PL 209 - Business Ethics
Description
Students will examine ethical aspects of business norms and practices. Students will address issues and questions concentrating on how moral standards apply particularly to businesses, institutions, and behaviors. Recommended Skills: Students should bring to the course developed skills in reading and writing.
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corequisite(s): None
Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: Yes
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit: 1
Programs Where This Course is a Requirement:
None
General Education Requirement:
Humanities
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
3. Critical Thinking: Gather and synthesize relevant information, evaluate alternative perspectives, or understand inquiry as a means of creating knowledge, 6. Intellectual Curiosity: Seek and apply knowledge through discovery, experimentation, or research to advance academic, personal, and career growth, 1. Civic Engagement: Apply knowledge of social, political, or environmental conditions to demonstrate understanding of community responsibility
Course Learning Outcomes:
- Develop intellectual tools to be able to make judgments about the quality of moral positions (GELO 3).
- Formulate a thesis and support it with evidence (GELO 3).
- Defend moral positions from the possible objections of others (GELO 3).
- Use moral theories to make a judgment about the morality of business practices (GELO 6).
- Understand how business practices influence the quality of individual lives, well being pf societies and cleanliness of natural enthronement (GELO 6).
- Apply ethical theories to the creation of and relationship with various businesses GELO 1).
- Apply ethical theories in advocacy and civic engagement toward the positive influence of businesses on the quality of life. (GELO 1).
Course Outline:
I. Examination of the major approaches to ethical decision making A. The connections between ethics and history B. Cultural relativism and its problems C. Ethics, law, and religion 1. Epistemic foundations for ethics a. realism and its evaluation b. natural law and its evaluation D. Utilitarian theories of ethics 1. Act utilitarianism and its evaluation 2. Rule utilitarianism and its evaluation E. Kant’s ethics and its evaluation F. Prima Facie principles and their evaluation G. Pragmatic uses of these theories II. Economic distribution and Justice A. Rival principles of distribution 1. Utilitarian view and evaluation 2. Nozick’s view and evaluation a. property rights 3. Rawl’s theory of distribution and its evaluation III. The history and nature of capitalism A. Historical background B. Capitalism’s key features C. Evaluation of capitalism in the modern world IV. Corporations A. Corporate moral agency arguments B. Conflicting views of corporate responsibility 1. Evaluations of corporate responsibility C. Institutionalizing ethics within a corporation V. Basic rights and responsibilities in the workplace A. Civil liberties at home and abroad B. Hiring 1. Practical ethical issues involving hiring C. Promotions D Discharge and Basic discipline E. Union history 1. Union ideals and strategy F. Organizational influence in private lives G. Obtaining information 1. Informed consent 2. Polygraphy and personality testing 3. Drug testing H. Health and Safety I. Management styles J. Quality of life issues VI. Moral choices facing employees A. Loyalty B. Fiduciary responsibility C. Insider trading D. Bribes, kickbacks, and gifts E. Whistle blowing VII. Job discrimination A. Evidence of discrimination B. Legal and moral context of affirmative action C. Comparable worth D. The legal and moral context of sexual harassment VIII. Consumer obligation A. Product Safety B. Legal and moral liability C. Advertising and its moral implication 1. Game theory 2. Free speech and the media IX. Business and ecology A. The responsibilities regarding externalities 1. Regulation 2. Incentives 3. Pricing mechanisms B. Responsibility of future generations
Approved for Online and Hybrid Delivery?:
No
Instructional Strategies:
Lecture: 65-75%Facilitated discussion: 10-20% Video and mediated instruction: 5-15% Group work: 0-10%
Mandatory Course Components:
None
Equivalent Courses:
None
Accepted GRCC Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Credit: None
AP Min. Score: NA
Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: NA
Course prepares students to seek the following external certification:
No
Course-Specific Placement Test: None
Course Aligned with ARW/IRW Pairing: IRW 99
Mandatory Department Assessment Measures:
None
Course Type:
General Education- Offering designed to meet the specific criteria for a GRCC Distribution Requirement. The course should be designated by the requirement it fulfills.
Course Format:
Lecture - 1:1
Total Lecture Hours Per Week: 3
People Soft Course ID Number: 100713
Course CIP Code: 38.01
Maximum Course Enrollment: 25
General Room Request: None
High School Articulation Agreements exist?: No
If yes, with which high schools?: None
Non-Credit GRCC Articulation Agreement With What Area: No
Identify the Non Credit Programs this Course is Accepted: NA
School: School of Liberal Arts
Department: Language & Thought
Discipline: PL
Faculty Credential Requirements:
18 graduate credit hours in discipline being taught (HLC Requirement), Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details:
An M.A. in philosophy. At least 18 graduate level credit hours in philosophy from an accredited institution of higher learning.
Major Course Revisions: General Education Review
Last Revision Date Effective: 20230223T16:21:09
Course Review & Revision Year: 2027-2028
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