Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 301-1"
COURSE NAME: "Business Ethics"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2017

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Annie Hewitt
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Junior Standing
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course considers some of the most important ethical issues in business today. Students will examine such issues as businesses’ responsibilities to shareholders, workers and consumers, the pros and cons of a "free market," the challenges raised by globalization and environmental destruction, the idea of "ethical" consumption, and the particular dilemmas faced by Western businesses working in foreign countries. Issues will be studied through a selection of contemporary cases, arguments, and broader theories, along with much class discussion, with the aim of helping students develop a familiarity with the issues and the ability to discuss and defend their own opinions.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

This course will be divided into two parts: in the first, we will explore three influential ethical theories: virtue ethics, deontology and utilitarianism. In the second, we will examine and analyze concrete questions in business ethics in light of these theories (e.g., Should companies be driven by anything other than the aim to increase profits? Should we be concerned about manipulative advertising? What (if any) are some compelling reasons to limit the free market? Do we have any obligations to the planet?). Throughout this theoretical and practical study, we will not only grapple with some of the very thorny issues that face businesses today, but more broadly, we will see what happens — and how to think clearly — when those principles we hold to be good and just intersect with the complex, messy world in which we live and act.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

To become familiar with ethical theories and their foundational principles and assumptions
To develop a sense of some of the most pressing issues and concerns that businesses, consumers, and society as a whole must confront today as they make choices about what to buy, where to work, whom to hire, etc.
To identify the competing interests within an ethical dilemma facing a business
To learn how to identify an argument, and to construct — through textual support and evidence — persuasive, thesis-driven arguments of one’s own
To become active, engaged and critical readers

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Ethics at Work	William Shaw (edited)	Oxford University Press	0195139429 or 978-0195139426
Justice	Michael Sandel	Farrar Straus & Giroux	0195139429 or 978-0195139426

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Class Participation (including presentation)		35
Midterm		20
Paper		20
Final		25

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cour
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
As attendance is 35% of each student's grade, it is very important to come to class, having done the reading, and with the required text in hand.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

WEEKLY Schedule (subject to change)

Part 1) 3 Influential Ethical Theories

Week 1: Introduction

Required reading

‘A Defense of Philosophical Business Ethics’ Roger Crisp (Ethics at Work, pp.1-15)

Additional resources:

‘On the Relevance of Political Philosophy to Business Ethics’ Jeffrey Moriarty, (Business Ethics Quarterly, 2005,15(3): 453-471) JSTOR
Sandel, Justice, ch 1
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Business Ethics, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-business/

Week 2: Virtue Ethics

Required reading:

Justice, Sandel, ch.8
‘Corporate Roles, Personal Virtues: An Aristotelean Approach to Business Ethics’ R. Solomon (Business Ethics Quarterly, 1992, 2(3): 317-339) JSTOR

Additional resources:

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (esp. Book II: http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.2.ii.html)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entry on Virtue Ethics http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/
BBC Ethics, Virtue: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/virtue.shtml
Podcast: J. Annas on Virtue Ethics: http://humstatic.uchicago.edu/philosophy/elucidations/Annas_VirtueEthics.mp3
G. Moore. “Humanizing Business: A Modern Virtue Ethics Approach.” Business Ethics Quarterly, vol. 15, no. 2, 2005, pp. 237–255. www.jstor.org/stable/3857679

Week 3: Deontology

Required reading:

Justice, Sandel, ch.5
N. Bowie, ‘A Kantian Approach to Business Ethics,’ http://www.chris-downs.f2s.com/BAM321/Assets/Kantian%20Approach%20to%20Business%20Ethics.pdf
M. Altman,’The Decomposition of the Corporate Body: What Kant Cannot Contribute to Business Ethics.’Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 74, no. 3, 2007, pp. 253–266. www.jstor.org/stable/25075463.

Additional resources:

Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Deontological Ethics, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/
BBC Ethics, Duty: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/duty_1.shtml
E. Micewski and C. Troy, ‘Business Ethics: Deontologically Revisited,’ (Journal of Business Ethics, 2007, 72(1):17-25) JSTOR

Week 4: Utilitarianism

Required reading:

Sandel, Justice, ch.2
‘Utilitarianism’ from EBEN Research Conference, https://ebeni.wordpress.com/decisions/theories/consequences/utiliarianism/

Additional resources:

Mill, Utilitarianism, http://www.utilitarianism.com/mill1.htm
G. Stigler, Tanner Lecture, ‘Economics and Ethics,’ http://tannerlectures.utah.edu/_documents/a-to-z/s/stigler81.pdf
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Utilitarianism, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/

PART 2) CONCRETE ISSUES IN BUSINESS ETHICS

Weeks 5: Is the overriding responsibility of a company greater profit?

Required reading:

J.R. Lucas, ’The Responsibilities of a Businessman’ (Ethics at Work, pp.15-31)
M Friedman, ‘The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits’,http://www.colorado.edu/studentgroups/libertarians/issues/friedman-soc-resp-business.html
Response to Friedman: http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2013/06/26/the-origin-of-the-worlds-dumbest-idea-milton-friedman/

Additional resources:

A. Carroll, ‘The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility’ http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/dunnweb/rprnts.pyramidofcsr.pdf

Week 6: Do we have obligations to the planet?

Required reading:

Hoffman, ‘Business and Environmental Ethics’ (Ethics at Work, pp. 166-78)
B. Swimme & T. Berry: ‘Prologue: The Story’ (The Universe Story)
D.T Max, ‘Green is Good’ (The New Yorker)

Additional resources:

J. Rauch, ’Will Frankenfood Save the Environment?’ (The Atlantic)

Week 7: Should everything be for sale?

Required reading:

Sandel, Justice, ch. 4
Nussbaum, ‘‘Whether for Reason or Prejudice’: Taking Money for Bodily Services’ (Journal of Legal Studies, 1998, 27(2): 693-723)

Additional resources:

Kenan Institute for Ethics, ‘Should there be a Market in Human Organs?’ http://kenan.ethics.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/GQ-Healy.pdf
Sandel, Tanner Lecture, http://tannerlectures.utah.edu/_documents/a-to-z/s/sandel00.pdf

Weeks 8: Review and Midterm

Week 9: Sharing Economies

Required reading:

Introductory article on sharing economies from Harvard’s Shorenstein Center (http://journalistsresource.org/studies/economics/business/airbnb-lyft-uber-bike-share-sharing-economy-research-roundup)
Case study: Uber
Case study: Airbnb

Weeks 10: Should we worry about manipulative advertising?

Required reading:

M. Phillips, ‘The Inconclusive Ethical Case Against Manipulative Advertising’ (Ethics at Work pp. 129-150)
R. Lippke, “The ‘Necessary Evil’ Defense of Manipulative Advertising" (Business & Professional Ethics, vol. 18, no. 1, 1999, pp. 3–20)

Additional resources:

E. Spurgin. “What's Wrong with Computer-Generated Images of Perfection in Advertising?” (Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 45, no. 3, 2003, pp. 257–268)

Week 11: Personal vs Corporate: values and image

Required reading:

Social media, political causes
Case study: Starbucks
Case study: Tim Cook and Apple

Additional resources:

Other cases to consider: Dominos Pizza, American Apparel, Whole Foods, Chick-fil-a

Week 12: Are sweatshops ever justifiable?

Required reading:

I. Maitland, ‘The Great Non-Debate Over International Sweatshops’ (Ethics at Work, pp.49-67)
Powell and Zwolinski, ‘The Ethical and Economic Case Against Sweatshop Labor: A Critical Assessment’ 2011, http://www.benjaminwpowell.com/scholarly-publications/journal-articles/powell-and-zwolinski-the-ethical-and-economic-case-against-sweatshop-labor.pdf

Additional resources:

Green America http://www.greenamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/whattoknow.cfm
D. Arnold & N. Bowie, ‘Sweatshops and Respect for Persons’ (Business Ethics Quarterly 2003, 13(2): 221-242)

Week 13: What are the benefits and drawbacks of privatization?

Required reading:

Judt ‘Ill Fares the Land’ New York Review of Books
Case study: Charter schools
Case study: Prisons

Additional resources:

Layne, ‘An Overview of the Privatization Debate’: http://www.optimumonline.ca/pdf/30-2/privatization.pdf
Applebaum, ‘How He and His Cronies Stole Russia’ (New York Review of Books)
Hayek, The Road to Serfdom

Week 14: Review & Final