COURSE OUTLINE: Business 185 Business Ethics

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
   
A. Three units, three hours per week
    B. No prerequisites or parallel courses required
    C. Catalog Description:
This course is designed to better prepare students to deal with the many moral dilemmas they will inevitably face in their personal and professional lives. The focus of the class will be primarily on the application of ethics to contemporary issues occurring in today's business and industry. Students will research, discuss, analyze, and reflect on issues such as accountability, loyalty, confidentiality, honesty, justice, education, discrimination, etc.

II. Text: Managing Business Ethics, Linda Trevino and Katherine Nelson, John Wiley & Sons, 1999, Second Edition

III. Major Topics
    A. Managing business ethics
    B. Why be ethical?
    C. Common ethical problems
    D. Deciding what's right
    E. Ethical problems of managers
    F. Managing for ethical conflict
    G. Ethical problems of organizations
    H. Ethics as organizational culture
    I. Creating an ethical organizational culture
    J. Managing for ethical conduct in a global business environment
    K. Advice for executives

IV. Methods of Instruction
   
A. Lecture
    B. Discussion
    C. Group Work

V. InstructOR

            Warren Sargent     625-4598     cos@agattack.com


VI. METHODS OF EVALUATION AND GRADING                 

                                                                                                            Points

            A. Class attendance                                                                    200

                        You will fail the course if you accumulate

                                 90 negative points (earned as follows)

1.      Each excused absence costs 10 points (only 2 allowed)

2.      Each unexcused absence costs 30 points

3.      Arriving late or leaving early costs 5 points

4.      You will fail the course if you miss the final exam

5.      Disruptions in class may lead to lost attendance

             points or receiving an “F” for the class

B. Class participation                                                                  300

C. Homework                                                                            300

            1. Each missed assignment costs 20 points

            2. Turn in homework at start of class                                     

            D. Group final exam - comprehensive                                         200

                                                                                                             ------

                                                                                                            1000

            E. Grading

                        1. 900+ A

                        2. 800-899 B

                        3. 700-799 C

                        4. 600-699 D

                        5. 599< F

F. Cheating or plagiarism will be dealt with according to the Student Code of Conduct which includes consequences ranging from reprimand to expulsion.

 

VII. Reading and Exam Schedule

Week of  Chapter(s)   Homework due on this date

-----------  -------------  ------------------------------------------

8/22               1

8/29               2          Case 2.1 page 43

9/5                 3          Conflict of Interest Issue page 76, Customer Confidence Issue page 77

9/12               4          Case 4.1 page 95

9/19               5          Another Short Case page 122, Discussion Questions page 122

9/26               6          Managing a Diverse Workforce page 145

                                  Managing Up and Across page 146

10/3               7          Case 7.1 page 170, Another Short Case for Discussion page 173

10/10             8          Discussion Case page 200

10/17                         Manville Corporation Case page 320 group work

10/24             8

10/31             9          VideoTek Case page 235, Denny’s Case page 240

11/7             10          Case 10-1 page 284

11/14           11          Case 11-1 page 311

11/21                         Manville Corporation Case page 320 group presentations

11/28       holiday                

12/5                           Manville Corporation “B” Case Analysis

12/12        Final          Five questions from the Manville Corporation “B” Case