What's the Point of a Business Ethics Course?

1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald F. Duska
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Essential Ingredient ◽  
Ethical Knowledge ◽  
The Third ◽  
Teaching Business ◽  
Business Executives ◽  
Ethics Course ◽  
Business Behavior ◽  
Ethics Courses

The paper argues that the point of a business ethics course is to improve behavior in business, and that an essential ingredient in that improved behavior is knowing what's right or wrong. To make that claim, the paper attempts to dispose of three arguments which support the contrary claim, that business ethics courses are useless. First, it is argued that morals can't be taught, since they only result from training. Second, it is argued that such courses are unnecessary because business executives already know right from wrong. Third, it is argued that ethical knowledge is impossible, so there is nothing to teach. The first two arguments are dealt with briefly, and the third is addressed extensively. The paper argues that the scepticism about ethical knowledge is part of a pervasive “relativism” in our society, but shows that such a relativism/scepticism is untenable and indicates how ethical knowledge is possible. If, then, knowledge of right and wrong is an essential ingredient for improving business behavior, and such knowledge can be imparted in an ethics course, there is some point to teaching business ethics.

Business Ethics Assessment Criteria: Business V. Philosophy—Survey Results

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Morris
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Assessment Criteria ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
College And University ◽  
Teaching Business ◽  
Course Objectives ◽  
Ethics Assessment ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Business Professors ◽  
Ethics Courses

Abstract:This paper presents the results of and conclusions from a survey of 2,830 college and university undergraduate business and philosophy departments regarding their business ethics offerings. The impetus for this survey included seeking a better understanding of the problems for which business ethics courses are the solution. It was proposed that, if we knew what it is that professors teaching business ethics believe they are teaching—not in terms of content or methods, but in terms of what criteria they are using to assess students’ achievement of the course objectives—we would have a better understanding of what issues business ethics attempts to resolve. The survey focused on ranking six possible assessment criteria drawn from the literature on teaching business ethics.In addition to disclosing the specific survey results, the paper draws conclusions based on the fact that there are statistically significant differences between the rankings assigned to the six assessment criteria by business professors as contrasted with philosophy professors. The results of the survey indicate that there is more uniformity expressed in the responses by the philosophy professors teaching business ethics than by the business professors.

scholarly journals DALYKINĖS ETIKOS DĖSTYMO STRATEGIJOS

Problemos ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laimutė Jakavonytė
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Business ◽  
Ethics Teaching ◽  
Ethical Skills ◽  
Business Ethics Teaching ◽  
Ethics Courses ◽  
Key Questions

Šio straipsnio tikslas – paskatinti diskusijas apie dalykinės etikos dėstymo metodologiją ir metodiką – lėmė atlikto tyrimo pagrindinius uždavinius: kritiškai išanalizuoti Vakarų specializuotoje literatūroje aptariamas skirtingas dalykinės etikos dėstymo strategijas ir supažindinti Lietuvos skaitytojus su pagrindinėmis tyrimo išvadomis. Dėl nedidelės straipsnio apimties tyrimo lauką teko susiaurinti iki vieno, tačiau esminio klausimo: kaip apibrėžiami dalykinės etikos dėstymo atskiru akademiniu kursu tikslai? Atsakymas į šį klausimą lemia ir dėstomo dalyko turinį, ir skirtingų dėstymo metodikų pasirinkimą, ir studentų bei dėstytojų bendro darbo rezultatų vertinimo kriterijus. Tyrimui buvo pasirinktas lyginamosios analizės metodas. Straipsnio autorė išskiria penkias dalykinės etikos dėstymo strategijas ir lygina jas šiais aspektais: koks vaidmuo skiriamas praktinės filosofijos studijoms, kiek nuosekliai skirtingų praktinės filosofijos paradigmų teoriniai konstruktai taikomi formuojant dalykinės etikos dėstymo strategijas, kokius įgūdžius ir kompetencijas siekiama padėti išsiugdyti studentams, kaip dėstymo tikslų ir uždavinių pasirinkimas lemia dėstymo metodų pasirinkimą. Straipsnis baigiamas išvada, kad aptartos dalykinės etikos dėstymo strategijos neneigia viena kitos, bet papildo, ir kuo organiškiau šios strategijos bus susiejamos dėstant dalykinę etiką, tuo rečiau dėstytojams teks atsakinėti į klausimą, ar reikia dėstyti dalykinės etikos kursus.Reikšminiai žodžiai: dalykinė etika, dėstymo strategija, etinė kompetencija, etiniai įgūdžiai. STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING BUSINESS ETHICSLaimutė Jakavonytė Summary A review of the literature on teaching business ethics reveals important findings and states key questions for the further discussions: can business ethics be taught? Can business ethics be learned? Should business ethics be delivered in a specialized course? Should it be integrated across the curriculum? What are the moral and intellectual capacities that can be aimed to be developed by students and instructors at business ethics courses? However, author focuses on a comparative analysis of the strategies of teaching business ethics, which are distinguished with regard to only one holistic approach: what are the key goals of teaching business ethics that would determine the means that should be chosen for the effective achieving of the aimed goals? The different answers to this key question make possible to distinguish among at least five different methodological approaches and teaching strategies. It is argued in the article that these five strategies should not be regarded as rival positions, but as complementary approaches in teaching business ethics.Keywords: business ethics, teaching strategy, ethical competence, ethical skills.

Using Open Mind to Foster Intellectual Humility in Teaching Business Ethics

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Nhung T. Hendy ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Skill Assessment ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Intellectual Humility ◽  
Teaching Business ◽  
Open Mind ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Ethics Course ◽  
Upper Level

In this study, Open Mind – an interactive learning platform – was introduced as a pedagogical tool in developing students’ intellectual humility using a sample of 35 upper level undergraduate business students enrolled in a business ethics course in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.. Students completed the 5-step Open Mind learning assignment as a measure of intellectual humility during the first four weeks of class. Class lectures were concurrently given while students completed the Open Mind exercise. Students were subsequently required to debate a controversial topic during the remaining 11 weeks of the class. Various grading rubrics as well as skill assessment matrix are provided to assist faculty in adopting this learning platform in their classrooms. Initial evidence showed that Open Mind was efficacious in fostering student intellectual humility. Implications for teaching business ethics using Open Mind to cultivate intellectual humility are discussed.

The One Necessary Condition for a Successful Business Ethics Course: The Teacher Must be a Philosopher

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Scholarly Literature ◽  
Teaching Business ◽  
Corporate World ◽  
Pedagogical Issue ◽  
Ethics Course ◽  
Successful Business ◽  
The One

Abstract:The responses to the questions of why? when?, how?, where?, and in what ways? business ethics should be taught in the Business Ethics classroom inundate the scholarly literature. Yet, to date, despite some very interesting ideas, with respect to the answers given to the above question, not only has nothing even close to consensus been reached, but this particular area of pedagogy is in stagnation—authors still challenge both the very idea of teaching business ethics as well as the practical value of such courses for our students once they graduate to the corporate world.In this paper I will suggest that the reason for this lack of pedagogical progress is that there has been a serious oversight regarding the most important teaching question of all: Who? I will show that the pedagogical issue of whom should be teaching Business Ethics has been largely ignored, skirted or answered incorrectly. I will then boldly argue that the only necessary condition for successful courses in Business Ethics is that they be taught by experts in ethics, i.e., Ph.D.s in philosophy.

Teaching business ethics: Bringing reality to the classroom

1992 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietrich L. Schaupp ◽  
Michael S. Lane
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Business Ethics ◽  
Teaching Business
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