non-priv users cannot run who -r to get the run level, causes the oracle db install to fail

non-priv  users cannot run  who -r to get the run level, causes the oracle db install to fail

I'm not sure how the oracle installer checks for the run level, but a simple " who -r "

run as the oracle user returns nothing on this particualr system.

root@qipdb2:/export/home/oracle > who -r
   .       run-level 3  Jan 27 22:06     3      0  S
root@qipdb2:/export/home/oracle >
root@qipdb2:/export/home/oracle > su - oracle
Sun Microsystems Inc.   SunOS 5.10      Generic January 2005
mesg: cannot change mode
$ who -r
$

This is a server that I did not build or maintain, so I do not know if this is from a security setting.