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TRUE/FALSE
3. If a company fails to take stakeholder claims into account, stakeholders may withdraw their support.
5. Stockholders receive a return on their investment in a company's stock from dividend payments and
capital appreciation.
6. Attaining future profit growth may require investments that reduce the current rate of profitability.
7. Maximizing long-run profitability and profit growth is the best way to satisfy the claims of several key
stakeholder groups irrespective to how the company does so.
9. In corporations, agency theory is used to explain the relationship between stockholders and corporate
managers, and between upper-level managers and the lower-level managers they supervise.
10. While many agency relationships work well, problems arise when agents and principals have different
goals.
11. The term information asymmetry describes the difference in personal ethics that agents and principals
have.
12. One assumption of agency theory is that the principals have more information about the resources that
are being managed than the agents do.
13. Financial statements can be a tool of effective governance only if they provide consistent, detailed, and
accurate information.
14. Strategic control systems are the primary governance mechanisms established within a company to
reduce the scope of the agency problem between levels of management.
15. While they do a good job of increasing employee satisfaction, positive incentive systems do little to
maximize long-run profitability.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 4 - Explain why these governance mechanisms do not always work as intended
NAT: AACSB Analytic | Motivation Concepts KEY: Knowledge
16. Ethical decisions are those that are made in accordance with accepted principles of right and wrong.
17. Governance mechanisms help align the incentives between principals and agents and help monitor and
control agents.
18. Critics of corporate governance state that boards with more inside directors than outside directors are
generally an effective governance mechanism because they know more about how the company works.
19. An effective governance arrangement exists when the CEO is also the chair of the board of directors.
20. Stock-based compensation schemes for senior executives are designed to align the interests of
managers with those of stockholders.
21. In the 1990s, Sotheby's and Christie's, the two largest fine-art auction houses in the world were
colliding to fix prices. These practices are acceptable in the business world to create competitiveness
through collaborations.
22. According to an SEC investigation, Computer Associates, one of the world's largest software
companies, backdated contracts to boost the company's reported revenues. This is not prescribed as an
ethical business practice.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Reflective Thinking | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Application
MULTIPLE CHOICE
25. The relationship between an enterprise and its stakeholders is essentially what type of relationship?
a. Exchange
b. Master-servant
c. Bailor-bailee
d. Supply and demand
e. Quasi-egalitarian
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 1 - Understand the relationship between stakeholder management and corporate performance
NAT: AACSB Analytic | Environmental Influence KEY: Comprehension
28. Why should satisfying stockholder demands receive so much attention in many corporate mission
statements?
a. Stockholders are the most powerful stakeholder group that a company has to satisfy.
b. Stockholders are the legal owners of the company and are the providers of risk capital.
c. Stockholders have been successful in blackmailing companies to get their interest satisfied
before those of other claimants.
d. Typically, stockholders have the most invested in the company's continued survival.
e. Managers feel obliged to pay lip service to stockholder demands.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Analytic | Creation of Value
KEY: Comprehension
29. Which of the following statements concerning profitability and profit growth is false?
a. Attaining future profit growth may require investments that reduce current profitability.
b. Managers must find the right balance between profitability and profit growth.
c. Too much emphasis on current profitability at the expense of profit growth can make an
enterprise less attractive to shareholders.
d. Boosting a company's profitability and profit growth rate is inconsistent with satisfying the
claims of other key stakeholder groups.
e. Too much emphasis on profit growth can reduce profitability and make an enterprise less
attractive to shareholders.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Analytic | Creation of Value
KEY: Comprehension
30. Although stockholders are legal owners, CEOs do not always pursue stockholders' interests. CEOs can
pursue their own interests because
a. they can use their authority over corporate funds to satisfy their desires for status, power,
and income.
b. they have the ability to initiate a leveraged buyout.
c. an outside director will not have knowledge of inside operations if he or she chairs the
board.
d. stockholders are the weakest stakeholder group because they are removed from operations.
e. stockholder meetings are not required.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
32. A stakeholder impact analysis would include which of the following steps?
a. Identification of stakeholders
b. Identification of stakeholders' interests and concerns
c. Assessment of the likelihood that a stakeholder will file discrimination charges against the
company
d. Identification of stakeholders and their interests and concerns
e. Analysis of ethics violations
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Analytic | Creation of Value
KEY: Comprehension
33. Which of the following stakeholders might not want a company to maximize its long-run profitability
and profit growth?
a. Suppliers
b. Creditors
c. Customers
d. Suppliers and customers
e. Suppliers and creditors
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Analytic | Creation of Value
KEY: Comprehension
34. Confronted with agency problems, which of the following is(are) challenge(s) for principals?
a. Shape the behavior of agents so that they act in accordance with the goals set by principals
b. Reduce the information asymmetry between agents and principals
c. Develop mechanisms for removing agents who do not act in accordance with the goals of
principals
d. Develop mechanisms for removing agents who mislead principals
e. All of these are challenges for principals
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
35. Which of the following is not an accurate statement about current levels of pay for CEOs of U.S.-
based firms?
a. Today, the average CEO earns more than 350 times the pay of the average blue-collar
worker.
b. Most of CEO pay is in the form of salary.
c. CEO compensation is not closely tied to corporate performance in most firms.
d. CEO pay is rising more rapidly than pay for other workers.
e. The level of CEO compensation is determined by the corporate board of directors.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Knowledge
36. When corporate CEOs and top managers use their power and control over funds to satisfy their
personal desires for wealth or status, this is called
a. on-the-job consumption.
b. agency theory.
c. information asymmetry.
d. a tradeoff between stakeholders.
e. a performance measurement.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Analytic | Motivation Concepts
KEY: Knowledge
37. In applying agency theory to problems of corporate management, the principals are the
a. employees.
b. CEO.
c. top management team.
d. CEO and the top management team.
e. stockholders.
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Knowledge
38. Agency theory would not be useful in understanding the relationship between
a. a CEO and his or her top management team.
b. top-level executives and middle managers.
c. managers at the same organizational level.
d. stockholders and the CEO.
e. lower-level managers and the workers they supervise.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
39. When are the interests of stockholders and senior managers likely to be most closely aligned?
a. When the board of directors is dominated by insiders
b. When managers receive most of their compensation in the form of a regular salary
c. When stockholders are weak
d. When managers receive most of their compensation in the form of stock options
e. When corporate raiders are unable to mount a takeover bid
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Describe the various governance mechanisms that are used to align the interest of
stockholders and managers NAT: AACSB Ethics | HRM
KEY: Comprehension
40. Which of the following is not a governance mechanism used to align the interests of managers and
stockholders?
a. Stockholder meetings
b. The board of directors
c. Stock-based compensation schemes
d. The mission statement
e. Takeover constraints
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Describe the various governance mechanisms that are used to align the interest of
stockholders and managers NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
44. Which of the following statements about the board of directors is false?
a. Board members are elected by stockholders.
b. The board can be held legally accountable for a company's actions.
c. The board has the legal authority to hire, fire, and compensate the CEO.
d. All directors are full-time employees of the company.
e. Outside directors help perform the monitoring function of the board.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
46. Institutional investors are becoming more aggressive in exerting their power with the board by
a. boycotting stockholder meetings.
b. pursuing leveraged buyouts.
c. selling their shares when they do not agree with company actions.
d. defining a company's business for them.
e. pushing for more effective governance structures.
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Knowledge
47. Which of the following is not a reason why the board of directors may act as the guardian of
stockholder interests within a company?
a. Board members are directly elected by stockholders.
b. The board is positioned at the apex of decision making within a company and is thus in a
good position to monitor strategies.
c. Board members can be held legally accountable for the actions of the company.
d. Many board members are the nominees of the company CEO.
e. The board has legal authority to hire, fire, and compensate senior executives.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
49. Which of the following statements concerning stock-based compensation schemes for executives is
incorrect?
a. They are the most objective and unambiguous way to compensate executives.
b. They can align the interests of management and stockholders.
c. They can dilute the equity of stockholders.
d. The option strike price is typically the price that the stock was trading at when the option
was granted.
e. None of these choices are correct.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Describe the various governance mechanisms that are used to align the interest of
stockholders and managers NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
52. Which of the following governance mechanisms is regarded as the option of last resort?
a. Strategic control system
b. Takeover
c. Board of directors
d. Stock-based compensation system
e. Financial statements and auditors
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 4 - Explain why these governance mechanisms do not always work as intended
NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities KEY: Knowledge
53. Pursuing strategies that maximize the long-run profitability and profit growth of a company benefits
which group(s) of stakeholders?
a. Employees
b. Creditors
c. Charitable organizations in the local community
d. The general public
e. All of these
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 2 - Explain why maximizing returns to stockholders is often viewed as the preeminent goal in
many corporations NAT: AACSB Analytic | Creation of Value
KEY: Comprehension
55. When managers pay bribes to gain access to lucrative business contracts, they are engaging in
a. opportunistic exploitation.
b. utilitarian ethics.
c. self-dealing.
d. information manipulation.
e. corruption.
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
OBJ: 5 - Identify the main ethical issues that arise in business and the causes of unethical behavior
NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities KEY: Knowledge
56. When managers of a firm seek to unilaterally rewrite the terms of a contract with suppliers, buyers, or
complement providers in a way that is more favorable to their firm, they are engaging in
a. opportunistic exploitation.
b. ethical behavior.
c. corruption.
d. philosophical ethics.
e. self-dealing.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
OBJ: 5 - Identify the main ethical issues that arise in business and the causes of unethical behavior
NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities KEY: Comprehension
57. To make sure that ethical issues are considered in business decisions,
a. a company should use a bottom-up approach.
b. a company should have a no-layoff policy.
c. top managers should articulate and model ethical behaviors.
d. a company should give seminars to teach people what is legal and not legal.
e. a company should hire and promote employees who do whatever it takes to achieve
organizational objectives.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 6 - Identify what managers can do to improve the ethical climate of their organization, and to
make sure that business decisions do not NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Knowledge
58. Which of the following is not something that managers can do to make sure that ethical issues are
considered in business decisions?
a. Hire and promote people who have a strong sense of personal ethics
b. Build an organizational culture that places a high value on ethical behavior
c. Adopt the Friedman doctrine
d. Act with moral courage
e. Put decision-making processes in place that require people to consider ethical dimensions
of business decisions
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 6 - Identify what managers can do to improve the ethical climate of their organization, and to
make sure that business decisions do not NAT: AACSB Ethics | Ethical Responsibilities
KEY: Comprehension
65. Thinking of it in its simplest terms, the balanced scorecard approach may be viewed as the
a. dashboard on an automobile.
b. touchpad on a cell phone.
c. keyboard for a computer.
d. dials and indicators in an airplane cockpit.
e. none of these choices.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
OBJ: 3 - Describe the various governance mechanisms that are used to align the interest of
stockholders and managers NAT: AACSB Analytic | Creation of Value
KEY: Knowledge
68. Becca is a CEO at XYZ Company. She has recently invested corporate funds to take an exotic trip to
the Cayman Islands. This is an example of which of the following?
a. Corporate governance
b. On-the-job consumption
c. Self-dealing
d. Anticompetitive behavior
e. Information manipulation
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
OBJ: 1 - Understand the relationship between stakeholder management and corporate performance
NAT: AACSB Reflective Thinking | Ethical Responsibilities KEY: Application
69. Nicole is a salesperson at a local Ford dealership. Her bonus pay is dependent upon surpassing sales
targets, thus increasing the profitability of the company. This is a form of which of the following
governance mechanisms?
a. Stock options
b. Self-dealing
c. The takeover constraint
d. Employee incentives
e. Greenmail
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
OBJ: 3 - Describe the various governance mechanisms that are used to align the interest of
stockholders and managers
NAT: AACSB Reflective Thinking | Ethical Responsibilities KEY: Application
ESSAY
70. Identify and discuss the governance mechanisms that help align the incentives of stockholders and
managers and help monitor and control management.
ANS:
Agency problems in organizations are well documented and well understood. The four main types of
governance mechanisms to help address agency problems are discussed below.
The board of directors is the first governance mechanism. Board members are elected by shareholders
and have specific statutory responsibility, so this mechanism may break down primarily because of the
structure of the board. First, boards are often dominated by insiders who often have position authority
and access to information that outside directors do not have. In addition, many boards are chaired by
the CEO the ultimate insider.
A second governance mechanism is stock-based compensation. The idea behind this mechanism is that
it helps align the financial interests of shareholders and managers. When share price rises, both benefit;
when it falls, they both suffer. A problem with stock-based compensation is that many companies have
used stock options that distort their real cost and dilute the value of shareholders' holdings.
A third mechanism is financial statements and auditors. Good governance relies on accurate and timely
information about company performance. Transparency is the cornerstone of financial reporting.
Unfortunately, recent high-profile examples of companies (Enron, Computer Associates) that have
falsified reports to present an inaccurate picture of company performance indicate that this mechanism
has problems.
A final governance mechanism is the takeover constraint. When companies are mismanaged and not
creating the value that they should, the possibility of an outside party coming in, taking over control
(through a hostile raid), replacing existing management, and then turning the company around may be
the ultimate management punishment for poor performance. A problem with this mechanism is that
many companies (and states) have put in place takeover defenses that make it much more difficult to
take over a company.
71. Consider a national chain of company-owned fast-food restaurants. For this firm, list the important
stakeholders. Then describe how each stakeholder group can affect the firm's profitability.
ANS:
Internal stakeholders of a national chain of fast-food restaurants would include the managers and
employees of the firm and the firm's stockholders. External stakeholders would include customers,
who are probably young adults and young families; suppliers, such as wholesalers of food and paper
products; and banks and other creditors. Local governments regulate issues about food safety and
handling at food service establishments, and the federal, state, and local governments regulate a wide
variety of issues, from hiring practices to tax collection, to accessible restaurant design. Unions may be
a stakeholder if the restaurant workers are unionized. Local communities and society are also external
stakeholders.
Each of these groups can have a positive or a negative impact on profitability. Here is just one
example. If customers are satisfied that they are receiving value for their money, they will purchase the
firm's products, increasing the firm's profitability. But if the customers are not satisfied, they will
refrain from purchasing and may even give the firm bad word-of-mouth advertising, which will reduce
sales and profitability.
72. Explain the principles of agency theory, including the issues it addresses. What are some effective
ways to deal with agency problems, as implied or stated by agency theory?
ANS:
Agency theory addresses situations where one individual or group (the principals) relies on another
individual or group (the agents) to make decisions and take actions on their behalf. In many of these
situations, there are opportunities for mutual gain, but there are also opportunities for the agents to act
in their own best interests, to the detriment of the principals. Opportunities for exploitation exist
because agents have more access to information about the situation and to other resources than do the
principals. Therefore, the principals cannot fully monitor the actions of the agents and must trust the
agents to some extent.
One way to manage agency problems is to align the two parties' goals that is, to create opportunities
for mutual gain and reduce opportunities for one-sided gain. For example, if corporate managers are
compensated based on stock price, then they are more likely to work toward increasing stock returns,
which would also benefit stockholders. If managers are compensated based on the size of the firm,
then they will work toward increasing the size of the firm, which may not be beneficial for
stockholders. Another tactic is to reduce information asymmetry to the extent possible by overseeing
or monitoring the principals' actions closely. However, there will always be a need for the principal to
trust the agent to some extent.
73. Business ethics are concerned with accepted principles of right or wrong governing the conduct of
businesspeople. Identify and discuss the common examples of unethical decisions that businesspeople
have made.
ANS:
Unethical behavior often occurs when people decide to put their own interests ahead of those of the
firm and its stakeholders. Common examples of unethical behavior include:
Information manipulation hiding or distorting information (usually negative) that would show how
the company is really performing. The information is usually financial but may be nonfinancial (data
that a company's products are harmful).
Anticompetitive behavior concerns a broad range of behaviors that limit competition and may harm
customers.
Opportunistic exploitation occurs when managers of a company seek to unilaterally rewrite the terms
of a contract with suppliers, buyers, or complement providers.
Environmental degradation actions that directly result in pollution or other forms of environmental
harm.