CSL Ethical Leadership & Decision Making 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student leader discovers a peer falsified volunteer hours on a scholarship application. What is the most ethical first step?
- Report it directly to the scholarship committee without speaking to the peer
- Confront the peer privately and encourage them to self-report (Correct answer)
- Ignore it to preserve the friendship
- Post about it on social media to warn others
Correct answer: Confront the peer privately and encourage them to self-report
Confronting the peer privately first respects due process and gives them the chance to correct the misconduct themselves.
Question 2: Which ethical framework judges the morality of an action based solely on its outcomes and overall welfare produced?
- Deontology
- Virtue ethics
- Utilitarianism (Correct answer)
- Social contract theory
Correct answer: Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism evaluates actions by the greatest good for the greatest number, focusing on outcomes rather than rules or character.
Question 3: During a heated student government debate, a leader intentionally misrepresents an opponent's proposal. This violates which core ethical principle?
- Autonomy
- Honesty (Correct answer)
- Justice
- Beneficence
Correct answer: Honesty
Intentionally misrepresenting information is a direct violation of honesty, a foundational ethical principle for leaders.
Question 4: A leader's personal values conflict with a policy they are required to enforce. The most ethical approach is to:
- Refuse to enforce the policy immediately
- Enforce the policy while pursuing legitimate channels to change it (Correct answer)
- Selectively enforce it based on individual cases
- Publicly denounce the policy to mobilize opposition
Correct answer: Enforce the policy while pursuing legitimate channels to change it
Ethical leaders enforce established policies while using proper institutional channels to advocate for change.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'conflict of interest' in student leadership?
- Disagreeing with a supervisor's decision
- Having a personal stake that could improperly influence an official decision (Correct answer)
- Feeling stressed about multiple responsibilities
- Competing with peers for a leadership position
Correct answer: Having a personal stake that could improperly influence an official decision
A conflict of interest occurs when a personal relationship or benefit could compromise or appear to compromise impartial judgment.
Question 6: A student leader must allocate limited club funds. Using a fair and transparent process best reflects which ethical value?
- Loyalty
- Procedural justice (Correct answer)
- Altruism
- Paternalism
Correct answer: Procedural justice
Procedural justice ensures decisions are made through fair, consistent, and transparent processes regardless of outcome.
Question 7: When ethical dilemmas arise, the 'reasonable wise person' standard asks leaders to consider:
- What the majority of students would prefer
- What a thoughtful, knowledgeable person with good judgment would do (Correct answer)
- What the strictest ethical code requires
- What benefits the leader's personal goals
Correct answer: What a thoughtful, knowledgeable person with good judgment would do
The reasonable wise person standard uses a hypothetical informed, balanced decision-maker as a benchmark for ethical choices.
CSL Ethical Leadership & Decision Making 2
A student leader discovers a peer falsified volunteer hours on a scholarship application.
What is the most ethical first step?