Syllabus

Course number: 

BUS301

Course title: 

Business Ethics

Instructor: 

Elizabeth D. Scott

 

For office hours, office location, and contact information, visit the instructor's faculty website http://www.easternct.edu/personal/faculty/scotte/Index.htm

Textbook: 

Ethical Theory and Business, 8th edition, Beauchamp, Bowie, and Arnold

 

Other readings will be assigned during the semester.

Subscribe to at least two grammar podcasts, blogs, and/or Facebook groups: 

 

Grammar grater (http://minnesota.publicradio.org/tools/podcasts/grammar_grater.xml)

 

Grammar girl (http://www.qdnow.com/grammar.xml)

 

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (http://spogg.org/)

Subscribe to at least two ethics podcasts, blogs, and/or Facebook groups:

 

Ethics bites (http://www.open2.net/pod/ethics.xml)

 

Everyday ethics (http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/northernireland/ethics/rss.xml)

 

The Business Ethics Blog (http://www.businessethics.ca/blog/)

 

Ethics and Compliance Blog (http://www.ethicalleadershipgroup.com/blog/)

 

Ethics Blog (http://www.ruderfinn.com/corporate-public-trust/ethics/ethics-blog/)

This syllabus is not a contract, but instead a roadmap of where I hope to go during the semester.  It may change during the semester.  Listen in class and check Blackboard for changes.

Course Description

In this course, students who are already familiar with the core areas of business administration and the ethical issues faced in those areas will engage in writing intensive examination of classical and modern approaches to business ethics and exploration of their own moral values. 

Prerequisites

ACC    202     

Principles of Managerial Accounting

BUS     225     

Principles of Marketing

BUS     230     

Principles of Management

BUS     245     

Business Finance

BUS     260     

Operations Management

ENG  100, 100P, or 200  Writing

Course Objectives

To expose students to classical and modern approaches to business ethics and encourage them to explore their own moral values as they apply to business settings.

To enhance students’ abilities to recognize ethical issues when they arise in business settings.

To provide students practice in articulating, supporting, and defending their own moral values in the face of peer and institutional pressure.

To provide students practice in recognizing and understanding the moral values of others they may encounter in business situations.

To provide practice in writing tasks similar to those faced in business settings.

Grading Policies

Students will be graded based on their written and oral participation in class and their completion of several writing and peer review assignments each week. Because this course responds to current events and to writing needs identified during the semester, this syllabus does not establish the exact number and type of assignment. Students must attend class and check Blackboard regularly to stay abreast of course requirements.  There will be approximately 30 individual writing assignments over the semester, ten individual oral presentations (eight 1 minute, one 5 minute and one 15 minute), and five group presentations. Assignments may be based on a class activity – it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements to obtain any handouts or notes from a classmate.

Late written assignments will not be accepted. Students should pay close attention to assignment due dates.  Most assignments will be due during the week between classes.

If the student is unable to make a scheduled oral presentation, it is the student's responsibility to find 5 classmates willing to form an audience for the presentation outside of regular class time and to videotape the presentation in a way that allows it to be evaluated.

Each student will receive 5 free points for the semester. The student may apply them to missed assignments or to boost his or her grade.

Academic Integrity

All individual projects must be the work product of the individual who submits it. All group projects must be the work product of the group which submits it. All sources must be properly acknowledged. Quotation marks must surround any string of 4 or more words used verbatim from a source. Penalties, including failure in the course and recommended dismissal from the program, will be assessed upon violation of this policy.

Academic Services Center

Students are encouraged to use the support offered by the Academic Services Center located on the ground floor of the Library.  Tutoring, Math, Writing, and supplemental Advising Services are available for students in the Center at the following times: Sun. 2-9; M.-Th. 9-9, Fri. 9-5. (Closed Sat.) For further information call 465-4272 or check the ASC website at http://academicaffairs.easternct.edu/ASC-FAQs.html

 Disability Statement

If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of AccessAbility Services at 465-0189. To avoid any delay in the receipt of accommodations, you should contact the Office of AccessAbility Services as soon as possible. Please note that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from the Office of AccessAbility Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.

 

Course outline

 

Ethics Topic

Writing Topic

1/27/09           

Personal views of ethics

 

Instruction sheets, Procedures,

Policies

2/3/09

Utilitarianism and Stakeholder analysis

Chapters 1 & 2

Application letter, Reference letter, Resignation letter

2/10/09

Values and character

 

Job descriptions, contracts, performance appraisal, advertisement

2/17/09

Kantian ethics

 

Summary, analysis, comparison, decision memo

2/24/09

Justice and care

Chapter 10

Survey

3/3/09

Ethics in the workplace

Chapter 3

Speech, PowerPoint, Blog

3/10/09

Bad writing presentations

 

To Be Determined

3/17/09

Ethics in Accounting

Chapter 6

To Be Determined

3/31/09

Ethics in Finance

Chapter 6

To Be Determined

4/7/09

Ethics in Management

Chapter 4

Chapter 7

To Be Determined

4/14/09

Ethics in Marketing

Chapter 5

To Be Determined

4/21/09

Ethics in Operations

Chapter 8 (environmental issues, supply chain management)

To Be Determined

4/28/09

International issues

Chapter 9

To Be Determined

5/5/09

Final projects

To Be Determined

5/12/09

Final projects

 

To Be Determined