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BEC610S - BUSINESS ETHICS - 2ND OPP - JULY 2024 |
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nAm I BI A UnlVE RSITY
OF SCIEnCE AnD TECHnOLOGY
FACULTYOF COMMERCE, HUMAN SCIENCEAND EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
QUALIFICATION: DIPLOMA IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING :
MANAGEMENT
QUALIFICATION CODE: 06DTVM
LEVEL: 6
COURSE CODE: BEC610S
COURSE NAME: BUSINESS ETHICS
SESSION: July 2024
DURATION: 3 HOURS
PAPER: 2
MARKS: 100
EXAMINER(S)
SECOND OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
DR. O.A. ALOOVI
MODERATOR: MRS. B.E. CLOETE
INSTRUCTIONS
1. This paper consists of two sections (section A and B).
2. Answer ALL the sections.
3. Read all the questions carefully before answering.
4. Number your answers clearly.
THIS QUESTION PAPERCONSISTS OF 7 PAGES(Including this front page)
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SECTION A
This section consists of 20 true and false questions. For each question indicate whether the
statement is true or false. Only write the question number and the correct option-for example,
1.1 True.
QUESTION 1
[20)
1.1 Ethical decision making in business is limited to major corporate decisions with dramatic social
consequences.
[1]
1.2 In business, every decision can be covered by economic, legal, or company rules and
regulations.
[1]
1.3 The direct costs of unethical business practices are more visible today than they have ever been
before.
[1]
1.4 In a general sense a business stakeholder is one who has made substantial financial investments
in the business.
[1]
1.5 A firm's ethical reputation can provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace with
customers, suppliers, and employees.
[1]
1.6 Ethics refers to how human beings should properly live their lives.
[1]
1.7 Ethical business leadership is the skill to create circumstances in which bad people are taught
to do good.
[1]
1.8 Norms appeal to certain values that would be promoted or attained by acting in a certain way.
[1]
1.9 Technically speaking, values are not necessarily positive or ethical in nature.
[1]
1.10 Ethical theories are patterns of thinking or methodologies to help us decide what to do. [1]
1.11 "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is the credo of the golden rule.
[1]
1.12 The golden rule is shared by every religion in the world.
[1]
1.13 Reliable ethics is a concept of living your life according to the achievement of a clear ideal.[1]
1.14 Utilitarianism is a belief in the ethical choices that offer the greatest good for the greatest
number of people.
[1]
1.15 Universal ethics argue that there are certain and universal principles that should apply to all
ethical judgments.
[1]
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1.16 A weakness of universal ethics is that no one is held accountable for the consequences of the
actions taken to abide by those principles.
[1]
1.17 The study of how ethical theories are put into practice describes ethical dilemmas.
[1]
1.18 An ethical dilemma occurs when there is no obvious "right" or "wrong" decision.
[1]
1.19 The first step in solving an ethical problem is to analyse the problem.
[1]
1.20 Arthur Dorbin identified 15 questions you should consider when resolving an ethical dilemma.
[1]
SECTION B
This section consists of eight (8) structured questions. Answer ALL the questions.
QUESTION 2
[9]
As a TVETProvider manager, a charity collection takes place in your office. For every N$50.00 given,
a blind person's sight is restored. Instead of you donating the collected money to the charity
organisation, you have used the money to treat yourself to a cocktail after work.
2.1 Would you feel morally responsible for the continued blindness of the person who could have
been treated had you made the donation? Justify your answer.
[S]
2.2 Differentiate between Morals and Ethics.
[4]
QUESTION 3
[11)
The principle of rights focuses on examining and possibly protecting an individual's moral and legal
rights.
3.1 Differentiate between negative rights and positive rights. Give one example of each type of
right.
[6]
3.2 List any two examples of legal and claimed moral rights in society today.
[2]
3.3 In what ways do employees' rights impact organisational productivity and performance? [3]
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QUESTION 4
[12)
Peter is a centre manager of a TVETtraining provider. As part of his duties, he supervises six middle
managers; five of these managers are men. Only one of the managers is a black man, and one is a
white female.
Peter is replacing one of the white male managers. He has advertised the position both internally
and externally as required by his company's policies. After reviewing all the applications, he
believes that Steve, a black company employee for 12 years, is the most qualified applicant.
However, in the pool of applicants, there are three qualified white females and two qualified white
men.
4.1. Morally, what should Peter do? Justify your answer.
[3]
4.2. What are the three basic elements of discrimination in employment?
[3]
4.3. According to the utilitarian view, why is discrimination in the workplace unethical?
[2]
4.4. What kind of employment practices are clearly discriminatory?
[2]
4.5. In your view, what does the concept of preferential treatment entail?
[2]
QUESTION 5
[6]
A code of ethics or ethical code refers to a set of guidelines, standards, and principles that a
company adopts and that must be adhered to by its workers.
5.1. Define the term ethical code/code of ethics.
[2]
5.2. Explain any two components of a good code of ethics in an organisation.
[4]
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QUESTION 6
[13)
You are a Human Resource Director at a TVETtraining provider that is looking for a VET instructor.
Your brother-in-law is out of work and his wife (your sister) is also unemployed. They are about to
lose their house. Your sister asks you to recommend her husband for a job.
6.1. As a human resource director, will you recommend your brother-in-law for the job to save his
house from being repossessed? Motivate your answer.
[5]
6.2. Differentiate between conflict of interest and bribery.
[4]
6.3. Explain two types of situations that can create conflict of interest
[4]
QUESTION 7
[8]
A lady who works as a cleaner at the local noticed that the restaurant's chef typically reheats three-
or four-day old food and serves it as fresh. When she informed the manager, she was told to forget
it.
7.1 What should the lady do? Should she go public with what she observed and risk losing her job,
or should she simply forget the matter to maintain her job?
[4]
7.2 What is the difference between a whistle blower and whistle blowing?
[4]
QUESTION 8
[12)
Global Company is committed to providing a safe environment for all its employees free from
harassment at work including sexual harassment. Global Company is operating on a zero-tolerance
policy for any form of sexual harassment in the workplace. Any employee found to have sexually
harassed another employee will face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from
employment. All complaints of sexual harassment will be taken seriously and treated with respect
and confidence. No one will be victimized for making such a complaint.
8.1 Sexual harassment is difficult to define and prevent. Explain any three elements that constitute
sexual harassment.
[3]
8.2 What is the responsibility of the employer if a sexual harassment act takes place?
[2]
8.3 Explain why sexual harassment should be avoided in the workplace.
[4]
8.4 Setting a fair wage is both important and difficult in an organisation. List any two factors that
employers should consider when setting up a fair wage.
[3]
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QUESTION 9
[9]
Read the case study below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
The Case of the Collapsed Mine
In a town in West Zambia, miners were digging coal in a tunnel thousands offeet below the surface.
Some gas build-ups had been detected during the two preceding days, and the director of safety
had reported it to the mine manager. The build-up was sufficiently serious to have temporally
stopped operations until it was cleared. The manager of the mine decided that the build-up was
only marginally dangerous, that he had coal orders to fill, that he could not afford to close the
mine, and that he would take the chance that the gas would dissipate before it exploded. He told
the director of safety not to say a anything about the danger. Two days later, the gas exploded. One
section of the tunnel collapsed, killing three miners, and trapping eight others in a pocket. The rest
managed to escape.
The explosion was one of great force, and the extent of the tunnel's collapse was considerable. The
cost of reaching the men in time to save their lives would amount to several million dollars. The
manager's problem was whether the expenditure of such a large sum was worth it. What, after all,
was a human life worth? Who should make the decision, and how should it be made? Did the
manager owe more to the stakeholders of the corporation or the trapped workers? Should he use
the slower, safer, cheaper way of reaching them and save a large sum of money, or the faster, more
dangerous, more expensive way, and possibly save their lives?
He decided on the latter way and asked for volunteers. Two dozen of men volunteered. After three
days, the operation proved to be more difficult than anyone had anticipated. There had been two
more explosions, and three of those involved in the rescue operation had already been killed. In
the meantime, telephone contact had been made with the trapped men, who had been fortunate
enough to find a telephone line that was still functioning. They were starving. Having previously
read about a similar case, they decided that the only way for them to survive long enough for any
one of them to be saved was to draw lots. Correctively they agreed to kill and eat the one who
drew the shortest straw. They felt it was their duty that at least some of them be found alive;
otherwise, the three who had died rescuing them would have died in vain.
After 20 days, seven men were finally rescued, alive; they had fed their fellow miners. The director
of safety, who had detected the gas before the explosion, informed the newspaper of his report.
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The manager was charged with criminal negligence, but before giving up his position, he fired the
director of safety. The mine eventually resumed operation.
9.1 Discuss the ethical course of action that all parties in the case should have considered with a
specific focus on steps that would have constituted ethical behaviour.
[3]
9.2 In your view, what action the director of safety could take to make it morally justifiable?
[2]
9.3 Explain two ethical principles that the mine manager neglected that led to the collapse of the
mine.
[4]
TOTALMARKS: 100
END OF EXAMINATION PAPER
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