Q&A Hero

Q: Managers pursue sustainability because it serves as a catalyst for innovation.

Q: The term triple bottom-line emphasizes that managers should focus on building organizations that are sustainable in economic, environmental, and societal activities.

Q: Sustainability is the degree to which a person or entity can put its competitors out of business.

Q: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act prohibits retaliation by employers against whistle-blowers.

Q: A whistle-blower is an employee who performs quality reviews within an organization and reports flaws in the processes.

Q: Kant's categorical imperative proposes to act in such a way that the action taken under the circumstances could be a universal law, or rule, of behavior.

Q: The utilitarian principle advocates the view that people should act in a way they would expect others to act toward them.

Q: A code of ethics is an informal statement that organizations release to help its employees obtain a basic understanding of ethics.

Q: Ethical managers strive for success within the confines of sound management practices that are characterized by fairness and justice.

Q: A social audit is conducted to measure the present social responsibility activities of an organization.

Q: All companies should take social responsibility measurements in the quality-of-life area and the economic function area.

Q: Controlling in the area of social responsibility does not entail assessments or measurements.

Q: Organizations that take the social obligation approach usually achieve higher levels of social responsiveness than organizations that take the social responsibility approach.

Q: The social obligation approach considers business as having both societal and economic goals as well as the obligation to anticipate potential social problems and work actively toward preventing their occurrence.

Q: Any individual or group that is directly or indirectly affected by an organization's decisions is called a stakeholder.

Q: The greater the degree of effectiveness and efficiency in pursuing its social responsibilities, the more socially responsive the organization is said to be.

Q: The primary function of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is the regulation of safety and health conditions in nongovernment workplaces.

Q: The primary function of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is to ensure that employers holding federal contracts grant equal employment opportunity to people regardless of their race or sex.

Q: Adherence to legislated social responsibilities is the minimum standard of social responsibility performance that business managers must achieve.

Q: Empirical studies, conducted by various corporations in the United States, have demonstrated a definitive relationship between corporate social responsibility and profitability.

Q: Consumer affairs and community volunteerism are considered areas of corporate social responsibility.

Q: Certain business institutions become involved in certain social problems that are outside their normal areas of operation. This behavior is inconsistent with the Davis Model of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Q: The Davis Model of Corporate Social Responsibility proposes businesses to operate as two-way open systems, with open receipt of inputs from society and open disclosure of operations to the public.

Q: According to the concept of corporate social responsibility, managers should regard societal goals as more important than organizational goals.

Q: What is sustainability? Why is building sustainable organizations important?

Q: Many governments protect employees who turn into whistleblowers. Why do you think it is necessary? Explain your answer.

Q: What is a code of ethics? What are the issues that it commonly addresses?

Q: How do you define ethics in business?

Q: Define the term social audit. List the basic steps in conducting a social audit.

Q: What are the four areas in which all companies should take social responsibility measurements?

Q: S. Prakash Sethi has presented three important management approaches to meeting social obligations. Briefly explain these approaches.

Q: Who are organizational stakeholders and what types of responsibilities does an organization have to them?

Q: Name two federal agencies that enforce social responsibility legislation and explain their primary roles.

Q: Do you agree with the view that businesses must be involved in social responsibility activities? Explain your answer.

Q: What are the major propositions of the Davis model of corporate social responsibility?

Q: The term ________ emphasizes that managers should focus on building organizations that are sustainable in economic, environmental, and societal activities. A) restructured bottom-line B) safe harbor bottom-line C) bottom-line synergy D) triple bottom-line E) competitive bottom-line

Q: In building a sustainable organization, management should strive to make the organization sustainable in three areas. Which of the following areas is the organization focusing on when it maintains the well-being and protection of the communities in which it does business? A) the economy B) the customer C) the environment D) the government E) the society

Q: In building a sustainable organization, management should strive to make the organization sustainable in three areas. Which of the following areas is the organization focusing on when it emphasizes performing behavior akin to protecting natural resources like air, water, and land? A) the economy B) the customer C) the environment D) the government E) the society

Q: In building a sustainable organization, management should strive to make the organization sustainable in three areas. Which of the following areas is the organization focusing on when it minimizes waste by not overproducing goods and generating a fair profit for stakeholders? A) the economy B) the customer C) the environment D) the government E) the society

Q: A sustainable organization is an organization that has the ability to ________. A) be profitable during challenging economic periods B) meet its present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs C) produce high-quality products at reasonably low prices when the economy is unsupporting D) increase its brand awareness by conducting social responsibility activities on a large scale E) innovate continuously and produce high-quality innovative products on a consistent basis

Q: ________ is the degree to which a person or entity can meet its present needs without compromising the ability of other people or entities to meet their needs in the future. A) Accountability B) Reliability C) Sustainability D) Maintainability E) Scalability

Q: Tavern Inc. is a personal investment firm contemplating the introduction of a whistleblower's policy. It conducts a board meeting to thoroughly analyze the consequences of this action. During this meeting, Michelle, one of the members of the board, argues strongly against this decision. According to her, the fall of Enron in 2001, which resulted in thousands of employees losing their jobs and retirement pensions and investors losing millions of dollars, can be attributed to whistle-blowers like Sherron Watkins. Michelle believes that whistle-blowing was the primary cause for Enron's bankruptcy. Which of the following is a strong rebuttal to Michelle's argument? A) Investors and employees alike are responsible for their own actions; they should be very careful when choosing firms to invest or work in. B) Whistle-blowers like Sherron Watkins have a very strong moral character which is uncommon in the population. C) Enron was committing a crime which would have gradually surfaced, causing more losses than those that occurred due to Sherron Watkins' whistle-blowing act. D) Regulatory agencies and governmental institutions should be held responsible for Enron's bankruptcy after Sherron Watkins' whistle-blowing act. E) It was whistle-blowing that brought companies like Enron, Worldcom, and Tyco to its knees.

Q: A whistle-blower is ________ . A) the employee who reports the alleged activities of the firm B) the customer who files a product liability suit against the firm C) the business lawyer who protects the firm against law suits D) the employee who performs the unethical or illegal activity in the firm E) the manager who protects the employee who reports the alleged activities of the firm

Q: Which of the following is an example of whistle-blowing? A) Niobi, an employee of Glesnt Co., complains to her project manager about the sexual advances that Brent, her supervisor, makes on her. B) Rupert files a product liability suit against SilkSmooth Co., a shampoo manufacturer, because its use caused his hair to fall. C) Joan, an employee of Pierce International-a financial services firm, reports illegal accounting practices to the Security and Exchange Commission. D) Linda files a complaint to the Employee Equal Opportunity Commission against Jueruie Co. after she was rejected in the interview based on her gender. E) Noa, a customer of Cone Inc., complains about the bad customer-service it received for the products.

Q: Brenda works as an accountant in a software firm. She notices that the company has inflated its balance sheet to show profits, when in reality it is under loss. Brenda reports this inconsistency to the CFO and then to the local authorities, when the CFO refused to take action. Which of the following explains Brenda actions? A) crowdsourcing B) phishing C) whistle-blowing D) shoulder surfing E) pharming

Q: ________ is the act of an employee reporting suspected misconduct or corruption believed to exist within an organization. A) Phishing B) Crowdsourcing C) Shoulder surfing D) Pharming E) Whistle-blowing

Q: The SarbanesOxley Act supports ________ as a vehicle for both discouraging deceptive management practices while encouraging ethical management practices. A) shoulder surfing B) whistle-blowing C) phishing D) crowdsourcing E) nearshoring

Q: Which of the following statements is true about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002? A) It prohibits any one institution from acting as any combination of an investment bank, a commercial bank, and an insurance company. B) It allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by any public enterprise. C) It requires financial institutions to keep records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments and to report suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities. D) Areas covered under this act include maintaining generally accepted accounting practices and ensuring company structure and processes that enhance integrity and reputation. E) It encourages commercial banks and savings associations to help meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.

Q: Which of the following was passed amid outcries of public outrage over outrageous management practices discovered at several companies including Enron, WorldCom, and Tyco? A) GrammLeachBliley Act B) Financial modernization Act C) Sarbanes-Oxley Act D) Patriot Act E) Freedom of Information Act

Q: Which of the following is one of the questions asked by the managers while conducting the four-way test? A) Is the proposed action or decision legal? B) Is the decision truthful? C) Would I feel comfortable explaining to a national TV audience why I took this action? D) Is this decision beneficial for me? E) Is this decision improving employee productivity?

Q: "Established laws are generally considered minimum standards for ethics." Which of the following standards is based on the preceding statement? A) the legal test B) the utilitarian principle C) Kant's categorical imperative D) the golden rule E) the four-way test

Q: Which of the following scenarios can be justified by Kant's categorical imperative? A) Rahman is a 9 year old boy who works in a manufacturing plant in India for 2 cents an hour to support his family. B) Bobby committed his first crime when he was 14 years old and required money to support his family. C) Joey killed a burglar who sneaked into his house and tried to kill him. D) Karol lied to her parents of Leon because she did not want them to know that she was pregnant. E) Percy stole his friend's iPod because his parents did not have the money to afford it.

Q: Susanne does not lie. She does not lie even in situations where telling the truth would hurt an individual or lying could make someone feel better. In her words, "Lying is immoral. Nothing can justify lying to someone." Susanne's behavior is consistent with ________. A) the utilitarian principle B) the golden rule C) the consequentialist principle D) Kant's categorical imperative E) the four-way test

Q: Which of the following actions suggests that an individual is following Kant's categorical imperative? A) Acting in a way you would expect others to act toward you. B) Taking actions that would be viewed as proper by a disinterested panel of professional peers. C) Acting in a way that results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. D) Taking actions that abide by the laws of the state. E) Acting in a way that the action taken under the circumstances could be a universal law of behavior.

Q: Consider how the Federal Reserve Board sets interest rates. The Fed examines the relevant economic data and makes a judgment about the present and future state of the economy. If economic activity seems to be slowing down, the Fed might decide to lower interest rates as a means for stimulating economic growth. If the economy seems to be growing too fast and the inflation rate is increasing, they might choose to raise interest rates. Lowering or raising interest rates, in and of itself, is neither good nor bad; the rightness of the act depends on the consequences. This action is consistent with the ________. A) utilitarian principle B) golden rule C) virtue ethics principle D) deontological principle E) Kantian principle

Q: Individuals following the ________ act in a way that results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. A) golden rule B) deontological principle C) utilitarian principle D) virtue ethics principle E) Kantian principle

Q: Roger believes in the statement, "what you give, you receive." He shows respect to everyone he knows and meets everyday and expects them to show him respect. Roger's behavior is consistent with ________. A) the utilitarian principle B) the golden rule C) the deontological principle D) Kant's categorical imperative E) the four-way test

Q: What is a learning organization? Which features within an organization, according to Senge, help in building a learning organization?

Q: What is triangular management? How is it related to the contingency approach?

Q: What is a system? What guidelines should you follow while conducting system analysis? Using the general system theory, explain what kind of system you think the Internet is.

Q: How is the contingency approach different from the behavioral science approach? Why is perceiving organizational situations as they actually exist a challenge while using the contingency approach?

Q: What are the steps involved in using the scientific method?

Q: How does a manager's understanding of his employees' physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs improve productivity?

Q: What is the human relations movement in management theory? How would you, as a manager in an organization, use the human relations approach to manage employees?

Q: What is the behavioral approach to management?

Q: List any seven general principles of management and their defining themes as described by Fayol.

Q: How is lower-level management analysis different from comprehensive analysis of management? Is the latter approach suitable for an organization focusing on increasing productivity by concentrating on the "one best way" to perform a task? Explain your answer.

Q: Which of the following is the best example of a learning organization? A) Patersons, a family firm, has been in business for a century and operates in much the same way as it did when it first began. Many find the company culture paternalistic, but it provides generous employee benefits, which is a definite advantage. B) Lowry Ltd emphasizes the reductionist philosophy in management: the company attempts to analyze and understand operational problems by reducing them to the interactions of their parts. C) Cleary Consulting takes pride in the fact that all its departments are autonomous and self-sufficient. Each functions independently, with minimal interaction with other departments. D) Nesbit & White has been in business for just two years, and the small firm still operates almost informally. The weekly company meeting gives employees a sense of community and a chance to know how everyone is working to achieve their common goals . E) Park Systems has been immensely successful in a very short time. The key to this has been the individual freedom that it offers employees, who develop their own ways of working and solving problems. The company concentrates only on the end result.

Q: In a learning organization, every organization member should understand his or her own job and how the jobs fit together to provide final products to the customer. This is known as ________. A) personal mastery B) team learning C) challenging of mental models D) shared vision E) systems thinking

Q: Every Monday morning, the hundred-odd employees at Axis Systems Ltd. meet to discuss the work situation. The managers of various departments summarize what their departments have done over the past week. Employees can track the various stages of any project and understand how their tasks fit into the whole process. This illustrates the ________ aspect of a learning organization. A) the behavioral approach B) team learning C) triangular management D) systems thinking E) the contingency approach

Q: The use of the classical, behavioral and management science approaches as sources of information to analyze the management system is referred to as ________ management. A) open-system B) democratic C) triangular D) laissez-faire E) lower-level

Q: In terms of management system, the cheese used in the making of a sandwich at a restaurant is a(n) ________. A) finished good B) organizational output C) production process D) organizational process E) organizational input

Q: According to the guidelines suggested by L.Thomas Hopkins for anyone conducting system analysis, the nature of the part and its function is determined by its ________. A) position in the whole B) importance to the operation C) structural integrity D) source and origin E) design and orientation

Q: A human is an example of a(n) ________ system. Constant interaction with the environment influences the person's state of existence and future. A) static B) inert C) closed D) conditional E) open

Q: Regardless of the weather, a television's screen, controls and other parts must function in a predetermined way if the television as a whole is to exist and serve its purpose. This is an example of a(n) ________ system. A) static B) open C) passive D) closed E) conditional

Q: ________ is recognized as the founder of general system theory. A) Ludwig von Bertalanffy B) Henri Fayol C) Abraham Maslow D) L.Thomas Hopkins E) F.W. Taylor

Q: Dress codes are a contentious subject in workplaces, with Gen Y workers favoring a more casual style than older workers, who are often uncomfortable with the idea of wearing casual clothes to work. Human resources departments often find it difficult to enforce company dress codes appropriately. Managers find that one of the ways to address this situation is using the contingency approach. Which of the following is the best example of the contingency approach to management? A) Rotec Inc. requires all employees to dress formally throughout the week, and allows business casuals on Fridays. B) Sandman Designs allows employees who don't meet clients to dress casually, while employees who must meet clients are required to wear formals. C) G&B Solutions developed a series of guidelines to let employees know what is considered appropriate and inappropriate office wear. D) Waterstones observed and compared employee behavior and productivity on "formal wear" and "casual wear" days and used the findings to devise a company dress code. E) Letterman Inc. invited employees to share their clothing preferences and used these suggestions to frame a company dress code.

Q: Which of the following is true from the point of view of the contingency approach to management? A) There is one best way to solve a management problem in any organization. B) Managers' decisions vary depending on the particular situation and the people involved. C) In most cases, solutions to similar problems will apply across organizations. D) Managers within the same organization should follow the same solution for similar problems. E) Managers should make decisions that are consistent from employee to employee.

Q: The contingency approach attempts to outline the ________ in which various management methods have the best chance of success. A) conditions B) techniques C) tools D) guidelines E) methods

Q: The ________ approach to management emphasizes "ifthen" relationships: "If" this situational variable exists, "then" a manager probably would take this action. A) contingency B) management science C) behavioral D) comprehensive management analysis E) classical