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Business Ethics
BSMT-338-10,
summer 2008
(A six
week—5/12/08 through 6/25/08—completely online course.)
Syllabus
Note: This syllabus is subject to change.
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Instructor &
Course Information |
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Instructor: Kay L. McLennan,
Ph.D.
Professor
of Practice, Business Studies
e-Mail & Voice Mail:
kmclenna@tulane.edu & 504.862.8000 x1360
Office Hours:
Wednesdays, 10:00
a.m.-1:00 p.m. (by appointment, Elmwood Campus)
Web Site:
http://www.tulane.edu/~kmclenna
Course: The online
version of the Business Ethics course is a highly participative
asynchronous Internet-based course. The
course site – with all of the course
materials
and discussion forums -- is located in the myTulane Blackboard
platform
(at http://mytulane.blackboard.com)
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Textbooks &
Other Required Reading |
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Please keep in mind that it is your
responsibility to procure a copy of the assigned textbook before the
first day of classes.
More specifically, the required textbook (and
other required reading) includes:
1.
De George, R. (2006). Business Ethics, Six Edition.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (ISBN 0130991635)
OR
De George, R. (1999). Business Ethics, Fifth Edition. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. (ISBN 0130797723)
2.
Course site lectures and articles (see “Assignments &
Lectures” icon for reading assignments and
“In the News” to
find the articles).
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Prerequisites
for Taking an Internet-Based Course |
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Each student enrolled in an Internet-based
course will need:
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Computer access (students are welcome to use
any of the open computer labs on the campus);
·
Minimum computer capabilities (see section below
entitled “Minimum Computer Requirements”);
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An interest in utilizing the Internet as a distance
education mode;
·
Self-motivation – with an on-line course students
need to take the initiative to review the
on-line course
materials, keep up with the reading and project assignments and
participate in the
on-line discussions;
and
·
Adequate written communication skills to
communicate effectively through the mediums of essay submissions,
e-mail, and “chat” discussions. (While the instructor for
Internet-based
courses is available
almost “on-demand” through e-correspondence and e-office hours, being
comfortable with written communication is an imperative for distance
education students.)
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Course Topic
Outline & Assignment Due Dates |
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Module One: Introduction to the Tools and Language of Ethics & Morality
in Business
May 12th – May 25th
·
Ethics and Business
·
Conventional Morality and Ethical Relativism
·
Utility and Utilitarianism
·
Moral Duty, Rights, and Justice
·
Moral Responsibility, Virtue, and Moral Reasoning
Textbook Reading Assignment:
DeGeorge – Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Work Due:
1)
Post essays (with the essay questions located in the “Assignments
& Lectures” icon) on or before May 20th (on your group
discussion board)
2)
Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion board) due on
three (3) different days
between
May 20th – 25th
Other Important Dates:
·
Last Day to Add or Drop w/a 100%
refund: May 15th
Module Two: Analyzing Marketing and Products
May 26th – June 7th
·
Justice and Economic Systems
·
American Capitalism: Moral or Immortal?
·
Corporations and Morality
·
Safety and Risk in the Workplace
·
Whistle Blowing
·
Workers’ Rights and Duties
Textbook Reading Assignment:
De George – Chapters 6, 7, 8, 11 (or 9), 12 (or
10), and 14 & 15 (or 11)
Work Due:
1)
Post essays on or before June 3rd
(on your group
discussion board)
2)
Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion
board) due on three (3) different days between June 3rd –
7th
Module Three: Specific Moral Issues in Business
June 8th – June 22nd
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Discrimination
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The Information Age
·
Globalization
·
The New Moral Imperative
Choice of Topics including:
·
Current Events in the News
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An Exploration of Personal Ethics
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Different Views of Technology and Business
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Information Technology and Business
·
Business-Related Environmental Harm
Textbook Reading Assignment:
De George – Chapters 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
and 22
Work Due:
1)
Post essays on or before June 17th (on your
group discussion board)
2)
Post Discussion Threads (on your group discussion
board) due on three (3) different days
between
June 17th –
June 22nd
3)
Final Exam Due Date: June 25th (by midnight)
Other Important Dates:
·
Last Day to Drop: June 17th
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Learning Outcomes
& Cognitive Development Objectives |
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After completing the requirements of this
course, students should be able to:
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Understand the techniques of moral reasoning and
argumentation that are needed to analyze moral issues in business;
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Analyze the presuppositions of business—both moral
presuppositions and the presuppositions from a moral point of view;
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Evaluate the individual actions in economic and business
transactions within a variety of moral frameworks;
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Apply general ethical principles to particular cases or
practices in business;
·
Critically evaluate the morality of the American
free-enterprise system;
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Critically evaluate the comparative morality of various
different types of economic systems;
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Describe morally praiseworthy and exemplary actions of
either individuals in business or particular firms;
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Describe morally reprehensible actions of either
individuals in business or particular firms;
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Understand the current and pressing moral issues in
business from workers’ rights to legitimate computer usage on the job;
and
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Discuss the ethical issues inherent in the rapid changes
in business, including information technology and environmental
degradation.
In terms of the cognitive learning objectives
to be attained for each topic area studied (see “Course Topic Outline”
below), students will:
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Gather knowledge (or facts or theories) about each
topic area from the readings, instructor lecture
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notes, and e-discussions with classmates and the
instructor; and
·
Demonstrate comprehension (or seeing relationships,
concepts, principles, and abstractions beyond simply remembering
material, typically involving translating, interpreting and estimating
future
trends) through essay
answers, e-discussions with classmates, and the final project; and
·
Understand the application (or the ability to use
learned material in new and concrete situations, including the
application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws and theories)
to specific issues and challenges in marketing.
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Required Student Participation |
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Learning is best accomplished when students are
provided with experiential opportunities. Accordingly, class members
are expected to log into the class site at least three times a week
(please note that the Blackboard software keeps track of when you enter
the class site) as well as post assigned essays,
contribute substantive comments during the
three module discussion periods, and take the final exam
within the specified time frames. As a general
rule of thumb, students are expected to respond to
the comments on their work and at least 60
percent of the essay postings of the other students in their
group. In addition, during each discussion
period, students must contribute comments on three different days.
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Grading |
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The final grade in the course will be made up
of grades on essay submissions, group discussions,
and the final exam. The calculation of your
final grade has the following components: essay
submissions = 40 percent of the final grade;
group discussion participation = 40 percent of the final
grade; and the final exam = 20 percent of the
final grade.
With a potential of earning a total of 1,000 points
in the course, the following point ranges (and accompanying grades) will
be used.
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Point Range |
Grade |
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934-1,000 |
A |
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900-933 |
A- |
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866-899 |
B+ |
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832-865 |
B |
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800-831 |
B- |
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766-799 |
C+ |
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732-765 |
C |
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700-731 |
C- |
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666-699 |
D+ |
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632-665 |
D |
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600-631 |
D- |
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599 & below |
F |
Further, the following grading component criteria
will be used.
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The essays assigned during each of three modules are worth
25 points each (and taken together, the essay assignments in the course
total 400 points). Note: There are five essays required for module
one, six essays required for module two, and five essays required for
module three. The specific grading subcomponents for each essay
include: 1) demonstrating a mastery of the subject material (worth 10
points); 2) meeting the assigned deadline (worth 5 points); and 3)
crafting a well-written, grammatically correct composition that adheres
to the length guidelines provided (10 points). Note: While it is
understood that most of the class members are already involved in
demanding careers. Accordingly, business commitments (including travel)
will not excuse late work. If you have a demanding job or travel
commitments, it will be your responsibility to work ahead in the course
so that you will be able to meet the deadlines specified.
·
Participation in group discussions (in your individual
groups) will account for 400 points of
the 1,000 points in the course. In other words, the discussion
component is worth as much as the
essay component and the discussion component makes up such a large share
of the total points in the course that it is not possible to earn a good
grade (or earn more than a D- in the course) if you do not fully
participate in the discussion component. More specifically, you will be
able to earn 125 points during module one, 150 points in module two, and
125 points in module three by meeting the
following discussion subcomponent requirements:
1.
Providing substantive comments that include relevant personal or real
world examples to back up claims and assertions;
2.
Post
comments on THREE (3) different days, including responding to 60 percent
of the essay postings of your group members;
3.
Responding to the substantive comments group members make on your
essays; and
4.
Posting all comments in a timely manner. In general, you should aim to
respond to group members’ comments on your essays as rapidly as possible
(but 1-2 day window to respond is acceptable). Also, if you wait until
the final few days of a module to comment on your group members’ work or
your group members’ comments on your essays, the benefits of having
meaningful discussions on the course material will be lost. Also,
untimely comments will compromise the educational experience for others
in the class and will be penalized.
Again, you must post comments on three different
days during the discussion period.
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The final exam will be worth 200 points. Students will
take a timed (randomly generated)
online final exam on the major concepts in the course.
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Make-Up Work Policies |
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Given the asynchronous nature of this course,
the expectation is that students will be able to meet all deadlines for
completing reading assignments, posting essay submissions and discussing
group members’ submissions. Tardy postings will compromise the quality
of group discussions and accordingly are unacceptable. In turn, only
extraordinary or emergency circumstances will merit consideration for a
deadline extension and will have to be evaluated by the instructor on a
case-by-case basis. Also, please
e-mail the instructor as soon as possible to
explain any anticipated or missed deadlines.
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Honor Code |
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All academic assignments in this course are
conducted under the provisions of the Tulane University
Honor Code. In particular, while students will
collaborate during group discussions of the material and their work,
when it comes to assembling their initial essay responses and taking
module exams, students
are expected to work independently. The
complete Honor Code is available online at:
http://college.tulane.edu/code.htm
Also, all Honor Code Board meetings will take
place in New Orleans. In turn, if a student wishes to appear before the
Honor Board (to counter an allegation of a violation of the Honor Code),
the student must keep in mind that they will need to do so in New
Orleans. Further, if a student waives the right to appear in person
before the Honor Board (in New Orleans), written statements will be
accepted.
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Student
Disability Accommodations |
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Any student with a disability in need of course
or examination accommodations should request accommodations through the
University’s Office of Disability Services located in the Mechanical
Engineering Building. Please do this as soon as possible. In turn,
please let me know you are eligible
for accommodation (through an e-mail
correspondence) and provide a copy of your approved accommodation form
from ODS to me (as well as to each professor in whose course you wish to
receive accommodations). I am committed to working with the Office of
Disability Services to ensure that all approved accommodations are
provided. However, if you do not deliver the approved accommodation
form, I will not know you have been approved to receive accommodations
and will have no basis for providing those accommodations.
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Minimum
Computer Requirements |
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This on-line course utilizes Tulane University's
myTulane Blackboard course software. In turn, the minimum computer
system recommendations for using Blackboard software include the
following. [Note: The Blackboard software platform may work on a
computer that does not meet these minimum recommendations but using a
lesser system could result in slow or problematic student access.]
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Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, ME or XP; MacOS
9 or MacOSX
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Hardware: 64 MB or RAM and 1 G of free disk space
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Browser: Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape 4.78
(JavaScript and Cookies must be enabled)
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Modem: 56 K (but a DSL connection is recommended
for viewing video clips)
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Tulane University e-mail and Blackboard account
(along with the knowledge of how to send and receive e-mail) [Note: All
newly admitted students will be automatically assigned a Tulane
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University e-mail account (your user name will be sent to
you by mail and your password will be
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your social security number, without the dashes). If you
are a currently admitted student that lacks a Tulane University e-mail
account and/or Blackboard account, please contact the Computer Help
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Desk, at (504) 862-8888, to set up the account(s).]
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Basic computer knowledge (including knowledge of
word processing, printing files, downloading files, uploading files,
etc.
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Syllabus Changes |
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Again, the instructor retains the right to make
changes to this syllabus.
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Kay L. McLennan, Ph.D., Professor of Practice
