Q&A Hero

Q: Angie, an HR manager, has been given the task of strengthening the ethical culture at her firm. Which of the following activities would be most beneficial? A) emailing ethics codes to all employees B) posting ethics code posters in the hallways C) writing a memo about ethics to top executives D) discussing ethics during performance appraisals

Q: Recent research into the relationship between ethical behavior and an employee's pay discovered that most companies base pay on ________. A) entitlement and custom rather than on ethical behavior B) performance metrics and ethical behavior C) ethical behavior instead of entitlement and custom D) guidelines presented in books on philosophy and religion

Q: According to a sustainability survey commissioned by the consulting firm KPMG, approximately ________ of large and mid-sized companies worldwide have an active sustainability program in place. A) 62 percent B) 11 percent C) 33 percent D) 75 percent

Q: A study on global CSR conducted during the recent economic downturn discovered all of the following EXCEPT ________. A) 22 percent of respondents think the crisis will have a negative impact on CSR B) 35 percent of respondents think CSR has become a victim of its own hype C) 44 percent of respondents think the crisis will cause CSR to be applied more often D) 28 percent of respondents think the real meaning of CSR will change

Q: Which one of the following is NOT one of the countries in which the 2017 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the world were commonly found? A) United Kingdom B) France C) Mexico D) United States

Q: According to Deborah Leipziger of the Ethical Corporation Institute, the more credible social responsibility efforts ________. A) cannot be sustained in global commerce B) don't require a commitment from top management C) tend to be led by key players in a company D) are incompatible with corporate profit motives

Q: Which HR practice would most likely be improved through a firm's efforts at corporate social responsibility? A) benefits B) recruiting C) compensation D) succession planning

Q: Which term best describes how a company as a whole behaves towards society? A) corporate social responsibility B) business ethics C) social morality D) equal opportunity

Q: When a corporation behaves as if it has a conscience, it is said to be ________. A) globally ethical B) socially responsible C) participative D) charitable

Q: The implied, enforced, or felt obligation of managers, acting in their official capacities, to serve or protect the interests of groups other than themselves is known as ________. A) human resource ethics B) environmental morality C) corporate social responsibility D) business centered morality

Q: Which of the following is not one of the triple bottom line factors of corporate social responsibility? A) society B) environment C) economy D) culture

Q: Which term refers to the application of ethical principles to human resource relationships and activities? A) morals B) social ethics C) business ethics D) human resource ethics

Q: According to a recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management, ________. A) integrity and ethical behavior are marginally important for HR executives B) the operations department should be the repository for corporate ethics C) it is the duty of HR professionals to help create an ethical climate in their organization D) business ethics and corporate culture are independent elements in today's workplace

Q: Which one of the following statements about HR and ethics is FALSE? A) It is sufficient for HR representatives to say that everyone should be ethical. B) The ethical bearing of those in HR affects the credibility of the entire organization. C) HR representatives should maintain a dialogue with workers about ethical behavior. D) HR professionals can help foster an ethical culture.

Q: How do firms benefit from a strong ethical culture? How can HR departments foster such cultures?

Q: Why is a code of ethics important? What should be included in a firm's code of ethics?

Q: A code of ethics establishes the rules that an organization lives by and becomes part of the organization's corporate culture.

Q: According to research studies, unethical companies financially outperform ethical companies, although ethical companies are more successful with recruiting.

Q: Code of conduct and code of ethics are the same so no distinctions are needed.

Q: The six core provisions in the SHRM code of ethics are professional responsibility, professional development, ethical leadership, fairness and justice, conflicts of interest, and use of information which is considered an excellent example of a code of ethics.

Q: Which quality is emphasized more than in the past for the Baldrige National Quality Award? A) interpersonal skills B) leadership ethics C) personal motivation D) community service

Q: Which law prohibits bribes of foreign government officials or business executives? A) Federal and Foreign Bribery Act B) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act C) Corruption Practices Act D) Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Q: At Tyson Foods, Lily serves as the point person who guides everyone in the firm towards ethical actions. Lily most likely serves as the firm's ________. A) chief financial officer B) HR manager C) ethics officer D) safety officer

Q: In order to maintain the importance of a code of ethics to employees, large firms frequently ________. A) write a code of conduct B) send a memo to all employees C) appoint an ethics officer D) put the ethical code on the intranet

Q: According to Walmart's code of ethics, Edward, an employee in the sales department, cannot accept gifts from suppliers because such actions would be a ________. A) conflict of interest B) double standard C) regulatory breach D) discriminatory act

Q: Riley Manufacturing recently developed a code of ethics. Which of the following topics is most likely covered in the document? A) business conduct B) fair competition C) HR issues D) all of the above

Q: A code of ethics establishes the ________ that the organization lives by. A) policies B) procedures C) values D) technologies

Q: Vision Technologies wants to gain the confidence of employees and customers by developing a strong ethical culture. Which of the following methods would be the best way for the firm's HR department to accomplish this goal? A) placing the code of ethics on the firm's intranet B) posting the code of ethics in the breakroom C) providing ethics training to employees D) having employees sign ethics contracts

Q: Which of the following is NOT a major provision in the SHRM code of ethics? A) professional responsibility B) cultural understanding C) professional development D) fairness and justice

Q: Lincoln Enterprises recently fired two employees who were caught stealing tools from the firm's warehouse. As a result, the CEO of Lincoln wants to strengthen the firm's ethical culture and prevent future violations by redesigning the firm's ethics program. Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant when developing Lincoln's new ethics program? A) What behavior is expected of Lincoln employees? B) What is the opinion of stakeholders regarding Lincoln's ethics? C) How are ethical situations communicated and resolved at Lincoln? D) What is the process for Lincoln establishing a corporate giving program?

Q: Julia works as a production supervisor, and she believes one of her subordinates is drinking during his lunch break. Julia's employer does not have a specific rule regarding the subordinate's behavior. Which of the following would most likely assist Julia with her problem in this situation? A) corporate code of ethics B) corporate vision statement C) corporate code of conduct D) federal legislation

Q: Which term refers to a statement of the values adopted by the company, its employees and its directors? A) code of ethics B) ethical policies C) vision statement D) code of conduct

Q: Executives and managers at ABC Enterprises actively encourage a strong ethical culture at the firm. Which of the following would be the most likely result of the firm's actions? A) increased employee interest in development programs B) frequent use of human resource information systems C) changes in corporate communication methods D) improvements in organizational performance

Q: An ethical culture consists of all of the following factors EXCEPT ________. A) ethical leadership B) guerilla marketing C) values D) accountability

Q: The climate fundamental to a company's ethical culture is set by whom? A) employees B) board of directors and the CEO C) managers and supervisors D) all of the above

Q: Organizations with strong ethical cultures take steps to ensure that their standards are ________. A) widely accessible B) followed by leaders and employees C) promoted D) all of the above

Q: Harvey Electronics has used a number of methods to create an ethical culture that both employees and customers appreciate. What is the most effective way for the firm to sustain its ethical culture? A) asking job candidates ethical questions B) implementing an ethics audit regularly C) publishing the firm's code of ethics periodically D) ensuring that new employees receive ethics training

Q: The primary purpose of an ethics audit is to ________. A) ensure that EEO policies are being implemented B) supplement a company's code of ethics C) evaluate a company's ethical culture D) interview ethics training candidates

Q: Identify and discuss the federal government's four attempts to legislate business ethics since the late 1980s.

Q: The Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Act requires SEC reporting banks and bank-holding companies to have a code of ethics.

Q: In the 2003 case Bechtel v. Competitive Technologies Inc., the Supreme Court overturned Sarbanes-Oxley's whistleblower-protection rule.

Q: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in response to reports of out-of-control military spending.

Q: The Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations Act contains broad employee whistleblower protections that subject corporations to penalties for retaliating against employees who report suspected corporate wrongdoing.

Q: The Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Act is also known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Q: Although laws cannot mandate ethics, they may be able to identify the baseline separating what is good and what is bad.

Q: According to the Procurement Integrity Act, if a firm that has an ethics program in place is found guilty of misconduct, the firm will receive a reduced punishment.

Q: The Procurement Integrity Act of 1988 was passed after reports of military contracts for $500 toilet seats and $5,000 hammers.

Q: The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law in 2010.

Q: Which of the following is NOT required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? A) Publicly traded firms must disclose whether they have a code of ethics for top executives. B) Publicly traded firms must not discharge employees who report ethical abuses. C) Bank-holding companies and SEC reporting banks must have codes of ethics. D) Corporations must not provide financial loans to executives or directors.

Q: According to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, any SEC reporting bank that does NOT have a code of ethics must ________. A) submit a report to Congress B) provide an explanation C) pay a significant fine D) develop an ethics code

Q: The Supreme Court ruling in Bechtel v. Competitive Technologies Inc. upheld which federal law? A) McCarran-Ferguson Act B) Sarbanes-Oxley Act C) Davis-Bacon Act D) Taft-Hartley Act

Q: Which 2003 Supreme Court case upheld Sarbanes-Oxley's whistleblower-protection rule? A) Dothard v. Rawlingson B) Bechtel v. Competitive Technologies Inc. C) O'Connor v. Consolidated Coin Caterers Corp. D) Grutter v. Bollinger

Q: John provides information to the SEC about conduct by his employer that he believes constitutes securities fraud. Which law most likely protects John from being demoted for his actions? A) Federal Contract Protection Act B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Taft-Hartley Act

Q: Erica, an accountant, notices suspicious accounting practices at the firm where she is employed. She wants to report the unethical behavior to authorities but is worried that she might be harassed or demoted as a result. Which law was passed to protect Erica in this situation? A) Federal Contract Protection Act B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Taft-Hartley Act D) Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Q: Which law contains broad employee whistleblower protections against firms and managers that retaliate or harass employees who report suspected corporate wrongdoing? A) Sarbanes-Oxley Act B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: Which law was passed to redress accounting and financial reporting abuses in light of corporate scandals? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: Which law criminalizes many corporate acts that were previously relegated to various regulatory structures? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: Which law most likely prompted organizations to create codes of ethics and install ethics hotlines? A) Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act B) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations Act C) Procurement Integrity Act D) McCarran-Ferguson Act

Q: According to the FSGO, ________ were supposed to be responsible for the prevention of white collar crimes in an organization. A) attorneys B) top executives C) common stockholders D) organizational stakeholders

Q: Which of the following was NOT included in the FSGO? A) guidelines for ethics standards B) job security for whistleblowers C) guidelines for providing ethics training D) system for anonymously reporting misconduct

Q: What federal law outlined an effective ethics training program and explained the seven minimum requirements for an effective program to prevent and detect violations? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: What federal law offers easier punishments for wayward corporations that have ethics programs in place? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: What law was passed in response to reports of military contracts for $500 toilet seats? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Sarbanes-Oxley Act C) Federal Contract Protection Act D) Procurement Integrity Act

Q: Which law prohibits a former employee who served in certain positions on a contract in excess of $10 million from receiving compensation as an employee or consultant from that contractor for one year? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: What law prohibits the release of source selection and proposal information? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Federal Contract Protection Act

Q: Which of the following laws was NOT enacted for the purpose of legislating business ethics? A) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations Act B) Procurement Integrity Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Taft-Hartley Act

Q: The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law in ________. A) 1863 B) 1933 C) 2001 D) 2010

Q: All of the following EXCEPT ________ are major components of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. A) protecting investors B) promoting too-big-to-fail bailouts C) maintaining an advance warning system D) enforcing regulations that are already on the books

Q: Companies are concerned about the whistleblower part of the Dodd-Frank Act for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that informants might ________. A) skip internal channels and go straight to government authorities B) use the whistleblower provision to settle other grievances with their companies C) overload internal compliance channels and thus hinder internal compliance efforts D) all of the above

Q: Whistleblower protection has been around since ________. A) the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 B) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 C) the Federal False Claims Act of 1863 D) the Whistleblowers Anonymity Act of 2005

Q: When comparing the effectiveness of whistleblowers and external auditors in uncovering corporate wrongdoings, ________ in public companies. A) whistleblower tips discovered 54.1 percent of uncovered fraud schemes B) external auditors discovered 54.1 percent of uncovered fraud schemes C) whistleblower tips discovered 4.1 percent of uncovered fraud schemes D) whistleblower tips are no more effective than external auditors at discovering fraud schemes

Q: In the legal use of the term, a whistleblower is someone who ________. A) serves as a part-time referee in sporting events B) has an ethical obligation to shield his or her employer from lawsuits C) participates in an activity that is protected by federal law D) serves as a majordomo at political dinners

Q: Laws offer guidance to ethical behavior, prohibiting acts that can be especially harmful to others.

Q: According to psychologists, the behavior and advice of "significant others" is a source of ethical guidance.

Q: According to the model of ethics, advice from friends, holy books, and laws serve as sources of ethical guidance.

Q: Sources of ethical guidance exclude laws because laws are mandated by the government and not personal beliefs and values.

Q: As a professional, what should be your primary source of ethical guidance in the workplace? A) corporate HR policies B) corporate code of ethics C) corporate mission statement D) corporate procedures

Q: Which of the following would LEAST likely be a source of ethical guidance? A) holy books B) laws C) friends D) tests

Q: Laws ________ ethical behavior. A) mandate B) offer guidance to C) have nothing to do with D) none of the above

Q: According to your textbook, sources of ethical guidance should ________. A) lead to your beliefs or a conviction about what is right or wrong B) have little effect on a person's pursuit of what is expedient C) be nothing more than the subject matter of philosophical discussions D) remain abstractions that don't pertain to day-to-day living in today's world