Business Administration
Syllabus
09110
Business Professionalism and Ethics
on the web
Instructor: Gloria Brooks-Broadwater Office Location: Web Office Hours: M-F as
needed
Meeting time/date: Web
Course
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Phone:
(301) 895-5769 E-mail: gbbroadwater@allegany.edu |
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This course is designed to develop skills necessary in today’s workplace and to help students improve their ability to make ethical decisions in business. Topics include: business etiquette, business communications, professional attire, organizational relationships, and ethical decision-making.
None
Business Ethics, A Stakeholder and Issues Management Approach (4th Edition)
Joseph W. Weiss
Published
by Thomson
ISBN-0-324-22380-3
Your primary resource is the textbook. If you don't want to come to campus to pick up the book, you can either order it from the Allegany College of Maryland bookstore and ask them to mail it to you (301-784-5348, there is an additional fee for shipping) or you can order it from www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, or www.efollet.com. If ordering online, use the ISBN number indicated on the syllabus to be sure you order the correct textbook. If you choose this route, please be sure when you order that the textbook is in stock in order to avoid delays.
This course is an introduction to ethical decision making in business. There is an examination of individual, organizational, and macro level issues in business ethics. The course does not determine correct ethical action; it is designed to assist you as a potential businessperson to make more informed ethical decisions on a daily basis. Keep in mind that there are no absolute right or wrong solutions in most situations. Dilemmas, real life situations, and cases provide an opportunity for you to use concepts in the assignments and to resolve ethical issues. Critical thinking and informed decision-making are emphasized. The course will also address the issue of professionalism as it pertains to topics such as business etiquette and professional attire.
· To study the business ethics and definitions, theories, and frameworks important to decisions.
· To identify and recognize ethics issues in business.
· To understand the relationship between ethics and social responsibility.
· To relate the significant issues of an ethical controversy in business to moral philosophy, work group influence, corporate culture, and social responsibility.
· To expose students to the individual reasoning processes of others when resolving ethical dilemmas.
· To discuss various topics of professionalism such as business etiquette and professional attire.
Technical requirements for the course:
If
you have never taken an online course before, this course will be different for
you. I am requiring that you complete
the Online Orientation program prior to beginning the class. You will find this program at www.allegany.edu/dl/onlineorientation/oobefore.shtml.
Our primary means of communication will be through the Internet,
therefore, you should be comfortable with using the Internet and email. You must have reliable Internet access (you
must provide your own ISP), an email account, and a browser (Netscape 3.0 or
higher or Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher).
If using a modem, 28.8 bps or
higher is strongly recommended.
You are expected to have basic computer and Internet literacy skills. This includes the ability to work comfortably in a browser, send and receive email with attachments, use a search engine, and create and modify documents in MS Word. You will also need a Blackboard login account. I will assign that to you when I receive your initial email (see below).
You may also want to take the online assessment located at: http://www.ac.cc.md.us/de/selfassessment.shtml.
Please note: Technical difficulties do occur during a semester. However, technical difficulties do not excuse late or incomplete assignments.
Welcome to the online version of Business Professionalism and Ethics. This introductory page is intended to help you to get started. Since there will be no face-to-face class lecture, it is imperative that you are conscientious, motivated and self-disciplined. While the course is very flexible in terms of when you put in the time, you can expect to average about the same amount of time as a normal lecture course—about three hours total a week per credit. This comes out to about six hours per week. Note also that the course is NOT self-paced. Assignments are due by specific dates. You may work ahead if you like, but you may not “work behind”. This course is designed to be completed in 12 weeks, beginning August 25th and ending on December 1st.
A list of all assignments and their due dates is included in the course calendar. You are expected to refer to the calendar and to complete all assignments on time. If you have difficulty with the assignments or have any questions, please contact me and I will be happy to assist you. Your first written assignment will be due within the first two weeks of class. If you fail to complete this assignment on time, you will be dropped from the course for “non-attendance.” Your class participation and your timely completion of assignments is an indicator to me that you are following the course syllabus and “attending” the class. When you fail to follow these course instructions, I will drop you from the class, resulting in no grade/no credit after the first assignment deadline, and then until October 27th, a “W” grade will be recorded as your final grade and after that date, an “F” grade will be recorded.
You will have opportunities to interact with other students enrolled in the course. You are encouraged to communicate with other students in the course by email, by use of the discussion board or by phone. Interacting with other students in the course will enhance your learning experience.
Please see the course calendar, included in this syllabus, for a week-by-week list of what topics will be covered in the course.
Assessment for this course will consist of quizzes,
written assignments, a mid-term and a final exam, and class participation in
the Discussion Board. Students will not
receive mid-term grades in the
If you would like to take the mid-term or final exam in advance of the scheduled week please contact me to make arrangements. The exams may not be taken after the scheduled dates.
| Final grades will be comprised of: | Points |
| Introductory exercise- discussion board | 40 |
| Quizzes (4) | 40 |
| Homework assignments: | 70 |
| Five questions from each chapter of the text. Each question worth 2 points. | |
| Discussion Board Assignments (4) | 100 |
| Mid-term exam | 50 |
| Final exam | 100 |
| Total Points | 400 |
A = 90-100% (360-400 Points)
B = 80-89% (320-359 Points)
C = 70-79% (280-319 Points)
D = 60-69% (240-279 Points)
F = Less than 60% (Less than 240 Points)
No late assignments will be accepted. The online quiz and test feature will be programmed so that quizzes and tests will be unavailable after the due date has passed. Any assignment, quiz, or exam that is not completed on time will receive a grade of zero unless there are extenuating circumstances that can be documented.
The exception to the “no late assignment” rule is the Introductory assignment. Since this is a learning assignment designed to help you prepare for success in the class, there will be a grace period for this assignment. However, students must contact me if they are having problems completing this assignment so that they don’t fall behind.
Always
use the following guidelines when sending e-mail to me.
In the subject area, enter “Business Ethics” and clearly identify the topic of your e-mail:
Example: Business Ethics—Questions about…
Business Ethics—Comments about….
Business Ethics—Homework Assignment...
I receive a lot of email. If you fail to put the words “Business Ethics” in your subject line it is possible that I may overlook your email. I check my email daily on weekdays. If your question requires a lengthy explanation/response from me, I will respond within 24-48 hours. If your e-mail is a quick question or comment, I will respond as soon as I read it.
Please send me e-mail from the account that you will use for this course
Course Calendar
(Calendar is subject to change at instructors'
discretion)
|
WEEK |
ASSIGNMENT |
DUE DATE |
|
Weeks 1 and 2 |
Introductory Discussion Board Assignments “Getting to Know You” – Written Assignment #1 “Does It Still Apply?” |
09/05/08 |
|
Week 3 |
Read Chapter One of the Text: Business Ethics, the Changing Environment,
and Stakeholder Management Written Assignment Review Key Terms Complete Quiz #1 |
09/12/08 |
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Week 4 |
Read Chapter Two: Stakeholder and Issues Management Approaches Written Assignment Discussion Board Assignment—Extra Credit |
09/19/08 |
|
Week 5 |
Read Chapter Three: Ethical Principles, Quick Tests, and Decision-Making Guideline #3 Written Assignment Discussion Board Assignment #1 from the Text Etiquette Awareness Quiz #2 |
09/26/08 |
|
Week 6 |
Course Evaluation—You’re turn, what should I keep? What should I dump? Read Chapter Four: The Corporation and External Stakeholders: Managing Moral Responsibility: From the Boardroom to the Marketplace Written Assignment Discussion Board Assignment—Extra Credit |
10/03/08 |
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Week 7 |
Mid-term exam Discussion Board Assignment—Extra Credit |
10/10/08 |
|
Week 8 |
Read Chapter Five: The Corporation and Internal Stakeholders: Values-Based Moral Leadership, Culture, Strategy, and Self-Regulation Written Assignment Discussion Board Assignment #2 from the Text Quiz #3 |
10/17/08 |
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Week 9 and 10 |
Read Chapter Six: Employee Stakeholders and the Corporation Written Assignment Discussion Board Assignment #3 from the Text |
10/31/08 |
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Week 11 |
Read Chapter Seven: Business Ethics, Satkeholder Management, and Multinational Corporations in the Global Environment Final Written Assignment Quiz #4 Discussion Board Assignment—#4 from the Text |
11/07/08 |
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Week 12 |
Final Exam Discussion Board Assignment—Last chance for Extra Credit Course Evaluation |
11/17/08 11/26/08 12/01/08 |
FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) Board
If you have a question or problem please check the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) discussion board first. If the answer is not there (or the answer was not posted by me and you aren’t sure if it is correct), contact me by email at gbbroadwater@allegany.edu. I check email daily (weekdays only). If the question is something that others may be wondering about I will also post the question and answer to the FAQ discussion board.
This course will be conducted using Blackboard software. You do not need to purchase software to use Blackboard; however, you will need a login and password to access it.
After receiving your blackboard username and password you should immediately login to your Blackboard account and orient yourself with Blackboard. You should review the student manual by logging into Blackboard, clicking on the "Tools" button and then clicking on "Manual". You should also print a copy of the "Student Blackboard Handout" in the "Course Documents" section.
You should be able to perform the following functions in blackboard by the end of the first week of class:
Log
into your blackboard account (remember to log out when finished!)
Find and read announcements
Find and read course assignments
Find and read course documents
Send email
Find the discussion board
Find the assignment “View/Complete” link
Find the grades area
You may also preview Blackboard at http://company.blackboard.com/Bb5/manuals/Bb5-LevelOne-Student or http://www.blackboard.com prior to beginning the class.
Submission
of assignments as electronic files
Unless otherwise stated, all assignments that are submitted to me should be in the format of a word document file. IMPORTANT: Every document should have a header within the document that includes your name, course name, page number, and number of total pages in the document.
Files should be submitted using the “View/Complete” link for the assignment. In the event that blackboard is not working (for example, the Blackboard server goes down) and the due date is looming, you should submit the file as an email attachment along with a note describing the problem. And you can always call me at home.
Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible, so I can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunity.
Student Conduct and Plagiarism
The college has a strict policy on academic dishonesty. You are expected to abide by the policy as defined in the student manual.
Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s work or idea as your own. Academic Dishonesty also includes failure on your part to keep your current and past assignments out of the hands of other students who may misinterpret their origins. To receive credit for quantitative assignments, please show all calculations. It is also suggested that you keep a record and/or rough draft of written or other work until you have received your final grade.
Rules of conduct for participation in the Discussion Board
Students are required to communicate with each other using the discussion board feature of Blackboard. A large portion of your final grade is class participation through the discussion board. Just because you cannot physically be in the same room as your classmates doesn’t mean you can’t communicate with them! The discussion board is provided so that students can get to know each other and discuss topics that are related to the course content. It can be a valuable source of information and support. However, please note that all messages are “public”, i.e. available for everyone in the class to view. When posting messages on the discussion board please keep comments on a positive note and avoid “flaming” (verbally attacking someone else). Please provide feedback to other students in a kind and constructive manner. We will be using the discussion board for required group assignments. You should be posting at least once or twice to each discussion. A "good" post to the discussion board must make a substantial contribution to the ongoing discussion. That is, simply stating that you agree or disagree to someone's comment is not considered substantial. You should state your opinion with an explanation that might support this statement. For this reason, there is a "sliding" point number awarded to each student for each discussion. I will generally award at least 5 points for each entry that is appropriate.
Contacting
me
If you need to speak to me by phone, I can be reached at (301) 895-5769. I check voice mail when away, be patient if I’m not able to return your call on the same day. If this is not convenient for you please send me an email and we can arrange a phone meeting at a mutually convenient time. Again, you may contact me by email at gbbroadwater@allegany.edu
You may start on the course prior to the start of the semester, based upon the assignments indicated in the syllabus. I have requested a list of all students registered for this course. You will receive a letter of introduction from me and at that point you should send me an email. Without your email address, I have no way of contacting you. This must be done no later than the end of the second week of class, September 5th, the sooner the better. My email address is gbbroadwater@allegany.edu. Blackboard is the course management system that Allegany College of Maryland has chosen to use and it will be the primary method for conducting your course.
When
emailing me please include in the subject line “Business Ethics .”
In the body of the email include:
Your full name
Your full mailing address
Your e-mail address
Your preferred contact phone number
Please carefully follow
directions, particularly reading homework assignments in the order presented in
the calendar. It is important that you
read all assigned homework before entering the Discussion Board. Class participation through the Discussion
Board represents twenty-five percent of your final grade. It is therefore important to answer the
questions being asked with thoughtfulness and preparedness. It is also important to be timely in submitting
assignments. If I don’t
see your responses on the Discussion Board by the due date as noted in the
homework assignment, I will grade accordingly.
I’ve listed several ways in which
to contact me; please do so if for some reason you are not able to complete the
assignments on time.
Office of Distance Learning and Special Programs
In the event that you experience an emergency and you are unable to contact me please contact Ms. Janet Murray, Coordinator of the Distance Learning Program. Examples of emergencies would be errors in the official final grade report that would affect your graduation status or being accidentally dropped from the course and having that affect your financial aid. In every case please try to contact me first, but if you cannot contact me and feel it is a situation that must be resolved immediately Ms. Murray will be able to assist you. She can be reached at (301) 784-5376 or online at jmurray@allegany.edu.
A final note:
This course is a work in progress. Please, as the semester proceeds, tell me what is working, what is not working, and what else you think I could do to help you be successful in this course. I will seek your input periodically throughout the semester. I think we’re going to have a good time with this course. Thanks, and I hope you will enjoy Business Professionalism and Ethics!