Argosy University/Chicago
COURSE SYLLABUS
B6003
Ethics in Business
Faculty Name: Abdullah Alshboul
Campus: Chicago
Contact Information:
Abdullah Alshboul
Phone: (708) 655-0793
Email: .
Office Hours and Electronic Communication:
I will typically respond to your emails within 24 hours. Please include the Course Number (B6003) in the subject line of your email communication. If you phone me and I am not available, please leave your name, course number and call back number.
If you would like to meet in person or have a telephone meeting, please email or call me to schedule an appointment.
Short Faculty Bio: Abdullah Alshboul is currently a DBA candidate at Argosy/Chicago University working on his dissertation. Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, IL, and his bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Prishtina, Yugoslavia. Abdullah Alshboul gained his professional experience, as a team leader for AMS Wireless Solutions, realtor for C21, Liquidation manager and co-founder of USS, network engineer for UPS and data maintenance manager for SBC (AT&T).
Course description:
This course addresses the ethical dimensions of management with a special focus on the processes managers may use to raise and resolve ethical dilemmas and conflicts in organizational settings. Policies pertaining to treatment of those raising ethical issues will be considered. The legal and regulatory requirements of ethical conduct will be examined. Policies and codes of conduct established by various organizations and industry groups will be critically examined. The course will feature case studies involving alleged breaches of ethical conduct among publicly held corporations.
Course Pre-requisites: None
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title / Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How To Do It Right .Author(s) / Nelson, Katherine A. Trevino, Linda Klebe
Publisher / Wiley
ISBN / · 10: 0471755257
· 13: 978-0471755258
Edition / 4th ed. (August 11, 2006)
Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office; Adobe Acrobat Reader (full version); Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
1. Communication
1.1. Oral/Written – Present business information orally and in writing using appropriate technology that is concise, clear, organized, supported, and persuasive in a professional manner appropriate to the business context.
2. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
2.1. Critical Thinking – Incorporate and synthesize information, theory, and practice in order to implement appropriate business actions.
2.2. Problem Solving/Decision Making – Given a business situation, diagnose the underlying causes of the situation, evaluate possible solutions, and determine and defend appropriate course of action.
2.3. Information Literacy – Access information from a variety of sources, evaluate the credibility of the sources, and apply that information to solve business problems.
3. Team
3.1. Leadership – Describe the requirements of team members and leaders to work effectively and creatively in achieving team goals.
3.2. Collaboration – Collect, categorize, and consider the views of all stakeholders.
4. Ethics
4.1. Ethics – Identify the ethical principles related to personal and corporate behavior in specific business situations and explain the potential consequences.
5. Diversity
5.1. Diversity – Identify the impact of both cultural and economic factors on the modern enterprise and explain the potential consequences.
6. Analysis/Application
6.1. Applied Technology – Select and defend business technology solutions to typical business problems.
6.2. Integration – Describe the interrelationship of the functional business areas of statistics, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and strategy within the context of specific organizational goals.
Course Objectives:
1. Compare and contrast the various ethical theories and frameworks.
2. Evaluate the nature and value of business ethics in profit and non-profit organizations.
3. From a management perspective, explore, appraise and apply various alternatives and responses when observing non-ethical practices in the workplace.
4. Assess and evaluate the role of leadership, structure, and corporate culture as mechanisms to develop and maintain a business code of ethics.
5. Examine and appraise the role of ethics in human resources management, sales and marketing, finance and accounting, and information system management.
6. Examine current legal and regulatory requirements of ethical conduct.
7. Examine case studies related to ethics in business and write in-depth analyses using APA format
8. Identify and solve ethical dilemmas, understand why people behave the way they do, and help you design a culture that will promote ethical behavior in your organization.
College of Business Mission Statement
The Argosy University College of Business is dedicated to providing practical, evidence-based, high-quality, solutions-focused business programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as continuing business education and specified certificate training to business practitioners and educators in public, private, and non-profit sectors across industries. All undergraduate and graduate programs of the College of Business are designed for the business practitioner and business educator, to instill excellence of execution in knowledge, skills, and ethical values relevant to today’s global business environment. The inherent goal of these academic programs is to foster values of social responsibility in a supportive, learning-centered environment of mutual respect and professional excellence.
Submit Assignments
Assignments are to be submitted using APA style to the instructor at the beginning of class on the due date of the assignment. An assignment should not contain abbreviated (e.g. int’l &, etc.) And/or Contractions (e.g. Can’t, don’t, etc.) or any slang comments or words. Written assignments should follow the following format and written in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
v 1” margins on all Word documents
v All assignments should have a cover page (a cover page includes the title of the class, due date, your name, and my name)
v Font should be Times New Roman, 12 point size
v Spacing should be double-spaced
v Referencing and citations for all assignments must be done in APA Style 5th Edition format
Assignment Deadlines
In the learning environment as well as in the real-work environment, due dates are important. The assignments have due dates to ensure that the student can in fact successfully complete the class in an accelerated timeframe while also benefiting from instructor input before preparing each new assignment. Also important is timely participation and the components of the classroom to maximize the learning experience for all parties.
To avoid late penalty deductions, assignments should be submitted on the due date via E-mail. Assignments submitted each day late will be deducted with 5% late penalty deductions. A student needs to contact me prior to the due date to discuss possible options when circumstances beyond the student’s control prevent or will be preventing him/her from completing the assignments by the deadline. When circumstances are beyond the control of the student, we will set an alternative due date. When the assignments are graded, late penalties will be applied based on the reasons for the late submission and the delay time frame.
Assignment Table
Topics / Readings / Assignments1 / Introducing Straight Talk About Managing Business Ethics: Where We're Going and Why / Read Chapter 1
Final Project (Discussion) / Assignment 1.1:
We defined ethical behavior as “behavior that is consistent with the principles, norms, and standards of business practice that have been agreed upon by society.” What happens if society hasn’t agreed (as when new technologies come on the scene or strong differences of opinion exist)? And what happens if you’re doing business in a society different from your own? How would you define ethical behavior then? Explain and defend your position in a 1 -2 page paper
Assignment 1.2:
Are you convinced that business ethics can and should be taught? Why or why not?
Explore to Stimulate Discussion
· "Is character established while we are children?”
· "What kinds of knowledge or skills might influence someone's ethical decision making?"
· "If we don't teach ethics in business programs, what do we do about unethical behavior in the workplace?"
· “What do managers need to know about ‘managing business ethics’?”
2 / Why be ethical? Why bother? Who cares? / Read Chapters 2
E-mail the professor the topic for your Final Project / Assignment 2.1:
Do you think business ethics/social responsibility is important? Why or why not?
Explain and defend your position in a 2-3 page paper.
Assignment 2.2:
Submit a 2-3 page paper in reference to the following topic: Do you believe that employees are more attracted and committed to ethical organizations? Are you? Why or why not? Make a list of the companies you would prefer to work for and the reasons why. Are there also companies that you would refuse to work for? Why? Are there “ethically neutral” companies that don’t belong on either list?
Possible Answers
· Research suggests that individuals are attracted to ethical organizations.
· Students line up to apply for jobs at J.P. Morgan, Merck, and other highly regarded companies because of their excellent reputations for ethical management.
Explore to Stimulate Discussion
· "What can average employees do in an ethical environment that they can't do in an unethical one?"
· "If we believe that employees are more attracted to ethical organizations, does that support the contention that moral motives are every bit as powerful as economic ones in peoples' decision making?"
· "What are the flaws in thinking only about economic motives?"
· "What are the flaws in thinking only about moral motives?"
· "Imagine that you've been asked to describe five characteristics of an ideal organization. What would they be? Take 3 to 5 minutes to think about this so you don't just write down the first things that come to your mind. Is ethics among the top five characteristics? Why or why not?"
Discussion- Viewpoint
Discuss the importance of trust in business. Can you cite examples? What happens when trust is lost?
3 / Common Ethical Problems / Read Chapter 3 / Assignment 3.1:
Customer Confidence Issue(Thoughts & Opinions):
You work for a consulting company in Atlanta. Your team has recently completed an analysis of Big Co., including sales projections for the next five years. You're working late one night when you receive a call from an executive vice president of Big Co. in Los Angeles, who asks you to immediately fax to her a summary of your team's report. When you locate the report, you discover that your team leader has stamped "For internal use only" on the report cover. Your team leader is on a hiking vacation and you know it would be impossible to locate him. Big Co. has a long-standing relationship with your company and has paid substantial fees for your company's services.
Assignment 3.2:
Have anti-discrimination laws helped or hurt the fair treatment of workers? Explain and defend your position in a 1 -2 page paper.
4 / Chapter 6
Ethical Problems of Managers / Read Chapter 6,
E-mail the professor a draft of your Final Project / Assignment 4.1:
Hiring and Work Assignments(Thoughts & Opinions)
You're planning to hire a new sales manager and one of the leading candidates is really homely. You are concerned about how your customers – and even his colleagues -- would react to him. The specific job he's applying for requires extensive customer contact and his appearance is frankly disconcerting. On the other hand, his credentials are excellent and he's certainly qualified for the job. What if the candidate were deaf, or overweight, or longhaired, or scarred?
Assignment 4.2:
Employment Basics(Thoughts & Opinions)
You've recently been promoted to a supervisory position and are now responsible for coordinating the work of four other employees. Two of these workers are more than 20 years older than you are, and both have been with the company much longer than you have. Although you've tried to be supportive of them and have gone out of your way to praise their work, whenever there is some kind of disagreement, they go to your boss with the problem. You've asked them repeatedly to come to you with whatever issues they have; they just ignore you and complain to other workers about reporting to someone your age. Design a strategy for dealing with these workers and your manager.
5 / Managing for Ethical Conduct / Read Chapter 7 / Assignment 5.1:
Can you think of situations in which unethical behavior was dealt with appropriately (punished justly) or inappropriately? What were the reactions of others in the organization? Explain and defend your position in a 1 -2 page paper
Generally, people will speak positively about situations where "bad guys" were punished, and negatively about situations where people "got away with" misconduct. This reaction supports the idea that people want to work in “just” environments where reasonable rules are enforced.
Probe to Stimulate Discussion
· "How would you feel if someone cheated on a test and was not disciplined?"
· “Would you feel differently if the test was curved?”
This is the time to discuss the important social effects of rewards and punishments. As a manager, you need to think about not only the person you're rewarding or punishing, but also the reactions of others who are aware of the situation. They will judge your behavior primarily in terms of its fairness to everyone. The situation with cheating is similar to a work situation where there is a fixed pie of benefits (e.g., bonus money) and one salesperson who is using unethical sales tactics is likely to get the money while the honest salespeople will be left with nothing (but their integrity).
Assignment 5.2:
Can you think of situations in which unethical behavior was dealt with appropriately (punished justly) or inappropriately? What were the reactions of others in the organization?
6 / Managing for Ethical Conduct / Read Chapter 7(Cont.) / Assignment 6.1:
Within the past two decades, an increasing number of U.S. Firms have moved their corporate headquarters to Caribbean Island nations in order to avoid U.S. taxes. In your estimation, is this an example of good business strategy and sound tax planning or unethical corporate behavior and tax evasion? Explain and defend your position in a 2 – 3 page summary citing references.
7 / Ethical Problems of Organizations / Read Chapter 8 / Assignment 7.1:
Do long prison sentences really help deter corporate criminals? Explain and defend your position in a 2 – 3 page summary citing references.
This is a tough question. Certainly a lot of senior executives, like most other people, have a hard time believing that they will ever get caught and go to jail. As a result, it may be naïve to think that an executive will be deterred from wrongdoing by thinking about Bernie Ebbers and his 25-year prison sentence. However, it’s not unreasonable to believe that the investing public needs the huge jail terms. In 2001 and 2002 – right after September 11 and when companies were being indicted right and left – U.S. investors (and indeed, investors around the world) suffered a huge loss of confidence in the integrity of the financial markets. Convictions and hefty jail sentences surely have played a role in the small increases of investor confidence over the last few years.
Probes to Stimulate Discussion
· What message would be sent by the courts if executives convicted of fraud (or another corporate crime) were given probation or suspended sentences?
· Aside from lengthy jail sentences, what other measures could be taken to deter corporate crime?
· What other measures could be taken to increase investor confidence in the integrity of markets and large corporations?
8 / Final Reflections / Final Project-Presentation / Assignment 8.1:
Submit final paper and final presentation.
Final Paper: