Course Content

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

• Laasch, O., & Conaway, R. (2016). Responsible Business: The Textbook for Management Learning, Competence, and Innovation. Routledge.

• Velasquez, M. G. (2018). Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. 8th edition. Pearson

• Material for case studies

Course Coordinator

Dian Kartika Rahajeng, Assistant Professor (Universitas Gadjah Mada)

Eko Suwardi, Associate Professor (Universitas Gadjah Mada)

John Arngrim Hunnes, Associate Professor (University of Agder)