Chabot College
Fall 2007
Course Outline for Business 50H
PRACTICAL BUSINESS ETHICS
Catalog Description:
50H - Practical Business Ethics
1 unit
Examination of real-world ethical issues in the business environment. Includes exploration of
personal ethics, review of contemporary business ethics issues, and development of approaches to
resolving ethical dilemmas. 1 hour.
[Typical contact hours: 17.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Identify the sources of personal ethics;
2. articulate his or her personal ethics;
3. distinguish between personal and corporate ethics;
4. critically review corporate ethics codes;
5. define common business ethics issues
6. develop a personal decision-making model for business ethical dilemmas;
7. resolve on-the-job ethical issues using an analytical process.
Course Content:
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Contemporary issues in business ethics
Forces that shape ethical behavior
Corporate or office ethics vs. personal ethics and values
Corporate ethics codes
Personal ethics statements
Technology and ethical issues
Communication and ethical issues
Supervisor/employee ethical issues
Office relationship ethical issues
Decision-making models for ethical behavior
Methods of Presentation:
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Lectures
Discussion
Oral presentations
Case studies
Videos
Guest speakers
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1. Typical Assignments:
a. Visit the Center for Ethics and Business Website at
http://www.ethicsandbusiness.org/stylequiz.htm, and complete the Ethical Orientation
Questionnaire. Define a recent ethical dilemma you’ve faced. Write a one-page paper that
describes your ethical orientation, and how that orientation influenced your decision about
how to resolve your ethical dilemma.
Chabot College
Course Outline for Business 50H, Page 2
Fall 2007
b. View the movie “Erin Brockovich”. Compose a two-page paper that identifies one business
ethics issue in the movie, and then apply your personal decision-making model to resolve
that issue.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
a. Quizzes
b. Oral presentations
c. Personal ethics statements and decision-making model
d. Examinations
e. Final examination
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Ethics in Business, Carole Bennett, South-Western Thomson Learning, 2003.
Ethics in Business, Robert B. Maddux and Dorothy Maddux, Crisp Publications, 1989.
Special Student Materials:
None
jn 08/06
revised 10/17/06
BUS 50H course outline