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BUS 4438 BUSINESS ETHICS

COURSE SYLLABUS – FALL 2012

Course Period:

Mondays 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Sept. 10 - Oct. 22

Instructor: Mark D. Reno

Contact Info: [email protected]

Classroom: 2R07

Office: It is best to arrange an

to the demands of business management. We will analyze select readings and case studies

to explore key ethical principles and the various ways in which business practitioners and

ethical theorists address the issues that commonly arise in the business world.

OBJECTIVES

 to enhance students ethical awareness and appreciation of the complexity of ethical

decision making in business organizations

 to develop students' analytical skills for understanding and resolving ethical issues

 to facilitate student self-understanding of themselves as ethical agents

and approaches

 demonstrate an ability to identify and analyze ethical issues, conflicts, and

responsibilities in business contexts

 construct and communicate rational, responsible, and realistic responses to ethical

issues

 demonstrate a critical awareness of their own values and morality

Students will exhibit this through

 pre-class preparation and substantive contribution to class discussions and activities

 develop skills to analyze, assess, and address ethical conflicts and dilemmas in

business cases

 comprehend the need for ethics in business and three key ethical approaches

 develop a clear sense of one's own moral obligations and personal responsibilities in

pursuing a career and the factors that will challenge and change one's moral compass

 acquire courage to make principled choices in the face of ethical challenges

COURSE READING MATERIAL

“Know yourself” (forecourt inscription, Temple of Apollo at Delphi)

“Critical Thinking for Business Ethics” - Kissick Text, 27-40

“Advertising is Too Prevalent” - Rusking & Schor

“Advertising is Not Too Prevalent" - Wall Street Journal

“An Introduction to Stakeholder Analysis” - Kissick Text, 43-59

“Conflicts of Interests in Subprime Mortgages and at Enron" - Desjardins

Address the case discussion questions.

Attendance at all sessions in this course is mandatory. Circumstances may arise which

make it impossible for you to attend; for example, if you are unable to attend a class due to

health-related reasons. As a matter of professional courtesy, I expect you to inform me

about your absence in advance. There is no way to make up your contributions for a

missed class. Under University regulations, the professor can determine at what point

absenteeism has become excessive and thus can prevent you writing the final exam

(www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/exam/attend.pdf ). If you miss 30% or more of the

Scholastic Offense Policy in the Western Academic Calendar. Plagiarism is a major

academic offence. All submitted work, including essays, assignments, exams, and

reports, must be the student's own work or must accurately reference any and all ideas or

quotations used from other sources, including internet sources.

All required work may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the

commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the

detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted will be included as source documents in the

reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently

Development Services (see http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/ssd/).

Effective contribution to the learning environment incorporates a variety of behaviors:

 Preparation – your contributions should demonstrate that you have read the

materials carefully and have come prepared with thoughtful questions and reactions.

 Critical Thinking – your contributions should demonstrate an ability to analyze the

core ideas and practices and you articulate the underlying assumptions.

 Reasoning – you should use evidence and logic in shaping arguments and your

comments should be on topic and make the point concisely (i.e., you should not

 Respect – your demeanor in the classroom should reflect respect for the professor,

guests, and your classmates. Computers should be used only for purposes directly

relevant to the tasks at hand (e.g., looking up background information or checking

 Professionalism – your contribution to the class is about more than what you say; it

is about your attitude to the learning process, your willingness to engage with the

material, and accepting personal responsibility for the progress of the class. Some of

the issues that we will discuss in class may prove to be sensitive to some of your

peers. It is imperative that you respect the positions taken by others, even while

disagreeing with them. Derogatory comments and off-colour jokes or jibes will not

be tolerated in the class.

for the class by engaging in a conversational tone that opens up avenues of exploration

and shows respect for the opinions and positions of others while not necessarily

agreeing with them.

understanding of the relevant issues arising from the material. Your comments reveal

an understanding of the relationship or connections among the core concepts. You

need to be more concise or precise in details and more careful in articulating

arguments. You give intelligent and intelligible responses to the core issues and to

positions taken by other students.

early departure, and frequently leaving class for short periods compromises the

learning the learning environment for yourself and others and will result in this grade

for a given day. Rude or disruptive behaviour in the large or small group work will

also garner this grade.