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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "ETH/BUS 301-1"
COURSE NAME: "Business Ethics"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2024
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Steven Joseph Woodworth
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 4:30 PM 5:45 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
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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.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course is divided into the following parts:
--- Part I [week 1]: Introduction and what we are doing when we do business ethics.
--- Part II [weeks 2 to 7]: The justification of markets and business practices, and the relation between policy, business, and justice.
--- Part III [weeks 8 to 14]: Various topics in business ethics, including compensation, advertising, fair pricing, meaningful work, globalization, and corporate culture.
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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.
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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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. | 20 |
| 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 |
| Short essays | I will assign two short essays throughout the semester, each of which can be thoroughly answered in four to six paragraphs. The questions will be released at the end of weeks 2 and 10; your essay will be due one week later. The essays are worth 10% each; they constitute important practice for the exam. | 20 |
| Midterm exam | There will be a midterm exam in week 7 covering material from the first half 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 |
| 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. | 20 |
-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.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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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
Monday 09/02: Introduction to the course: what is business ethics and why study it?
Wednesday 09/04: Objectivity in ethics and some examples of corporate malfeasance
--Elaine Sternberg, "Ethical Misconduct and the Global Financial Crisis"
Week 2
Monday 09/09: The aim of the corporation: profit
--Milton Friedman, "The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits"
Wednesday 09/11: The normative 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
Monday 09/16: 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
Wednesday 09/18: Corporate social responsibility
--Archie B. Carroll, "The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders"
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH: SHORT ESSAY #1 DUE
Week 4
Monday 09/23: 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"
Wednesday 09/25: Comparing different frameworks for incorporating stakeholders into business decision making
--Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer, "Creating Shared Value: How to Reinvent Capitalism–and Unleash a Wave of Innovation and Growth"
--Marc A. Cohen, "Reconstructing the Moral Logic of the Stakeholder Approach and Reconsidering the Participation Requirement"
Week 5
Monday 09/30: The Market Failures Approach
--Joseph Heath, "A Market Failures Approach to Business Ethics"
Wednesday 10/02: Market virtues
--Debra Satz, Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale: The Moral Limits of Markets, chapter 1: "What Do Markets Do?"
Week 6
Monday 10/07: The moral limits of markets
--Debra Satz, Why Some Things Should Not Be For Sale: The Moral Limits of Markets, chapter 4: "Noxious Markets"
Wednesday 10/09: 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"
Week 7
Monday 10/14: Review and Discussion
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16TH: IN-CLASS MIDTERM EXAM
Week 8
Monday 10/21: 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"
Wednesday 10/23: Meaningful work
--Anca Gheaus and Lisa Herzog, "The Goods of Work (Other Than Money)!"
Week 9
Monday 10/28: Universal basic income
--Juliana Bidadanure, "The Political Theory of Universal Basic Income"
Wednesday 10/30: Whistleblowing and employee loyalty
--Ronald Duska, "Blowing the Whistle on Fellow Professionals"
--Robert A. Larmer, "Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty"
Week 10
Monday 11/04: CEO compensation
--Jeffrey Moriarty, "Do CEOs Get Paid Too Much?"
Wednesday 11/06: Pay secrecy
--Jeffrey Moriarty, "Against Pay Secrecy"
Week 11
Monday 11/11: 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"
Wednesday 11/13: Advertising and social media
--Vikram R. Bhargava and Manuel Velasquez, "Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction"
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH: SHORT ESSAY #2 DUE
Week 12
Monday 11/18: Price discrimination
---Juan M. Elegido, "The Ethics of Price Discrimination"
Wednesday 11/20: Global capitalism
--Nicholas Freudenberg, At What Cost: Modern Capitalism and the Future of Health, chapter 1: "The Changing Face of US and Global Capitalism"
Week 13
Monday 11/25: Education and the market
--Nicholas Freudenberg, At What Cost: Modern Capitalism and the Future of Health, chapter 3: "Education: Private Capital Goes to School"
--Jamie Merisotis, "The Real Cost of Education – for Students, Families, and the Nation"
Wednesday 11/27: 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
Monday 12/02: Moral motivation and business culture
--Joseph Heath "Business Ethics and Moral Motivation: A Criminological Perspective"
--recommended: Edgar H. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership, chapters 1 and 2
Wednesday 12/04: Course review and recap
WEEK OF DECEMBER 9TH TO 13TH: FINAL EXAM
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