Assessment Questions

7.1 Loyalty to the Company

Although employees’ and employers’ concepts of loyalty have changed, it is reasonable to expect workers to have a basic sense of responsibility to their company and willingness to protect a variety of important assets such as intellectual property and trade secrets. Current employees should not compete with their employer in a way that would violate conflict-of-interest rules, and former employees should not solicit previous customers or employees upon leaving employment.

7.2 Loyalty to the Brand and to Customers

Employees have a duty to be loyal to the brand and treat customers well. Internal marketing is one process by which a company instills employee commitment to the brand and builds loyalty in its workforce. This loyalty should be a two-way street, however. If the company wants its employees to treat customers with respect, it must treat them with respect as well.

7.3 Contributing to a Positive Work Atmosphere

Ethical employees accept their role in creating a workplace that is respectful, safe, and welcoming by getting along with coworkers and doing what is best for the company. They also comply with corporate codes of conduct, which cover a wide range of behaviors, from financial dealings and bribery to sexual harassment. In addition, they are alert to any situation in the workplace that could escalate into violence. In short, the employee has a duty to be a responsible person in the job.

7.4 Financial Integrity

Legal and cultural differences may allow bribes in other countries, but bribery and insider trading (which allows someone with private information about securities to profit from that knowledge at the public’s expense) are illegal in the United States, as well as unethical. A clear gift policy should be in place to help employees understand when it is acceptable to accept a gift from another employee or an outsider (such as a vendor), and to distinguish gifts from bribes.

7.5 Criticism of the Company and Whistleblowing

Employees should understand that there are limits to what can be posted about their employer online, just as there are limits to what they can say in the workplace, and that the First Amendment generally does not protect such speech. Whistleblowers are protected, and sometimes rewarded, for their willingness to come forward, but they can still face a hostile environment in some situations. Employees should not use whistleblowing as an attempt to get back at a boss or employer they do not like; rather, they should use it as a means to stop serious wrongdoing.

1 . The common law concept that requires an employee to render loyal and faithful service to the employer is ________. a. the duty of confidentiality b. a non-compete agreement c. the duty of loyalty d. trade secret protection 2 . An employee who works in the graphic design department of a large advertising agency most likely cannot moonlight after business hours for a friend's ________. a. bakery business b. web design business c. construction business d. landscaping design business 3 . All fifty states require that an employee refrain from acting in a manner contrary to the employer's interest. a. True b. False 4 . Based on a non-compete agreement, what should the employee avoid creating with the employer? 5 . What duty requires an employee to maintain the secrecy of proprietary material, such as trade secrets, intellectual property, and customer data? 6 . Which of the following is especially important for developing and maintaining employee loyalty to the brand? a. empowerment b. engagement c. commitment d. dedication 7 . Efforts to get employees to believe in the product, to commit to the idea that the company is selling something worth buying, and even to think about buying it are part of ________. a. brand loyalty b. internal marketing c. employee engagement d. company identity 8 . Employees are more likely to develop some degree of brand loyalty when they have a common sense of purpose and identity with the company. a. True b. False 9 . Why should employees care about the way they treat customers? 10 . A patient becomes violent on hospital premises after being turned down for the clinical trial of a new drug therapy. This scenario fits which of the following workplace violence categories? a. traditional criminal intent b. violence by one worker against another c. violence stemming from a personal relationship d. violence by a customer 11 . Understanding the various personalities at work can be a complex task, but it is an important one for developing which of the following? a. collegiality b. emotional intelligence c. empathy d. personality harmony 12 . Emotional intelligence is a willingness to step into someone else's shoes. a. True b. False 13 . Regardless of their working style, preferences, or quirks, what do employees owe one another? 14 . What are the four categories of violence at work, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)? 15 . The buying or selling of stocks, bonds, or other investments based on nonpublic information that is likely to favorably affect the price of the security being traded is which of the following? a. insider trading b. bribery c. illegal transaction d. manipulation 16 . A payment in some form (cash or noncash) for an act that runs counter to the legal or ethical culture of the work environment is called ________. a. insider trading b. bribery c. illegal transaction d. manipulation 17 . Because legal and cultural differences allow bribes in some other countries, U.S. firms and their employees are permitted to pay them. a. True b. False 18 . Bribery generally injures individuals and which other entities? 19 . List the factors that help establish the ethics (and legality) of gift giving and receiving. 20 . Going to an official government agency and disclosing an employer's violation of the law is ________. a. insider trading b. whistleblowing c. free speech expression d. tattle telling 21 . Most U.S. companies prohibit employees from disclosing or discussing salaries among themselves. a. True b. False 22 . The First Amendment does not protect employees at work who criticize their boss or their company. a. True b. False 23 . What kind of information can employees post online under the protection of federal statute? 24 . What is typically not an appropriate motive for reporting the employer to authorities, unless the company is breaking the law? 25 . What should the employees usually try first before going public with an accusation that their company may be breaking the law?