JCU Logo

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "ETH/BUS 301"
COURSE NAME: "Business Ethics"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session II 2022
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Rikki Sue Abzug
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MTWTH 1:30 PM 3:20 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: One previous course in Philosophy or Junior Standing. Co-requisite: EN 110
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course examines some of the most important ethical issues in business today, such as businesses’ responsibilities to workers, consumers, and investors, the pros and cons of “free markets,” the challenges posed by environmental damage and automation, the ideas of “social” responsibilities and “ethical” consumption, and the special dilemmas faced by multinational businesses. Issues will be studied through a selection of contemporary cases, issues, arguments, and approaches, along with much class discussion, with the aim of helping students to develop a familiarity with the issues and debates and their ability to discuss, reflect on, and defend their own ethical views.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The discussions that animate this course will be augmented by experiential exercises, mini-lectures, topical free-writes, group work and presentations.  The course, meeting over 5 weeks of the summer, will tackle two textbook chapters per week interspersed with reflection memos and case analyses due during alternative weeks.  In turn, we will explore:
Week 1
Why Ethics Matter
Ethical Decision Making
Ethics From Antiquity to the Present
Week 2
Defining and Prioritizing Stakeholders
Three Special Stakeholders: Society, Environment and Government
Week 3
Impact of Culture and Time on Business
What Employers Owe Employees
What Employees Owe Employers
Week 4
Recognizing and Respecting the Rights of All
Professions Under the Microscope
Business Ethics in Italy
Week 5
Changing Work Environments and Future Trends
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1) Increase your awareness of the mutual ethical responsibilities existing between the contemporary business organization and its internal/external stakeholders

2) Analyze relevant cases along with positions and arguments regarding them

3) Analyze and employ broader theoretical approaches, concepts and debates in business ethics

4) Develop informed, reasoned positions regarding these issues and cases

5) Explain and analyze course material orally and in written form, both individually and in teams

6) Enable you to become critical of a powerful institution - Business - of which you are a part so that you can help to create positive change

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Business Ethics: Stephen M. Byars & Kurt StanberryOpenStax 13: 978-1-947172-57-9 We will also be reading: “Business Ethics in Italy: The State of the Art” by Mario Unnia in the Journal of Business Ethics, Jul. 1990, Vol., 9, No.7:551-554 https://assets.openstax.org/oscms-prodcms/media/documents/BusinessEthics-OP.pdf   
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Reflection MemosAt three separate points in the semester, students will be asked to dig deep inside to reflect on issues at the intersection of (personal) ethics and professions.30%
Case Studies/Analysis PapersAnalyzing business cases is important to apply your knowledge of class concepts to real life situations. The purpose of these analyses is to improve your ability to identify ethical issues, identify the stakeholders affected by the global operations of corporations, and to critically evaluate the ethical issues at hand and propose well-reasoned solutions per the ethical frameworks of utilitarianism, ethics of duties and virtue ethics as discussed in the text. 30%
Ethics Team Case PresentationThis is essentially a "business presentation" competition. Your overall goals are: to illuminate the financial, legal and ethical dimensions of the problem, and to recommend a solution (or analyze how a corporation handled a situation) that makes sense financially, legally and ethically. 15%
Presentation: An Italian Perspective On…For each of our substantive (and American) topic areas, students will be assigned individually or in groups (depending upon class size) to prepare and present a powerpoint slidedeck of that topic in Italian business context.10%
Final ExamAn in-class case analysis using the ethical decision making model15%

-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 course.
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:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
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

CLASS SCHEDULE Summer 2022

Week

Due Dates

Topics

Assignments

Chap-ters

1

7/5

Introductions

1

1

7/6

Why Ethics Matter/Ethical Decision Making

Reflection Memo

1

1

7/7

Ethics from Antiquity to the Present

2

1

7/8

Ethics from Antiquity to the Present

2

2

7/11

Defining and Prioritizing Stakeholders

Case: Walmart

3

2

7/12

Three Special Stakeholders: Society, the Environment, and Government

4

2

7/13

Three Special Stakeholders: Society, the Environment, and Government

4

2

7/14

Three Special Stakeholders: Society, the Environment, and Government

Reflection Memo

4

3

7/18

Impact of Culture and Time on Business

5

3

7/19

What Employers Owe Employees

Case: Gopher

6

3

7/20

What Employers Owe Employees

Technology and Privacy

6

3

7/21

What Employees Owe Employers

Team Case Proposal

7

4

7/25

Recognizing and Respecting the Rights of All

8

4

7/26

Professions under the Microscope: Marketing

8

4

7/27

Professions under the Microscope: Accounting

9

4

7/28

Business Ethics in Italy

Unnia

5

8/1

Changing Work Environments and Future Trends

Reflection Memo

10

5

8/2

Epilogue

11

5

8/3

Ethics Team Case Final Presentations

Presentations

5

8/4

Ethics Team Case Final Presentations

Presentations

5

8/5

Final Case Analysis

Final

 

This Schedule is Subject to Change


 

 

Appendix 1:

Business Ethics Team Competition

 

This is essentially a "business presentation" competition.  Teams should view themselves as members of a corporation, consulting company or the like speaking to a business audience (senior management of a specific company, executives representing an industry, etc.). Teams will be expected to specify their "business identity" and that of their audience before they begin the presentation.

 

Your presentation should last no longer than 10 minutes. Running long will be considered a serious weakness.  The presentation will be worth 15 points.

 

  • Executive Summary: You must prepare at least a one page handout that contains: the names of the speakers; an outline of your presentation; and a one or two paragraph summary of the content of your talk. Identify which particular group your audience should imagine themselves as (senior managers, etc.). Specify this on your handout and announce it at the start of your presentation. You may, of course, use any other handouts you desire.

 

  • Every member of your team must speak at some point during the presentation.

  

  • Barring unforeseen technical difficulties, you will have access to a computer system (with PowerPoint) that projects a large image onto a screen. Given the unpredictability of technology, you should be prepared to give a "low tech" version of your presentation.

 

  • We recommend that you think about your presentation in the following way:

 

    • You describe a problem that some business is facing, and you then propose a solution. Your description of the problem should include its business, legal and ethical dimensions. BE SURE TO EXPLAIN HOW THIS PROBLEM HAS AN ETHICAL DIMENSION. (See the section on "handling the ethical issues" below.) Explain how your solution: is legal, makes sense financially, and is ethically defensible. BE SURE TO EXPLAIN WHY YOUR SOLUTION IS ETHICALLY ACCEPTABLE.

 

Be certain that you are ultimately taking a position. That is, do not simply report on different ways that the issue can be regarded. If your team cannot agree about what position it should take, explain the majority and minority positions and set out the areas of differences.

 

Your overall goals are: to illuminate the financial, legal and ethical dimensions of the problem, and to recommend a solution (or analyze how a corporation handled a situation) that makes sense financially, legally and ethically.  Here are some suggestions for covering these three areas.

 

  • HANDLING THE FINANCIAL ISSUES. Identify the financial impact of the problem and the financial implications of the solution.  This isn't so much an exercise in detailed financial analysis (although feel free to do so, if you like that sort of thing) as much as an explanation of: how (and to what extent) the problem raises or lowers the company's costs or profits; how expensive your solution is; whether the company is in a position to afford your solution; and the like.

 

  • HANDLING THE LEGAL ISSUES.  Identify laws, regulations or court cases that effectively restrict what the company may do.  Obviously, significant fines or settlements are important financial issues.

 

  • HANDLING THE ETHICAL ISSUES. One-third of your score will depend on how well you handle the ethical dimensions of your case by applying the decision making model. You will be expected to operate within a framework that discusses ethics in terms of a) the tangible good and/or harm experienced by those affected (humans and, if appropriate, nonhumans) and b) the "rights" or fundamental moral principles involved. (in other words, the d.m.m. complete with tests for alternatives) This can be done by answering the following series of questions:
    • Does the problem/solution harm anyone?
    • Are there ways that those harmed (or others) are benefited in a way that justifies the harm? Does the good outweigh the harm?
    • In thinking about these benefits and harms, are you taking into account that some goods are qualitatively better than others and that some harms are qualitatively worse than others?
    • Completely apart from the tangible impact of the problem/solution on those affected, is everyone involved being treated appropriately? That is, are there specific "rights" or "duties" that are a part of this case that must be respected?  Is there a conflict of rights, duties or obligations? How should the conflict be handled?  Which ethical traditions are (or are not) operating here?

 


 

Business Ethics Team Competition Scoring Rubric:

Executive Summary

0

3

Professionalism of Presentation

0

3

Handling of Financial Issues

0

2

Handling of Legal Issues

0

2

Handling of Ethical Issues

0

5