Q&A Hero

Q: Priscilla Ceballos's 6-year-old daughter is a fan of Hannah Montana and wanted to go to a Hannah Montana concert. A radio station was offering two tickets to the Hannah Montana concert for the child who wrote the winning essay. Ms. Ceballos and her daughter wrote an essay that detailed an account of their husband/father dying in the war on Iraq. The problem was that their husband/father was not in Iraq and certainly not dead. When the fake essay was uncovered, Ms. Ceballos said, "We did the essay, and that's what we did to win. . . We did whatever we could to win." The company revoked the prize and the award of the tickets. Suppose the contest rules did not spell out that the essay had to be based on true and verifiable facts. What could the radio station rely on in revoking the prize and still have public support for its decision? a. The Blanchard/Peale test for ethical dilemmas b. Normative standards c. Stakeholder analysis d. None of the above

Q: Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy entered a guilty plea to two federal felony charges in connection with his bets and tips to others on NBA games. Mr. Donaghy picked teams to win in games he was scheduled to referee. Experts have said that Donaghy committed the equivalent of insider trading on Wall Street by providing outsiders with information about games, players, and referees. He got $5,000 from his tippees for correct picks. Apart from the criminal charges, what category of ethical breach does Mr. Donaghy's conduct fall into? a. Taking what does not belong to you b. Conflict of interest c. Committing interpersonal abuse d. None of the above

Q: The former CEO of Countrywide Mortgage (now a part of Bank of America), offered favorable loans to members of Congress, Countrywide government regulators, and members of the board and officers of Fannie Mae, the quasi-government agency that bought Countrywide's mortgages in the secondary market. The loans were jumbo loans at below-market rates. Countrywide sold 90% of its mortgages to Fannie Mae. Congress was responsible for the creation, funding, and policies of Fannie Mae. The members of Congress who received the Fannie Mae favorable loans sat on House and Senate Banking Committees. Which of the following categories of ethical breaches, if any, applies to this practice? a. Taking things that don"t belong to you b. Taking unfair advantage c. Conflict of interest d. All of the above apply

Q: Which statement best describes the moral of the story in "The Parable of the Sadhu"? a. That the rules and normative standards for mountain climbing are different from our day-to-day rules and that not stopping to help another climber is sometimes the right thing to do. b. That those who are not prepared for the challenges of hiking have to bear the consequences. c. That in our quest for success we sometimes walk right through moral dilemmas without really analyzing them. d. That sometimes, despite working together, we are unable to solve problems and that we should not feel guilty if we have done our best.

Q: The Graduate Management Admissions Council announced that it would begin using a "palm vein" scan to eliminate proxy test taking after the FBI broke up a ring of six test takers who had taken the GMAT for 590 applicants, for a price of $3,000 each. Which ethical category does the conduct of the proxy test takers fit into? a. Taking something that does not belong to you b. Giving or allowing false impression c. Balancing ethical dilemmas d. Organizational abuse

Q: The Graduate Management Admissions Council announced that it was canceling the GMAT scores of 84 applicants and students. The Council found that the students were active users of a now shut-down website, Scoretop.com, a site with origins in China that posted live questions from the GMAT. The site had 5,000 to 6,000 subscribers who paid $30 per month for access, but the Council is only canceling the scores of thoseagainst whom it feels it has an airtight case. Two of the students whose scores were canceled are currently enrolled at the University of Chicago's MBA programandanother has alreadygraduated from Stanford's MBA program. Twelve of the students whose scores were canceled had posted questions on Scoretop.com and the remaining 72 allowed the site to post their testimonials that they had seen the Scoretop.com questions on their GMAT. Ten of the 72 students had applied to Stanford but were denied admission. Which ethical category does the conduct of the students who posted live questions fit into? a. Taking something that does not belong to you b. Balancing ethical dilemmas c. Interpersonal abuse d. Organizational abuse

Q: Customer A has $250 in his account. Six checks, totaling $325, have come in for payment. One check is for $257.00, with the remaining five checks making up the difference to the $325 total. First Bank pays the five smallest checks first, honors the $257.00 with overdraft protection, and charges the customer one overdraft fee. Second Third Bank pays the largest ($257) check first, pays the five remaining smaller checks with overdraft protection, and then charges the customer five overdraft fees. Which of the following is correct?a. If this type of charge is legal; it is ethical.b. This type of charge is an example of taking unfair advantage.c. This type of charge is a conflict of interest.d. This type of charge is not an ethical issue.

Q: There are no laws that cover cutting in line. However, those who do take cuts in line are viewed with disdain by others because: a. Case precedent prohibits it. b. Normative standards govern this behavior. c. There are still criminal penalties for cutting in line. d. The theory of rights covers the issue.

Q: Which is Warren Buffett's test for ethics? a. The Categorical Imperative b. The Front-Page-of-the-Newspaper test c. The Wall Street Journal model d. Ethical Egoism e. None of the above

Q: Which best describes the Categorical Imperative? a. Act in one's self-interest b. All rights exist by Divine Command c. Circumstantial ethics d. Behave in a manner that you are willing to have imposed on the whole e. None of the above

Q: The contractarians are best represented by: a. Immanuel Kant. b. Robert Nozick. c. Thomas Hobbes. d. John Rawls. e. None of the above

Q: Which of the following ethical theorists subscribes to self-interest? a. Ayn Rand b. Adam Smith c. Thomas Hobbes d. a and c only e. All of the above

Q: Stephen Ambrose, a popular historian with many books to his credit, admitted that some segments of one of his recent books had language taken from the books of other historians that was not in quotes. Mr. Ambrose did footnote the work of authors he relied upon in doing his book. a. The work of an author is protected by copyright laws. b. The use of quotes without attribution is not a violation of the law. c. The use of the material is fair use and need not be footnoted. d. Both b and c e. None of the above

Q: An ad contains the following: "Restaurant Critic, Jose Winfrey, on Mama Leone's Italian Eatery," Mama Leone's is simply the best. It is a surprising new entrant into the competitive Italian bistro market and it is a mighty one."" Jose Winfrey is the cousin of the owner of Mama Leone's and knows restaurants, but is not a critic for any publication or other media outlet. The ad: a. Creates a false impression. b. Raises no ethical questions. c. Is legal and ethical because it doesn"t state where he is a critic. d. Both b and c e. None of the above

Q: Which of the following would be a breach of trust and ethics? a. Sharing a new product idea with a prospective employer b. Leaving your current employment for a higher paying job c. Leaving your current employment for a job with more flexibility d. Taking the skills you have learned at a current job to a new job e. All of the above are breaches of trust and ethics

Q: Which of the following does the Sadhu represent in the "Parable of the Sadhu"? a. Business competitor b. Business challenges c. Customers d. Ethical challenges in business e. None of the above

Q: Which of the following does the mountain climb represent in the "Parable of the Sadhu"? a. The struggle to achieve in business b. The nature of interest rates c. The Sadhu's home d. The international nature of business e. None of the above

Q: Which of the following best describes the "Parable of the Sadhu" events? a. The hikers returned the Sadhu to safety and health. b. The hikers ignored the Sadhu so that they could reach the summit. c. The hikers each did a little to help the Sadhu. d. The hikers carried the Sadhu with them. e. None of the above

Q: Into which of the following categories do patent and copyright infringement fall? a. Conflict of interest b. Balancing ethical dilemmas c. Organizational abuse d. Interpersonal abuse e. Taking things that don"t belong to you

Q: Which of the following is not a question in the Laura Nash model for resolution of ethical dilemmas? a. Could I discuss this issue with the parties affected? b. What are my intentions in taking this action? c. Could I discuss this action with my family and friends? d. Is it legal? e. All of the above are part of the Nash model.

Q: James Dodgsen is a student in a graduate course in business. The professor in the course has given Dodgsen and his classmates a surprise quiz in class. Dodgsen did not do the reading for class that day because he had been grading papers as part of his TA position. He has been prepared for every other class that semester. As he glances as the quiz questions, he realizes that he does not know any of the answers. However, he sees that Jane Frampton, the student who sits next to him, is well prepared and answering the questions with great ease. He can see her answers because of her large, block-style printing. Dodgsen copies her answers. a. Dodgsen is justified in using the answers because the pop quiz was unfair. b. Dodgsen is justified in using the answers because he was fulfilling his TA responsibilities instead of preparing for class. c. Dodgsen is justified in using the answers if he intends to read the material eventually. d. Dodgsen has been dishonest. e. None of the above

Q: Suppose, with reference to #57 above, that Pickford already owns an interest in the biotech firm, but Munford Stanley is not the underwriter. Pickford: a. Does not have a conflict of interest. b. Has a conflict of interest, but it is acceptable in IPOs. c. Has a conflict of interest that must be disclosed to all purchasers. d. Does not have a conflict of interest, but Munford Stanley does. e. None of the above

Q: Mary Pickford is an analyst for Munford Stanley, an investment banker. She has touted the stock, an initial primary offering (IPO), of an obscure biotech firm as a "must buy." Munford Stanley is the underwriter for the IPO. Pickford: a. Does not have a conflict of interest. b. Has a conflict of interest, but it is acceptable in IPOs. c. Has a conflict of interest that must be disclosed to all purchasers. d. Does not have a conflict of interest, but Munford Stanley does. e. None of the above

Q: Medical Purchasing Agents (MPC) is a company that represents groups of hospitals as their agents for purchasing medical supplies. MPC is able to obtain discounts for the hospital group because of their sheer volume needs when they are grouped together. MPC's CEO, CFO and general counsel own 51% of the stock of a company called Medi-Pump. Medi-Pump is the sole supplier to the hospitals for feeding pumps, IV pumps and other forms of hi-tech medical pumps and supplies. MPC has negotiated a low-cost supply contract from Medi-Pump to the hospitals. MPC: a. Has served its customers well with the Medi-Pump contract. b. Has a conflict because of its ownership of Medi-Pump. c. Cannot have a conflict so long as the Medi-Pump price is lowest. d. Cannot have a conflict because it represents groups of hospitals. e. None of the above

Q: Professor Reba McGintry is the head of the Student Conduct Board. Charges have been brought against three students who are also members of the university basketball team. The charges are based on the criminal charges brought by the local district attorney against the three men for sexual assault. Professor McGintry's husband was one of the staff attorneys in the DA's office who made the decision to go forward with the prosecution. Professor McGintry: a. Can proceed with the hearing because the two matters are unrelated. b. Can proceed with the hearing because of marital privilege. c. Must excuse herself from the students' hearing because of a conflict of interest. d. Has no conflict, but her husband does. e. None of the above

Q: You had quite a night last night of partying. Because of excessive drinking, you are unable to get to work today. When you call your supervisor you: a. Should just say you have the flu. b. Should just say you are sick. c. Should disclose the prior night's activity. d. None of the above

Q: A professor for one of your courses has assigned reading materials from various publications. He tells you that the materials are on reserve and that each student should go and copy the materials individually. He notes that for him to copy the materials for students and then sell them or distribute them would be a violation of copyright law. The professor's conduct: a. Is unethical and violates copyright law as well. b. Is something everyone does and is accepted behavior. c. Does not really harm anyone. d. Is acceptable in an academic setting.

Q: A radar detector: a. If purchased legally, is not an unethical device. b. If used only in those states in which they are permitted is an ethical device. c. Is a legal and ethical tool for circumventing speed limits. d. None of the above

Q: An application for graduate school admission at Arizona State University includes the following request for information: Please list all institutions attended since graduation from high school. Marie Davis, a returning student, is applying for admissions to the Masters in Architecture program. Marie attended the University of Arizona for one semester in 1976. Marie had a substance abuse problem and did not attend many of her classes. She left the University of Arizona before classes ended that semester. She did not take her final exams and earned 15 credit hours of "E" for that semester. After 8 years, the policy of the University of Arizona is to expunge the records of non-matriculating students. Marie's record was expunged in December 1994. a. Marie need not disclose her attendance at the University of Arizona. b. Marie should disclose her attendance at the University of Arizona. c. Since Marie did not matriculate according to the University, she did not attend the University of Arizona. d. None of the above

Q: Jeff Sanders, head of finance for Components, Inc. has just interviewed Laura Dern, an employee from the finance department of InChip, Components' chief competitor. Laura has explained that she has been passed over one too many times for a promotion at InChip and is thus in the job market. As Laura is leaving she whispers to Jeff, "Look, I have no contract at InChip that obligates me in anyway. I can begin immediately. Further, I have been able to obtain copies of our newest computer chip designs. You"ll have them before InChip even begins production." a. Jeff should hire Laura on the spot without any worries about ethical breaches since Laura is not under contract. b. Jeff's hiring of Laura may constitute an ethical breach, but would not constitute illegal conduct. c. Jeff should not hire Laura, and must analyze the issue of whether to disclose Laura's conduct to InChip. d. Jeff should not hire Laura and need not worry about Laura's conduct and its impact on InChip.

Q: Which of the following is not a conflict of interest? a. A doctor's referral of a patient to an x-ray lab that he owns for a full work-up without disclosing his ownership interest b. A purchasing agent's failure to disclose a 22% ownership interest in a supplier that would be chosen anyway c. A bank officer's solicitation of a charitable contribution for a non-profit organization of which he is a member from a customer with a large line of credit up for renewal in 30 days d. All of the above are conflicts of interest

Q: Beth Williams is an exercise physiologist who serves as an expert consultant for Women's Walkers, Inc., a shoe company specializing in manufacturing walking shoes for women. Dr. Williams is paid an annual consulting fee along with additional fees for drafting reports and making media and public appearances for the company. Executive Woman, a national magazine, has asked Dr. Williams to serve as one of three experts on a panel that will evaluate the full market range of women's walking shoes. Dr. Williams will be paid a consulting fee by Executive Woman as well.a. Dr. Williams has a conflict of interest and should decline the Executive Woman offer.b. Dr. Williams can participate in the Executive Woman panel so long as her affiliation with Women's Walkers is disclosed.c. Dr. Williams can participate in the Executive Woman panel if she waives her fee.d. Dr. Williams is an academic with no conflict of interest and can participate in the Executive Woman panel.

Q: Ben Small, a sole practitioner, has just decided to form a law partnership with his lifetime friend, Harvey Steptoe. They agree to name the firm Steptoe and Small and to split all profits. Ben is also a director for a publicly-traded telecommunications firm, NewVector, Inc. Ben has just learned that Harvey is lead counsel is a lawsuit against NewVector. Ben continues to serve as a board member and participates in sensitive discussions about the lawsuit. Ben does not disclose that Steptoe is his partner. Ben's feeling is that he and Harvey are as honest as the day is long and neither would compromise their duties to NewVector and client, respectively. a. Ben has a conflict of interest and must either resign as a director or leave the partnership. b. The pledge of both Ben and Harvey is sufficient to cover the ethical issues on conflict. c. It is Harvey's obligation to take action, not Ben's. d. None of the above

Q: Under the Blanchard/Peale model, which of the following statements is correct? a. If it's legal, it's ethical. b. If it's illegal, it's unethical. c. If it's balanced, even if it is illegal, it is ethical. d. None of the above

Q: Which of the following is not an element of the Laura Nash's model for evaluating ethical dilemmas? a. Is it legal? b. How would I feel if I were on the other side of the fence? c. How will my actions be perceived? d. Could I discuss my decision with my boss, CEO, family, friends?

Q: Which of the following phrases does not signal a potential ethical pitfall? a. "That's the way it's always been done." b. "If we don"t do it, someone else will." c. "Your job is to be a team player, not ask questions." d. All of the above signal an ethical pitfall.

Q: What category of ethical dilemma applies to the use of cell phone alibis?a. Balancing ethical dilemmasb. Giving or allowing false impressionsc. Conflicts of interestd. Organizational abuse

Q: What is the variable in uncovering resume fraud? a. Sometimes the fraud is uncovered and sometimes it is not b. The amount of time it takes to uncover the fraud c. Whether the fraud relates to degrees d. None of the above

Q: Which category of ethical dilemma does line-cutting fall into? a. Taking things that don't belong to you b. Taking unfair advantage c. Conflict of interest d. False impression

Q: Which of the following is not a step in analyzing ethical dilemmas and case studies? a. Make sure you have all the facts available b. List the concerns of each person involved in the dilemma c. Develop a list of potential resolutions d. All of the above are steps

Q: What happened to the Piper High School teacher, Ms. Pelton? a. She was fired b. Her decision was reversed c. She quit her job d. Both a and b e. Both b and c

Q: What were the effects of the Piper High School cheating issues on Piper? a. No effects. That's why the parents wanted the teacher's decision reversed. b. There was an increase in property values. c. Colleges raised questions about Piper students. d. Both b and c

Q: With reference to #32 above, how many times had the author successfully climbed Mt. Everest? a. Once b. Twice c. Never d. Five

Q: With reference to #32 above, what happened to the Sadhu? a. He died b. The parties carried him back down to the village for medical care c. He hiked with Stephen d. He finished his pilgrimage on his own e. None of the above

Q: With reference to #32 above, which country is not represented among the climbing parties? a. New Zealand b. Japanese c. Swiss d. US e. All of these countries are represented among the climbing parties

Q: With reference to #32 above, where does the story take place? a. Mt. Washington b. Himalayas c. Nepal d. Both b and c

Q: Who is the lead character and author of the article, "The Parable of the Sadhu"? a. Stephen b. The Sadhu c. Bowen McCoy d. The author is never named

Q: Which of the following is similar to Kant's categorical imperative? a. The Golden Rule b. The Divine Command c. Front-Page-of-the-Newspaper test d. All of the above are similar

Q: Which of the following is not part of the Wall Street Journal model? a. Compliance b. Consequences c. Justice d. All of the above are part of the model

Q: Who of the following follows the Front-Page-of-the-Newspaper test? a. Warren Buffett b. John Locke c. Robert Nozick d. Peter Drucker

Q: Which of the following models includes the question of legality of conduct as part of the ethical analysis? a. Blanchard and Peale b. Laura Nash c. Peter Drucker d. None of the above

Q: The Barbara Walters/Andrew Lloyd Webber/Sunset Boulevard examples involves: a. Bribery. b. Organizational abuse. c. Interpersonal abuse. d. Conflicts of interest.

Q: "If you think what we"re doing now is bad, you should have seen our actions 10 years ago," is an example of: a. A type of rationalization. b. Comfort language for current activities and decisions. c. A defense for criminal activity. d. All of the above e. Both a and b

Q: "Smoothing out earnings" can be a comfort name for: a. Cooking the books. b. Manipulating earnings. c. The perfectly legal practice of timing expenses and income to avoid blips that affect share value. d. All of the above

Q: Winking tolerance is associated with what category of ethical dilemma?a. Hiding or divulging informationb. Condoning unethical actionsc. False impressiond. Balancing ethical dilemmas

Q: A quid pro quo relates to which category of ethical dilemma? a. Hiding or divulging information b. Personal decadence c. Conflict of interest d. False impressions

Q: A professor asked a student, "Did you have a chance to look at the reading?" The student responded, "Yes." The professor commended the student for keeping up with assignments in the course and awarded participation points to the student. The student had, in fact, looked at the reading, but he had not actually done the reading. "Hey, he just asked me if I had a chance to look at the reading, and I told the truth." The student: a. Has not committed an ethical violation. b. Has given or allowed a false impression. c. Is to be commended for finding a loophole. d. Both a and b

Q: The local fire chief of Penbrooke conducted an inspection of a small bakery in Penbrooke and found a violation of the Penbrooke fire code: the bakery did not have a commercial ventilator hood over its stove. The owner of the bakery asked where she could find a ventilator hood and someone to install it. The fire chief referred her to Chimney Specialists, another business in Penbrooke. The chief did not disclose that his son owns Chimney Specialists and that the chief had loaned his son money for starting the business in exchange for a percentage of the profits. a. The fire chief has a conflict of interest. b. The bakery owner has a conflict of interest. c. There is no conflict unless the chief has fabricated the violation. d. There is no conflict if the son has the only hood ventilator business in Penbrooke.

Q: "I did fudge on some of the numbers in our financial reports, but that kept 6,000 employees from losing their jobs," a statement by a CFO, is an example of: a. Moral relativism. b. Rights theory. c. Divine command theory. d. Contractarianism.

Q: Plato and Aristotle have which ethical school of thought in common? a. Moral relativism b. Justice c. Contractarianism d. Virtue

Q: Under the Rights Theory, who holds the responsibility for protection of rights? a. Individuals, under normative standards b. Government c. Individuals rights are not protected, just defined d. None of the above

Q: Which philosopher is associated with the Rights Theory? a. John Rawls b. Robert Nozick c. Adam Smith d. Ayn Rand

Q: The goals of Locke and Rawls in developing their theory of ethics: a. Is universality of rules. b. Is rules that will survive over time. c. Is based on decisions made by those who do not know what role they might fill in an ethical dilemma. d. All of the above

Q: Which of the following is an example of utilitarianism? a. Throwing an elderly person from a life raft with too much weight to continue floating in order to save the lives of 15 others. b. Denying hip replacement surgery to an 83-year-old patient because the facilities and physicians are needed for preserving the life of a 35-year-old scientist whose research focuses on a cure for Alzheimer's. c. Neither a nor b d. Both a and b

Q: The Theory of Moral Sentiments: a. Was written by Ayn Rand. b. Was written by Thomas Hobbes. c. Was written by Adam Smith. d. None of the above

Q: Who of the following philosophers subscribe to ethical egoism? a. Ayn Rand b. Thomas Hobbes c. Adam Smith d. All of the above

Q: Which of the following would be consistent with the Divine Command Theory? a. The Ten Commandments b. The U.S. Declaration of Independence c. Natural law d. All of the above

Q: What reason did Jimmy Dunne III of Sandler O"Neill give for dedicating his time and resources to helping the families of his employees who were killed in the World Trade Center attacks? a. There was a clause in their employment contract that required it. b. He wanted the attention his generosity would bring. c. His son will also be judged by how Jimmy Dunne responded to his employees' families' needs. d. None of the above

Q: The Declaration of Independence relied on which ethical school of thought? a. Utilitarianism b. Divine Command c. Ethical Egoism d. Categorical Imperative

Q: Adam Smith fits into which category? a. Utiliarian b. Divine Command c. Ethical Egoism d. Categorical Imperative

Q: Which school of ethical thought is found in The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged? a. Utilitarianism b. Divine Command c. Ethical Egoism d. Categorical Imperative

Q: Which of the following would be considered a utilitarian? a. Immanuel Kant b. Robert Nozick c. Jeremy Bentham d. Adam Smith

Q: Which philosopher developed the "greatest happiness principle"? a. Immanuel Kant b. Adam Smith c. John Stuart Mill d. Jeremy Bentham

Q: Which philosopher feels that we all hold a set of rights and that it is the role of government to protect those rights? a. John Stuart Mill b. Robert Nozick c. John Locke d. Adam Smith

Q: Which philosopher would start with a tabula rasa and then develop ethical standards?a. Aristotleb. Platoc. John Rawlsd. Robert Nozick

Q: Which of the following people is associated with the "Front-Page-of-the-Newspaper" test for ethical dilemmas?a. Warren Buffettb. Ken Blanchardc. Laura Nashd. John Rawls

Q: Two male students fired guns off the balcony of Linda's apartment. The police were able to see which apartment it was by counting floors and windows. While the police run to Linda's apartment, her two friends run out her door and disappear into the crowd of students out and about on a Friday night. When the police question Linda she refuses to tell them who her two friends with the guns were. "I would never rat on a friend," is Linda's statement. One of the police officers tells Linda she could be charged with obstruction of justice. Linda still refuses. Which school of ethical thought would best suit Linda?a. Moral relativistsb. Utilitariansc. Ethical egoistd. Virtue

Q: A recent survey found that 24% of Americans feel that it is always wrong to speed. In which of the following schools of ethical thought would this 24% fit best?a. Moral relativistsb. Utilitariansc. Ethical egoistsd. Virtue

Q: Murry Gunty was expelled from Harvard.

Q: Murry Gunry was a Harvard MBA who rigged his election as an officer in the Finance Club.