Ethics and Business

PHI-PHI-2631 (01); MW 3:30-4:45 Cooper Hall 207

Fall 2000, University of South Florida


David Spieler, Ph.D.

FAO 213/974-9839

Office Hours: T 11:00-12:15, R 12:30-1:45

email: dspieler@chuma.cas.usf.edu


Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to participation in a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting.

Texts

John R. Boatright, Ethics and the Conduct of Business, 3rd ed. (Prentice-Hall, 2000)

Marianne M. Jennings, Business Ethics, 3rd ed. (West, 1999)


Objectives

1. To identify ethical issues arising in today's business world--including international, environmental, racial, ethnic, and gender dimension.

2. To view these issues from the standpoint of business executives, their employees, their competitors, their customers, and their communities.

3. To develop the knowledge and skill necessary to grasp, clarify, analyze, and insofar as possible resolve these issues. And in so doing: (a) to learn the importance of respect for persons and their autonomy, (b) to become familiar with basic concepts and theories in ethics, (c) to compare decision-making based on the principle that a business can do anything not actually illegal with decision-making based on a meshing of laws and ethics, (d) to understand how a corporation makes business decisions and how an ethical orientation can be embodied in it, (e) to develop and practice thinking critically, creatively, and conceptually, (f) to assess ways of resolving broad issues in business ethics, and also to seek ways of solving particular problem situations via case studies, and (g) to think proactively about problems that arise doing business in order to prevent or minimize their negative effects and if possible to bring about positive ones.

Requirements

(1) An examination component--namely, the completion of three scheduled examinations which may be, in whole or in part, take-home--(2) a leadership component--namely, writing three case analyses and presenting your results in class at assigned times, (3) a participation component--namely, meaningful particiption in class discussions.


Grades

Examination Component = 90.0% (30% each)

Leadership Component = 07.5%

Participation Component = 02.5%

90---100% = A

80----89% = B

70----79% = C

60----69% = D

00----59% = F

Schedule

1. M August 28 Introduction

2. W August 30 Ethics & Business

Boatright, Chapter 1

Jennings 1.3, 6.13

M September 4 No Class--Labor Day

3. W September 6 Ethics & Business

Boatright, Chapter 1

Boatright, Chapter 2

Jennings 6.9

4. M September 11 Ethics & Business

Boatright, Chapter 2

5. W September 13 Ethics & Business

Boatright, Chapter 3

6. M September 18 Ethics & Business

Boatright, Chapters 3

Boatright, Chapter 4

Jennings 2.13, 2.18, 7.3, 7.15

7. W September 20 Ethics & Business

Boatright, Chapter 4

8. M September 25 Whistle-Blowing

Boatright, Chapter 5

Jennings 3.19-3.20, 3.22

9. W September 27 Whistle-Blowing

Boatright, Chapter 5

Trade Secrets and Conflict of Interest

Boatright, Chapter 6

Jennings 2.1-2.9, 3.18, 4.8-4.9, 4.26-4.27,

5.6-5.7

10. M October 2 Trade Secrets and Conflict of Interest

Boatright, Chapter 6

11. W October 4 EXAM #1


12. M October 9 Privacy

Boatright, Chapter 7

Jennings 2.16, 3.2-3.7, 6.16

13. W October 11 Privacy

Boatright, Chapter 7

Discrimination and Affirmative Action

Boatright, Chapter 8

Jennings 3.1, 3.8, 3.10-3.11, 3.13-3.16

14. M October 16 Discrimination and Affirmative Action

Boatright, Chapter 8

15. W October 18 Review

16. M October 23 Women and Family Issues

Boatright, Chapter 9

Jennings 3.12, 3.23

17. W October 25 Women and Family Issues

Boatright, Chapter 9

Unjust Dismissal

Boatright, Chapter 10

Jennings 2.12, 2.17

18. M October 30 Unjust Dismissal

Boatright, Chapter 10

19. W November 1 Marketing, Advertising, and Product Safety

Boatright, Chapter 11

Jennings 3.21, 5.1-5.5, 5.14-5.15, 6.1-6.2,

6.8, 6.10-6.12, 6.14, 7.16

20. M November 6 Marketing, Advertising, and Product Safety

Boatright, Chapter 11

Occupational Health and Safety

Boatright, Chapter 12

Jennings 4.16-4.17

21. W November 8 Occupational Health and Safety

Boatright, Chapter 12

22. M November 13 Review

23. W November 15 EXAM #2



24. M November 20 Ethics and Corporations

Boatright, Chapter 13

Jennings 1.1, 1.4, 4.18-4.25, 7.1, 7.4-7.14

25. W November 22 Ethics and Corporations

Boatright, Chapter 13

26. M November 27 Ethics & Corporations

Boatright, Chapter 13

27. W November 29 Ethics in International Business

Boatright, Chapter 14

Jennings 3.24, 4.12-4.15

28. M December 4 Ethics in International Business

Boatright, Chapter 14

29. W December 6 Ethics in International Business

Boatright, Chapter 14

30. F December 15 FINAL EXAM (3:30-5:30)