Course Syllabus

Business_Ethics_Syllabus_BLAW4340 Sum 26.docx

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Course Syllabus  ·  BLAW 4340.460  ·  Summer II 2026

Fully Online   ·  7 Weeks 

Course Information

Instructor Information

Course Description

This course introduces the ethical dimensions of business and the professions. Students examine major ethical frameworks and apply them to real decisions involving stakeholders, employees, customers, society, the environment, and government. Through case studies, discussion, and applied projects, students develop reasoning skills to recognize ethical issues, weigh competing obligations, and defend a course of action they can stand behind professionally.

Required Materials

• Textbook (free): Business Ethics by Stephen M. Byars and Kurt Stanberry, OpenStax. Read free online, download the PDF, or order a low-cost print copy: org/details/books/business-ethics (Licensed under Creative Commons — there is no cost for the text.)
• Reliable internet access and a device capable of recording short audio/video for select assignments.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the major normative ethical frameworks (virtue ethics, utilitarianism, deontology) and the historical roots of business ethics.
2. Identify the stakeholders affected by a business decision and weigh their competing claims.
3. Apply ethical frameworks and decision-making models to real-world business dilemmas.
4. Analyze the obligations that exist between employers and employees, and among businesses, society, government, and the environment.
5. Evaluate ethical issues across cultures, industries, and emerging technologies.
6. Articulate and defend a personal code of professional ethics.

Weekly Schedule

Week 1 (June 29 – July 5) — Foundations: Why Ethics Matter & Ethical Theories

Read: Ch. 1 (Why Ethics Matter) & Ch. 2 (Ethics from Antiquity to the Present)

Focus: Integrity, ethics vs. profitability, virtue ethics, utilitarianism, deontology

Activities:

• Intro discussion — “An ethical decision I witnessed or made” (post + 2 replies)
• Personal Code of Ethics — Draft 1 (bookend assignment, revised in Week 7)
• 1-2 quiz

Due: Intro post, Code of Ethics Draft 1, Ch. 1–2 quiz

Week 2 (July 6 – July 12) — Stakeholders, CSR & Special Stakeholders

Read: Ch. 3 (Defining & Prioritizing Stakeholders) & Ch. 4 (Society, the Environment & Government)

Focus: Stakeholder claims, ethical decision-making models, corporate social responsibility, sustainability

Activities:

• Discussion 2 (post + 2 replies)
• Stakeholder mapping exercise — diagram the stakeholders in a real corporate decision
• Chp. 3-4 quiz

Due: Stakeholder map + analysis, discussion, Ch. 3–4 quiz

Week 3 (July 13 – July 19) — Culture, Globalization & Time

Read: Ch. 5 (The Impact of Culture and Time on Business Ethics)

Focus: Ethics across cultures, change over time, geography and religion, universal vs. relative values

Activities:

• Discussion 3 (post + 2 replies)
• Case analysis
• 5 quiz

Due: Case Analysis, discussion, Ch. 5 quiz

Week 4 (July 20 – July 26) — The Employer–Employee Relationship

Read: Ch. 6 (What Employers Owe Employees) & Ch. 7 (What Employees Owe Employers)

Focus: Working conditions, fair wages, privacy, loyalty, financial integrity, whistleblowing

Activities:

• Discussion 4 (post + 2 replies)
• Whistleblower case study — analyze a real case (e.g., Enron/Sherron Watkins)
• Chp. 6-7 quiz

Due: Whistleblower analysis, discussion, Ch. 6–7 quiz

Week 5 (July 27 – August 2) — Recognizing & Respecting the Rights of All

Read: Ch. 8 (Recognizing and Respecting the Rights of All)

Focus: Diversity & inclusion, accommodation, identity, income inequality, animal rights

Activities:

• Discussion 5 (post + 2 replies)
• 8 quiz
• Capstone project proposal — choose your company/industry for the final audit

Due: Capstone proposal, discussion, Ch. 8 quiz

Week 6 (August 3 – August 9) — Professions Under the Microscope

Read: Ch. 9 (Professions Under the Microscope)

Focus: Entrepreneurship & start-ups, advertising, insurance, health care

Activities:

• AI ethics activity — MIT Moral Machine + discussion on automation’s ethical stakes
• Discussion 6 (post + 2 replies)
• 9 quiz

Due: AI activity, discussion, Ch. 9 quiz

Week 7 (August 10 – August 15) — The Future of Work & Becoming an Ethical Professional

Read: Ch. 10 (Changing Work Environment & Future Trends) & Ch. 11 (Epilogue: Why Ethics Still Matter)

Focus: Telecommuting, automation, AI in the workplace, committing to an ethical view

Activities:

• Personal Code of Ethics — Final + reflection on what changed since Week 1
• 10 quiz
• Capstone Project

Due: (by Saturday, August 15) Capstone project, Code of Ethics Final + reflection, Ch. 10–11 quiz

Assignments & Assessment

Grading Scale

A: 90–100%   ·   B: 80–89%   ·   C: 70–79%   ·   D: 60–69%   ·   F: below 60%

1. Weekly Discussion Forums

Purpose: Build a shared, multi-perspective conversation and practice applying ethical concepts to real situations each week.

Task: Post one original response to the week's prompt by Thursday 11:59 p.m., then reply substantively to at least two classmates by Sunday 11:59 p.m. Bring in at least one concept from the week's reading and, where relevant, a real example.

Length: Initial post ~200–300 words; each reply ~75–125 words.

Netiquette: Disagree with ideas, not people. Cite any sources you quote or paraphrase.

2. Chapter Quizzes

Task: Weekly chapter quizzes over the material. Use your notes to complete these. Completed in Canvas.

3. Case Analysis

Purpose: Practice the full arc of ethical reasoning on a real dilemma: spot the issue, map who is affected, apply frameworks, and defend a decision.

Task: Choose (or use the assigned) case and write a structured analysis of ~750–1,000 words with these sections:

1. State the central ethical question in one or two sentences.
2. Stakeholders & context. Identify the key stakeholders, their interests, and the relevant facts.
3. Framework application. Analyze the dilemma through at least two frameworks (e.g., utilitarian, deontological, virtue, justice/rights).
4. Take a clear position and defend it, acknowledging the strongest objection.

Format: Double-spaced, APA citations, file uploaded to Canvas.

4. Personal Code of Ethics (Bookend) — 50 points total

This two-part assignment frames the whole course. You will draft your code in Week 1 and revise it in Week 7, reflecting on how your thinking changed.

Part A — Draft (Week 1, 25 points)

Task: Write a 1-page personal code of professional ethics. State 4–6 core values you intend to uphold in your career, and for each, give a one-sentence rationale and a brief example of what honoring it would look like in practice.

Graded on: Completion, thoughtfulness, and specificity (values tied to concrete behavior, not slogans).

Part B — Final + Reflection (Week 7, 25 points)

Task: Revise your code in light of the course. Then add a ~400-word reflection: What changed and why? Which readings, cases, or frameworks influenced you? Where do you still feel tension or uncertainty?

Graded on: Depth of reflection (10 pts), explicit connection to course frameworks/cases (10 pts), clarity and professionalism (5 pt).

5. Applied Activities

Short, varied tasks spread across the term. Each is graded on completion and quality using a simple 20-point scale (Thorough 15–20 · Solid 10-15 · Partial 5-10 · Minimal 0–5).

Stakeholder Mapping (Week 2)

Pick a real corporate decision. Build a three-column map: stakeholder · their interest · likely impact of the decision on them. Then write a short paragraph on which stakeholder you would prioritize and why.

Whistleblower Case Study (Week 4)

Analyze a real whistleblower case (e.g., Enron/Sherron Watkins). In ~400 words: What did the whistleblower disclose? What duties were in tension? Was the action justified, and what protections (or retaliation) followed?

AI Ethics — Moral Machine (Week 6)

Complete the MIT Moral Machine scenarios, then write a short reflection: What patterns showed up in your choices? What does the exercise reveal about programming ethics into automated systems, and which framework best fits your instincts?

6. Capstone Project — Company Ethics Audit

Students select a real company or industry and produce an ethics audit: identify a key ethical issue or decision, map the stakeholders, apply at least two frameworks, evaluate the company’s actual conduct (using CSR reports, news, and filings), and recommend a defensible course of action. Deliverable format is flexible: written report (~1,000 words), 12-15 slide narrated slide deck, or 5 minute short video presentation.

Course Policies

Participation & presence (online). This is an asynchronous course, but it is not self-paced. Plan to log in to Canvas at least three times per week. Discussion is where much of the learning happens — substantive, respectful engagement is expected.

Late work. Assignments lose 10% per 24-hour period past the deadline, up to three days; work submitted more than three days late receives no credit, except in documented emergencies. Discussion posts cannot be made up, because peers depend on timely participation.

Netiquette. Disagree with ideas, not people. Business ethics involves contested moral questions; treat classmates’ perspectives with the same professionalism you would show colleagues.

Academic integrity — UT Tyler Honor Code. Every member of the UT Tyler community joins together to embrace: Honor and integrity that will not allow me to lie, cheat, or steal, nor to accept the actions of those who do. All submitted work must be your own, and all sources must be cited using APA format. Scholastic dishonesty is subject to the Student Conduct and Discipline policy in the Student Manual of Operating Procedures (Section 8).

Use of generative AI. Course stance: In this course your ethical reasoning is the skill being assessed, so all submitted analysis and writing must be your own. You may use AI tools to brainstorm or check your understanding, but you must acknowledge any AI use; outsourcing your reasoning defeats the purpose of the course.