Business Ethics

obligatory courses

Classroom

Business ethics provides a comprehensive introduction to the ethical foundations of business, combining the theoretical framework of ethics with the practical aspects of management. It addresses descriptive and normative ethics, cognitivism and non-cognitivism in moral theories, as well as a variety of approaches to ethics in the business context, including utilitarianism, Kantianism and relativism. It also addresses the relationship between the market and justice, examining the ethics of profit, capitalism, theories of justice and ethical approaches to business management. It also covers practical aspects such as codes of ethics, anti-corruption programmes, ethical investment and the challenges of corruption, bullying and discrimination. The course programme emphasizes the importance of sustainability and ecology in business strategies and encourages critical thinking about the ethical aspects of business.

Lectures:

1. Scope and purpose of business ethics:

- The place of business ethics in management,

- ethics - philosophy - business

- descriptive/prescriptive ethics

- critical ethical analysis

- research conduct in business ethics

- morality, moral judgement.

- Theories of morality: cognitivism, non-cognitivism, consequentialism, non-consequentialism,

- religious ethics,

- utilitarianism, Kantianism, ethical relativism

2. The market, business and justice:

- ethics and profit,

- Capitalism and justice,

- Rawls' theory of justice,

- Friedman's approach,

- Freeman's stakeholder theory,

- unit Arian vision,

- separatist, integrationist,

3. Ethics codes and programmes:

- values and their systems,

- types, structure, content of codes,

- design and implementation process.

4. Environmental ethics:

- ecology,

- environmental protection and sustainability in business, - environmental awareness,

- Naess deep ecology,

- Skolimowski's ecological humanism,

- Znaniecki's social ecology.

5. The ethical side of investing:

- socially responsible investment,

- ESG factors,

- green investing,

- investments based on religious systems,

- socially responsible stock indices,

6. Corruption and fraud in business:

- corruption mechanism,

- targets of corrupt activities,

- types of bribes,

- problems in tendering procedures,

- anti-corruption programmes,

- Money laundering (nature of the problem, scheme of the countermeasure system, activities of supervisory organisations: UN, EU, Financial Action Task Force),

- financial pyramids (types, Ponzi scheme, Madoff, Amber Gold)

7. Mobbing and discrimination:

- the characteristics and phases of mobbing,

- harassment,

- anti-bullying procedures,

- discrimination, discriminatory criteria, gender, age, race discrimination,

- vertical and horizontal segregation,

- discrimination in recruitment and selection, in promotions,

- The glass ceiling and its variations, sabotage and labour anomie,

- Whistleblowing.

Core position:

A.Crane, A., D. Matten. (2013). Business Ethics, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Student/Student on completion of the course:

In terms of knowledge:

• Knows and understands the terminology and basic theoretical models in business ethics (K_W01)

• Knows and understands to an advanced degree the principles, procedures and practices of marketing activities of different types of organisations (K_W02).

• Knows and understands to an advanced degree the legal regulations concerning the functioning of organisations and in ethical terms (K_W04).

• Knows and understands technological, social, political, legal, economic and environmental processes and phenomena and their impact on the functioning of organisations, particularly in relation to business ethics (K_W05).

• Knows and understands the basic principles for the creation and development of different forms of entrepreneurship in an ethical context(K_W06).

In terms of skills:

• Be able to use ethical theory to identify, diagnose and solve problems related to the functioning of organisations in the market (K_U01).

• Has the ability to self-educate and improve acquired skills in business ethics (K_U06).

In terms of attitudes:

• Is willing to comply with ethical standards related to business activities (K_K03).

Learning outcomes will be verified by a final examination

Written exam (100% marks).

Course credit:

– Written examination - multiple-choice test (100% marks)

– Those enrolled on the course are eligible to take the exam.

– Minimum score in the examination - 60 points (60%).

A total of 100 points will be available during the examination, the number of which will determine the final grade:

0 - 60 points (0 - 60%) mark 2.0

61 - 67 points (61 - 67%) score 3.0

68 - 75 points (68 - 75%) score 3.5

76 - 85 points (76 - 85%) score 4.0

86 - 95 points (86 - 95%) score 4.5

96 - 100 points (96 - 100%) grade 5.0