Ethics Syllabus

2011 FT MBA Core Program

Ethics Syllabus

Overview

It is not always clear what the morally right thing to do is for a business manager. Even when it is

clear, it is often hard to do what is morally right.

In these ethics sessions we will begin to learn to identify what is morally right in ethically

complicated business situations. We will also identify pressures that keep us from doing what we

know to be right and develop strategies for maintaining ethical behavior throughout our business

careers.

I hope you will come away from these sessions, and the rest of the MBA Core, better able to

tackle the range of ethical dilemmas you will encounter in your business careers.

Learning Outcomes

Students will develop the basic skills and will practice using the most common theoretical tools to

help prepare them for the vast array of ethical dilemmas they will encounter both within the

workplace and in their interactions with other businesses, organizations and other social actors.

Learning Objectives

Over the three sessions we will focus on three core skills:

1. The development of critical thinking skills to help you construct robust arguments.

2. The interpretation and application of the main ethical theories or tools.

3. The application of these tools to common business ethics cases and dilemmas.

Readings

1. Textbooks

Bowie and Werhane, Management Ethics, Blackwell Publishing, 2005.

2. Reading Package

Freeman, R. Edward. "Managing for Stakeholders". In Ethical Theory in Business, 8th ed., ed.

Beauchamp, Bowie and Arnold. (Pearson Prentice Hall 2007)

Friedman, Milton "The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits" The New York

Times Magazine 9/13/1970.

Course Outline

Weekday Date Topic Reading

Monday Oct. 3 Society and Business

Managers Bowie, ch. 1, Freeman, Friedman

Tuesday Oct. 11 Stakeholder Theory,

Employees and Customers Bowie, ch. 2-4

Tuesday Oct. 25 Other Stakeholders Bowie, ch. 5 & 6

Tuesday Nov. 1 Leadership and Governance Bowie, ch. 8

Students' Responsibilities

You should closely read the assigned readings before class: that means you should write careful

notes about the readings and you should actively reflect on the ideas they contain. You should be

prepared to respond to questions in the class. You should feel comfortable asking me for

clarification at any point if lecture material or classroom exercises are unclear. You should feel

comfortable asking challenging questions if you disagree with something I say. You should be

prepared to answer the questions below.

Session 1: Responsibilities to Society and to Business Managers

As preparation for class, read the articles by Freeman and Friedman as well as the chapter from

Bowie. Reflect on these two issues: (1) what are the social responsibilities of for-profit