Schedule

Date Topic/Readings Important Assignments

1/12 (Sun)

 Introduction (slides)  
1/14 (Tue) Prologue: Ethics from a Philosophical Perspective (slides)
Reading Questions.
Kagan, “What Normative Ethics Is Not”.
1/16 (Thu) Ethics from a Philosophical Perspective (slides)
Reading Questions.
Rachels & Rachels, “Subjectivism in Ethics”.
1/19 (Sun)

Ethics from a Philosophical Perspective (slides)
Reading Questions.
Kagan, “Factors and Foundations”.
Donaldson & Werhane, “BASF Corporation vs. The Hilton Head Island Developers”.

  
1/21 (Tue) Guest Talk by Mike Palmer, Patton Boggs LLP: Ethics, the Law & Regulation (slides)
Reading Questions.
Weinstein, “If It’s Legal, It’s Ethical—Right?”.
Wikipedia, “Securities Act of 1933”.
Wikipedia, “Sarbanes–Oxley Act”.
Wikipedia, “Enron Scandal”.
1/23 (Thu) Debate #1: This House Believes Government Should Tax Businesses Selling Sugary Drinks to Promote Public Health
Hartocollis, “Failure of State Soda Tax Plan Reflects Power of an Antitax Message”.
Malkin, “Mexico Takes Bloomberg-Like Swing at Soaring Obesity”.

Debate #1 preparation outline due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

In-Class Debate #1 (rubric).
1/26 (Sun) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (Unit #1) (slides)
Reading Questions.
Rand, Atlas Shrugged.		  
1/28 (Tue) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Reading Questions.
Friedman, “The Social Responsibility of Business is To Increase Its Profits”, pp. 34–39.
Carnegie, “Wealth”, pp. 172–176.
1/30 (Thu) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons”.
Parramore, “How a Libertarian Used Ayn Rand’s Crazy Philosophy to Drive Sears Into the Ground”.		 Debate #1 position paper due by 12:00pm (noon) via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).
2/2 (Sun) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Freeman, “Managing for Stakeholders”, pp. 39–53.		  
2/4 (Tue) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Gustafson, “Utilitarianism and Business Ethics”, pp. 78–89.
2/6 (Thu) Debate #2: This House Believes Merck Should Fund A Cure For River Blindness
Business Enterprise Trust, “Merck & Co., Inc.”, pp. 250–256.

Debate #2 preparation outline due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

In-Class Debate #2 (rubric).
2/9 (Sun) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Bowie, “A Kantian Approach to Business Ethics”, pp. 56–66.		  
2/11 (Tue) Qatar National Sport Day
2/13 (Thu)

Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Rawls, “Distributive Justice”, pp. 222–232.

 Debate #2 position paper due by 12:00pm (noon) via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).
2/16 (Sun) Foundational Issues in Business Ethics (slides)
Nozick, “The Entitlement Theory”, pp. 232–238.		  
2/18 (Tue) Guest Talk by Mike Palmer: The 2008–2010 Financial Crisis & Regulatory (In)Action (slides)
White, “How Washington Beat Wall Street”.
Foroohar, “The Myth of Financial Reform”.
2/20 (Thu)

Debate #3: This House Believes AIG Should Use TARP Funds to Pay Executive Retention Bonuses
Johnson, “Paying for Failure at AIG”.
Sorkin, “The Case for Paying Out Bonuses at A.I.G.”.
Sandel, “Bailout Outrage”.

Debate #3 preparation outline due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

Debate #3 peer evaluation due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (template).

In-Class Debate #3 (rubric).
2/23 (Sun) Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (Unit #2) (slides)
Albert Carr, “Is Business Bluffing Ethical?”, pp. 136–142.		  
2/25 (Tue) Case Study Examination #1
Bowie & Lenway, “H. B. Fuller in Honduras”.		 Case Study Examination #1.
2/27 (Thu) Class Cancelled Debate #3 position paper due by 12:00pm (noon) via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).
3/2–3/6 Spring Break  

3/9 (Sun)

 Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (slides)
Crisp, “Persuasive Advertising, Autonomy, and the Creation of Desire”, pp. 505–512.		  
3/11 (Tue) Guest Lecture by Mike Palmer: The Villagio Fire & Safety Regulation (slides)
Kunji, “Building a Culture of Safety in Qatar”.
3/13 (Thu) Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (slides)
Zwolinski, “The Ethics of Price Gouging”.

 
3/16 (Sun) Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (slides)
Snyder, “What’s the Matter with Price Gouging?”.		  
3/18 (Tue) Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (slides)
Meyers, “Wrongful Beneficence: Exploitation and Third World Sweatshops”.
3/20 (Thu)

Debate #4: This House Believes Employers Should Monitor Employees on Social Networks
Brustein, “Keeping a Closer Eye on Employees’ Social Networking”.
Greenhouse, “Even if It Enrages Your Boss, Social Net Speech Is Protected”.
Gomez, “Careless Posting Has Consequences”.

Debate #4 preparation outline due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

Debate #4 peer evaluation due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (template).

In-Class Debate #4 (rubric).
3/23 (Sun) Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (slides)
Geva, “Moral Problems of Employing Foreign Workers”.		  
3/25 (Tue)

Guest Talk by Mike Palmer: The Legal Realities of Migrant Labor in Qatar (slides)
Amnesty International, “Qatar: End Corporate Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers”.
Optional: Amnesty International, “A System that Permits Abuse and Traps Workers”.

 
3/27 (Thu) Obligations to Partners, Employees, Clients & Consumers (slides)
Bok, “Whistleblowing and Professional Responsibility”, pp. 128–135.

Debate #4 position paper due by 12:00pm (noon) via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

 
3/30 (Sun) Corporate Social Responsibility (Unit #3) (slides)
Robinson, “Beyond Good Intentions: Corporate Citizenship for a New Century”.
Henderson, “The Case Against ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’”.		  
4/1 (Tue) Corporate Social Responsibility (slides)
Frank, “Can Socially Responsible Firms Survive in a Competitive Environment?”, pp. 264–274.		  
4/3 (Thu)

Debate #5: This House Believes Walmart Owes Restitution for Tazreen and Rana Plaza
Greenhouse & Yardley, “As Walmart Makes Safety Vows, It’s Seen as Obstacle to Change”.
Greenhouse, “U.S. Retailers Decline to Aid Factory Victims in Bangladesh”.
Yardley, with Ali Manik, “After Bangladesh Factory Collapse, Bleak Struggle for Survivors”.
Greenhouse, “$40 Million in Aid Set for Bangladesh Garment Workers”.
Yardley, with Ali Manik & Taulés, “Clothing Brands Sidestep Blame for Safety Lapses”.

Debate #5 preparation outline due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

Debate #5 peer evaluation due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (template).

In-Class Debate #5 (rubric).
4/6 (Sun) Corporate Social Responsibility (slides)
Rachels, “In Defense of Quotas”.		  
4/8 (Tue) Corporate Social Responsibility (slides)
Pojman, “Why Affirmative Action is Immoral”.		  
4/10 (Thu) Guest Talk by Mike Palmer: Qatarization (slides)
Slackman, “Affluent Qataris Seek What Money Cannot Buy”.
Khatri, “Qatar: NYT's Article Draws Fire From Locals and Residents Alike”.
Zbib, “A Lost Cause? Nationalization of Employment in the GCC is Still Out of Reach”.		 Debate #5 position paper due by 12:00pm (noon) via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).
4/13 (Sun) Corporate Social Responsibility (slides)
Donaldson, “Values in Tension: Ethics Away from Home”, pp. 476–486.		  
4/15 (Tue) Corporate Social Responsibility (slides)
Prahalad, “The Market at the Bottom of the Pyramid”, pp. 570–584.		  
4/17 (Thu) Debate #6: This House Believes Gulf Trading Should Not Authorize Any Bribes (“Gratuities”), Even When Regionally Expected
Seeger & Manyadath, “The Project at Moza Island”.
Mills, “The Cost of Doing Business Should Not Be Paid With Bribes”.

Debate #6 preparation outline due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).

Debate #6 peer evaluation due by 8:00am via TurnItIn (topic) (template).

In-Class Debate #6 (rubric).
4/20 (Sun) Corporate Social Responsibility (slides)
Karnani, “Romanticizing the Poor”.		  
4/22 (Tue) Epilogue: Running an Ethical Business (slides)
Bowie, “Organizational Integrity and Moral Climates”.		  
4/24 (Thu)
 Running an Ethical Business
Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave”.		 Debate #6 position paper due by 12:00pm (noon) via TurnItIn (topic) (rubric) (guidelines) (template).
4/30 (Wed) Case Study Examination #2
Case 1: “Rent-To-Own: Nobody Beats Aaron’s”.
Case 2: “Stealth Marketing by Sony Ericsson”.
Case 3: “Women on Board”.
Case 4: “Uber Ride”.		 Case Study Examination #2 held at 1:00pm in room 1202.