EMBA: BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
TEXTBOOK: Business Ethics and Values: Individual,
Corporate and International Perspectives, 3/E, Colin Fisher & Alan Lovell,
2003, ISBN 1-273-65194-3
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The
course aims to help future managers to learn what to think in making an ethical
and responsible decision and develop good corporate citizens out of their firms.
Imparting the reasoning and analytical skills needed to use ethical concepts in
business decisions through increasing
an ethical awareness by endorsing the social responsibilities of businesses
will be based on;
* using integrative cases for discussion which put students in
a decision making position where ethical questions must be considered and
debated.
* encouraging debate on contemporary concerns such as
globalization, sustainability, social reporting, social performance, etc. in a
critical and international context.
* presenting
issues from multiple perspectives, reflecting the complex and
inter-disciplinary nature of the subject.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Up to date reading of the assignments and class
participation is essential in improving ethical decision making skills. Case
discussion reports will be 60% of the grade in addition to a midterm exam
accounting for the remaining 40%.
OUTLINE OF WEEKLY DISCUSSIONS:
WEEK 1: BUSINESS ETHICS MATTERS: WHAT IS IT AND
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
1.
Perspectives on business ethics and values
2.
Ethical issues in business
3.
Ethical theories and how to use them
WEEK 2: INDIVIDUALS' RESPONSES TO ETHICAL ISSUES
4.
Personal values in the workplace
5. Values
and heuristics
6.
Individual responses to ethical situation
7.
Whistleblower or witness?
WEEK 3: ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSES TO ETHICAL
ISSUES
8.
Corporate responsibility, corporate governance and corporate
citizenship
9.
Sustainability and the responsible corporation
10. Ethical conformance: codes, standards,
culture, leadership and
citizen power
WEEK 4: INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
11. Global and local values - and international business
12. Globalisation and
international business
13. Moral
agency at work and a modest proposal for affecting ethics in
business