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Name of Course: Business Ethics Course Code: BT31503 Name(s) of academic staff: Dr. Awangku Hassanal Bahar Bin Pengiran Bagul (Lecturer) Ms. Toh Pei Sung (Tutor) Rationale for the inclusion of the course/module in the programme In visiting any major news website or network, newspapers, business journals and satellite television, we will find an event, crisis, or issue which relates an organisations activities to global ethical implications. This subject is important for business and economic students as it exposes them to situations about relationships, value systems, justice, and identity (personal, professional, corporate, national and global). Students need straightforward frameworks to thoughtfully and objectively analyse and then sort through complex issues in order to make decisions that matter; especially on issues that can and do affect our professional and personal relationships, careers and lives.

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Credit Value: 3 Prerequisite (if any): None Learning outcomes: (Please note that course learning outcomes must be supported by level of taxonomy) At the end of the course, students will be able to :

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understand the differences in ethical theories, moral reasoning and argumentation that can be applied to business decision-making. (P1, C2, EM1) identify possible ethical challenges and evaluate the morality of a free-enterprise system. (P3, A3, C2, EM2, LS2) recognise the effects of corporate scandals on business and governance practices. (P5, C2, A3, CTPS3) present stakeholder and issues management frameworks and practical methods for identifying and evaluating breaking news in the business world. (P4, C3, A3, CS3)

Transferable Skills: (How these skills are developed and assessed, may come from assignments, projects, practical experience or internship) With ongoing presentations (individual assignments and group assignments), role plays and the team project, students will gain the necessary skills and ability to analyse any given situation; an appreciation and understanding of individual values and moral reasoning can often lead to either success or failure in the completion of evaluated tasks, similarly as in business. Students comprehension, communication and analytical skills will be enhanced.

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Synopsis: In Business Ethics, we will focus on business-related actions that are in apparent conflict with morality and examine them from multiple perspectives. One of the themes that runs through this class is that business and ethics can be compatible and even complimentary with one another. The course will examine business actions from various perspectives and promote philosophical discussion among students and between students and the lecturer in a respectful exploration of the issues involved with the motivations and approaches to business decision-making. After completing the requirements of this course, students should have a foundation of his or her lifelong search for what is good and right.

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Mode of Delivery: Lectures, Tutorials, Assignments, Quizzes, Case studies

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Assessment Methods and Types: The assessment for this course will be based on the following: Components (1) (2) (3) (4) Group Assignments Team Project Mid-Term Final Exam Total Weight 20% 20% 20% 40% 100%

(1) There will be no more than 7 members in a group, and written assignment will be no more than 1000 words. (2) The team project will consist of a written report of no more than 4000 words, inclusive of references and an oral presentation of 5 slides on PowerPoint format. (3) Mid-Term assessment will be one essay question from a choice of two. (4) Final Exam assessment will be one case study and two essay questions from a choice of three.

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Content outline of the course/module and the SLT per topic/week (Please Refer to Appendix A) (1) Understanding Ethics What is ETHICS? Understanding Right and Wrong. Ethical Theories. Ethical Relativism. Ethical Dilemmas. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) page 15. (2) Defining Business Ethics Defining Business Ethics. Who are the Stakeholders? The history of Business Ethics. Resolving Ethical Dilemmas. Justifying Unethical Behaviour. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Question 1, 2, 3 and 4) page 33 & 34. (3) Organizational Ethics Defining Organizational Ethics. Ethical Challenges by Organizational Function. Ethics in Human Resources. Ethics in Finance. Ethical Challenges. Conflicts of Interest. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Question 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) page 57 & 58. (4) (5) (6) (7) Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility. Management without Conscience. Management by Inclusion. The Driving Forces behind Corporate Social Responsibility. The Triple Bottom Line. Buying Your Way to Corporate Social Responsibility. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2 and 3) page 80. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance. What does Corporate Governance look like? In Pursuit of Corporate Governance. Effective Corporate Governance. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4) page 100. The Role of Government Key Legislation. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations (1991). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002). Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4) page 124. Blowing The Whistle What is Whistle-Blowing? The Ethics of Whistle-Blowing. Addressing the Needs of Whistle-Blowers. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4) page 144.

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Ethics and Technology Introductions: Ethics and Technology. The Promise of Increased Worker Productivity. When Are You at Work? Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4) page 166. Ethics and Globalization Ethics and Globalization. Ethical Relativism. The Pursuit of Global Ethics. Enforcing Global Ethics. The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4) page 186 & 187.

(10) Doing Whats Right in A Competitive Market Key Components of an Ethics Policy. Becoming a Transparent Organization. Organizational Integrity. Tutorial based on Review Exercises (Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) page 205. 13. Main reference supporting the course: Ghillyer. A. (2012). Business Ethics Now. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Additional References:
Weiss, J W., (2009), Business Ethics, 4th Ed., Thomson: South-Western. Crane, A & Matten, D., (2010), Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age Of Globalization, 3rd Ed., Oxford University Press Beauchamp, T L, Bowie, N E & Arnold, DG., (2009), Ethical Theory and Business, 8th Ed, Pearson International Trevion, L K & Nelson, K A., (2007), Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How To Do It Right, 4th Ed, John Wiley & Sons Inc. Shaw, W H., (2005), Business Ethics, 5th Ed., Wadsworth-Thomson. Desjardin, J R, McCall, J J., (2005), Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics, 5th Ed., Wadsworth-Thomson

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Other additional information This subject is a compulsory School Core subject for all registered students of the School of Business and Economics. All components of the assessment (item 14) are compulsory and must be completed before the stipulated deadline. Failure to undertake any single evaluation component will determine a Final Grade of E and the student will have to retake the subject. Required Student Participation: (1) Learning is best accomplished when students are provided with experiential opportunities. Accordingly, students are expected to improve their knowledge (or facts/theories) about each topic area from the readings, instructor e-lecture notes, and e-discussions with classmates and the lecturer. (2) Students are expected to demonstrate comprehension [or seeing relationships, concepts, principles, and abstractions beyond simply remembering material (read: translating, interpreting and estimating future trends)] through essay answers, e-discussions with classmates and instructor, and the midterm/final exam; and (3) Understand the application (or the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations, including the application of rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws and theories) to specific issues and challenges in business ethics. LMS Website Log in: Students are expected to log into the course (BT31503) site at least once a week, for postings, assignments, e-discussions and e-learning advisement. Tardiness in terms of the submission of assignments is not tolerated, and hence, will be ungraded.

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