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Course
Description and Goals ·
Identifying
and evaluating the importance of resources provided by public stakeholders. ·
Evaluating
the role of the “moral manager” in making public and private sector decisions
including resolving tradeoffs among stakeholders. ·
Evaluating
the social contract between the firm and public stakeholders and evaluating
how this social contract should guide decision making. ·
Applying
a formal ethical framework that incorporates personal values and broader
utilitarian, rights/duties, and justice considerations into making decisions. A variety of teaching methods will be used to facilitate achieving
these goals including class case discussions, small group discussions,
mini-lectures, and film/video.
Course
Requirements Cases (50%)
Student Ethics
Mini-Case (10%) Try to select a
case that you believe others will identify with either because they have
faced similar situations or may face a similar situation in the future. The
cases can address issues similar to those discussed in class or raise important
issues/dilemmas we may not have been able to discuss. Consider cases where
there is a real ethical dilemma and where the class has to struggle with some
tough ethical issues and make a recommendation on taking action in the case. The cases will be due on the dates outlined
in the syllabus (please make copies for everyone in discussion group) and
each of you will be assigned one of the dates specified in the syllabus. After students have read the mini-case in
class, the group should discuss how they would resolve the ethical dilemma.
I’ll then ask you to share with them the decision you made and the
justification for your decision. In addition to turning in your one-page
case, you will be responsible for a three-five page (double-space with 1”
margins) write-up that includes the central ethical issues brought out in the
case, what you learned from this particular dilemma and how (if at all) the
experience influenced your character, and what lessons you can pass on to
others who might face similar situations. Ethics
Exploration Paper (20%) I will ask you to structure the paper in the following way: (1) an
introduction that summarizes the focus for the paper and highlights its
importance and relevance; (2) a section of the paper that elaborates the
various arguments and ethical issues associated with the topic area you have
chosen; (3) a narrative that presents where you stand with respect to a
particular issue, drawing on material presented in section 2; and (4) a
conclusion that outlines a number of practical implications and
recommendations that follows from your discussion in sections 1-3.
Class
Participation (20%) Required Reading The book Nickle & Dimed,
by Barbara Ehrenreich, is required for the course.
The book is widely available in bookstores and on-line in paperback. A number of required readings have been placed on electronic reserve
with the WSU Vancouver Library (noted by "R" in syllabus). You can gain access to these readings
through visiting http://eres.wsulibs.wsu.edu/eres/coursepass.aspx?cid=828.
I will provide a password for you to use in class. There are a number
of assigned cases as well that you will purchase directly from the Office Hours Availability of Final Grades and Cases/Projects Final grades will be submitted two weeks after the conclusion of the
course. Final grades are available on METRO the day following grade
submission. If you want your final case and/or project returned to you,
please leave me a SASE on the final day of class. Academic Integrity & Academic Dishonesty Students are expected to uphold the WSU standard of conduct relating
to academic dishonesty (see WSU Student Handbook, WAC 504-25-015). Students
assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work
they submit. The guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that a
student’s submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects must be that
student’s own work. Students shall be guilty of violating the honor code if
they: 1. Represent the work of others as their own. 2. Use or obtain
unauthorized assistance in any academic work. 3. Give unauthorized assistance
to other students. 4. Modify, without instructor approval, an examination,
paper, record or report for the purpose of obtaining additional credit. 5.
Misrepresent the content of submitted work. The penalty for violating the
honor code is severe. The first offense will result in a failing grade for
the course. All offenses will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs.
If a student is unclear about whether a particular situation may constitute
an honor code violation, the student should meet with the instructor to
discuss the situation. Student Conduct & Deportment Per the WSU Vancouver Student Handbook, students are, “Expected to
show due respect for …the rights of others.” For example, “While students
have the right to freedom of expression…this expression cannot interfere with
the rights of others or disrupt the processes of the University. Any
malicious act which causes harm to any person’s physical or mental well being
is prohibited.” Such activities include sexual harassment, discrimination,
intimidation (e.g. bullying or belittling fellow students), disruptive
behavior (e.g., loud talking in class, or slanderous comments made about
other students or faculty (e.g., false and unsubstantiated claims of
discrimination made for the purpose of improving grades). Students should be
familiar with the Reporting Violations Anyone wishing to report violations of the student or faculty conduct
code should use the following procedures. Whenever possible, collect any
documentation of the offending activity (e.g. written comments from other
students or faculty, e-mail messages etc.). It is also useful for students to
put their concerns in writing to faculty or administrators pursuing the
matter can accurately convey the student’s concerns. Present the complaint
and supporting documentation to the appropriate faculty member or
administrator. The process should begin with the class instructor. If the
instructor is unable to resolve the matter to the student’s satisfaction, of
the problem behavior spans multiple classes, or if the nature of the problem
makes this impossible, the complaint should be forwarded to the Program
Director. If the matter is still not resolved to the student’s satisfaction,
the complaint should proceed to the Associate Dean, then the Chancellor and
finally to the University Ombudsman. See the WSU Vancouver student manual for
more detail concerning this process. Disability Accommodations Accommodations may
be available if you need them in order to fully participate in this class
because of a disability. Accommodations may take some time to implement so it
is critical that you contact Disability Services as soon as possible. All
accommodations must be approved through Disability Services,
located in the ON-CAMPUS
COUNSELING is available in VCLB 160D. Phone 546-9446 I look forward
to spending an intensive and rich Fall with you. Welcome to the course! |
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Mgt.
587: Seminar in Business Ethics Course Outline – Fall 2007
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Aug. 20 |
Ethical Focus: Course Introduction & Overview Case Discussion: Naivete
or Boldness (distributed in class) Recommended “To Serve the Public Interest,” Carol Lewis & Stuart Gilman (R) |
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Aug. 27 |
Ethical Focus: Developing A Framework for Ethical Analysis and
Moral Inquiry Required |
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Sept. 3 |
Labor Day |
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Sept. 10 |
Ethical Focus: Ethics and Authority Conflict
on a Trading Floor (Sample
Case) Required Badaracco, Business Ethics: A View From the
Trenches Student Ethics Mini-Case Discussion (1) |
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Sept. 17 |
Ethical Focus: “Giving Voice to Values” Guest Speaker: Mary
C. Gentile, Ph.D. Research Director, Giving Voice to
Values & Senior Advisor, Aspen Institute Business & Society
Program Required |
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Sept. 24 |
Ethical Focus: Balancing Compassion and the Bottom Line Required “Work-Life: The End of the Zero-Sum Game,” Stewart Friedman et al. (R) Student Ethics Mini-Discussion (2) |
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Oct. 1 |
Ethical Focus: Conflicts of Personal, Professional,
& Organizational Ethics Required “Corporate Policy and
the Ethics of Competitor Intelligence Student Ethics Mini-Case Discussion (3) |
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Oct. 8 |
Ethical Focus: The Crisis in Corporate
Governance DeGeorge, Chapt. 9 (pp. 211-219) “The Sarbanes-Oxley Act,” Lynn Sharp Paine
& James Weber (HBS) “Ethical Conflicts at Enron: Moral Responsibility in Corporate Capitalism,” Sherron Watkins (R) Student Ethics Mini-Case Discussion (4) |
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Oct. 15 |
Ethical
Focus: Privatization
in the Public Sector Case Discussion: Privatization in Required “Public Ethics and the New Managerialism: An
Axiomatic Theory,” George Frederickson (R) “Accountability: The Achilles Heel,” Sheila Suess
Kennedy (R) Student Ethics Mini-Case Discussion (5) |
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Oct.
22 |
Ethical Focus: Information & Privacy Required “Undermining
Freedom of Expression in Ethics
Exploration Paper Discussion (1) |
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Oct.
29 |
Ethical Focus: Corporations and the Environment Required DeGeorge, Chapt. 11 “Beyond Greening: Strategies for a Sustainable World,” Stuart Hart (R) “Not in our Backyard: Exporting Electronic Waste,” Ethics Exploration Paper Discussion (2) |
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Nov.
5 |
Ethical Focus: Social Entrepreneurship
Visit to
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Nov.
12 |
Ethical
Focus: Social
Entrepreneurship Guest Speaker: Dr. Howard Feldman, Required Ethics
Exploration Paper Discussion (3) |
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Nov.
19 |
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Nov.
26 |
Ethical Focus:
Ethics and Globalization Video Discussion: Barbara Ehrenreich & Bill Moyers – “Nickel
and Dimed” Required Reading: Ehrenreich, “Introduction,”
“Selling in Ethics Exploration
Discussion (4) |
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Dec.
3 |
Ethical Focus: Ethics and Globalization Required
Reading: “Managing
for Organizational Integrity,” Lynn Paine (R) Ethics
Exploration Discussion (5) Course Conclusion |