Exam 5: Ethics and Business Decision Making

Ethics focuses on the way in which moral principles apply in daily life.

Duty-based ethical standards imply that people have basic rights.

Dona, an accountant for Engineering Services, Inc., attempts to apply the duty-based approach to ethical reasoning in conflicts that occur on the job. This approach is based on the idea that a person

Steve, the human resources director for Total Personnel Corporation, at?tempts to comply with the law in dealing with applicants and employ?ees. One of the challenges Steve faces is that the legality of an action is

The minimal acceptable standard for ethical behavior is compliance with the law.

Macro Manufacturing, Inc., needs to cut costs by downsizing. In determin?ing which employees to discharge, Macro will most likely weigh

Harry, a vice-president of International Pharmaceuticals, Inc., does not ap?ply utilitarianism to business ethical issues. One problem with utili?tari?anism is that it

Make-It Construction Corporation makes a side payment to a govern?ment official in Nigeria to obtain a contract. In the United States, this is

Setting realistic workplace goals can reduce the probability that employ?ees will act unethically.

Global Distribution Corporation suggests that its employees ap?ply the "categorical imperative" to ethical issues that arise at work. This re?quires that the employees

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that focuses on what constitutes right and wrong behavior.

Ethical reasoning is the process through which an individual rationalizes whatever action he or she chooses to take.

Mina works in the public relations department of National Sales Company. Her job includes portraying National's activities in their best light. In this context, ethics consist of

In business deals, Elin, the chief executive officer of Frosted Donuts, Inc., follows duty-based ethical standards. These are most likely derived from

According to utilitarianism, an action that affects a minority adversely is morally wrong.

Ignorance of a law excuses a business from liability for its vio?lation.

ABC DVD Manufacturing, Inc., has to decide whether to close a plant, which will result in the lay-off of fifty employees. ABC may weigh the costs of doing so against the benefits. If the benefits are greater than the costs, can closing the plant be ethically justified, considering the effect on the employees?

A business firm can sometimes predict whether a given action is legal.

Duty-based ethics may be based on religious precepts or philosophical reasoning.

A business organization and its actions cannot be based on trust.