SM 131 A1– BUSINESS, SOCIETY, AND ETHICS
COURSE SYLLABUS
Welcome to Business, Society, and Ethics. Our aim is to make this course challenging
and rewarding. However, it is up to you to make the most out of the experience. If
you come well prepared to all lectures, discussions, and workshops; if you are eager
to participate in discussions - listening, asking, and commenting, BSE will be a
memorable and valuable course.
Course Objectives
There are several important learning objectives for Business, Society, and Ethics.
We want all students at SMG to:
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Have a solid foundation for making ethical decisions in a business context;
Understand the role of the firm within society; and
Understand the role of the functional areas in accomplishing the firm’s
objectives, as well as the types of ethical issues that arise within each
function.
Further, in this course we stress written and oral communication skills, as essential
to effective participation in society and successful leadership. We stress logical
reasoning as an ingredient for sound analysis and rational business planning.
Finally, you will be introduced to teamwork, because at the heart of modern
management is the need to collaborate with others and to organize, motivate, and
monitor teams of diverse people to accomplish shared goals.
By the end of BSE, we expect you to have identified a core set of personal values that
will guide your decision-making going forward. In addition, we expect you to be
able to apply ethical frameworks to a variety of managerial decisions with ethical
components. You will be familiar with some of the language of management -- from
accounting, finance, marketing, operations management, and general management.
We expect you to have developed professional writing and communication and have
learned how to view the world from a managerial perspective. Last, we expect each
student to appreciate the breadth of economic entities that ultimately leads to the
quality of life on the planet.
Course Content
The course is divided into three modules.
Module 1: What is Ethical Decision-Making?
In this module, you will develop a foundation for making ethical decisions in a
business context. Central to this objective is developing an understanding that
ethics are comprised of behaviors, skills, techniques and processes for making
principled decisions. You will learn to identify ethical situations and to evaluate
these situations using your own values and value systems as well as several ethical
frameworks. You will also learn to identify key success factors, pitfalls, and
outcomes from ethical decision-making.
Module 2: What is the Role of the Firm in Society?
Making ethical decisions in a business context requires a solid understanding of the
role that firms play in society. In this module, we will examine some key concepts
from economics that are the underpinning of this question. Specifically, we will
discuss what a market is, what it means for a market to be efficient, how markets
attain efficiency, and why markets fail. We will examine the role of government and
regulation. We will also discuss the possible objectives of a firm—to make profits,
to satisfy stakeholders and/or to better society. We will explore these issues from
multiple perspectives. Supporting this goal, teams will research and develop
arguments supporting one side of an issue, which will be presented to the class.
Module 3: What is the Role of Ethics within the Business Functions?
Most students will eventually be working within a specific functional area of
business. In this module, you will be introduced to key functions within a business,
including accounting, finance, marketing, operations, management, and strategy.
We will explore specific ethical decisions that are faced by managers working within
each of these functional areas. In addition, teams will teach the class about a recent
ethical dilemma that occurred within a specific functional area.
On a parallel track, and tied to the content, the course concentrates on building and
strengthening professional skills. The skills that the student begins to master in BSE
are skills that will be used and enhanced during her or his managerial career.
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You will work hard to enhance your written communication skills. You will
have a written assignment, comprised of multiple drafts and ending in a final
ethical analysis and execution strategy.
You will also work on your presentation skills. You will be given the
opportunity to make two team presentations to the class.
You will be placed in collaborative learning situations.
Course Communications
Our SMGTools page (A1) will serve as our central communications link. We use the
website to post assignments and other course information. Students must check it
regularly.
Classes
Usually we meet four times per week: one course-wide lecture, two discussion
sections, and one workshop. However, the schedule may vary, so please consult
your Syllabus and SMGTools for any announcement about class.
Lectures
Lectures meet on Mondays from 8:00am-9:30am (A1). On occasion, there will be
Wednesday lectures during the same time period. We will give you notice of those
special lectures. We expect you to attend every lecture, since during lectures we
will provide the background that enables you to prepare for discussion sessions. We
also expect you to arrive ON TIME. Lectures will start at the designated hour, and we
may take attendance AT THAT MOMENT or at the end of class. Lecture slides and
videos are posted to SMGTools after lecture, and are not a substitute for attending
lectures. Laptops are not permitted in the lecture hall.
Discussion Sections
Discussion sections meet twice per week Tuesdays/Thursdays. Discussion sections
form the core of BSE and your discussion section instructor will provide valuable
advice during your first semester at SMG. Therefore, you should get to know
him/her well and consider them your first resource for any information related to
class. Please, don't hesitate to contact us frequently. Attendance will be taken
during discussion.
Writing Workshop
Writing Workshops are one hour long and meet on 7 Fridays over the semester. You
have been assigned to a workshop according to your discussion sections. Your
Writing Instructor will staff these workshops. The Writing Workshop is to develop
and work on your writing skills. Because you will receive substantive feedback on
your writing during the Workshops, your grade on both the assignments and
attendance will be affected by absences during Workshops.
Team Workshop
Team Workshops are one hour long and meet on 7 Fridays. You have been assigned
to a workshop according to your discussion sections. Your TA will staff these
workshops. The Workshop is to develop and work on your teaming skills and
presentation assignments. Because you will receive substantive feedback on your
team-building and presentation skills during the Workshops, your grade on both the
assignments and attendance will be affected by absences during Workshops.
Course Materials
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BSE Course Packet from the SMG Copy center –a bound text and cases. This
will be referred to as the BSE Course Packet.
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Business Ethics, Case Studies and Selected Readings, 7e, Marianne M.
Jennings- available at the BU Bookstore.
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Write to the Top by Deborah Dumaine, 2004 – available at the BU Bookstore.
You must also read one of the following publications on a regular basis: The Wall
Street Journal, New York Times, The Financial Times, The Economist, Business Week,
etc. You have free access to these through the Pardee Library and can be read
online.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory in all classes (lectures, discussion sections, and
workshops). We take attendance seriously and monitor it carefully. Attendance for
lecture will be taken via unannounced quizzes during lecture; there are no
make-ups for the quizzes.
Punctuality
Punctuality is an important component of attendance. We will consider that you are
absent if you arrive late to class. If you arrive late and miss a quiz, you cannot
make up the quiz. Classes start promptly. Please plan your morning as if the T
will be late, a cab will be late or the bus will be late. These are everyday problems
and are not an excuse for being late to class.
You should arrive on time not only to avoid an absence but also to avoid disrupting
the class. It is disrespectful to your instructor and to your classmates to arrive late
and your instructor may refuse to allow tardy students to enter class. Please note
that we may close the doors to the lecture hall when we administer a quiz,
preventing latecomers from entering.
Absences
Absences are neither excused nor unexcused – they are simply absences. Your first
three absences are “no questions asked” free absences. Each additional absence
will lower your final course grade by two points. For example, six total absences
(three beyond the three free absences) could lower your course grade from 80 (B-)
to 74 (C). You should be aware that it is possible to fail the course because of
excessive absenteeism. If unusual circumstances occur (e.g., the bird flu), the
student should inform his or her instructor and consideration will be given.
You should also be aware that an absence does not remove your responsibility for
the day's work. Your instructor may assign extra work to compensate for lost time
and to ensure that your overall learning experience does not suffer. However, the
responsibility to make up for missed classes is entirely yours.
Evaluation and Grading
Your discussion section instructor will determine your grade based on the
following:
50% Examinations:
1
6%
2
17%
3
27%
25% Individual Paper:
1 Lens Paper
2 Lens Paper
4%
8%
3 Persuasion Strategy 13%
10% Class Participation
See discussion below
15% Team Presentations
1
5%
2
10%
Each section of BSE is graded independently on all items except exams, which are
scored and scaled across the course.
Computer Literacy
Each student is expected to have basic competency with word processing software
(e.g., Microsoft Word) and visual presentation software (e.g., Powerpoint, Keynote,
and Prezi).
Class Participation
As indicated earlier, discussion sections are the core of BSE. Given that we use the
case-method of teaching, we expect discussion sections to be truly interactive, with
intense participation by all students.
Class participation is an essential ingredient in the learning process. We expect you
to learn by actively participating in discussions and by observing your classmates
participate. Neither activity is possible if you are absent; therefore, your presence in
class is vital.
To participate actively, you must be well prepared. This implies more than just
reading the assignments before coming to class. It means analyzing the issues and
answering the study questions ahead of time. We urge you to use your team to
prepare before coming to class. At times your instructor will give unannounced
quizzes or expect you to be involved in other activities, such as on-the-spot oral
presentations, to assess your level of preparation and/or to set up the day's
discussion.
Your instructor will use three criteria to evaluate class participation: the extent to
which you participate in the class discussion; the quality of that participation; and
your performance in in-class activities.
Quality is more important than quantity. We consider that you are participating well
when your comments reflect clear knowledge of the case and of the theoretical
background provided by lectures and readings. Additionally, to establish quality
your instructor will consider:
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the relevance of your comments to the topic,
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the extent to which what you say is based on thoughtful interpretation of
facts,
the clarity and depth of your reasoning,
your willingness to "think on the spot" and engage your professor and your
classmates in discussion, and
the degree to which you bring issues discussed earlier in the course and
other relevant experiences into our deliberations.
The degree to which you respect everyone's right to participate and have different
opinions in the discussions is absolutely critical to the success of the course.
Written Assignments
There are several written assignments during the semester. Please check SMGTools
for the details of these assignments. We expect you to present clear arguments
based on facts and analysis. We also expect you to organize and communicate your
ideas clearly and concisely and to present them in a professional manner. These
skills form the basis of effective case analysis. Without prior authorization, late
papers are unacceptable. As an overview, these assignments include:
Writing Assignment 1 and 2 (Lens Papers): In this paper students will analyze an
assigned ethical dilemma using ethical frameworks. Students are required to use
the material from class and apply those concepts to the dilemma. Students will
receive feedback on this assignment, so that they can edit their work in accordance
with the feedback.
Writing Assignment 3 (Persuasion Strategy): This writing assignment will focus on
executing a decision. In Writing Assignments 1 you identified various ideas and
alternatives to an ethical dilemma based on ethical frameworks. But, identification
of ethical issues and potential outcomes is not a complete resolution. Now you must
act on your values by developing an option for execution. In this assignment you
will be assigned a scenario in which a decision has been made. Your job is to
develop a plan to implement your decision based on concepts we discuss in class.
Exams
Exams will be cumulative; that is, you can expect some of the first exam’s material
on subsequent exams. Exam schedules will not be modified to accommodate any
individual. There are no excuses for missing an exam. Because of this, you should
make no travel plans that conflict with the exam schedule. Information about
time and location of exams will be posted on SMGTools.
Team Presentations
Learning how to work in teams is an important component of your SMG experience
and you will be introduced to teaming in BSE. Therefore, at the beginning of the
semester we will assign you to a study team. We will arrange all teams using the
following ground rules:
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Each team should consist of 5-7 members.
Every team must be mixed-gender. We prefer gender-balanced teams.
Teams, once assigned, are the students’ to manage. Efforts must be made to resolve
team issues internally. If after several attempts at internal resolution the team still
needs help, go first to your TA for advice before bringing the issue to the instructor.
We hope that your team functions smoothly and productively and we will do what
we can to help. However, we cannot help unless you ask us to do so. Please ask! Any
change to team composition must be approved by the instructor. Approval is rarely
granted
Team Presentation 1: In this team presentation the team must teach the class about
an assigned topic and evaluate that issue using the questions posed in the
assignment. Teams will be assigned a topic by their instructor relating to material in
Module 2. Each team must read the material provided in addition to the Team’s
own research and the material in the text, and include in their presentation their
answers to the assigned questions. Each team must then present to the class. Both
the Team Presentation 1 Assignment and specific topics are posted on SMGTools.
Team Presentation 2: In this team presentation the team must discuss an emerging
issue based on class material from Module 3. For this assignment each team will be
assigned a business function (i.e. accounting, operations, etc.). Once assigned a
sector, each team must find a recent (no older than 1 year) ethical issue involving
entities, firms, or employees in that sector. Team Presentation 2 Assignment is
posted on SMGTools.
General Presentation Requirements:
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Each presentation is evaluated on its delivery and its content.
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Each presentation is time constrained. An individual or team going over the
time limit will be penalized. See presentation assignments for specific time
limits.
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At the conclusion of the team presentations the team will “stand” for
questions. Questioning will be done by the class, the TA, and the instructor.
“Q&A” will count towards both delivery and content.
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Each team presentation must be accompanied by the following
documentation.
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A summary of not more than one double spaced page. The summary
must include a discussion of the most important element of the
presentation.
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Attached to the summary must be copies of the presentation media
(slides, video, etc.)
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Each member of the class is to evaluate each team presentation. The
evaluation is on two dimensions - the quality of the delivery and the extent of
learning. These evaluations will be considered by the instructor in assigning
grades.
Writing Instructors
Each section of BSE has a Writing Instructor. The Writing Instructor will deliver
writing instruction during the Friday Writing Workshops. Also, the Writing
Instructor, in consultation with your Discussion Instructor, will provide feedback on
and grade the writing assignments. Writing Instructors are your source of
instruction and help on the writing assignments. To that end, in addition to Friday
Writing Workshops, Writing Instructors will have office hours and may schedule
appointments outside of those hours. The Writing Instructors will provide as much
help as they can on the writing assignments including form and content; their job is
not to provide help on the content of the lecture or discussions. Please see your TA
or discussion faculty for questions about the course material that does not relate to
the writing assignments.
Teaching Assistants
Each BSE section has a teaching assistant. All TAs are SMG undergraduates.
Teaching Assistants will sit in on most of your classes, monitor your attendance,
track class participation, conduct some professional skills workshops, and in general
be available to help you succeed in BSE. TAs are there to help you; take advantage of
their knowledge. You should be aware that TAs will give you their opinions and
provide advice. However, following their advice does not guarantee a good grade.
Your instructor, not your TA, assigns your grades.
Academic Guidance, Tutorial Assistance, and Administrative Issues
Most of us need some help from time to time. Please do not hesitate to ask, and ask
sooner rather than later. You should address any administrative questions to the
Undergraduate Programs Office. If your questions relate to course or other
academic issues, ask your instructor to assist you. Your instructor may refer you to
the Undergraduate Programs Office who can provide you with information on tutors
and other sources of help. One especially valuable source for help is the student-run
organization, the LOCK Honorary Service Society. This group provides tutorial
assistance tailored to SM 131 students' needs. LOCK tutors are available through
the Educational Resource Center (Tel: 353-7077). The ERC provides tutors for all
Boston University undergraduates.
Get to know your teaching assistant. He/she knows what we expect of you and can
help academically and otherwise.
Dr. Sandra Deacon is the Undergraduate Team Consultant. Talk to her about teamrelated issues before they get out of hand.
Accommodations of Disabilities
In keeping with University policy, any student with a disability who needs or thinks
they need academic accommodations must call the Office of Disability Services at
353-3658 or stop by 19 Deerfield Street to arrange a confidential appointment with
a Disability Services staff member. Accommodation letters must be delivered to
Prof. Chang in a timely fashion (within two weeks of the date on the letter and not
later than two weeks before any major examination). Please note that
accommodations will not be delivered absent an official letter of accommodation.
Academic Conduct
Academic integrity is an essential component of your education. We cannot
overemphasize the importance of honesty and integrity in your work. Every
member of the Boston University School of Management is responsible for
creating an ethical environment. Therefore, we urge you to become
thoroughly familiar with the University’s academic conduct policy
(http://smgworld.bu.edu/acc/academic-conduct-code/). We strongly urge
you to read the Code, and you will be expected to provide the SMG
Undergraduate Program Office with an affirmation that you have indeed done
so.
You should be aware that we expect you to abide by the Academic Conduct
Code. In the past, we have had unfortunate situations where students who did
not abide by the code received a failing grade in BSE and were subjected to a
variety of additional sanctions. We hope that no students will violate the
Academic Conduct Code this year, but if we discover that someone does, we
will act accordingly.