MBA 6110
Tools for the Ethical Manager

Course Syllabus

Weekly Schedule
and Assignments

Online Discussions

Instructor Office

Office Hours
 My office hours will be held in my office in the Wattis Building, room 242.  I will be available for consultation from 1:00 to 3:00 on Mondays and from 11:00 to 2:00 on Thursdays.  I am also available by appointment.

Course Description

"This course is designed to be taken at the beginning of formal course work in the MBA program. Students will explore various aspects of moral reasoning and apply these concepts to common ethical issues faced in business. Students will also work individually and in groups to explore issues of personal values, self-awareness, teamwork, communication, managing differences, and career management. Students in this course will be introduced to analytical, communication, and technological tools used throughout the program."
 

Required Books

Ethics in the Workplace: Tools and Tactics for Organizational Transformation , by Craig E. Johnson, Sage Publications, 2007.  The author of this book uses a multifaceted  approach to ethics that draws from philosophy and the social sciences in examining moral issues from individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal perspectives.  religious as well as secular positions and on Eastern as well as Western traditions. The book provides numerous self-assessment instruments to help the reader understand and explore personal values.  The book also contains numerous case studies and recommendations on transforming dysfunctional organizational systems.

Defining Moments: When Managers Must Choose Between Right and Right, by Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr.,  Harvard Business School Publishing, 1997.  This book provides an introduction to the moral dilemmas faced by managers in modern organizations.  The author utilizes case studies to illustrate the application of ideas from philosophers such as Aristotle, Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and Sartre. 

Leading Quietly: An Unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing, by Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr.,  Harvard Business School Publishing, 2002.  This book provides an approach to systematically analyzing ethical situations in the workplace.  Case studies illustrate a variety of the personal and political complexities facing organizational leaders. 

Course Requirements and Grading

This class is designed to be completed using a "hybrid" or "blended-learning" model over the course of an eight week term.  Course content will be delivered using a combination of traditional face-to-face class sessions as well as online technology using WSU Online.  

Class Sessions

Class attendance will be very important.  Class sessions will include a variety of learning activities, such as lectures, small group discussions, assessments, and workshops.  Please do your best to attend every class session, to be in your seat by 5:30 PM, and to stay for the entire evening.  MBA classes officially end at 8:30 PM, so please plan accordingly.

Online Course Components

We will make extensive use of Online Discussions in this class.  Each week, you will need to submit several assigned essays covering the readings for that week.  These essays should should cover your opinions of what the authors or speakers have to say and ways in which their remarks might apply to you and your career.   Please feel free to include examples from your personal and professional life as they apply to the ideas in the article or presentation.  The minimum word length for each of your essays on the weekly readings is 150 words.  The MIT video essays should be at least 300 words in length.

I recommend that you prepare your essays using word-processing software so that you can be sure that the essay is of suitable length (using the word count feature) and checking to see that the grammar, spelling, and punctuation reflect your best work.  I suggest that you save a copy of your essay before posting it to the Online Discussion.

I encourage you to read and comment on the postings of your classmates, both before and after you post your essays.  There is no minimum word length on these postings.  These comments will be a major component of your class participation grade.  We have a lot to learn from each other and it is interesting to see the range of opinions and insights expressed.

Course Exams

There will be two exams for this course, a midterm and a final.  The exams will be administered through ChiTester at one of the university testing centers.  The exams will consist of multiple choice and essay questions covering the assigned readings, lectures, class workshops and class exercises. 

Course Grades

This is a graduate course and as such, the primary emphasis should be on learning - not just the course grade.  Please remember that you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 (B) to remain in good standing and graduate from the MBA Program.  

Getting Started with Online Learning

You can access the various parts of the course through the WSU Online Home Page or by clicking on the text links on the left side of this page.

Special Note on H1N1 Flu this Fall:
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Utah Public Health Department are anticipating a resurgence of the H1N1 flu this fall. This could result in significant disruption to normal on-campus (and online) classes.
 
I would like to reinforce the following guidelines for this class:
 
If you are ill, stay home. If you become ill (fever, chills, cough) while at school, go home. Exposing others to the virus can potentially result in serious complications and even death in high-risk individuals. See the WSU website at http://weber.edu/flu for specific recommendations.

I  have set up two ways for you to access the course components.  The preferred approach is to use the WSU Blackboard interface.  You MUST use the WSU Blackboard interface in order to post to the online discussion board.

However, I recognize that sometimes the WSU Online system goes down or you must use a computer that isn't configured for the WSU Blackboard interface.  In those instances, you can access most of the course components through this link: http://www.mba6110.com 

A public access account is your access to Weber State's wireless network. You can also use this account if you live in the University Village and want to connect to the campus network. Register your laptop, PDA's and computers and you'll have high speed access to the Internet almost everywhere you go on either WSU campus. 

In order to register your laptop, use the following link: Wireless Account Access.

Here are some tips and suggestions as you begin this course:

• Please follow the Weekly Schedule so as not to fall behind.  This will help you keep on track with the face-to-face components of the course, as well as the online readings and assignments.
   
• Seek the help of your classmates.  One of the purposes of this class is to help you get connected with your fellow MBA students. We encourage collaboration and the formation of ad-hoc study groups so long as academic integrity is not compromised.  (Obviously, collaboration during course exams is strictly taboo!)
   
• See me before or after class or by appointment if you need help.  I am also available to meet with you by appointment in Ogden or Layton.
   
• Send me an e-mail if you have a question.  I can be reached at bdavis@weber.edu

Students With Disabilities

Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service Center. SSD can arrange to provide course materials in alternative formats if necessary.  

Academic Integrity Policy  

John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics Honor Code             

The John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics (Goddard School) recognizes students as adults pursuing their education.  The Goddard School Honor Code seeks to contribute to the development of appropriate individual and group behavior, and encourages responsible citizenship within the University community.   The administration of honor code policies will be conducted in a manner that will foster the ethical development and personal integrity of students and promote an environment that is in accord with the overall educational mission of the Goddard School and Weber State University.  

Students are expected to maintain academic ethics and honesty. Prohibited activities include but are not limited to the following:

a. Cheating, which includes:

i)              Copying from another student's test;  

ii)             Using materials during a test not authorized by the person giving the test;  

iii)            Collaborating with any other person during a test without authorization;  

iv)           Knowingly obtaining, using, buying, selling, transporting, or soliciting in whole or in part the contents of any test without authorization of the appropriate University official 

v)            Bribing any other person to obtain any test;  

vi)           Soliciting or receiving unauthorized information about any test;  

vii)          Substituting for another student or permitting any other person to substitute for oneself to take a test.  

b. Plagiarism, which is the unacknowledged (uncited) use of any other person’s or group’s ideas or work. This includes purchased or borrowed papers;  

c. Collusion, which is the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work offered for credit;  

d. Falsification, which is the intentional and unauthorized altering or inventing of any information or citation in an academic exercise, activity, or record-keeping process;  

e. Giving, selling, or receiving unauthorized course or test information;  

f. Using any unauthorized resource or aid in the preparation or completion of any course work, exercise, or activity.

You can reach me through e-mail at bdavis@weber.edu   You can also reach me on my cell phone at (801) 721-1138.  Feel free to call me anytime, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.