Business Ethics

Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences

Version 12.0 of 10/12/2017

22M0456

Business Ethics

Business Management (M.A.)

4

Doing good business is not only a matter of being effective (goal attainment), but also a question of values and ethics (pursuing legitimate goals in a responsible manner). While business ethics cannot provide factual knowledge of right and wrong business practices, a sound understanding of business ethics is indispensable for a mature and responsible approach to ethical challenges in doing business.

1. Foundations of ethics
   1.1 the moral point of view (foundational questions)
   1.2 normative ethics: derivation of norms
   1.3 ethics and culture: relativism vs. universalism
   1.4 the practical challenge of bringing ethical norms to bear in the real world
2. Fundamental concepts of business ethics
   2.1 The problem of the normativity of economics and business theory
   2.2 3 analytical levels: micro-, meso- and macro-level of business ethics
   2.3 Interdependency of the rules of the game and individual behavior
3. Business ethics in practice
   3.1 Organizational operationalization of business ethics principles
   3.2 Analysis of specific dilemma situations and structures

Knowledge Broadening
The students know different methods of justifying norms and important delineating criteria for business ethics problems. In addition, they are familiar with basic strategies for operationalizing ethical principles in business contexts.
Knowledge Deepening
The students master the differentiation between positive and normative questions, are aware of the normativity of economic and business theories and have a sound knowledge of implementation strategies for business ethical principles.
Instrumental Skills and Competences
They can employ the acquired business ethical concepts and methods for reflected normative orientation in a variety of concrete business situations across cultures.
Communicative Skills and Competences
They can explain and justify the systematic status and the practical implications of ethical demands relating to economic actors.
Systemic Skills and Competences
Adopting the acquired perspectives and methods, they are in a position to give an integrated assessment (i.e., considering aspects of both success and legitimacy) of "conventional" (i.e., purely success-oriented) business objectives with respect to their legitimacy.

Hirata, Johannes

• Hirata, Johannes
• Mayer, Peter
• Kuhnke, Ulrich

5

will be specified at the beginning of each semester

• Viva Voce
• Homework / Assignment
• Two-Hour Written Examination
• Oral Presentation / Seminar Paper

1 Term

Only Winter Term

English