Standard

Posted: 06/20/05

MSD 113 – Business Ethics

Course Description

Provides students with an overview of business ethics and ethical management practices, with emphasis on the process of ethical decision-making and working through contemporary ethical dilemmas faced by business organizations, managers and employees. The course is intended to demonstrate to the students how ethics can be integrated into strategic business decisions and can be applied to their own careers. The course uses a case study approach to encourage the student in developing analytical, problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills. Topics include: An overview of business ethics; moral development and moral reasoning; personal values, rights, and responsibilities; frameworks for ethical decision-making in business; justice and economic distribution; corporations and social responsibility; corporate codes of ethics and effective ethics programs; business and society: consumers and the environment; ethical issues in the workplace; business ethics in a global and multicultural environment; business ethics in cyberspace; and business ethics and the rule of law.

 

Competency Areas

Hours

An Overview of Business Ethics

Class

5

Moral Development and Moral Reasoning

D. Lab

0

Personal Values, Rights, and Duties

P. Lab/O.B.I.

0

Frameworks for Ethical Decision-Making in Business

Credit

5

Justice and Economic Distribution

 

 

Corporations and Social Responsibility

 

 

Corporate Codes of Ethics and Effective Ethics Programs

 

 

Business and Society

 

 

Consumers and the Environment

 

 

Ethical Issues in the Workplace

 

 

Business Ethics in a Global and Multicultural Environment

Business Ethics in Cyberspace

Business Ethics and the Rule of Law

 

 

 

 

 


Prerequisite:

Provisional admission

Corequisite:

None 

 

Course Guide

 

Competency

After completing this section, the student will:

Hours

Class

D.Lab

P.Lab/

O.B.I.

AN OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS ETHICS

7

0

0

Epistemology

Describe fundamental concepts in contemporary ethics such as individualism and community.

 

 

 

 

Describe the theory of two ethics.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the foundations of individual behavior and behavior shaping.

 

 

 

 

Trace the development of historically significant systems of ethical values such as ancient Greek axiology, rationalism, humanism, utilitarianism, individualism, and Marxism.

 

 

 

 

Compare and contrast the ethical philosophies of rationalism, humanism, utilitarianism, and Marxism.

 

 

 

MORAL DEVELOPMENT AND MORAL REASONING

3

0

0

Ethics and power

Discuss the relationship of ethics and power to personal integrity and simplicity.

 

 

 

Ethical concepts

Describe the ethical concepts of pleasure, altruism, duty, the will of God, and the right of action.

 

 

 

 

Compare and contrast contemporary and traditional axiologic belief systems.

 

 

 

PERSONAL VALUES, RIGHTS, AND DUTIES

2

0

0

Individual values

List the characteristics of personal values.

List the types of personal values.

 

 

 

Attitudes

Describe the importance of attitudes in an ethical belief system.

 

 

 

 

Describe the impact of experience and relationships on the formation of personal values.

 

 

 

 

Describe the impact of experience and relationships on the formation of personal values.

 

 

 

Levels

List the three levels of morality.

 

 

 

Stage theories

Describe stage theories of moral development.

 

 

 

Mental health

Discuss the fundamental nature of mental health in terms of ethical behavior norms.

 

 

 

 

Describe the nature of the ethical relationship between individuals and society.

 

 

 

Vocational manifestations

List past and present examples of the effects of ethics in the workplace.

 

 

 

FRAMEWORKS FOR ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING IN BUSINESS

5

0

0

Ethical relationships

Discuss the relationship between the firm and the employee.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the relationship between the firm and the environment.

 

 

 

 

Evaluate arguments for and against social responsibility.

 

 

 

JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION

5

0

0

Ethical problem solving and decision making

Outline the process for ethical analysis and decision making.

 

 

 

 

Identify misleading claims in advertising, working conditions, workforce reductions, and the environmental impact of products.

 

 

 

CORPORATIONS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

5

0

0

Ethical beliefs

Define ethical relativism.

 

 

 

 

Define eternal law.

 

 

 

 

Define universalism.

 

 

 

 

Describe the concept of distributive justice.

 

 

 

 

Explain the foundations of personal liberty.

 

 

 

 

Debate ethical problems for moral reasoning.

 

 

 

CORPORATE CODES OF ETHICS AND EFFECTIVE ETHICS PROGRAMS

6

0

0

The total ethical organization

Discuss the impact of planning on managerial behavior.

 

 

 

 

Evaluate solutions to the structural causes of unethical behavior.

 

 

 

 

Summarize the ethical responsibilities of senior management.

 

 

 

 

Describe methods for creating an ethical organization.

 

 

 

 

Describe methods of fostering ethical behavior in organizations.

 

 

 

 

Discuss the law and ethics as parallel systems of social control.

 

 

 

BUSINESS AND SOCIETY: CONSUMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

2

0

0

Common characteristics

List the five characteristics common to all peoples.

 

 

 

Death of ethics

Discuss the seven deadly sins of ethical decay in modern society.

 

 

 

Behavior

Develop guidelines for developing ethical behavior.

 

 

 

ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE

3

0

0

Organizational ethics

Discuss the foundations of organizational ethics.

Describe the social values continuum.

 

 

 

Leadership ethics

Discuss the relationship between effective leadership and ethics.

 

 

 

 

Compare the prurient ethics of the workforce and employers.

 

 

 

BUSINESS ETHICS IN A GLOBAL AND MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

 

 

 

Global and cultural ethical differences

Discuss the effect of ethical differences on business

0 

BUSINESS ETHICS IN CYBERSPACE

1

0

0

 Internet business concerns

Discuss the effect of the internet on business ethics

 

 

 

MANAGERIAL ETHICS AND RULE OF LAW

5

0

0

Law and ethics

Define law.

Discuss the function of law as a guide to moral choice and judgment.

 

 

 

 

Describe the relationship between the law and moral standards as they pertain to individual processes, group processes, political processes, and social processes.

 

 

 

 

Suggested Resources

 

Books

 

Cederblom, J., & Dougherty, C. J. (1990). Ethics at work. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

French, P., et al. (1992). Corporations in the moral community. Ft. Worth: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

Hosmer, L. T. (1991). The ethics of management (5th ed.). Homewood, IL: Irwin.

Manning, G., & Curtis, K. (1988). Ethics at work: Fire in a dark world. Cincinatti: South-Western.

Sturdivant, F. A., & Vernon-Wortzel, H. (1990). Business and society: A managerial approach (4th ed). Homewood, IL: Irwin.