MM359A-Business Ethics 1

Module Provider: Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2019/0

Module Convenor: Dr Lucy Newton

Email: l.a.newton@henley.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module aims to develop students’ awareness and understanding of the ethical issues arising in a business and management environment.  In particular, the ethical issues facing multinationals and global companies will be examined.  Businesses do not operate in a vacuum and it is important to consider non-economic issues, such as ethics, to set the management of companies in a broader context. Using a combination of ethical theory and case study analysis, the module aims to enable students to analyse ethical issues that corporate decision-makers face in developing policies concerning a variety of stakeholders.

Aims:

To develop student's awareness and understanding of ethical issues in a business and management environment, from the perspective of the individual, of individual firms and of wider society and the environment. The module aims to enable students to analyse ethical issues that corporate decision-makers face in developing policies about employees, customers and the broader stakeholders by utilising both theory and case studies.

Assessable learning outcomes:

• To identify and assess key ethical issues that face modern business

• To analyse real ethical issues through use of ethical theory

• To appraise ethical dilemmas from a managerial, individual and societal perspective

• To critically assess the ethical context in which corporations operate, be it international markets or the natural environment, and consider the impact this has upon business behaviour and performance

• To provide a written evaluation of key ethical issues using ethical theory.

Additional outcomes:

By undertaking assessment of this module students will enhance their information gathering, writing synthesis and IT skills during this module.

Outline content:

The module will consider ethical issues that corporate decision-makers face in developing policies about employees, customers and the broader stakeholders by utilising both theory and case studies. Topics include: 

• Ethical Theory

• Ethical tools and techniques

• Employees and business ethics 

• Ethical buyer/supplier relationships

• Consumers and business ethics 

• Globalisation and ethics

• Financial issues and ethics

• Corporate governance and ethics

Global context:

The international context in which business operation and how this relates to ethics will be considered throughout the module.  In particular, the ethical issues facing multinationals and global companies will be examined.

 

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Two-hour lectures combined with one-hour seminars. The basic material will be covered in lectures in which class discussion will also take place. Discussions take place in the seminars.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	20	1	1
Seminars	4
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)	50	10
Exam revision/preparation		10	40
Advance preparation for classes	20
Preparation for seminars	4
Completion of formative assessment tasks		10
Essay preparation		30
Total hours by term	98	61	41
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written exam	100

Summative assessment- Examinations:

One final exam, three hours in length.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Formative assessment methods:

One essay, approximately 2,500 words submitted in week 5 of the Spring term.

Penalties for late submission:
The Module Convener will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day[1] (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;

where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/qualitysupport/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
A weighted average of at least 40%.

Reassessment arrangements:

During the August re-sit period – mark capped at 40%.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Textbook optional – approximately £36.00 - Andrew Crane and Dirk Matten, Business Ethics (fourth edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015).

Last updated: 8 April 2019