Calumet College of St. Joseph
SYLLABUS FOR BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

 

 

 

Term:  2000-2001  (00-1) September 5 - December 16, 2000

Course Number:PHL 375X

Instructor: Richard F. Morrisroe 

Office:  Room #518

Office Phone: # (219) 473-4294   -  #773-721-0202 Ext. 294

E-mail: 

Home Phone: #(219) 398-3834

 

Office Hours:  Monday    6:00 p.m. - 6:50 p.m.

 

Course Time:  Monday   7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

 

Course Description:  This course investigates some of the major social and ethical issues associated with business and the professions.  Topics to be covered include theories of right and wrong, relativism, the justification of moral judgments, the social responsibilities of business employers, bluffing in negotiations, deception advertising, extortion, decision-making role of the professional, and professional responsibility.

 

Prerequisites:

PHL 200 - Cross Referenced with Management 375X

 

Textbooks:

Thomas Donaldson and Al Gini, Case Studies in Business Ethics.

Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Prentice-Hall, 1996.

 

Statement of Plagiarism:

If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances.

 

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).  All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore.  These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

 

Withdrawal from Classes Policy:

After the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the request.

 

 

If the request is honored, the student will receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed. Note: Degree Completion Program (DCP) students should consult the DCP Student Handbook for information on DCP withdrawals.

 

An official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript. Dropping a

Course without written permission automatically incurs an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).

 

Class Policy on Attendance:

The professor keeps a record of attendance.  More importantly past experience indicates that regular, on-time attendance is necessary to gain a quality grade for the course.

 

Class Policy For Assignments:

Preparation for each class includes reading the assigned readings and drafting answers to the relevant discussion questions in the text.  Under direction, the student will do a project on a Chicago land/Northwest Indiana issue.  The issue investigation will eventually become the course research/analytical study.

 

Grading Policy:

Two tests, based on the author's questions at the end of each chapter and on class lectures, will determine 50% of the course grade.  Thirty percent will be based on the course research/analytical case study paper of five to six pages.  Readings analyses and class participation will determine the final 20% of the course grade.

 

Missed tests will only be granted a make-up after the professor has accepted a valid excuse for absence.  Taking the test later will receive a grade one-half level lower than if taken on the scheduled test date.  A "B" grade test will receive a "C+".

 

Learning Outcomes/Student Competencies:

Students in this course will:

·         To ask better questions about human choices in the workplace.

·         To better understand the human factors, which underlie workplace decisions.

·         To see and select the social impacts of economic decisions.

·         To study the service side of professions as well as the financial remunerations.

 

Course Calendar:

 

No.      Class Date                  Topic-Assignment                                                      Pages

 

1          09/11                            Course Introduction:  Use of Case Study Presentations    1-20

                                                Reading:  The Ford Pinto                                               207-215

 

2          09/18                            One:  Business or Ethics                                           21

                                                Into the Mouth of Babes                                                22-29

                                                Tylenol's Rebound                                                         29-32

 

3          09/25                            Two:  Communication in Business                            33-35

                                                Toy Wars                                                                     34-38

                                                Dow Corning Corporation                                              39-53

                                                Term Paper Topic Selection and/or Assignment

 

4          10/02                            Uptown, Dakota, and Powermaster                                53-58

                                                Manville:  The Ethics of Economic Efficiency                  58-66

                                                When Did Johns-Manville Know?                                  67-69

 

 

5          10/09                            Three:  Pollution and Environment                           72-73

                                                AES Corporation                                                           74-86

                                                Chainsaws of Greed                                                      86-106

 

6          10/16                            Exxon's Knee Deep in the Big Muddy                            107-116

                                                The Case of the Willful Whistle-Blower                          130-135

 

7          10/23                            Four:  Employee-Employer Relations                       117-119

                                                AIDS in the Workplace: Options and Responsibilities       120-129

                                                The DC-10's Defective Doors                                        135-141]

                                                Mid-Term Examination                                              1-135

 

8          10/30                            The Hazards of the Enterprise                                        141-143

                                                Weber v. Kaiser Aluminum and United Steelworkers      144-153

                                                The Aggressive Ad Agency:  Selling Experience or

                                                Confidential Info                                                            153-155

 

9          11/06                            Five:  Diversity in the Workplace                              159-161

                                                Sexual Discrimination at Eastern Airlines                        184-189

                                                The Oil Rig                                                                   189-190                                                Foreign Assignment                                                       190-192

                                                Gender Issues at Your House                                        192-197

 

10         11/13                            Six:  Obligations to Stakeholders                              205-207

                                                A.H. Robins:  The Dalkon Shield                                    215-224

                                                Dorrence Corporation Trade Offs                                  224-229

 

11         11/20                            Sears Auto Shock                                                          230-236

                                                Roger Hixon:  Let the Buyer Beware                             239-244

 

12         11/27                            Seven:  Multinationals                                               245-246

                                                Tropical Plywood Imports, Inc.                                       258-266

                                                The Project at Moza Island                                            291-298

 

13         12/04                            Eight:  Success Stories:  It Can Be Done!                310-311

                                                Nice Guys Finish First?                                                  311-314

                                                Ice Cream & Integrity                                                   315-325

 

14         12/11                            Final Examination                                                       141-325