Lahore University of Management Sciences

MGMT 242 Business Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility

Spring 2015
Instructor
Room No.
Office Hours
Email
Telephone
Secretary/TA
TA Office Hours
Course URL (if any)

Naeem Ashraf
325 (SDSB)
Wednesday (10h00 to 12h00)
naeem.ashraf@lums.edu.pk
Extn. 8433
Mr. Faisal Shafiq Khan (Extn.: 5220)
TBA
suraj.lums.edu.pk

COURSE BASICS
Credit Hours
Lecture(s)
Recitation/Lab (per week)
Tutorial (per week)

3
Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week
Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week
Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week

Duration
Duration
Duration

1hr 15min

COURSE DISTRIBUTION
Core
Elective
Open for Student Category
Close for Student Category

NA
Elective
All
TBA

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides an introduction to ethics and their application in the arena of business. It is an exploration of ideas and
concepts in the areas of moral philosophy and corporate social responsibility as they were, and continue to be, presented, refined
and contested in the academic world, and put into practice in the business world with all the attendant criticism and cynicism. The
challenges posed by ethical dilemmas in real-world situations will be encapsulated through the use of narratives and a few case
studies.

COURSE PREREQUISITE(S)

None

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Develop an in-depth understanding of the three-pillars of the discipline, viz. moral philosophy, ethical
issues and dilemmas, and corporate social responsibility
Strengthen students ability to anticipate, critically analyze and appropriately respond to some of the
critical ethical challenges which managers confront in the business world

Lahore University of Management Sciences

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After taking this course, students should be able to:

Understand and apply moral reasoning through the lens of various ethical theories
Appreciate the importance of ethical decision making and the difficulties inherent therein
Navigate the terrain of external and internal stakeholders of business with regard to ethical issues
Understand the concept of CSR and the debates around it

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES

General Learning Goals & Objectives
Goal 1 Effective Written and Oral Communication
Objective: Students will demonstrate effective writing and oral communication skills
Goal 2 Ethical Understanding and Reasoning
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify and address ethical issues in an
organizational context.
Goal 3 Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to identify key problems and generate viable
solutions.
Goal 4 Application of Information Technology
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to use current technologies in business and
management context.
Goal 5 Teamwork in Diverse and Multicultural Environments
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they are able to work effectively in diverse environments.
Goal 6 Understanding Organizational Ecosystems
Objective: Students will demonstrate that they have an understanding of Economic, Political,
Regulatory, Legal, Technological, and Social environment of organizations.
Major Specific Learning Goals & Objectives
Goal 7 (a) Discipline Specific Knowledge and Understanding
Objective: Students will demonstrate knowledge of key business disciplines and how they interact
including application to real world situations (Including subject knowledge).
Goal 7 (b) Understanding the science behind the decision-making process (for MGS Majors)
Objective: Students will demonstrate ability to analyze a business problem, design and apply
appropriate decision-support tools, interpret results and make meaningful recommendations to support
the decision-maker

Indicate below how the course learning objectives specifically relate to any program learning goals and
objectives.
PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES
Goal 1 Effective Written and Oral
Communication

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

COURSE ASSESSMENT ITEM

Assignment; case study/ term paper;
presentations

Lahore University of Management Sciences

Goal 2 Ethical Understanding and
Reasoning

Develop an in-depth understanding of the

three-pillars of the discipline, viz. moral
philosophy, ethical issues and dilemmas,
and corporate social responsibility

Assignment; case study/ term paper

Goal 3 Analytical Thinking and

Problem Solving Skills

Strengthen students ability to anticipate,

critically analyze and appropriately
respond to some of the critical ethical
challenges which managers confront in
the business world

Case study; quizzes; mid-term exam

Goal 4 Application of Information

Technology
Goal 5 Teamwork in Diverse and
Multicultural Environments
Goal 6 Understanding
Organizational Ecosystems

Goal 7 (a) Discipline Specific

Knowledge and Understanding
Goal 7 (b) Understanding the
science behind the decision-making
process

Strengthen students ability to anticipate,

critically analyze and appropriately
respond to some of the critical ethical
challenges which managers confront in
the business world

-do-

Assignment; case study/ term paper;

presentations
Assignment; case study/ term paper;
presentations
Assignment; case study/ term paper

Assignment; case study/ term paper;

Quizzes; mid-term exam

-doAssignment; case study/ term paper

GRADING BREAKUP AND POLICY

Class Participation: 10%
Attendance & Punctuality: 5%
Assignments: 10%
Quizzes: 20 % (4: N-1)
Mid-Term Examination: 30%
Project / Term Paper: 25%
Class participation: Students are expected to fully participate in the class discussions, and activities. One CP point will be awarded
for each logical and reasoned response/comment.
Attendance & punctuality: Class will start exactly at the stipulated time. Students, who arrive 5 minutes after the start of the class,
will not be awarded CP for that session. In case of three late arrivals or unexcused absences, credits for the course will not be given.
Assignments (group work): Students (assuming the role of social entrepreneurs/ corporate intrapreneurs) will be required to
(re)design a (sustainable) product or services, and pitch it before the class highlighting its benefits to the people and planet.
Quizzes: Four quizzes will be fielded during the course, two will be unannounced, and grades of the three best (out of four quizzes)
will be included in the final grade.
Mid-term exam: Open ended and/or MCQs based mid-term exam will be conducted.
Project/ term paper (group work): After the mid-term exams, students will be given choice to start writing a case study or a term
paper. For case study, they will study an organization and explore professionals moral conduct and ethical decision making. The

Lahore University of Management Sciences

outcome of this study should be a comprehensive report or a case study (25-30 pages). Alternatively, students can write a term
paper (25-30 pages) on topics of their interest (e.g. social entrepreneurship; economic inequality; moral emotions and ethics;
public-private partnership for social value creation etc.). For term paper, they will critically review state of the art literature on the
chosen topic. In the 15th week(s), groups/students will present their work before the class for feedback.

EXAMINATION DETAIL

Midterm
Exam

Final Exam

Yes
Combine : Yes
Duration: 2 hr
Preferred Date: TBA
Exam Specifications: TBA

No

COURSE OVERVIEW
Week

2- 5

Topics

Introduction & Overview:

Why Study Business Ethics?
The Nature of Business Ethics
Moral Reasoning
Foundations of Ethics:
Introduction to Moral Philosophy
Consequentialist and NonConsequentialist Theories
Virtue Ethics
The Business System:
Criticizing Markets and Free Trade

Ethical Issues in Business Settings:

External Stakeholder Issues
(Environment)

Recommended
Readings

Objectives/
Application

Introduction and discussion on

the importance of the subject
Chapter 1 (Velasquez, 2012)
Understand how moral
reasoning works

Chapter 2 (Velasquez, 2012)

Chapter 3 (Velasquez, 2012)

Chapter 5 (Velasquez, 2012)

Understand the four widely

used bases for making ethical
decisions in various business
contexts
Appreciate the arguments for
and against markets and free
trade

Explore how certain business

practices damage the
environment, and the ethical
responsibility of businesses

Lahore University of Management Sciences

MID-TERM EXAM
8&9

10

11 & 12

13

Ethical Issues in Business Settings:

External Stakeholder Issues
(Production and Marketing)
Ethical Issues in Business Settings:
Internal Stakeholder Issues (Job
Discrimination)

Chapter 7 (Velasquez, 2012)

Ethical Issues in Business Settings:

Internal Stakeholder Issues
(Employees Rights and Obligations)

Chapter 8 (Velasquez, 2012)

Ethics and Corporate Social

Responsibility:
Arguments for and against CSR
Principles of Social Responsibility in
Business
Schools of Thought on Social
Responsibility

Reading: Detienne, K.B.,

Lewis, L.W. The Pragmatic
and Ethical Barriers to
Corporate Social
Responsibility Disclosure: The
Nike Case. Journal of
Business Ethics. 2005.

Islamic Business Ethics

Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
(Beekun, 1996)

14

15

Chapter 6 (Velasquez, 2012)

Group work & Presentations

TEXTBOOK(S)/SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS
Velasquez, M. G. (2012). Business Ethics: Concept and Cases. Delhi: Pearson.
Beekun, R.I. (1996). Islamic Business Ethics. International Institute of Islamic Thought.

Discuss different theories of a

firms duties to consumers,
and the ethical dimensions of
advertising and consumer
privacy
Analyze the nature and extent
of job discrimination along
with the ethical dilemmas
inherent in affirmative action
Understand the employees
rights and responsibilities and
a firms duties to the employee
Discuss the varying views on
CSR and evaluate the
arguments for and against it
using Nike as a case

Understand the Islamic

precepts of ethical business
conduct and appreciate their
relation with the Islamic
worldview