Course: Business Policy & Ethics

Semester: SPRING 2020

Course ID:
Faculty:
COURSE OUTLINE
Prerequisite:
Principles of Management
Course Objectives:
The primary aim of this course is:
1) To introduce the ethical concepts, those are relevant to resolving moral issues in business.
2) To impart the reasoning & analytical skills; needed to apply ethical concepts to business decisions.
3) To identify the moral issues involved in the management of specific problem areas in business.
4) To provide an understanding of the social, technological, & natural environments, within which moral issues
in business arise.
5) To provide an understanding of the nature and structure of different moral/ethical justifications of business
process, alongwith its theoretical and institutional corollaries which are being taught in other courses, like
Marketing, Human Resource Management, Environmental Economics, Corporate & Social responsibility,
Micro & Macro Economic challenges etc.
6) To discuss Case Studies of actual moral dilemmas faced by business & business people.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. Define, explain and illustrate the theoretical foundations of Business Ethics;
2. Re-examine their knowledge of business and economic concepts from an ethical perspective;
3. Explain and illustrate the importance of Ethical Conduct, for business and the community;
4. Recognize and resolve ethical issues in business;
5. Reflect on and critically examine their own values, and the importance of the ethical dimension in business
and workplace decision making;.
Course Outline:

Weeks Topics

Week 1 An Overview of Ethics

 The difference between ethics and morality
 The criteria of morality and the problem of Absolute and relative
morality, rationality, intuition and revelation
Week 2-3 Ethics& Business
Why Business ethics? And how to deal business ethics
 Inclusive approach
 Exclusive approach
Challenges of business ethics
Logical positivist, Rightist, Leftist, De-ontologist
Week 4 Moral Reasoning
Theories about Moral Development
Case Studies:“Slavery in the Chocolate Industry” (2001-2010)& “Aaron Beam & the
HealthSouth Fraud” (1986-2009)
Week5-6-7 Ethical Principles in Business
 Egoistic hedonism
 Utilitarianism
a) Rule Utilitarianism
b) Act Utilitarianism
 Human Autonomy and the Governing Ideas
 Equality
a) Income
 b) Opportunity
c) Political Equality
 Freedom
a) Negative freedom: Priority of right over good
b) Positive freedom: Priority of good over right
 Liberty and Commerce: Scottish enlightenment
Case Study: Union Oil Company of California (UNOCAL) in Burma (1992-2004)
Week 8-9 Ethics in the Marketplace
Ethics & Perfectly Competitive Markets
Monopoly Competition: Justice, Utility & Rights
Oligopolistic Competition – Anticompetitive Behavior, Explicit Agreements & other
Anticompetitive Tactics, Price Fixing, Manipulation of Supply. Bid Rigging & Bribery
Oligopolies & Public Policy
Case Study: “Intel’s “Rebates” & Other Ways it “Helped” Customers (1999-2009)
Week 10-11 Ethics & Environment
Dimensions of Pollution & Resource Depletion
Ethics of Pollution Control
Ethics of Conserving Depletable Resources
Group Project Presentations
Week 12-13- Ethics of Consumer Production & Marketing
14 Markets & Consumer Protection
The Contract View of Business Firm’s Duties to Consumers
The Due Care Theory
The Social Costs View of Manufacturer’s Duties
Advertising Ethics
Consumer Privacy
Ethics& Employees - Ethics of Job Discrimination
Discrimination: Utility, Rights & Justice
Harassment & Sexual Harassment
Code of Conduct & Ethical Standards
Implementing Affirmative Action
Case Study: Wal-Mart’s Women (2010)
Week15 Ethics and Business Ethics in Islam
Freedom of enterprise
Islamic tenants concerning business transactions
Keenness to earn halal earnings
Riba
Trade through mutual consent
Fair treatment of Workers
Prohibited matters in Business Transactions
Course Assessment :
Quizzes: Minimum 5 quizzes 10 Marks
Class Presentation 05 Marks
Mid-Term 25 Marks
Final 40 Marks
Project 20 Marks
RecommendedTextBooks

1. “Business Ethics – Concepts & Cases”, (7th Edition), by Manuel G Velasquez

2. “Business Ethics in Pakistan”, by Javed Ansari &Zeeshan Arshad, Royal Book Co, 2006

References Books:
1. “Business Ethics”, 7th Edition, by Richard T. DeGeorge, Pearson
2. “Business Ethics”, by David Stewart, McGraw Hill
3. “Business Ethics – Ethical Decision Making & Cases”, 9th Edition, by O. C. Ferrell & John Fraedrich