Deck 5: Ethical Decision Making

Question 1

Moral intensity deals mostly with ______ factors.

A) organizational
B) individual
C) issue-related
D) cultural or societal

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In a self-restraint culture, the common feeling is that ______.

A) it is better to use force than express sympathy
B) duty is more important than freedom
C) links with the past should be stronger than the perception of the present
D) people have a low tolerance for unexpected events

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Tom Jones considers which of the following to cause an act to have a high moral intensity?

A) It has high temporal immediacy.
B) It has low social consensus.
C) It has a very widely dispersed effect.
D) It harms those very close to it.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Corruption is more likely to thrive in a culture when which of the following characteristics are met?

A) individualistic and feminine
B) high power distance and high masculinity
C) collectivist and high self-restraint
D) high uncertainty avoidance and low indulgence

Question 5

When witnessing a person unknowingly drop a ten-dollar bill, Kumail instantly grabs the bill and hands it back, using his ethical intuition. From what source did this subconscious decision likely flow?

A) a consideration of his society's value system
B) reflection using his moral awareness
C) execution of a theory of planned behavior
D) his deeply embedded value system

Question 6

Min-Wae's company is continually battling unethical behavior among employees, which has grown over the last year. Based on research, which of the following variables is least likely to be a factor in this problem?

A) The company has a "be a team player" attitude when it comes to unethical behavior.
B) The company lacks a code of ethics or any officially articulated ethical standards.
C) The company is undergoing a difficult financial period with rapidly declining profits.
D) The company is very large, with employee numbers in the tens of thousands.

Question 7

A member of a sales team speaks out against an intentionally unethical treatment of a customer even though the other members of the team strongly encourage silence. This person is likely to have ______.

A) a low moral awareness
B) a high moral identity
C) ambiguous ethical beliefs
D) low ethical intuition

Question 8

Research shows that conservatives differ from liberals in their ethical intuition in that they are ______.

A) less motivated by a respect for authority than by notions of reciprocity
B) less motivated by fairness than they are by group loyalty
C) more motivated by the perception of harm than by notions of purity
D) less motivated by ethics or morals than they are by personal gain

Question 9

Among individual characteristics, which of the following is considered a variable within an individual's control?

A) gender
B) culture
C) age
D) locus of control

Question 10

Which of the following is sometimes compared to having a "gut reaction" about the moral nature of an issue or action?

A) ethical intuition
B) moral awareness
C) moral identity
D) moral sensitivity

Question 11

How does the text define "moral awareness and sensitivity"?

A) recognizing a situation has ethical dynamics
B) possessing an ability to make highly ethical decisions in uncertain situations
C) sensing when others are in a moral or ethical dilemma
D) the ability to resist unethical behavior when it is the easier choice

Question 12

Which of the following is among the most prominent organizational reasons for unethical behavior at work?

A) excessive financial success
B) known punishments for unethical behaviors
C) retaliation against more successful coworkers
D) seeking to be a team player

Question 13

An issue of low moral intensity to a person is most likely to ______.

A) not garner their attention
B) not illicit an opinion when noticed
C) have high consequences if ignored
D) illicit unethical behavior in response

Question 14

Which of the following is likely to cause an act to have high moral intensity to a person?

A) The outcome of the act is highly unpredictable.
B) The act will not affect others to a very serious degree.
C) The morality of the act is likely to illicit many varying opinions from those witnessing it.
D) The act is going to cause someone harm within just a few minutes.

Question 15

What is the first component of James Rest's ethical decision-making model?

A) moral judgement
B) moral awareness
C) moral intentions
D) moral actions

Question 16

Among variables that can impact ethical decision making, in which of the following ways are individual characteristics within a person's control different than those not in one's control?

A) They are more related to physical location and family.
B) They support more positive ethical decisions than negative ones.
C) They become less influential on the decision-making process over time.
D) They can be further developed through personal initiative.

Question 17

Which of the following would be an example of Icek Azjen's theory of planned behavior in action?

A) A woman chooses to stop a person from stealing a pack of gum because she believes she may receive a reward and the respect of others.
B) A woman steals a pack of gum because it will provide her with happiness even though she knows that stealing is morally wrong.
C) A woman does not steal a pack of gum because all those she loves and respects believe that stealing is wrong.
D) A woman does not steal a pack of gum because she fears the punishment that will happen to her if she is caught.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about moral awareness is accurate?

A) A person's moral awareness is likely to be stronger as a teenager than as a young child.
B) People with low moral awareness will likely make ethical decisions in situations they do not recognize as ethical.
C) A person's moral awareness remains constant at the various stages of moral development.
D) A person with high moral awareness may understand to act ethically while only considering the impact of their decisions on himself or herself.

Question 19

In a particular country, the wealthy have a lot of control over resources and strong influence in government. A large percentage of the population is poor and has relatively little control over the course of their lives, but both sides seem to accept this as the way of things. Based on the value continuum described by Geert Hofstede, this is probably a(n) ______ culture.

A) collectivist
B) high power distance
C) low uncertainty avoidance
D) indulgent

Question 20

How does moral identity differ from moral awareness?

A) Moral identity is action based; moral awareness is more abstract.
B) Moral identity is easier to quantify than moral awareness.
C) Moral identity can show strong or weak morality, but moral awareness cannot.
D) Moral identity is a self-concept; moral awareness is a characteristic.

Question 21

Which of the following best encompasses the influences on a person's ethical judgement?

A) ethical intuition and deep reflection
B) deep reflection on morality based on the society's perceived beliefs
C) deeply ingrained value patterns and beliefs
D) individual, organization, and societal characteristics, moral consciousness, and moral intensity

Question 22

What is the purpose of the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

A) determine the internal morality of an individual
B) analyze the ethical dimension of a decision
C) analyze the degree of moral awareness of an individual
D) help an individual develop ethical character

Question 23

What is lacking in both egoism and social group relativism?

A) decision-making based on the norms of friends, coworkers, or close acquaintances
B) adherence to personal preference
C) decision making based on societal ethical principals
D) interpreting ethics based on the beliefs of others

Question 24

Which of the following incidents would Tom Jones consider to have the highest moral intensity?

A) A company's poor working and sanitation conditions causes a fire that kills 17 people.
B) A company's continued pollution over a decade contributes to lower respiratory health for everyone in a tristate area.
C) A company corruption scandal forces the resignation of several members of top management.
D) A company corruption scandal plummets the company's social standing and lowered profits bring about many layoffs.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about ethical intention is accurate?

A) Ethical intention leads to ethical judgment.
B) Just because a person forms an ethical intention does not mean he or she will act on it.
C) It is easier to form an unethical intention than an ethical intention.
D) Old habits help strengthen the will to follow through with an ethical intention.

Question 26

What usually follows a failure of ethical intuition?

A) a reliance on deeply-ingrained moral beliefs
B) an altered decision based on reflexive intuition
C) a reflective rational ethical decision-making process
D) an action based on self-preservation

Question 27

If a negative act of high moral intensity occurs in a business, which of the following is most likely to happen?

A) The company will face legal consequences, and employees of high moral intensity will be most upset.
B) The company will face relatively low societal outrage, and those employees of low moral quality will react strongly.
C) The public will experience strong moral outrage, but the company's employees will be largely unaffected emotionally.
D) The public will have almost no moral outrage, but the company's employees will be very emotionally affected.

Question 28

Which of the following has research shown to be positively correlated with better ethical decision making?

A) quicker ethical reflection
B) deontology
C) lower idealism
D) high rationality

Question 29

You reason at a Stage 3 conventional level of moral development. Which of the following characteristics apply to you?

A) You often think about moral issues and have a moderate to high moral awareness.
B) You have a high moral identity.
C) You have a highly individualistic sense of morality.
D) Praise by your superiors has a major influence on you.

Question 30

What is the simplest, easiest-to-apply ethical theory?

A) egoism
B) social group relativism
C) cultural relativism
D) utilitarianism

Question 31

In a business where egoism is the predominant ethical theory, which employee would receive a scarce resource when there is competition over that scarce resource?

A) the one who needs it the most
B) the more politically powerful employee
C) all competing employees through equal distribution
D) the employee who makes a better argument to management

Question 32

For which of the following reasons is the Volkswagen emissions cheating of modest, rather than high, moral intensity, according to the textbook?

A) It is not clear that there would be any damage to the environment.
B) Management would take the primary blame for the cheating.
C) The social consensus will be that the cheating was not that bad.
D) The harm done will be diffuse and widely dispersed.

Question 33

How does the text define "ethical intention"?

A) mentally deciding if one will act unethically or ethically
B) mentally committing to take an action that is morally appropriate
C) mentally committing to apply ethical intuition to a situation
D) evaluating the act of another to determine whether or not to respond ethically or unethically

Question 34

Which of the following rationales would Maria, an egoist, most likely use for deciding to give money to a local charity?

A) Giving to the charity would help her fit in with society's expectations of moral behavior.
B) The money may go to people who truly need it, and it may benefit their lives.
C) She could later tell people about giving money and be respected for it.
D) Giving to the charity is a clear moral act.

Question 35

Adam Smith and Ayn Rand would most likely agree on which of the following statements?

A) The suffering of others should not factor into a calculation of one's decisions or behaviors.
B) Communal harmony is just as important as the pursuit of self-interest.
C) People should pursue their self-interests at all costs.
D) People tend to place their self-interests above those of others.

Question 36

Which of the following best describes the ethical character of a new employee at an organization?

A) She already believes she knows what is right and what is wrong.
B) She has a kind of "tabula rasa," blank-slate conception of morality.
C) She is more likely to commit unethical behavior than ethical behavior.
D) She has very low moral awareness with respect to the kinds of issues faced in this organization.

Question 37

How does the moral philosophy literature differ from the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

A) It allows for a more systematic approach for reaching moral conclusions.
B) It is somewhat narrower in scope.
C) It offers fewer moral perspectives for analyzing an ethical issue.
D) It asks more direct questions about the benefit or harm of an act.

Question 38

Mack has never reported any of his coworkers for unethical behavior despite witnessing it many times. He forms an ethical intention to say something for the first time. What can his organization do to help him follow through with this intention?

A) Provide employees with decision-making tools, such as ethics scenarios and answers.
B) Make clear how harsh the punishments are for the specific unethical behavior.
C) Reduce the amount of interaction employees have with each other.
D) Offer private counseling to all employees.

Question 39

What is a weakness of the Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

A) It doesn't raise the issue of dishonesty.
B) It doesn't offer advice on how to deal with a conflict between two questions.
C) It cannot be applied to very many scenarios.
D) It doesn't deal with issues such as friendship.

Question 40

In the chapter's initial Volkswagen emissions cheating scenario, at what point does the subject--the engineer who helped with the cheating--first truly question why he or she was complicit in the cheating?

A) when the scheme appears to be successful
B) when the environmental effects are considered
C) when first approached to help with the cheating
D) when the first serious consequences become apparent

Question 41

Which of the following is a deontological principle shared by/agreed upon by all the major religions of the world?

A) Give yourself to the service of others.
B) See the good in all people.
C) Do no harm.
D) Do not steal.

Question 42

A business manager who is a deontologist would consider the consequences for whom before making an action?

A) every stakeholder
B) every shareholder
C) her own moral character
D) the majority of stakeholders

Question 43

Social group relativism would argue that a manager would make an ethical decision based on ______.

A) what other managers would do in a similar situation
B) how their close friends, coworkers, and relatives would act in a similar situation
C) what their cultural values tell them to do
D) the outcome that would give them the best chance of promotion and success

Question 44

What ethical theory is the highest level of moral reasoning?

A) virtue ethics
B) deontology
C) utilitarianism
D) moral absolutism

Question 45

An attempt to do which of the following is most likely to guide the decisions of a virtue ethicist over multiple decisions?

A) Follow the "Golden Rule."
B) Improve the welfare of everyone.
C) Make the majority of people happy.
D) Be kind and fair.

Question 46

Which of the following statements about cultural relativism is accurate?

A) The follower of this theory believes that members of larger society have and should respect common interests.
B) It seeks to minimize human bias.
C) It will naturally advance the personal success or interests of one who follows it.
D) Being a higher-level ethical theory, it is not possible to advance out of cultural relativism.

Question 47

What would a utilitarian consider to be the ultimate goal of an ethical decision?

A) benefiting their in-group
B) creating the most good in the world
C) bringing about equality of income
D) doing no harm to any party or individual

Question 48

In theory, where do democracy and utilitarianism converge?

A) Both seek to improve the lives of the majority.
B) Both seek to make laws that will ensure social harmony.
C) Both argue for the primacy of self-interest.
D) Both believe in seeking harmony among nations.

Question 49

What is a weakness of utilitarianism within organizations?

A) A manager might make a decision that causes extreme harm to a few people so that the good of the majority is preserved.
B) A manager might choose to harm or destroy the organization if the larger society disapproves of its mission.
C) A manager may choose to play favorites with departments based on which has the best ethical record.
D) A manager will have the organization repeatedly break the law if he or she does not believe in the good of those laws.

Question 50

A deontologist wants to hurry across busy traffic to make a meeting she is late for but doesn't want to wait for the "walk" signal. In trying to decide if this is acceptable, she wants to know whether or not the possible action is a categorical imperative. What question should she ask herself?

A) "Should I place my own success in my career above the safety of those around me?"
B) "Should all people late for important meetings ignore crosswalk signals?"
C) "Is the traffic law that dictates one must wait for a crossing signal an ethical or reasonable one?"
D) "Would most people sympathize with my decision to rush across before the signal?"

Question 51

A financial services company has just lost its CFO and is seeking to hire someone for the position. As the CEO goes about the process of looking at applicants, why might she want to hire a cultural relativist?

A) She will want someone who is motivated to achieve a high level of personal success, thus working hard for higher salaries and bonuses.
B) She will want someone who adheres to universal ethical principles, thus elevating the public reputation of the company.
C) She will need someone who wants the company to operate within the law.
D) She will want someone who looks out for the interests of upper management.

Question 52

Why can deontology be problematic for a business?

A) Compulsive or consistent honesty is not conducive to good management.
B) Respecting every stakeholder or customer equally is likely not sound business practice.
C) Constantly seeking the welfare of the poorest members of society is at odds with seeking a company's profits.
D) Seeking the benefit of the majority can be detrimental to some key stakeholders in the minority.

Question 53

Which of the following lists correctly ranks its theories from lower to higher stage of moral reasoning, according to general consensus?

A) cultural relativism, social relativism, utilitarianism, deontology
B) social relativism, cultural relativism, utilitarianism, deontology
C) utilitarianism, virtue ethics, deontology
D) cultural relativism, utilitarianism, egoism, deontology

Question 54

Within the context of organizations, what do egoism and social group relativism have in common?

A) The more politically powerful party is likely to get the scarce resource.
B) Self-interest plays less of a role than does departmental interest.
C) Cultural rules dominate ethical decision making.
D) Parties tend to apply the same standards to different individuals or groups.

Question 55

How does virtue ethics differ from deontology?

A) It is habit- and action-based instead of rule-based.
B) It allows for more emphasis on self-interest.
C) It is ends-based instead of rule-based.
D) It takes into consideration the welfare of all individuals, not just the majority.

Question 56

Why might virtue ethics cause problems for a manager?

A) Virtue ethicists often ignore the needs of others while pursuing perfect character.
B) Some virtues, when practiced in a real situation, are not compatible with others.
C) The constant practice of virtuous behavior is not typically in sync with the larger business climate.
D) There is very little agreement on what constitutes virtuous behavior.

Question 57

A follower of which ethical theory is most likely to equate governmental laws with proper ethical behavior?

A) egoism
B) cultural relativism
C) social group relativism
D) utilitarianism

Question 58

The voting pattern of a partisan political party member is likely to be best described by ______.

A) cultural relativism
B) deontology
C) social group relativism
D) egoism

Question 59

In which of the following ways do the ethical theories compare or contrast with Lawrence Kohlberg's six stages of moral reasoning?

A) Egoism does not correspond well to any of Kohlberg's stages.
B) Virtue ethics, the highest level ethical theory, matches Stage 6, Kohlberg's highest.
C) Utilitarianism can be seen in every Kohlberg stage.
D) Cultural relativism is seen most strongly in Stage 1 because of all the cultural influences on early child development.

Question 60

In which of the following ways does utilitarianism differ from cultural relativism?

A) A utilitarian might take an action if it benefits only the minority, while a cultural relativist would seek to benefit the majority.
B) Utilitarians think of fewer people when considering the consequences of an action.
C) A utilitarian would consider the norms of the larger society as an important source of ethical thinking.
D) A utilitarian would not consider the mere existence of a law as a reason to follow it.

Question 61

A five-year-old is most likely to make decisions based on what ethical theory?

A) egoism
B) social group relativism
C) cultural relativism
D) utilitarianism

Question 62

An ethical conflict over a relationship with a new client arises in a sales company. Multiple employees have various conflicting opinions and recommendations about the issue. Who is likely to prevail?

A) the highest-level manager involved
B) the party who holds an egoist position
C) the new client
D) the party who holds a utilitarian position

Question 63

By comparing ethical theories to foreign languages, the text is suggesting that ______.

A) ethical problems are best solved by having each participant attack it using a different ethical theory
B) we should seek to find common ground by adopting the same ethical theory to work on a problem
C) ethical theories are rarely compatible with each other when working on ethical problems
D) ethical problems are best solved by viewing them from another's perspective

Question 64

Why does the text suggest that the Volkswagen managers and engineers may have miscalculated the utilitarian analysis?

A) Benefits to VW and shareholders were calculated in the greatest good, but they suffered overall.
B) The personal cost to the decision makers--particularly the engineers involved--was particularly high.
C) The harm caused to the majority of stakeholders--through minimal rises in air pollution--was smaller than anticipated.
D) Benefits to all stakeholders were calculated in the greatest good, and they were higher than expected.

Question 65

In which of the following situations should a decision maker most consider adjusting the virtuous decision based on more pragmatic concerns?

A) Utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics are in alignment AND the action they recommend will result in job termination or material loss for the decision maker.
B) Utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics are in alignment AND the action they recommend is illegal.
C) All of the theories options disagree with virtue ethics and deontology AND the virtue ethics path is illegal.
D) Virtue ethics has an interpretation that counters all the other issues, but the virtuous path will protect or benefit the decision maker.

Question 66

If the engineer in the Volkswagen scenario is following an egoist ethical theory, what question would be most important to ask about the possible action options?

A) "Which option will bring the most benefit to stakeholders?"
B) "Which option will cause the most harm to my social group?"
C) "Which option will be most likely to get the company caught and punished?"
D) "Which option will benefit me the most?"

Question 67

An egoist is trying to solve an ethical problem at work but finds he cannot reach an agreement or an acceptable solution by prioritizing only his own interests. As he tries to expand his thinking on this issue, what next mental step is he most likely to take?

A) trying to make his own behavior as virtuous as possible
B) wondering how most stakeholders will be affected by the problem
C) considering the interests of his immediate coworkers and perhaps his supervisor
D) considering how to maximize the benefit for the most number of people

Question 68

Which of the following is a question in Rotary International's Four-Way Test?

A) Does it benefit the decision maker?
B) Is it the truth?
C) Will it cause harm to anyone?
D) Is it profitable?

Question 69

Which of the following best represents the choice for the decision maker in the third step of the critical thinking decision-making process?

A) Why have I ended up in this predicament?
B) What are all my options here?
C) How would the various ethical theories treat this issue?
D) Should I help with the cheating or not participate?

Question 70

If the three highest-level ethical theories are in conflict about what to do in a situation, what is considered to be the most important ethical choice?

A) trying to improve the lives of the majority of affected people
B) pursuing the greatest good
C) seeking to do the least amount of harm
D) respecting everyone and acting virtuously

Question 71

The decision maker in the Volkswagen scenario ends up placing the most value on the potential benefit to people working inside the company or shareholders rather than the welfare of all stakeholders. Which ethical theories could the decision maker be employing?

A) utilitarianism, social group relativism, deontology
B) deontology, virtue ethics, utilitarianism
C) egoism, social group relativism, cultural relativism
D) egoism, social group relativism, utilitarianism

Question 72

Why does utilitarianism seem to suggest that the engineer should help Volkswagen cheat on emissions?

A) Utilitarianism tends to consider only direct, immediate negative impacts into its calculations.
B) Cheating would benefit the engineer's in-group, such as managers and coworkers.
C) In calculating what benefits the greatest good, the tally seems to lean slightly in favor of cheating.
D) Environmental impacts are generally not factored into a utilitarian calculation.

Question 73

What is the decision maker's first step in the critical thinking decision-making process?

A) Consider the consequence of virtuous action to the self.
B) Decide whether or not the issue has ethical dimensions.
C) Ask what one's peers would do in the situation.
D) List all options under consideration.

Question 74

The text suggests that in the Volkswagen scenario, choosing not to participate will be personally damaging to the engineer. How should the engineer deal with this possibility?

A) Seek the help of a mentor to get moved to another project.
B) Quit the company rather than refuse to participate from inside the company.
C) Be a public whistleblower in order to gain public sympathy.
D) Pretend to go along with the scheme but undermine it from the inside.

Question 75

What aspect of the Volkswagen engineering scandal would virtue ethics consider a more serious problem than would utilitarianism?

A) respiratory illness caused by pollution
B) lying to regulators
C) damaging a public good
D) helping the social group

Question 76

Which of the following is a core flawed assumption of the conflict resolution approach?

A) The highest-status person will be the most ethical.
B) Most people involved will come to the same ethical conclusion.
C) The egoist and utilitarian positions will almost always be in agreement.
D) The lowest-status person will be guided by the virtue ethics theory.

Question 77

How does the text suggest that managers sensitize employees to recognize when ethically hazardous rationalizations are invoked?

A) by having employees study the work of philosophers of morality
B) by testing employees while on the job
C) as part of an ethics training session
D) through trial and error

Question 78

A virtue-ethics-minded manager is trying to persuade a utilitarian-minded employee of the benefit of giving up some of her responsibilities to a new employee. The manager's best argument would likely be that ______.

A) giving the new employee some important tasks will make her feel welcome, raise overall productivity, and benefit everyone in the department
B) giving the new employee some important tasks is the virtuous thing to do
C) giving the new employee some important tasks will make the new employee happier
D) relinquishing some tasks will free up some of the older employee's time and give her more needed leisure

Question 79

What do utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics have in common?

A) They push the decision maker to make the most ethical choice.
B) They push the decision maker to consider what would be best for the majority of people.
C) They seek to have the decision maker do the best for most people while still protecting self.
D) They seek to have the decision maker consider primarily the virtuousness of their own behavior.

Question 80

In the hypothetical Volkswagen engineer scenario, which is the lowest level ethical theory that suggests the engineer should not assist in the cheating scheme?

A) social group relativism
B) cultural relativism
C) virtue ethics
D) deontology