365-1151-00L Applied Business Ethics: From Individual to Corporate Moral Responsibility
Semester | Spring Semester 2021 |
Lecturers | B. J. Bergmann |
Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
Language of instruction | English |
Comment | Exclusively for MAS MTEC students (2nd and 4th semester). |
Abstract | With leadership comes responsibility. In this course we explore the ethical duties we are facing as individuals, as managers and as an organization. We combine analytical frameworks with latest insights on findings on human behavior. Selected guest speakers will provide insights on ethical decision making and strategies in their own field. |
Learning objective | - Understand the central questions and concepts moral philosophy and business ethics - Understand the different contexts in which ethical decision making in business is addressed - Understand the gap between business ethics and the concerns of most managers and how ethics and interests can and do conflict - Realize and be able to deal with the diverse set of ethical viewpoints when making decisions (ethical issues are “not issues of right versus wrong,” but “conflicts of right versus right”) - Reveal and assess your ethical intuitions and learn how to use ethics in business settings |
Content | This course has four parts. Each part is structured over one day. In part one we will begin to investigate the reasons for acting morally on the individual level. With that, this part provides a brief introduction to moral philosophy, going through classical approaches and will introduce moral agency and moral obligations. Selected readings provide the basis for this part. The second part will extend the scope of ethical consideration to the business context and to the level of an organization and corporate moral agency. This part will address the numerous ethical duties faced by managers and organizations. Selected research papers and reports provide the basis for this part. The third part will focus on particular cases and offers insights ranging across different industries. In that part, selected professionals will join the session to share their experience. In part four the students will present their projects, based on a small group exercise. Overall, an open discussion and a self-discovery of the ethical aspects by the participants will be key for the interactive character of the seminar. More details on the structure and interactive elements (e.g. simulations, role plays) will follow closer to the seminar. |