University of Massachusetts, Boston
College of Management
MGT 330, Section 03
Business Environments and Public Policy
Course Syllabus: Spring 2015
Professor: Vesela Veleva, Sc.D.
E-Mail: Vesela.Veleva@umb.edu
Time: Mo & Wed. 11 am-12:15 pm Office: McCormack 3rd floor 03-201-H
Place: Wheatley W01-0020
Office hours: Mondays, 12:30-2 pm;
Wed. 12:30-1:30 pm, or by appointment
I. Description
This core course in UMass Boston’s management curriculum explores the relationship
between business, government, and society in the United States and, for comparative
purposes, Western Europe. We will begin by discussing the influence of business on
economic growth, cultural values, and the political process. We will then learn how
governments regulate and promote private enterprise through industrial, labor, and
environmental policies. The Great Recession of 2007-2009 is just one example how
private markets can fail to work properly due to inadequate or inappropriate government
involvement. Additional issues that we will discuss in class include the challenges facing
business and government in key areas such as environment, energy, healthcare and social
security, public education, deficits and debt, poverty and inequality. Throughout the
course we will discuss normative issues, including corporate social responsibility, and the
role of business, government and citizens organizations in addressing the challenges
today in order to build a more sustainable and prosperous society. We will read works by
sociologists, economists, and management scholars and watch several films.
II. Course Materials
Required
Textbooks:
Vesela R. Veleva, Business, Environment and Society: Themes and Cases,
Baywood Publishing, NY, 2014 (ISBN 978-0-89503-882-1).
Course pack, MGT330 Section 03, Spring 2015 (same as MGT 330 Sec 04, Fall
2014); available in the UMB bookstore; digital copy can be obtained from:
https://digital.coursepacksetc.com
Supplementary Materials will be posted on WebCT/Blackboard. There will be additional
readings for some of the classes. I will communicate with the class via
WebCT/Blackboard or email, so please check your xxx@umb.edu e-mail account
regularly.
Wall Street Journal , New York Times or Washington Post: Throughout the semester
we will be discussing current events as they relate to the course; please read the major
1
national and international news in one of these o national newspapers 2-3 times a week,
to stay current with the news we will be discussing. Access daily news free at nyt.com or
wsj.com.
Not required but useful
The library has very useful management databases, including Business Source Premier
and Lexus/Nexus. These resources will help you to get more information than just doing
a Google search. They are available over the internet, on or off-campus (with your UMB
ID) 24 hours a day: http://www.lib.umb.edu/.
III. Learning Objectives
1.
Understand the relations among market and political institutions in the development of
U.S. public policy and regulations, and be able to compare the U.S. system with that of
other countries.
2.
Develop an awareness of changing legal, regulatory, environmental, social and
political environments and how they affect private sector organizations.
3.
Improve your capacity to read and listen critically, and to communicate accurately
and precisely in speech and writing.
4.
Improve your research and problem-solving skills, and ability to work in teams.
IV. Course format, requirements and grading
Format: The course combines lectures, class discussions, team presentations, films, guest
lectures, and reading newspaper articles.
You are expected to read the assigned materials prior to the beginning of the class on the
specified date. Familiarity with the materials will make class discussions both more
effective and more interesting for you.
Participation and Attendance: You are expected to attend all sessions. Please inform
me in advance if you will be absent from class. More than 3 unexcused absences can
affect your grade. Remember that much of the learning in this course takes place during
class discussions, and that 20% of your grade is based on your class participation.
Participation means showing up, and being able to make informed, relevant comments
based on your knowledge of the material. Finding relevant articles in newspapers and
informing the class about current issues contributes to a lively seminar discussion (or
Blackboard posts) and is valued (and graded) as participation.
Assignments are due on the date scheduled. Submission is electronic. Extensions will
not be granted after the deadline. If your assignment will be submitted after the
deadline, your grade on that assignment will be reduced by 10%, and then a further 10%
for each day it is late thereafter. If you have missed a deadline, you are advised to take
the rest of the 24-hour period to improve your assignment by more than the 10% penalty,
2
and submit it by the deadline time the next day. Note that the onus is on you to ensure the
file is readable, and is not corrupted.
Grading: The course grade is based on class participation (20%), mid-term exam (20%),
a 5-6 page individual research paper (20%), a 2-3 page individual reflection paper (20%),
team presentation (20%), and a 10 page final team project paper (20%). The papers and
team presentations will require outside research on business-government relations. All
papers should be double space and include proper references and figures/tables (these are
not counted in the page limit).
Makeup/Rescheduling of exams: Exam makeup will be granted only in exceptional
cases after reviewing the particular circumstances. In cases of illness a doctor’s note is
required.
Use of electronic devices: No phones or other electronic devices are allowed in class.
Laptops may be used for note taking only with the instructor’s permission.
V. Writing Tips (for individual and team papers)
Your papers should have a beginning, middle, and an end.
The beginning (introduction) should outline your argument and tell the reader how
you will structure your paper.
You should then develop your argument and support it with logic and textual or
empirical evidence.
The end (conclusion) should briefly summarize your argument and discuss its broader
implications for politics or political science.
Write short, active sentences. Make it clear who is doing or saying what.
Use plain language. Say “an interesting thing,” not “a noteworthy phenomenon”;
“I argue,” not “it is my contention.” Clearly define technical terms (“efficiency”).
Avoid clichés (“the tip of the iceberg”) and meaningless qualifiers (“a little”).
Use standard spelling and grammar.
Use proper citations whenever you refer to others’ work (see next section on
academic standards and plagiarism).
VI. Academic Standards, Plagiarism, and Cheating
PLAGIARISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, AND PLAGIARISM-DETECTION
SOFTWARE IS IN USE FOR THIS COURSE.
What is plagiarism? Plagiarism means copying sentences from the work of others
(e.g. from the internet, newspapers, texts, other places, or other students) without giving
credit to the original author. If you want to use someone’s work, you must cite the author.
For example, if you use a phrase to emphasize a point, put it in “quotation” marks and
write the name of the author and date of their work in brackets (e.g. (Haigh, 2011)). Note
that it is unacceptable to copy and paste large blocks of text into your papers, even if
you cite a source. It is also unacceptable to copy large sections and make minor
editing changes. In other words, your assignments need to be your own work, written in
3
your own words. Use sources to reference facts, ideas, and specific quotes taken from
elsewhere.
You are required to adhere to the University Policy on Academic Standards and
Cheating, University Statement on Plagiarism and the Documentation of Written Work,
and to the Code of Student Conduct, available online at
http://www.umb.edu/life_on_campus/policies/community/code. If you are caught
plagiarizing or otherwise cheating you will, at my discretion, fail either the
assignment in question or the entire course, and you will definitely have a
description of the incident written into your academic record.
How to Cite Other People’s Work
Use brief (author, year) references in the body of the text, with a full citation in a
reference list at the end of the paper. For example: As Levy (1997) put it, “the
relationship between business and society is essentially political.” Or: mention an idea or
a statistic, and then put the author and year in brackets (Levy, 1997). Examples of how
books, journals and websites should be written in your reference list follow for a book,
journal article, and a report downloaded from a website:
Levy, David L. and Benyamin Lichtenstein (2012) Approaching Business and the
Environment with Complexity Theory. In Hoffman, A. and Bansal, P. (Eds.) The Oxford
Handbook of Business and the Environment. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Veleva V., Parker S., Lee A. and C. Pinney, “Measuring the business impact of
community involvement: The case of volunteering at UL”, Business & Society
Review, 117:1 123–142, 2012.
Watson, R. “Green Building Market and Impact Report 2011”, GreenBiz group,
December 2011, Retrieved July 8, 2012, from:
http://www.greenbiz.com/sites/all/themes/greenbiz/doc/GBMIR_2011.pdf
VII.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability you need accommodated, please let me know at your earliest
convenience. Some aspects of the course, the assignments, and the in-class activities may
be modified to facilitate your participation and progress. As soon as you make me aware
of your needs, we can work with the Ross Center for Disability Services
(http://www.rosscenter.umb.edu/, M-1-401, (617) 287-7430) to help us determine
appropriate action. I will treat information you provide as private and confidential.
4
Detailed Class Schedule1
Week
1
Date
1/261/28
2
2/22/4
3
2/92/11
4
2/18
5
2/232/25
6
3/23/4
7
3/93/11
8
3/163/18
3/233/25
Environmental
policy
10
3/304/1
Safety and
liability
11
4/64/8
Workers’ rights
12
4/134/15
Energy and
economic
growth
13
4/22
Health care and
social security
14
4/274/29
The challenges
of globalization
9
1
Topic
Intro to course;
Why should
business care
about society?
How the
Markets Work;
Corporate social
responsibility
Government
Failure; 20072009 recession
The community
and the
corporation
Business, public
policy and
interest groups
Taxes, spending
and the growing
inequality
Public policy
and corporate
governance;
SRI investing
Readings, Activities
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 1 (The Corporation and Its
stakeholders)
Students introduce themselves; small group
exercise
Goldsmith, Ch. 2; Veleva Ch. 2
Film: The Corporation
Lecture and Discussion
Exam/Assignments
Goldsmith, Ch. 3; CEI Ch. 1
Team 1 presentation and discussion
TEAM 1 (2/11):
Causes of the
recession
TEAM 2 (2/18):
Example of corporate
community initiative
TEAM 3 (2/25):
Example of business
group influence
TEAM 4 (3/4):
Growing inequality in
the U.S.
NO CLASS ON 2/16 – PRESIDENTS DAY
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 18; Veleva Ch. 15
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 8 (Business-government
relations) and Ch. 9 (Influencing the political
environment)
CEI Ch. 9; Tax Policy Center – “Federal
Government Sources of Revenue”
(http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefingbook/background/numbers/revenue.cfm); “How
does the federal government spend its money”,
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefingbook/background/numbers/expenses.cfm
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 14 (stockholder rights and
corporate governance); Veleva Ch. 8
Mid-term exam
(3/11)
NO CLASSES – SPRING BREAK
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 11 (Managing
Environmental Issues); Veleva Ch. 4
Film: The Story of Stuff
Lawrence & Weber, Ch. 15 (Consumer protection)
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 16 (employees and the
corporation)
Health and safety, unemployment, work-life
balance, the role of labor unions
Guest speaker:Don Delikat, MA Dept. of Labor 4/8
Veleva Ch. 1, EIA, Annual Energy Outlook 2014
(Exec Summary),
http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/er/executive_sum
mary.cfm
NO CLASS ON 4/20- PATRIOTS DAY
CEI Ch. 8; Veleva Ch. 14
Lawrence & Weber, Ch. 6; Veleva, Ch. 13
TEAM 5 (3/25):
Example of product
stewardship
TEAM 6 (4/1):
Product safety – the
case of lead in toys
Research paper
due 4/6
Team 7 (4/13):
Ensuring worker
health and safety in
supplier factories
TEAM 8 (4/22):
Clean energy
source(s)
Individual reflection
paper due 4/27
Schedule may change in cases of weather-related closings, instructor travel or guest lecturer rescheduling.
5
Lawrence & Weber Ch. 13; Veleva Ch. 5
ALL: Examples of
Public policy,
innovation &
nano-enabled
technology;
products
nanotechnology
Final team project
16
5/11Beyond GDP,
Veleva Ch. 6, “Beyond GDP – true indicators of
5/13
sustainable
well-being and economic development” (on Bb); MD due 5/13
consumption
GPI - http://www.green.maryland.gov/mdgpi/
and the future of Lecture and discussion; final team presentations
market economy
Preparing for Team Presentations (20% of your course grade):
TEAM 1: Causes of the Great Recession of 2007-2009. Research and present on the main
causes for the great recession. Was it avoidable? Were the U.S. government actions effective in
addressing the problems (e.g., quantitative easing, bailout of large banks, mortgage restructuring,
extending unemployment benefits, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, etc.).
15
5/45/6
TEAM 2: Example of corporate community initiative. Select a company and research the different
ways it supports the communities where it operates. Identify and report on example of community
support. Why the company did chose to support this initiative? What were the social and the
business benefits of the initiative? Was it successful? What would you recommend the company
support in the future and why?
TEAM 3: Business groups influence. Identify a business group in the U.S. and present the
purpose, actions and tactics used to influence politics, environmental, social or economic policies.
Is the group effective in pursuing its goals? Why?
TEAM 4: Growing inequality in the U.S. Research and present data and historic trends on
inequality in the U.S. What are the main causes for the growing inequality? What are the key
consequences? Is inequality good for economic growth? (provide evidence to support your
argument; one source to consider is Chuck Collins’s book “99 to 1: How wealth inequality is
wrecking the world and what we can do about it”). Recommend strategies to reduce inequality.
TEAM 5: Example of product stewardship policy. Research a specific product from the Product
Stewardship Institute website (http://www.productstewardship.us/?page=Product__Work) and
report on recent policy developments in the U.S. for this product. What are the key environmental
problems from product disposal? What are companies currently doing to address them? Are
existing policies adequate? What would you recommend? (examples of products include
electronics, batteries, carpet, junk mail, pharmaceuticals, and tires among others).
TEAM 6: Product safety and liability – the case of lead in toys or another case (e.g., the New
England Compounding Pharmacy Case meningitis outbreak). Research and present on the 2009
scandal of massive toys recalls due to the presence of lead. What were the root causes for the
problem? What actions were taken at policy and business levels? What should be done to
prevent such problems in the future?
TEAM 7: Ensuring worker health and safety in supplier factories. Select a multinational company
and research its policies and practices for ensuring good working conditions in supplier factories
in developing countries. What are some risks and abuses facing workers there? Does the
company have a code of conduct for suppliers? How does it ensure compliance? What actions
does it take in cases of non-compliance? Is it transparent about supplier factories violations and
incidents? What would you recommend for improving working conditions in its supplier factories?
TEAM 8: Clean Energy Challenges and Opportunities. Select a source of clean energy (e.g.,
wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydro, fuel cells) and research its development and
deployment in Massachusetts/U.S. What policies are currently supporting its adoption? What are
the main barriers to future growth? Make recommendations for policies that could help overcome
today’s challenges and barriers and advance its greater deployment in the future.
6
MGT330 Individual Research Paper Guidelines
Spring 2015 – Veleva
20% of your course grade; due on 4/6/15; submit via Bb
You are writing these policy research papers in order to analyze a particular business
issue and make policy recommendations. You may want to address your paper to a person
or to an agency (e.g., President Obama, the Federal Reserve, Environmental Protection
Agency, FDA, whatever) and make your recommendations realistic as to what that person or
agency can accomplish. Don’t be vague and say things like “reduce unemployment” or
“achieve economic growth”– how would you recommend this be done? The more specific
your recommendations, the better.
Choose a specific company or industry that faces a pressing environmental, social or
economic issue. Since you have been keeping up with your reading and current events, you
have (almost) the whole world to choose from. You should structure your paper according to
the following format:
Section I - Background (1-2pp)
Describe the issue and summarize the economic/political/scientific background clearly
and succinctly (pretend you are writing for an intelligent layperson). Is this a new issue, or
an ongoing problem? Why? What are the causes of the problem,
environmental/social/political/economic?
Section II – Analysis (3-4 pp)
Describe why the issue you have selected is important to the wellbeing of the company,
industry or the region? What are the current policies to address it (or the lack of such)? Why
should the recipient of your memo address this issue as soon as possible? Provide hard
facts, not vague generalizations or predictions of doom.
Section III – Options (1-2 pp)
What sorts of options does your person/agency/government have in dealing with this
issue? (“Do Nothing” may be an option as well.) List the pros and cons of each option,
scientific, environmental, economic, and political/social – again, be specific. How would they
affect your selected company/industry?
Section IV – Recommendation (1 p)
Which option do you recommend and why? How would you mitigate that option’s
negatives?
You need to cite any fact or argument that is not original (footnotes are preferable to
endnotes) and you should use academic references like journal articles, books, and
newspaper articles. Wikipedia is NOT an academic source, nor necessarily is any random
web page – make sure your information comes from a reliable source. Make sure you use at
least 4 references that come from a variety of sources and are relatively up to date. Your
paper should be about 5-6 pages (2x-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12 pt. font, etc.), excluding
bibliography. Include maps, charts, or graphs as appropriate – if they are large, you can
attach them as appendices. Using hard data and statistics always brings extra points!
Use tutors to help you and proofread your paper! I expect college-level grammar and
spelling. If I can’t understand what you are saying, I won’t be able to give you a good grade
– make your paper easy for the professor to read.
7
Individual Reflection Paper
Topic: The role of business in addressing the obesity
epidemic and promoting health and wellness
Due on April 27; submit electronically via Bb; 20% of your grade
Select a company to write about – this could be your current employer, a
company where you worked previously or just any company of your choice.
Conduct research on current health and wellness policies and practices
adopted by the company.
Write 2-3 pages (double space) paper on the role of the company in
addressing the obesity epidemic and promoting employee health and wellness.
Express your opinion but support it by facts and proper research (e.g., are there
any studies that have demonstrated the benefits to companies from improved
employee health and wellness?) Share your own experience, if any.
Provide specific recommendations how the company can improve employee
health and wellness.
8
MGT 330 FINAL TEAM PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
(20% of your course grade)
Due: May 13, 2015; submit electronically via Bb
Imagine you are the ESG (environmental, social and governance) team at a
socially responsible mutual fund company and your task is to evaluate any
governance, social or environmental issues that could pose investment risk.
Working in your assigned team select a multinational company that you are
interested in researching for investment purposes. Your goal as a team is to
research and analyze the selected company in the key areas outlined below and
make a recommendation to investment management whether or not they should
invest in the company. Prepare a brief report with your findings (maximum 10
pages double space excluding charts, bibliography and appendices).
Your project report should include the following:
Assessment of the current business environment for your company and industry
– what are the key governance, social and environmental risks and challenges
that the company is facing? (think long term – 5-10 years)
Assess the company’s current policies and actions in the following areas:
Corporate governance (CEO and board compensation, directors and Chair
independence, political contributions, fraudulent practices, lawsuits and
violations; responsiveness to shareholder proposals)
Environmental practices (lawsuits and violations, policies, goals and practices
to reduce environmental impacts such as climate change, transparency and
reporting to stakeholders)
Worker health, safety and labor practices (policies and practices in their own
facilities as well as supplier factories; violations, lawsuits, negative media)
Community support (policies and practices to support communities where it
operates – e.g., charitable donations, product donations, volunteering programs,
community investing, and partnerships with NGOs to address key social or
environmental issues).
Recommend whether or not investment management should invest in this
company based on your ESG analysis and findings.
9
Extra Credit Opportunity (Optional)
MGT330, Section 3, Spring 2015
Due: May 6, 2015 in class
Read Chapter 5 on nanotechnology in: Veleva, “Business, Environment and
Society”, 2014.
Identify a nano-enabled product through your own research or by going to the
product category provided by the Nanotechnology Project http://www.nanotechproject.org/cpi/
Prepare 1 page summary and present in class for 5 min on the following:
1. How nanotechnology has improved the performance, cost and other
aspects of the product?
2. Are there some potential risks to human health and the environment from
the manufacturing, use or disposal of the product?
3. What responsibility should product manufacturers have for identifying
and communicating about these potential risks?
4. What responsibility should retailers have to communicate information
about nanoparticles in consumer products?
5. What information would you like to have as a consumer before buying a
nano-enabled product? Who would you trust to provide you with such
information?
10