BA 300 final Exam Questions and
Answers
Charles G. Koch, chairman & CEO of Koch Industries- a company estimated to be
worth $100 billion - released a book this month. On Pg.7 of the book, Koch talks about
his company's opposition to gov.t subsidies, or 'corporate welfare' (term coined by
Ralph Nader, an Am. pol. activist) including those that would seem beneficial to us on
the surface & maintains that it " relieves recipients of constructive pressure to innovate
& create value for society, hinders the unsubsidized competition by coercion, & limits
the choices available to consumers." Koch's opposition to corporate welfare is most
aligned w/: - Answers -• Nozick's Right's Theory.
Aeronautics giant Boeing fired 2 internal auditors for leaking documents & info to a
reporter regarding alleged flaws in the company's internal audit of its Information
Technology control systems. The company convened an employee review board &
determined that the leaks constituted grounds for termination of employment. The
auditors sued under Sarbones-Oxley, saying their leaks to the press were protected
under the law. Who wins & why? - Answers -• Boeing because Sarbones-Oxley doesn't
protect whistleblowing to the media.
In our 1st class meeting, we discussed the meaning of morals vs. ethics. Although they
are often interchangeably: - Answers -• Morals & ethics are technically diff in that, for
example, an attorney may not necessarily, be disciplined for behaving immorally, but
he/she can be disciplined-even disbarred- for behaving unethically.
- Morality is internal; essentially a personal compass of right & wrong, unique to the
individual, & generally becomes one's guiding force in life to help 1 choose a course of
action when faced w/ a dilemma.
- Ethics is external- that is, rules of conduct recognized by a particular group or culture,
such as a community, company, professional group, family, etc.
On April 11, 2011, NY Times reported that the Garnett news corp. decided to require
lower ranked employees take unpaid furlough days during the coming year. At the same
time, according to the article, the company substantially increased the pay of the two
top executives. Their compensation moves are LEAST consistent w/ - Answers -•
Rawl's Theory of Justice.
In a Nov. 23, 2011, BusinessWeek column, prof. Barry Schwartz wrote that " some
might say banking has no moral dimension to take away." But he also notes that
bankers are not only interested in a profit but are also aware of their social
responsibilities. He notes that "bankers worried about helping farmers get this year's
seed into the ground. They worried about a couple in their 50s having enough to retire
, on, & about one on their 30s taking on too big a mortgage. These bankers weren't
saints, but they served the dual masters of profitability & community service." The focus
of bankers according to this column is most in line with: - Answers -A stakeholder's
orientation
Barbara Boss, the CEO of worldwide widgets, scored a perfect "J" (Justice) score on
the Ethical Orientation Questionnaire. Which of the following actions is she LEAST likely
to take? - Answers -• Make an exception to worldwide widget's company policy
prohibiting loans to employees by extending a short-term loan to an employee who
needs immediate cash to avoid losing his home to foreclosure.
In our 2nd class meeting, we discussed the case involving the whistleblower, Dr.
Wigand, & the tobacco industry, Dr. Wigand revealed that the tobacco & cig industry's
"international manipulation of nicotine, known as 'impact boosting' by his former
employer, Brown & Williamson." Wigand wanted the public to know about the highly
addictive, potentially lethal properties of tobacco; that smokers often developed a life-
long addiction, leading to a myriad of diseases-including cancer & cardiovascular
diseases. In his decision to make public the tobacco industry's dirty secret, he said, "
The word whistleblower suggests that you're a tattletale or that you're somehow
disloyal... But I wasn't disloyal in the least bit. People were dying. I was loyal to a higher
order of ethical responsibility." Dr. Wigand's decision to blow the whistle is MOST
consistent w/: - Answers -Utilitarianism
Bob is a recent SDSU business graduate who works at Surfboards Inc., a local
surfboard manufacturer. His goal is to move up in the organization & ultimately become
CEO. Bob is an Objectivist, so his plans are most likely to include: - Answers -• Working
long hard hours & doing the best job he possibly can, & studying the next higher job at
night so that he is most qualified for the next promotion that comes up.
The owner of a local Ferrari distributorship was interviewed by Rascar magazine for an
article about the marketing of expensive 'hot shot' cars. He tells the interviewer that, for
2 reasons, he wants to make sure that the buyer doesn't get in any accidents. 1st, he
genuinely cares about his customers; many of whom he knows through local business
organizations, & doesn't want to see them get hurt. 2nd, he knows that any accident
involving a hot shot car will make the news & ultimately hurt his business by focusing
attention on the dangers of driving the cars may pose. The Ferrari distributorship owner
interest in making sure his customers know how to drive safely before buying the
expensive cars he sells appears to be guided by which 2 ethical theories? - Answers -•
The ethic of care & objectivism.
Some overseas banks lend to businesses in the developing world that service low-
income consumers that in turn invest their profits back into the operations of the
business, rather than return them to shareholders or investors. For example, a bank in
Italy has partnered w/ a local mile distributor that services extremely low income areas
in order to make milk products available for next to nothing in areas where children are