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NUST Business School

Subject Title
Credit Hours

Business Ethics
3 Cr

Course Description:
This course will cover the various dimensions of the term ethics, with special focus on
its application to the business world. Starting from the theoretical perspectives on
business ethics, the course will cover different levels of business ethics- individual, the
organizational and the global. The practical applications of the concepts will also be
examined including whistle blowing, conflict of interest and discrimination. In addition to
this, the course also aims to impart analytical skills needed to apply ethical concepts to
business decisions.

Course Objectives:
To provide an understanding of:

The various theoretical approaches to Business Ethics and its relevance to the
actual world of business.
The role of culture (organizational and national), leadership and teamwork in
developing an ethical organizational climate.
Barriers involved in ethical decision making at the organizational and individual
level.
Moral dilemmas faced by the businesses pertaining to local and global
operations.

Methodology:
The teaching methods will integrate:
(a) Lectures and class discussions
(b) Simulation and exercises
(c) Case studies and real life examples.
Participation in classes and continuous teamwork during the semester is essential to
achieve the learning objectives of the course. Classes will be interactive and require
active involvement from students. The reference articles/ chapters/ case studies will be
provided time to time by the instructor.

Business Ethics Spring 2012

Course Evaluation:

Quizzes
Assignments
Project
Mid semester Exam
Final Semester Exam

10 Marks
10 Marks
20Marks
20 Marks
40 Marks

Recommended Texts & Materials:


Navigation Reading:
1. Joseph W. Weiss, Business Ethics, Fifth Edition, Cengage Learning 2009.
2. Marianne M. Jennings, Business Ethics, Fourth Edition, Thomson Learning
2005. (to be confirmed)
Supplementary Reading:
1. Additional Readings and Case Studies from Harvard Business Review, Harvard
Business School, Journal of Business Ethics.
2. Manuel G. Velasquez, Business Ethics-Concepts and Cases, Sixth Edition,
Prentice Hall 2007.
3. O.C. Ferrell, John Paul Fraedrich, Linda Ferrell, Business Ethics-Ethical
Decision Making and Cases, Seventh Edition, Cengage Learning 2009 (to be
confirmed)

Tentative Course Breakdown:

Week

Topics

Introduction

Business Ethics Spring 2012

Details

Introductions/Ice Breaking Session


Self Assessment (non-assessed)
Group Formation
Introductory Lecture
Opening Case and Discussion (nonassessed)

Ethics and Business

Ethics and Business

Social Responsibility
and Ethics

Social Responsibility
and Ethics

Stakeholder and

Business Ethics Spring 2012

Business Ethics the concept

Moral Development and Moral Reasoning

Challenges Involved in Ethical Decision Making

Why Organizations Need to be Ethical? Does it


Matter?

Mini real life cases for Class Discussion


(assessed): Was National Semiconductor
Morally Responsible? , Gun Manufacturers and
Responsibility

Business Ethics and the Changing Environment

Levels of Business Ethics

Addressing Various Myths about Business


Ethics

Can Organizations be taught or trained to be


Ethical?

Class exercise (situation based)

Assignment 1 (assessed): Slavery in the


Chocolate Industry (case)

Traditional vs Contemporary Views of Social


Responsibility

Social responsibility of the Strategic Decision


Makers

Firms Responsibilities

Sustainability: More than environmental?

Corporate Stakeholders and (Ethical) Decision


Making

Reasons for Unethical Behavior

Encouraging Ethical Behavior

Real life examples (articles review)

Different views of ethics Utilitarian


(deontological approach), Rights and Duties,
Justice and Fairness, Virtue Ethics

Class Discussion (assessed): Exxon Mobil,


Amerada Hess and Marathon Oil in Equatorial
Guinea

Assignment 2: Movie review

Stakeholder Approach

issue management
approaches to Ethics

The Business System

The Business System

Ethics and the Public


Sector (special ref to
public sector in
Pakistan)

Issues Management Approach

Moral Responsibilities of Cross Functional Area


Professionals

Managing Crisis

Discussion case: Jetblue- Bringing Humanity


Back to Air Travel

Government, Markets and International trade

Case: GSK

Assignment 3: Essay Based Question to


Tackle

Ethics in the Market place

Ethics and External Environment

Consumer Products and Marketing

Three Real life examples for class


discussion

Guest Lecture to be delivered by a Harvard Graduate,


Additional Secretary (Retd) Cabinet Division
Topics covered (tentative):

Ethical decision making in public sector

The nature of government contracts,


accountability and role regulatory bodies

Internal reporting/ whistle blowing

Bribery or bureaucracy?

The wide spread corruption

Assignment 4: Essay Based Question to Tackle


10

The Corporations
Internal Shareholders

Leadership
Organizational Culture
The Ethical Dilemma (situation based class
exercise)

11

12

The Corporations
Internal Shareholders

Strategy and self regulation

Case: Whats written versus reality: Ethical


Dilemmas in a high tech public relations
firm

Employee/ Employer-

Discrimination

Business Ethics Spring 2012

Sexual Harassment

Whistle Blowing

Case: Walmarts Women

Firms Duties to Employee

Employees Obligations to Firms

Organization as Political Systems

Class discussion on three real life examples

Business Ethics in Cross Cultural Setting

Case: Google goes to China

Assignment 5: Ethical Dilemma (situation


based) followed by presentations

National Culture and


Business Ethics

Presentations

Case: WalMart

16

Project Presentations

Project Presentations

17

The Final Word on


Business Ethics

Course Wrap up

Class Discussion

Closing Class Exercise / Case (assessed)

Changing Social
Contract and Ethics

13

14

15

Employee/ EmployerChanging Social


Contract and Ethics

National Culture and


Business Ethics

Final Exams

** The Course Schedule may change without notice.

Guidelines for the Submission of Written Assignments/ Project/ Case


Studies:
1. Always use a title page/ cover page.
2. Staple/ bind together neatly if more than one page. Folded corners or paper clips
are not acceptable.
3. Students name, program, date of submission, title/subject should be appropriately
placed.
4. Only typed assignments are acceptable.
5. Plagiarism of any kind will receive an "F".
6. Late Assignments will be not be accepted.

Business Ethics Spring 2012

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