Q&A Hero

Q: Evidence can reinforce the long-term effectiveness of persuasion.

Q: An effective speaker formulates a strategy for the specific audience before he/she makes a presentation.

Q: The first step in an effective presentation is developing a clear structure.

Q: Good stories "tell" rather than "show."

Q: Effective communications depends on two factors: a persuasive and sticky message and a clear and powerful delivery of that message.

Q: Storytelling is one of the oldest, most powerful modes of communication.

Q: Creating "sound bites" is the most commonly used method of finding the core of an idea.

Q: Arguments based on laws, rules, or widely accepted principles are best expressed inductively.

Q: Deduction is moving from the specific to the general, while induction begins with the general and ends with the specific.

Q: Logos comes from facts, figures, and evidence.

Q: Pathos is what makes listeners feel like they are making an informed rational choice.

Q: Persuasive appeals that arouse your emotions are effective when speakers use stories to communicate.

Q: You can enhance ethos by passionate delivery of your speech, a simple claim, or a story.

Q: Ethos refers to logical arguments that support a position.

Q: Audiences are most interested in messages that do not directly affect them.

Q: The first and most important rule of effective communication is to analyze your audience.

Q: Good listening is hard work.

Q: Listening is a passive activity.

Q: Research shows a strong positive link between a leader's communication ability and worker innovativeness.

Q: Communicating clearly and effectively is a skill everyone can learn and refine.

Q: Good communicators inspire confidence in others.

Q: One way for managers to encourage unethical behavior is to simply focus performance evaluation of employees on results only.

Q: Interactional justice is comprised of two important fairness perceptions: interpersonal treatment and informational adequacy.

Q: Procedural justice matters most in situations of high outcome favorability.

Q: Procedural justice occurs when the process used to determine the outcome is perceived as fair.

Q: In a reward situation, people are likely to examine the outcome of a decision's impact based on equality.

Q: Distributive justice is perceived when people view fairness in personal treatment.

Q: At the heart of many issues that concern ethics and fairness are perceptions of justice.

Q: A decision that is based on equality is a fair and ethical decision.

Q: The Platinum Rule test is a good way of judging if distributive justice is taking place.

Q: One way of testing your moral imagination is to use the Wall Street Journal test.

Q: Moral imagination is defined as the ability to understand the worst possible scenario in an ethical framework of distributive justice.

Q: People are likely to interpret events as more important or urgent when others are present.

Q: Following norms is often part of behaving ethically.

Q: Secondary stakeholders are people who will be directly affected by any ethical decision that is made.

Q: The major application of universalism comes in the common tension between self-interest and ethical values.

Q: Universalism recognizes that human beings act in and from character.

Q: Utilitarianism is a much more motivational or inspirational approach than universalism, which can seem "cold" or impersonal.

Q: The ethical perspective of utilitarianism was put forth by German philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Q: Universalism implies a consideration of whether a decision would be acceptable if everyone in every situation made the same decision.

Q: Utilitarianism directs us to make decisions based on the greatest "good" for the greatest number.

Q: Teleological theories of ethics determine the ethics of an act by looking to the process of the decision.

Q: Deontological theories of ethics determine the ethics of an act by looking to the probable outcome or consequences of the decision.

Q: The law can be an efficient mechanism to prevent serious harm, but it is not very effective at promoting "good."

Q: Obedience to the law is sufficient to fulfill one's ethical duties.

Q: Researcher Thomas Jones identified proximity as one of the ways in which ethical issues can be perceived as more or less intense.

Q: The way in which we perceive ethical dilemmas depends heavily on the moral intensity the issue possesses.

Q: "Individual versus community" is a type of "right-versus-right" scenario.

Q: Those who are ethically conscious make themselves aware of the implications of their actions.

Q: Ethical commitment refers to your level of dedication or desire to do what is right even in the face of potentially harmful personal repercussions.

Q: Most ethical people act in ways that reflect ethical commitment, consciousness, and competency.

Q: It has come to your notice that Harry, a member of your group, regularly steals office stationery supplies. What is the course of action that you will follow in response to this?

Q: Identify some common situations that act as ethical traps for managers.

Q: Identify a few of the most common rationalizations used to justify unethical behavior.

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of utilitarianism as an ethical approach in organizations?

Q: What are the two categories of ethical theories? Describe the theory most representative of the teleological approach.

Q: Identify a few reasons why the law may not align with ethics in organizations.

Q: A pharmacist sells counterfeit drugs, which might lead to death of patients taking those drugs. His wife works as an accountant and has a habit of regularly bringing office stationery home. Whose action would you label as more unethical: the pharmacist's or his wife's? Why?

Q: According to researcher Thomas Jones, identify any four ways in which ethical issues are perceived as more or less intense and therefore as more ethical or unethical.

Q: What is moral intensity? Give an example of how moral intensity affects our ethical decision-making.

Q: Ryan has been an exemplary student throughout the term. However, he fell seriously ill two weeks before the end-of-term exam and could neither attend the last few critical lectures nor prepare for the exam. Desperate for a good grade that will reflect the kind of job offers he gets after finishing the course, Ryan cheats during the exam. You, his professor, catch him cheating. What kind of a "right-versus-right" scenario does this ethical dilemma reflect? Suggest a course of action that you will follow to resolve this dilemma.

Q: A racial minority interest group has recently gone to press saying that the government is discriminating against members of that race by infringing on their individual and privacy rights in the name of national security. What kind of a "right-versus-right" scenario does this ethical dilemma reflect?

Q: Jennifer has been a part of your group for last five years. She is both a sincere worker and the best performer in your group. She confided in you yesterday that her father is not doing well and she might have to soon take two weeks off to take care of him. She is not sure exactly when she will need the leave, so she also asks you to keep this information to yourself. Today, your boss informs you about a critical project that has to be finished within next two weeks. He also wants Jennifer to be a part of that project and casually asks you, "I hope she is available for this project. It is very critical that this project is done well and done on time." What kind of a "right-versus-right" scenario does this ethical dilemma reflect? What would your action be? Will you tell your boss about Jennifer's plans of taking leave? Explain.

Q: Describe the three important dimensions of ethical behavior.

Q: Describe three ethical decision-making myths.

Q: Your community has seen a sudden spike in gunshot violence lately. The police department has directed all gun shops in the locality to not sell guns to potential customers who have previous criminal records. This is an example of which kind of ethical decision-making myth?

Q: Which of the following types of justice judgments is considered a little "soft" or "touchy feely" to handle? A. Normative justice B. Interactional justice C. Economic justice D. Procedural justice E. Distributive justice

Q: At the completion of a presentation, students were told by the professor that although their talk was solid as far as content, the grade was a "C." The professor failed to mention that the talk lacked several elements of excellence. The graphics were inconsistent, the presenters mumbled, and the team failed to answer any of the follow-up questions. The student team leader threw the documentation packet at the professor, shouting, "Whatever, toad!" and slammed the door on the way out. This scenario presents an ethical issue of _____ justice. A. distributive B. interactional C. generational D. procedural E. normative

Q: _____ justice is perceived when people know that those with power in an organization are suspending their personal biases and relying on objective data to the best possible extent. A. Interpersonal B. Interactional C. Informational D. Procedural E. Distributive

Q: A classic example of where people invoke _____ as a determination for distributive justice is the case of distributing medical benefits. A. equity B. loyalty C. logic D. need E. equality

Q: In a reward situation, people are likely to examine the outcome of a decision's impact based on: A. equity. B. loyalty. C. logic. D. need. E. equality.

Q: A food pantry gives groceries to the needy. This action is seen as: A. interpersonal justice. B. interactional justice. C. informational justice. D. procedural justice. E. distributive justice.

Q: Which of the following is the last step toward making an ethical decision? A. Consider your integrity B. Check your instincts C. Define the ethical issues D. Think creatively about actions E. Identify the affected parties, consequences, and obligations

Q: Which of the following steps toward making an ethical decision includes utilizing checks such as the Platinum Rule test and the Mom test? A. Consider your integrity B. Check your instincts C. Define the ethical issues D. Think creatively about actions E. Identify the affected parties, consequences, and obligations

Q: Should a manager try to improve his ability to make tough ethical choices by improving his moral imagination? A. Yes. Rationalization helps ease the conscience. B. No. Tough choices are business necessities. C. Yes. Sometimes tough ethical problems require new approaches. D. No. Fairness requires strict adherence to the rules. E. Yes. Blaming others for a mistake is acceptable sometimes.

Q: In a series of classic studies over many decades, researchers have found that, by and large, individuals are more likely to help those in need when they are: A. young. B. economically well-off. C. old. D. with their families. E. alone.

Q: People should act in ways meant to better the world. This is an example of which major ethical theory? A. Universalism. B. Utilitarianism. C. Virtue ethics. D. Situational ethics. E. Cultural relativism.

Q: "I believe some principles can't be sacrificed for anything" is an example of the major ethical theory of: A. universalism. B. utilitarianism. C. virtue ethics. D. situational ethics. E. cultural relativism.

Q: It is wrong to impose personal values on other people. This example indicates that you are using the ______________ ethical perspective. A. utilitarianism B. duty ethics C. Kantism D. virtue ethics E. universalism

Q: Which of the following perspectives of ethics is neither teleological nor deontological but rather emphasizes the affective side of peoples' character? A. Duty ethics B. Utilitarianism C. Kantism D. Virtue ethics E. Universalism