Course Material

Post Graduate Program in Management

2023-25, Term-3

Business Ethics

Faculty

Prof. Anupama Sharma

Email: anupama@iimv.ac.in

Indian Institute of Management, Visakhapatnam

 Academic Year 2023 – 25 Term: 3

Course Title: Business Ethics (Core)

Credits: 1.5 Area: OB & HRM

Course Instructor:
Instructor Prof. Anupama Sharma E-mail anupama@iimv.ac.in

Objectives:
This course provides students with an overview of business ethics and ethical management
practices, with emphasis on the process of ethical decision-making and working through
contemporary ethical dilemmas faced by business organizations, managers and employees. The
course is intended to demonstrate to the students how ethics can be integrated into business
decisions and can be applied to their own careers.
After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Define business ethics and ethical theories (S-1)

• Describe different ethical views and role of personal values (S-2)
• Recognize ethical issues in business deals and decisions (S-3)
• Evaluate the opportunities and dangers of whistleblowing, and develop a framework for
identifying situations that call for whistle-blowing (S-4)
• Identify and discuss the serious consequences of unethical business practices (S-5&6)
• Discuss social, legal and ethical threats emerging from cross cultural context (S-8)

Pedagogy:
Lectures, Discussions, Cases, Role Plays, Videos and Readings. The course relies heavily on
participation in class discussions and activities. Participants need to think critically about concepts
and issues raised in class discussions. Deriving the most from this course requires active
engagement in the learning process.

Textbook:
An Introduction to Business Ethics (McGrawHill), 7th Edition By Joseph DesJardins

Reference Books:
• Ethics and the Conduct of Business (Pearson), 8th edition By John R. Boatright and Jeffery D.
Smith
• Business Ethics: Decision Making for Personal Integrity & Social Responsibility
(McGrawHill), 6th Edition, By Laura Hartman, Joseph DesJardins and Chris MacDonald
• Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Makings & Cases (Cengage Learning), 13th edition By
Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell

Evaluation:

Component %age
Group Assignment(s)/Project (Group) 40
End Term Exam (Individual) 60
 IIMV- PGP 2023-25, TERM-3
Business Ethics
Learning Schedule

Session-wise Plan:

S. No. Topic / Learning Reading Case

Objective
1 Course overview, • A Framework for Ethical
Introduction to Ethical Reasoning
Theories • A New Model for Ethical
Leadership
• Textbook Chapter 1&2

2 Personal values and • Conflicting Responsibilities Thursday Night

ethical thinking in the • Blind Spots: The Roots of Dilemmas
workplace Unethical Behavior in Life and at
Work
3 Handling ethical issues in • Ethical Breakdowns Las Vegas
high pressure business • Keeping Your Colleagues Honest Construction: Ethical
deals involving multiple Contracting
stakeholders

4 Whistleblowing: Ethical • How to Speak Up About Ethical Riverdale Hospital:

conflicts regarding Issues at Work The Whistleblower in
reporting wrongdoing • Solving a Problem or Sounding Pursuit of the Missing
within the organization the Alarm? Guidelines on Money
Blowing the Whistle

5&6 Ethical decision making • Decisions Without Blinders Group Process in the
in high stake teams • Get Aggressive About Passivity Challenger Launch
Decision (A,B,C,D)
7 Guest Session
8 Managing complex • Values in Tension- Ethics Away The Counterfeit Safety
interactions of ethical, from Home Label
legal and financial • The Ethical Leader’s Decision
complexities in cross- Tree
cultural context

9,10 Course Summary, Group • Why It’s So Hard to Train

Presentations; Queries Someone to Make an Ethical
Decision
• Forbes: Unconscious Bias in
the Workplace: You Can't
Afford to Ignore it