CPM Personal & Organizational Integrity 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which principle BEST distinguishes ethical discretion from ethical violations in public management?
- Whether the decision benefits the manager personally
- Whether the decision advances agency goals regardless of method
- Whether the action is consistent with public interest and established standards (Correct answer)
- Whether the decision is approved by a majority of staff
Correct answer: Whether the action is consistent with public interest and established standards
Ethical discretion is bounded by the public interest and applicable professional and legal standards.
Question 2: A manager learns that a peer is submitting inflated expense reports. If the manager does nothing, this represents:
- Appropriate deference to another manager's autonomy
- Passive complicity that undermines organizational integrity (Correct answer)
- A neutral act since it is not the manager's direct responsibility
- Prudent avoidance of interpersonal conflict
Correct answer: Passive complicity that undermines organizational integrity
Silence in the face of known misconduct makes one complicit and erodes the ethical culture of the organization.
Question 3: In the context of CPM competencies, 'personal integrity' primarily involves:
- Maximizing personal productivity metrics
- Consistently acting in accordance with ethical values even when unobserved (Correct answer)
- Achieving promotion through strong performance reviews
- Building strong relationships with elected officials
Correct answer: Consistently acting in accordance with ethical values even when unobserved
Personal integrity means one's behavior is guided by values, not by observation or consequences.
Question 4: Which scenario BEST illustrates a conflict of interest in public management?
- A manager approves overtime for a high-performing team during a crisis
- A manager awards a contract to a firm owned by their spouse (Correct answer)
- A manager promotes an employee based solely on merit
- A manager discloses a prior professional relationship with a vendor
Correct answer: A manager awards a contract to a firm owned by their spouse
Awarding a contract to a family member's business is a textbook conflict of interest that compromises impartiality.
Question 5: An organization that publicly champions diversity but consistently promotes only one demographic group is exhibiting:
- Strategic brand positioning
- Organizational hypocrisy that undermines integrity (Correct answer)
- Reasonable prioritization based on qualifications
- Compliance with affirmative action requirements
Correct answer: Organizational hypocrisy that undermines integrity
When organizational behavior contradicts stated values, it constitutes a breach of organizational integrity.
Question 6: Which approach BEST supports a culture of integrity in a public agency?
- Strict confidentiality about internal investigations
- Anonymous reporting mechanisms combined with non-retaliation policies (Correct answer)
- Rewarding only measurable performance outcomes
- Limiting ethics training to senior management
Correct answer: Anonymous reporting mechanisms combined with non-retaliation policies
Anonymous reporting channels and non-retaliation policies encourage employees to surface misconduct safely.
Question 7: A manager is asked to sign off on a report containing data the manager believes is inaccurate. The integrity-driven response is to:
- Sign it to meet the deadline and note concerns later
- Refuse to sign until accuracy concerns are investigated and resolved (Correct answer)
- Ask a subordinate to sign instead
- Submit the report with a disclaimer attached
Correct answer: Refuse to sign until accuracy concerns are investigated and resolved
Signing inaccurate documents compromises personal integrity and can mislead decision-makers and the public.
CPM Personal & Organizational Integrity 3
Which principle BEST distinguishes ethical discretion from ethical violations in public management?