Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "ETH/BUS 301-1"
COURSE NAME: "Business Ethics"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2025

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Steven Joseph Woodworth
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 6:00 PM 7:15 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: by appointment

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:

Readings and topics, in general, fall into one of the following categories:

--- Discussion of what we are doing when we do business ethics.

--- The justification of markets and business practices, and the relation between public policy, business, and justice.

--- Various topics in business ethics, including compensation, advertising, fair pricing, meaningful work, globalization, and corporate culture.

--- Case studies of ethically noteworthy corporate conduct and policy, good and bad.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this course you will:
--- gain proficiency in the tools and techniques of ethical theory, especially as applied to topics of business and the market;
--- deepen your understanding of what markets are and when they are ethically problematic;
--- come to recognize, articulate, and analyze ethical challenges facing business managers, employees, and consumers;
--- develop a solid grasp of the main existing frameworks for ethical decision-making within a managerial, business environment;
--- cogently express your thoughts pertaining to the course material orally and in written forms, in both individual and group contexts.

TEXTBOOK:

NONE

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Course participation	Classes will involve a mixture of lectures, seminar discussions, small group work, debates, and other activities. The emphasis will be on helping you to develop your own opinions and arguments and your ability to discuss them with others, as well as your understanding of the materials, issues, and relevant ethical concepts and arguments. Your active involvement in discussions and other class activities, based on adequate preparation outside class, is essential.	15
Reading questions	Prior to the beginning of each week I will release one to three reading comprehension questions for each of the assigned texts. Your answers are to be turned in on Moodle before the beginning of the class in which we will discuss the text. Note that no credit will be granted for late work falling under this category of exercise.	20
Midterm exam	There will be a midterm exam in week 6 covering material from the first part of the course. You will have to answer several short-form questions as well as produce a short essay. Possible questions for the essay will be provided to you a week in advance; on the exam you will be presented a small selection of these, from which you will answer one.	20
Presentation	You will be responsible for a short presentation to the class of the real-world ethical issue in business that you plan to examine in your paper. Presentations will occur on Thursdays in weeks 8, 9, and 10.	5
Paper	In your circa 1,500-to-2,000-word paper you will identify a real-world example of a business acting wrongly. Then, drawing on any of the ethical frameworks we will have encountered in class, you will construct an argument which identifies and explains the wrong –– why is it wrong? During your essay you will have to consider and respond to whatever might be said on the other side of the debate, and you will have to make recommendations of how the wrong might be corrected. The paper will be due at the end of week 11.	15
Final Exam	A final exam will take place during the designated exam week. While the exam will cover material from throughout the semester, it will be biased toward the second half. As on the midterm, you will have to answer several short-form questions as well as produce a short essay. Possible questions for the short essay will be provided to you during the last week of classes; on the exam you will be presented a small selection of these, from which you will answer one.	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 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:
Students are expected to come to class prepared for the day's material. It is highly recommended that Students attend all classes given that the material is comprehensive by nature. Attendance will be considered in your participation grade.

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 period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.

The University’s attendance policy is described in the catalogue. Persistent absence or tardiness usually precludes satisfactory performance in the course, and jeopardizes that part of the grade that is based on class presentation and participation. Students are expected to arrive to class on time; students are responsible for all material covered by the syllabus and/or discussed in class, whether or not they are actually present in class.

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

We'll try to follow the following schedule as much as possible this semester. Any changes will be communicated in class and as an announcement on Moodle.

Week 1

Introduction to the course

Objectivity in ethics and corporate malfeasance
---Elaine Sternberg, "Ethical Misconduct and the Global Financial Crisis"

Week 2

The aim of the corporation: profit
---Milton Friedman, "The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits"

The underlying foundations of Friedman's view
---Milton Friedman, "The Relation between Economic Freedom and Political Freedom" and "The Role of Government in a Free Society"

Week 3

Entrepreneurs and their role in determining the aim of the corporation
---"Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business" – A Reason debate featuring Milton Friedman, Whole Foods' John Mackey, and Cypress Semiconductor's T.J. Rodgers

Corporate social responsibility
---Archie B. Carroll, "The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders"

Week 4

Stakeholder theory
---R. Edward Freeman, Jeffrey S. Harrison, and Andrew C. Wicks, Managing for Stakeholders: Survival, Reputation, and Success, chapter 1: "Managing for Stakeholders"
---R. Edward Freeman, "Managing for Stakeholders: Trade-offs or Value Creation"

Case Studies and ESG
---Global History of Capitalism Project, "Nestlé's Corporate Reputation and the Long History of Infant Formula"

Week 5

Reconstructing and evaluating ethical frameworks
---Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer, "Creating Shared Value: How to Reinvent Capitalism–and Unleash a Wave of Innovation and Growth"

Working conditions and business ethics in an international context
---Li Wang and Robin Snell, "A Case Study of Ethical Issues at Gucci in Shenzhen, China"

Week 6

Review and Discussion

Midterm Exam

Week 7

CEO compensation
---Jeffrey Moriarty, "Do CEOs Get Paid Too Much?"

Whistleblowing and employee loyalty
---Ronald Duska, "Blowing the Whistle on Fellow Professionals"
---Robert A. Larmer, "Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty"

Week 8

The Market Failures Approach
---Joseph Heath, "A Market Failures Approach to Business Ethics"

Presentations (and further discussion of Heath)

Week 9

The Moral Limits of Markets
---Debra Satz, Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale: The Moral Limits of Markets, chapter 1: "What Do Markets Do?" and chapter 4: "Noxious Markets"

Presentations (and further discussion of Satz)

Week 10

Markets in reproductive labor
---Debra Satz, Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale: The Moral Limits of Markets, chapter 5: "Markets in Women's Reproductive Labor"
---Lizzie Cernik and Anastasiia Levchenko, "'I Just Want to Live': A Pregnant Surrogate in Ukraine Speaks Out"

Presentations

Week 11

Paternalism and the client-salesperson relationship
---James M. Ebejer and Michael J. Morden, "Paternalism in the Marketplace: Should a Salesman Be His Buyer's Keeper?"
---George Brockway, "Limited Paternalism and the Salesperson: A Reconsideration"

Advertising and social media
---Vikram R. Bhargava and Manuel Velasquez, "Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction"

Week 12

Global capitalism and tariffs
---Nicholas Freudenberg, At What Cost: Modern Capitalism and the Future of Health, chapter 1: "The Changing Face of US and Global Capitalism"
---John Maynard Keynes, "National Self-Sufficiency"

Boycotts and ethical consumerism
---Johanna Thoma, "On the Ethics of Boycotts"

Week 13

Managerial solutions, institutional solutions
---John R. Boatright, "Does Business Ethics Rest on a Mistake?"
---Jeffery D. Smith, "Moral Markets and Moral Managers Revisited"

Week 14

Moral motivation and business culture
---Joseph Heath "Business Ethics and Moral Motivation: A Criminological Perspective"

Course Review and Wrap Up

Week 15

Final Exam