Business Ethics (3 credits/7.5 ECTS)
Course description
Who is responsible for sustainable management? How do we know what is right and wrong? Towards whom or what do we have moral obligations? This course discusses ethical dilemmas in various arenas, from the individual and local to the collective and global. We give an overview of ethical norm systems from around the world, and we analyze how ethical standards and business practices related to ecosystems change through time and across cultures. The course also examines how ethical consciousness relates to sustainability management, both in routine work, strategy formulation, and innovation, and we discuss formal certifications of responsible business behavior.
Learning objectives
After completing the course, the student should:
Understand the general importance of ethics in business decisions
Have an overview of ethical theories and practices globally
Be able to make conscious ethical decisions in dilemmas related to sustainable business practice
Have a good understanding of the role of innovation in sustainability management
Know about and be able to judge the usefulness of various ethical and sustainability certifications
Books and reading material
Becker, C. U. (2019). Business Ethics: Methods and Application. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. Ch. 1–6.
Laasch, O., & Conaway, R. (2016). Responsible Business: The Textbook for Management Learning, Competence and Innovation. Routledge. Ch. 1–4, 6–9, 16–19.
Material for case studies