a question of ethics,or..? (1 Viewer)

[HelterSkelter]

My MBA will end in June,so i'm in the process of applying for Jobs these days.So,Standard Chartered came to our college the other day,and gave out this presentation,describing the whole application process for their IG (International Graduate) thing.Now,here's the thing.Once you fill our the application form,you obviously sit for the test.The test they have is completely online based.Each and every stage of it.You submit the application,Standard Chartered sends you an email with the URL for the test,and you attempt it.The test isn't carried out for everyone at the same date or time.If i submit my application today,i get the test tomorrow.If someone submits the application tomorrow,he gets the test the next day.The final stage,which is the Interview,is face to face.

Now,since our entire batch is applying,people are floating various ideas around on how to do well at the test.Some of the more common ones are as follows :

-Get a more intelligent person than you to do the test.
-Make a bogus ID,and give the test from it so you you get a better idea about it.And then give the test from your own ID.
-Everyone sits together,and helps the guy attempting the test,clear it.

I'm sure there are tons of other companies that carry out online tests.And i don't recall coming across any company which mentions something about doing the test honestly,since they obviously cant check the person giving the test.Also,the companies in question would well be aware of the manner in which people attempt or try to attempt these tests.

So,the question is,in a situation like this,do you think a question of doing the test honestly applies?And what you take external assistance when you give the test,if you were in the same situation?

 

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[Bozi]

dude,Juve are getting beat right now and you post this???

get your ass over to the live thread and spew some bile like a real man

 

[HelterSkelter]

dude,Juve are getting beat right now and you post this???

get your ass over to the live thread and spew some bile like a real man

So..what else is new?

 

[Elvin]

If I'm incompetent (which I totally am when it comes to academics) then yeah, I would cheat without blinking.

 

[Martin]

I uhm... I probably wouldn't cheat on it. But if the situation is as you describe I would hesitate to call it unethical frankly. Because if the system so easy to cheat, and everyone knows about this, then the basis on which a fair test might be conducted is very much in doubt. Which means frankly it's the company's negligence for giving a trial that gives such leniency towards cheating, and thus undermines the very ethical basis for the test.

If the test is so flawed at some point you have to say "there is no reasonable incentive for honesty given the situation, therefore it makes little sense treating the test as if it were a serious test".

 

[HelterSkelter]

I havent taken the test so far,so i can't say anything about the pattern of the questions.But as the whole thing is so lenient,i wouldnt be surprised if the questions asked are open ended in nature.That puts an intelligent and dumb person on the same level,and reduces the temptation to cheat.

 

[Martin]

I'm back from cooking dinner and I have some more thoughts.

First of all, noone would put themselves at a disadvantage on purpose. So the test being administered fairly is their guarantee to you that you're being treated fairly. This is how tests/exams usually work. Cheating is possible, but it seems too hard and too risky to be worth the effort. Which means you can be fairly sure that you're not being cheated by someone who's taken that road. But without that assurance, you can't trust that you're being treated fairly, and so then it's not unethical to cheat.

 

[pantat]

I don't think you need to cheat for these kind of tests. Usually the technical part of selection test from banks only involves some basic math and graph interpretation.

 

[HelterSkelter]

I'm back from cooking dinner and I have some more thoughts.

First of all, noone would put themselves at a disadvantage on purpose. So the test being administered fairly is their guarantee to you that you're being treated fairly. This is how tests/exams usually work. Cheating is possible, but it seems too hard and too risky to be worth the effort. Which means you can be fairly sure that you're not being cheated by someone who's taken that road. But without that assurance, you can't trust that you're being treated fairly, and so then it's not unethical to cheat.

Yes.But if we go by the cheating bit,everyone will have great scores.Even if the cu off point is let's say...95% marks in the test,countless people will score above 90%,and even if there are no cut off marks,and the company only intends to pick the top 500 people for the interviews for example,striking a difference between who you reject and accept becomes very hard since virtually everyone will score well.

I don't think you need to cheat for these kind of tests. Usually the technical part of selection test from banks only involves some basic math and graph interpretation.

You have no idea.I have some friends who have trouble calculating LCMs.

 

[Martin]

Yes.But if we go by the cheating bit,everyone will have great scores.Even if the cu off point is let's say...95% marks in the test,countless people will score above 90%,and even if there are no cut off marks,and the company only intends to pick the top 500 people for the interviews for example,striking a difference between who you reject and accept becomes very hard since virtually everyone will score well.

Yeah, but that's not something you have any impact on.

 

[Delle Alpi]

Never cheat in your life, because it's not worth it.

 

[IrishZebra]

Cheaters

 

[Fred]

Cheating is never ethical. Unless it involves exceptional situations like saving someones life or something.

But if everyone is cheating, the hell with being ethical. Do it, cheat.

 

[IrishZebra]

But if everyone is cheating, the hell with being ethical. Do it, cheat.

Or rat them out....

 

[Fred]

No, then you're just a pussy. Or so says present day society.

 

[IrishZebra]

No, then you're just a pussy. Or so says present day society.

Rat>Cheater

 

[mikhail]

I'm reluctant to recommend cheating of any kind, but Martin's take on this is pretty practical. [I would note that it's a moral solution, but not an ethical one.]

For my part, if I had a segment like that, I'd have a similar test element to the interviews, and anyone with a major drop from their online score to their score on the day would be gone.

 

[Fred]

I don't agree with Martin at all. I don't think you can argue that cheating in this case is in anyway ethical, whether or not the system allows it is completely irrelevant.

Oh and practical does not equal ethical.

 

[IrishZebra]

Brospehs just trying to justify it with us, he's already chosen.

 

[Fred]

Haha, could be.