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Commercial ethics questionnaire for Selling interactions
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1.
Which statement is closer to your core belief:
“My role is to secure the maximum value for my organisation in commercial transactions regardless of whether the transaction is fair for the other party"
Or
“My role is to ensure all transactions I am involved in are first and foremost, ethical, transparent and fair”
(Required.)
Statement 1
Statement 2
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2.
Do you believe that commerce and ethics can be perfectly combined so there is no conflict?
(Required.)
Yes
I believe that they can be combined so that there is minimal conflict
I believe that they can be combined, however a conflict is inevitable
No
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3.
Which view of commercial negotiations is closest to you own personal view:
(Required.)
A war to be fought, with one winner
A game of tactics, of cat and mouse where the smartest operator makes the most gains
A mutual discussion to ensure a win / win outcome with fair distribution of gains
A process to be avoided where possible
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4.
To what extent do you believe bluffing / lying is acceptable in commercial negotiations?
(Required.)
Yes, it's all part of the game of negotiation
Yes, but only in exceptional circumstances
No, it's not acceptable
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5.
When discussing a proposal, If your commercial partner did not spot a mistake that was in you favour, would you bring it to their attention?
(Required.)
Yes
No
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6.
How comfortable do you feel in using "under the radar" methods that oblige others so that you win a better deal for your organisation? (e.g. giving a gift / help in advance of a negotiation to ‘soften’ the other, managing / withholding information, flattery, painting a rosy future of co-operation etc)
(Required.)
I would not
Slightly uncomfortable
Neutral
Comfortable
I do this regularly
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7.
If you could set up a commercial deal which gained you a bonus of +10% of salary, but would result in an equivalent reduction in your commercial partner’s income, how likely would you to be to do it?
(Required.)
Definitely not
Probably not
Maybe
Probably yes
Definitely yes
8.
Which of the following behaviours have you seen from your counterpart in the buying-selling process?
Lying to get a better deal
Creation of false deadlines to get you to commit
Restricting access to decision makers to prevent free negotiation
Not delivering on agreements
Intentional use of wrong information to negotiate better terms
Rudeness or aggression
Over emphasising positives to get commitment
none of the above
9.
What dirty tricks / dubious practices have you seen in your career in the buying-selling process?
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10.
Do you think unethical behaviour has increased or decreased in business over the last 5 years?
(Required.)
Increased
Stayed the same
Decreased
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11.
Which profession do you think is most “ethical”?
(Required.)
Buying
Selling
They are both identical