Professional Documents
Culture Documents
True/False
1. A relativistic manager tends to reject universal moral rules and make decisions on
the basis of personal values.
Ans: True
Response: See page 261
Ans: False
Response: See page 262
3. Idealists accept moral codes and believe that good outcomes for all can be achieved
by morally correct actions.
Ans: True
Response: See page 262
Ans: False
Response: See page 269
5. Ethical problems are usually the result of poor decisions by individual salespeople or
company policies that encourage wrong doing.
Ans: True
Response: See page 264
247
6. Ethical problems occur because executives frequently choose what is expedient
rather than what is morally correct.
Ans: True
Response: See page 264
7. Managers don’t need any background on ethical issues to solve important moral
problems.
Ans: False
Response: See page 264
Ans: False
Response: See page 262
9. Kickbacks are ethical if the amount is small (less than $500) and the company
awarded the contract offered the best price anyway.
Ans: False
Response: See page 268
Ans: True
Response: See page 262
11. Conventional morality can be expressed as “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Ans: True
Response: See page 263
12. Ethics is not directly concerned with the impact of acts on the good of the individual,
248
the firm, the business community and society as a whole.
Ans: False
Response: See page 263
13. General values and norms of society can affect managerial decisions.
Ans: True
Response: See page 263
14. The most frequent area for ethical abuse in a sales organization is with expense
accounts.
Ans: True
Response: See page 267
15. A good way to handle expense account cheating is for managers to set an
appropriate standard for others to follow.
Ans: True
Response: See page 268
16. In cases of bribery and extortion it is often easy to distinguish right from wrong.
Ans: False
Response: See page 268
17. The moral climate of a business is seldom based on the words and actions of its
top executives.
Ans: False
Response: See page 271
18. One way to keep your sales force straight is to encourage employees to call for
help when they face an ethically troublesome sale.
249
Ans: True
Response: See page 272
Ans: False
Response: See page 272
20. A good way to keep your sales force straight is to develop and circulate a sales
ethics policy.
Ans: True
Response: See page 272
Ans: True
Response: See page 270
Ans: False
Response: See page 270
23. Both the employee and employee’s company are responsible for compliance with
federal regulations.
Ans: True
Response: See page 270
24. The Consumer Credit Protection Act is designed to protect consumers from false
statements by salespeople about a product or service.
250
Ans: True
Response: See page 271
25. An agreement among sales managers in the aluminum siding industry is not an
ethical issue.
Ans: False
Response: See page 270
26. It is legal to offer a payment to a foreign government official to retain the foreign
company’s business because everyone else does it.
Ans: False
Response: See page 269
27. With conventional morality, the idea is to determine how each party to a moral
decision will be affected and then to pick the solution that satisfies the greatest number
of people.
Ans: False
Response: See page 262
28. A production manager in your firm has made an error resulting in overproduction of
widgets. This will represent a significant loss to your company since the marketing
department has planned the introduction of wadgets – which will make the widgets
obsolete. Under these circumstances, withholding information about the wadgets from
prospective clients represents and acceptable business decision.
Ans: False
Response: See page 270
Ans: False
Response: See page 266
251
30. One difference between and gift and a bribe is that a bribe is part of an agreed-
upon payment for business; whereas a gift is unexpected.
Ans: True
Response: See page 268
Ans: True
Response: See page 270
32. The problem for whistle blowers is that by speaking up they violate role morality.
Ans: True
Response: See page 272
33. Research has shown that top management has the primary responsibility for setting
the ethical tone of a company.
Ans: True
Response: See page 271
Multiple Choice
252
Ans: e
Response: See page 264
2. Prudential Insurance Company of American had to take a $2.6 million charge against
earnings because:
Ans: c
Response: See page 260
a. secularization.
b. Disabilities Act.
c. Robinson-Patman Act.
d. work place etiquette.
e. ethics.
Ans: e
Response: See page 260
a. Shareholder view.
b. Stakeholder view.
c. Back door politics.
d. Work place etiquette.
e. Implied responsibility.
Ans: a
Response: See page 261
253
5. Sally, the regional sales manager at a medium-sized manufacturer, denied
permission of her sales manager, Fred, to fire a salesperson. While the salesperson
was not achieving the potential of the territory, Sally felt that there were other issues to
consider besides the bottom line. For example, the company states that it is “family
friendly” and this salesperson has had some recent family issues that have limited the
salesperson’s time in the field. Based on this, which moral philosophy was Sally using in
her decision?
a. Shareholder view.
b. Stakeholder view.
c. Back door politics.
d. Work place etiquette.
e. Implied responsibility.
Ans: b
Response: See page 261
6. Your best customer has asked you to contribute $1,500 to the memorial fund for the
customer’s son who recently died in an automobile accident. You should:
a. send a check to the memorial fund and bury the amount in your expense account.
b. tell your customers that company policy forbids payments of this type.
c. report the customer’s bribe attempt to the FBI and the sheriff’s office.
d. report the request to your boss and ask permission to tell the Vice President of
Human Relations at your customer’s head office about the request.
e. Answers b and d are both acceptable responses.
Ans: e
Response: See page 264
7. Which of the following statements is/are true with regard to ethical problems and the
sales organization?
a. There are often laws or court decisions to guide salespeople in ethically ambiguous
situations.
b. Hiring the “right” people is a good hedge against unethical behavior when operating
policies promote misdeeds.
c. Ethical problems in sales organizations result when the values of the firm do not
match the values held by the employee.
d. Every ethical situation can be resolved by removing the offending party from the
company.
254
e. None of the above.
Ans: c
Response: See page 264
8. Two ways to describe individual moral philosophies that are relevant to business
decision making are relativism and idealism.
Ans: b
Response: See page 261
9. On a recent business trip you notice that the person sitting next to you on the
airplane works for the competition. She gets up to use the restroom and on her desktop
is a marketing plan for the next year stamped “Confidential.” You could easily look at the
documents and make notes since there is a line to use the restroom and her back is
turned. Thoughts go through your head of the number of people in your company that
would peek at the documents because of the low probability of getting caught and the
potentially high rewards for obtaining this information. Your decision not to look and tell
her who you work for when she returns is based on which pattern of moral reasoning?
a. relativism
b. idealism
c. Machiavelliansim
d. moral high brow
e. none of the above adequately describe your moral reasoning
Ans: b
Response: See page 261
a. a humanist.
b. an artist interest in business ethics.
c. a leading economist in the 17th century.
d. a 16th century Italian statesman.
255
e. a and c above.
Ans: d
Response: See page 262
11. You have just been promoted to regional sales manager and your replacement for
your previous job (branch sales manager) is a very hard-driving person who tends to
manipulate people and bend the ethical norms somewhat to achieve her own goals. By
focusing on making sure the sales manager does not take power away from you, you
would be applying which moral principle?
a. conventional morality
b. idealism
c. Machiavellianism
d. relativism
e. stakeholder view
Ans: c
Response: See page 262
12. With __________, the salesperson believes that a problem-solving approach is the
best way to make moral judgments. Standards of right and wrong are some that are
equivocal. The belief is that an intelligent decision is a morally good decision.
a. conventional morality
b. Machiavellians
c. relativism
d. role morality
e. none of the above
Ans: e
Response: See page 262
a. psychological disorders.
b. abnormally low customer satisfaction.
c. lower ethics than other salespeople.
d. lax ethical rules or guidelines put in place by the organization.
e. a sales management team rewarding such behavior.
256
Ans: c
Response: See page 262
14. Using bribery as a business tactic because “everyone does it” is an example of:
a. stakeholder view.
b. Machiavellianism.
c. conventional morality.
d. idealism.
e. survival of the fittest.
Ans: c
Response: See page 263
15. “When in Rome do like the Romans do” is best termed as:
a. conventional morality.
b. shareholder view.
c. idealism.
d. survival of the fittest.
e. none of the above
Ans: a
Response: See page 263
16. The statement that “Any person who decides in every situation to act as a good
man is bound to be destroyed in the company of so many men who are not good” was
made by:
a. Plato.
b. Machiavelli.
c. Charles Darwin.
d. the conventional moralists.
e. none of the above.
Ans: b
Response: See page 262
17. With morality being based on a group consensus the problem is:
257
a. lack of leadership.
b. Machiavellianism.
c. the majority can be wrong.
d. profits may suffer.
e. none of the above.
Ans: c
Response: See page 263
18. According to the text ethical decisions by managers are a function of:
a. The relationship between the company’s values and the manager’s values.
b. The goals and ethical standards of business corporations.
c. The general values and norms of society.
d. All of the above will impact managerial decision making.
Ans: d
Response: See page 263
19. The impact of acts on the good of the individual, the firm, the business community
and society as a whole can be directly classified under:
a. politics.
b. sociology.
c. ethics.
d. none of the above.
e. all of the above.
Ans: c
Response: See page 263
20. The usual hierarchical order (from top to bottom), with respect to making decisions
on ethical problems is most correctly exemplified by:
258
values.
e. none of the above.
Ans: a
Response: See page 263
21. You decide it is time to develop a sales ethics program because of some rumors
you had heard about some salespeople on you staff. All of the following are directly
relevant in building a sales ethics program except:
Ans: c
Response: See page 272
22. The first place to look for guidelines on ethical behavior in the workplace is:
Ans: a
Response: See page 267
Ans: d
Response: See page 267
259
24. When evaluating an option on a difficult moral decision, managers must consider:
a. legal implications.
b. appearances to top management.
c. benefits to the employee and the organization.
d. all of the above.
e. both a and c of the above.
Ans: e
Response: See page 264
25. The first step in attempting to arrive at a decision for a moral problem is to:
Ans: e
Response: See page 264
26. You are the sales manager of WGASA Corp. and are concerned about “Big Pete”
Burke, who used to be one of the star members of your sales force. You have the
following facts:
(1) “Big Pete” had an excellent sales record, and you’re having trouble finding good
replacements for salespeople who leave.
(2) Burke’s excessive cocaine use is preventing him, a potentially good salesperson,
from performing up to standard.
(3) “Big Pete’s” drug use is hurting AMAP sales and the situation must be corrected.
a. Cover for Burke and write letters of recommendation to get him transferred to
another division.
b. Send “Big Pete” to a detoxification center for treatment and rehabilitation. On
returning, Burke would presumably be able to perform at his former high level.
c. Place a sales trainee in Burke’s territory and let them compete to see who could
produce the most sales. The one who survives the test would keep the territory.
d. Ignore the problem and hope that “Big Pete” will make up the deficiency without
260
outside interference or unnecessary prodding.
e. none of the above.
Ans: e
Response: See page 264
Ans: e
Response: See page 265
28. A sales manager, it is your responsibility to hire and fire salespeople in your area.
You need to add 5 new salespeople to your staff. Hiring ____________ would represent
an ethical problem.
Ans: b
Response: See page 266
29. A sales manager is likely to confront difficult ethical situations in which area?
Ans: b
Response: See page 266
261
30. Which of the following can pose ethical problems for a sales manager?
Ans: d
Response: See page 266
31. According to the text, the most frequent area for ethical abuse in a sales
organization usually occurs with:
a. promotions.
b. hiring.
c. firing.
d. expenses accounts.
e. house accounts.
Ans: d
Response: See page 267
32. Which of the following is not a way to keep your employees straight?
a. encourage employees to call for help when they face an ethically troublesome sale
b. setting up realistic goals
c. instituting large expense accounts with informal rules
d. encourage employees to “blow the whistle” when they must
e. all of the above are ways
Ans: c
Response: See page 271
262
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
Ans: e
Response: See page 268
34. The ethical dilemma surrounding house accounts is based upon which of the
following facts?
Ans: d
Response: See page 267
35. A good and practical solution to the problems of expense account-related ethical
problems is to:
Ans: b
Response: See page 268
36. The quote, “Following the path of least resistance is what makes people and rivers
crooked,” might be referring to:
a. whistleblowing.
b. bribery.
c. sabotaging competitive plans.
d. withholding information.
263
e. none of the above.
Ans: b
Response: See page 268
a. is always ethical.
b. is basically unethical.
c. is not standard American business practice.
d. can sometimes lead to ethical problems.
e. b and c of the above.
Ans: d
Response: See page 269
38. A whistle blower is an employee who informs the public about immoral or illegal
behavior of an employer or supervisor. Which of the following is/are false about whistle
blowing?
a. It is a last resort that is justified only if the employee has the appropriate moral
motive.
b. the evidence should be strong enough to convince the common man that a violation
is taking place.
c. the act of telling the public must have some chance for success.
d. the violation should be serious enough to require immediate attention.
e. none of the above.
Ans: e
Response: See page 272
Ans: b
Response: 272
264
40. To help encourage whistleblowers to come forward with their claims:
a. federal laws have been made to hide the identity of the whistle-blower.
b. rules for what could fall under violations subject to whistleblowing have been
relaxed.
c. the government has vigorously pursued any suspected retaliation to whistleblowers.
d. federal laws have been modified to pay rewards of 15-25% of any recovery, plus
attorneys’ fees.
e. the government publishes a list of the ethical violators.
Ans: d
Response: See page 272
41. Someday you may have to establish a code of ethics to keep your sales force on
the “straight and narrow.” The first step, of course, is to get assurance from your board
chairman and your president that they expect you to follow both the letter and the spirit
of the law. Which of the following is/are another important step(s) for you to take?
Ans: d
Response: See page 272
42. All of the following are ways to keep your sales force straight except:
a. getting assurance from both the chairman and president that they expect you to
follow the letter of the law.
b. developing and circulating a sales ethics policy.
c. setting up the proper moral climate.
d. instituting controls when needed.
e. giving salespeople the greatest amount of discretion possible on all issues.
Ans: e
Response: See page 272
265
43. One of the best ways to install a sense of morality within salespeople:
Ans: a
Response: See page 271
4. An excellent way for a manager to build a strong sales ethics program is:
Ans: c
Response: See page 272
266