MGSC14

MANAGEMENT ETHICS
SUMMER 2014
Instructor Contact Information:
Name: Dr. Peter P. Constantinou
Office hours: Tuesday 6:00pm-7:00pm or by appointment
Email: peter.constantinou@rogers.com
Telephone: 647-278-8790
Class day/time: Tuesday 7:00pm-9:00pm
Class location: IC200
Course website: on-line portal

Course Description:
Increasingly, the marketplace has come to reward -- and government regulators have come to demand -- a
sophisticated managerial approach to the ethical problems that arise in all areas of management practice. The
purpose of this course is to provide students with a set of skills helpful in dealing with the ethical problems
contemporary managers face.
The analytical and case material we discuss should enable you to formulate well-reasoned, theoretically and
empirically-based viewpoints on difficult and controversial managerial issues. There will, for the most part, be
no right or wrong answers to the questions raised in this course. There will, however, be such things as "good"
or "bad" answers," depending on the extent to which they are based on a thorough understanding of theories and
concepts, well-constructed reasoning, and accurate information.
Course Objectives
The course is intended to get students to:
think about ethical issues related to management responsibility;
understand implications of choices;
discuss and consider the philosophical and practical dilemmas of choice/behaviour;
debate issues of right and wrong;
consider use/value of codes of conduct and conflict of interest guidelines; and,
formulate and present arguments in consideration of both sides of an ethical debate.

Management, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada

www.utsc.utoronto.ca/mgmt

Prerequisite(s): Prerequisite: [MGTA01H3/(MGTA03H3) and MGTA02H3/(MGTA04H3)] or MGTA05H3

Exclusion: (MGTC59H3), PHLB06H3

Textbook/Required Course Materials:

Business and Professional Ethics for Directors, Executives and Accountants (5th edition), Leonard J. Brooks
and Paul Dunn. South-Western CENGAGE Learning Poff, Pearson Education, 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0-32459455-3 ISBN-10: 0-324-59455-0. Be sure to get the 5th edition.
Reading Packet Provided by the Instructor on course website (on-line portal)

Lecture Notes and Other Announcements: All instructor slides and additional readings will be available on
the course website (on-line portal).

Evaluation and Grading:

Assignment
Class Presentations
Class Participation
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam

Value
15%
10%
40%
35%

Due date
TBD
Throughout
Week 6
TBD -in exam period

Case Presentation
The class will have the opportunity to divide itself into small groups, each of which will be responsible for
"kicking off" one of the case discussions beginning Week 5. Presentations can, in whole or in part, take the
form of role-playing and dialogue as well as a more straightforward discussion of the issues. They should be
approximately 15-20 minutes in length, with 5-10 minutes for questions and answers. I am available and more
than happy to talk, in detail, with each group as it plans its presentation. The case presentation is worth 15% of
the course evaluation.
Class Participation
For this course to work, students must participate in class discussion. In a class of this size it is impossible for
all students to participate all the time. Students should, however, strive to attend class, demonstrate that they
have read the assigned readings, thought about the material and the discussion at hand, and add value to the
classroom discussion.
Individual student participation is worth 10% of the final grade. Students are strongly encouraged to prepare
for class by completing the readings, and participate in the discussion.

Mid-Term Exam
The mid-term exam is worth 40% of the final grade for the course and is scheduled for Week 6 in class. The
mid-term exam will include all materials (readings, discussions and handouts) covered to that date. Details on
the format of the exam will be presented in class well in advance of the exam date.
Final Exam
The final exam is worth 35% of the final grade for the course and will be scheduled during the official exam
period. The final exam will include all materials (readings, discussions and handouts) covered in the course,
with a particular emphasis on the readings/cases/lectures since the mid-term exam. Details on the format of the
exam will be presented in class well in advance of the exam date.
All evaluation weightings are set they cannot be changed. As well, there will be no make-up exams given,
regardless of the reason for missing exam the value of the missed exam will be added to the next evaluation.
If the final exam is missed, students must petition pursuant to the Universitys exam policies.
Policy on Missed Assignments/Examinations:
The university has created a new standardized form for students who are requesting special academic
consideration based on illness or injury. The form focuses upon the degree of incapacitation that the illness or
injury has upon the students academic functioning and the timeline of that incapacitation, rather than on
diagnosis and /or details of the problem. All students must now have a health professional complete this new
form:
http://www.illnessverification.utoronto.ca/getattachment/index/Verification-of-Illness-or-Injury-form-Jan-222013.pdf.aspx
Academic Support
The Department of Management, in collaboration with the UTSC library, will be providing academic research
support in the IC Building. To refine your research skills or to learn more about various scholarly resources,
please contact the Librarian for Management and Economics students.
Lola Rudin, Subject Librarian, Management and Economics
Room IC375
Please email for a one-on-one research appointment.
Email: lrudin@utsc.utoronto.ca
Web: http://guides.library.utoronto.ca/utsc_mgmt
The English Language Development Centre (ELDC) helps students develop the critical thinking, vocabulary
and academic communication skills essential for achieving academic and professional success. Personalized
support includes: RWE (for academic writing); Communication Cafs (oral); Discussion Skill-Building Cafs;
Vocabulary Cafs; seminars/workshops; personal ELD consultations; drop-in sessions.
http://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/eld/
The Writing Centre (TWC) offers invaluable services to students (learn to become a better writer!) and offers
many different kinds of help: drop-in sessions, individual consultations, workshops, clinics, and online writing
handouts. http://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/twc/
Academic Misconduct
3

Students should note that copying, plagiarizing, or other forms of academic misconduct will not be tolerated.
Any student caught engaging in such activities will be subject to academic discipline ranging from a mark of
zero on the assignment, test or examination to dismissal from the university as outlined in the academic
handbook. Any student abetting or otherwise assisting in such misconduct will also be subject to academic
penalties.

Detailed Course Outline:

DATE

TOPIC

Week 1
May 6

Introduction

Week 2
May 13

Ethics and Ethical Behaviour

Ethical Decision Making

Week 3
May 20

Managing Ethical Risk and

Opportunities
Case: Ashley Madison (presented by
instructor)
Corporate Ethical Governance and
Accountability

Week 4
May 27

Week 5
June 3

READINGS
N/A

Review of objectives of the course

Review of timetable and expectations

Ethics Case Presentations

Text: pp. 2-24 and

142-167
Text: pp. 180-206
Text: pp. 462-491

Text: pp. 240-275

Case: Maple Leaf
Foods
Case: Menu Foods
(both presented by
instructor)
Enron Text: pp. 102114
Siemens Bribery
Scandal (Text: pp.
290-291)
Advertising
Headaches
(provided by
instructor)

Week 6
June 10
June 17
Week 7
June 24

DUE
DATES
N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Student
groups
begin to
present
their case
discussion
s

Mid-Term Exam

N/A

In class

Reading Week No Class

Ethics Case Presentations

No Class
Martha Stewarts
Lost Reputation
(Text: pp. 34-37)

No Class
Student
groups
present
their case
discussion
s

Sings Chinese
Restaurant (provided
by instructor)

Week 8
July 1

Ethics Case Presentations

Bhopal-Union Carbide
(Text: pp. 38-39)
Listerine and
Corrective Advertising
(provided by
instructor)

Week 9
July 8

Ethics Case Presentations

Pinto Fires (provided

by instructor)
Ford/Firestone Tire
Recall (Text: pp. 312321)

Week 10
July 15

Guest Speaker

Week 11
July 22
Week 12
July 29

Guest Speaker
Exam Review
Ethics Case Presentations

Ethics in
international
business
Ethics of
management
Honesty and
Deception in Business:
Fudging the Travel
Claim (provided by
instructor)
The Good Business
Reference (provided
by instructor)

Student groups
present their
case
discussions

Student groups
present their
case
discussions

Student groups
present their
case
discussions