MBA 740 BUSINESS ETHICS
COURSE OUTLINE
SEMESTER: SUMMER 2015
Faculty Member’s Details:
Name:
Dr. Nicos Rodosthenous
Office:
ROOM 4 CDA LIMASSOL
Office Hours: By Appointment
Email:
nrodosthenous@hotmail.com
Web Site:
http://www.cdacollege.ac.cy/site/business-studies/index.htm
Course Description
The course is intended to serve as a bridge between the nature of business and the role played by
various business institutions in other social structures and institutions. It cultivates in students the
ability to grasp and digest business as it functions today within the society and its relationship with
social phenomena.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students are expected to:
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Understand the change in the technological environment;
Understand the economic change: the New Vocabulary of Economics;
Analyze the Societal Context of Business Enterprise;
Understand the Social Change; and
Comprehensively assess the terms Industrial and Post-industrial Society.
Prerequisites: None
Type of Course: Compulsory for Bachelor in Business Administration
Teaching Methods: Lectures, presentations, videos, cartoon analysis, problem and case studies discussion,
articles discussion, independent and private study, preparation of projects, fieldwork and group work.
Course Teaching Hours: 39 hours a semester. The course is delivered during a 13-week semester.
Assessment method and weight: 50% coursework and 50% final examination. Coursework can be one or
more of the following: mid-term examination, tests, assignments and projects. Passing mark 60%.
ASSESSMENT
Class Participation/Tests: 5%
Assignments:
15%
Mid-term examination:
30%
Final examination:
50%
Assignments: The students will be assigned to carry out a theoretical research in the existing literature over
the topics covered in the course outline, or to carry out an exercise using the Internet. The faculty member
will determine the character of the assignment. The students are requested to deliver their assignments on
an individual or group basis. Although collaboration among the students for the preparation of the
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assignments is encouraged, students should avoid copying. Presentations and discussions over the
assignments will be made during the last lecture.
Mid-term examination: The mid-term examination will be of two hours. It will mostly be essay questions
and/or multiple-choice questions.
Final Examination: The final examination will be of two hours. It will be comprehensive and it will test the
students on the material covered during the semester.
Business Administration Grading System
% Grade
Grade
90-100
80-89
75-79
65-74
60-64
55-59
50-54
Below 50
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
F
Grade
Meaning
Grade Points per
Credit
Excellent
4.00
Very Good
3.50
Good
3.00
Above Average 2.50
Average
2.00
Below Average 1.50
Poor
1.00
Failure
0.00
MAIN BOOK
Title:
Business Ethics and Values
Author(s):
Fisher and Lovell
Publisher:
Prentice-Hall Financial Times
Edition/Year: First /2003 and Second /2006
ADDITIONAL READING AND OTHER LEARNING RESOURCES
Books:
Title:
Business Ethics
Author(s):
William H Shaw
Edition/Year: Seven / 2010
Title:
Business Ethics
Author(s):
O. C. Ferrell
Edition/Year: Eight / 2010
Title:
Human Resource Management.
Author(s):
Gary Dessler
Edition/Year: Fifth / 2009
Web sites:
 www.businessethics.org
 www.businessethics.ca
 www.google.com
 www.yahoo.com
Journals:
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Journal of Business Ethics
Business ethics: A European review
Business ethics quarterly
Ideas: Journal of Business Ethics
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Periodicals:
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Business Week
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The Economist
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Week
1
Content Of The Course
Perspectives on business ethics and values
Introduction Perspectives on business ethics
Ethical theories: the Early Years.
Activities
Discussion Questions
Chapters 1 and 2
2
Ethics History and perspectives
Perspectives on business ethics
General Ethical issues in business marketing;
Ethical theories: the Later Years.
Chapters 3 and 4
3
Ethical Theory and its application
Ethical Theories: modern and contemporary.
Personal values in the workplace
The issues with legislation
Case study
Discussion Questions
Guidelines for the
Assignments and Project.
Discussion Questions
Chapters 5 and 6
4
Personal Ethics and the workplace
Values and heuristics and Buying Power -Case study
Individual responses to ethical questions
The case of the whistleblower
Discussion Questions
Outline the Methodology
that will be adopted for
the project.
Chapter 7
5
How businesses fulfil moral obligations
Corporate Social Responsibility: I
importance of the industry’s view of CSR
Global market characteristics and determinants
Discussion Questions
1st Assignment
Chapters 8
6
Discussion Questions
Revision.
Mid-Term Examination.
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Business and Visionary Ethics
Corporate Social Responsibility II:
Corporate citizenship
Understanding the consumers and their societies
Sustainability
Visionary Ethics
The concept of the product life cycle and ethics
Discussion Questions
Chapters 9
8
Ethics at work
Ethics in the work place I
Case studies
Video presentations: actual office situations
Chapter 10
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Discussion Questions
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10
11
12
Ethics and cultural-based work place regulations
Ethics in the Workplace II
Case Studies
Chapter 11
Discussion Questions
Personal Ethics and Business
Ethics in interpersonal professional relations:
good/bad practices
Defining communication process and informational mix;
Chapter 12
Discussion Questions
The Business Field and its stakeholders: Ethics
Ethics in Customer relations I.
The cultural paradigm
Chapter 13
Discussion Questions
Ethics and HRM
Ethics in customer relations II. Required Training
The personal paradigm
The Social Aspects of HRM: issues at large
Chapters 14 and 15
Discussion Questions
Revision for the Final Examinations
Project Presentations
Case Study
Deliver the Final Project
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OTHER INFORMATION:
Class attendance: Students are expected to attend the classes regularly and be punctual.
Office hours: Students are encouraged and advised to visit regularly their instructor during the office hours
and discuss promptly any issue that seems to be important for the student and his/her success.
Humane matters: Inform your faculty member for any un-expectancies that may occur, thus not allowing
you to carry out your responsibilities.
Library: You are advised to visit regularly the library of our College and read articles published in academic
journals. I recommend you studying regularly among others, articles of your interest, published in
international journals.
Web Site: You are advised to visit the College’s web site in order to find class notes, information on
assignments or important notes and announcements.
NOTES:
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Class attendance and participation in class discussion is expected and absences will affect your final
grade.
The due dates for assignments are non-negotiable and late work will be penalized.
All assignments are to be professional in appearance and type.
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