BAM6132 - Business Ethics

Objectives:

1) understand the moral and ethical concepts in business ethics;
(2) critically evaluate ethical issues arising in business and marketing;
(3) assess the evolving drivers of business ethics, including sustainability, consumer behaviour and corporate social responsibility;
(4) examine the role of business in society in the context of major global ethical debates;
(5) explain the ethical dimensions of the work-place and decision-making in business;
(6) demonstrate the ability to research, analyse and debate ethical problems and potential solutions in business.

Content:

The module comprises four main themes:

(1) Foundations of business ethics: covers why business ethics matters, moral values and ethical theories in a global context.
(2) Business in society: business and sustainability, issues of corporate social responsibility and stakeholder theory, are used to examine the role of ethics in consumer purchase decisions, corporate reputation and stakeholder relations.
(3) Ethics in the workplace: considers the internal management of business ethics, ethical issues in human resource management and ethical decision-making.
(4) Corporate citizenship: includes emerging ethical issues such as ethical consumerism, sustainable consumption, and social accounting.

Learning and Teaching Information:

A weekly lecture will outline key issues, theories and concepts often supported by case material in business ethics. Smaller group classes focus on experiential learning allowing students to debate and apply ethical reasoning to case studies and develop skills in ethical problem solving.

Formal assessment evaluates students’ research and analytical skills. The assessed essay will explore a generic theme in business ethics. The case study report allows the student an individual choice of topic exploring a particular issue in more depth.

Lecture
Contact hours 18
Number of groups 1

Tutorials/Seminars
Contact hours 18
Number of groups 2

Assessment: