Lingnan University

Department of Philosophy

Course Title : Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics

Course Code : PHI362

Recommended Study Year : 3rd year

No. of Credits/Term : 3

Mode of Tuition : Lecture and tutorial

Class Contact Hours : 2 hours Lecture/week

1 hour Tutorial/week

Category in Major : Programme Elective

Programme

Prerequisite(s) : N/A

Co-requisite(s) : N/A

Exclusion(s) : Business Ethics

Exemption Requirement(s) : N/A

Brief Course Description : This course aims at an understanding of the

contemporary ethical issues in business, which
occurs in the capitalist society. Students are
expected to possess basic knowledge of ethical
concepts and general rules of moral reasoning.
They should also be acquainted with the main
theories of ethics. On the basis of this
theoretical background, students will be
introduced to the discussion of the problems of
business ethics. They include: employee rights
and duties, quality of working life, whistle
blowing, consumer safety and product liability,
environment protection, truth and advertising etc.

Aims : This course aims to

1. make students aware of the responsibilities of
corporations as well as the duties and rights of
individuals in business activities.
2. engage students in sound moral reasoning
 with regard to contemporary business issues.

Learning Outcomes : Students will be able to tackle business issues

from a moral point of view and make moral
judgments which are based on sound arguments.
They are expected to be aware of their right as
stakeholders of government or corporate policy in
the business realm. They should also be aware
of their own responsibilities, no matter they are
employees or employers.

Indicative Content : 1. Ethics and business

a. Ethics
b. Myth of amoral business
c. The relation of business and morality
d. Business ethics
2. Morality and moral reasoning
a. The nature of morality
b. Properties of moral language
c. The is-ought distinction
d. Universality of a moral judgement
e. Moral conflicts and their resolution
3. Morality and corporations
a. The moral status of corporations
b. The moral responsibility of corporations
4. Employer-employee relationships
a. The obligations of employers
i. Justice in hiring, firing and
promotions
ii. Wages and working conditions
b. The rights and duties of employees
i. Rights to work and autonomy
ii. Company lives and privacy
iii. Whistle blowing and the duty of
loyalty
iv. Secrecy and the right to intellectual
property
5. Contemporary business issues
a. Environmental protection and
sustainable development
b. Consumer safety and product liability
c. Marketing, truth and advertising
d. Affirmative action
6. Corporate culture
a. Aristotelian approach to business ethics
b. Code of conduct in the corporation.
Teaching Method : Lectures and tutorials

Measurement of Learning : By group presentation, written essays and written

Outcomes examination.

Assessment : 60% Continuous Assessment

40% Final Examination

Required Readings : Hoffman, W.M. and R. E. Frederick. Business

Ethics: Readings and Cases in Corporate
Morality. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1995.
Velasquez, M.G. Business Ethics: Concepts and
Cases. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice-Hall, 1998.

Supplementary Readings : Beauchamp, T.L. Case Studies in Business,

Society and Ethics. 3rd ed. Englewood
Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1993.
Beauchamp, T.L. and N.E. Bowie eds. Ethical
Theory and Business. 4th ed. Englewood
Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1998.
Becker, L.C. The Finality of Moral Judgement:
A Reply to Mrs. Foot. The Philosophical
Review, 82: 364-370, 1973.
Behrman, J.N. Essays on Ethics in Business and
the Professions. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:
Prentice-Hall, 1988.
De George, R.T. Business Ethics. 3rd ed.
New York: Macmillan, 1990.
DesJardins, J.R. and McCall, J.J. Contemporary
Issues in Business Ethics. 3rd ed. Belmont,
C.A.: Wadsworth, 1996.
Donaldson, T. and A. Gini eds. Case Studies in
Business Ethics. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:
Prentice-Hall, 1993.
Donaldson, T. and P.H. Werhane eds. Ethical
Issues in Business: A Philosophical Approach.
5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice-Hall, 1996.
Frederick, W.C. Values, Nature and Culture in
American Corporation. New York: Oxford
University Press, 1995.
Frederick, W.C., J. E. Post and K. Davis.
Business and Society: Corporate Strategy,
 Public Policy, Ethics. 7th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1992.
Garrett, T.M. and R.J. Klonoski. Business
nd
Ethics. 2 ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:
Prentice-Hall, 1986.
Madsen, P. and J. M. Shafritz eds. Essentials of
Business Ethics. New York: Meridian, 1990.
Shaw, W.H. and V. Barry. Moral Issues in
Business. 5th ed. Belmont, C.A.:
Wadsworth, 1992.
1999
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1990[Kuang, mei-tsz.
Market Enviromentalism: lessons for Hong
Kong. Hong Kong: Chinese University
Press], 1990.

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