UNIVERSIDAD DE ESPECIALIDADES ESPIRITU SANTO
INTERNATIONAL CAREERS PROGRAM
SYLLABUS
CLASS: Business Ethics CODE: GER 378
BIMESTER:
Spring I 2005
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITE(S): NONE
1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Course designed to provide the student with tools to understand the different ethical issues faced by modern business.
WEEK
PAGES
1-1
DWC, 1-11
R, Ch. 1
1-2, 1-3
1-4
R, Ch. 2, Ch. 6
DWC, 396-398
Total: 60
2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
R, Ch. 7, Ch. 8
R, Ch. 9, Ch. 10
DWC, 61-70
DWC, 106-111
DWC, 112-118
Total: 73
3-1
3-2
3-3
3-3
DWC, 98-100
DWC, 432-457
R, Ch. 13 (8)
DWC, 71-82
3-4
3-4
DWC, 424-428
DWC, 399-409
Total: 65
4-1
Total: 198
4-2
DWC, 33-38
DWC, 38-48
DWC, 49-60
DWC, 142-149
DWC, 244-251
DWC, 252-268
4-3
4-4
5-1
5-2
DWC, 20-32
DWC, 238-243
Total: 80
5-3
DWC, 193-203
DWC, 203-209
DWC, 140-141
DWC, 192-193
Total:22
5-4
6-1
6-2
6-3
6-4
7-1
DWC, 541-550
DWC, 550-558
DWC, 522-541
Total: 39
DWC, 503-510
DWC, 486-500
Total: 23
DWC, 370-381
DWC, 381-390
2. CLASS SCHEDULE
TOPIC
AN INTRODUCTION TO ETHICAL REASONING
ASSESSMENT
Analysis of readings
Ethical Theories
Ethical relativism and ethical egoism
Case: What Price Safety?
Consequentialist views: utilitarianism
Deontological views: Kant
“A Kantian Approach to Business Ethics” (Bowie)
“Is Business Bluffing Ethical?” (Carr)
“The Business of Ethics” (Gillespie)
Quiz # 1
Analysis of readings
Case: Italian Tax Mores
Case: Levi-Strauss& Co: Global Sourcing
Aretaic views: Aristotle and virtue ethics
“Corporate Roles, Personal Virtues: An Aristotelean Approach” (Solomon)
Rights-based views
“The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights”
Case: W.R. Grace & Co. and The Neemix Patent
Analysis of readings
Mid-Term
Quiz
Exam
ETHICAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS - Corporate Responsibility
“The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits” (Friedman)
“Stakeholder Theory of the Modern Corporation” (Freeman)
“Business Ethics and Stakeholder Analysis” (Goodpaster)
Case: Dorrence Corporation Trade-Offs
“Does Business Ethics Make Economic Sense?” (Sen)
“Can Socially Responsible Firms Survive in a Competitive Environment?”
(Frank)
Case: H.B. Fuller in Honduras: Street Children & Substance Abuse
Case: Merck & Co., Inc.
PROPERTY, PROFIT, AND JUSTICE
“Distributive Justice” (Rawls)
“The Entitlement Theory” (Nozick)
Case: Plasma International
Case: The Oil Rig
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS ISSUES - Environment
“Scarcity or Abundance?” (Simon)
“The Natural Step” (Warren and Larson)
Case: Shell & Nigerian Oil
CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS ISSUES - Marketing:
“Persuasive Advertising, Autonomy, & the Creation of Desire” (Crisp)
Case: Fingerhut’s Price Strategy
Quiz # 2
CORPORATIONS, PERSONS, AND MORALITY - Diversity
“Management Women and the New Facts of Life” (Schwartz)
“White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See
“
“
Analysis of readings
“
Quiz
Analysis of readings
GER 378 Business Ethics – Professor Maureen Rase – Spring I, 2005
7-2
DWC, 364-370
Total: 29
7-3
DWC, 335-342
DWC, 323-335
Total: 19
Total: 212
8-1
8-2
Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies” (McIntosh)
Case: The Case of the Unequal Opportunity
CORPORATIONS, PERSONS, AND MORALITY - Whistleblowing
“Whistleblowing and Professional Responsibilities” (Bok)
Case: The Aircraft Brake Scandal
(Optional) Movie: The Insider
“
Exam
Final
Grades
3. WORKLOAD BREAKDOWN
ASSIGNMENT
Reading the text, case studies
Preparation for tests and quizzes
Research
ALLOTTED HOURS
60
30
6
TOTAL: 96 HOURS
4. METHODOLOGY
The format of this course will include lecture, class discussion, case studies, student presentations and research projects.
Participation and attendance
Quizzes/cases
25%
25%
5. EVALUATION
Mid-term exam 25%
Final exam
25%
6. CLASSROOM POLICIES
A) Examinations and quizzes will cover all material covered during class time plus the assigned readings (whether or
not explicitly covered in class lectures). There will be no late exams or quizzes without prior approval from the
instructor and, in the case of an exam, the Administrative Director. However, when a student makes up an exam or
quiz, he/she will be evaluated over 85% of total points as opposed to 100%. In other words, late assignments will
receive a maximum of 85% of the grade.
B) Periodically, writing assignments pertaining to the readings will be given. Late writing assignments will be
assessed a 30% late penalty for the first day late, with 10% for each additional day.
C) Attendance and participation are essential to this course. You are expected to be here both physically and mentally.
Read all assigned material in order to participate fully in class discussions. Participation includes the quality of
participation, attentiveness, preparation, and the timely completion of all work. Participation will be evaluated by the inclass completion of activities. In-class activities may not be made up. Your grade for class participation may also
include oral reports.
D) Students will show respect for the thoughts, ideas and contributions of others and will demonstrate mutual respect by
arriving on time, being involved in the class, listening attentively, and by eliminating outside distractions (cell phones,
side conversations, comings and goings, etc.).
E) While research is not only encouraged but required, it is academic dishonesty to copy someone else’s work and
present it as your own. This includes information found on the internet. Anyone doing so will receive zero points for
that assignment, and the incident will be reported to the administration.
DWC
7. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Thomas Donaldson, Particia H. Werhane, and Margaret Cording (Eds.), Ethical Issues in Business: A
Philosophical Approach, 7th Ed, Prentice-Hall, 2002.
R
James Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 4th Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2003.
Databases: http://search.epnet.com and http://www.blackwellpublishing.com
8. TEACHER INFO
Instructor: Maureen Rase
B.A. French and Spanish, Western Kentucky University; M.B.A. in International Business, Temple University
Office Hours: By appointment, Email: mrase@uees.edu.ec
Created on 21/02/2005 8:27
Modified on 19/03/2005
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