MBA 6301, Business Ethics Course Syllabus Course Description Explores the role of individual, business, and government activities related to ethically responsible commerce and socially beneficial business activity. Prerequisites None Course Textbook Stanwick, P. A., & Stanwick, S. D. (2009). Understanding business ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Course Learning Objectives Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Analyze the concepts of business ethics from a personal and an organization perspective. 2. Assess the ethical issues facing business leaders. 3. Evaluate and distinguish between the concepts of social responsibility, integrity, and business ethics. 4. Explain the framework required to make ethical decisions in today's business environment and how it improves the business climate. 5. Summarize how moral philosophies, on a corporate and individual level, influence ethical decision-making in business. 6. Analyze the influence of corporate culture, including leadership, power, and motivation, on business ethics in the workplace. 7. Explain the pressures that influence ethical decision making in the organization. 8. Evaluate the need for ethical standards, codes of ethics and practices in business. 9. Assess the auditing process to assure ethical practices are being followed. 10. Analyze the role that culture plays in global business ethics. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Unit Learning Objectives: Each unit contains learning objectives that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 2. Unit Summaries: Each unit contains an overview, or summary, of the information to be covered. 3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains reading assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. 4. Key Terms: Key terms are intended to guide students in their course of study. Students should pay particular attention to key terms as they represent important concepts within the unit material and reading. 5. Assessments: Unit Assessments appear in Units I, IV, V, and VIII. They are composed of written response questions. MBA 6301, Business Ethics 1
6. PowerPoint Assignment: Students are to submit a PowerPoint Assignment for Unit II. Details and instructions are provided below and in the Unit II Study Guide. A grading rubric is included with this assignment. Specific information for accessing this rubric is included below. 7. Case Studies: These assignments appear in Units III and VI. Details and instructions are provided below and in the respective unit study guides. 8. Code of Ethics Assignment: Students are to submit a Code of Ethics Assignment in Unit VII. Details and instructions are provided below and in the Unit VII Study Guide. 9. Final Exam (proctored): Students are to complete a Final Exam in Unit VIII. All Final Exams are proctored see below for additional information. You are permitted four (4) hours to complete this exam, in the presence of your approved proctor. This is an open book exam. Only course textbooks and a calculator, if necessary, are allowed when taking proctored exams. 10. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 11. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Unit II PowerPoint Presentation You are a high level manager who has been asked to present a PowerPoint Presentation to your employees on the concepts of stakeholders and corporate social responsibility. Your PowerPoint Presentation must include the following: What is a stakeholder? How does your business define stakeholder? Identify your stakeholders and what makes them stakeholders in your business: o The employee o The supplier o The customers o The government o The local community and society How does your business communicate with its stakeholders? Discuss corporate social responsibility in your business. Discuss the social issues facing your company. The PowerPoint must contain a minimum of 15 slides. You can assume anything in developing the PowerPoint (person, place, time), and you can use your own employer, your own business, an actual business, or a fictitious organization. Make sure you identify your organization at the beginning of the slide show. Points will be deducted if you do not include a reference list. This can be the last slide in your PowerPoint, but make sure it includes all sources used: your textbook, websites, journal articles, etc. Remember, if you paraphrase or quote words or ideas from your course textbook or other resources, you should cite your sources following the APA style citation guidelines. PowerPoint contains a notes feature where the presenter can insert notes under each slide. You can add notes to your PowerPoint presentation by clicking in the area titled Click to add notes. This is located under each slide. Use this feature to add additional content that is not included in your slides. Format: You are free to design your PowerPoint in any format that you see fit. This includes color scheme, font, layout, etc. However, the level of professionalism in your PowerPoint will affect your grade. Excessive use of clip art, sound effects, and animation is inappropriate in a professional/scientific presentation. You might want to review the following website for tips on creating PowerPoint presentations: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/tips-for-creatingand-delivering-an-effective-presentation-ha010207864.aspx. Submit your PowerPoint assignment by uploading it through the "PowerPoint Assignment" link located in Unit II. Do not e- mail your paper directly to your professor. By uploading through Blackboard, your university record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your paper and it will be provided to your professor for grading. Unit III Case Study Read Case Study 22, Wal-Mart: But We Do Give Them a 10 Percent Employee Discount. Summarize the overall viewpoint of the author. Discuss ethical issues facing Wal-Mart dealing with, off-the-clock-work, sexual discrimination, MBA 6301, Business Ethics 2
health benefits, the role of unions, the use of undocumented workers, as well as issues relating to child and labor laws. Review the Questions for Thought. Answer these four questions using the business ethics principles from the textbook. Your discussion of the ethical issues facing Wal-Mart must be in paragraph form. However, your responses to the four Questions for Thought can be answered either in paragraph form or as a numbered list. There is no minimum word count requirement for this case study. You will be graded on your discussion of the ethical issues facing Wal-Mart and your responses to the questions. Remember, if you paraphrase or quote words or ideas from your course textbook or other resources, you should cite your sources following the APA style citation guidelines. To submit your completed Case Study upload it through the view/complete link under the Unit III Case Study link located in Unit III. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using this link, your university record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your paper and the paper will be provided to your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Case Study link in Unit III. Unit VI Case Study Read Case Study 20, Tyco: I m Sure That It s a Really Nice Shower Curtain. Summarize the overall viewpoint of the author, and discuss the major issues presented in the case. Review the Questions for Thought. Answer these three questions using the business ethics principles from the textbook. Your summary of the author s viewpoint and your discussion of the major issues presented in the case must be in paragraph form. However, your responses to the three Questions for Thought can be answered either in paragraph form or as a numbered list. There is no minimum word count requirement for this case study. You will be graded on your summary of the author s viewpoint, your discussion of the ethical issues facing Tyco, and your responses to the questions. Remember, if you paraphrase or quote words or ideas from your course textbook or other resources, you should cite your sources following the APA style citation guidelines. To submit your completed Case Study upload it through the view/complete link under the Unit VI Case Study link located in Unit VI. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using this link, your university record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your paper and the paper will be provided to your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Case Study link in Unit VI. Unit VII Code of Ethics Assignment Your task is to create an original Code of Ethics for your company or organization. You may also choose to create a Code of Ethics for a fictitious company or organization if you prefer not to use your employer. Codes of conduct for military do not qualify for this assignment. In your company Code of Ethics, please include the following: Guiding principles Purpose of the code Core values Training and education Definitions What employees it covers How it will be implemented/communicated How it will be enforced and reported Mission statement Other pertinent elements you feel necessary to have a comprehensive Code of Ethics Please include a short introduction and background of the company/organization and a summary of the Code in your paper. This assignment must be 6-8 pages in length. The title page and reference pages are not included in the required paper length. CSU requires that students use the APA format in writing course papers. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Your paper should contain at least three references MBA 6301, Business Ethics 3
in addition to the textbook and may include Internet sources, books, and professional journals or other pertinent resources. Do not copy or plagiarize others materials. Use references less than four years old. Submit a comprehensive outline by e-mail to the professor for approval prior to initiating writing. Points can be deducted if your assignment is submitted without an approved outline. To submit your completed Code of Ethics upload it through the view/complete link under the Code of Ethics Assignment link located in Unit VII. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using this link, your university record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your paper and the paper will be provided to your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Code of Ethics Assignment link in Unit VII. APA Guidelines CSU requires that students use the APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. A document titled APA Guide is available for you to download from the APA Guide link, found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. It may also be accessed from the Student Resources link on the Course Menu. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides links to The CSU Success Center and the CSU Online Library staff. Blackboard Grading Rubrics Assignment Rubrics One or more assignments in this course utilizes a Blackboard Grading Rubric. A rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Your professor will use the Blackboard Grading Rubric to assign points and provide feedback for the assignment. You are encouraged to view the assignment rubric before submitting your work. This will allow you to review the evaluation criteria as you prepare your assignments. You may access the rubric in My Grades through the Tools button in your course menu. Click the View Rubric link to see the evaluation criteria for the assignment. Upon receiving your assignment grade, you may view your grade breakdown and feedback in the rubric. CSU Grading Rubric for Papers/Projects The course papers will be graded based on the CSU Grading Rubric for all types of papers, unless otherwise specified within assignment instructions. In addition, all papers will be submitted for electronic evaluation to rule out plagiarism. Course projects will contain project specific grading criteria defined in the project directions. To view the rubric, click the Academic Policies link on the Course Menu, or access it through the CSU Grading Rubric link found in the Learning Resources area of the mycsu Student Portal. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Once you have completed Unit VIII, you MUST unsubscribe from the forum; otherwise, you will continue to receive e-mail updates from the forum. You will not be able to unsubscribe after your course end date. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. MBA 6301, Business Ethics 4
Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Unit Assessments (4 @ 11%) = 44% PowerPoint Presentation = 11% Case Studies (2 @ 11%) = 22% Code of Ethics Assignment = 11% Final Exam = 12% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. MBA 6301, Business Ethics 5
MBA 6301, Business Ethics Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I The Foundation of Ethical Thought and Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics Unit Study Guide Chapter 1: The Foundation of Ethical Thought Chapter 2: Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics Assessment Unit II Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibility Unit Study Guide Chapter 3: Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibility PowerPoint Presentation Proctor Approval Form Unit III Corporate Governance and Corporate Compliance Unit Study Guide Chapter 4: Corporate Governance and Corporate Compliance Case Study MBA 6301, Business Ethics 6
MBA 6301, Business Ethics Course Schedule Unit IV Ethics and the Environment and Health-Care Ethics Unit Study Guide Chapter 5: Ethics and the Environment Chapter 6: Health-Care Ethics Assessment Unit V Ethics and Information Technology Unit Study Guide Chapter 7: Ethics and Information Technology Assessment Unit VI Strategic Planning, Corporate Culture, Ethics, and Financial Reporting Unit Study Guide Chapter 8: Strategic Planning and Corporate Culture Chapter 9: Ethics and Financial Reporting Case Study MBA 6301, Business Ethics 7
MBA 6301, Business Ethics Course Schedule Unit VII Establishing a Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines Unit Study Guide Chapter 10: Establishing a Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines Code of Ethics Assignment Request to take Final Exam Unit VIII Evaluate Corporate Ethics Unit Study Guide Chapter 11: Evaluating Corporate Ethics Assessment Final Exam MBA 6301, Business Ethics 8