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COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title: BUSINESS ETHICS
Code Course Type Regular Semester Theory Practice Lab Credits ECTS
BUS 407 B 3 3 0 0 3 7.5
Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) NA
Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: Prof.Dr. Osman Nuri Aras oaras@epoka.edu.al , Thursday 14:30 - 17.30
Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours: NA
Language: English
Compulsory/Elective: Elective
Study program: (the study for which this course is offered) Master of Science in Business Administration
Classroom and Meeting Time: E 311 Thursday 18:00
Code of Ethics: Code of Ethics of EPOKA University
Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline"
Attendance Requirement: 75%
Course Description: This coourse provides an understanding of how ethical decision making occurs in an organization. -Provide knowledge and exercises to help you understand the responsibilities of ethical leadership -Identify ethical risks and issues in making ethical decisions in business. -Understand the relationships between ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability in the firm. -Learn how the oversight of top managers and corporate governance affect ethical decisions. -Examine external pressures for ethical decisions related to regulatory and self- regulatory organizations. -Experience real business ethics decisions through cases, simulations, debates, and other classroom activities.
Course Objectives: Provide an understanding of how ethical decision making occurs in an organization. Provide knowledge and exercises to help you understand the responsibilities of ethical leadership Identify ethical risks and issues in making ethical decisions in business. Understand the relationships between ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability in the firm. Learn how the oversight of top managers and corporate governance affect ethical decisions. Examine external pressures for ethical decisions related to regulatory organizations. Experience real business ethics decisions through cases, simulations, debates, and other classroom activities.
BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE
1 Importance of Business Ethics (ch.1) To explore conceptualizations of business ethics from an organizational perspective • To examine the historical foundations and evolution of business ethics • To provide evidence that ethical value systems support business performance • To gain insight into the extent of ethical misconduct in the workplace and the pressures for unethical behavior
2 Stakeholders, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Governance (ch.2) To identify stakeholders’ roles in business ethics • To define social responsibility • To examine the relationship between stakeholder orientation and social responsibility • To delineate a stakeholder orientation in creating corporate social responsibility • To explore the role of corporate governance in structuring ethics and social responsibility in business • To list the steps involved in implementing a stakeholder perspective in social responsibility and business ethics
3 Emerging Business Ethics (ch.3) To define ethical issues in the context of organizational ethics • To examine ethical issues as they relate to the basic values of honesty, fairness, and integrity • To delineate abusive and intimidating behavior, lying, conflicts of interest, bribery, corporate intelligence, discrimination, sexual harassment, environmental issues, fraud, insider trading, intellectual property rights, and privacy as business ethics issues • To examine the challenge of determining an ethical issue in business
4 Institutionalization of Business Ethics (ch.4) To distinguish between the voluntary and mandated boundaries of ethical conduct • To provide specific mandated requirements for legal compliance in specific subject matter areas related to competition, consumers, safety, and the environment • To specifically address the requirements of the Sarbanes–Oxley legislation and implementation by the Securities and Exchange Commission • To provide an overview of regulatory efforts to provide incentives for ethical behavior • To provide an overview of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations recommendations and incentives for developing an ethical corporate culture • To provide an overview of voluntary boundaries and the relationship to social responsibility
5 Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership (ch.5) • To provide a comprehensive framework for ethical decision making in business • To examine the intensity of ethical issues as an important element influencing the ethical decision making process • To introduce individual factors that may influence ethical decision making in business • To introduce organizational factors that may influence ethical decision making in business • To explore the role of opportunity in ethical decision making in business • To explain how knowledge about the ethical decision making framework can be used to improve ethical leadership • To provide leadership styles and habits that promote an ethical culture
6 Individual Factors: Moral Philosophies and Values (ch.6) To understand how moral philosophies and values influence individual and group ethical decision making in business • To compare and contrast the teleological, deontological, virtue, and justice perspectives of moral philosophy • To discuss the impact of philosophies on business ethics • To recognize the stages of cognitive moral development and its shortcomings • To introduce white-collar crime as it relates to moral philosophies, values, and corporate culture
7 Organizational Factors: Role of Ethical Culture & Relationships (ch. 7) • To understand the concept of corporate culture • To examine the influence of corporate culture on business ethics • To determine how leadership, power, and motivation relate to ethical decision making in organizations • To assess organizational structure and its relationship to business ethics • To explore how the work group influences ethical decisions • To discuss the relationship between individual and group ethical decision making
8 Developing an Effective Ethics Program (ch.8) To understand the responsibility of the corporation to be a moral agent • To understand why businesses need to develop ethics programs • To list the minimum requirements for an ethics program • To describe the role of codes of ethics in identifying key risk areas for the organization • To identify the keys to successful ethics training, including program types and goals • To examine the ways that ethical standards are monitored, audited, and enforced and to understand the need for continuous improvement
9 Implementing and Auditing Ethics Programs (ch.9) To define ethics auditing • To identify the benefits and limitations of ethics auditing • To examine the challenges of measuring nonfinancial performance • To explore the stages of the ethics auditing process • To understand the strategic role that the ethics audit can play
10 Globalization and Ethical Decision-Making (ch.10) To understand the role of capitalism and economics as factors in business ethics • To discuss global values, goals, and business practices within ethics • To explore and question common global business practices • To gain awareness of global ethical issues • To assess the role of the international monetary fund • To assess the role of the world trade organization in business ethics • To assess the role of multinational corporations in business ethics
COURSE OUTLINE
Week Topics
1 Importance of Business Ethics
2 Stakeholders, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Governance
3 Emerging Business Ethics
4 Institutionalization of Business Ethics
5 Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership
6 Individual Factors: Moral Philosophies and Values
7 Organizational Factors: Role of Ethical Culture & Relationships
8 Developing an Effective Ethics Program
9 Implementing and Auditing Ethics Programs
10 Globalization and Ethical Decision-Making (ch. 10)
11 Ethics Cases in the Financial Sector
12 Ethics Cases and the Environment
13 Ethics Cases and Corporate Practices
14 Final Presentations
Prerequisite(s): N/A
Textbook(s): Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L., Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases.
Additional Literature: N/A
Laboratory Work: N/A
Computer Usage: N/A
Others: No
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
1 To understand the impact of the business environment on ethical decision making
2 To distinguish between Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
3 To understand ethical issues in business
4 To apply moral philosophies to Business Ethics
5 To understand the importance of Ethical Decision Making and Ethical Leadership
6 To Develop an Effective Ethics Program
7 To Implement and Audit Ethics Programs
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)
No Program Competencies Cont.
Master of Science in Business Administration Program
1 Integrate theories from business and economics to tackle business problem 5
2 Inspire an open minded-attitude through continuous learning and team-work. 5
3 Demonstrate ethical, social, and legal responsibilities in organizations 5
4 Organize and pursue scientific research projects 5
5 Enhance persuasive communication and presentation capabilities. 5
6 Critically evaluate contemporary research in specific business areas. 5
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
Method Quantity Percentage
Presentation
2
15
Project
1
40
Case Study
1
30
Total Percent: 100%
ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)
Activities Quantity Duration(Hours) Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) 16 3 48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) 16 4 64
Mid-terms 0
Assignments 1 15.5 15.5
Final examination 0
Other 2 30 60
Total Work Load:
187.5
Total Work Load/25(h):
7.5
ECTS Credit of the Course:
7.5
CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER

Attendance: Students should attend at least 75% of the classes. However, students should consider possible loss of specific evaluation in a certain day they are missing. Academic integrity: Cheating, plagiarism or any other type of academic dishonesty is not tolerated. Each student is responsible for understanding the Epoka University Student Discipline Regulation and Exam Rules. Grading: Student grade is not subject to negotiation. In case of perceived human error by the lecturer side, the student should submit their concern in writing and ask for reevaluation of the exam paper/assignment/project.
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