Ethics and Practice

Ethics and Practice

For Finance

San Francisco Campus

Module A 2011

Karl Boedecker, J.D., Ph.D.

Ph.D. Business Administration (Michigan State University)

J.D. (University of San Francisco)

MA Economics (Michigan State University)

Karl.Boedecker@Hult.edu

Hult International Business School

Boston/Dubai/London/San Francisco/Shanghai

Office Hours: Fridays immediately following class and by appointment.

Can you tell me, Socrates, whether virtue is acquired by teaching or by practice; or, if neither by teaching nor practice, then whether it comes . . . by nature or in what other way?

Plato's Meno

Course Description

This course exposes students to the important moral issues that arise in various business contexts; provides students with an understanding of the moral, social, and economic environments within which those problems occur; introduces students to the ethical concepts that are relevant for resolving those problems; and, assists students in developing the necessary reasoning and analytical skills for doing so. The course uses articles in the business press, judicial opinions and case studies to assess alternative ethical approaches to business situations.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, you will have the capacity:

To describe basic tools for analyzing ethical dilemmas and reaching moral conclusions

To recognize the moral/ethical dimensions of managerial decision making

To articulate ethical arguments in a systematic manner

To apply moral reasoning to ethical dilemmas

To identify, examine and clarify personal values as they relate to one’s work and career

To understand the organizational context in which managers face ethical dilemmas

To identify the organizational pressures which affect managers' awareness of moral/ethical

issues

To understand the structure of a corporation, including its stakeholders' interests and

obligations

To understand the Code of Ethics and Standards...