PHL2160

Ethics in business and professional life

Not offered in 1999

8 points * Second semester * 3 hours per week * Clayton and Caulfield * Prerequisites: Philosophy first year, or a first year subject taught by the Faculty of Business and Economics.

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to display an understanding of the complex relationship between corporate entities, the individual and the community; be able to analyse ethical problems in a systematic way and apply ethical concepts and frameworks to problems arising in the workplace and in the exercise of one's profession understand the complex constraints that exist in the area of policy formulation and the implications that the solution to a particular problem may have for setting up constructive guidelines for future problem solving.

Synopsis Corporate structures and professional life presuppose certain values and ideals. These values and ideals together with public policies and corporate pragmatics drive decision making in business and the professions. It is important to be able to identify such values and ideals and understand how they relate both to the major positions in philosophical ethics and to economic and social outcomes. Crucial issues that will be considered include corporate and individual responsibility, employer-employee relations in a rapidly changing world, the move away from caveat-emptor to caveat-venditor, responsibility for preserving our environment and sexual harassment.

Assessment 2 tutorial exercises (600 words each) worth 20%. Research essay (2800 - 3000 words) worth 30% 2 hour examination (2 essays).

Prescribed Texts:

Grace D & Cohen S Business ethics: Australian problems and cases (OUP 1995)
Pargetter R and Prior Jonson E Ethics in business and brofessional Life - collected readings. (in preparation)

Back to the 1999 Arts Handbook