Question

Ethics deals with questions of right or wrong behavior. Which of the following behaviors involves ethical—as opposed to unethical—decision making?

a.While interviewing prospective applicants for a manager-trainee position, the company's recruiter makes sexually suggestive remarks to the applicants and recommends hiring only the good-looking candidates.
b.While planning for an upcoming company audit, a manager insists on hiring an external auditing firm to audit the company's financial statements.
c.While riding in a taxi, a loan officer with the Fifth County Bank finds a briefcase containing the confidential and proprietary lending policies of a competing bank. Instead of returning the briefcase, she keeps the competing bank's information and distributes it at the next loan application review meeting.
d.While considering the purchase of an expensive piece of equipment, a firm's purchasing manager recommends that the purchase be made from his cousin's firm rather than from one of two other vendors offering the identical equipment at lower prices.

Answer 1

Among the given behaviors, the ethical decision-making scenario is when a manager insists on hiring an external auditing firm for the company's financial audit. This aligns with moral principles of integrity and transparency.

Step-by-step explanation:

Ethics deals with questions of right or wrong behavior, focusing on moral conduct. Among the behaviors mentioned, only one involves ethical decision-making. Ethical behavior in a business context involves acting in accordance with moral principles that typically promote fairness, integrity, and respect for others.In the scenarios provided, the one that involves ethical decision-making is: While planning for an upcoming company audit, a manager insists on hiring an external auditing firm to audit the company's financial statements. This behavior is ethical because it aligns with principles of integrity and transparency in financial reporting.

It serves the interest of fairness and accountability to stakeholders, rather than any improper personal or organizational gainThe other behaviors described involve unethical decision-making because they involve actions that are deceitful, discriminatory, or conflict with moral norms such as fairness and impartiality.The behavior that involves ethical decision making is b. While planning for an upcoming company audit, a manager insists on hiring an external auditing firm to audit the company's financial statements.This behavior is ethical because it ensures objectivity and independence in the audit process. By hiring an external auditing firm, the company is avoiding potential conflicts of interest and ensuring that the audit is conducted impartially and accurately.