Business Ethics Philosophy 305 California State University, Northridge Fall 2011

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1 Business Ethics Philosophy 305 California State University, Northridge Fall 2011 Ticket number: Classtime: Fridays 2:00-4:45pm Room: Jerome Richfield 132 Instructor: Mitchell Herschbach Instructorʼs Office: Sierra Tower 531 Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:00am-12:30pm or by appointment Office Phone: (818) Note: call only during office hours cannot leave a message Prerequisites: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Catalog Description An application of the insights and methods of moral philosophy to a practical examination of contemporary moral problems and normative issues of public policy concerning the conduct and responsibilities of individuals and firms in business and the organization and role of business and economic institutions in society. Regular written assignments will be required. Role in the General Education Program This course satisfies the Lifelong Learning section of General Education, which has the following goal: Students will develop cognitive, physical and affective skills which will allow them to become more integrated and wellrounded individuals within various physical, social, cultural and technological environments and communities. Topics The moral responsibilities of business managers to shareholders versus other relevant parties, including employees, consumers, and society at large The rights of employers and employees with regard to hiring and firing Diversity and discrimination in the workplace Trade secrets and patents Employee privacy Whistleblowing Product safety Advertising The environment International business Course Goals and Objectives Students will: learn to identify, explain, analyze, compare and contrast, and evaluate major questions, concepts, theories, and arguments in business ethics develop the ability to analyze the facts and ethical issues in a particular business situation, evaluate what is the best ethical outcome in a given situation, and defend that position develop the ability to comprehend and critically analyze philosophical texts develop the ability to write clearly, precisely, concisely, logically, and persuasively become more thoughtful and reflective about your own business practices Course Materials Business Ethics (3 rd edition), edited by Milton Snoeyenbos, Robert Almeder, and James Humber. ISBN: Articles available electronically on Moodle 1

2 Course Requirements 1. Participation (5%) You are expected to do the readings on schedule (i.e. before the class period indicated) and come to class prepared to discuss them. Your participation grade will be determined by your participation in class discussions and in some cases, perhaps, the quality of your participation in class discussions. 2. In-Class Reading Quizzes (15%) Short quizzes consisting of multiple choice and/or short answer questions will be administered in class every time a new reading is assigned. The purpose of the quizzes is to test your completion and comprehension of the assigned readings, and to encourage attendance at class. 3. In-Class Writing Assignments (15%) Several in-class writing assignments will be given unannounced, requiring you to, for example, write a short essay on an assigned topic. Responses will be assigned letter grades. 4. Two Papers (20% each) Two 4-5 page papers on assigned topics. Detailed instructions will be distributed at least one week before the deadline. These papers will require you to take a stand on an ethical issue in business, and defend your position. You will be graded not on what position you defend, but on the quality of the arguments you provide in favor of your position. More specifically, your paper must be well organized and readable, accurately describe the relevant facts and ethical considerations; clearly present your position on the ethical issue; present reasonable ethical arguments in favor of your position, and in doing so provide charitable and reasonable interpretations of ethical arguments offered by other authors, and provide reasonable critical evaluations of those arguments. 5. Final Exam (25%) In-class exam consisting of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. Grades Letter grades will be assigned using the plus/minus system, as follows: A = % B+ = 87-89% C+ = 77-79% D+ = 67-69% A- = 90-92% B = 83-86% C = 73-76% D = 63-66% B- = 80-82% C- = 70-72% D- = 60-62% F = 59-0% Expectations I expect you to: carefully read the assigned texts before the class meeting indicated on the syllabus, and bring them to class with you attend class and participate in class activities and discussion regularly check the course website on Moodle and your CSUN for updates about the course if you have any questions or problems, come see me during office hours or contact me via I m here to help! Policies is a good way to reach me to ask questions about the course. I will do my best to respond to s within 24 hours though I often respond much sooner than that. For questions that need a longer response, I may ask you to meet in person. Assignment Deadlines, Make-Ups, and Extensions Quizzes: Quizzes are given in class. To be able to make up a quiz, you must have a legitimate excuse (see general policy below). If you know you will miss class you must let me know via before class starts. If there is an emergency and you must miss class at the last minute, contact me as soon as possible after class. Papers: Papers must be submitted by the deadline. Late papers will not be accepted (i.e., will earn a zero for the assignment) unless you have made arrangements with me (in person or via ) at least 24 hours before the deadline. 2

3 Exams: The exam dates on the syllabus are non-negotiable, barring verifiable emergencies or scheduling conflicts. In order to take an exam at a different time, you must make arrangements with me (in person or via ) at least 24 hours in advance. General policy about justifying make-ups/extensions: You only will be granted a make-up/extension if you provide a credible reason for not completing an assignment on time. Legitimate excuses include (but are not restricted to) being ill or having a death in the family. Having an assignment for another course due the same day, for example, is not a legitimate excuse. Be prepared to provide documentation of your excuse (e.g., doctor's note) if requested. Extra Credit I will assign no extra-credit work. There is nothing that you, individually or collectively, can do for extra credit. This means that you should make every effort to do as well as you can on the quizzes, papers, and final exam. Classroom Conduct Please arrive to class on time. Students should be respectful of their fellow classmates, allowing them to finish before speaking, listening to and respecting classmates views/opinions. In addition, students must silence all telephones, music players, etc., before entering the classroom. Laptops and other electronic devices may only be used for note taking. Special Accommodations If you have a disability and need accommodations, please register with the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) office or the National Center on Deafness (NCOD), and inform me as soon as possible of any accommodations they determine you are eligible for. The DRES office is located in Bayramian Hall, room 110 and can be reached at (818) , NCOD is located on Bertrand Street in Jeanne Chisholm Hall and can be reached at (818) , If you would like to discuss your need for accommodations with me, please contact me to set up an appointment. Academic Integrity Students are expected to conduct themselves in accord with university policies on Student Conduct and Academic Dishonesty, which are found in the University Catalog, Appendix E: Cheating will not be tolerated, and any student who engages in forbidden conduct will be subjected to the disciplinary process. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with these policies; ignorance will not be an excuse. If you have any questions about these policies, feel free to contact me. Schedule This schedule is tentative and subject to revision. The current version of the syllabus will be posted on WebCT. Date Topic and Readings Assignments 1 9/2 Introducing Business Ethics Audi, Business Ethics and Ethical Business, ch. 1-2, 4 (Moodle) /9 9/16 9/23 Corporate Social Responsibility: Shareholder Theory Milton Friedman, "The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits" (72-78) Milton Friedman, "Milton Friedman Responds" (79-82) Robert Almeder, "Morality in the Marketplace" (83-93) Corporate Social Responsibility: Stakeholder Theory E. Edward Freeman, "A Stakeholder Theory of the Modern Corporation" ( ) James M. Humber, "Why I am Not a Normative Stakeholder Theorist ( ) Diversity and Discrimination Hall, Diversity at Work ( ) Gonsalves, "Reverse Discrimination ( ) Humber, "In Defense of Reverse Discrimination" ( ) Reading Quiz #1 Reading Quiz #2 Reading Quiz #3 3

4 /30 10/7 10/14 10/21 10/28 11/4 11/11 11/18 11/25 12/2 12/9 The Hiring and Firing of Employees Case Study: A Termination at Pacemakers, Inc. ( ) Werhane, Employment at Will ( ) McCall, Just Cause ( ) Kiersky, Due Process ( ) Maitland, Rights in the Workplace: A Nozickian Argument (Moodle) Case Study: Layoffs at Alexo Plastics ( ) Bulger & Gessner, Sign of the Times: Implementing Reductions in Force ( ) Trade Secrets, Patents, and Copyrights Case Study: Trade Secrets at Morris Computer ( ) Case Study: Trade Secrets at Atlas Chemical Corp. ( ) Frederick & Snoeyenbos, "Trade Secrets, Patents, and Morality" ( ) Johnson, Intellectual Property Rights and Computer Software (Moodle) Employee Privacy Boatright, The Right to Privacy ( ) Kallman, Electronic Monitoring of Employees: Issues and Guidelines ( ) Case Study: Drug Testing at Explo, Inc. ( ) Whistleblowing Case Study: Whistleblowing at Northern Airlines ( ) Westin, Whistleblowing: Loyalty and Dissent in the Corporation ( ) Duska, "Whistleblowing" ( ) Davis, Some Paradoxes of Whistleblowing (Moodle) Duska, "Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty" (Moodle) Product Safety Bernkert, Strict Products Liability and Compensatory Justice ( ) Malott, Letʼs Restore Balance to Product Liability Law ( ) Moore, Product Safety: Who Should Absorb the Cost? ( ) Advertising Carr, Is Business Bluffing Ethical? (Moodle) Miller, Ethics and Advertising ( ) Collins, In Defense of Advertising ( ) NO CLASS - VETERANʼS DAY HOLIDAY Business and the Environment Baxter, People or Penguins: The Case for Optimal Pollution ( ) Blackstone, Ethics and Ecology ( ) Bowie, Morality, Money, and Motor Cars ( ) NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY International Business Kiersky, "Ethical Complexities Involving Multinational Corporations" ( ) Boatright, Ethics in International Business ( ) Maitland, The Great Non-Debate Over International Sweatshops (Moodle) Reading Quiz #4 Reading Quiz #5 Reading Quiz #6 Paper #1 Reading Quiz #7 Reading Quiz #8 Reading Quiz #9 Reading Quiz #10 Paper #2 due Reading Quiz #11 Reading Quiz #12 4

5 Finals week Fri 12/16 Final exam, 3:00-5:00 PM 5

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