Desautels Faculty of Management
McGill University
Social Context of Business
MGCR 360, Fall 2020
Section 003 Tuesday & Thursday 2:35 PM – 3:55 PM
Instructor:
Professor Robert J. David
Office: Bronfman 480
Tel: 514-398-7463
Email: robert.david@mcgill.ca
Office hours: Due to Covid restrictions, office hours are by appointment only.
Secretary: Rola Zoayter. 514-398-4000 x09295
Course Overview:
Business does not function in a vacuum. Indeed, businesses require legitimacy, or a “license to operate”
from society, and cannot function effectively (if at all) without this legitimacy. In this course, you will learn
to contextualize business activity within larger society and think more broadly about the interactions
between business and other sectors of society. While there are several electives you can take if you wish to
explore the topics touched on in this course, this is the only required course that examines in detail the
relationship between business and the larger social system of which it is a part. As such, this course serves
as an introduction to the Social Business and Enterprise Concentration. We will cover a number of related
topics that encompass the history, ethicality and sustainability of business in modern society. We will
explore questions of regulation, inequality, and sustainability as they relate to business activity. Ultimately,
you will leave the course with a deeper understanding of the economic system and the role it plays in
society. This understanding of the ‘social context of business’ will also make you a better businessperson
and manager.
We will begin with a module on Critical Thinking (including critical thinking, ethics, and bias).
Subsequently, the course content will be organized in 5 major sections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Corporation
The Market System
Consumption
Corporate Inequality
Economic Growth & Prospects for Sustainability
We will conclude with a capstone session “Looking Ahead” at the future of capitalism.
Learning Objectives:
The course is designed to help you better understand the real-world complexity facing business
organizations, whether it be the growing role of civil society, evolving norms and expectations of individual
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and corporate conduct, or grand challenges (e.g. inequality, environmental sustainability). This course will
help you engage deeply, as both a businessperson and citizen, with these important issues.
By the end of the semester, you should:
o be better equipped to understand the origins and ideological assumptions of the current
economic system (e.g., corporations, markets);
o be more aware of the various regulatory, social and environmental challenges facing
businesses and their leaders;
o understand how to integrate critical thinking and ethics into managerial decision-making;
o be better able to envision alternative models of economic systems and corporate
behaviour.
o be better able to engage in constructive dialogue, both with those who share similar views
and with those who differ.
Learning Approach:
There will be little lecturing in this class, and learning will be student driven. The role of the instructor will
be that of a facilitator, who serves as 1) a resource for student-driven learning, 2) a guide for classroom
discussion, and 3) an integrator of concepts and experiences. Discussion is central to this class, and
preparation is therefore vital.
In this class, we will discuss topics that may raise strong and diverse opinions. This is a good thing! The real
world is complicated, and this class provides a “friendly forum” to discuss complex issues. We must all
recognize that each of us, instructor included, comes to the class with their own background, experience,
and biases. Diversity of interpretation and opinion is to be treated as a richness to be explored. This
appreciation does not mean, however, that anything goes. First, being able to defend an opinion requires
being prepared, and it is the responsibility of each participant to prepare themselves for each class. Second,
we will build an atmosphere of respect towards the texts that we discuss, as well as to the insights of our
classmates. While we are free to disagree about an issue, we must do so respectfully.
In summary, the nature of this class requires a high level of preparation and participation from students. There
is simply no way around this. The payoff for your hard work and engagement will be an interesting,
valuable, and hopefully fun learning experience. In this class, you will get out what you put in!
Academic Integrity:
McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore, all students must understand the
meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the
Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/honest
for more information).
Note that to support academic integrity, your assignments may be submitted to textmatching or other appropriate software.
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Please do not cheat. Cheaters in previous sessions have been caught and have faced disciplinary
action, a situation that is disappointing for all. You are here to learn, and the best way to learn is by
doing honest work. Any suspected plagiarism, either from fellow students or from the internet, will be referred
immediately to the Faculty Disciplinary Officer.
Pedagogical Materials:
Readings and videos are available on the internet via direct link shown on the syllabus, or otherwise
posted on MyCourses. A VPN connection to McGill is necessary to access many of the readings.
Materials may be added or changed as the course proceeds, so please check regularly.
Important Zoom Requirements:
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
No audio or video recording of any kind is allowed in class without the explicit permission
of the instructor. Recording of our classes (other than by the instructor via
MyCourses) is explicitly prohibited and may result in disciplinary action.
Storing or posting of recordings of our classes is explicitly prohibited and may result
in disciplinary action.
For those following the standard evaluation scheme (see below), your video is to be kept on.
While attending on Zoom, the full name shown must match the one used in the Classlist.
While attending on Zoom, you are expected to have the same conduct and demeanor as you
would in class. This includes no use of additional electronics or other distractions.
Assignments and Evaluation
In accord with McGill University’s Charter of Students’ Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in
English or in French any written work that is to be graded.
The standard (and default) evaluation scheme is this class is as follows:
1.
2.
3.
Participation & Professionalism:
Reading applications:
2a.
Individual essays (2 x 10%):
2b.
Group facilitations (2 x10%):
Final Assignment:
20%
20%
20%
40%
In light of the exceptional circumstances of Covid-19, accommodation will be made for students who
are not able to attend classes synchronously with their video on. For those students, the following alternative is
available:
1.
2.
Reading applications:
1a.
Individual essays (2 x 15%)
1b.
Group facilitations (2 x 10%)
Final Assignment:
30%
20%
50%
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Students who are not able to attend classes synchronously with their video on and who wish to avail
themselves of this alternative must do so in writing (via email) to the instructor no later than Tuesday
September 15, 2020. In the absence of such a request and a written confirmation by the instructor by
this date, the standard (default) evaluation scheme applies.
Participation & professionalism (standard evaluation scheme only):
Being able to express yourself in front of peers is an important management skill! For this reason, all
sessions involve active discussion, and regular participation is required. You should view this course
as a “friendly forum” where you can gain valuable practice discussing complex issues.
Class participation will be evaluated with an emphasis on quality over quantity. Participation that is
tied to the readings (for the current and previous classes) carries the most weight, as it demonstrates
to me that you have read and understood the readings.
Your class contributions will be evaluated as follows:
 Do they demonstrate that you have read the material?
 Are they succinct, to the point, and follow logically from contributions of others?
 Do they demonstrate critical thinking, for example by making connections to prior learnings
or concepts/models in the readings?
 Are they constructive, non-defensive and respectful of others?
Your participation in each class will be noted, and your participation grade will reflect a sum of your
class-by-class participation over the entire term. This method rewards consistency: regular
participation throughout the term will yield higher grades than a lot of participation in some classes
and none in others. Please take careful note: while attendance is a prerequisite for participation
credit, attendance is not a substitute for active participation.
If there is a particular reason that you feel might inhibit your participation in class (e.g., language
skills, excessive shyness), then please email me in the first two weeks of classes and we will work on a
plan for your progress. The longer you wait, the less I will be able to help you.
While I understand that there are many compelling circumstances that might cause you to miss class,
please note that the only absences that will be excused for participation purposes are those due to
illness or family emergency. In these cases, official documentation is required, and it is your
responsibility to supply this documentation promptly without my asking for it. Note also that any
medical note must clearly state that you were unable to attend class on the date in question. Once you
have returned to class, you may be assigned an appropriate make-up task to catch up on work
missed.
Professionalism is another important managerial skill! As such, I would like to foster a professional
atmosphere in this class. Please observe the following:

When attending on Zoom, you must give us your full attention.
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When attending on Zoom, you are expected to have the same conduct and demeanor as you
would in class. This includes no use of additional electronics or other distractions.
When interacting with myself or your fellow classmates, avoid aggressive, disrespectful, or
highly personal comments. Conversely, strive to avoid being overly defensive to constructive
criticism from myself or your classmates.
Your degree of professionalism surrounding these issues will be reflected in your participation and
professionalism grade.
Reading applications
To provide you with an opportunity to apply the class readings, you will write two short essays and
make two group presentations.
Essays (2). Twice during the semester, you will apply readings from the class to an event from the
recent business press. The steps to follow are:
1. Sign up for the day on which your essay will be due (process explained in class). Note: you
may be called upon to discuss your essay during our class discussion the day it is due, so you
must be present and prepared on that day.
2. Identify from a major newspaper, magazine, or broadcast news network (New York Times,
Wall Street Journal, The Globe and Mail, L’Actualité , The Economist, CNN, etc.) an article that
discusses a specific event that pertains to the theme being discussed the day you sign up for.
Examples of an event include a corporate protest, a new law or regulation, a new study that
came out on CEO pay, etc. (if you are unsure of what you found qualifies, ask me).
Generally, an event has a specific date associated with it. The event must have happened in
the last 3 months, and must be from a major news outlet (a newspaper or magazine with a
regular print edition or a broadcast news network – no “internet only” sources please). Note
that it is the date of the occurrence of the event that counts, not the date of the article. If
you cannot identify a date for the “event”, you have probably identified a general issue, not
an event. Other than these requirements, you may pick whatever event you feel will allow you
to apply the readings.
3. Do a quick search on this event to find related articles (if it is covered in one major media
outlet, it will almost surely be covered in others around the same time), again all published in
the last 3 months by a major news outlet.
4. Once you have a grasp of the particulars of the event (usually requires reading a handful of
media articles, depending on length), use the readings from the class on which the essay is due (and from
any previous classes) to gain insight into the event and/or to support or challenge the ideas in
the readings. If you are having trouble doing this, 1) re-read the articles from class in greater
depth to find connections not immediately obvious, or 2) go back to step 2 and identify
another event.
5. Write an essay of 1000 words (min 900, max 1100) that connects the readings to the event.
Here is an example flow to the essay:
a. Briefly explain the event (provide sources in bibliography).
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b. Connect the readings to the event. For example, how do the readings help us gain a better
understanding of the event? Or, how does the event support or contradict aspects of
the readings? Note: you should use all the readings that apply, but do not need to use
readings that do not apply. This is your judgement to make!
c. Conclude by offering an informed opinion (based on b. above) of the event.
The goal here is simple: show that you have thought carefully about and understood the readings,
using the current event as a means of doing so. The evaluation criteria are as follows:
1. Selection of the event: is it a good choice for the theme of the class? Was it well
understood?
2. Use of the readings:
a. Does the essay show a good understanding of the readings?
b. Are the readings well applied to the event?
3. Is the writing clear? Is there a logical flow to the essay? Are all sources well cited?
Formatting guidelines:
 In-text citation, which means that citations are used throughout the text, referring the reader
to sources listed in the bibliography. You may use either numbered endnotes or footnotes, or
(author, year) at the end of sentences.
 All text must be fully double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman Font, 1” margins on all
four sides (MS Word standard).
 A separate bibliography, at the end (not included in the word total), citing all verbal and
written sources using any standard format (MLA, APA, etc.).
 Provide the word count on the front of the document.
Group facilitation (2). Early in the semester, you will be assigned to groups. Twice during the
semester, on days to be defined in class, you will present a group facilitation exercise to the class. As
with the essays, the primary goal of the group facilitation is for you to apply the readings and thereby demonstrate
that you have understood them. An additional goal is to engage your classmates and improve their understanding of
the readings.
How you accomplish this is, to a large extent, up to you. Be creative! Your facilitation can include the
development of exercises or tools to engage your classmates in a given issue, it might be a game, a
skit, a mock debate, or a mock shareholders’ meeting, for example. Or, it might be a more traditional
presentation that delves deeper into the readings and presents additional material. But remember that
the ultimate goal is to demonstrate understanding of the readings/topic. You will have 15 minutes
for your facilitation, followed by 5-10 minutes of debrief and questions.
Hand in: A brief summary of the format and goals of your facilitation (max one page), along with a
copy of any visuals you used and a bibliography of any information you referred to in the facilitation.
The evaluation criteria are as follows:
1. Did the facilitation demonstrate a good understanding of the relevant readings?
2. Did the facilitation encourage greater understanding of the readings among the class?
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a. Did it capture and hold interest?
b. Elicit good participation / questions?
3. Format:
a. professional, on-time delivery
b. equal participation of all members,
c. hand-in has the required information.
To help you navigate your group work, you may appreciate the following:
https://learningcommons.ubc.ca/student-toolkits/working-in-groups/
Note that your group facilitation grade will be subject to a peer evaluation. These are mandatory for
all students, and are due the class of the second group presentation. I take these evaluations seriously
and they may affect your grade: I will reward those who go “above and beyond” and penalize freeriders. You should also advise me of any inequities in group contributions during the course of the
group work, so that we can take corrective action as soon as possible.
Final Assignment
Your final assignment will be a Position Paper. This is a three-step exercise:
1. Take an initial position based on one or more of the 5 themes from the class and with
reference to class readings. The position should be at most one or two sentences long. For
example, an initial position may be “Corporations are a source of inequality”, or
“Corporations can reduce inequality”. It is not necessary that you be convinced of this initial
position, but you should believe it has merit and is worth investigating. Pursue a topic that
interests you. The only requirement is that it be related to one of the five themes of the course. The
position must be submitted a full 7 weeks before the final paper is due (i.e., by
October 13). State clearly which of the 5 themes you will engage with. This means you may
have to look ahead at the themes in the syllabus.
2. Explore both dissenting and supportive elements of your initial position through one of the
following options:
a. Journaling. Each day for 28 consecutive days, you will record daily observations on
your social/business contexts in light of your initial position (handwritten or typed,
your choice). The raw data of daily observation you record must attend not only to
evidence that supports your original position, but also to evidence that refutes or
troubles your position. You should observe the behaviors and activities of the
members of the society in which you live. You must relate these observations to the
daily practices of the businesses and institutions which support that society; crucially,
you must do so through the lens of your own activities and choices. Thus, the daily
observations must display awareness of the larger systems of which you are a part,
the manner in which those systems influence your decisions, and the unique role each
individual plays in shaping those systems.
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b. Research. Examples of research include: searches of local and international media
and social media, data from government and non-governmental agencies (Statistics
Canada, think tanks), academic journal articles and books, interview stakeholders, etc.
(not all these methods need be used, but data must come from a variety of sources).
Like the journaling exercise, the research paper must take into account all evidence at
hand, including that which does not support the original position.
3. Now step back, and write a 2,500-3,000 word essay on how your initial position has
changed and evolved, or alternatively been reinforced, as you pursued options a (journaling)
or b (research) above. The flow should be as follows:
a. State the original position, why you choose it, and which (one or more) of the five
class themes it is meant to engage with.
b. Regardless of which option you used (journaling or research), discuss how specific
readings from our class support or refute your initial position.
c. Then, discuss how your journaling or research support, change, contradict, etc. your
initial thesis. Students who choose the journaling option must use the journal entries
to support their claims (cite/quote your journal entries). Those who choose the
research option must, of course, use their original research to support their claims.
d. Note that b. and c. above can be done one after the other or combined in an
integrated fashion.
e. Conclude by either endorsing, refuting, or accepting with
modifications/qualifications your original position. State a “final position”.
If you pursued the journaling option, submit your 28-day journal along with the reflective essay. If
you pursued the research option, include an annotated bibliography of the sources you consulted.
This is simply a bibliography with a short (2-3 sentence) explanation of the relevance of the source
to the topic of your essay (for details, consult a McGill Librarian or see
http://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/types-of-writing/annotated-bibliography/ ). Note that I am
expecting only 2-3 sentences for each source noting the relevance of the source for your topic (not a
summary of the source).
Your submission will be evaluated based on the following:
1. Is the initial position clearly related to the themes of the class?
2. Are the relevant class readings brought to bear on the original position?
3. Depth and appropriateness of research or journalling
a. Journalling: depth, variety, relevance of observations?
b. Research: depth? authoritative sources? Claims sufficiently supported? Annotated
bibliography?
4. Logical Flow: initial position, reading application, how and why position changed (or didn’t
change), clear conclusion (final position), clearly written and organized, well cited.
Due: Last day of class via MyCourses
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Class Schedule/Reading List
Class
Date
Topic
To read/watch prior to class unless explicitly indicated “in class”
Items without a link are found in MyCourses. A VPN connection may be required for links to work
I. Setting the Stage: Introduction to Critical Thinking
1
Sept 3
Introduction.
Having a Better
Conversation
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2
Sept 8
Critical thinking
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3
Sept 10
Business Ethics
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4
Sept 15
Bias and
decision making
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Syllabus
Celeste Headlee. Bring back conversation… by shutting up and listening. The Guardian. Sun 10 Dec 2017.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/10/bring-back-conversation-by-shutting-up-and-listening
Watch in Class: Celeste Headlee. 10 ways to have a better conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1vskiVDwl4
CASE:
o Harris, Sophia. 2016. Healthy fast food? McDonald's kale salad has more calories than a Double Big Mac. CBC News,
Feb 3, 2016. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/mcdonalds-kale-calorie-questions-1.3423938
o McNeilly, Claudia. Nutrition Libel; How The Food Industry Promotes False Nutritional Information And What It Means
For Our Health. National Post; 3 Feb 2017: B.1.
https://proxy.library.mcgill.ca/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1871522073?accountid=12339
Paul, Richard & Elder, Linda, (2001) Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life. Center for
Critical Thinking; Prentice Hall: (excerpt: Distinguishing between inferences and assumptions). MyCourses.
Browne, M.N. & Keeley, S.M. (2010). Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking. Prentice Hall. Pages 37-69 in
the 9th Edition (Chapter 5: What words or phrases are ambiguous? & Chapter 6: What are the value and descriptive
assumptions?), MyCourses.
In-class exercise from The Critical Thinking Tool Kit (Marlene Caroselli).
Chris Provis. 2010. Virtuous Decision Making for Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics: Vol. 91, Supplement 1.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40929025.pdf.
Alison Taylor. We Shouldn’t Always Need a “Business Case” to Do the Right Thing. Harvard Business Review. September 19,
2017. https://hbr.org/2017/09/we-shouldnt-always-need-a-business-case-to-do-the-right-thing
Watch in Class: Barry Schwartz’s Practical Wisdom. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/barry-schwartzs-practicalwisdom/
CASE: Can an “Ethical” Bank Support Guns and Fracking? By Christopher Marquis and Juan Almandoz, Harvard Business
Review, April 2014 Issue. https://hbr.org/2014/04/can-an-ethical-bank-support-guns-and-fracking
John Cassidy. The Making of Richard Thaler’s Economics Nobel. The New Yorker. October 10, 2017.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/the-making-of-richard-thalers-economics-nobel
Bill Javetski and Tim Koller. Debiasing the corporation: An interview with Nobel laureate Richard Thaler. McKinsey Quarterly,
issue 3, 2018. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/debiasing-thecorporation-an-interview-with-nobel-laureate-richard-thaler
Betsey Mason. Curbing implicit bias: what works and what doesn't. Knowable Magazine. June 4, 2020.
https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/mind/2020/how-to-curb-implicit-bias
OTHER BUSINESS: Confirmation of groups, Go over assignments.
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II. The Corporation
5.
Sept 17
The Origins and
Nature of the
Corporation
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6
Sept 22
The Purpose of
Business
Corporations
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Sept 24
The Concept
and Critique of
‘Corporate
Social
Responsibility’
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Micklethwait, John & Adrian Wooldridge. 2005. The Company; A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea. New York: Modern
Library. Read “A prolonged and painful birth, 1750-1862,” pp. 39-54. [MyCourses]
Wells , Harwell. .n.d. The Purpose of a Corporation: A Brief History. The Temple 10-Q: Temple’s Business Law Magazine.
https://www2.law.temple.edu/10q/purpose-corporation-brief-history/
Winkler, Adam. ‘Corporations Are People’ Is Built on an Incredible 19th-Century Lie. The Atlantic, March 5,2018.
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/03/corporations-people-adam-winkler/554852/
Pearlstein, Steven. How the cult of shareholder value wrecked American business. The Washington Post; 09 Sep 2013.
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1430948816/abstract/83347530E34842DAPQ/1?accountid=12339
Watch in Class (excerpts) Douglas Rushkoff. n.d. Life Inc. The Movie. https://vimeo.com/4655092
Watch in Class (excerpts). Joel Bakan. The Corporation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y888wVY5hzw
Friedman, Milton. 1970. The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits, New York Times Magazine: 122-126 (13
September). http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-540-70818-6_14#page-1
Carroll, Archie B. 1998. The Four Faces of Corporate Citizenship. Business and Society Review 100/101: 1–7.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/0045-3609.00008
Reason.com (2005) Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business: A Reason debate featuring Milton Friedman, Whole Foods'
John Mackey, and Cypress Semiconductor's T.J. Rodgers. http://reason.com/archives/2005/10/01/rethinking-the-social-responsi
Andrew Ross Sorkin. Ex-Corporate Lawyer’s Idea: Rein In ʻSociopathsʼ in the Boardroom. The New York Times. July 29, 2019.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/business/dealbook/corporate-governance-reform-ethics.html
Julie Hyman. 'Post-modern capitalism': The rise of B Corporations. Yahoo Finance. June 14, 2019.
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/postmodern-capitalism-the-rise-of-b-corporations-123615040.html
Betsy Atkins. Deciphering Corporate Speak: The Purpose of a Corporation. Forbes. Sep 16, 2019.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/betsyatkins/2019/09/16/deciphering-corporate-speak-the-purpose-of-a-corporation/#53928ebdedf0
Yakabuski, Konrad. 2008. The kindness of corporations.
http://proxy.library.mcgill.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/194584779?accountid=12339
Karnani, Aneel. 2010. The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility. Wall Street Journal, Europe [Brussels] 23 Aug 2010:
R.1. http://search.proquest.com/docview/746387860/fulltext/B2565916568943EEPQ/5?accountid=12339
CASE: Scott Shackelford. Facebook’s social responsibility should include privacy protection. The Conversation, April 12, 2018.
https://theconversation.com/facebooks-social-responsibility-should-include-privacy-protection-94549
o Question: Using the readings for this class, evaluate the author’s argument that Facebook has a ‘social responsibility’ for
privacy protection.
III. The Market
8
Sept 29
The “Free”
Market System
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Weintraub, E. Roy. Neoclassical Economics. http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc1/NeoclassicalEconomics.html
Deutsche Bank Research. Homo economicus – or more like Homer Simpson? June 10, 2010.
https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/RPS_ENPROD/PROD0000000000475711/Homo_economicus_%E2%80%93_or_more_like_Homer_Simpson%3F.PDF
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
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9
Oct 1
Markets & The
Role of
Government
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10
Oct 6
The
Globalization of
Markets
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Abolafia, M.Y. 1998. Markets as cultures: an ethnographic approach, The Sociological Review, 46, 69-85:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-954X.1998.tb03470.x/abstract
Sandel, Michael. 2012. Chapter 1 of What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (pp. 17-41). Penguin Books.
MyCourses
Hall, Peter A. 2015. The Changing Role of the State in Liberal Market Economies. In The Oxford Handbook of Transformations of
the State. http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199691586.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199691586-e-22
Reich, Robert. The Myth of the “Free Market” and How to Make the Economy Work for Us. September 16, 2013
https://robertreich.org/post/61406074983
Joe Fassler. Why Eliot Spitzer Still Thinks He's Right (A conversation with the former New York governor about his new book,
Government's Place in the Market). The Atlantic. May 3, 2011.
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/05/why-eliot-spitzer-still-thinks-hes-right/238215/
CASE: Stacy Mitchell. Amazon Is a Private Government. Congress Needs to Step Up. The Atlantic. August 10, 2020.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/americans-can-barely-imagine-congress-works/615091/
o Using the readings, evaluate the argument that government needs to intervene in the case of Amazon.
Rodrik, Dani. Globalization for Whom? Harvard Magazine. July-August 2002.
https://harvardmagazine.com/2002/07/globalization-for-whom.html
Joseph E Stiglitz. Globalization and its New Discontents. Aug 5, 2016. Project Syndicate. https://www.projectsyndicate.org/commentary/globalization-new-discontents-by-joseph-e--stiglitz-2016-08
Joseph E. Stiglitz. Globalisation: time to look at historic mistakes to plot the future. The Guardian. Dec 5, 2017.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/dec/05/globalisation-time-look-at-past-plot-the-future-joseph-stiglitz
Read the following and evaluate the effects of Covid-19 on the globalization of markets.
o The Economist. Has covid-19 killed globalisation? (Print edition: Goodbye globalisation). May 14, 2020.
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/05/14/has-covid-19-killed-globalisation
o Steven A. Altman. Will Covid-19 Have a Lasting Impact on Globalization? Harvard Business Review. May 20, 2020.
https://hbr.org/2020/05/will-covid-19-have-a-lasting-impact-on-globalization
Group facilitations
11
Oct 8
Corporations &
The Market
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Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
12
Oct 13
Corporations &
The Market
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Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
** Initial position for Position Paper due **
11
IV. Consumption
13
Oct 15
Will “more”
make you
happier?
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14
Oct 20
Overconsumption
and re-taking
control
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Easterlin, R. A. (2001). Income and happiness: Towards a unified theory. Economic journal, 465-484.
http://www.uvm.edu/pdodds/research/papers/others/2001/easterlin2001a.pdf
David Futrelle. n.d. Here's How Money Really Can Buy You Happiness. Time. https://time.com/collection/guide-tohappiness/4856954/can-money-buy-you-happiness/
Jude King. Why “More” Doesn’t Necessarily Make Us Happier (And What Does). Medium, May 7, 2019.
https://medium.com/swlh/why-more-wont-make-you-happy-and-what-will-effcfb37158e
Graham, David. Generation M. Toronto Star. 05 Dec 2012.
https://search.proquest.com/docview/1221944008/fulltext/DB5FF36E3A2F4C52PQ/2?accountid=12339
Andrew-Gee, E. Your smartphone is making you stupid antisocial and unhealthy so why can't you put it down? The Globe and
Mail. 2018, Jan 06.
https://search.proquest.com/central/docview/1985031090/fulltext/FB90669669BE444EPQ/1?accountid=12339
Pierre Chandon. The Reasons We Buy (and Eat) Too Much Food. Harvard Business Review. December 20, 2016.
https://hbr.org/2016/12/the-reasons-we-buy-and-eat-too-much-food
Case: Assess the consumption of “fast fashion” and proposed remedies.
o The Economist. The true cost of fast fashion. Nov 29, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLfNUD0-8ts
o Hannah Gould. Zara and H&M back in-store recycling to tackle throwaway culture. The Guardian. 27 May, 2017.
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/may/26/zara-hm-step-up-instore-recycling-tackle-throwawayculture
o CBC News. Why donating your clothes isn’t as helpful as you think. http://www.cbc.ca/news/marketplace/why-donatingyour-clothes-isn-t-as-helpful-as-you-think-1.4506512
Group facilitations
15
Oct 22
Consumption:
Problems &
solutions
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
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Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
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Pedro Nicolaci da Costa. Inequality is getting so bad it's threatening the very foundation of economic growth. World Economic
Forum, 02 Oct 2017. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/inequality-is-getting-so-bad-its-threatening-the-veryfoundation-of-economic-growth
Maham Abedi. Women earn less than men in Canada right after graduation — then it gets worse: report. Global News. January 15,
2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/6409280/earnings-gap-canada-men-women/
CBC News. The wage gap is shrinking: Women earned 87 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2018. Oct 07, 2019.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/statistics-canada-gender-wage-gap-1.5311454
Carter, N., and Silva, C. 2010. Women in Management: Delusions of Progress. Harvard Business Review. Mar 2010, Vol. 88 Issue
3, p19-21. https://hbr.org/2010/03/women-in-management-delusions-of-progress
Robin J. Ely and Irene Padavic. What’s Really Holding Women Back? Harvard Business Review, March-April 2020.
https://hbr.org/2020/03/whats-really-holding-women-back
V. Corporate Inequality
16
Oct 27
Gender
inequality in
corporations
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12
17
Oct 29
Racial
inequality in
corporations
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David Leonhardt. The Black-White Wage Gap Is as Big as It Was in 1950. New York Times. 25 June 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/opinion/sunday/race-wage-gap.html
Meghan Collie. Canada has a discrimination problem when it comes to hiring — here’s why. Global News. June 25,2019.
https://globalnews.ca/news/5424465/discriminatory-hiring-practices-canada/
Catherine Powell. Color of Covid: The racial justice paradox of our new stay-at-home economy. CNN. Sat April 18, 2020.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/10/opinions/covid-19-people-of-color-labor-market-disparities-powell/index.html
Evelyn R. Carter. Restructure Your Organization to Actually Advance Racial Justice. Harvard Business Review. June 22, 2020.
https://hbr.org/2020/06/restructure-your-organization-to-actually-advance-racial-justice
Group facilitations
18
Nov 3
Inequality

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
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
19
Nov 5
Inequality



Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
VI. Economic Growth and Prospects for Sustainability
20
Nov 10
The Problem
with Economic
“Growth”




21
Nov 12
Prospects for
Sustainability
(1)


22
Nov 17
Prospects for
Sustainability
(2)


David Pilling. Why GDP Is a Terrible Metric for Success and Wealth. Time. January 25, 2018. https://time.com/5118026/gdpmetric-success-wealth/
Rex Nutting . Opinion: To boost the economy, let’s first change how we measure the economy. Oct 28, 2018. Marketwatch.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/to-boost-the-economy-lets-first-change-how-we-measure-the-economy-2018-10-02
Victor, Peter A. 2008. Managing without Growth. Edward Elgar. Chapters 1, 2, 3. [MyCourses]
Kate Raworth. A healthy economy should be designed to thrive, not grow. Jun 4, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhcrbcg8HBw
Jackson, T. 2009. Prosperity without Growth. A Transition to a Sustainable Economy. UK Sustainable Development Commission
Report. Only Chapters 1-3 (pages 16-36) and Chapters 10 – 11 (pages 94-107). http://www.sdcommission.org.uk/data/files/publications/prosperity_without_growth_report.pdf
Schor, Juliet. The Principles of Plentitude. Minding Nature: Summer 2010, Volume 3, Number 2.
https://www.humansandnature.org/the-principles-of-plenitude
Steve Cohen. Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability. Earth Institute, Columbia University. January 27, 2020.
https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2020/01/27/economic-growth-environmental-sustainability/
McKinsey & Co. Mapping the Benefits of a Circular Economy. McKinsey Quarterly, Une 2017.
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/mapping-the-benefits-of-a-circular-economy
13

Sanford Cockrell III. and Kristen Sullivan, The Levers for Sustainable Growth: Why ESG Is More Important Than Ever. Wall
Street Journal. July 7, 2020. https://deloitte.wsj.com/cfo/2020/07/07/the-levers-for-sustainable-growth-why-esg-is-moreimportant-than-ever/
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

Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group facilitations
23
Nov 19
Economic
Growth &
Prospects for
Sustainability
VII. Looking Ahead: Prospect for Capitalism
24
Nov 24
The Future of
Corporations,
Capitalism, and
Society



Robert Reich. 2015. Saving Capitalism: For the Many, Not the Few. Knof. Read pp. 153-157 & 196-219 (Chapters 16, 21, 22, 23,
24). http://mcgill.worldcat.org/title/saving-capitalism-for-the-many-not-the-few/oclc/904755822?referer=di&ht=edition
Nick Hanauer. The dirty secret of capitalism -- and a new way forward. October 18, 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th3KE_H27bs
Rebecca Greenfield. What the Pandemic Showed Us About Global Inequality: QuickTake. July 17, 2020,
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-17/as-pandemic-drives-inequality-a-search-for-solutions-quicktake
Group facilitations
25
Nov 26
Looking Ahead:
Prospect for
Capitalism



Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
26
Dec 1
Looking Ahead:
Prospect for
Capitalism



Group # _________________
Group # _________________
Group # _________________
14