Tuesday – 7-10:40 p.m.
Location: GMCS 314
ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING IN BUSINESS (BA 300) – HYBRID
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
SUMMER 2015
Dr. Wendy L. Patrick
Office Hours: Education and Business Administration Building (EBA) 323
Tuesday before each of the two class periods 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. and by appointment
[email protected] 619-861-2112
SYLLABUS
Course Description
This class will explore ethical theories and principles and their practical application in a variety of
business situations. About 50% of the instructional time will consist of your reviewing pre-recorded
video segments and completing assignments online. You can access the video segments, presented by Dr.
Lori Ryan and Professor Dan Eaton, from the course Blackboard page. The remaining approximately
50% of instruction time will consist of two extended in-class sessions designed to build upon and expand
the basic course material presented online. Answers to frequently asked questions about the course
appear at the back of this syllabus. I am happy to respond to any questions you may have that are not
answered in that document, but please look there first.
BSBA Program Goals
BSBA students will graduate being:
• Effective Communicators
• Critical Thinkers
• Able to Analyze Ethical Problems
• Global in their perspective
• Knowledgeable about the essentials of business
BA 300 contributes to these goals through its student learning objectives:
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, you should be able to:
• Explain the various ethical dimensions of business decision-making.
• Explain the role of various affected parties in business decision-making.
• Assess the ethics of decision alternatives using different ethical decision rules.
• Apply ethical decision-making rules and concepts.
Academic Expectations
Regarding expectations, please see teaching rubrics (http://cbaweb.sdsu.edu/assessment/rubrics). The
rubrics represent CBA expectations for writing and oral communication skills and are appropriate for all
course levels from lower-division undergraduate through graduate-level courses.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt
of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note
that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be
provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
A. Required Text
Linda K. Treviño and Katherine A. Nelson, Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk About How To Do
It Right (Sixth Edition). You are only required to read the assigned pages, not the whole chapter in
which they are found. Note: You can SAVE MONEY by buying a special SDSU version of the book
(ISBN 9781118903292) from our bookstore for less than $60.
B. The Video Segments and Accompanying Reading
The online videos are divided into two sessions. Each session has two blocks of material. Before
attending each of the two in-class sessions, you will need to have completed all of the preceding session’s
material, both the video segments and the accompanying reading. You also should download and print
out the slides posted on Blackboard that accompany the video segments. The packet of slides is posted
in the order in which the slides appear online.
It is critical that you do not attempt to review all of the video segments in one or two sittings. That is a
sure way to confuse the concepts that are addressed and to develop an incomplete understanding of the
material. Instead, you are encouraged to review on any given day up to two segments, and certainly no
more than three. You also should do the accompanying reading before reviewing a video segment. You
are, of course, free to re-watch video segments to reinforce or clarify your understanding of the material,
just as you are free to re-read the accompanying pages of text and further review the Blackboard slides.
Transcripts of the lectures for Dan Eaton’s video segments are posted under the Lectures section on
Blackboard.
The practice tests at the end of each block, posted on Blackboard along with an answer guide, will test
your understanding of the material. The practice test(s) are not required and will play no role in your
course grade. If you don’t work through these tests, however, you will be at a disadvantage when you
take the 30-minute exam that will be given at the beginning of the two in-class sessions.
C. In-Class Sessions
Each of the two-block video sessions is followed by a 3-hour and 40-minute in-class session with me.
The first session is July 14 and the second session is July 28. The final exam will be on August 4 from
7 to 8:30 p.m in GMCS 3333. Please mark your calendars now. Each of the in-class sessions will begin
with a 30-minute, 20-question multiple-choice exam. You will need to bring a 100-question Scantron
Form 882-E and two No. 2 pencils with you to each class. Each of the exams will cover all of the
material, but only the material, in the preceding two-block session of readings and video segments. In
other words, the exam for the second session covers only the material in blocks 3 and 4. Only the
final exam is cumulative.
Please note: You must attend all of both in-class sessions. There will be NO make-up exams or
other make-up opportunities given except in extraordinary circumstances when scheduled in
advance.
After each exam, we will work through a series of highly interactive exercises designed to build upon and
go beyond the videos and the readings on which you will have been tested.
Class Participation
Class participation involves much more than merely coming to class. In order to earn participation points,
you must raise your hand and contribute by thoughtfully contributing to the class discussion in a manner
that incorporates the assigned readings, ethical theories and concepts, and by bringing up current issues in
class that are relevant to the topic of the week. You can earn up to ten points per class, depending on the
quality of your contribution.
For students who are absolutely adverse to speaking in class, you can earn your participation credit via e-
mail commenting on the issues that were presented by the other students in class, on the readings, or on
current events that significantly tie in the ethical theories and concepts covered in the readings, explaining
why facts do or do not demonstrate the utilization of particular ethical theories and concepts. To earn
credit by e- mail, responses need to be received within one week of the class for which you are seeking
credit.
D. Grade Breakdown
40 points Two 20-question multiple-choice in-class exams [Scantron 882E]
20 points Class participation
40 points CUMULATIVE 40-question multiple-choice final exam [Scantron 882E]
100 points No extra credit of any kind will be offered.
How your grade will be determined
The grade you earn will be set according to a curve. The median grade is set by the Department at C+/B-,
or roughly 2.5. That means as many students will earn C+ and above as will earn C+ and below, and there
will be more C+'s (around 18 in a class of 65) than any other single grade. The final grade you earn will
be determined by adding the points you earn during the semester and then assigning a grade based on
where you fall in relation to the rest of the students in the section. Any student who earns at least 70
points will earn at least a C.
Reading and Video Segments to be Completed before Session 1
(Times are approximate)
Table 1: Reading and Video Segments for Block 1 including Segment Length and Segment Content
Block 1: Segment Length Block 1: Segment Content
6 minutes Course introduction
10 minutes Moral decision-making—General (Text, pp. 18-30 (start with “Defining
Ethics”), 51-61, 70-74)
9 minutes Moral decision making—Organizational influences – Part 1
Ethics and organizational culture (Text, pp. 81(“Looking Up and Looking
Around”), 256-265, 268-280)
13 minutes Moral decision making—organizational influences – Part 2
Ethics and the law (Text, pp. 21, 176-177 (“Structures to Support Reporting
of Problems”), 208-210, 247-249 (You are responsible for knowing the
factors in the sentencing guidelines, and how the guidelines generally work,
but you are not responsible for knowing the numbers), 291-292)
10 minutes Moral decision making—Cognitive biases (Text, pp. 87-96)
9 minutes Moral decision making—Individual differences (Text, pp. 74-86)
10 minutes Individual differences questionnaire (On Blackboard under “Survey Part 1”)
7 minutes Questionnaire debrief
10 minutes Section summary
10 minutes On-line practice quiz
Table 2: Reading and Video Segments for Block 2 including Segment Length and Segment Content
Block 2: Segment Length Block 2: Segment Content
3 minutes Moral judgment—Introduction (Text, pp. 38-51)
10 minutes Utilitarianism (Text, pp. 40-42)
7 minutes Robert Nozick’s Rights Theory (Text, pp. 352-353 “Managing
Stakeholders”)
11 minutes John Rawls’ Theory of Justice (Text, pp. 44-45)
2 minutes Section summary
10 minutes On-line practice quiz
3 minutes Session 1 wrap-up
In-Class Session 1
In-class exam
Introduction
What does it mean to make an “ethical” decision?
The Ethics of Hiring
Overview of Common Ethical Problems
Stakeholder v. Shareholder Orientation
The lens with which we apply ethical theories and concepts
Practical Application of Ethical Theories
Current business examples of Rawls Theory of Justice, Nozick’s Rights Theory, and Utilitarianism
Reading and Video Segments to be Completed before In-Class Session 2
Table 3: Reading and Viedo Segments for Block 3 including Segment Length and Segment Content
Block 3: Segment Block 3: Segment Content
Length
2 minutes Session introduction
8 minutes Objectivism
11 minutes Integrative social contracts theory (Text, pp. 413-418)
10 minutes Ethic of care (Text, pp. 76-81, esp. 80-81 (“Are Women and Men
Different?”)
10 minutes Justice/care scale (Posted on Blackboard under “Survey Part 2”)
5 minutes Justice/care scale debrief
2 minutes Section summary
10 minutes On-line practice quiz
Table 4: Reading and Video Segments for Block 4 including Segment Length and Segment Content
Block 4: Segment Block 4: Segment Content
Length
2 minutes Section introduction
11 minutes Virtue ethics (Text, pp. 9-14 (Stop at “Can Business Ethics Be Taught?”),
46-51)
8 minutes Conflicts of interest (Text, pp. 122-126)
10 minutes Ethics of advertising Moore, C. 2006, Ethics in Advertising. Speech posted
on website of Advertising Educational Foundation
(http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/speaker_pres/data/6000)
13 minutes Whistleblowing (Text, pp. 136-144, 337-338 (Beginning with paragraph on
p. 337 “The 1990s financial reporting scandals . . .” and ending with
paragraph on p. 338 ending with “securities law violations. . .”)
10 minutes Employee discipline and termination (text, pp. 295-300, 377-380)
10 minutes Corporate social responsibility (Text, pp. 318-337, 339-344)
13 minutes Global Ethics (Text, pp. 402-413)
10 minutes On-line practice quiz
3 minutes Session and course conclusion
In-Class Session 2
In-class exam
The Ethics of Corporate Philanthropy
Corporate Social Responsibility, Objectivism, and Virtue Ethics
The Ethics of Family Business
The Ethic of Care; Do Men and Women Resolve Ethical Questions in Business Differently?
The Ethics of Multinational Business Operations
Integrative Social Contracts Theory, Local Norms and Hypernorms
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
All of your work in this course must be your own. Don’t cheat in any way, shape, or form. If you do, I
will report it to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities for further action. The consequences
for cheating are always serious and may result in your expulsion. The only thing worse than failing an
ethics class is failing an ethics class because you cheated. Think about it.
The SDSU definition of plagiarism is as follows:
“Plagiarism shall be defined as the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another,
whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the university as one’s own
work to fulfill academic requirements without giving credit to the appropriate source. Plagiarism shall
include but not be limited to (a) submitting work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; (b)
omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or conclusions that belong to another; (c) omitting
quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, sentence, or part thereof;
(d) close and lengthy paraphrasing of the writings of another; (e) submitting another person’s artistic
works, such as musical compositions, photographs, paintings, drawings, or sculptures; and (f) submitting
as one’s own work papers purchased from research companies.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: BA 300
The answers to many of these questions may be found elsewhere in the syllabus. You are certainly free to
contact me by e-mail with any questions about the course not addressed here, but before doing so please
review this document and the rest of the syllabus to see if your question is answered.
A. About me
Where did you get your Degrees?
I received my Ph.D. from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in the United Kingdom, I received
my Master of Divinity Degree from Bethel Seminary San Diego, and I received my law degree from
California Western School of Law. I received my undergraduate degree in psychology from UCLA; my
undergraduate education included summer school at San Diego State University.
B. Text
May I use an earlier edition of the text than the one you have assigned?
No. The content is somewhat different and the pagination is completely different. Please obtain the
assigned edition of the text.
I purchased the three-hole punched, binder-ready version of the text. The pages do not seem to match the
material on those pages that the syllabus says should be addressed. Why?
The page numbers on the top right-hand side of the pages correspond to the page numbers for the
reading assignments in the syllabus. Please disregard the page numbers at the bottom of the pages.
Will I be tested on material in the text that is not addressed in the video segments?
Yes. Anything in the assigned pages of the text – as well as the video and other material found on
Blackboard -- may be tested.
C. Before the first in-class session
Do the practice tests count toward the grade I earn in the class?
No. The syllabus makes this clear. The practice tests are there for your use and taking them is strongly
recommended, but not required.
D. First in-class session
What should I bring to the first in-class session?
The Handouts for Class 1, the text, a crisp (not mangled) Scantron form 882-E, and number 2 pencils.
Why do we begin each of the two in-class sessions with a 20-question, multiple-choice test? Why don’t
you lecture first and then give us the test?
Because it would sharply reduce your incentive to read the assigned pages of the text and review the
video segments. Through the video segments, you in effect are receiving a series of lectures before being
tested. The in-class tests are designed to test whether you have reviewed the assigned material in the
reading and in the videos closely. The in-class interactive sessions are designed to deepen your
understanding of certain parts of the material covered in the online segments of the class.
How do I earn participation points?
Each segment of the in-class sessions will contain lively interactive exercises, often incorporating video
demonstrations illustrating some of the relevant ethical principles. That is followed by discussion of the
issues raised in the video. In each in-class session, students can earn up to 10 participation points for
meaningfully contributing to the class discussion.
If I don’t speak in class, is there any way to earn class participation points?
Yes. You may earn class participation points by providing a meaningful response to the issues raised in
each class session by e-mail. In this fashion, you will earn points as if you spoke in class for the segment
for which you are seeking credit.
Will there be breaks during the in-class sessions?
Yes. Each class session will have two breaks of at least 5 minutes each.
E. Before the second in-class session
Where can I find the Care/Justice scale referred to in the syllabus?
It is found on Blackboard and is called “Ethical Orientation Questionnaire.”
Does the second in-class test cover only material covered in Blocks 3 and 4 or does it also test material
covered in Blocks 1 and 2 and the first in-class session?
The second in-class test covers only the material in the text, the additional reading (especially the reading
on advertising), and videos for Blocks 3 and 4. It is not cumulative. Only the final exam is cumulative.
F. The second in-class session
What should I bring to the second in-class session?
The Handouts for Class, the text, the completed ethical orientation questionnaire (including writing the
number of “C” answers you gave to the question), a Scantron form 882-E, and number 2 pencils. You
will turn in the questionnaire at the beginning of the second break.
G. The final and the grade
How many questions are on the final? Does it cover all of the material in the course?
There are 40 multiple-choice questions on the final. Yes, the final covers all of the material in the course.
Why are the questions on the final so much longer and complex than those in the in-class tests?
The questions on the in-class tests primarily are designed to evaluate whether you can recognize the
concepts addressed in the reading and the video. The questions on the final are designed to evaluate
whether you can apply those concepts by engaging in critical thinking. Many of the questions come from
business newspapers (such as the Wall Street Journal) so that you can see how these concepts appear in
the real world of business.
Do you provide samples of past final exam questions?
Yes, there are three mini-finals on Blackboard that are available immediately after the second in-class
session. Taking those practice finals is optional, but doing so will better prepare you for the final. I also
strongly suggest that you review the tips about how to prepare for and take the final that were prepared by
two former students who did exceptionally well on the final.
Are there office hours before the final exam?
No, there are only office hours before each of the two classes.
How many points do I need to earn to earn an “A” in the class?
There is no way to say in advance. The grade you earn will be determined by how the total number of
points you earn compares to the total number of points your classmates earn.
I didn’t do well in the course up until the final. Is there any way to earn extra credit?
No. Any opportunity for extra credit would have to be offered to the entire class. Since the class grade is
curved, that would probably eliminate any effect on any given student’s course grade.
