Delivered at:: Bachelor's Programme in Digital Product Management

Course type:: Compulsory course

When:: 2 year, 2 module

Instructors

Akim, Mikhail

Rawlins, Tom

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The maximisation of utility and value for shareholders, as the one and only social responsibility of business, is outdated and must change if we are to face and overcome the environmental, social, and governance challenges that the majority of stakeholders face in the 21st Century. To do so, we must re-evaluate the ethics of our business and redefine both the social responsibility of business and our own social responsibility in management. This course provides a framework to help students develop and define their own moral philosophy and ethic of responsibility in terms of why business exists? What is the right thing to do when faced with an ethical dilemma? How does managerial authority effect an organisation’s integrity? How do ESG Practices differ from the current reality of business? How can we improve the situation as future business leaders and managers? As well as other important ethical issues in business and in management. The course takes a balanced approach that combines both the theoretical and philosophical aspects of business ethics with specific cases of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices from recent years. Participants are expected to contribute to the overall learning through their active participation in class discussions.

Learning Objectives

To develop-, systematise and openly defend your own position on the social responsibility of business and your social responsibility in management To evaluate sustainability according to the Triple Bottom Line. To appreciate the complementarity of consequentialism and deontology in normative ethics To apply values and principles in the process of making ethical decisions. To conceptualise and operationalise the virtue of acting with integrity as an organisation and as an individual.
Second part of the course is to expose to comprehend emerging trends and challenges, i.e.: global business risks and trends climate, energy transformation, decarbonization; analyze the key limitations of the traditional economy and linear chain model and the drivers of transformation to the circular economy.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Understand the technological, digitalization changing trends, impact of fourth industrial revolution, globalization and de-globalization on sustainability and ESG transformation
• To be able to clearly articulate and defend your own position in an ethical debate.
• To be able to present a business case for ethics in business and in management.
• To be able to question your managerial authority when it prevents the organisation from doing the right thing.
• To be able to recognise and act when a lack of integrity is corrupting your organisation.
• To be able to recognize limitations and trends of globalization and deglobalization, in connection with environmental issues
• Understand environmental, decarbonization, circularity trends and challenges

Course Contents

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility
Socially irresponsible management? — the case of Jack Welch at GE 1981-2000
CSR and sustainability: The Triple Bottom Line
Value-based management: Decision-making based on the maximisation of value. Shareholder v Stakeholder
Ethical Decision-making and the pressure of Expected Utility
The Complementarity of Utilitarianism and Deontology in Ethical Decision-Making
Core values and the Sponsors’ Dilemma
The impact of managerial authority on individual and organisational integrity
The globalization of sourcing, manufacturing, distributing, selling and servicing – impact on society and environment.
Global business risks and trends. Managing risk and disruption 2020.
ESG and globalization. Decarbonization
Climate change across the globe. Human influence contributing to changes in weather and climate extremes. IPCC.
Energy transition
Agriculture and forest sector – ESG transformation
Business process and models on transformation toward circular economy
Technology management in global scale. Impact of new technologies on the structure of the international business and its sustainability. China as a “global factory” - world class manufacturing in China. Offshoring & reshoring

Assessment Elements

Class activity
Multiple learning methods will beused throughout this course including readings, lectures, multiple group activities, cases, class discussions, and videos. Class sessions will highlight certain points from the readings, provide additional information, and, in almost all cases, have an experiential component. In general, lectures and seminars should give insight into the concepts and ideas underlying the topics under review. The theoretical core of presentation should be preceded and followed up by clear examples. It is highly recommended to provide students with the lecture slides prior to the lecture so that they could familiarize themselves with the material in advance and prepare some questions. The lecturers should refer the students for recommended textbooks, reviews and papers as needed throughout the presentation. Practice classes play the key role in providing the course. The difficult tasks should be discussed and worked out together with students. All ongoing assessments is used to teach students how to discuss, argue, make analytics and think with regards to course-content.
Final Exam

Interim Assessment

2021/2022 2nd module
0.5 * Class activity + 0.5 * Final Exam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Eugene Heath, Byron Kaldis, & Alexei Marcoux. (2018). The Routledge Companion to Business Ethics. Routledge.
Wolfgang Lehmacher. (2017). The Global Supply Chain : How Technology and Circular Thinking Transform Our Future. Springer.

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Matthew C. Klein, & Michael Pettis. (2020). Trade Wars Are Class Wars : How Rising Inequality Distorts the Global Economy and Threatens International Peace. Yale University Press.
Weber, M., Livingstone, R., Owen, D. S., & Strong, T. B. (2004). The Vocation Lectures : ’science As a Vocation, “politics As a Vocation.” Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=526579

Bachelor’s Programme 'Digital Product Management'

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Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility