/ BUSA 2106 Common Syllabus

Legal and Ethical Environment of Business

Department of Risk Management and Insurance
J. MackRobinsonCollege of Business

Catalog Description: This course provides the business student with a study of the interrelationship of law, ethics and business. The course covers government regulation of business activities and the legal environment within which business must operate. The course also provides an introduction to ethical theory and decision-making models.

COURSE OVERVIEW: The legal environment plays a significant role in facilitating and constraining business activity. To be competitive, American business must understand and strategically use the legal environment to minimize risk and enhance productivity. This course provides you with an overview of U.S. statutory, administrative, and judicial efforts to regulate business activity in several areas: business entities, corporations, agency and employment law, tort law, products liability, and the protection of intellectual property. Strategic responses to competitive pressures may also require managers to make difficult ethical decisions. After an introduction to ethical theory and decision-making models, we will focus on the application of ethics to business decision-making.

Required Text:

Miller/Cross, Legal Environment of BusinessToday, Cengage (6th ed. 2010) is available in both print and electronic versions.

Bookstore Purchase:

Legal Environment of Business Today, CNOW PAC access card

Miller/Cross CengageNow ISBN-0324826141

On-line purchase direct from the publisher (free UPS ground shipping):

Course Objectives and Policies

Learning Objectives: By the end of the course, the student will have the ability to:

  • communicate effectively about legal and ethical issues using oral and written conventions.
  • evaluate legal arguments and evidence to apply legal doctrine to solve business problems.
  • explain how law can be used strategically as a tool to reduce or manage business risk.
  • identify and analyze contemporary legal issues to promote an interest in the legal environment.
  • use technology effectively to research law-related issues.

In addition, after completing BUSA 2106, the student will:

  • be more aware of the complexity and unpredictability of the law;
  • be more sensitive to ethical issues confronting business; and
  • have a greater appreciation of the role of law and the courts in balancing legitimate, competing interests of the parties.

Course Outcomes: Upon successful completion of BUSA 2106, a student should be able to:

  • understand the structure and jurisdiction of the state and federal court systems, the key Constitutional provisions that affect business, the concepts of federalism and separation of powers, and the role and functions of administrative agencies.
  • explain ethical theories and be able to apply them to business situations, explain the relationship between the law and ethics.
  • describe and apply legal principles concerning corporations and other business entities, intellectual property, torts, product liability, agency, employment law and employment discrimination.

In addition, the course is also intended to make you more aware of the impact of law on business operations. As a result of the knowledge and critical thinking undertaken in the course you should be better able to:

  • recognize, assess and analyze case problems and other legal issues affecting business.
  • apply legal analysis principles to resolve business problems.
  • avoid legal problems before they occur and participate more effectively in resolving disputes that do arise.

Method of Instruction:

Class time will devoted to lecture, discussion and in-class activities including:

  • Case analysis and problem solving
  • Small-group discussions and projects
  • Law-related research on current issues

Each class section will have one or more of the following projects assigned at the option of the instructor:

  • Court Visit Reports
  • Current Issue Report applying law/ethics
  • Research Memo writing assignment

ATTENDANCEAND PREPARATION: Because there is considerable material to be covered, we will move at a rapid pace. Thus, attendance is very important -- you are expected to attend and be thoroughly prepared for each class. Absenteeism or lack of preparation will adversely affect your grade.

A special word to VA students: Due to required University oversight of students receiving VA benefits, you have a special burden of faithful class attendance. Under present guidelines, absence for a ten-consecutive calendar day period necessitates a report to that effect to the VA Office at GSU, with (presumably) a consequent adverse effect on your status vis-a-vis the U.S. Government. Please keep this in mind.

MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS: Generally, make-up exams are not allowed. A student who is ill or otherwise knows that he or she will not be able to attend a scheduled examination should notify the professor prior to the examination of the reason for the expected absence.

CLASSROOM POLICIES: Show respect for the instructor and your classmates:

  • Be punctual for class –- when you’re tardy, you miss important course announcements and you disrupt the learning process for others. If you do arrive late, enter and take a seat quietly.
  • Be courteous -- do not engage in behaviors that disrupt the class. Turn off cell phones, iPhones and blackberries and use your laptop only to access course materials.
  • Participate in class discussion and group activities, but don’t interrupt other students or attempt to dominate the conversation. Stay focused on the assigned topic.

GSU Policies

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY: Abstracted from Student Handbook Student Code of Conduct “Policy on Academic Honesty” at

Behavior consistent with College and University policies on academic honesty and treatment of members of the University community is expected of all. Cheating, plagiarizing, submitting the material for credit in more than one class, and other deceptive conduct with respect to a student’s work output will be dealt with according to the University Policy on Academic Honesty.

Plagiarism and misrepresentation of work are serious offenses, which can lead to expulsion and a grade of “F” for the course. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, taking material from any source written by another and presenting it as your own by failing to indicate full and accurate attribution to the correct author/creator. This includes marginally altering material taken from another source and calling it your own creation. Plagiarism includes materials taken from internet sources. Proper citation requires quote marks or other distinctive set-off for the material, followed directly by a reference to the source. The source details may be in the footnotes/endnotes/references section, but only listing a reference without proper indication in the text is not proper attribution and can be considered plagiarism. Misrepresentation of work includes, but is not limited to, presenting material that was prepared for another class or outside work as an original work product that was produced for this class. All work turned in for this class is represented by the student(s) to be original material prepared in fulfillment of this course’s requirements.

DISABILITIES OR SPECIAL NEEDS: Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought. Please let me know if you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT: Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State. Upon completing the course, please take time to fill out the online course evaluation.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY: A student who withdraws prior to the midpoint in the semester or term will be awarded a “W”. A student who withdraws after the midpoint will automatically receive a “WF.” You are responsible for understanding and adhering to the W limit policy which is described at

Assignments and Evaluation Criteria

Class projects and collateral readings:

  • West’s Legal Environment of Business Today text includes CengageNOW, an integrated, online learning system that gives 24/7 access to course materials and assignments. Your professor will provide information about the personalized online environment that will allow you to do homework, view tutorials, and take practice quizzes.
  • Court visits to one or several legal events, e.g. a judicial trial, appellate oral argument or administrative agency hearing, coupled with written reports, areencouraged as an option for the instructor.
  • Current readings consistent with the objectives of the course may be assigned and posted on Sharepoint by the instructor
  • Research work may be assigned involving current issues in the law. See the library research guide prepared for Legal Studies:

Grading Policy and Examinations: The BUSA 2106 norm is to have two midterm exams and one final exam at the end of the semester. Class participation, quizzes, court observations and research reports count according to the weight explained in the syllabus and by the instructor during the first class meeting. The University catalog definition of “A, B, C, D, and F” grades, including the new plus/minus grade usage, will be followed by the instructor.

The grading scale is as follows:

100-98 / A+
93-97 / A / 77-79 / C+
90-92 / A- / 73-76 / C
87-89 / B+ / 70-72 / C-
83-86 / B / 60-69 / D
80-82 / B- / 0-59 / F

INCOMPLETE GRADES: We do not give incomplete grades in this course, except for cases where a student misses the final examination for an excusable reason. According to GSU policy, the grade will automatically be converted to an F if it is not removed by the end of the second academic term after the “I” is assigned.

Course Outline and Assignments

I. THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT: Legal and Ethical Principles and Dispute Resolution
The first part of the course develops an understanding of the nature and function of law, ethics, dispute resolution and constitutional law as they relate to business.
Subject / Text Chapter
Week 1 / Introduction to Class
Business and Its Legal Environment / 1
Week 2 / Ethics and Business Decision Making / 2
Week 3 / Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution / 3
Week 4 / Constitutional Authority to Regulate Business / 4
Week 5 / Review Problems for Midterm
MIDTERM ONE

II. THE COMMERCIAL ENVIRONMENT: Business Organizations, Contracts and Intellectual Property

The second part of the course develops an understanding of how businesses operate -- their formation and organization and how they conduct businessin the commercial environment. Contract formation and performance form the backbone of business operations.
Week 6 / Small Business Organizations / 14
Week 7 / Corporations and
Investor Protection and Corporate Governance (selected materials) / 15
24
Week 8 / Contract Formation
Contract Performance, Breach and Remedies / 9
10
Week 9 / Intellectual Property and Internet Law
MIDTERM TWO / 8

III. THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT: Private and Public Regulation

The third part of the course develops an understanding of how businesses are regulated both through private tort actions and through public, government regulations with a focus on employment regulations.
Week 10 / Torts and Cyber Torts / 5
Week 11 / Strict Liability and Product Liability / 12
Week 12 / Criminal Law and Cyber Crimes / 6
Week 13 / Agency
Employment, Immigration and Labor Law / 16
17
Week 14 / Employment Discrimination / 18
Final Exam

1