Q&A Hero

Q: What purposes do Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct fulfill in an organization?

Q: Discuss the steps of creating a Code of Ethics that an organization can utilize as a team-building exercise.

Q: Confidentiality is an issue that is outside of the area of concern for a Code of Conduct.

Q: "We will treat everyone fairly" is an effective statement to be included in a Code of Conduct.

Q: The terms "mission statement" and "vision statement" should be used interchangeably in the workplace.

Q: Connecting an organization's codes to its strategic plan is not necessary if the codes are effectively communicated to employees.

Q: An effective Code of Ethics will align with industry standards.

Q: Regardless of an organization's size, all employees should be directly involved in writing a corporate Code of Ethics.

Q: Legal understanding of bribery is consistent across the international community.

Q: Respect is not a commonly identified value contained in corporate Codes of Ethics.

Q: In practice, Codes of Ethics seem to have little effect on employee behaviors.

Q: In cases of wrongdoing, judges can reduce fines if an organization has implemented a Code of Ethics.

Q: Typically employees should consider one set of ethical standards outside the workplace and another at work.

Q: Employees are typically unaware of the moral behavior of their employer.

Q: The number of companies that incorporate Codes of Ethics has decreased with the advent of more government regulation.

Q: Ethical hazards and risks increase as organizations grow in complexity.

Q: As long as they are well-written, Codes of Ethics and Conduct are effective regardless of how they are communicated to employees.

Q: Because managers are responsible for protecting organizational assets, resources and investments, their right to monitor email communications on company-owned computers and networks supersedes employee privacy rights.

Q: Employees can rely on a reasonable expectation of privacy in regard to keeping their workplace email confidential.

Q: It is always ethical for professors and their students to be "friends" on Facebook, as long as the student is currently enrolled in the teacher's class.

Q: Codes of Conduct should not be modified as new issues arise

Q: An organization's Codes of Conduct should be the same across all business units, work functions and stakeholders.

Q: Tools such as the "Code of Ethics Toolkit" are readily available for large and small organizations to guide development of their own codes.

Q: It is prudent to apply the philosophy of "When in Rome, do as the Romans" to avoid imposing U.S. moral values on other nations.

Q: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) makes no distinction between "bribes" and "facilitating payments".

Q: Codes of Ethics tend to be more useful when they emphasize things employees should not do, rather than how they should act.

Q: To ensure codes are consistent with legal standards, they should include high levels of professional jargon.

Q: Employees are obligated to follow internal codes of conduct, as well as external "codes" or legislation.

Q: Though most corporations use them, in reality, codes are ineffective in signaling that employees will be held personally accountable for their ethical choices, and in providing an additional safeguard against pressures from managers, peers or external constituents to behave unethically.

Q: If the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct are visible in the organization, it is not necessary to discuss them with new employees.

Q: In small organizations, a formal ethics code is unnecessary because employees witness the role modeling of the owner and interact with one another regularly.

Q: A Code of Conduct is sometimes referred to as a Values Statement.

Q: The terms "Code of Ethics" and "Code of Conduct" can be used interchangeably in the workplace.

Q: Codes can be used as effective __________________. a) organizational assessment tools b) strategic plans c) mission statements d) vision statements e) none of the above

Q: _________________ can be a major obstacle to code effectiveness, which suggests communication and integration of the codes is key. a) social pressure b) management adoption c) written policies d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: ______________ is/are defined as the gap between an organization's formal ethical proclamations and its actual behavior. a) Enron's case b) Strategic ethics c) Ethical standards d) Ethical hypocrisy e) none of the above

Q: Approximately ___________ of all organizations monitor email use by employees. a) three-fourths b) one-half c) one-fourth d) one hundred percent e) none of the above

Q: Generally, a bribe is distinguished from a business gratuity by whether: a) the object of value unduly influences buying decisions b) it is given by a salesperson or a supplier c) it is given early or late in the relationship d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: A business __________ is a present, gift, hospitality or favor for which fair market value is not paid by the recipient. a) bribe b) gratuity c) temptation d) provision e) none of the above

Q: Which of the following can influence Codes of Conduct? a) shifting legal obligations b) changing moral expectations c) new technologies d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Creating a Code of Conduct involves input from which of the following groups? a) top-level management b) corporate lawyers c) human resource personnel d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: An organization's cause-based mission and vision are associated with:a) increased customer satisfactionb) increased revenuec) highly motivated employeesd) all of the abovee) none of the above

Q: Effective strategic messages must be _____________. a) cause-based b) uniquely structured c) management-driven d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: An organization's ___________ describes what an organization aspires to become in the future. a) Code of Conduct b) Code of Ethics c) vision statement d) strategic plan e) mission statement

Q: An organization's ___________ describes what an organization does and for whom. a) Code of Conduct b) Code of Ethics c) vision statement d) strategic plan e) mission statement

Q: _______________ integrates an organization's mission with its vision and provides clear direction on how the organization will progress from its current situation to a highly desired future situation. a) Ethics coding b) Financial planning c) Strategic planning d) Ethics strategy e) none of the above

Q: A useful approach to developing a Code of Ethics includes: a) copying another organization's code b) asking employees to construct the code c) ensuring management develops the code d) copying legal obligations into a code e) none of the above

Q: A collaborative effort advocating socially responsible free market capitalism developed by an international network of business leaders is known as: a) the Caux Principles for Responsible Business b) the United Nations c) the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act d) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act e) none of the above

Q: A _______________, which is legal, expedites performance of "routine governmental action," such as obtaining permits, processing paperwork, loading and unloading cargo, and scheduling inspections to transit goods across borders. a) bribe b) facilitating payment c) temptation d) competitive advantage e) none of the above

Q: A ____________ is typically defined as providing someone with a monetary incentive or object of value to do something contrary to his/her job description. a) bribe b) facilitating payment c) temptation d) competitive advantage e) none of the above

Q: Which of the following are not among the six values continually expressed in corporate Codes of Ethics? a) caring b) respect c) fairness d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Following high-profile corporate scandals including Enron and WorldCom, Congress passed a set of legislations known as _________________, which requires the disclosure of the presence or absence of a Code of Ethics for senior financial officers. a) the Sarbanes-Oxley Act b) the Corporate Code of Conduct c) the Federal Sentencing Guidelines d) the Human Resource Management Code e) none of the above

Q: Codes of Ethics articulate and reinforce a _____________, rather than just one person's opinion, and legitimize dialogue about ethical issues when challenging situations arise. a) religious perspective b) personal value c) moral consensus d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Which of the following purposes will Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct not fulfill? a) demonstrating managerial concern for ethics b) ensuring integrity of management c) convey a particular set of values and obligations d) meet legal requirements and industry trends e) positively impact employee behaviors

Q: The extent of an organization's ethics program is often related to its ____________. a) success b) size c) ownership d) integrity e) none of the above

Q: A good first step to formalize an organization's ethics program is to: a) develop a Code of Ethics b) develop a mission statement c) develop an employee handbook d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: A Code of Conduct is characterized by which of the following? a) often developed by an employee with legal expertise b) provides substance to the Code of Ethics c) describes specific situations and behaviors d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: An organization's Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct can minimize ethical ambiguities because they: a) provide the rules for morality b) communicate the broad ethical aspirations of the organization c) communicate clear ethical guidelines for making decisions d) provide the consequences of unethical behavior e) none of the above

Q: Which of the following statements is correct?a) a Code of Ethics describes acceptable behaviors for specific situations that are likely to ariseb) a Code of Conduct briefly describes broad ethical aspirationsc) a Code of Ethics briefly describes broad ethical aspirationsd) all of the abovee) none of the above

Q: Ethical dilemmas typically arise because _______________. a) employees are inherently dishonest b) situations are ambiguous c) employers are unfair d) all of the above e) none of the above

Q: Identify and define three examples of legislation intended to protect job candidates from discrimination.

Q: Discuss the personality factors that are most relevant for understanding a job candidate's ethics.

Q: Discuss the methods employers can use to help determine the ethics of job candidates.

Q: Reference checks always protect the employer from hiring unethical employees.

Q: In some situations, final determination of whether to extend a job offer can depend on the results of drug or polygraph tests.

Q: Ethics questions about previous work experiences must be job-related to avoid protected class biases.

Q: A person with mental health disabilities is more likely to behave unethically, whether or not they are receiving proper medical treatment.

Q: It is legal to ask job applicants whether they have been treated for any mental health conditions or certain diseases.

Q: For legal reasons, tests that measure general personality traits can be combined with those that diagnose personality disorders or mental disabilities.

Q: Integrity checks, also referred to as honesty tests, are notoriously unreliable measures of a job candidate's ethics.

Q: Background checks are becoming less common in the hiring process, as more information about job candidates is available online.

Q: Employment references are legally protected from a defamation lawsuit as long as the information being conveyed is truthful.

Q: In today's litigious environment, some former employers will only verify dates of employment, which may be a sign of negative employee appraisal, rather than provide detailed feedback on a job candidate's employment history.

Q: It is a violation of a job candidate's civil rights to require reference checks.

Q: Minor exaggeration on resumes is a necessary step in this hyper-competitive economy.

Q: To avoid discrimination, job candidates are allowed to falsify responses to job-related questions on application forms and submitted materials such as resumes.

Q: To avoid discriminating based on national origin, employers are encouraged to ask all job applicants if they are legally authorized to work in the United States on a full time basis, rather than asking only Latino job applicants if they are illegal immigrants.

Q: Employers may ask employees about being an alcoholic, because alcoholism is not characterized as a disability.

Q: Attempts to avoid litigation based on discrimination by implementing protected class quota systems, rather than more proactive attempts to increase diversity, often set protected class quota recipients up for failure, reinforce negative stereotyping, and damage employee morale.

Q: Some personality tests and background checks may result in disparate impacts, eliminating highly qualified job applicants from further consideration because their non-job-related traits or previous life experiences differ from those making the hiring decisions.