APPENDIX B:
A.� The individual and the Group | ||||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | ||
1.� The individual is the most fundamental unit in our society. | ||||||
2.� Work ethics such as hard work, diligence, thrift, respect for authority, etc. are the most important guidelines for conducting our lives. | ||||||
3.� All institutions in our society should seek to protect and promote the interests of individuals. | ||||||
4.� Individual freedom may have to be partly restricted in order for organizations to function effectively. | ||||||
B.� Equality | ||||||
Strongly Agree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | ||
1.� All individuals deserve an equal opportunity to enter the higher paying and more prestigious occupations. | ||||||
2.� Government should intervene in education and in labor markets to assure equality of opportunity. | ||||||
3.� Income and employment should be determined by an individual�s productivity.� Those who work harder and/or have greater natural ability should earn higher incomes. | ||||||
4. The existing range of incomes in the United States is, in general, a fair distribution. | ||||||
C.� Role of Government | ||||||
1.� Government should redistribute income in order to assure a minimum standard of living for all citizens. | Strongly Agree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | |
2.� Government should not directly redistribute income.� Instead it should try to make incomes more equal by promoting equality of opportunity and a healthy economy. | ||||||
3.� Government currently restricts individual and organizational freedom to such an extent that efficiency is often sacrificed. | ||||||
4.� In the future, government may have to restrict individual and organizational freedom even more in order to promote the common good and solve society�s major problems. | ||||||
5.� Government should provide incentives for business to get involved in solving social problems. | ||||||
D.� Role of Technology | ||||||
1.� The quality of life can best be improved by the effective application of technological innovations. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | |
2.� The quality of life can best be improved by the effective application of the kinds of knowledge which colleges teach in humanities, philosophy and social science courses. | ||||||
II.� YOUR VIEWS REGARDING THE SOURCES OF ETHICAL STANDARDS | ||||||
Many factors can influence a businessperson�s ethical standards and ethical practice. � Which of the following factors influence the average business executive�s ethical standards? (Circle the number which best conveys your opinion). | ||||||
To What Extent are Ethical Standards Influenced by | ||||||
1.� Formal company policy and procedure | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | |
2.� Peer group pressure | ||||||
3.� Prevailing industry practice | ||||||
4.� Perceived preference of your boss | ||||||
5.� Family Experiences | ||||||
6.� Your church experiences | ||||||
7.� Your educational experiences | ||||||
8.� Your company�s ethical code or policy | ||||||
9.� Your professional ethical code |
1983 BUSINESS LEADER QUESTIONS
10.� Society�s moral climate | |||||
III.� YOUR VIEWS REGARDING THE ROLE OF THE CORPORATION | |||||
This section asks for your opinions regarding the role of the business corporation in our society. ( Circle the number that best conveys your opinion) | |||||
1.� A corporation�s primary responsibility is to its stockholders. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree |
2.� A corporation is equally responsible to its stockholders, employees, customers, and other interested parties. | |||||
3.� Corporations should take the lead in solving major social problems such as pollution, discriminations and safety. | |||||
4.� Corporations should not become involved in solving social problems unless doing so becomes a cost of doing business or an opportunity to earn a profit. | |||||
5.� Most corporations get involved in social responsibility projects because outside pressures make such involvement a cost of doing business. | |||||
6.� Most corporations get involved in social responsibility projects because their managements believe it is the right action to take, regardless of the effect on the company�s profits. | |||||
7.� Most corporations get involved in social responsibility projects because of the public relations value of such projects. | |||||
IV.� YOUR VIEWS REGARDING THE ETHICS OF BUSINESS PRACTICE | |||||
A.� General | |||||
1.� The typical business executive has two sets of ethical standards, one which he/she applies to business activities and another which is applied to his/her private life. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree |
2.� Ethical standards in business are lower than in government. | |||||
3. Ethical standards in business are lower than in government. | |||||
4.� Ethical standards in business are lower than in the typical American family. | |||||
5.� The ethical standards I use in business are higher than the standards of my supervisor. | |||||
6.� The ethical standards I use in business are higher than the standards used by the people who work for me. | |||||
7.� The ethical standards I use in business are higher than the standards of my counterparts in other companies. | |||||
8.� The ethical standards I use in business are as high as those I practice with my family and friends. | |||||
9.� I occasionally make decision which are right for my business but which are inconsistent with my personal ethical principles. | |||||
10.� Most ethical decisions which I encounter involve conflict between the legitimate claims of two or more parties (e.g., stockholder vs. customer, employee vs. stockholder, etc.) | |||||
B.� Customer Relationships | |||||
1.� Much advertising done by business is misleading to the consumer. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree |
2.� Effective advertising may have to be somewhat misleading. | |||||
3.� Some government regulation of labeling is needed to protect the consumer.� | |||||
4.� Government safety regulations are needed to protect the consumer. | |||||
5.� Truth in lending regulations are needed to protect the customer. | |||||
6.� Antitrust laws prohibiting price fixing benefit the customer. | |||||
7.� It is in the long run self interest of business to protect the customer. | |||||
8.� The average customer is less ethical in dealing with business than the business is in dealing with that customer. | |||||
C.� Employee Relationships | |||||
1.� No employee should be required to engage in business practices which that employee considers unethical. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree |
2.� In accepting an employment offer each employee implicitly agrees to abide by the ethical standards of the employer, even if the company standards differ from those of the employee. | |||||
3.� Lazy or incompetent employees should be fired. | |||||
4.� Management should not fire lazy or incompetent employees, rather they should be provided counseling in an effort to improve their performance. | |||||
5.� A company should have formal policies to guarantee that every employee has an equal opportunity for promotion, pay increases, and other rewards provided by the firm. | |||||
6.� Wages and salaries should vary according to an employee�s productivity. | |||||
7. �Wages and salaries should vary according to both the employee�s productivity an years of service with the firm. | |||||
8.� Wages and salaries should vary primarily with the employee�s years of service with the firm. | |||||
9.� Government supervised equal employment opportunity legislation is necessary. | |||||
10.� Labor unions serve a useful purpose by prodding a particular management into fulfilling its responsibilities to labor. | |||||
D.� Stockholder Relationships | |||||
1.� The corporation should seek to maximize short run profits. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree |
2.� The corporation should seek to earn a satisfactory rate of return for stockholders. |
3.� The corporation should seek to maximize long run profits. | |||||||
E.� Relationships with Competitors | |||||||
1.� The ethical standards in competition are determined by the least ethical competitor.� If one firm engages in unethical conduct the others will have to follow in order to survive. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | ||
2.� The antitrust laws promote a higher standard of ethics among competing firms. | |||||||
F.� Relationship with the Community | |||||||
The corporation has a responsibility to: | |||||||
1.� Promote equal opportunity in hiring and promotion. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | ||
2.� Conserve natural resources, even if doing so means a reduction in corporate profits. | |||||||
3.� Promote conservation of energy even if doing so means a reduction in profits. | |||||||
4.� Clean up or avoid causing air, noise and water pollution even if doing so means a reduction in profits. | |||||||
5.� Contribute money and management time to civic activities in communities where the firm has plants or offices. | |||||||
6.� Help minority owned businesses. | |||||||
7.� Be truthful in advertising. | |||||||
V.� YOUR VIEWS REGARDING METHODS OF DEALING WITH ETICAL ISSUES | |||||||
This section asks for your views regarding corporate policies dealing with ethical issues.� There are two parts to each question. | |||||||
A.� First indicate your feelings as to the importance of each (regardless of whether or not your company currently uses it) in making corporations moral.� (Please circle the number that best corresponds to your opinion.) | |||||||
B.� Second, place a checkmark in the last column if that policy is currently utilized by your company. | |||||||
1.� Individual executives are assigned and permitted to handle issues as they arise. | StronglyAgree | Agree | No Opinion | Disagree | StronglyDisagree | ||
2.� Additional staff positions are created in order to take care of ethical issues. | |||||||
3.� A temporary takes force of executives and/or employees is formed to deal with critical issues as they arise. | |||||||
4.� A permanent committee, such as a �publicly responsibility� committee, of senior officers handles ethical decisions. | |||||||
5.� A permanent department is developed and assigned all recurring ethical decision and recommends ethical policies. | |||||||
6.� A person(s) has been added to the board of directors to advise the corporation on ethical issues. | |||||||
7.� The ethical responsibility task is delegated to the operating units as a part of the jobs performed in running the business. | |||||||
8.� An industry-wide code of ethics is developed and all managers at all levels are made aware of the code through periodical educational programs. | |||||||
9.� Socially responsible programs are incorporated into the basic company strategy in pursuing other corporate goals in order to be successful. | |||||||
10.� Executives monitor the social and political trends in order to properly respond rather than wait for the legislature and courts to enforce public opinion. | |||||||
11.� Participation of employees is sought and used in making decisions which have strong social implications. | |||||||
12.� Performance evaluations of managers give careful consideration to the qualitative as well as future implications of the job performed. | |||||||
13.� Reward and punishment systems are restricted so that they support managers who pursue ethically responsible actions on their own. |
VI. SOME BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND |
A.� Did you ever take a formal course in ethics or moral philosophy?Yes ������������������ No |
B. Your present title or position:� |
C.� a)� State in which you live: ����� ����� b)� State in which you work: |
D.� Your company size by number of employees: (Check one)������ 1-99���������������� ���������������������������� 10,000-19,999���� ������� 100-499 ���������� ���������������������������� 20,000-29,999��� ������ 500-999���������� ���������������������������� 30,000-49,999��� ������ 1,000-4,999���� ���������������������������� 50,000 or more�� ������ 5,000-9,999���� |
E.� Your company size compared to other firms in the industry:���� One of the largest�� ���������������������������� Smaller than most������� ���� Larger than most���� ��������������������������� One of the smallest��� �� ���������������������������������������� About Average�� |
F.� Which of the following best describes the functional area in which you work? (Please check only one.)Accounting��������������������� ������������������������������� �������Marketing��������������������� Engineering, R & D�������� �������������������������������������� Personnel or Labor���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Relations����� �������� Finance�������������������������� �������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Public Relations���������� General Management���� ��������������� �����������������������������������������������������������������������������Other (Please specify)�� |
Which of the following best describes your corporate structure? (Please check the one most important only.)Functional����������������� ������������������������������������������������� Geographic Division���� Functional with���������������������������������������������������������������������������� Conglomerate�������������� ������� subsidiaries������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������Other (Please specify)� Production Division��� ������������������������������������������������� |
AN OPEN ENDED INVITATION |
A.� Is there anything else you would like to say on the topic of social responsibility or business ethics? � If so, please make your comments below (or on a separate sheet of paper if necessary. |
Are there any company documents dealing with ethics or social responsibility that you would like to share with us?� We would be delighted to receive a copy of your corporate code of ethics or any other documents illustrating your views on this topic. |