Undergraduate Course: Business Ethics (BUST10004)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course provides a general grounding in both theoretical and applied ethics in a business context. |
| Course description |
The course content is designed around the following components: (i) a perspective on the moral content of managerial agency and corporate impact; (ii) a review and analysis of the range of theories within the field of moral philosophy; (iii) a critical analysis of the economic (markets) and organisational (commercial entities) contexts within which ethical or unethical decision making and practice operates; and (iv) an insight into applied ethics through the analysis of case studies and insights into codes of practice.
Syllabus
- Introduction: Business and Society
- Models of Ethical Decision-making (1): prescriptive theories
- Models of Ethical Decision-making (2): questions of character
- The Manager, the Corporation and Bureaucratic Rationality
- Corporate Governance
- The Corporate Social Responsibility Debate
- Stakeholder Theory and Practice
- International Business
- Reforming the Organisation
- Course Review and Revision
Student Learning Experience
Each two-hour session combines a formal lecture, and the opportunity for discussion within the class.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Business Studies Honours Entry |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students must have at least 4 Business courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and discuss critically 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.
- Understand and discuss critically the content, objectives and limitations of corporate social responsibility policies.
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Reading List
| The course is built upon periodical material. Journals most cited are: Business Ethics Quarterly (BEQ), Business Ethics: A European Review (BEER), Journal of Business Ethics (JBE). These can all be accessed via the on-line, electronic journal collection at EUML. Other readings will either be provided as sources to be accessed via the EUML electronic journal collection or be distributed in hard copy during appropriate lectures. Where appropriate additional readings may be posted on Learn. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
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. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The class will meet weekly on Thursdays in Semester 2 from 9.00 am-10.50 am. |
| Keywords | BE |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr James Hine
Tel: (0131 6)50 3805
Email: J.A.Hine@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Laura Karpyte
Tel: (0131 6)51 5009
Email: Laura.Karpyte@ed.ac.uk |
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