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[ 973ISICBUES23 ] SE Business Ethics
Versionsauswahl
Workload Education level Study areas Responsible person Hours per week Coordinating university
2 ECTS M1 - Master's programme 1. year Business Administration Melanie Lubinger 2 hpw Johannes Kepler University Linz
Detailed information
Original study plan Master's programme Management 2023W
Objectives
  • Introduce basic knowledge about normative ethical theories such as consequentialist and non-consequentialist theory, demonology, utilitarianism as well as virtue theories
  • Equip students with a profound understanding of the role of business ethics in order to deal with international and national challenges of organizations
  • Enhance and strengthen the personality of students towards becoming a critically thinking, self-reflective businessmen/women in order to take ethical decisions
  • Provide students with a theoretical and practical foundation about business ethics goals such as SDG-Goals or the concept of sustainability.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:

  • LO1: Provide a basic definition of business ethics, describe the relationship between business ethics and the law as well as distinguish between ethics, morality and ethical theories. [Business Management Qualification]
  • LO2: Evaluate the importance of different normative ethical theories for business ethics. [Interdisciplinary Skills]
  • LO3: Elaborate on different international perspectives on business ethics, including European, Asian and North American perspectives. [Intercultural Skills]
  • LO4: Describe how globalization and ethical challenges in different organizations represent a critical context for business ethics. [Analytical Skills | [Interdisciplinary Skills]
  • LO5: Accurately make use of trust and relationship building, storytelling and persuading techniques in a sales conversation. [Social Skills]
  • LO6: Evaluate and critically reflect on expert talks by writing a reflection paper on the certain expert talk. [Problem solving and Reflection Skills]
  • LO7: Critically analyse and evaluate case studies on topics in the field of business ethics. [Analytical Skills | Social Skills]
  • LO8: Utilize effectively normative ethic theories to identify moral problems, decide how to overcome them and create a successful solution to tackle the ethical issue. [Intercultural Skills | Social Skills | Self-Management Skills | Problem Solving Skills]
Subject Hence, this course aims at providing a profound theoretical basis of Business Ethics including normative ethical theory for decision-making in business. A good education in business ethics for business students is a very important aspect due to ethical challenges in different types of organizations. Moreover, also an international perspective on business ethics, including European, Asian and North American perspectives as well as important business targets such as the “triple bottom line” of sustainability should be focused by interactive teaching models such as case studies, discussions, expert talks and writing reflections on these presentations and presenting own posters on ethical issues in class.

Overall content:
The course content is divided into five parts:

  1. Introduction to normative ethical theories such as deontology theory, consequentialist theory and virtue theory
  2. Elaborate on different international perspectives on business ethics, including European, Asian and North American
  3. Contextualizing business ethics and its stakeholders
  4. Challenges in different organizations under the aspect of topics in the field of business ethics
  5. “Triple bottom line” of sustainability as a key goal of business ethics
Criteria for evaluation Scoring system:
The assessment strategy follows an adaptive learning design including motivational strategies.

A total of 100 points can be achieved in this course.

Range of assessment methods:
The range of assessment methods for the points distribution consists of:

  1. Mandatory group case study (max. 60 points)
  2. Poster Presentation (max. 15 points)
  3. Individual assessment of course participation (max. 5 points each class)
  4. Reflection paper on expert talks (max. 20 points each class).

The assessment of each component follows a points system and the criteria for each task is specified: None of the tasks includes an exam and hence no multiple-choice questions.

Feedback culture:
Feedback for the assessed students' contributions include personal individual feedback in one – to – one conversation at the end of the course from the course leader to the students (voluntarily) as well as peer feedback after each group work in the course as well as after the poster presentation (mandatory).

Synchronization of learning outcomes and assessments:

  • LO1: Course participation assessment
  • LO2: Course participation assessment + group task / Focus task
  • LO3: Course participation assessment + group task / Focus task
  • LO3: Course participation assessment + Group task / Focus task
  • LO4: Group task + Course participation assessment / Focus task
  • LO5: Group task + Course participation assessment / Focus task
  • LO6: Individual task + Presentation + Individual Feedback
  • LO7; Group task + Presentation + Group Feedback
  • LO8: Group task + Debate / Course participation assessment / Focus task
Methods The course follows an application and problem based pedagogical approach:

  • Interactive
  • Adaptive, individualized
  • Group discussions
  • Case studies
  • Paper reflections

The course leader will use the latest technology and stretch on the usage of digital didactic tools. The content will be presented actively by the course leader as well as interactively as a team along with the students.

Aspects of

  • team teaching,
  • case studies
  • expert talks
  • writing reflection papers,
  • debates and
  • tools that enhance self-reflection and critical thinking will be used.

Motivation strategy:
Students will have a possibility to get bonus points for presenting posters in class that are based on problem solving strategies of the business cases which are focused in class. Further, additional reading material will be given. Another important aspect is the individual feedback that is given to students after each homework or in class task.

Digital strategy:
Digital tools used include interactive computer supported group sessions such as the usage of digital presentations, application of moodle along with digital platforms to ensure group interactions during the course. Anonymous feedback from the students is regularly examined using short web-based surveys.

Language English
Study material Books - Compulsory reading

Crane, A., Matten, D., Glozer, S., Spencer, L. (2016), Business Ethics – Managing Corporate Citzenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalisation, 4th Edition, Oxford, (Chapter 1 and Chapter 3)
Shaw, W. H. (2017), Business Ethics, 9th Edition, Cengage, (Chapter 2)

Books - Supplementary reading

Zelizer, V. A. (2020), Ethics in the Economy, in: Beschorner, T. et al. (Hrsg.), Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik, Springer, S. 223-240.
Enderle, G. (2020), Business Ethics in the intercultural and global context, in: Beschorner, T. et al. (Hrsg.), Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik, Springer, S. 599-619.
Bassen, A. Kovás, A. M. (2020) Environmental, social and governance key performance indicatiors from a capital market perspective, in: Beschorner, T. et al. (Hrsg.), Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensethik, Springer,S. 809-821.

Academic articles - Supplementary reading

Chan, K.C., Fung, HG. & Yau, J. (2010) Business Ethics Research: A Global Perspective. J Bus Ethics 95, 39–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0346-z
Islam G, Greenwood M. Ethical research in business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics. November 2022. doi:10.1007/s10551-022-05301-z

Changing subject? No
Further information For quality assurance and improvement purposes, please participate in all JKU course evaluations and surveys!
On-site course
Maximum number of participants 25
Assignment procedure Assignment according to priority