accepted Answer

A)  The belief that internal reporting would be futile and not result in needed corrective actions 
B)  The desire for monetary rewards 
C)  Fear of retaliation 
D)  Past experiences in which they or others were retaliated against 
A)  The belief that internal reporting would be futile and not result in needed corrective actions 
B)  The desire for monetary rewards 
C)  Fear of retaliation 
D)  Past experiences in which they or others were retaliated against

Question 17

If a "qui tam" lawsuit is victorious,the private citizen who initiated the lawsuit:

Accepted Answer

A)  Receives all proceeds from the victory, after the government recovers its costs in providing attorney representation 
B)  Receives a majority of the winnings that remain after all legal fees and costs have been paid 
C)  Receives a modest fraction of the winnings that remain after all legal fees have been paid 
D)  Does not directly participate in the winnings, which is why "qui tam" loosely means "acting altruistically for the adoration of the king" 
A)  Receives all proceeds from the victory, after the government recovers its costs in providing attorney representation 
B)  Receives a majority of the winnings that remain after all legal fees and costs have been paid 
C)  Receives a modest fraction of the winnings that remain after all legal fees have been paid 
D)  Does not directly participate in the winnings, which is why "qui tam" loosely means "acting altruistically for the adoration of the king"

Question 18

A whistleblower who reports publicly-available information to the IRS that materially assists the IRS in recovering unpaid taxes is entitled to:

Accepted Answer

A)  No financial recovery at all 
B)  A percentage of the SEC's recovery 
C)  A percentage of the SEC's recovery only if the amount recovered involved fraud 
D)  A percentage of the SEC's recovery only if the amount recovered exceeds a specified threshold 
A)  No financial recovery at all 
B)  A percentage of the SEC's recovery 
C)  A percentage of the SEC's recovery only if the amount recovered involved fraud 
D)  A percentage of the SEC's recovery only if the amount recovered exceeds a specified threshold

Question 19

The concept of "qui tam":

Accepted Answer

A)  Was first established in the United States by the False Claims Act and has been mimicked by various state laws 
B)  Was first established in the United States by the False Claims Act, but gained widespread application when it was enacted as a core element of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
C)  Is an effective deterrent in Europe against accounting fraud and, according to critics, should be adopted in the United States 
D)  Enables the SEC to recover an equal share of all investor recoveries obtained in private investor lawsuits 
A)  Was first established in the United States by the False Claims Act and has been mimicked by various state laws 
B)  Was first established in the United States by the False Claims Act, but gained widespread application when it was enacted as a core element of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
C)  Is an effective deterrent in Europe against accounting fraud and, according to critics, should be adopted in the United States 
D)  Enables the SEC to recover an equal share of all investor recoveries obtained in private investor lawsuits

Question 20

A "qui tam" court case can proceed to court only if:

Accepted Answer

A)  A private citizen has, or can arrange to have, adequate resources for pursuing the claim 
B)  The government grants its approval for the lawsuit to proceed 
C)  The government first refuses to pursue the case on its own initiative 
D)  The government and the private citizen reach a joint agreement concerning the sharing of winnings and costs of litigation 
A)  A private citizen has, or can arrange to have, adequate resources for pursuing the claim 
B)  The government grants its approval for the lawsuit to proceed 
C)  The government first refuses to pursue the case on its own initiative 
D)  The government and the private citizen reach a joint agreement concerning the sharing of winnings and costs of litigation

Do you believe the people are innately altruistic?

If an internal auditor discovers a suspected illegal act involving financial statement presentation at the company she serves,the internal auditor:

For employees who work in a corporation,which of the following are more common?

Many potentially successful "qui tam" cases never are asserted in court because:

Which of the following,according to research studies,motivates company employees to become external whistleblowers?

An informant's identity will not be vigorously protected:

Which of the following provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act encourages internal whistleblowing?

Have you ever committed an act out of revenge that you later came to regret?

Should whistleblowers receive financial rewards if they are not acting out of altruistic motives?

The IRS informant program,like the Dodd-Frank program,gives people who are informing a sliding scale recovery.What factors do you believe should entitle inform it to the maximum possible percentage?

What personality attributes do you believe that whistleblowers typically possess?

A company has an "Internal Whistleblower of the Year" award and intends to announce the employee who won the accompanying $25,000 cash prize at the company's annual employee awards banquet.The company:

What factors do you believe contribute to a person developing a sense of altruism toward others?

If an auditor discovers that a suspected illegal act involving financialstatement preparation occurred at a client,the auditor has a duty to:

According to statistics on external employee whistleblowers,the least important factor that motivates them to bypass internal company reporting mechanisms is:

If a "qui tam" lawsuit is victorious,the private citizen who initiated the lawsuit:

A whistleblower who reports publicly-available information to the IRS that materially assists the IRS in recovering unpaid taxes is entitled to:

The concept of "qui tam":

A "qui tam" court case can proceed to court only if:

Introduction to Ethics

Ethical Principles and Reasoning

The Core Philosophies

Virtue,justice,and Social Responsibility

Why We Cheat

Greed,corruption,and Collusion

Fraud and Earnings Management

Discreditable Acts: Discrimination,deceit,and Disclosure

Confidentiality

Independence and Moral Seduction

Conflicts of Interest

Duties of Public-Company Auditors: the Sarbanesoxley Act

Duties of Tax Professionals

Duties of Fiduciaries: Financial Planners,trustees,and Executors

Duties in the Accounting Workplace Online Only

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Exam 12: Duties As a Whistleblower

Do you believe the people are innately altruistic?

If an internal auditor discovers a suspected illegal act involving financial statement presentation at the company she serves,the internal auditor:

For employees who work in a corporation,which of the following are more common?

Many potentially successful "qui tam" cases never are asserted in court because:

Which of the following,according to research studies,motivates company employees to become external whistleblowers?

An informant's identity will not be vigorously protected:

Which of the following provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act encourages internal whistleblowing?

Have you ever committed an act out of revenge that you later came to regret?

Should whistleblowers receive financial rewards if they are not acting out of altruistic motives?

The IRS informant program,like the Dodd-Frank program,gives people who are informing a sliding scale recovery.What factors do you believe should entitle inform it to the maximum possible percentage?

What personality attributes do you believe that whistleblowers typically possess?

A company has an "Internal Whistleblower of the Year" award and intends to announce the employee who won the accompanying $25,000 cash prize at the company's annual employee awards banquet.The company:

What factors do you believe contribute to a person developing a sense of altruism toward others?

If an auditor discovers that a suspected illegal act involving financialstatement preparation occurred at a client,the auditor has a duty to:

According to statistics on external employee whistleblowers,the least important factor that motivates them to bypass internal company reporting mechanisms is:

If a "qui tam" lawsuit is victorious,the private citizen who initiated the lawsuit:

A whistleblower who reports publicly-available information to the IRS that materially assists the IRS in recovering unpaid taxes is entitled to:

The concept of "qui tam":

A "qui tam" court case can proceed to court only if:

Introduction to Ethics

Ethical Principles and Reasoning

The Core Philosophies

Virtue,justice,and Social Responsibility

Why We Cheat

Greed,corruption,and Collusion

Fraud and Earnings Management

Discreditable Acts: Discrimination,deceit,and Disclosure

Confidentiality

Independence and Moral Seduction

Conflicts of Interest

Duties of Public-Company Auditors: the Sarbanesoxley Act

Duties of Tax Professionals

Duties of Fiduciaries: Financial Planners,trustees,and Executors

Duties in the Accounting Workplace Online Only

Filters