PBB3183: Management Ethics and Corporate Governance 2

MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Instruction: Answer all questions (100 marks).

1. Lois Robinson worked as a welder for Jacksonville Shipyards. Although she was
never solicited for sex or offered favours for sex, her coworkers ridiculed her and
handed her pornographic materials. The workplace was also plastered with
pornographic materials, and she observed that the sexually suggestive comments
increased when her male coworkers noticed that she had seen them. She was often
warned to leave so that the men could exchange jokes out of her hearing. Robinson’s
complaints to management went unheeded, except that a “Men Only” sign appeared
on the door of a trailer where she picked up her daily instructions. As a federal
contractor, Jacksonville Shipyards was required to have an affirmative action plan
and an anti-discrimination policy, although the shipyard’s supervisors were not trained
to act on the policy. Robinson subsequently filed a suit for sexual harassment against
Jacksonville Shipyards.

a) Do you accept the claim that the workers have a right to post pictures in the
workplace?
[5 marks]

b) Although the behavior of Robinson’s male coworkers is morally objectionable,

should management attempt to prevent it? Provide THREE (3) reasonable actions
that should be taken by management.
[10 marks]

c) The sign “Men Only” on the trailer door might have been intended to keep
Robinson from seeing pornographic material and to preserve an all-male enclave
in the workplace. Is the posting of the sign morally (and legally) objectionable?

[10 marks]

2. Madam Rosma is the owner of a seafood restaurant in Tg. Malim. She employed two
foreign cooks and another 3 local workers in operating the restaurant. Madam Rosma
feels so frustrated with her workers. One day, she confronts with the cooks, after she
found ketum water at the kitchen. The cooks claim that they need ketum water to stay
awake at night since the restaurant is still operating until 3 am. The other workers are
also very lazy to clean the restaurant. The floor has not been swept for years. The
rubbish from the kitchen was dumped close to the entrance of the restaurant and it
creates bad smell and invites flies. Her workers are also very bad in personal
hygiene. They grow long hair and rarely take bath. Recently, Madam Rosma received
complaints from the customers that they found hairs and nail in the food served to
them.

Imagine that you are a consultant specialized in small business management. Based
on the current situation, you realized that the restaurant does not practicing a good
business ethics. Provide your professional advice to Madam Rosma on how she
could improve her business and the importance of sound business ethics.

[14 marks]
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3. The Premier Beriyani House is one of the most famous beriyani restaurant in Qatar.
The restaurant provides premium menu such as wagyu beef kebabs, lamb beriyani
and lobster beriyani. The customers are mainly expatriates who are able to pay high
price for exceptional foods. The restaurant also provides expensive wines to the
customers.

The restaurant is doing well until COVID-19 strikes the world. Qatar, which is one of
the largest producer of oil, recorded losses of income due to the low consumption of
petroleum products in all over the world (i.e., travel restriction, closure of business,
etc). The expatriates in Qatar lost their jobs and start to move back to their own
homeland. Subsequently, The Premier Beriyani House is now has no customers.

Mr. Ambani is the owner of the restaurant and now thinking about how to operate the
business in another country.

(a) States one (1) example of country that is suitable for Mr Ambani to move his
restaurant operation.
[2 marks]

(b) Analyze the cultural factors that Mr. Ambani need to consider in his decision to
invest in the country you have chosen in (a).
[8 marks]

(c) Assess another three (3) factors that are important in influencing Mr. Ambani’s
decision to invest in the country that you have chosen in (a).
[15 marks]

(d) Explain why multinational firms are accused of doing human exploitation
activities? Give one (1) example.
[10 marks]

(e) With reference to the current pandemic Covid 19 that has affected worldwide,
discuss in brief any FOUR (4) ethical challenges that affect the international
businesses across the globe.
[6 marks]
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4. Mr John works as an engineer at one of the construction firms in Malaysia. The

company where he works involved in the development of a new residential area in
Selangor. As an engineer, he needs to verify the quality of the steel that will be used
as foundations of the building. The total value of the steel is RM300 million. While
checking the steel, he found that the quality of the rod steel is always below the
specification that has been set by his company. Mr John make a phone call to the
supplier and ask for RM500,000.00 in return to the help of giving approval on the
quality of the steel. He received the payment immediately. Mr John feels that he is
doing something beneficial, since he is well known as someone very generous in his
neighbourhood. With the money that he received, he bought some groceries for the
poor people and also contribute cash to the orphanage houses.

Evaluate the actions of Mr John’s from the lens of utilitarian, deontology and virtue
ethics theory. Explain in brief about each of the ethical theories before you make
evaluations on Mr. John’s actions.
[20 marks]

END OF QUESTIONS