Undergraduate Course: Business Ethics (BUST10004)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Business Studies |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Aims
The objective of the course is to provide students with a basic grounding in business ethics, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the relationship between CSR and corporate ethics. Within this course framework specific emphasis will be placed on the moral agency of corporate executives, the institutional constraints on moral autonomy and the grounds of moral hazard.
Content
Overview of the relationship between business and society; an exploration of the moral component in human behaviour; a critical overview of theories of ethics; the question of moral autonomy or heteronomy in corporate bureaucracies; issues of accountability and responsibility in corporate governance practices; corporate social responsibility policies (purposes, practices and potential); key problems in specific business practices (e.g. marketing). |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Business Studies Honours Entry |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Business Studies courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2015 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
On completing the course students will be able to:
¿ understand the scope and content of ethical theory (including its limitations) and its relevance for diverse institutional and operational business contexts, and individual choice and agency.
¿ articulate and discuss critically various philosophical principles and theories which underpin conceptions of 'ethical' or 'unethical' behaviour in different contexts.
¿ apply the theoretical precepts of ethical theory in order to evaluate real-life situations, clarify ethical alternatives, articulate associated moral values and be able to explain techniques of moral reasoning.
¿ be aware of the content, objectives and limitations of corporate social responsibility policies.
¿ understand the relevance of ethical reasoning to one's own professional career.
¿ develop a greater awareness of cross cultural variations in assessing moral issues through case based discussions with other members of learning groups. |
Assessment Information
| Assessment is in the form of a single two-hour degree examination in April/May, and an essay of 2,500 words, submitted at the end of Semester 2. The weighting in terms of overall course mark being, respectively, 70% and 30%. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Course Text
There is no set course text. Course readings are mainly drawn from research based academic journal articles. The majority of these will be provided. Other readings will be distributed as appropriate.
|
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | BE |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr James Hine
Tel: (0131 6)50 3805
Email: J.A.Hine@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Paul Kydd
Tel: (0131 6)50 3824
Email: Paul.Kydd@ed.ac.uk |
|
© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh - 29 August 2014 3:33 am
|
University Homepage