Syllabus
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
BC 306: ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP
(5 Credit Hours)
Effective: October, 2009
Access to the Internet is required.
All written assignments must be in Microsoft-Word-compatible formats.
See the library’s APA Style Guide tutorial for a list of resources that can help you use APA style.
Copyright 2009 by City University of Seattle
All rights reserved.
BC 306: ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP
FACULTY
Faculty Name:
Contact Information:
[Instructor may insert personal message if desired]
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an overview of various philosophical approaches to ethical decision-making and
practical applications involving ethical problems that arise in business. In addition, it introduces the
student to the theory and practice of leadership. Topics include the major ethical constructs, approaches
to self-knowledge and practical leadership skills. Students will be able to find solutions to ethical
dilemmas they may confront during a business career, and have the self-knowledge and leadership skill to
follow through with the solution.
COURSE RESOURCES
Required and recommended resources to complete coursework and assignments are listed on the
My.CityU portal at Library>Resources by Course.
CITYU LEARNING GOALS
This course supports the following City University learning goals:
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Professional Competency and Professional Identity;
Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills;
Commitment to Ethical Practice and Service;
Lifelong Learning.
PROGRAM CONTEXT
BC 306 provides foundational knowledge for academic and business success.
The content of this course aligns with the following program outcomes:
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Access and evaluate relevant information to guide business decisions and solutions and
communicate results to others;
Deliver powerful presentations and produce examples of effective business writing for diverse
audiences;
Based on self-reflection and knowledge of relevant professional ethical codes, articulate
judgments about business situations involving ethical questions.
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COURSE OUTCOMES
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Identify personal values and personal decision making processes and apply them to case analyses;
Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various philosophic approaches to ethical decisionmaking;
Demonstrate knowledge of the skills, traits and actions of an ethical leader;
Discuss and evaluate theories of leadership;
Construct an ethical argument with appropriate supporting data and logical consistency;
Apply ethical analysis to a contemporary ethical issue in business.
CORE CONCEPTS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS
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Moral concepts – values;
Personal values
Moral concepts – relationships, community
Stakeholders versus stockholders
Social responsibility
Corporate citizenship
Ethical decision making models;
Ethical problems that arise in business
Moral concepts – honesty, fairness, equality, unethical dual relationships
Corporate responsibility – ethical and legal issues
Construct an ethical argument
Ethical problems that arise in business
Ethics versus law
Sarbanes-Oxley
Whistle blowing
Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations
Moral concepts including instrumental and intrinsic goodness, values, justice, and vision
Moral philosophies including consequentialist, non-consequentialist, virtue ethics and justice
ethics
Relativism
Ethical and decision making models and frameworks
Ethical issue intensity
Moral intensity
Economic value orientation
Kohlberg’s theory of moral development
Ethical spheres of influence
Personal values and vision and their role in a business environment
Qualities of ethical leadership
Roles and habits of leaders
Transitional leader
Transformational leader
Qualities of ethical leadership
The role of organizational culture and corporate governance in business ethics.
Power – reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, referent
Motivation
Group norms – formal and informal
Corporate responsibility and the role of ethics audits, environmental audits and social audits
Ethical problems that arise in business
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38. Business ethics in a global economy
39. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
40. Self-reference criterion
OVERVIEW OF COURSE GRADING
The grade you receive for the course will be derived using City University of Seattle’s decimal grading
system, based on the following:
Overview of Required Assignments
% of Final Grade
Essays (2 at 10% each)
PowerPoint Presentation
Business Ethics Research Paper
Case Studies (3 @ 5% each)
Instructor Determined Activities (including
Discussion Questions)
20%
10%
35%
15%
20%
TOTAL
100%
SPECIFICS OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Essays:
Essay #1 – Personal values and decision making (analyzing an ethical system)
Using class discussions, exercises, and relevant chapter(s) of your text as a guide, state your core values
and analyze your own personal code of ethics. Based on these values and principles, briefly describe the
process you use to make decisions when faced with an ethical dilemma.
Your essay must be at least four pages long. This project does not require research, but if you do use
reference material or textbooks be sure to cite and document sources in APA format.
Essay #2 – Habits, Skills and Traits of Ethical Leaders
Using relevant chapters of your text and at least three professional or scholarly information sources
(see Course Resources for suggested journal titles), evaluate the leadership characteristics of one of the
corporate leaders in a case from the text, or a case assigned by your instructor, in light of concepts you’ve
learned in the course. Your essay must be at least four pages long. APA format must be used for
references.
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Grading Criteria for Essays:
Clear thesis or purpose: How does the student frame the
content of the report?
15
Logical Organization
Application of course terms and concepts
Development of the Thesis:
Are the arguments sound? Is the thesis effectively supported
with relevant and appropriate information sources,
persuasiveness, analysis and well founded conclusions?
15
20
30
Writing Mechanics: How well does the student incorporate
style, professionalism and context into the assignment?
10
APA format: Are sources cited correctly?
10
TOTAL
100%
Case Studies:
Case studies are used to explore various concepts in the course. They require you to apply concepts to
specific business situations. Cases will be assigned by the instructor for analysis and discussion. The
analysis will be one-two pages long with the first line containing the author’s name, the class designation,
the date and the case title. These brief papers require no references but must demonstrate critical thinking
about the case and clear, concise writing.
Grading Criteria for Case Studies:
10
Logical organization of response
40
Application of course terms and concepts
Sufficiently detailed responses to the issues raised by the case
40
Writing mechanics (includes APA format if sources are used)
10
TOTAL
100%
Leasership Presentation:
Create a PowerPoint presentation presenting and evaluating a theory of leadership in your own words
and summarizing the role of ethical leadership in creating and maintaining an ethical business
organization. Focus on creating a clear and concise presentation with a minimum of ten and a maximum
of twelve slides which can be presented in ten minutes or less. Online students should use the voiceover
feature to add an audio explanation of the slides; if the voiceover won’t work, provide a narrative as notes
to the presentation. Although you must put your slides and narrative in your own words (no quoting!),
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you should use at least one professional or scholarly source in addition to your text and provide a final
slide that documents your sources in APA format.
You can find tips for creating professional-looking slides at
http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpointtipsandfaqs/u/tips-tools.htm#s2.
Grading Criteria for PowerPoint Presentation
Professional format of slides
Content: Is the topic appropriate? Is the supporting and
explanatory material relevant?
Concise oral/written explanation of slides: How well is the
content presented? Does the listener/reader gain insight from
the presentation?
Presentation Language Mechanics: Are proper grammar,
spelling, syntax, punctuation, and APA used in the presentation?
20
30
TOTAL
100%
40
10
Business Ethics Research Paper:
Students will demonstrate their critical thinking skills and their business communication skills by writing
a research paper that applies ethical theories to an ethical issue in business.
Begin doing some preliminary reading for your paper early in the quarter. You will select an ethical issue
to research that is more common in one particular field or industry, such as misrepresentation in sales or
marketing, fiduciary responsibility in accounting, etc. Your topic must be approved by your instructor.
Your research paper should:
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Define the ethical issue you have selected and its relevance to an industry;
Provide an explanation of how the issue has developed or changed over time;
Give examples of cases involving this ethical issue;
Give a brief explanation about what, if any, personal experience you have had with this issue, and
your thoughts and feelings at the time of the experience;
Give an explanation about what your opinion is, and what you think should be done;
Back up your opinion/solution with ethical concepts you’ve learned in the course;
Provide an explanation of at least one additional perspective on the issue;
Provide a reference list in APA format.
For further guidance in how to prepare a research paper, consult the Brief New Century Handbook.. As
you prepare your research paper, follow these guidelines:
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Your topic must be related to this course of study and must be approved by your instructor before
submitting a final project.
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You must use the APA format to cite the sources of all ideas, facts, and information used that are
not your own, even if you have put the information into your own words. Failure to do so is
plagiarism, even if the oversight is unintentional.
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Supporting your thesis is central to the task of writing a research paper. In scholarly writing, you
are not merely copying information from another author, but using evidence to support the
contentions drawn from your findings and critical analysis of related literature.
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All research papers must be word-processed, double-spaced, with 12-point font and one-inch
margins. Papers should be approximately 8 to 10 pages in length (not including title,
bibliography, or contents pages). You should include at least four professional or scholarly
sources (in addition to your text) from which you draw your references.
We recommend that you retain your research notes and draft pap0ers so that if a question arises as to an
actual source and its location, you will be able to address that question in a timely manner.
Grading Criteria for Business Ethics Research Paper
Clear Objectives and thesis:
10
Logical development of body and thesis: How well is the
content of the paper organized?
45
Sufficient depth of research: Did the student use scholarly
sources? Are insights presented that go beyond the text? Are the
selected resources appropriate and sufficient for the purpose of
this work?
Writing Mechanics: How well does the student incorporate
grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation, and style into the
assignment?
Proper APA format and reference methods: Are quotation
marks used where needed? Are the citations present and in the
correct format? Is the reference list present and in the correct
format? Are citations and reference consistent?
TOTAL
25
10
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100%
COURSE POLICIES
Late Assignments
[Instructor inserts late assignment policy here based on school and/or program guidelines.]
Participation
[Instructor inserts participation policy here based on school and/or program guidelines.]
Professional Writing
Assignments require error-free writing that uses standard English conventions and logical flow of
organization to address topics clearly, completely, and concisely. CityU requires the use of APA style.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
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You are responsible for understanding and adhering to all of City University of Seattle’s academic
policies. The most current versions of these policies can be found in the University Catalog that is linked
from the CityU Web site.
Scholastic Honesty
Scholastic honesty in students requires the pursuit of scholarly activity that is free from fraud, deception
and unauthorized collaboration with other individuals. You are responsible for understanding CityU’s
policy on scholastic honesty and adhering to its standards in meeting all course requirements. A complete
copy of this policy can be found in the University Catalog in the section titled Scholastic Honesty under
Student Rights & Responsibilities.
Attendance
Students taking courses in any format at the University are expected to be diligent in their studies and to
attend class regularly.
Regular class attendance is important in achieving learning outcomes in the course and may be a valid
consideration in determining the final grade. For classes where a physical presence is required, a student
has attended if s/he is present at any time during the class session. For online classes, a student has
attended if s/he has posted or submitted an assignment. A complete copy of this policy can be found in
the University Catalog in the section titled Attendance Policy for Mixed Mode, Online and
Correspondence Courses.
SUPPORT SERVICES
Disability Resources
If you are a student with a disability and you require an accommodation, please contact the Disability
Resource Office as soon as possible. For additional information, please see the section in the University
Catalog titled Students with Special Needs under Student Rights & Responsibilities.
Library Services
In order to help you succeed in this course, you have access to library services and resources 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. CityU librarians can help you formulate search strategies and locate materials
that are relevant to your coursework. For help, contact a CityU librarian through the Ask a Librarian
service. To find library resources, click on the Library link in the My.CityU portal.
Smarthinking
As a CityU student, you have access to 10 free hours of online tutoring offered through Smarthinking,
including writing support, from certified tutors 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Contact CityU’s
Student Support Center at info@cityu.edu to request your user name and password.
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