BBA 361 Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
Course Title:
Course Title:
Type:
Credits:
Level:
BBA 361
Business Ethics and
Corporate Governance
Departmenta
l Required
3 credits, 1
term
III
Aims
 To nurture high ethical standards and morality in the management professions
 To provide knowledge of the code of professional ethics
 To provide knowledge on practical issues and situations and encourage
students to make ethical and professional judgement
 To provide knowledge on the regulatory framework of corporate governance
Objectives
 To appreciate sound ethical standards essential in maintaining Hong Kong's
reputation as a modern business centre
 To develop sense of awareness to ethical issues and dilemmas
 To understand moral and ethical treatments in real business situations
 To understand regulatory framework of different categories of corporations
 To understand the importance of regulations governing general and board
meetings to formulate corporate policies and strategies
 To appreciate the importance of controlling the conducts and behaviours of
company directors and officers
Keyword
Syllabus
Modern ethical theory, eastern theories of business ethics, condoning deception,
bribery, corruption, commissions and gifts, ethics and managing of workforce,
confidential and privileged information, corporate codes of conduct, ethical
dilemmas and moral responsibility, responsibility to stakeholders, corporate
culture, types of corporations, company directors and officers, general and board
meetings, disclosure of interests in corporations, conflicts of interest, illegal
conducts
Contents
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Business ethics in the eastern world and the business community
Ethics and the work place
Code of ethics
Confidential information
Corporate codes of conduct
Moral responsibility including the responsibility to stakeholders
Responsibility and regulation of company directors and officers
General and board meetings and statutory records
Justice, care, fairness
Corporate culture and importance of moral in Hong Kong.
Duties of directors and officers of a company.
Disclosure of information
Conflicts of interest
Corrupt or illegal conduct
Textbooks
 John R. Boatright (2014) Ethics and the Conduct of Business, George,
 A. Steiner and John F, Steiner (2006). Business, Government, and Society, 11th edn,
McGraw-Hill.
Reference
 Velasquez, M. G. (2014). Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases, 7th edn.
Prentice-Hall.
 Anne T. Lawrence, James Weber, James Post (2005). Business and Society:
Stakeholders, Public Policy and Ethics, 11th edn., McGraw-Hill.
 Carroll, A. B. and Buchholtz, A. K. (2002). Business and Society with Infotrac:
Ethics and Stakeholder Management, 5th edn. South-Western College Pub.
Teaching
Methods
The case-based teaching approach emphasizes the training of applying conceptual
knowledge on real life business event. Besides theories, a number of case studies
are incorporated into the course. Through group discussions, analysis and
presentations on these cases, students are able to not only acquire necessary
knowledge, but also develop critical thinking, problem solving and team
collaborative skills.
Assessment
Methods
Type: Case-based course
Continuous Assessment
40%
Examinations
Mid-term examination
15%
Final examination
45%
Prerequisites
BBA 121 Principles of Management
Lecture
Schedule
1.
Introduction to business ethics and its dynamic environment
2.
Nature and Management of Social Responsibility: Corporate Social
Responsibility
3.
Whistle-blowing
4.
Conflict of Interests
5.
Privacy
6.
Case Studies
7.
Ethics in Human Resources I: Discrimination and Affirmative Action
8.
Ethics in Human Resources II: Unjust Dismissal
9.
Ethics in Marketing, Advertising and Product Safety
10. Ethics in Finance
11. International Business Ethics
12. Ethics and Corporations---Corporate Governance
13. Corporate culture and importance of moral in Hong Kong: Ethics,
transparency, accountability
14. Case study and project presentation
15. Review