Overview
Business Ethics examines ethical theories and how they can be applied constructively to leading matters of business practice such as advertising, hiring and firing, corporate social responsibility, globalization, integrity, and leadership.
- How do our jobs and consumer products both facilitate and frustrate our efforts to live well?
- What does a responsible critique of business practice look like?
- What do we hope to achieve from critical evaluations of business practice?
- What truly constitutes “good business”?
Learning outcomes
By the completion of this course, students will be able to
- explain important concepts and theories in the area of business ethics.
- analyze the ethical features of business activity.
- formulate reasoned positions on ethical issues specific to business practice.
- develop critical thinking, writing, and ethical decision-making skills.
Evaluation
To receive credit you must complete and submit all of the assignments and write the final exam. You must achieve an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) for the course. Your final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 (Short Essays) | 30% |
| Assignment 2 (Long Essay) | 30% |
| Final Online Exam | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Physical course materials
The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
Allhoff, F., Sager, A., Vaidya, A. J. (Eds.) (2017). Business in Ethical Focus (2nd ed.). Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press.
Other Materials
All other materials are available online.