Your task is to consider Louisa\'s experience thus far with her current company
ID: 442277 • Letter: Y
Question
Your task is to consider Louisa's experience thus far with her current company as well as her reflections overall, to answer the questions provided, and to decide if Louisa's current company is in danger of fostering a climate that is conducive to unethical behavior. Read the article and answer question1-5
Louisa has been at her current job now for just over a year. She's quite happy there. She's proud that her company always talks about ethics in all of their advertising; people in the community have mentioned those ads to her and it makes her proud to work there. The culture of the company is pretty laid back. No real procedures exist and everyone is mellow. Her boss is so relaxed; in fact, she didn't even seem to care when Louisa took some note pads home from the copy room. Louisa is noticing how the relaxed environment really spreads and changes how she thinks about work and vacation. Before, she used to work and then take vacation, period. It was black and white. Now, Louisa knows she can mix vacations into her work trips. As long as she makes the quarterly numbers she can do whatever she wants with her expense account. The company knows that if they question her about the expense account she'll quit, and that recruiting and training someone to take her place will cost a lot of money. And, when the company found out two colleagues were dating (which is a company no-no, especially since one was the other's boss), they just relocated them to a less visible branch. When the junior person in that relationship hinted at the possibility that the senior person had initiated the whole thing and that some quid pro quo may have been involved, the company gave her a raise and moved her to a more desirable geographic area. Louisa heard they are even trying to help that woman get another job with a vendor! They're so nice; what other company would handle things like that?
1. Which of the following best describes Louisa's company?
a. Louisa's company has not established a written code of ethics.
b.Louisa's company has a written code of ethics.
c. Louisa's company lets employees determine the organizational code of ethics.
2. If ethical problems arose in Louisa's company, how did they handle them?
a. There were clear procedures for handling ethical problems.
b. There was a lack of clear procedures for handling ethical problems.
c. They handled them according to the law.
3. How did Louisa's company handle the dating incident?
a. By bringing in experts to coach and train all parties involved.
b. With a quick fix that took care of the problem immediately.
c. With a slow, painful solution that addressed the root cause.
4.Considering all aspects of the case, which of the following best characterizes Louisa's company's philosophy?
a. As long as the quarterly revenue targets are being met or exceeded, nothing else is worth worrying about.
b. Business is a long-term proposition; focusing on the short term is a mistake.
c. Sweating the small stuff is not worth it; it's the shareholders that matter.
5. Louisa is quite happy in this company. Which of the following best characterizes why the organization looks the other way when she mixes work and play together on her expense account?
a. Why push her buttons when it's going to cost them a lot of money if they confront her?
b. It's the company policy that 40 percent of all company travel expenses can be personal.
c. You can't put a price on someone's happiness
Explanation / Answer
1 (a) Louisa's company has not established a written code of ethics.
2(b) There was a lack of clear procedures for handling ethical problems.
3 (b) With a quick fix that took care of the problem immediately.
4 (a) As long as the quarterly revenue targets are being met or exceeded, nothing else is worth worrying about.
5 (a) Why push her buttons when it's going to cost them a lot of money if they confront her?
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