BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI K.K.

BIRLA GOA CAMPUS

FIRST SEMESTER 2016-2017
Date:01/08/2016

In addition to part-I (General Handout for all courses appended to the time table) this portion gives
further specific details regarding the course.
Course No:
HSS F343
Course Title:
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS
Instructor- in- charge: REENA CHERUVALATH
1. Scope & Objective:
- To provide a formal acquaintance with the ethical concepts and frameworks.
- To enable the students to recognize the codes of ethics and moral values relevant to the
experience of being a professional.
- To develop among the students an understanding of various ethical issues relating to professions
in general and business, management, education, engineering and computers in particular.
- To enable the students to develop the awareness needed to understand the role of moral
reasoning in the framework of professional life with the help of real time case studies.
2. Textbook:
Boatright, John R., Ethics and the Conduct of Business, Pearson Education, Indian Reprint,
2003
3. Reference books:
Rowan, John, and Zinaich, Jr., Ethics for the Professions, Wadsworth, 2003
Harris, Charles, E. Jr., Michael S. Pritchard, Michael J. Rabins, Engineering Ethics: Concepts
& Cases, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1995
Erwann, M.David, Williams, Masy B and Gutierrez, Claudio, Computers, Ethics, and Society,
Oxford University Press, 1990
Langford, Duncan (ed.), Internet Ethics, Macmillan Press Ltd, 2000
Richard T. DeGeorge, Business Ethics, Pearson Education, 2011
Andrew Crane & Dirk Matten, Business Ethics, Oxford University Press, 2011
4. Course Plan:
Lec.No. Learning Objectives

Topics to be covered

To introduce the basic nature of ethics

Ethics, Applied Ethics and

Professional Ethics

2-3

To enable the students to learn about Ethics and Professions

the vital role of ethics in professions

Text Book, Ch. 1;

Rowan, Ch. 2

To understand the unique status and Across the Professions

issues of professional ethics

Rowan, Introduction;

To assess the nature and role of moral Ethical Theories

theories
Indian Ethics
To understand the Indian approach

Rowan, Ch.1

6
7

To learn the importance of utilitarian

approach

Utilitarian Theory

Reference Chap / Sec.

Text Book, Ch.1;
Rowan, Introduction

Sekhar, Ch. 1
Text Book, Ch. 2;
Rowan, Ch.1

To understand the value of duty

Deontological Theory

To know the importance of virtues

Virtue Theory

10-11

To understand the moral demands vis- Ethical codes for various

-vis the objectives and roles of professions
different professions

12

To understand the moral basis of Employer-Employee

employment and the relation among Relation
professionals
To know about a peculiar moral right Whistle-Blowing
of a professional
To appreciate the ethical nuances of Women and Family Issues
women related issues in professions
To analyze moral implications in Case Studies
concrete situations
To assess the nature and value of Business
business ethics
To know the moral responsibilities of Stakeholders; Corporate
Social Responsibility
a business organization in a society

Rowan, Ch. 3

To examine the right of a professional Occupational Health

to a safe workplace
To analyze moral implications in Case-Studies
concrete situations
To introduce management ethics and Management
its importance for professionals
To assess the moral implications of an Discrimination and Unjust
Dismissal
unjust dismissal

Text Book, Ch. 12

To analyze moral implications in Case-Studies

concrete situations
To understand the nature of Engineering
engineering ethics
To assess the inter-dependence of Standards and Values for
standards and values in engineering Engineers
profession
To know about ethical practices in Engineers and Public
Interest, trade secrets,
engineering
patents
To analyze moral implications in Case-Studies
concrete situations
To learn the ethical impacts of Computers
computerization on a society
Problems
in
To weigh moral problems and Ethical
Information
and
solutions in the use of computers

13
14
15
16
17-19
20-21
22
23-24
25-26
27
28-30
31-32

33-34
35
36
37-38

Text Book, Ch. 3;

Rowan, Ch.1
Text Book, Ch. 3;
Rowan, Ch.1
Reference Material

Text Book, Ch. 5

Text Book, Ch. 9
Text Book, Ch.1
Text Book, Ch.14

Reference Material
Text Book, Ch. 8, 10

Rowan, Ch. 6
Rowan, Ch. 6

Rowan, Ch. 6
Reference Material
Reference Material
Langford, Ch. 5

38-39
40

Communication
To understand the ethical impacts of Internet and Society
internet on a society
To analyze moral implications in Case-Studies
concrete situations

5. Evaluation Scheme:
EC Evaluation
No. Component
1
Test I

Duration

Weightage

Date, Time

60 Minutes

15

23/09/16, Friday, OB
4.00-5.00 PM
28/10/16, Friday, CB
4.00-5.00 PM

Test II

60 Minutes

15

3
4.

Seminar
Group Discussions/
group activities
Comprehensive
Examination

15-20 minutes

10
10+10

Langford, Ch. 1

3 Hours

40

Remarks

OB
12/12/16 (AN)

CB

6. Chamber consultation Hours: Mondays-4 pm

7. Notices: Notices, if any, concerning the course will be displayed on moodle.
8. Makeup Policy: There will be no makeup for any components, except in medical condition.
Instructions for seminar presentation:
If once anyone misses his/her presentation-date assigned by the IC, then s/he will be recorded as
absent. Inconvenience (if any) should be informed the IC beforehand. No one will be allowed to
present in the ICs chamber.
IC
HSS F343