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Business Ethics: Chapter 4 Case Study Questions
1
A whistleblower is an employee or contractor of an organization who, in the course of her work for the organization, discovers that the organization is engaging in harmful or wrongful practices, and reveals this information to the public or to external authorities. One famous whistleblower is Jeffery Wigand, who disclosed in 1996 that the tobacco company he worked for had manipulated nicotine levels in its cigarettes to make smokers addicted. Another is Cynthia Cooper, who disclosed massive financial fraud at WorldCom in 2002. Some people argue that whistleblowing is wrong because workers owe a fiduciary duty to their employer to act only in ways that benefit the employer. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) character-based reasoning appealing to the virtue of loyalty
b) principle-based reasoning appealing to a specific right of employers
c) principle-based reasoning appealing to a general right of employers
d) consequence-based reasoning appealing to public welfare
2
The sort of person who would blow the whistle on her organization appears to be someone who is disloyal to her employer and not a team player. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) character-based reasoning appealing to the virtue of loyalty
b) principle-based reasoning appealing to a specific right of employers
c) principle-based reasoning appealing to a general right of employers
d) consequence-based reasoning appealing to public welfare
3
The sort of person who will stand back, take a paycheck, and allow her employer to harm the public or do other wrong appears to be someone who is cowardly, dishonest, and lacking in integrity. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) principle-based reasoning
b) consequence-based reasoning
c) virtue-based reasoning
d) autonomy-based reasoning
4
The harm to the public that the whistleblower prevents should outweigh the harm to the organization that she causes by violating her fiduciary obligation to act in the interests of her employer. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) reasoning based on one right overriding another right
b) reasoning based on indirect utilitarian considerations
c) reasoning based on direct utilitarian considerations
d) reasoning based on considerations of justice
5
The whistleblower should have reason to expect that her actions will prevent further harm to public health or public safety; otherwise, she should keep silent. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) reasoning based on one right overriding another right
b) reasoning based on indirect utilitarian considerations
c) reasoning based on direct utilitarian considerations
d) reasoning based on considerations of justice
6
The whistleblower should attempt to mitigate the harm to her employer by first reporting the harmful or wrongful practice to authorities within the organization, and attempting to get these internal authorities to stop the practice, before she takes the information outside the organization. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) reasoning based on one right overriding another right
b) reasoning based on indirect utilitarian considerations
c) reasoning based on direct utilitarian considerations
d) reasoning based on considerations of justice
7
If the practices of her organization are morally wrong, then the employee is obliged to blow the whistle in order to avoid being an accomplice to the wrongful practice of her organization. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) principle-based reasoning
b) consequence-based reasoning
c) virtue-based reasoning
d) autonomy-based reasoning
8
A potential whistleblower must consider the very high personal cost, as her organization will usually fire her, her former teammates will ostracize her, and she will never be able to work in a similar capacity for another organization. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) reasoning based on the specific rights of the employee
b) reasoning based on the general rights of her fellow employees
c) reasoning based on the self-interest of the employee
d) reasoning based on the moral accountability of the employee
9
The personal cost to the whistleblower, who may be the sole provider for a large family facing very poor employment prospects anywhere else, may be so high as to excuse her from her moral requirement to report the organization's wrongdoing. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) reasoning based on the specific rights of the employee
b) reasoning based on the general rights of her fellow employees
c) reasoning based on the self-interest of the employee
d) reasoning based on the moral accountability of the employee
10
In order to maximize public welfare, the government ought to bring in legal rules to encourage and protect whistleblowers. What is the best classification of this form of ethical reasoning?
- select -
a) reasoning based on one right overriding another right
b) reasoning based on indirect utilitarian considerations
c) reasoning based on the idea of good character
d) reasoning based on considerations of justice
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