SM 131 BUSINESS, SOCIETYAND ETHICS
COURSE DESCRIPTION & SYLLABUS
FALL 2017
Version: October 6, 2017
Please take the time to read this entire course description and syllabus. We know
that it is very long but it is very important to your success in the course.
Welcome to Business, Society, and Ethics. Our aim is to make this course challenging
and rewarding. However, it is up to you to make the most out of the experience. If you
come well prepared to all lectures, discussions, and workshops; if you are eager to
participate in discussions - listening, asking, and commenting, BSE will be a memorable
and valuable course.
Course Objectives
There are several important learning objectives for Business, Society and Ethics. We
want all students at Questrom to:
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Become introduced to core business functions such as accounting, marketing,
operations and strategy and understand the issues underlying corporate
governance.
Understand the role of business in society by learning and applying different
theories of corporate social responsibility, sustainability and stakeholder
engagement;
Understand the relationship between business and ethical decision making,
and have a solid foundation for making ethical decisions in a business context.
Further, in this course we stress written and oral communication skills as essential to
effective participation in society and successful leadership. We stress logical reasoning as
an ingredient for sound analysis and rational business planning. Finally, you will be
introduced to teamwork, because at the heart of modern management is the need to
collaborate with others and to organize, motivate, and monitor teams of diverse people to
accomplish shared goals.
By the end of BSE, we expect you to have identified a core set of personal values that
will guide your decision-making going forward. In addition, we expect you to be able to
apply ethical frameworks to a variety of managerial decisions with ethical components.
You will be familiar with some of the language of management -- from accounting,
finance, marketing, operations management, and strategy. We expect you to have
developed professional writing and communication and learned how to view the world
from a managerial perspective.
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Course Content
The course is divided into three modules.
Module I: An Introduction to Business and Core Business Functions
In this module, students will be introduced to business and core business functions such
as accounting, finance, marketing, operations and strategy. In this module, you will be
introduced to key functions within a business, including accounting, finance, marketing,
operations, and strategy. You will also work in teams and conduct research on the
functional areas of an assigned public company. This project will culminate in two
graded presentation to the class.
Module II: Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Engagement
Making ethical decisions in a business context requires a solid understanding of the role
that business plays in society. In this module, we will examine current and historical
criticisms of business and how such criticism has given rise to the concepts of corporate
social responsibility, sustainability and stakeholder engagement.
Module III: Ethical Decision-Making
Business cannot function without smart, well-reasoned decision making. In this module,
you will develop a foundation for making ethical decisions in a business context. Central
to this objective is developing an understanding that ethics are comprised of behaviors,
skills, techniques and processes for making principled decisions. You will learn to
identify common management strategies, environmental factors, and social factors that
contribute to poor decision-making, as well as identifying management strategies and
contexts that increase good decision-making. You will also learn to apply common
ethical frameworks to decisions and how to voice your own values.
On a parallel track, and tied to the content, the course concentrates on building and
strengthening professional skills. The skills that the student begins to master in BSE are
skills that will be used and enhanced during her or his managerial career.
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You will work hard to enhance your written communication skills. You will have
several written assignments designed to hone your critical thinking and clarity in
writing.
You will also work on your presentation skills. You will be given the opportunity
to make two team presentations to the class.
You will be placed in collaborative learning situations.
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Course Communications
Our QuestromTools page (B1) will serve as our central communications link. We use the
website to post assignments and other course information. Students must check it
regularly.
Classes
Usually we meet four (4) times per week but sometimes five (5) times: one course-wide
lecture, two discussion sections, and one workshop. However, the schedule may vary, so
please consult your Syllabus and QuestromTools for any announcement about class.
Lectures
Lectures meet on Mondays and/or Wednesdays from 9:25 to 10:40a.m. (B1) unless
otherwise noted on the syllabus. We expect you to attend every lecture and we expect you
to arrive ON TIME. On time does not meet right when lecture starts. On time means
you are seated and ready before lecture begins. Lecture slides are posted to
QuestromTools after lecture but are not a substitute for attending lectures.
Discussion Sections
Discussion sections meet twice per week: Mondays/Wednesdays. Discussion sections
form the core of BSE and your discussion section instructor will provide valuable advice
during your first semester at Questrom. Therefore, you should get to know your instructor
and consider them your first resource for any information related to class. Please don't
hesitate to contact your instructor frequently. Attendance will be taken during discussion.
Team Workshop
Team Workshops are one hour long and meet on Fridays. You have been assigned to a
workshop according to your discussion sections. Your TA will run your workshop. The
Workshop is to develop and work on your teaming skills and presentation assignments.
Because you will receive substantive feedback on your team-building and presentation
skills during the Workshops, your grade on both the assignments and attendance will be
affected by absences during Workshops.
Evaluation and Grading
Your discussion section instructor will determine your grade based on the following:
50% Examinations:
1
6%
2
17%
3
27%
15% Writing Assignments:
Blog Post
5%
GVV Assignments 10%
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15% Class Participation
See discussion below
20% Team Presentations
1
5%
2
15%
Each section of BSE is graded independently on all items except exams, which are scored
and scaled across the course.
Computer Literacy
Each student is expected to have basic competency with word processing software (e.g.,
Microsoft Word or Google docs) and visual presentation software (e.g., Powerpoint,
Keynote, and Prezi).
Class Participation
As indicated earlier, discussion sections are the core of BSE. Given that we use the casemethod of teaching, we expect discussion sections to be truly interactive, with intense
participation by all students. Class participation is tracked every discussion.
Class participation is an essential ingredient in the learning process. We expect you to
learn by actively participating in discussions and by observing your classmates
participate. Neither activity is possible if you are absent; therefore, your presence in class
is vital. To participate actively, you must be well prepared. This means more than just
reading the assignments before coming to class. It means analyzing the issues ahead of
time. We urge you to use your team to prepare before coming to class.
Your instructor will use three criteria to evaluate class participation: the extent to which
you participate in the class discussion; the quality of that participation; and your
performance in in-class activities.
Quality is more important than quantity. We consider that you are participating well
when your comments reflect clear knowledge of the case and of the theoretical
background provided by lectures and readings. Additionally, to establish quality your
instructor will consider:
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the relevance of your comments to the topic,
the extent to which what you say is based on thoughtful interpretation of facts,
the clarity and depth of your reasoning,
your willingness to "think on the spot" and engage your professor and your
classmates in discussion, and
the degree to which you bring issues discussed earlier in the course and other
relevant experiences into our deliberations.
The degree to which you thoughtfully participate in in-class activities
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The degree to which you respect everyone's right to participate and have different
opinions in the discussions is absolutely critical to the success of the course.
Written Assignments
There are several written assignments during the semester. We expect you to organize
and communicate your ideas clearly and concisely and to present them in a professional
manner. These skills form the basis of effective case analysis. Late papers will be
marked down.
Please check QuestromTools for the details of these assignments.
Team Presentations
Learning how to work in teams is an important component of your Questrom experience
and you will be introduced to teaming in BSE. Therefore, at the beginning of the
semester we will assign you to a study team. We will arrange all teams using the
following ground rules:
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Each team should consist of 5-7 members.
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We prefer gender-balanced teams.
Teams are the students’ responsibility to manage. Efforts must be made to resolve team
issues internally. If after several attempts at internal resolution the team still needs help,
go first to your TA for advice before bringing the issue to the instructor. There are
resources outside of class, such as The Team Learning Center that can also provide
assistance to help resolve team issues. We hope that your team functions smoothly and
productively and we will do what we can to help. However, we cannot help unless you
ask us to do so. Please ask! Any change to team composition must be approved by the
instructor. Approval is rarely granted
There are two Team Presentations, please check QuestromTools of the details of those
assignments.
Exams
All exams are multiple choice and will be cumulative; that is, you can expect some of the
first exam’s material on subsequent exams. Exam schedules will only be modified for
religious observance and disability accommodations. There are no excuses for missing an
exam. Because of this, you should make no travel plans that conflict with the exam
schedule. Information about time and location of exams will be posted on
QuestromTools. The Final Exam schedule is produced by the Registrar’s Office and
faculty members have no control over that schedule. If you have any questions about the
time and date of the final exam, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
Teaching Assistants
Each BSE section has a teaching assistant. All TAs are Questrom undergraduates.
Teaching Assistants will sit in on your classes, monitor your attendance, track class
participation, run Friday workshops, and in general be available to help you succeed in
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BSE. TAs are there to help you; take advantage of their knowledge. But remember,
following the advice of your TA does not guarantee a good grade. Your instructor, not
your TA, assigns your grades.
Academic Guidance, Tutorial Assistance, and Administrative Issues
Most of us need some help from time to time. Please do not hesitate to ask, and ask
sooner rather than later. You should address any administrative questions to the
Undergraduate Programs Office. If your questions relate to course or other academic
issues, ask your instructor to assist you. Your instructor may refer you to the
Undergraduate Programs Office who can provide you with information about tutors and
other sources of help such as the LOCK Honorary Service Society. This group provides
tutorial assistance tailored to SM 131 students' needs. LOCK tutors are available
through the Educational Resource Center (Tel: 353-7077). The ERC provides tutors for
all Boston University undergraduates.
Accommodations of Disabilities
In keeping with University policy, any student with a disability who needs or thinks they
need academic accommodations must call the Office of Disability Services at 353-3658
or stop by 19 Deerfield Street to arrange a confidential appointment with a Disability
Services staff member. Accommodation letters must be delivered to your instructor in a
timely fashion (within two weeks of the date on the letter and not later than two weeks
before the first exam). Please note that accommodations will not be delivered absent an
official letter of accommodation.
Academic Conduct
Academic integrity is an essential component of your education. We cannot
overemphasize the importance of honesty and integrity in your work. Every member of
the Questrom School of Business is responsible for creating an ethical environment.
Therefore, we urge you to become thoroughly familiar with the University’s academic
conduct policy found at http://questromworld.bu.edu/acc/. We strongly urge you to read
the Code, and you will be expected to provide the Questrom Undergraduate Development
Office with an affirmation that you have indeed done so.
You should be aware that we expect you to abide by the Academic Conduct Code. In the
past, we have had unfortunate situations where students who did not abide by the code
received a failing grade in BSE and were subjected to a variety of additional sanctions.
We hope that no students will violate the Academic Conduct Code this year, but if we
discover that someone does, we will act accordingly. Academic dishonest injures the
integrity of the Program and angers faculty and your classmates.
Attendance
You are expected to attend every lecture, discussion, and workshop as well as certain
mandatory lectures conducted by the Undergraduate Academic and Career Development
Center (UDC). Absences are neither excused nor unexcused – they are simply absences.
Your first three absences (from discussion and workshop combined) are “no questions
asked” free absences. Each additional absence will lower your final course grade by two
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points. For example, six total absences (three beyond the three free absences) could
lower your course grade from 80 (B-) to 74 (C). You should be aware that it is possible to
fail the course because of excessive absenteeism. If unusual circumstances occur (e.g.,
the bird flu), the student should inform his or her instructor and consideration will be
given. Accommodations will be made for religious observances. An absence does not
remove your responsibility for the day's work, and the responsibility to make up for
missed classes is entirely yours.
Required Texts
1. Custom edition of Understanding Business by Nichels, McHugh and McHugh
2. Custom edition of Business & Society by Carroll, Brown and Buchholtz
The above texts are available at the BU Bookstore.
Module 1: Introduction to Business and Business Functions
Week 1
Wednesday, Sept 6: Lecture: Introduction to Business & Business Forms
1. Introduction to Questrom, Business and Business Forms, SM 131, Prof.
Fazendeiro
2. Welcome by the Undergraduate Academic and Career Development Center
(UDC)
Homework:
1. Read Chapter 1: The Business and Society Relationship, pp. 1-10 in Business &
Society by Carroll.
2. Read Chapter 5, How to Form a Business, pp. 118-134 in Understanding Business
by Nichels. You are only responsible for knowing about sole proprietorships,
general partnerships, corporations--C, B and S and limited liability companies.
3. Read Chapter 19, Using Securities Markets for Financing and Investing
Opportunities, pp. 270-278 in Understanding Business by Nichels.
Sept 6: Discussion
1. Introduction/ice breakers
2. Overview of course objectives, expectations and syllabus
3. Review business forms and conduct in-class research assignment
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the different ways in which to set up a for-profit business and the
considerations that affect which business form to choose.
2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different business forms from sole
proprietorships to conventional corporations to limited liability companies.
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3. Understand the function of the securities market and the advantages and
disadvantages of equity financing by issuing stock.
Sept 8: Workshop
What does Academic Integrity Mean? Part1
Presentation Attire
Navigating Questrom Tools
Week 2
Monday, Sept 11: Lecture: Corporate Governance
Guest Lecture from Dean Freeman on Corporate Governance
Homework:
Read Chapter 4, Corporate Governance and Foundational Issues, Business & Society by
Carroll.
Sept 11: Discussion
1. Discuss the Ethics in Practice Case in Chapter 4 of Business & Society by Carroll:
Excessive Director Compensation at Facebook?
2. Conduct in-class research on a particular company’s corporate governance.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the roles of shareholders, managers, board of directors and
employees in corporate governance.
2. Discuss board conflicts of interest, independence, diversity and the issue of
executive compensation.
3. Learn about the business judgment rule and the duties of care and loyalty.
September 13: Discussion
1. Discuss two recent articles on corporate governance.
2. Learn to write an effective blog in class.
Homework: Read the following articles found on-line:
1. What Uber’s Board Can Learn from Starbucks
http://fortune.com/2017/06/21/uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-board-starbucks/
2. Big McKesson Shareholder, Governance Expert Say the Opioid Crisis Should
Have Cost the CEO Some Bonus Pay
http://fortune.com/2017/07/10/mckesson-ceo-pay-opioid-teamsters/
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to write an effect blog that will be graded in response to a current
events article.
2. Discuss the recent corporate governance issues afflicting Uber and how Uber
should take lessons from Starbucks.
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3. Discuss whether it is possible for corporate boards to truly act independent from
the CEO when setting executive compensation.
September 15: Workshop
Team Building Exercise
Week 3
Monday, Sept. 18 Lecture: Introduction to Accounting
Guest Lecture by Professor Eddie Riedl on Accounting
Homework:
Read Chapter 17, Understanding Accounting and Financial Information, pp. 240-258 in
Understanding Business by Nichels.
Sept 18: Discussion
Review basic accounting principles and financial statements and conduct in-class team
exercise on accounting and de-brief.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn the meaning of important accounting terms such as managerial accounting,
annual reports, auditing and double-entry bookkeeping.
2. Learn about the three key financial statements of a business: the balance sheet,
income statement and statement of cash flows.
3. Learn and apply the basic accounting formulas of Assets = Liabilities +
Shareholder Equity and Net Profit= Revenues – Expenses.
Homework:
Review Chapter 17, pp. 240-258 from Nichels and review Professor Riedl’s lecture.
Wednesday, September 20: Mandatory UDC Seminar
Staff from the UDC will discuss what you need to know about academic resources at BU,
goal setting, study skills and satisfactory academic progress—all must attend this
seminar.
Sept 20: Discussion
More review of accounting principles and financial statements and conduct in-class
financial research on your team’s chosen company.
Learning Objectives:
1. Practice reading and interpreting financial statements by conducting a scavenger
hunt on select companies and determining revenues, profit, assets, liabilities.
2. Learn how to tell a story about a company by studying its income statement,
balance sheet and other selected financial performance.
3. Conduct in-class team research on your own company’s financial performance.
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September 22: Workshop
Creating a Team Compact
Week 4
Monday, Sept 25 Lecture: Introduction to Marketing
Guest Lecture by Professor Phyllis McGinnis on Marketing
Homework:
Read Chapters 13 and 14, Marketing: Helping Buyers Buy and Developing and Pricing
Goods and Services in Understanding Business by Nichels.
Sept 25: Discussion
Learn about the effective marketing strategy of Warby Parker.
Learning Objectives:
1. Define marketing and discuss how a company like Warby Parker segments and
targets its consumer market.
2. Understand the marketing mix and its four factors of product, price, place and
promotion (the 4 Ps) and discuss Warby Parker’s success over its largest rival
with respect to the 4Ps.
3. Learn how Warby Parker has created value for the consumer and differentiated
itself from other competitors.
Homework:
Read: Warby Parker Sees The Future of Retail,
https://www.fastcompany.com/3041334/warby-parker-sees-the-future-of-retail
Sept 27: Discussion
More on successful marketing: Beats headphones.
Homework:
Read: How Beats Tapped the Stories of Sport to Sell the Emotion of Sound
https://www.fastcompany.com/3042176/how-beats-tapped-the-stories-of-sport-to-sellthe-emotion-of-sound
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about how music moguls Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine used a creative mix of
branding, pricing and packaging to create the “must have” headphone.
2. Understand how Beats struck gold success with regard to the 4Ps and in
particular, discuss Beats’ pricing strategy.
3. Learn how Beats used celebrities and athletes to create brand awareness of its
headphones.
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September 29: Workshop
Discussion and skill building about creating a team presentation from Powerpoint slides
to delivery.
Academic Conduct Code discussion part 2
Week 5
October 2: Discussion
Presentation 1
October 4: Discussion
Presentation 1
October 6: Workshop
Team Learning Assistant registration and team building activity
Week 6
******No Lecture and No Discussion on Monday, October 9, Tuesday October 10
or Wednesday, October 11
***********Wednesday, October 11: Exam 1 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.*********
Workshop: October 13
Team Checkpoint
How to run an effect team meeting
Monday, October 16 Lecture: Process Analysis
Guest Lecture by Professor Robb Dixon on Process Analysis
Homework:
Read the Process Analysis Teaching Note found at QuestromTools/Resources/Additional
Readings and complete questions 1-6 at the end of the note, to be handed in
during discussion.
October 16: Discussion
The roles and duties of the Operations Manager; capacity management
In-class activity
Learning Objectives:
1. Perform a process with your peers.
2. Learn about and analyze an operation’s process by understanding what a process
does, how and why it does it, how effectively it works and how it might be
improved.
3. Define and apply key process analysis terms such as task time, queue time,
through put time, cycle time, capacity and capacity utilization.
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Homework:
Review the Process Analysis Teaching Note and Professor Dixon’s Lecture material.
October 18: Lecture: Operations Management
Guest lecture by Professor Dixon on Production and Operations Management
Homework:
Read Chapter 9, Production and Operations Management, Understanding Business by
Nichels.
October 18: Discussion
Review Process Analysis Questions 1-6 and De-brief the Puppets Exercise
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the 4 P’s of Operations: People, Place, Partnerships and Processes.
2. Learn about quality control and the difference between efficiency and
effectiveness of goods.
Homework:
Review Chapter 9 and the Process Analysis Note.
October 20: Workshop
Introduction to the Pardee Library resources
Week 8
Monday, October 23 Lecture: Strategy
Guest Lecture by Professor Jeffrey Furman
Homework:
Any readings on Strategy will be posted to QuestromTools B1Tab/Resources.
October 23: Discussion
Review lecture concepts on strategy and apply strategy frameworks to discuss and
analyze different theories behind Amazon’s strategy to acquire Whole Foods.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the goal of corporate Strategy and how it ties to other business
functions such as marketing, operations and accounting.
2. Understand how and why a firm’s internal and external environment affects its
strategy.
3. Learn and apply three widely used Strategy Frameworks known as: SWOT
Analysis, Porter’s Competitive Positioning Analysis and Porter’s Five Forces
Analysis to the acquisition of Whole Foods by Amazon.
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Homework:
Read: Amazon’s Whole Foods Strategy—It’s Not What you Think
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbloomberg/2017/06/23/amazons-whole-foodsstrategy-its-not-what-you-think/ - 90d0195a8223
Module 2: Corporate Social Responsibility
Wednesday, October 25 Lecture: Corporate Social Responsibility
Lecture by Professor Fazendeiro
Homework:
Read Chapter 2: Corporate Social Responsibility, Citizenship, and Sustainability in
Business & Society by Carroll.
October 25: Discussion
Review lecture concepts and assess Walmart’s corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the evolving meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and
learn about the Carroll Pyramid of CSR which encompasses economic, legal,
ethical and philanthropic components.
2. Understand traditional arguments both for and against CSR and learn about the
modern business case for CSR.
3. Discuss Walmart’s evolving corporate social responsibility and assess whether
Walmart is socially responsible.
Homework:
Read and discuss Case 1: Walmart: The Main Street Merchant of Doom and Case 2:
Walmart’s Labor Practices in Business & Society by Carroll.
October 27: Workshop
Storyboarding your presentation
Non-Business Presentations
Week 9
Monday, October 30: Mandatory UDC Seminar
The UDC will guide you through the registration process. This is a mandatory event
and all must attend.
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October 30: Discussion
Discuss the Body Shop Case and CSR
Learning Objectives:
1. Compare the CSR practices of the Body Shop to those at Walmart.
2. Assess how the Body Shop addresses the four (4) components of CSR and
whether there are there any tensions among these components.
3. Determine how companies can balance profitability with a deep commitment to
social causes.
Homework:
Read Case 3: The Body Shop: Poster Child of Early CSR Movement in Business &
Society, by Carroll.
Wednesday, November 1 Lecture: Stakeholder Theory
Lecture by Professor Fazendeiro
Homework:
Read Chapter 3: The Stakeholder Approach to Business, Society and Ethics in Business
& Society by Carroll.
November 1: Discussion
Assess Nike’s Stakeholder Management Regarding Sweatshop Allegations
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify Nike’s primary and secondary stakeholders.
2. Name and describe the five key questions that capture the essence of stakeholder
management and apply them to the Nike case.
3. Understand important stakeholder attributes and the steps to take for stakeholder
engagement. Did Nike live up to its corporate social responsibility?
Homework:
Read Case 15: Nike, Inc. and Sweatshops in Business & Society by Carroll
November 3: Workshop
Non-Business Presentations
Week 10
Monday, November 6: UDC Seminar-Academic Success Panel
This event is mandatory for students who have below a B- in SM 131.
November 6: Discussion
Assess Coke and Pepsi’s Stakeholder Management in India.
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1. Explain Coke and Pepsi’s primary and secondary stakeholders and what are their
stakes.
2. Name and describe the five key questions that capture the essence of stakeholder
management and apply them to the Coke and Pepsi case.
3. Take the perspective of at least one stakeholder in a discussion about whether
Coke and Pepsi lived up to their corporate social responsibility.
Homework:
Read Case 16: Coke and Pepsi in India: Issues, Ethics, and Crisis Management in
Business & Society by Carroll.
**********November 8: Exam 2: Module II************* 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
November 8: Discussion
Watch during class a video by behavioral economist Dan Ariely called “Our buggy moral
code” and debrief.
Learning objectives:
1. Learn about the Rational Decision-making model.
2. Learn the ways in which the behavior of others strongly influences our own
behavior.
3. Understand that our intuition does not often lead to good, ethical decisions.
November 10: Workshop
Team Project Check-in
Week 11
Monday, November 13 Lecture: Ethical Decision-Making Part I
Lecture by Professor Fazendeiro
Homework:
Read Chapter 6: Managerial and Organizational Ethics in Business & Ethics by Carroll.
November 13: Discussion
Apple, the iPhone and Encryption and Chiquita and Extortion
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the different levels at which ethical issues may arise: personal level,
managerial level and industry level.
2. Learn about and discuss ethical tests for guiding ethical decisions.
3. Learn and apply ethical frameworks to decision-making such as utilitarianism,
deontology, social justice, virtue ethics and the Golden Rule.
4. Evaluate Apple’s decision not to unlock the iPhone for the government and
Chiquita’s payment of extortion money to protect its workers.
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Homework:
Read Case 8: Unlocking the Secrets of the Apple iPhone in the Name of Antiterrorism
and Case 17: Chiquita: An Excruciating Dilemma between Life and Law in Business &
Society by Carroll.
Wednesday, November 15 Lecture: Ethical Decision-Making Part II
Lecture by Professor Fazendeiro
Homework:
Read Ethical Breakdowns by Max Bazerman and Ann Tenbrunsel found at:
https://hbr.org/2011/04/ethical-breakdowns
November 15: Discussion
Big Pharma’s Marketing Tactics
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify and discuss concepts from behavioral ethics that affect ethical decisionmaking and behavior in organizations.
2. Identify and discuss factors that affect an organization’s moral climate and how to
improve an organization’s ethical culture.
3. Highlight whether ethical principles were violated by the marketing and pricing
tactics of pharmaceutical companies, namely Valeant and Turing.
Homework:
Read Case 20: Big Pharma’s Marketing Tactics in Business & Society by Carroll.
November 17: Workshop
Peer Feedback
Week 12
Monday, November 20: UDC Honors Program Seminar
This is an optional event for students who are interested in the Honors Program.
November 20: Discussion
Volkswagen’s Deception
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify and discuss factors that affect an organization’s moral climate.
2. Learn about the best practices for improving an organization’s ethics.
3. Understand and discuss Volkswagen’s corporate culture and how it affected its
cheating on the emissions tests.
Homework:
Read Case 7: Volkswagen’s Diesel Deception in Business & Society by Carroll
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****No Lecture or Discussion or Workshop November 22--November
24****Thanksgiving
During break, your homework is to watch “Betting on Zero” a documentary-drama
starring hedge fund owner and activist Bill Ackman. You can obtain it on Netflix.
We will discuss this case right after Thanksgiving break.
Week 13
November 27 Discussion:
Discussion of the movie “Betting on Zero.” Why is Bill Ackman on a crusade to bring
down Herbalife?
Learning Objectives:
1. Explore the meaning of the American dream—what are the moral costs of the
quest to make money in our capitalist society?
2. Learn about Herbalife—a nutrition company listed and trading on the New York
Stock Exchange. Discuss whether Herbalife truly advances entrepreneurship or is
it a fraud and advancing a global pyramid scheme?
3. Discuss all of the stakeholders in the movie and their stakes and whether their
actions/decisions are motivated by ethical principles/tests.
4. From the point of view of at least one of the stakeholders in the movie, discuss the
ethics of Herbalife’s operations and tactics.
Homework:
You are responsible for watching the movie “Betting on Zero” before coming to
discussion.
November 29: Discussion
How to effectively execute ethical decisions: Giving Voice to Values Exercise
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn how to effectively plan and execute well-reasoned, ethical decisions by
following the GVV framework that poses 4 questions:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
What’s at stake for the key parties, including those that may disagree with
you?
What are the main arguments you are trying to counter? That is, what
reasons and rationalizations will you encounter?
What levers can you use to influence those who disagree with you? What
is your most powerful and persuasive response to the reasons and
rationalizations above?
What is your Plan of Action? To whom should the argument be made?
When and in what context?
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Homework
Read about the GVV framework and GVV questions found on
QuestromTools/B1/Resources/Additional Readings
*****November 30-your graded GVV will be released at 6:00 p.m. and is due on
QuestromTools by 11:00 p.m. the same night! ********************
November 30: Workshop
Final presentation preparations
Week 14
December 4: Discussion
Presentation 2
December 6: Discussion
Presentation 2
December 8: Workshop
Last workshop
Final Exam preparation
Week 15
December 11: Discussion
Last Class and Review
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