Business and Its Environment
B AD 6013
Instructor:
Office Address:
Telephone:
E-Mail:
Office Hours:
Mark P. Sharfman, Ph.D.
Room 218A Adams Hall
325-5689 (Direct)
325-2651 (Management Office)
MSharfman@ou.edu
3:-4:30 Monday & Wednesday or by appointment
Purpose of this course
The purpose of this course is to help the student gain a better understanding of the relationship
between the firm and its environment with particular emphasis on firms manage that relationship. The
world economic community is undergoing incredible changes. The breakdown of the eastern block,
the unification of Europe plus the rise in environmental and social concerns (among other changes) all
present serious challenges to the business firm and its management. These changes represent both
threats and opportunities for the firm. The firms that will be successful will be the ones that can best
adapt to these vast changes.
Learning Objectives
By completion of the course, students will be able to do the following:
1.
Describe the relevant sectors of a firm's environment.
2.
Identify the primary and secondary stakeholders for a given firm.
3.
Articulate the issues when confronted with an ethical dilemma.
4.
Bring to bear ethical decision making tools and theories in addressing ethical
dilemmas.
5.
Analyze business and society, ethical or public policy cases and suggest courses of
action.
6.
Evaluate organizational social issues and social issues management programs.
7.
Have completed an analysis of an extant social issues management program.
8.
Evaluate the strategic implications of the issues addressed in the course.
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Assumptions about this course
In order for you to get the most out of this course there are a variety of things I must assume. First and
foremost, I must assume that you have some basic knowledge about how business operates. Although
you can successfully complete this course with little or no previous graduate business coursework, the
more background you have, the better the experience will be. Because the purpose of this course is to
help the student gain an understanding of the relationship between the business firm and its
environment, the more you know about the functional areas within a business (e.g., marketing,
accounting, etc.) the more you will be able to contribute and in turn get out of this course.
I also assume that at some point in your career you will have some managerial/administrative
responsibility. I will teach this course as if that is the case. By virtue of your training and background
you will be called upon to do these sorts of tasks at some point in your career. Even if you currently
plan to "only" be a technical specialist, your advancement may well hinge on your broadening your
horizons. In order to be a manager you need to have some training toward that end. Here is where you
will get some of that training.
Lastly I am going to assume we will have some fun in this course. The material in this course is very
topical and can generate some fascinating discussions. No one has the correct answers for many of the
questions we will address. The fun in this course is coming to a consensus about these issues.
It should be noted that any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from
fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can
discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational
opportunity.
Required Materials
Textbooks:
Ethical Issues in Business, 1998 T. Donaldson & P.H. Werhane, Prentice-Hall, sixth
edition.
Business and Society, D.J. Wood, Scott, Foresman/Little Brown, 1994, Second
edition.
Reserve packet and Handouts as provided
Supplemental Materials: Wall Street Journal
We will be using the Wall Street Journal as a regular part of the course. Each day we will be
discussing articles from it. As such, you need to make sure that you have access to a copy of the paper
every day. The obvious way to insure your access is to get an individual subscription. However that is
not required. You can share a subscription, read it in the library or buy individual copies (a very
expensive alternative).
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Evaluation
Communication Skills
I attempt to make some of your evaluation in here similar to what you might experience on the job. It
will not be totally "job like" because we will have a final. (For the weight of each item please see the
section below labeled "Grading.") However, since you will be writing individual and group case
analyses, it is important to note that you will be graded on both the content of your analyses and the
structure. This means that your factual arguments and logic are given equal weight with grammar and
other writing skills. It has been my experience that the single greatest skill that young business
professionals need is the ability to communicate. It should be noted that this evaluation will also
include feedback aimed at improving your ability to communicate and will not be just a criticism of
your current skill level.
Attendance
Also, your attendance in this course will be your responsibility to monitor - not mine. I will not take
attendance in this course. Because as professionals, you will be expected to monitor your own
attendance, so will you be in this course. However, it should be noted that an important part of your
grade is class preparation and participation. It is impossible to get credit in this portion of your grade if
you are not in class. However, simply being in class will not get you this credit (see Assignments
section below).
Late Work
There is no such thing. Assignments are due when class starts.
Academic Integrity
I assume that all of my students are honest and are interested in being evaluated for their own efforts.
However, since that is not always the case, the issue of academic integrity must be addressed. In this
class, all individual assignments are just that - individual assignments. That does not mean that you
cannot use other class members as resources but make sure the basic work is your own. Violations of
university academic integrity standards will be punished accordingly.
Assignments
Individual Case Write-ups
During the semester you will write three individual case write-ups. These analyses will be a maximum
of three pages (double-spaced with normal margins) in length. You will be penalized 3 points for each
line that you exceed this maximum. The purpose behind this rigid limit is to help you learn brevity
and clarity. Your new bosses will prize these skills so you need to develop them. In these write-ups
you will answer (at least) the following questions:
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Individual case Write-ups (continued)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the primary issue/question/threat opportunity facing the firm?
What are the secondary issues/questions/threats/opportunities facing the firm?
What is the most appropriate action for the firm?
Why should the firm do what you suggest?
What are the implications of the strategy you suggest?
Each person in class will be assigned a code (A, B, C) during the first week of class. These codes
correspond to the ones next to the title for each week's activities in the assignment listing. These case
write-ups are essays. That means they have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Do not simply
list the questions I have specified with your answers underneath. You must work the answers into
your essay. There will also be one group case write-up (see assignment schedule).
Group Case Project
In groups of 5 you will do a group project that concerns a firm and a specific issue in its business
environment. You will be given the guidelines for completing the organizational analysis, the write-up
and the group presentation in class. There will also be a requirement that you present your findings to
the company.
Participation
This course has been designed to foster discussion and interaction between and among class members.
As such it is critical that you come to class prepared to make a meaningful contribution to that
discussion. What I value is the quality of the contribution not its quantity. A few well chosen
comments will go much further than a constant verbal assault.
Grading
The following are the weights that will be assigned to each grade that you get.
Individual Cases
Group Case Write-up
Group Project Paper
Group Presentation
Participation
Final Exam
0.15
0.05
0.20
0.10
0.20
0.30
To calculate your grade take the grades you receive and multiply them times the weights and then sum
the scores. Compare this score to the 90/80/70/60 normal grade standards. I have set some objectives
for turnaround time on assignments. Like all objectives, there may be times when these standards are
not met. In general, the individual case write-ups will be returned the week after they are submitted.
The group projects will be returned by the time of the final examination.
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Assignment Schedule
Assignment Code
(Buch) =
(D & W) =
(Wood) =
Readings from Business Environment and Public Policy by Bucholz (on reserve)
Readings from Ethical Issues in Business
by Donaldson and Werhane
Readings from Business and Society
Date
Topic & Readings
Designated Cases
8/21
Introduction, pre-assignment,
overview of the business environment
Private Inc. (case from
Organization Theory: Cases and
Applications regarding a notolerance drug testing policy
8/23
General Issues in the business (A)
and society relationship
Chp. 1-2 (Wood)
pp. 249-255 (D & W)
8/28-8/30
Infant Formula
Oil Spill...
The Corporation, Morality and Ethics (B)
pp. 38-46, 81-147 (D & W)
Chp. 7-9 (Wood)
Italian Tax Mores
Union Carbide
9/4
LABOR DAY
NO CLASSES
9/6
Corporate Social Responsibility and (C)
Stakeholders
Chp. 3-5 (Wood)
pp. 148-206 (D & W)
League General
Uncommon Decency
9/11
Stakeholder Analysis
Endangered Species
9/13
Capitalism, the business firm and (A)
Social Responsibility
(pp. 207-248, 255-266 D & W)
Plasma International
Dayton Hudson
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Date
Topic & Readings
9/11-9/13
Justice and the Corporation (B)
Designated Cases
pp. 272-298 (D & W)
pp. 550-555 (Wood)
9/18-9/20
Beech Nut
The Oil Rig
Government, politics and public policy sector (C)
Chp. 4-7 - (Buch)
Chp. 10 (Wood)
pp. 267-272 (D & W)
9/25-9/27
Syringe Stores
International Computer Sales
Regulation (A)
Chp. 8 - (Buch)
Chp. 11-12 (Wood)
(except pp. 381-383)
10/2-10/4
Deregulating the Airlines
Corporate Political Action
The Exxon Valdez
Socio-cultural Sector (B)
Chp. 16 - (Wood)
10/9-10/11
Hartford Civic Center
A.D. Little (in reserve packet)
(A Harvard case (I believe)
regarding Little’s testing of
HazMat in a Boston facility.
Human Resources Sector (C)
pp. 299-312, 314-330,
336-384 (D & W)
Chp. 13 (Wood)
10/16-10/23
Aircraft Brake
Foreign Assignment
Film
Recovery (in reserve
packet) (a case out of
an older
version of D&W
regarding the
death of some workers
from poor management
in a silver recovery
facility.
Market Sector (A)
pp. 433-466 - (D & W)
Chp. 14 (Wood) except 550-55
Toy Wars
Dalkon Shield
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10/25-11/1
11/6-11/8
GROUP CASE WRITE-UP DUE
ON BMW CASE (in reserve packet)
(WRI case on BMW and recycled materials)
International Issues (B)
Chp. 19 - (Buch)
pp. 24-37, 47-80 (D & W)
HB Fuller (In reserve packet)
(Older version D&W case
regarding glue sales in
Honduras)
Lockheed (in reserve packet)
(classic case on Lockheed in
(Japan and Bribery regarding
the L-1011)
Natural Environmental Issues
pp. 384-432 ( D & W)`
Reading - The Future of Green
Issues in Business (In Packet)
(My 1997 Business Horizon)
Exxon Knee-Deep. . .
From Pollution Control to Zero
Discharge (in reserve packet)
(WRI case)
Chp 18. Wood
11/13-11/15
Managing Corporate Social Performance (C)
Chp. 16-18 & 20 - (Buch)
Chp. 15 & 19 & Epilogue (Wood)
11/20
Wrap-up, prepare for final exam
11/22
THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/27
Group Presentation # 1
11/29
Group Presentation # 2
12/4
Group Presentation # 3
12/6
Group Presentation # 4
Mark Bennett's Annual Review
Esprit De Corps
NO CLASS
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