UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

FACULTY OF COMMERCE

TOURISM, LEISURE & HOSPITALITY STUDIES DEPARTMENT

BUSINESS ETHICS (BS425)-2020

LECTURER: MRS B MUCHENJE, Office G10, bzmuchenje@gmail.com

Timetable: Tuesday 12-2pm (LT3), Friday 12-2pm (LT3)-For Conventional Students

Sunday 8-11am –For Part Time Students

SYNOPSIS

This course serves to be a practical guide that shows students how to behave and manage
business in an ethical manner. The course is not about ethics but rather about how to be
ethical. Ethical decision making in any industry is critical as managers need to be taught how
to recognise and analyse ethical dilemmas and respond appropriately. If organizational
management’s decisions and behaviours are left unchecked their influence can affect the
ethical health of our entire society. This subject therefore serves to guard against management
unethical decisions and behaviours.

AIM

The course aims to train both the managers and the prospective business operators how to be
ethical as these will be influential people who exercise power in organizations. It also
emphasizes the inseparability of the business environment from the general society that
therefore requires business managers to practise ethical behaviour in their profession.

OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course learners are expected to:
-identify the various sources of ethics and theories proposed
-be able to distinguish between ethical and unethical human and organizational behaviours.
- to practise ethical standards in all sectors of life.
- solve organizational ethical problems amicably.
-to set up and practice good Corporate Governance.
- appreciate the role of business in communities.

CONTENT
1. The definition(s) of Ethics and the importance of the subject.

2. The origin of Ethics (Ethical Theories)

3. Ethical principles for managers.
4. Controversial ethical practises in business.
Contemporary ethical issues in business environment
-ethical myths and their implications on business operations
-bribery, corruption and extortion
-marketing and advertising and product safety
-whistle blowing
-industrial espionage
-counterfeiting and passing off
-case studies
-Possible solutions to ethical problems.

5. Corporate Social Responsibility.

-concept of CSR and the debate about it.
-corporate social responsiveness.
-case studies.
6. Corporate Governance.
- Corporate management Structure
- Duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors
- Powers and Liabilities of the Board of Directors
-Case Studies

7. Corporate Ethics on:

-work environment (OHSA) and relations.
- privacy.
-dismissal.

Methodology
This course shall be taught through class discussions, group presentations and
demonstrations. Emphasis shall be given to practical business cases to make the course
relevant to the business operators.
ASSESSMENT
This course shall be assessed through in-class test, group presentations and demonstrations
that all contribute 30% of the course work mark and an examination that contributes 70% of
the final mark.
A practical task to come up with a usable ethical assessment tool for an identified
organization shall be given to the students to demonstrate their understanding of operation of
this course in business.

REFERENCES
1. Aldonas Grant D., Abramov Igor Y. & Johnson Kenneth W. (2004), A Manual for
Managing a Responsible Business Enterprise in Emerging Market Economies, Published
for Good Governance, US Department of Commerce International Trade Administration,
Washington D.C.
2. Boatright John R. (2007), Ethics and the Conduct of Business, 5th Edition, Pearson
Education, Inc. and Dorling Kindersley publishing, Inc, India.
3. Brink Alexander (2011), Corporate Governance and Business Ethics.
4. Donaldson J. and Fafaliou I. (2003), Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility and
Corporate Governance: A Review and Summary Critique, Vol. VI, Issue (1-2)
5. Fernando A.C. (2012), Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, 2nd Edn, Pearson
Education, India
6. Megone C and Robinson S.J. (2002), Case Histories in Business Ethics, Routledge
7. Richard T.Dee George (2006) Business Ethics 6th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, USA.
8. Robins S.T. (1994), Management, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall, International Editions.
9. Stoner J. A. F., Freeman R.E. &Gilbert Jnr (1995), Management, 6th Edition, Prentice
Hall, International Editions.
10. Trevino L. K. & Nelson K. A. (1995), Managing Business Ethics.
11.Wixley Tom(2007), Corporate Governance 4th Edition, Cape Town, SA
12. Solomon J&A (2007) Corporate Governance and Accountability

Electronic References
Boatright John R. (2010), Finance Ethics: Critical Issues in Theory and Practice.
Boston University Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching. Using case
studies to teach. [Online.] http://www.bu.edu/ceit/teaching-resources/using-case-
studies-to-teach/. Accessed 11 April, 2014.
 Bowie Norman E (2013), Business Ethics in the 21st Century, Dordrecht, New
York, Springer
Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. Case
collection. [Online.] http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/. Accessed April
11, 2014.
Chandler Robert C. (2014), Business and Corporate Integrity: Sustaining
Organizational Compliance, Ethics and Trust.
Chorafas Dimitris N. (2015), Business Efficiency and Ethics: Values and Strategic
Decision Making, Palgrave Mcmillan.
Harvard Business School Press (2010), Doing Business Ethically.
Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. A framework for
thinking
ethically. [Online.] https://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html.
Accessed April 11, 2014.
Robert Cressy, Douglas Cumming, Chris Mallin (2013), Entrepreneurship, Finance,
Governance and Ethics.
Scalet Steven (2014), Markets, Ethics and Business Ethics.

NB. Any other latest relevant texts, journals and materials are acceptable for the study.