HONORS 1000 SYLLABUS (CRN 83567): Fall 2014
Cracking the Code: Analyzing University and Corporate Ethics Codes
Tuesdays 10:00 to 10:50 am
100 Auburn Ave, Room 230
INSTRUCTOR: Susan Willey, J.D.
Phone/voice mail: 404-413-7487
Office Hours: MW from 3 to 4:30 pm and Tues from 11:30 to 2:00 pm
E-mail: willey@gsu.edu or
via D2L email
Office: 1131 RCB
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Universities, businesses and other organizations create codes of conduct to
define acceptable and responsible behavior within the organization, to articulate shared ethical
principles, values and commitments, and to guide decision-making when values conflict. But, do codes
of conduct encourage ethical behavior? If so, how? If not, why not?
Students in this seminar will attempt to answer these questions by analyzing the ethics code of a
Fortune 100 company, and then applying it to an ethical dilemma confronting an employee. In addition,
they will watch and review several short videos on behavioral ethics that analyze why otherwise ethical
people sometimes behave unethically.
Students will also be introduced to a research technique that analyzes the content of a document by
focusing on the frequency with which key words occur. They will then compare a frequency analysis of
corporate ethics codes with the GSU Student Code of Conduct.
READINGS: We will be reading and discussing articles on ethics from the Wall Street Journal.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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Cultivate the values and attributes of an intellectual community, including the motivation to work
hard, the willingness to embrace new concepts and methods of thinking, and the habit of being
an active participant in the learning process.
Enhance students’ ability to use and apply primary source materials through the critical
examination, assessment and comparison of corporate and university Codes of Conduct.
Enhance students’ ability to communicate orally and in writing at the collegiate level.
DESIRE2LEARN (D2L): Assignments and course materials are posted on D2L. In addition, you will be
asked to submit your written work both via the appropriate D2L Dropbox and as a hard copy in class. To
access my Honors 1000 D2L site, go to the GSU homepage at www.gsu.edu and then link to
Desire2Learn from the pull-down menu behind the Students tab at the top of the page. When you get
to the log-in page, use the name user name as you use for GSU e-mail your GoSolar pin number as
your password. Check D2L regularly for new course materials and course-related announcements.
CLASS FORMAT: Class will be conducted as a seminar, with considerable time devoted to discussion
and in-class activities. To encourage adequate preparation and more thoughtful discussions, you will be
asked to submit a written assignment at nearly every class that will serve as the basis for class
discussion that week.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:
A. The primary writing assignment is “Cracking the Code,” a scaffolded project that consists of
1. 3 short homework assignments (worth 15 points each) based on a critical analysis of an
assigned Fortune 100 company’s Code of Conduct (ethics code). Due Sept 9, Sept 23
and Oct 7.
2. A 4-6 page cohesive, polished ethics paper (worth 55 points) that builds upon the
homework assignments to apply appropriate code provisions to resolve an ethical
dilemma confronting a purchasing agent. Due November 4.
3. At the final class (or during the scheduled exam period during exam week), we’ll have a
round table discussion where we compare the codes of conduct, particularly whether the
company they investigated stresses compliance or ethics, and what they do to encourage
employees to make ethical decisions.
B. You are also required to write six short video papers (10 points each) that summarize, compare
and review two of the behavioral ethics in the “Concepts Unwrapped” series produced by the
University of Texas McCombs School of Business. The videos attempt to explain why people
don’t always act in an ethical manner due to various behavioral factors, biases and pressures:
conformity bias, framing, moral equilibrium, ethical fading, role morality, self-serving bias, and/or
overconfidence bias. Instructions are posted on D2L. Due dates and the video pairs to critique:
1. Sept 2: “Introduction to Behavioral Ethics” and “Role Morality”
2. Sept 16: “Conformity Bias” and “Bounded Ethicality”
3. Sept 30: “Incrementalism” and “Ethical Fading”
4. Oct 14: “Framing” and Moral Equilibrium”
5. Oct 28: “Overconfidence Bias” and “Attribution Error”
6. Nov 11: “Conflict of Interest” and “Self-Serving Bias” or “Moral Myopia” OR
“Loss Aversion” and “Incentive Gaming”
ADDITIONAL NON-CLASS ACTIVITIES:
A. Each student is should attend at least one Honors College Lunch and Learn session and share
what s/he learned with the class. There are four Lunch and Learn events scheduled at noon on
the following Thursdays:
1. Sept 11: Honors College Internships
2. Sept 25: Study abroad opportunities
3. Oct 9: GSU Strategic Initiatives in 5 Countries
4. Oct 23: International Service Learning (Student Panel)
B. Please make every effort to attend the Honors College Founders Lecture at 6 pm on
Wednesday, November 12. The guest speaker is Daniel Ellsberg, whose lecture is titled
“Watergate to Snowden: The Assault on Privacy and Democracy”
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION (40 points): Although you are expected to attend class and actively
participate, regular presence alone is not sufficient to earn participation points in this class. The success
of this course depends on active, effective student contribution to the topic being discussed. You will be
expected to ask questions, make comments and offer salient observations as we evaluate and apply
various behavioral ethics concepts from the videos and Codes of Conduct you are researching to
business problems.
A special word to VA students: Due to required University oversight of students receiving VA benefits,
you have a special burden of faithful class attendance. Under present guidelines, absence for a tenconsecutive calendar day period necessitates a report to that effect to the VA Office at GSU, with
(presumably) a consequent adverse effect on your status vis-a-vis the U.S. Government. Please keep
this in mind.
THE CLASSROOM AS A COMMUNITY – MISCELLANEOUS POLICIES:
Show respect for the instructor and your classmates:
 Be punctual for class –- when you’re tardy, you miss important course announcements and you
disrupt the learning process for others. If you do arrive late, enter and take a seat quietly.
 Be courteous -- turn off all cell phones and pagers, don’t whisper to others in class, or engage in
other behaviors that disrupt me or your classmates who wish to learn.
 If you use a computer in class to access course materials, please do NOT use it to check e-mail
or Facebook, play online games, work on other courses, etc. If you use your computer in a
manner inappropriate to your full attention in class, I will ask you to shut it down.
 Participate in class discussion and group activities, but don’t interrupt other students or attempt
to dominate the conversation. Stay focused on the assigned topic.
 You may eat or drink in class if you can do so quietly.
WITHDRAWAL POLICY: Students are allowed only 6 withdrawals during their academic careers at GSU.
If you withdraw from this course after drop-add and before the midpoint, you receive a W; if you
withdraw after the midpoint, you will automatically receive a WF. After 6 withdrawals, a withdrawal at
any point results in an F.
DISABILITIES OR SPECIAL NEEDS: Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do
so by registering with the Office of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon
issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for
providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought. Please
let me know if you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: “People get hired for their technical training. They get fired for their lack of
character.” -- Booker T. Washington. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin
it.” – Warren Buffet. Academic honesty goes directly to the question of are you an individual of
character and integrity. Academic dishonesty not only affects you, it affects the reputation of Georgia
State University and will not be tolerated.
All university and college regulations concerning academic honesty apply to Honors 1000. In general,
students are expected to recognize and uphold the highest standards of intellectual and academic
integrity. More specifically, these standards require that students be honest and that they submit for
credit only the products of their own efforts.
The GSU Academic Honesty Policy represents a core value of the University. All members of the
University community – including students -- are responsible for knowing and abiding by its tenets. Lack
of knowledge of the contents of the University Policy on Academic Honesty is not an acceptable
defense to any charge of academic dishonesty.
You are expected to carefully review the online Policy prior to undertaking any research or other
assignments. The following is an excerpt of the policy the GSU Student Handbook Student Code of
Conduct. I have posted the full policy on D2L. Read it carefully, particularly the sections on
unauthorized collaboration and plagiarism.
Behavior consistent with College and University policies on academic honesty and treatment of
members of the University community is expected of all. Cheating, plagiarizing, submitting
the material for credit in more than one class, and other deceptive conduct with respect to
a student’s work output will be dealt with according to the University Policy on Academic
Honesty.
Plagiarism and misrepresentation of work are serious offenses, which can lead to expulsion and
a grade of “F” for the course. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, taking material from
any source written by another and presenting it as your own by failing to indicate full and
accurate attribution to the correct author/creator. This includes marginally altering
material taken from another source and calling it your own creation. Plagiarism includes
materials taken from internet sources. Proper citation requires quote marks or other
distinctive set-off for the material, followed directly by a reference to the source. The source
details may be in the footnotes/endnotes/references section, but only listing a reference without
proper indication in the text is not proper attribution and can be considered plagiarism.
Misrepresentation of work includes, but is not limited to, presenting material that was
prepared for another class or outside work as an original work product that was produced
for this class. All work turned in for this class is represented by the student(s) to be
original material prepared in fulfillment of this course’s requirements.
Although I encourage collaborative efforts on in-class activities and team projects, some projects must
be completed individually. Unauthorized collaboration is a violation of the Academic Honesty Policy, so
make sure that your individual assignments are your own work.
COURSE ASSESSMENT: "Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in
shaping education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take the time to fill out the
online course evaluation."
GRADING: Although this course is graded on a Pass-Fail basis, I will grade each assignment and your
participation as if this were a graded class. At the end of the semester, you will need to have earned at
least 75% of the available points to “pass.” For those of you who are competitive (with yourself and
against others), I will also post what your grade would be if this were a graded course.
As indicated above, you will be turning in an assignment nearly every week that will be graded very
carefully for content and writing. I have posted a tentative scoring rubric on D2L for the Ethics Paper
and for the ethics video reviews.
GRADING SUMMARY:
Ethics Video Reviews (6 at 10 points each)
Ethics HW (3 at 15 points each
Tyler Hughes Ethics Paper
Participation
60 points
45 points
55 points
40 points
You will need to earn at least 150 points (out of 200) to earn a Pass.
Honors 1000
Fall 2014
Willey
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE – Revised
“Deliverable” Due
Date
Topic and In-Class Activities
Syllabus and Course Expectations
Aug 25
“Introduction to Behavioral Ethics” video
Sept 2
Discussion: Why should people behave morally?
What is role morality and how does it influence
our ethical decisions?
Video Review 1 Due: “Intro to
Behavioral Ethics” & “Role Morality”
Sept 9
Return papers; Discuss writing and scoring
Ethics Code HW 1 Due
What is a Code of Conduct? Why do companies
have them? Who are stakeholders?
Sept 11
Lunch and Learn: Honors College Internships
Sept 16
Cheating and Conformity Bias: Dan Arielly video
Video Review 2 Due: “Conformity
Bias” and “Bounded Ethicality”
Sept 23
Structure and Content of Codes of Conduct
Ethics Code HW 2 Due
Sept 25
Lunch and Learn: Study Abroad Opportunities
Sept 30
Why does behaving unethically become easier
over time?
Oct 7
What is the difference between ethics and
compliance? Rules and principles? What
“words” in your codes represent these concepts?
Video Review 3 Due:
“Incrementalism” and “Ethical Fading”
Ethics Code HW 3 Due
Excerpt: “Compliance or Integrity” video
Oct 9
Lunch and Learn: GSU Strategic Initiatives in 5 Countries
Oct 14
BJ’s Dilemma: Using a Code of Conduct to
Analyze/Resolve an Ethical Problem
Oct 21
Moral Equilibrium: Do good deeds balance bad
acts? In-class hypotheticals
Oct 23
Lunch and Learn: Student Panel on International Service Learning
Oct 28
Why are we overconfident in assessing our own
ethical behavior, but too quick to attribute lack of
ethical character to others?
Video Review 5 Due: “Overconfidence
Bias” and “Attribution Error”
Nov 4
Gift and Conflicts of Interest in Business: How
Companies address them in Codes of Conduct
Tyler Hughes Paper Due (Code HW 4)
Prestigious National Scholarships – What they
are and Who are Famous Recipients?
Nov 11
What words reflect ethics v compliance the GSU
Code of Conduct? Using “R” …
Who is Daniel Ellsberg?
Video Review 4 Due: “Framing” and
“Moral Equilibrium”
Nov 12
(6:30 pm)
Nov 18
Honors College Founders Lecture (100 Auburn Avenue; Auditorium)
Daniel Ellsberg: “Watergate to Snowden: The Assault on Privacy and Democracy”
Why don’t we see ethical issues clearly?
What is loss aversion? Does it encourage
people to “game the system?”
Dec 2
Semester Wrap-Up and Looking Ahead
Video Review 6 Due: Choice of
“Conflict of Interest” and “Self-Serving
Bias” or “Moral Myopia”
OR
“Loss Aversion” and “Incentive Gaming”