Deck 9: "You Know How to Whistle, Dont You?": Whistle-Blowing, Company Loyalty, and Employee Responsibility

Question 1

Explain what Frederick Bruce Bird means by moral muteness. How is it like hypocrisy, and how is it different?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Under what conditions might it be morally acceptable to remain silent when you see something morally troubling in a workplace environment?

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

What are the qualities of whistle-blowing, according to Bok? How can whistle-blowers justify their decision? What would be the foundation of that justification, according to Bok?

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

Explain the tensions between whistle-blowing and loyalty, according to Duska. Then write a short conversation between Duska, Bok and Soles on Sherron Watkins or another famous whistle-blower familiar to you.

Question 5

Would whistle-blowing be unnecessary if companies had no secrets? Explain the relationship among secrecy, transparency, and whistle-blowing. Now offer three cases in which a whistle-blower might be necessary even without secrecy policies in place.

Question 6

Research a recent whistle-blower in the government and write up the story as a case for the class.

Question 7

Explain the foundations of loyalty. How is loyalty to a company different than loyalty to a family member? To a country?

Question 8

Discuss the Lay, Skilling, and Watkins case offered at the end of the chapter in terms of recent developments in the Enron case. If Watkins could have seen the future-Lay and Skilling facing years in prison-would she still have acted the way she did? Discuss the dangers of whistle-blowing. How does one balance the harms with the benefits? Or is that the right question to ask?

Question 9

Would you blow the whistle on yourself? If the answer is no, how might you nevertheless defend blowing the whistle on someone else? If the answer is yes, when and why?

Question 10

Whistle-blowing refers to what?

A) Referring to your boss as "coach" (or in other excessively casual ways)
B) A term for going outside a company in an attempt to right a wrong
C) Making business deals you know are actually wrong
D) The three elements of urgency
E) None of the above

Question 11

According to Frederick Bird, moral muteness can occur

A) In politics
B) Among religious leaders
C) When a person is afraid she will be ignored
D) When a person defers to the judgment of others
E) All of the above

Question 12

According to Bird, which of the follow are instances of moral muteness in the work place?

A) Not speaking out against a workplace injustice because you do not know about it.
B) Not speaking out against a workplace injustice you know about, but retaliating by stealing office supplies.
C) Not advocating as vigorously as you should for a position you know to be right.
D) b. and c.
E) a., b. and c.

Question 13

The whistle-blower's accusation, according to Bok, concerns what?

A) A present or imminent threat
B) Something in the far past
C) Something the news is covering closely
D) A threat to national security
E) All of the above

Question 14

Bok asserts that some whistle-blowers:

A) Use the alarm for political reasons
B) Don't care what happens to themselves in the process
C) Always go to the media first, if they are "wise"
D) Go to law enforcement first
E) Do none of the above

Question 15

Bok argues that out of fairness to those criticized, we should be less in favor of leaked rumors and more in favor of whistle-blowers openly accepting:

A) Responsibility
B) Truths
C) Preferences
D) Prejudices
E) Protection

Question 16

According to Bok, a whistle-blower must believe the harm is not only immediate, but also:

A) General
B) Specific
C) Life-threatening
D) Violent
E) Both (b) and (d)

Question 17

In certain cases, we can distinguish between genuinely ethical whistle-blowing and what?

A) Whistle-blowing that occurs when a conscientious person has nowhere else to which he or she can appeal
B) Whistle-blowing on government officials
C) Whistle-blowing with malicious intent
D) Whistle-blowing on a corporate executive
E) All of the above

Question 18

Nader believes that the whistle-blowing issue can be reduced down to what question?

A) At what point must loyalty be sacrificed for money?
B) At what point should loyalty to society supersede loyalty to one's organization?
C) Does one care to be rehired in the same industry?
D) Is one a cheater or a liar?
E) Can a company be held liable for a few management mistakes?

Question 19

There are certain elements that lend themselves to acts of whistle-blowing, according to Bok. Which of the following are they?

A) Dissent, breach of loyalty, and extortion
B) Dissent, breach of loyalty, and accusation
C) Dissent, breach of loyalty, and money laundering
D) Dissent, breach of loyalty, and secrets
E) Dissent, breach of loyalty, and large amounts of capital

Question 20

What is the main difference between Davis's own theory and the standard theory of whistle-blowing?

A) Davis emphasizes that the whistleblower must be preventing harm.
B) Davis emphasizes that the wrongdoing must be serious.
C) Davis emphasizes that the company is complicit in the wrongdoing.
D) Davis emphasizes that the whistle-blower is complicit in the company's wrongdoing.
E) Davis emphasizes that the whistle-blower is NOT complicit in the wrongdoing.

Question 21

As quoted in Duska's article, Bowie claims that whistle-blowing violates:

A) An employee's right to privacy
B) An employee's loyalty to his or her employer
C) Davis's third paradox
D) The golden rule
E) All of the above

Question 22

Duska makes distinctions among how many types of philosophical camps regarding the proper object of loyalty?

A) Two
B) Four
C) Three
D) Six
E) None of the above

Question 23

Duska's main conclusion is that:

A) One can only be loyal to an individual, not to a group.
B) Businesses are like teams.
C) The goal of business is to make a profit.
D) Whistle-blowing is an act of disloyalty.
E) Whistle-blowing is NOT an act of disloyalty.

Question 24

What does Duska mean when he says that a company is an instrument, not an end in itself?

A) It's created to earn profit, and it doesn't have value in itself, like a person does.
B) It's created to earn profit, so it deserves the loyalty of people who share the profit.
C) It's created by people, so it deserves the same respect given to people.
D) It's created with the goal of human fulfillment, so it has elevated moral status.
E) It's created with the goal of human fulfillment, so it has lowered moral status.

Question 25

As quoted by Soles, Royce would say that the thing to which one is loyal must be:

A) Worthy
B) An idea
C) True and present
D) External and objective
E) One's company

Question 26

If we conceive of loyalty according to the idealist account, then what follows according to Soles?

A) No one will ever be loyal.
B) Instances of loyalty will be few and far between.
C) Few things will be worthy of loyalty.
D) A higher divorce rate will occur.
E) All of the above

Question 27

According to the theory Soles calls the "common sense" account, loyalty to an employer would involve:

A) A positive attitude toward the company, and a personal relationship to it
B) Serving the company's best interests
C) Always placing the company's interests above one's personal interests
D) Both (a) and (b)
E) All of (a), (b), and (c)

Question 28

What is the problem with the theory Soles calls "loyalties as norms"?

A) It demands unreasonable amounts of loyalty to employers.
B) It says that employees do not have to be loyal to employers.
C) It makes loyalty a moral standard.
D) It is not helpful in providing moral guidance about loyalty.
E) It would not allow for whistle-blowing.

Question 29

According to the minimalist theory, what would you need to do to be loyal to your employer?

A) Perform the duties of your job to the best of your ability.
B) Feel affection and respect for your employer.
C) Vote in ways representing the employer's interest.
D) Avoid purchasing products from the employer's competitor.
E) Both (a) and (b)

Question 30

Whistle-blowing is never painful.

Question 31

Moral silence has certain things in common with hypocrisy.

Question 32

Making certain moral statements in the workplace can make it more likely that people will remain morally mute.

Question 33

Loyalty to society is sacrificed when a person engages in whistle-blowing.

Question 34

Company loyalty always supersedes loyalty to society.

Question 35

All philosophers think that whistle-blowers are civic heroes.

Question 36

Sherron S. Watkins quit Enron immediately after she blew the whistle on the fraudulent activities going on there.

Question 37

The role of loyalty in whistle-blowing is always a clear-cut issue.

Question 38

Bok believes that whistle-blowers should remain anonymous.

Question 39

According to Bok, it is sometimes hard to tell whether whistle-blowing is the right or wrong choice.

Question 40

Duska argues that whistle-blowing is an act of disloyalty.

Question 41

According to Duska, it is possible to be loyal to a group as well as to an individual.

Question 42

Soles argues that no matter what account of loyalty we use, employees should be loyal to employers.

Question 43

The "idealist account" of loyalty is based on the theory of Josiah Royce.

Question 44

It is easier for many people to cheat when money is not directly involved.

Question 45

According to Frederick Bird, moral silence is correlated with and reinforced by moral __________.

Question 46

To be morally __________ is to fail to recognize moral issues and concerns.

Question 47

Bok puts forward a general characterization of the ethics of __________.

Question 48

According to Bok, the whistle-blower owes it to all __________ to make sure that they have the most objective advice regarding his or her decision.

Question 49

Bok argues that whistle-blowing is intended to be for the benefit of ______________.

Question 50

Duska considers that _______________ are not proper objects of loyalty.

Question 51

According to Duska, loyalty requires a kind of ______________ that is not found in business.

Question 52

A person is an end in him or herself, but a company is merely an ________________.

Question 53

Sherron Watkins continued to work at _____________ even after blowing the whistle on their accounting practices.

Question 54

The __________ of loyalty-what it is that we should be loyal to-is one of the main focuses of Soles's essay.

Question 55

Soles analyzes what counts as __________ and offers __________ different concepts of it.

Question 56

Solomon and Martin identify five elements of the new ______________ loyalty.

Question 57

The theory Soles calls the ____________ account would require loyal employees to live or die for the company.