Q&A Hero

Q: One of the arguments against corporate social responsibility is that by requiring more of U.S. corporations, they may be put at a disadvantage relative to foreign competitors. Evaluate this argument.

Q: Which of the following is not one of the stages of corporate citizenship? (A) engaged (B) innovative (C) elementary (D) transformed (E) prospective

Q: What is diversity? Why is it important?

Q: One of the arguments that opponents of corporate social responsibility use is that business already has enough power, so society should not grant it more power by relying on it to alleviate social problems. Evaluate this argument.

Q: List five benefits of corporate citizenship.

Q: In Carroll's four-part definition of corporate social responsibility, he includes philanthropic responsibilities, yet he describes these as voluntary or discretionary. Explain this seeming contrast between a responsibility and a voluntary activity.

Q: Explain why the emergence of large corporations in the late 19th century helped shift society's view away from the classical economic view.

Q: Describe corporate social performance.

Q: Explain how being socially responsible promotes business long-term self-interest.

Q: Explain why Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) was formed.

Q: Financial returns from socially conscious investment funds are a. competitive with returns from other investments. b. higher than returns from other investments. c. slightly lower than returns from other investments. d. much lower than returns from other investments.

Q: Discuss how social responsibility, responsiveness, and performance are different.

Q: The Triple Bottom Line encompasses all of the following spheres of performance except a. economic. b. social. c. environmental. d. philanthropic.

Q: Which statements about Equal Employment Opportunity are correct? (A) The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission administers and enforces job discrimination laws to create equal employment opportunities. (B) The EEOC attempts to arbitrate with the business and person or group discriminated against to agree on a settlement. (C) The EEOC receives and investigates employment complaints and charges of discrimination, but it does not deal with sexual harassment. (D) The EEOC hears harassment cases. (E) The EEOC encourages people to come forward with their charges of harassment or discrimination.

Q: What are the benefits of corporate citizenship? (A) customer disloyalty (B) enhanced reputation (C) customer loyalty (D) better employee relations (E) government scrutiny

Q: The Triple Bottom Line concept focuses on economic, social, and environmental performance, the key elements of a. sustainability. b. growth. c. corporate social responsibility. d. corporate social responsiveness.

Q: Which of the following are true about global corporate citizenship? (A) American multinational companies must be good global corporate citizens. (B) Global corporate citizenship encompasses a broad spectrum of stakeholders with different corporate responsibilities. (C) Global corporate citizenship is practiced only by less-developed Asian companies. (D) What is expected of corporate citizens in terms of time, money, and effort in citizenship activities stays consistent across national and cultural borders. (E) Global markets challenge multinational corporations (MNC) to work against CSR.

Q: The relationship between corporate social performance and financial performance is viewed from three different perspectives. The symbiotic view a. states that financial performance determines social performance. b. high social performance leads to improved financial performance. c. states that there is an interactive relationship among social performance, financial performance, and corporate reputation. d. is synonymous with the contingency view of Husted.

Q: Which of the following are levels of corporate social responsibility? (A) initiation (B) crowning (C) legal (D) ethical (E) benevolent

Q: Which statements about the levels of corporate social responsibility are correct? (A) Businesses vary greatly in their social responsibilities activities. (B) Legal CSR focuses on maximizing profits while obeying the law. (C) Ethical CSR focuses on profitability and doing what is right, just, and fair. (D) Benevolent CSR focuses on profitability and helping society through philanthropy. (E) Long-range CSR is usually not profitable for a company.

Q: Benefits to companies of good corporate citizenship include all of the following except a. improved employee relations. b. improved customer relations. c. improved business performance. d. fewer government regulations.

Q: Which of the following are true about CSR improving corporate reputation? (A) It affects the business's relationship with stakeholders. (B) A firm's reputation is irrelevant regarding ways businesses can compete. (C) Public sentiment is very important because the government tends to go after firms that make society angry, (D) Wal-Mart has a reputation for low prices, but is consistently under attack by societal interest groups, gets bad press, and is investigated by the government. (E) Nonmarket stakeholder societal interest groups, the news media, and the government tend to go more severe on firms with good reputations.

Q: The narrow view of corporate citizenship focuses solely on a. ecological issues. b. employee relations. c. corporate community relations. d. stakeholder management.

Q: Which statements about corporations are correct? (A) Corporate social responsibility (CSR), citizenship, and corporate social performance (CSP) all refer to how business operates in a total market environment. (B) Corporate citizenship includes social responsibility, responsiveness, and performance. (C) CSR is the conscious effort to operate in a manner that is not totally focuses on gaining profit. (D) It is generally acceptable if, through meeting stockholders' expectations, businesses contribute to social problems. (E) Corporate citizenship is broader in scope by including social responsibility.

Q: The view of corporate citizenship that embraces all that is implied in the concepts of social responsibility, responsiveness, and performance is the ____ view. a. unlimited b. broad c. narrow d. limited

Q: Which of the following is not true of affirmative action? (A) Affirmative action programs require firms doing business with the federal government to take steps to hire and promote people from groups previously discriminated against, with government approval. (B) The meaning of affirmative action has not changed since its inception 40 years ago. (C) The objective of affirmative action is to achieve diversity through good faith efforts rather than simply meeting strict goals. (D) The EEOC gives employees whistleblower protection. (E) College and university admissions also have affirmative action programs, some of which have been challenged in court for reverse discrimination.

Q: Which of the following is not a characteristic of a socially responsible company? a. makes products that are safe b. makes above average financial returns c. does not pollute air or water d. recycles within the company

Q: The _______ refers to the invisible barrier of women being promoted to senior executive positions. (A) corporate veil (B) executive club (C) paper wall (D) glass ceiling (E) lead level

Q: Which entity publishes "The 100 Best Companies to Work For"? a. The Conference Board b. Fortune Magazine c. Walt Disney d. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Q: A _________ assesses the corporation's impact on society and measures CSR and responsiveness. (A) social audit (B) standardized report (C) triple bottom line (D) social performance (E) corporate reputation

Q: Which entity publishes annual "World's Most Admired Companies" rankings? a. The Conference Board b. Fortune Magazine c. Walt Disney d. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Q: In the ________ stage of corporate citizenship, companies are actively seeking to help society and listen to stakeholders, trying to meet their needs, within reason. (A) innovative (B) engaged (C) integrated (D) transformed (E) elementary

Q: Based on the CSR pyramid, companies should be putting profitability last because profits make it impossible to be socially responsible to all stakeholders. (A) True (B) False

Q: Carroll's corporate social performance model can be used in all of the ways listed below except a. providing a conceptualization that could lead to better managed social performance. b. providing answers to specific social problems. c. using it as a planning tool. d. identifying categories within which the organization can be situated.

Q: Explain how the SEC helps to protect stockholders.

Q: Which of the following is not a dimension of Carroll's corporate social performance model? a. social responsibility categories b. funding sources c. philosophy of social responsiveness d. issues

Q: The ____ argument against CSR focuses on the consequence of the requirement that business must internalize costs that it formerly passed on to society in the form of dirty air and unsafe products, the costs of which might necessitate raising prices. a. Resources Available b. Business not equipped c. Dilutes Business purpose d. Global Competitiveness

Q: Shareholder resolutions place a suggested action on the proxy statement to be voted on by all stockholders. (A) True (B) False

Q: Governance refers to the total cost of the employee; executives commonly receive a salary, benefits, bonuses, stock options, and many perks. (A) True (B) False

Q: ____ is depicted as an action - oriented variant of CSR a. Corporate Social Responsiveness b. Corporate Social Responsibility c. Corporate Societal Responsibility d. Corporate Social Performance

Q: Which statement about the new employment relationships is correct? (A) The company provided job security, steady pay increases with good benefits, and opportunities for advancement. (B) Employees enjoy long-term employment. (C) The new relationship calls for loyalty to and identification with the employer. (D) The new manager–employee relationship was quite adversarial. (E) The new relationship expects loyalty to self and identification with the profession.

Q: According to the Business Case for CSR, a reason companies are becoming more socially responsible is all of the following except a. Access to capital b. Increased revenue c. Cost savings d. Customer demand

Q: The book, The Civil Corporation, identifies four ways in which business firms respond to social pressures. Which of the following is not one of those? a. defensive approach b. cost-benefit approach c. strategic approach d. stakeholder approach

Q: Which of the following statements is true about the employer-employee relationship? (A) It does not usually affect business performance. (B) It affects society and government operations. (C) If transit workers in New York go on strike, it does not affect the general public. (D) The National Football League lockout only affected owners and players. (E) Employer–employee relations affect only the market environment.

Q: Which of the following is not an argument commonly used in favor of corporate social responsibility? a. Business is best equipped to handle social problems. b. It is in the long range interest of business to be socially responsible. c. Being socially responsible helps ward off government intervention and regulation. d. Business has the resources to combat social problems.

Q: Which statement about employment contracts in union and nonunion organizations is not correct? (A) All employer–employee relations include employment contracts. (B) Nonunion employment contracts are negotiated on an individual basis; they are usually implicit, informal, and not written. (C) Union employment contracts are developed through collective bargaining and affect all union members. (D) Union employment contracts are usually explicit, formal, and written legal contracts. (E) All of these statements are correct.

Q: The first and primary argument for corporate social responsibility is a. it is a way to gain more power. b. business is best equipped to handle social problems. c. it is in business's long range interest to be socially responsible. d. the free-market economic system has proven to be ineffective in dealing with social problems.

Q: A/n _______ is a neutral party who makes a binding decision for management and labor. (A) teamster (B) ombud (C) arbitrator (D) mediator (E) collector

Q: All of the following are arguments commonly made against corporate social responsibility except a. social problems should be addressed first by the free-market economic system, and then, if necessary, by government. b. business is not equipped to handle social activities. c. business already has enough power--it should not be given more. d. business did not create today's social problems, so it should not be expected to solve them.

Q: The _______ Act gave employees the right to unionize without fear of prosecution, and it listed unfair practices of employers (A) Wagner (B) Norris-LaGuardia (C) Fair Standards (D) Civil Rights (E) Employee Protection

Q: The socially responsible firm should strive to do all of the following EXCEPT a. Make a profit b. obey the preferred laws c. Be ethical d. Be a good corporate citizen

Q: _______ provide workers with desired outcomes and protection from undesired outcomes. (A) Unionizations (B) Employee rights (C) Employer concessions (D) Arbitrations (E) Whistleblowing

Q: The ____ portrays the concurrent fulfillment of the firm's economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic responsibilities a. Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility b. Corporate Citizenship concepts c. Social Response Cycle d. None of these

Q: A corporate charter is granted by the federal government giving the firm the right to operate under basic terms of its existence and governance. (A) True (B) False

Q: The part of corporate social responsibility that focuses on business's voluntary activities which are not normally expected of a firm is a. economic. b. legal. c. ethical. d. philanthropic.

Q: The stock market is a bit like legalized gambling—the house (financial institutions and brokers) always wins because it gets a commission regardless of profit or loss. (A) True (B) False

Q: The part of corporate social responsibility that focuses on activities and practices that are expected by society, but not codified into law, is a. economic. b. legal. c. ethical. d. philanthropic.

Q: The employer–employee relationship is critical because it affects the performance of the business. (A) True (B) False

Q: The part of corporate social responsibility that focuses on fulfilling the social contract by following the law is a. economic. b. legal. c. ethical. d. philanthropic.

Q: An understanding of labor relations is not necessary for those working in nonunion firms because it cannot aid in keeping the firm from becoming unionized. (A) True (B) False

Q: The part of corporate social responsibility that focuses on fair prices and profits is a. economic. b. legal. c. ethical. d. philanthropic.

Q: Unions in the United States are on the rise. (A) True (B) False

Q: Which of the following is not one of the responsibilities in Carroll's four-part definition of corporate social responsibility? a. economic b. social c. legal d. philanthropic

Q: To compete successfully in the global economy, management, and labor need to collaborate and compete with their business competitors, rather than fight amongst themselves. (A) True (B) False

Q: The modern era of corporate social responsibility (from the 1950s to today) a. emphasizes general awareness of social and moral concerns. b. has seen decreased awareness of the issue. c. emphasizes specific issues. d. is marked by legislation requiring ethical business behavior.

Q: Today, it is common for ex-employees to take the firm to court to get back their jobs through employee lawsuits. (A) True (B) False

Q: The fact that business leaders in the late 19th century felt they had to show that large corporations were a force for social good is an example of a. the iron cage of rationality. b. socialism. c. paternalism. d. the iron law of oligarchy.

Q: An ombuds investigates complaints and helps to settle them fairly. (A) True (B) False

Q: The most efficient use of corporate wealth to benefit the public is though contributions to charity and other worthy causes which is called ____. a. taxation. b. philanthropy. c. paternalism. d. corporate welfare.

Q: OSHA stands for Ombudsman Safety and Hazard Authority (A) True (B) False

Q: Which of the following practices is not a modification of the classical economic model? a. philanthropy b. community obligations c. owner control d. paternalism

Q: The concept of business responsibility that is based on concern for the various groups that are affected by a business is known as the a. legal model. b. classical economic model. c. ethical model. d. stakeholder model.

Q: The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 essentially protects individual rights to privacy, but it allows employers to monitor job-related communication. (A) True (B) False

Q: The concept of business responsibility based on using laws to constrain business behavior is referred to as the a. neoclassical economic model. b. socialist model. c. legal model. d. stakeholder model.

Q: The _________doctrine holds that the employment relationship is voluntary and that employees can be fired or quit for any or no reason. (A) employment-at-large (B) employee outcome (C) employee option (D) employment-at-will (E) freedom-to-work

Q: Which statement about employee rights is not correct? (A) Employees have the right to benefits. (B) Employees have the right to due process, to be treated fairly. (C) Employees have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. (D) Employees have the right to personal off-the-job privacy, but not to business-related privacy at work. (E) Employees have the right to freedom of speech and to blow the whistle for wrongdoing at work without penalty.

Q: The traditional concept of business responsibility in the United States is based on a. democracy. b. socialism. c. the classical economic model. d. the neoclassical economic model.

Q: Which statements about corporate stakeholders and their primary power are correct? (A) The stockholders are only individuals and do not include institutional investors. (B) The stockholders are the legal owners of the corporation. Their primary power is to select the corporate board of directors. (C) Managers plan, organize, lead, and control a firm's resources to achieve corporate goals. Their primary power is to control day-to-day operations. (D) Employees do the work to provide the products and other functions. Their primary power includes collective bargaining and striking. (E) The boards of directors provide strategic direction and governance and oversee the managers of the corporation. The board's primary power is to select, advise, supervise, and evaluate the top managers.

Q: The classical view of economics holds that a society can best determine its needs and wants through a. a centrally planned economy. b. government owned factors of production. c. democracy. d. the marketplace.

Q: Which of the following are rights of a stockholder? (A) Share in profits through dividend payment (B) Vote on bylaws and charter changes (C) Sell shares of stock (D) Know about the affairs of the corporation through information disclosure (E) Receive an annual report with financial performance and condition