Course Code: MGT722

Management Skills

Graduate business school students were all required to take a one-credit-hour current events
course. Like other courses in the business school, the final exam was administered on a
computer. From a memory bank containing 350 questions, the computer was programmed to
select 40 questions for each student, flashing them on the screen one at a time. Students could
take the exam any time after the course began in January, whenever they felt ready.
Unfortunately, problems arose. When the test was computerized, a “skip feature” was added to
the computer program. This feature was designed so that students could pass over a question they
didn’t want to answer immediately. The question, theoretically, would return to the screen at a
later time, simulating the way in which students skip over and then return to questions on a
written exam. However, the skip feature didn’t work correctly. Instead of recycling skipped
questions back to the student, the computer simply threw them out. Thus, the skip feature
became a way for students to avoid any questions they couldn’t answer.

Another difficulty in the program was that when a certain number of questions were skipped
during the exam—apparently between six and ten—the computer automatically ended the test.
Scores were immediately flashed to the student and recorded in the computer memory. Scores
were calculated on a percentage basis, only counting the questions that the student answered.
Skipped questions were not counted as correct or incorrect. Therefore, a student who answered
ten questions, nine of them correctly, and skipped enough other questions to trigger the
automatic computer shutoff, received a score of 90 percent.

Knowledge of the skip command apparently was widely distributed well before the end of the
term. One person estimated that at least half the students knew about it. Upon review, 77 out of
139 members of the graduating class answered fewer than the required 40 questions when they
took the exam. When questioned, some students said that they didn’t realize that a programming
error had occurred and didn’t keep track of how many questions were asked in total. Others
argued that “it is like filling out an income tax form. People hire accountants all the time to find
loopholes that they can use, that is not illegal. The commuter program allowed for this loophole,
and we did what we did.”

Discussion Questions:

1. If you were one of the students in the class:

a. Would you tell the instructor about the programming error before the end of the term?

b. Report the names of the other students you knew who cheated?

c. Admit that you cheated?

2. What is your rationale for the decision you made in questions 1. What level of values maturity
is displayed? What ethical principles are applied?

Important In