Business Ethics (EM1007), 2 op

Perustiedot

Esitietovaatimukset

Pre-reading and assignment. Please see the Materials Section for articles and Internet Resources.

Sisältö (ydinaines ja -osaaminen)

Business ethics involve the efforts business organizations undertake to meet their responsibilities both as economic and social agent. Businesses have become aware of their social and moral responsibilities through pressure exerted by their stakeholders. Customers, for example, expect business to supply reliable and safe products at a fair price. Stockholders demand that their investments be rewarded by dividends and improved market value. Employees desire their employer to provide a safe and rewarding work environment, and offer reasonable benefits. Similarly, other stakeholder groups (such as suppliers, community leaders, media, etc.) call for companies to offer benefits that contribute to the community beyond just providing jobs and high-quality products.

Managers hold primary responsibility for the integration of business ethics into organizational decision-making. A key principle in ethical decision-making is that managers should anticipate, acknowledge and address the potential conflicts between (a) their own role as corporate stakeholders, and (b) their legal and ethical responsibilities for the interest of other stakeholders. Ethical decision-making requires (future) managers to implement a balanced holistic perspective of both stakeholder management and business ethics to fully understand the multifaceted aspects of ethical conflicts (dilemmas). In order to resolve ethical dilemmas the (future) manager should be able to logically adduce valuable and legitimate arguments in support of the decision s/he makes or the action s/he takes.

This course has been designed to increase the students? awareness of the ethical challenges ? both individual and corporate - that arise from international business and globalization, and to learn how to apply various decision strategies for dealing with these ethical challenges in a diverse, multicultural business environment.

Sisältö (täydentävä ja erityisosaaminen)

Tiedolliset oppimistulokset (ydinaines ja -osaaminen)

Mission: to acquire the fundamental ethical reasoning skills necessary for prudential decision-making in ethical issues and dilemmas which arise from international business and globalization.

Learning outcomes
Specifically, upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

? give an account of the concept of ethics in an international, global, multicultural business context
? recognize and identify, discuss and analyze ethical issues that arise from international business and globalization
? apply relevant ethical theories to ethical issues in international business
? devise and justify approaches for responding to the ethical issues and dilemmas

Taidolliset oppimistulokset (ydinaines ja -osaaminen)

By the end of the course the student will be able to

? reasonably discuss actual business cases as a prudential decision maker
? critically evaluate her/his own ethical thinking and standards

Kirjallisuus ja muu materiaali

Pre-reading
Material given by the lecturer

Opetusmenetelmät

The course will be organized during the International Project Week as an intensive course 12 -16 March 2007. The course will kick off on Monday 12 March with an introduction to all groups after which teaching in groups will start. There will be 4 hours of lectures each day Mon-Thu (9-13) and the final presentations will be held on Friday. The groups will meet Mon-Thu to work on their assignments after the lectures for four hours (13-17).

There will also be a presentation skills workshop for each group.

It is compulsory to attend all lectures, which are over an intensive period. These lectures will include group work assignment introduction, discussions and case studies.

Opiskelijan kuormittavuus

Luennot - 16
Itseopiskelu - 20
Ryhmätyöt - 16

Arvioinnin perusteet

The course assessment is based on the presentation.

Koulutusohjelmakohtaiset kompetenssit

Kansainvälisyysosaaminen (KL)
Viestintä- ja vuorovaikutusosaaminen (KL)
Eettinen osaaminen (KL)
Itsensä kehittäminen (KL)