Deck 6: Ethical Decision Making: Employer Responsibilities and Employee Rights

Question 1

"Sweatshops" lack even the most basic health and safety protections.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: In some regions,employees lack even the most basic health and safety protections,such as in working environments that are often termed "sweatshops."

Question 2

In the context of downsizing,if a firm retains employees on the basis of longevity with the firm and the retained employees are mostly of the male gender,the firm is not violating any regulations legally.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: From a legal perspective,the decision about whom to include in a downsizing effort must be carefully planned.If the firm's decision is based on some criterion that seems to be neutral on its face,such as seniority,but the plan results in a different impact on one group than another,the decision may be suspect.In this case of retention based on longevity,the effort may violate Title VII's prohibition against discrimination based on gender because the termination policy has a more significant-and negative-impact on women.

Question 3

A mistreatment needs to be physically threatening to be termed as "bullying."

Answer 3

False
Explanation: "Bullying" in the workplace is defined as "the repeated,malicious,health-endangering mistreatment of one employee...by one or more employees." The mistreatment need not be physically threatening but might simply involve a boss who is constantly yelling dictates at workers,or a coworker who spreads rumors about another in order to sabotage his position.

Question 4

The life of one who dies in a workplace accident has instrumental value that can be measured,in part,by the lost wages that would have been earned had that person lived.

Question 5

Even if private property rights grant managers authority over employees,the right of private property itself is limited by other rights and duties.

Question 6

Some employers emphasize the rights and duties of all employees and treat employees well simply because "it is the right thing to do." Identify the ethical approach for this perspective.

A)Prescriptive ethics
B)Utilitarianism
C)Deontological ethics
D)Classicism

Question 7

In legal contexts,due process is the right to be protected against the arbitrary use of authority.

Question 8

Rejecting cost-benefit analysis in setting standards is not the same as rejecting cost-effective strategies in implementing those standards.

Question 9

Employees have a universal right to a "happy" workplace.

Question 10

Identify a true statement about the right of due process.

A)In the employment context,due process specifies the conditions for basic fairness within the scope of an employer's authority over its employees.
B)Few dispute that the state,through its police and courts,has the authority to punish citizens and this authority of the state is the right of due process.
C)Due process in the legal context acknowledges the indisputable authority of the judicial system over a citizen.
D)In legal contexts,due process refers to the unlimited authority that police and courts have over citizens to create a safe and orderly society.

Question 11

Nation-specific studies show that high levels of child labor are associated with high literacy levels.

Question 12

Companies that place employees at the core of their strategies produce lower long-term returns to shareholders than do industry peers.

Question 13

Which of the following is true of "bullying" in the workplace?

A)The mistreatment of an employee needs to be physically threatening to be termed bullying.
B)Bullying can involve a boss who is constantly yelling dictates at workers because that is his joB.
C)When a coworker spreads rumors about another in order to sabotage his position,he is not regarded a bully as he is not higher than the other employee in the hierarchy of authority.
D)Bullying is independent of emotional abuse that results in a complete loss of personal dignity.

Question 14

"Relative risks" are determined by comparing the probabilities of harm involved in various activities.

Question 15

The doctrine of "employment at will"(EAW)holds that,unless an agreement specifies otherwise,employers are free to fire an employee at any time and for any reason.

Question 16

Philosophically,the right of _____ is the right to be protected against the arbitrary use of authority.

A)continuance
B)freedom of association
C)due process
D)self-determination

Question 17

If the risks in a workplace have been reduced to the lowest feasible level and employees are fully aware of them,then a society that respects its citizens as autonomous decision makers has done its duty.

Question 18

Fundamental questions of justice arise because employees are subject to considerable harms from a lack of security in their jobs and do not have much power to create security.

Question 19

Rewards and compensation structures have no impact on the emotions of workers.

Question 20

Some employers might decide to treat employees well as a means to produce greater workplace harmony and productivity.This approach is reminiscent of _____ ethics.

A)deontological
B)utilitarian
C)normative
D)Kantian

Question 21

A true statement about health and safety at a workplace is that _____.

A)they can be completely replaced by financial compensation
B)they have low instrumental value
C)they have intrinsic value in addition to their instrumental value
D)they are interpreted as ideals that are impossible to realize

Question 22

Which of the following approaches to health and safety at a workplace can be considered paternalistic decision making which treats employees like children and makes crucial decisions for them?

A)Government-regulated ethics approach
B)Diversifiable risk approach
C)Acceptable level of risk approach
D)Market controlled approach

Question 23

A true statement about the market controlled approach to health and safety is that in this approach:

A)employers treat their employees disrespectfully by ignoring their inputs as stakeholders.
B)this approach can support compensation to injured workers when it can be shown that employers were responsible for causing the harm.
C)this approach assumes an equivalency between workplace risks and other types of risks when there are actually significant differences between them.
D)the utilitarian concern for the consequences of an unsafe working environment on the social fabric is ignoreD.

Question 24

Identify a true statement about health and safety at a workplace.

A)Health and safety are "goods" that are valued both as a means for attaining other valuable ends and as ends in themselves.
B)Employers are responsible for providing a completely safe and healthy workplace.
C)Financial compensation can replace the value of life lost due to lack of health and safety measures.
D)Health and safety have a very low instrumental value.

Question 25

The life of one who dies in a workplace accident has _____ value that can be measured,in part,by the lost wages that would have been earned had that person lived.

A)absolute
B)instrumental
C)intrinsic
D)extrinsic

Question 26

Identify a challenge associated with the market controlled approach to health and safety.

A)Employees lack the kinds of free choices that the free-market theory would require in order to attain optimal satisfactions.
B)This approach ignores the fundamental deontological right an employee might have to a safe and healthy working environment.
C)This approach assumes an equivalency between workplace risks and other types of risks when there are significant differences between them.
D)Employees in a free market are treated disrespectfully by ignoring their inputs as stakeholders.

Question 27

With regard to health and safety at a workplace,_____ can be defined as the probability of harm.

A)obstacles
B)impediments
C)risks
D)barriers

Question 28

One of the challenges in the acceptable risk approach to workplace health and safety is that it:

A)is a liberal approach to workplace health and safety that allows employees to recognize the risk they are likely to face.
B)involves the determination of "relative risks," the calculation of which is a complicated process and not always reliable.
C)assumes an equivalency between workplace risks and other types of risks when there are significant differences between them.
D)It treats health and safety merely as an instrumental value and denies its intrinsic value.

Question 29

Which of the following is a challenge faced by the acceptable risk approach to health and safety?

A)It is a liberal approach to health and safety that allows employees to recognize the risk they are likely to face.
B)It involves the determination of "relative risks," the calculation of which is a complicated process and not always reliable.
C)It does not assume equivalency between workplace risks and other types of risks when there are significant similarities between them.
D)It improperly places incentives because the risks faced at work could be controlled by others who might stand to benefit by not reducing them.

Question 30

Identify a true statement about the doctrine of employment at will (EAW).

A)Employment at will holds that employers can fire an employee at any time but have to provide them with a valid reason.
B)The freedom to terminate the employer-employee relationship is mutual,both theoretically and practically.
C)Until and unless an exception can be demonstrated,courts will rely on employment at will as the default position.
D)An employment at will worker may decide to quit a job at any time and for any reason only if he or she is ready to offer notice.

Question 31

When can we conclude that an activity has an "acceptable level of risk?"

A)If it can be determined that the probability of harm involved in a specific work activity is manageable.
B)If the probability of harm involved in a specific work activity is acceptable by insurance and workers' compensation laws.
C)If it can be determined that the probability of harm involved in a specific work activity is equal to or less than the probability of harm of some more common activity.
D)If the employers are willing to compensate the harm caused to workers for a specific activity.

Question 32

Enlightened self-interest would be a valuable theory to introduce and apply in the _____ approach to health and safety.

A)market controlled
B)integrative
C)acceptable risk
D)government-regulated

Question 33

The term "sweatshops" refers to workplaces where:

A)employers constantly supervise and evaluate employees.
B)employee interests are protected by rights from being subjected to utilitarian and financial calculations.
C)employers treat employees well as a means to produce greater workplace harmony.
D)employees lack even the most basic health and safety protections.

Question 34

Discussions in ethics about employee health and safety tend to focus on the relative risks workers face and the level of acceptable workplace risk because:

A)workers' compensation is easier to calculate.
B)employers cannot be responsible for providing an ideally safe and healthy workplace.
C)insurance laws mandate the focus on relative risks and acceptability of workplace risk.
D)they results in a completely safe and healthy workplace.

Question 35

In the context of government-regulated ethics approach to health and safety,a true statement about government standards is that:

A)they address the "first generation" problem of the market controlled approach to health and safety by focusing on compensation rather than prevention.
B)they favor individual bargaining between employers and employees as the approach to workplace health and safety.
C)they prevent employees from having to face the fundamentally coercive choice between job and safety.
D)they are set based on assumptions rather than best available scientific knowledge and thus add to market failures that result from insufficient information.

Question 36

Comparison of the probabilities of harm involved in various activities would determine the _____.

A)acceptable level of risks
B)absolute risks
C)speculative risks
D)relative risks

Question 37

The issue of workplace bullying is more predominant in the service sector because:

A)it lacks the right of due process.
B)that work relies significantly on interpersonal relationships and interaction.
C)of its strong hierarchy of authority.
D)most of the organizations in this sector are decentralizeD.

Question 38

In the context of downsizing in an organization,allowing a worker to remain in a position for a period of time after she or he has been informed of impending termination might not be the best course of action.Identify a supporting argument for this statement.

A)Workers are less likely to interpret early notice as an effort to allow them time to come to grips with the loss of their jobs.
B)Terminated workers are more likely to be inclined to put their best effort,which might result in temporary improvement in customer service.
C)Workers who are not terminated are likely to have a very bad impression about the organization for terminating their coworkers.
D)Terminated workers rarely interpret early notice as a measure to get the most out of them before departure.

Question 39

Identify the doctrine which holds that employers are free to fire an employee at any time and for any reason unless an agreement specifies otherwise.

A)The doctrine of estoppel
B)The doctrine of constructive notice
C)The doctrine of constructive dismissal
D)The doctrine of employment at will

Question 40

With regard to health and safety at a workplace,_____ can be determined by comparing the probabilities of harm involved in various activities.

A)variable obstacles
B)absolute impediments
C)relative risks
D)comparative barriers

Question 41

All of the following are ways through which affirmative action can arise at the workplace except:

A)legal requirements.
B)judicial affirmative action.
C)consultant based affirmative action.
D)voluntary affirmative action plans.

Question 42

Jason,a Caucasian in his mid-thirties,is a high-ranking manager at an insurance firm.He is well qualified and has received multiple accolades for his good work.When the firm receives news of potential business from a corporation that has primarily Africa American stakeholders,Jason gets overlooked and the opportunity to handle this account is given to his colleague,Dwayne,who is of African American descent.In this scenario,Jason is a victim of _____.

A)reverse discrimination
B)affirmative action
C)inverse discrimination
D)backward discrimination

Question 43

For employee health and safety in the workplace,_____ are determined by comparing the probabilities of harm involved in various activities.

Question 44

Which of the following refers to a policy or a program that tries to respond to instances of past discrimination by implementing proactive measures to ensure equal opportunity today?

A)Gentrification
B)Bully Broads
C)Just cause
D)Affirmative action

Question 45

Recently,_____ became the first country to legalize child labor from the age of 10.

A)Bolivia
B)Colombia
C)Peru
D)Ecuador

Question 46

EAW is the default position on which courts will rely until and unless an exception can be demonstrated.The burden of proof lies with the dismissed employee to show that she or he was unjustly or illegally fired.Due process and _____,whether instituted as part of internal corporate policy or through legislation,would reverse this burden of proof and require employers to show cause to justify the dismissal of an employee.

Question 47

A claim which states that people who 'pay' for wrongs are unfairly burdened and should not bear the responsibility for the acts of others is opposing _____.

A)reverse discrimination
B)judicial activity within organizations
C)affirmative action
D)authoritative leadership

Question 48

The Title VII of the _____,passed in 1964,created the prohibited classes of discrimination.

A)International Labor Act
B)United States Civil Rights Act
C)Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Act
D)Uniform Employment Termination Act

Question 49

Identify a true statement about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)established by the U.S.Congress in 1970.

A)When OSHA was first established,regulations were aimed at achieving the safest feasible standards.
B)The integrative approach allowed OSHA to make trade-offs between health and economics.
C)It takes away the burden of proof of high health standards from industries.
D)It holds that health and safety standards are required irrespective of the economic feasibility.

Question 50

Which of the following affirmative action plans would include training plans and programs,focused recruiting activity,or the elimination of discrimination?

A)Quasi-affirmative action
B)Executive affirmation action
C)Judicial affirmative action
D)Voluntary affirmative action

Question 51

Critics in both industry and government argue that OSHA should aim to achieve the optimal,rather than highest feasible,level of safety.Which of the following can be used to achieve this goal?

A)Cost-utility analysis
B)Cost-minimization analysis
C)Cost-benefit analysis
D)Cost-effectiveness analysis

Question 52

In 1970,the U.S.Congress established the _____ and charged it with establishing workplace health and safety standards.

Question 53

Which of the following is an example of reverse discrimination in America?

A)An African-American interviewer rejects an African-American interviewee based on ethnicity.
B)A female interviewer rejects a male interviewee because of gender.
C)A white interviewer rejects an African-American interviewee based on ethnicity.
D)A female interviewer rejects a female interviewee because of gender.

Question 54

Which of the following is a distinguishing feature between cost-benefit analysis and cost-effectiveness?

A)Cost-effectiveness requires that an economic value be placed on one's life and bodily integrity.
B)Cost-benefit analysis adopts the most efficient means available to achieve a particular standard.
C)Cost-benefit analysis treats health and safety merely as an instrumental value and denies its intrinsic value.
D)Cost-effectiveness uses economic criteria before setting the standards.

Question 55

The doctrine of _____ holds that,unless an agreement specifies otherwise,employers are free to fire an employee at any time and for any reason.

Question 56

An organization hires a lot of African-American women and a few disabled people in an attempt to avoid discrimination suits filed against it.Which of the following is most likely to occur?

A)The performance of the organization will increase.
B)The organization will win an award for equity.
C)There will be an increase in the number of diversity training sessions.
D)A white man or a woman will file a reverse discrimination suit.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is true about child labor?

A)The risk that child labor will be passed on to the next generation increases because children who work are more likely to earn low wages as adults.
B)Research suggests that legalizing child labor will result in an increased number of children who work.
C)Regions with a high prevalence of child labor are characterized by low levels of childhood morbidity associated with HIV/AIDS and malaria.
D)Nation-specific studies show that high levels of child labor are associated with high literacy levels.

Question 58

The life of one who dies in a workplace accident has _____ value that can be measured,in part,by the lost wages that would have been earned had that person lived.

Question 59

The law relating to affirmative action applies only to about 20 percent of the workforce who are subject to Executive Order 11246,which requires affirmative action efforts to ensure equal opportunity.Which of the following is required by courts in order to remedy a finding of past discrimination when Executive Order 11246 is not applicable?

A)Voluntary affirmative action
B)Judicial affirmative action
C)Quasi-affirmative action
D)Executive affirmation action

Question 60

_____ requires that an economic value be placed on one's life and bodily integrity.

A)Cost-effectiveness analysis
B)Cost-benefit analysis
C)Cost margin analysis
D)Cost variance analysis

Question 61

What are the different ways in which women experience discrimination at the workplace?

Question 62

Discuss in brief the guidelines suggested for tackling downsizing within an organization.

Question 63

Explain the concept of standards and cost-benefit analysis.Discuss the advantages of cost-effectiveness as against the cost-benefit analysis.

Question 64

Discuss the crucial aspect of employment at will (EAW)where it is given first preference.

Question 65

_____ refers to the presence of differing cultures,languages,ethnicities,races,affinity orientations,genders,religious sects,abilities,social classes,ages,and national origins of the individuals in a firm.

Question 66

_____ is discrimination against those traditionally considered to be in power or the majority.

Question 67

Describe in brief the two approaches to employee treatment discussed in this chapter.

Question 68

Discuss the various ways through which affirmative action can arise within a workplace.

Question 69

Contrast the two dominant perspectives on sweatshops.

Question 70

Explain the various problems associated with workplace health and safety as a market controlled approach.

Question 71

Correlate the right of due process to the workplace.

Question 72

The term _____ refers to a policy or a program that tries to respond to instances of past discrimination by implementing proactive measures to ensure equal opportunity today.

Question 73

Correlate health and safety issues at workplace with ideals.

Question 74

The use of _____ analysis in setting workplace health and safety standards commits us to treating worker health and safety as just another commodity,another individual preference,to be traded off against competing commodities.

Question 75

Summarize the influences of diversity within a workplace.

Question 76

A commitment to using _____ for setting standards would require that,once the standards are set,we adopt the least expensive and most efficient means available for achieving those standards.

Question 77

How do mandatory government standards work?

Question 78

Discuss the various aspects associated with employment at will (EAW).

Question 79

Discuss the issue of giving notice to the employees about organizational downsizing.

Question 80

What is affirmative action?