Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (5 ECTS)

Location and time

7.11 18-20
14.11 18-20
21.11 18-20
1.12 14-17 (Student debate)
12.12 Final essay due

Materials

Banerjee, S. B., & Berrier-Lucas, C. (2022). Foreword Decolonizing the Business Schools: A Journey on Paths Less Traveled. Revue de l’organisation responsable, 17(2), 36-41.

Brenkert, G. G. (2016). Business ethics and human rights: An overview. Business and Human Rights Journal, 1(2), 277-306.

Fatima, T., & Elbanna, S. (2023). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation: A review and a research agenda towards an integrative framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 183(1), 105-121.

Han, C., Jia, F., Jiang, M., & Chen, L. (2022). Modern slavery in supply chains: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 1-22.

Kempster, S., & Jackson, B. (2023). Making Purpose the Core Work of Business Leadership: A Guiding Framework. Organizational Change, Leadership and Ethics.

Stringer, T., Payne, A. R., & Mortimer, G. (2022). As cheap as humanly possible: why consumers care less about worker welfare. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 26(4), 717-737.

Teaching methods

Course objective: To equip students with a comprehensive understanding of business ethics, corporate social responsibility (CSR), postcolonial perspectives, and their implications in modern business contexts, with a specific focus on addressing human slavery as a critical ethical issue

This course responds to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1 (no poverty), 5 (gender equality), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities), 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), 17 (partnership for the goals).

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

Explain the key ethical frameworks used in business decision-making
Analyze the potential impact of ethical and unethical business practices on various stakeholders
Apply and debate theories of Decolonization and Postcolonialism
Define corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a business context.
Recognize the concept of human slavery within business operations and global supply chains.
Examine the legal and ethical implications of modern slavery in business practices.
Formulate strategies to identify, mitigate, and prevent the risks of human slavery within organizations and supply chains

Exam schedules

12.12 Reflective essay

Content scheduling

November 7th from 18-20 (Class 1): Introduction to Business Ethics and CSR

What we will cover:

Overview of business ethics and corporate social responsibility
Importance of ethical behavior in the business world
Decolonization and postcolonial perspectives


November 14th from 18-20 (class 2): Ethical Decision-Making in Business

What we will cover
- Frameworks for ethical decision-making in business
- Ethics and the individual: why care?


November 21st from 18-20 (class 3): Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Slavery

What we will cover

The concept of human slavery and what it means for CSR
Applying postcolonial perspectives to human slavery
Addressing strategies for prevention

Evaluation scale

0-5