Exam 9: Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental-Sustainability, and Strategy

A) base their standards of what is ethical and what is unethical in the company's home market.
B) may quickly find themselves on a slippery slope with no higher order moral compass if they operate in countries where ethical standards vary considerably from country to country.
C) have no fair way to judge the ethical correctness of the conduct of company personnel.
D) have a one-size-fits-all set of ethical standards.
E) end up allowing each company employee to determine what set of ethical standards to observe.

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A) lack of self-dealing and short termism on the part of top executives of a company.
B) heavy pressures on company managers to meet or beat performance targets, and overzealous pursuit of personal gain.
C) widespread managerial belief in the ethical relativism school of thinking.
D) widespread managerial belief in the ethical universalism school of thinking.
E) adherence to a cosmetic code of ethics stemming from a desire to avoid the risk of embarrassment.

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The three types of business costs of eth...

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A) They pursue discretionary activities that contribute to the betterment of society, especially in areas where government has chosen not to focus its efforts or has fallen short.
B) They are active participants in the political processes.
C) They identify up-and-coming managers who have a future in local- or state-level politics.
D) They create a democratic workplace where the voices of lower-level employees are heard through representation on the board of directors.
E) They seek to replace government functions with more efficient, market-driven solutions.

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As per the school of ethical universalis...

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The strength of ethical relativism is in...

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A) Certain universal ethical principles apply in those situations where all societies-those endowed with rationality and moral knowledge-have a common moral agreement on what is right and wrong.
B) Within the boundaries of a social contract, local cultures or groups can specify what additional actions may or may not be ethically permissible.
C) Universal ethical principles or norms leave some "moral free space" for the people in a particular country (or local culture or even a company) to make specific interpretations of what other actions may or may not be permissible within the bounds defined by universal ethical principles.
D) Universal ethical norms always take precedence over local ethical norms.
E) Local ethical norms always take precedence over universal ethical norms.

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A) An unethical strategy reflects badly on the character of the company personnel involved.
B) A strategy that is unethical in whole or in part is morally wrong.
C) Pursuing an unethical strategy damages a company's reputation and can have costly consequences.
D) An ethical strategy is good business and is in the best interest of shareholders.
E) An ethical strategy results in higher employee turnover.

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A) Economic, social, and environmental
B) Pay, power, and performance
C) Planning, execution, and results
D) Legal, social, and economical
E) Legal, social, and environmental

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A) The pervasiveness of immoral and amoral businesspeople
B) Overzealous pursuit of personal gain, wealth, and other selfish interests
C) A company culture that puts the profitability and good business performance ahead of ethical behavior
D) Heavy pressures on company managers to meet or beat earnings targets
E) Executive compensation independent of company performance

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A) defines what is meant by ethical relativism.
B) defines what is meant by ethical universalism.
C) is the foundation of a social contract.
D) is the basis for the theory of ethical variation.
E) is the guiding principle for religious and moral standards across countries and cultures.

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A) of the dangers that top management will get embarrassed if the company's unethical behavior is publicly exposed.
B) it is good business and in the best interest of shareholders.
C) everyone is an ethics watchdog and somebody is sure to blow the whistle on the company's unethical behavior.
D) of the inevitable risks of getting caught and prosecuted by governmental authorities if an unethical strategy is used.
E) unethical strategies boost long-termism in corporate culture.

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A) They chiefly deal with the actions and behaviors required to operate companies in a socially responsible manner.
B) They chiefly deal with the rules each company's top management and board of directors make about "what is right" and "what is wrong."
C) They are not materially different from ethical principles in general.
D) They are generally less stringent than the ethical principles for society at large.
E) They are generally more stringent than the ethical principles for society at large.

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A) actions to enhance workforce diversity and make the company a great place to work.
B) making charitable contributions and donating money and the time of company personnel to community service endeavors.
C) actions to protect or enhance the environment.
D) conscious efforts to ensure that all elements of the company's strategy are ethical and that its actions protect or enhance the environment (beyond what is legally required) .
E) actions to keep the company's profits at a reasonable and acceptable level to ensure the company's products/pricing will not be viewed by the general public as obscenely high or exorbitant.

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A) many basic moral standards travel well across cultures and countries and really do not vary significantly according to local cultural beliefs, social mores, religious convictions, and/or the circumstances of the situation.
B) since ethical standards are subjectively determined, each company has a window within which it can define and implement its own ethical principles of right and wrong.
C) what is deemed right or wrong, fair or unfair, moral or immoral, ethical or unethical in business situations should be judged in light of local customs and social mores and can legitimately vary from one culture or nation to another.
D) each country should have some degree of latitude in setting its own ethical standards for judging the ethical correctness of business actions/behaviors within its borders.
E) concepts of right and wrong as they apply to business behavior are purely based on an individual's understanding of ethics and differ from person to person.

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A) likely to be fully effective in creating a competitive advantage.
B) normally based on a corporate social agenda.
C) ambiguous and rarely make a difference in the way the company does business.
D) implausible to advance a positive, high-energy workplace environment.
E) heavily dependent on encouraging employee morality.

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A) Bribing a government official to allow you to transfer gambling winnings to a tax haven
B) Performing genital mutilations on nonconsenting female teens
C) Employing as laborers children under the age of nine
D) Agreeing to a country's policy of prohibiting the education of females
E) Bribing a government official in an underdeveloped country to obtain a permit to build a hospital

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