Ethical Theory and Business, Beauchamp and Bowie, eds. (5th ed.)

Wake Up Calls: Classic Cases in Business Ethics, Newton and Schmidt, eds.

A Course packet from the bookstore

The primary objective of this course is to enable you to raise effectively ethical issues related to the world of business. In recent years, managers in both the private and public sectors have been called upon to evaluate more carefully their roles as decision makers and to evaluate their decisions from an ethical perspective. Both the popular and professional journals have given much space to the ethical problems managers and business people in general face. While it is surely not the case that making ethical decisions is the exclusive domain of the philosopher, it is an assumption of this course that philosophy with its long history of the discussion of ethical problems can make some contribution to the issues at hand. In order to develop skills in this area, we will examine some of the classical writers in philosophical ethics as well as commentators from the business arena.

Our classes will be a blend of lecture, discussion, individual and group reflection, and cases studies. As a community of inquiry, we will be learning from one another. As such, it is imperative that for each meeting, you read carefully the materials for that day. This kind of course only works when all are prepared.

1. For each assigned case, you will turn in a word-processed, two to three page analysis on the day the case is assigned. Your analysis should contain a statement of what you see the relevant ethical issues to be, and a basic recommendation for a course of action. These papers will serve as the basis for our small group discussions. Each of you will be responsible for leading a discussion once during the term. On your assigned date, you should include a list of 4 or 5 discussion questions to turn in with your analysis. Note: Late papers are not accepted. If you are going to be absent on the day a paper is due, you should either turn it in early or send it to class with a classmate.

2. There will be two exams, one short and one long. The first exam will come right after we cover the first unit on moral theory. The second will be a final exam which will consist of short answers and some cases analyses. I will give you more information as the appropriate time approaches.

3. Your informed participation is assumed. Your are expected to have read carefully the materials for the week. I will have no hesitancy in calling on anyone, whether a hand is raised or not. Each student is expected to attend all of the class meetings and to be an active participant in those meetings. Excessive absences (more than 3) will result in the lowering of your letter grade by one full letter. After 6 absences, you will no longer be able to pass the class.

The case analyses will count for a cumulative 30% of your grade; the first test will count for 25%; the final exam for 35%; and class participation for 10%. Evaluation of class participation is, as you can imagine, difficult at best, but the "Guidelines for Class Discussion" (given below) will be used in an attempt to be fair. I assume that everyone enrolled in this course has the ability to perform well, and I expect each of you to make an acceptable grade.

The following guidelines have been borrowed and adapted from Kirk Hanson of Stanford University School of Business.

(1) Are the points made substantive, relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the comments of others?

(2) Is the participant a good listener? Do comments show the participant has been listening?

(3) Do comments show evidence of analysis of the issue at hand?

(4) Do comments add to our understanding of the situation?

(5) Does the participant distinguish among different kinds of data (i.e., facts, opinions, beliefs, etc.)?

(6) Is there a willingness to participate?

(7) Is there a willingness to test new ideas or are all comments "safe" (e.g., repetition of case facts without analysis and conclusions)?

(8) Is the participant willing to interact with other class members?

(9) Do comments clarify and highlight the important aspects of earlier comments and lead to the clearer statement of the concepts being covered?

(10) Has the participant attempted to bring other readings, both from the text and from other sources, to bear on the cases under consideration?

(11) Do the comments show awareness of the ethical dimensions of the problem at hand and do these comments fit into a consistent, coherent ethical framework?

As you prepare for discussion, you should not only know the details of the cases but you should hypothesize concerning alternative situations which might arise. In effect, you will be doing "what if" analysis. Then you will want to know if changing the factors or assumptions will alter our ethical evaluations of the case. In preparing for the discussion, be sure to relate the current issues raised both with the other issues we have already discussed and with any relevant theoretical considerations.

All work at Birmingham-Southern is done under the student honor code. If you have any doubts about the application of the code, feel free to ask your instructor.

Back to top

1. Feb. 4 Introduction to the course. Some introductory discussion of ethical theory.

2. Feb. 9 Ethical theory

Reading: ETB 1-49

3. Feb. 11 Continued.

4. Feb. 16 Continued.

Reading: "The Good of Activity," (CP)

Case: "The Parable of the Sadhu." (CP)

5. Feb. 18 Wrap up theory and review for test.

6. Feb 23 Exam. Bring your blue book.

**Feb 25 No class—out of town.

7. March 2 Corporate Social Responsibility

Reading: ETB 50-76

8. March 4 Corporate Social Responsibility, continued.

Reading: 77-107

9. March 9 Corporate Social Responsibility

Case: Infant Formula and Nestle, WUC 61-81

10. March 11 Movie, Roger and Me

Note: We must start this movie at exactly 9:30 in order to finish it. Please make arrangements to be here at least five minutes early.

11. March 16 Discussion

12. March 18 The Regulation of Business

Reading: ETB 124-135

13. March 23 The Regulation of Business

Case: S & L crisis, WUC 103-116

14. March 25 Catch up day.

15. April 6 Acceptable Risk

Reading: ETB 201-215

16. April 8 Acceptable Risk—The Ford Pinto

Case: WUC 47-60

17. April 13 Whistleblowing

Reading: ETB 328-339

18. April 15 Whistleblowing—The Challenger Disaster

Case: WUC 29-46; (ETB 143-157).

**April 20 Honors day, no classes

19. April 22 Sexual Harassment

Reading: ETB 368-370; 410-419; 436, case 1.

20. April 27 Sexual Harassment

Case: WUC 119-131

21. April 29 Bluffing, Sales and Advertising

Reading: ETB 451-462; 472-480

22. May 4 Continued

23. May 6 Social and Economic Justice

Reading: ETB 609-629

24. May 11 Continued

Reading: ETB 629-643

25. May 13 Continued

Back to top

Back to Bill's main page