LAW 7168 :
Business Ethics

This course raises practical questions of business ethics that confront business people and the attorneys who represent them. We will explore such foundational questions as: What are business ethics? What do ethics have to do with making money? How are business ethics different from general ethics? To whom (or what) can business people owe ethical duties?, and Why should I care about business ethics? Issues to be discussed include the benefits of acting ethically; the moral philosophical bases for business ethics; what science tells us about ethical behavior; the legal foundations for business ethics; understanding corporations, LLCs, and other legal "persons"; the corporation as an ethical "person" in modern society; the costs of acting unethically; major ethical traps in modern business; ethics in negotiations; special concerns of ethics in leadership; whistleblowing; instituting best practices; and how to respond to investigations and protect your reputation. The class will pull from both law and business materials, giving students an exposure to the law in these areas as well as ideas and findings from management theory, organizational behavior, marketing, and strategy. Exam Info: No exam administered during exam period. Course grade is based on a series of projects (oral, written, and other) completed in teams over the semester.