Q&A Hero

Q: Deforestation cutting down and not replacing trees contributes to global warming.

Q: Black carbon is the second largest contributor to climate change, responsible for as much as 18 percent of global warming.

Q: In 2000, a group of nations negotiated the Montreal Protocol, agreeing to increase CFC production and use by 50 percent by 2020.

Q: The paradox of the commons is that if all individuals attempt to maximize their own private advantage in the short term, the commons will still remain productive in the long run.

Q: A commons is a shared resource, such as land, air or water that a group of people uses collectively.

Q: The worlds natural resource base the air, water, soil, minerals, and so forth -- is essentially finite, or bounded.

Q: The worlds income is distributed equally among nations.

Q: About 20 percent of the worlds people have incomes below the international poverty line.

Q: Human society used 60 times as much energy in the late 20th century as it did in 1860, when industrialization was in its early stages.

Q: Land, even when properly cared for, is not a renewable resource.

Q: The leading contributor to global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Q: Do you believe the rapid economic development of poorer countries helps or hurts the environment? Why?

Q: Discuss some of the voluntary initiatives undertaken by businesses around the world in order to incorporate sustainable development into their everyday business practices.

Q: What defines an environmental problem that is inherently global in scope? Discuss in detail two of the four global problems outlined in the textbook that will have major consequences for business and society.

Q: What is meant by the Earths carrying capacity? How can it be measured? Discuss the changes that need to be made in order to bring the Earths carrying capacity back into balance with the demands placed on it by human society.

Q: Three critical factors have combined to accelerate the ecological crisis facing the world community and to make sustainable development more difficult. Explain and discuss these three factors.

Q: Identify and explain three major threats to the earths ecosystem as described in the textbook. How will these threats accelerate the ecological crisis?

Q: Identify a business with which you are familiar. What steps could this business take to manage more sustainably?

Q: The most successful global businesses in coming years will be those companies that: A. Develop short-term partnerships between companies in developing countries to transfer environmental technologies. B. Recognize the imperative for sustainable development as an opportunity both for competitive advantage and ethical action. C. Avoid fully accounting environmental costs in calculating measures of production such as the gross domestic product (GDP). D. Produce products with a limited useful life.

Q: An example of codes of environmental conduct that have been developed by and for specific industries include: A. The Equator Principles. B. The Forest Stewardship Principles, C. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol. D. A and B but not C.

Q: Which of the following illustrates the idea of sustainable development through technological cooperation? A. Worldwide conferences to encourage developing countries to invest in technological joint ventures with other developing countries. B. The development of long-term partnerships between companies in developed and developing countries to transfer environmental technologies. C. Advanced countries developing and selling at a profit environment technologies to developing countries. D. All countries developing their own environmental technology in order to solve their own problems.

Q: This company called its plan to tackle climate change Plan A because there is no Plan B: A. Marks & Spencer, B. Walmart. C. Nike. D. Timberland.

Q: The idea that companies have a continuing responsibility for the environmental impact of their products or services, even after they are sold is called: A. Life-cycle analysis. B. Product life responsibility. C. Extended producer responsibility. D. Extended producer commitment,

Q: Which of the following is an example of industrial ecology in practice? A. Developing a paper recycling program in business offices. B. Using wastes from one process as raw materials for another process. C. Manufacturing recyclable containers for products. D. All of the above.

Q: The Sustainability Consortium organized to advance life-cycle analysis for thousands of products includes all of the following companies except: A. Walmart. B. Dell. C. Alcoa. D. Google.

Q: Life-cycle analysis involves: A. Accurately recording the production costs at each stage of a products life cycle. B. Collecting information regarding the lifelong environmental impact of a product, from extraction to disposal. C. Reducing recycling costs for disposable products. D. Increasing productivity while improving the environment.

Q: The commitments of the Convention on Biological Diversity include: A. Developing national conservation strategies. B. Eliminating CFC production. C. Population control education. D. Massive irrigation projects in developing countries.

Q: Briefly describe the public policy process of a foreign country and its implication on the business political activity in that country.

Q: Describe the role of an organizations public affairs department and describe who would be in charge of that department.

Q: Compare and contrast the three levels of business political involvement.

Q: Describe two tactics used to promote each of the three types of corporate political strategies.

Q: How do the three types of corporate political strategies differ from each other?

Q: Who are the major participants in the political process and are they cooperative or adversarial in their relations with each other?

Q: Prepare a strong argument in favor of and in opposition to businesses being involved in the political process.

Q: When managers become personally involved in developing public policy, the firm is at what level of business political involvement? A. Limited organizational involvement. B. Moderate organizational involvement. C. Aggressive organizational involvement. D. Holistic organizational involvement.

Q: When a firm solicits its stockholders for political contributions for a particular candidate by letter and then sends those contributions to the candidate on behalf of its stockholders, it is called: A. Lobbying. B. Bundling. C. Collating. D. Constituency building.

Q: When a business seeks to overturn a law after it has been passed or threatens to challenge the legal legitimacy of the new regulation in the courts, this is called: A. Accumulating. B. Overturn lobbying. C. Legal challenges. D. Funneling.

Q: Trade associations are: A. Coalitions of companies in the same or related industries. B. Prohibited by U.S. law. C. Made up of unionized workers. D. Found in developing countries.

Q: Supporters of advocacy advertisements believe that they: A. Identify a company as an interested and active stakeholder. B. Can help mold public opinion on a particular policy issue. C. Increase union activity and long-term expenses for an organization. D. Both A and B, but not C.

Q: Advocacy ads are also called: A. Issue advertisements. B. Research and development plans. C. Constituent advertisements. D. Price control advertisements.

Q: Economic leverage occurs when a business uses it economic power to: A. Hire lobbyists to gain a desired political action. B. Pay for the costs of regulation to acquire a desired political action. C. Threaten to leave a location unless a desired political action is taken. D. Buyout another firm to acquire a desired political action.

Q: Which type of organizations political action committee gave the greatest amount by total contribution in 2011 2012? A. A trade association. B. A labor union. C. A business. D. An academic institution.

Q: According to the textbook, under the existing U.S. campaign contribution law, individuals: A. Can give more to PACs, and PACs can always give more to individual candidates. B. Can give more to PACs, and PACs can give more to each candidate depending on their number of contributors. C. Cannot give more to PACs, but PACs can give more to individual candidates. D. Cannot give more to PACs, and PACs cannot give more to individual candidates.

Q: According to the textbook, under the existing U.S. campaign contributions law, individuals can contribute: A. Up to $1,400 to any candidate per election. B. Up to $2,500 to any candidate per election. C. Up to $5,400 to any candidate per election. D. Nothing, only organizations can contribute to candidates.

Q: Companies have been permitted to contribute to political action committees since: A. The early 1950s. B. The mid-1970s. C. The mid-1980s. D. Never, they are prohibited by U.S. law.

Q: One of the most common financial-incentive strategy tools is: A. Political action committee contributions. B. Political consulting aid. C. Advocacy advertising. D. Lobbying.

Q: Expert witness testimony is often provided: A. Through company newsletters. B. On the steps of the White House. C. In Congressional hearings. D. In The Wall Street Journal.

Q: One of the most effective organizations promoting direct communications between business and policymakers is: A. The Knights of the Roundtable. B. The Business Roundtable. C. The Government Partnership Roundtable. D. The Strategic Roundtable.

Q: Businesses promote an information strategy by inviting government leaders to: A. Visit local plant facilities. B. Attend company award ceremonies. C. Give speeches to employees. D. All of the above.

Q: Hiring former government officials for positions in the corporate world is: A. Normally legal. B. Always unethical. C. Considered unethical by over 50% of Americans. D. A and C, but not B.

Q: Since 1998, the total amount spent on lobbying activity has increased about: A. 12 percent. B. 32 percent. C. 57 percent. D. 72 percent.

Q: Lobbyists, under U.S. law, must disclose their: A. Political affiliation and expenses. B. Earnings. C. Expenses. D. Earnings and expenses.

Q: The information strategy tool most used by business is: A. Political contributions. B. Lobbying. C. Legal challenges. D. Direct communication.

Q: Which of the following is not a constituency-building strategy tool? A. Expert witness testimony. B. Advocacy advertising. C. Public relations. D. Legal challenges.

Q: A common tactic in a financial-incentive political strategy is: A. Lobbying. B. Legal challenges. C. Expert witness testimony. D. Political contributions.

Q: To influence government policymakers actions, an information strategy involves: A. Business leaders speaking before government policymakers. B. Government policymakers hiring special interest groups for fact-finding projects. C. Businesses listening to government policymakers in order to develop a corporate strategy. D. Gaining support from other affected organizations.

Q: Firms in the chemical industry, which must contend with frequently changing environmental regulations and the risk of dangerous accidents, usually have: A. No defined political strategy. B. A sophisticated political strategy. C. A political strategy focused on intellectual property rights. D. A political strategy focused on licensing rights.

Q: A corporate political strategy does not: A. Hinder a competitors ability to compete economically. B. Seek to continue the firms economic survival or growth. C. Determine the legal limits allowed for campaign financing. D. Exercise a firms right to a voice in government affairs.

Q: The National Energy Plan signed into law by President Bush: A. Extended daylight savings time 11 weeks. B. Shortened daylight savings time 5 weeks. C. Extended daylight savings time 4 weeks. D. Was opposed by the barbecue industry.

Q: Two or more participants joining together to act in concert in the political process is called: A. A political coalition. B. An ad hoc coalition. C. Cooperation. D. Regulation.

Q: In a 2011 Harris poll, how many people believed that political action committees were seen as too powerful? A. 87 percent. B. 65 percent. C. 47 percent. D. 15 percent.

Q: Proponents of business as a political participant argue: A. A pluralistic system invites many participants. B. It is businesss constitutional right to be involved. C. Business is a vital stakeholder of government. D. Both A and C, but not B.

Q: Public policies and government regulations are shaped by: A. Business. B. Special interest groups. C. Government. D. All of the above.

Q: Public backlash in the Treyvon Martin case in which a black teenager was shot to death and his assailant defended his actions by claiming protection under Floridas stand your ground law prompted: A. State legislatures to consider changing their regulation on civil rights. B. Businesses to distance themselves from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). C. Walmart to stop selling guns and ammunition at its retail stores. D. Businesses like Amazon.com, Coca Cola, Kraft Foods to stand up to civil rights groups.

Q: According to the textbook, the heads of most public affairs departments are senior vice president or vice president positions.

Q: When a manager directly employs a lobbyist to represent the companys political strategy in Washington this is called aggressive organizational involvement in politics.

Q: According to the textbook, until 2010, corporations were permitted by law to make direct contributions to political candidates for national and most state offices.

Q: Expert witnesses provide information to legislators for businesses or business groups.

Q: Sometimes businesspeople leave the private sector to take employment in government before returning to the corporate world.

Q: Under U.S. law, lobbying activities must be disclosed publicly.

Q: The most effective type of lobbying involves targeting only federal officials.

Q: Loaning office personnel is a financial-incentive political strategy tool.

Q: Businesses must wait for a public issue to arise before forming a political strategy.

Q: Most scholars agree that business must participate in politics.

Q: Labor unions have been an active participant in United States politics for decades.

Q: Various stakeholder groups often use far different tactics than businesses to influence government officials, elections, and regulation.

Q: In many countries, the political environment has a select few participants.

Q: The emergence of public issues often encourages companies to monitor public concerns, respond to government proposals, and participate in the political process.

Q: The solar power industry has yet to become an active participant in the U.S. political environment.

Q: Why does international regulation occur? Discuss the conditions that affect the regulation of business in a global context.