Business Ethics quiz

[xtc]

This is an interesting quiz on business ethics. In my opinion the author of this quiz is naive to the realities of business, none the less it is interesting.

QUIZ (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/elearning/?page=BizEthicsQuiz&Quizid=188&GT1=7004)

[Warriorbird]

6 out of their 10

:chuckles:

[Wezas]

7/10 getting #1, 2, & 5 wrong

[DeV]

8 out of 10 which is surprising considering some of the answers to choose from would inevitebly lose someone credibility in their workplace as well as with their co-workers. I got the first two incorrect.

[Skeeter]

3/10 I'm an immoral bastard apparently. although I didn't feel their answers were very realistic.

[ElanthianSiren]

6/10. you're damn right I'm going to go meet a friend over saving face with corporate. Thank god I trade stocks.

-M
edit: it's you're not your

[Edited on Mon, September th, 2005 by ElanthianSiren]

[Warriorbird]

Yeah. A lot of the answers were pretty dubious. Mine could've ended up lower.

[CrystalTears]

8/10. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. :D

So you'd rather risk losing your job when you can easily just meet your friend somewhere else rather than the work environment? Not that I don't value my work friends, but if my interaction with them ruins my chances with the job I like, and my friend can't understand that, then he's not really my friend.

[ElanthianSiren]

They didn't say meeting the person somewhere else was easy, first of all. Secondly, if someone loses their job IMO, they need the support of their friends, sooner than later. Third, I could never lose my job for consoling a friend, unless it happens to crash the stock market, in which case, I'd just sell short. Fourth, and primarily, I'd rather remain true to myself. You can get another job. Finding a true friend isn't so easy.

-M

[DeV]

Originally posted by CrystalTears
8/10. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. :D

Since I scored the same it can't be a bad thing. :smug:

I tried to tote the line with each answer, keeping in mind that I did not want to go through the inconvenience of finding another job prematurely unless it was by my choice alone. Or something along those lines.

[CrystalTears]

You can get another job. Finding a true friend isn't so easy.

So asking the friend to meet you somewhere else couldn't necessarily be easy but finding another job is? What if this is a job you've spent 10 years at, working hard, and finally getting that promotion you've been waiting for and deserved... it's worth nothing because this fired friend is more important?

Maybe that's why I fit in better with the corporate environment, because it's a dog eat dog world and if I lost my job because of him I would be seriously pissed off. As I said, if this friend can't understand that the meeting needs to be done elsewhere, then he's not much of a friend.

[Jorddyn]

9/10

I only missed the relocation one. If I am not obligated to tell, it's still ethical to tell if I want to, so I think I should just give myself a perfect score.

:D

Jorddyn

[ElanthianSiren]

Nobody said you would definitely lose your job for it though. Also, for a true friend, I'd do it; for an aquaintance it would be the big :fu:. Perhaps you and I differ on what constitutes a true friend, but since the question stated specifically "friend", I applied my impression of the word. FWIW, I have a lot of aquaintances.

FWIW, I answered the relocation one correctly.

-M
edited for clarity

[Edited on Mon, September th, 2005 by ElanthianSiren]

[CrystalTears]

Considering that it wasn't particular about what kind, friend meant just friend, not true friend to me. Just with him asking after being fired to meet in the conference room just screams crazy friend at that point. :D

Losing the job means not getting the promotion, not necessarily getting fired. Same difference.

[ElanthianSiren]

True, I can see your point, and I'd not do that for an aquaitance. I guess this is what they meant when they said the questions were kind of dubious.

One of the others I found interesting was the one about the woman volunteering information about starting a family. I answered if someone else had the same qualifications, I would hire them instead (I know, bad me).

-M

[Gan]

8:10

I missed 2 and 5.

I'm an ethical CEO!!!11

[Warriorbird]

I had such a very ethical CEO.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/19/news/newsmakers/kozlowski_sentence/index.htm?cnn=yes

[Wezas]

Ouch, paying back $239 million.

[HarmNone]

10/10. I admit the attitude is pretty naive in today's business climate, but the ethical choice is still the ethical choice. I'd probably miss getting a job, or two, but I'm not sure I'd want them. ;)

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Jorddyn
9/10

I only missed the relocation one. If I am not obligated to tell, it's still ethical to tell if I want to, so I think I should just give myself a perfect score.

:D

Jorddyn

Heh.. I missed the same one for the same reason. 7 1/2 years with Hilton paid off.

[Skirmisher]

Originally posted by Jorddyn
9/10

I only missed the relocation one. If I am not obligated to tell, it's still ethical to tell if I want to, so I think I should just give myself a perfect score.

:D

Jorddyn
:yeahthat:
Same score and same result on the one i "missed".

[Atlanteax]

Originally posted by Skirmisher

Originally posted by Jorddyn
9/10

I only missed the relocation one. If I am not obligated to tell, it's still ethical to tell if I want to, so I think I should just give myself a perfect score.

:D

Jorddyn
:yeahthat:
Same score and same result on the one i "missed".

I missed that one, and I also choose to consider factoring in the female interviewee's mention that she plans to have kids (if it comes to her and another equally qualified candidate).

So 8/10 for me.

[Sean of the Thread]

Wow.. I've been in all of those situations on the journey up to operations manager and let me tell ya there are MANY tough decisions like that and the way I've handled them has been different along the way. Mind you my ethics never changed but the position I was in to act on them did.

If I were a stoner and ever got bored staring into the stars and debating whether c.a.t. really spelled d.o.g. I would get stoned and debate business ethics. Truly fascinating.

[The Ponzzz]

Number one is surely wrong. If my boss(who is the only person over me) is buying anything with credit here(which most likely he is, because we do trade) then it would do me nothing to tell him or someone over him(which there is no one). I would lose my job.

And thank god for not upgrading our systems to a NT based windows or he would see me here, HAHAHAHAAHAHHA!

This quiz is very biased on the morality system. They obviously been fired from a few jobs...

[Edited on 9-19-2005 by The Ponzzz]

[HarmNone]

I think this quiz is speaking specifically to the ethics of a situation. While ethics are important, the ethical thing may not always be the wisest choice if one puts the main priority on maintaining one's position. ;)

[Apotheosis]

8/10

[Apotheosis]

Well, concerning the "friend" one, you have to take into consideration his/her reasons for choosing to meet with you in a public place. There's nothing wrong or unethical for saying "hey, lets get coffee.", or "Come to my office.".

If a person reveals their choice to have a child, then I think it is fair game to consider the long term situation of the position. I am sorry, but having to take that extended amount of time off puts you behind the competetion. We are in a competitive economy.

If a company asks my long term plans, telling them I plan on moving is NOT going to be one of them. In fact, a company should not ask about long term life plans anyway, because I feel that that is prying too much into one's personal life.

"Signing off" on ANY document without knowing what it is for is a good way to get involved in company fraud, indirectly.

[Jorddyn]

Originally posted by Yswithe
If a person reveals their choice to have a child, then I think it is fair game to consider the long term situation of the position.

Fair game? It is illegal.

Jorddyn

Edited to add: Our new assistant is 6 months pregnant. We hired her knowing such. She's fabulous, and 6 weeks off is a small price to pay for someone who we believe will be a long-term and valuable asset.

[Edited on 9-19-2005 by Jorddyn]

[xtc]

Originally posted by Jorddyn

Originally posted by Yswithe
If a person reveals their choice to have a child, then I think it is fair game to consider the long term situation of the position.

Fair game? It is illegal.

Jorddyn

Maybe but people do it.

In one of the firms I worked for one guy had something like 5-6 female employees get pregnant. It made running his department a nightmare between finding and training contract people and getting his employees back up to speed after being on mat leave. He was heard to say after that he would never hire another women as they kept getting pregnant on him.

Canadian maternity leaves are up to one year.

[Edited on 9-19-2005 by xtc]

[Czeska]

9/10.


Atlanteax, you use the kids thing, no matter who brings it up, and she finds out, you'd lose your ass in a lawsuit pronto.

Have a lovely day!

[AnticorRifling]

Unless you're in a no fault state like Indiana. I don't need a reason to fire or not hire you. I don't have to provide one and I don't have to tell you why. Your services are no longer required have a lovely day. That's all you need to hear.

[Warriorbird]

North Carolina's much the same way.

[Snapp]

9/10... I got the pregnancy one wrong. If I had two candidates who were both equal applying for a job, except one was pregnant, sorry, she'd lose out. It's just logical to me.

[Jorddyn]

Originally posted by xtc
Maybe but people do it.

And it is illegal.



In one of the firms I worked for one guy had something like 5-6 female employees get pregnant. It made running his department a nightmare between finding and training contract people and getting his employees back up to speed after being on mat leave. He was heard to say after that he would never hire another women as they kept getting pregnant on him.


If I heard anyone in my company say that, you can guarantee I'd file a complaint with HR, his/her direct supervisor, and the president of the company.

Jorddyn

[Czeska]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Unless you're in a no fault state like Indiana. I don't need a reason to fire or not hire you. I don't have to provide one and I don't have to tell you why. Your services are no longer required have a lovely day. That's all you need to hear.

Which is why I said if someone found out. No fault does not mean you can still outright discriminate.

[CrystalTears]

Yes but you can't use that as your reason to hire the non-pregnant person, which is a big no-no.

However I can understand the reasoning behind not hiring an already pregnant person. So they'll be around for 6-8 months or whatever and now they're on maternity leave? Doesn't seem fair really for those who aren't going to be going anywhere soon.

[Jorddyn]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Unless you're in a no fault state like Indiana. I don't need a reason to fire or not hire you. I don't have to provide one and I don't have to tell you why. Your services are no longer required have a lovely day. That's all you need to hear.

You may want to verify that before you start firing all your pregnant employees :D

Pregnancy falls under the same protection as does race or religion. You can't fire or refuse to hire me for any of those reasons.

Jorddyn

[xtc]

Originally posted by Jorddyn

Originally posted by xtc
Maybe but people do it.

And it is illegal.



In one of the firms I worked for one guy had something like 5-6 female employees get pregnant. It made running his department a nightmare between finding and training contract people and getting his employees back up to speed after being on mat leave. He was heard to say after that he would never hire another women as they kept getting pregnant on him.


If I heard anyone in my company say that, you can guarantee I'd file a complaint with HR, his/her direct supervisor, and the president of the company.

Jorddyn

Yes it is illegal but people do it and if I lost 6 people in my department due to pregnancy if anyone was going to start a family it would be a consideration for hiring as well.


If you file a complaint, the guy being investigated would say it was a joke and it may very well have been. You also get a reputation within the firm as a snitch and a trouble maker. You have to pick your battles and for me an offhand remark by the water cooler isn't something worth jeopardizing my career for.