Business ethics 9e by William H Shaw (quizzes chapters 1,2,3,4,5, and &7)
1. The principle of the declining marginal utility of money might be used to argue for:
a. abolishing the estate tax.
b. Lowering tax rates on the wealthiest individuals.
c. increasing the minimum wage.
2. Which of the following is a moral question?
a. Whether downloading the software would be wrong because it could hurt others.
b. Whether downloading the software is illegal.
c. Whether it would be possible to use your office computer to download software protected by copyright.
3. Which of the following is not a criterion for a sound moral judgement?
a. The conclusion would be something that the majority of people believe is right.
b. The conclusion is logically consistent with other beliefs that we accept.
c. Factual information supporting the conclusions should be accurate.
4. A pharmaceutical company tests an experimental drug on a group of hospital patients without informing them. For Kant, this action:
a. would be wrong because the action treats the patients merely as means rather than as ends.
b. would be right if the prima facie obligation of informing them were outweighed by the possible medical benefits to society as a whole.
c. would be wrong because the action is contrary to the democratic values of our society.
5. Aristotle argued that a basic principle of justice is that people should be treated equally unless:
a. there is a law that specifies what the different treatment is.
b. there is a relevant difference that justifies dissimilar treatment.
c. unequal treatment can be shown to be in the best interests of society.
6.For an ethical egoist, a conflict between doing what is morally right and doing what is in our own personal interest would:
a. never arise.
b. be resolved by the greatest happiness principle.
c. be resolved by listening to our conscience.
7. The important “Citizens United” decision of the US Supreme Court in 2010 confirmed that corporations have the right to:
a. Participate in political campaigns
b. Sue companies or individuals for libel
c. Employ citizens of any country
8. Karl Marx believed that capitalists exploit workers. He meant that:
a. They paid workers considerably less than the value they added by their labor.
b. They failed to provide work that was meaningful and interesting.
c. They failed to ensure that workers got basic health care and education.
9. Adam Smith argued that economic markets are controlled by an “invisible hand.” He was referring to:
a. An internal mechanism resulting from participants’ acting out of self-interest and from laws of supply and demand.
b. God’s oversight and supervision of human affairs.
c. People’s desire for efficiency and rational organization
10. While in theory, companies have to compete fiercely to survive in the market, in reality many of them are heavily protected and subsidized by government. This is called:
a. corporate welfare
b. laissez faire
c. crony capitalism
11. The word “capital” refers to:
a. money invested with the goal of making more
b. personal assets and income
c. means of production
12. Our tendency to demand clean air and water but be unwilling to make sacrifices ourselves to help the environment illustrates
a. the free rider problem
b. “groupthink”
c. bystander apathy
13. According to the textbook, cruelty to animals in the so-called “factory farming” industry occurs mainly because of:
a. ignorance
b. a focus on cost reduction and profits
c. technological limitations
14. The so-called “broader view” argues that a corporation is morally responsible to:
a. everyone who buys the corporation’s products or services
b. everyone who is affected by its actions
c. everyone who is employed by the corporation
