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ME2830 Ethics for Start-ups 7.5 credits

Ethical conduct in all areas of business is becoming increasingly important. CSR (Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, or Corporate Social Responsibility), PPP (People, Planet and Profitability), ESG (Environment, Social & Governance), SRI (Sustainable and Responsible Investments) and Sustainability Reporting are just a few of all concepts that reflect the activities of business ethics in the corporate world today. It all comes down to going beyond the traditional mission of business to maximize profits within the framework of laws and rules of society, in order to become a responsible corporate citizen. Pressure from governments, consumers, investors, recruitments, brand images as well as from internal pressure from employees and owners is driving this development. Business ethics has almost become a part of most businesses today and scholars argue that it should be a part of business strategy and considered an opportunity in terms of profits.

The problem is how to understand and practice ethics. In this course we study the main normative ethical theories and practice their principles in dilemmas, business cases and one’s own ethical conduct. The general purpose of the course is to raise the ethical awareness in business and private life and improve ethical behavior in entrepreneurship and business.

Course offerings are missing for current or upcoming semesters.
Headings with content from the Course syllabus ME2830 (Autumn 2014–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )

Content and learning outcomes

Course contents

The course is designed to reach the learning objectives by several activities. The basic learning comes from reading the literature, reflecting, discussing, writing and presenting the ideas and analysis. The course tasks are based on these activities. Each one is evaluated and together they form the final grade. There is no traditional exam on this course.

1. Business ethics in general.

a. Ethical theories.

This part forms the basic theoretical and analytical framework for the course. The theories are outlined in the main textbook. These theories are used in all teaching activities throughout the course. The first course task is dedicated exclusively to make the students understand the theories in a general sense through dilemma exercises.

b. Business related ethical issues.

The second course task is devoted to issues that are primarily those that business decisions makers face in developing policies about employees, customers and the general public. Based on the ethical theories, the students are focusing on one particular issue in solving cases.

c. Guest lecture.

The purpose of this lecture is to give the students an insight into practical real life activities with ethical issues in order to enhance the understanding of these issues.

2. Individual ethical awareness.

No business or organization will think and act better than the managers and employees in them. To reach the second expected learning objective, this course task asks the students to focus on their own ethics and shift the attention of the course from analysis of organizations and “the others” to an analysis of the thinking, attitudes and behaviour of oneself.

Intended learning outcomes

After completing this course you should be able to critically analyse the ethical behaviour or non-behaviour of organizations, and in your own ethical thinking, attitudes and behaviour in your professional and private life, using ethical theories and analytical methods. More specifically, you should

  • have a basic understanding of normative ethical theories;
  • be able to analyse them in business/organizational and individual contexts;
  • have an understanding of the theoretical developments and research in business ethics;
  • be able to identify and suggest solutions to ethical problems and dilemmas in organizations;
  • be able to relate the contemporary practical work and efforts in the business ethics area. 

Literature and preparations

Specific prerequisites

Students must have a minimum of 120 university points.

Recommended prerequisites

No information inserted

Equipment

No information inserted

Literature

Information om kurslitteratur kommer att meddelas inför kursstart.

Will be announced at the start of the course.

Examination and completion

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Grading scale

A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Examination

  • PRO1 - Project, 7.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Grades are linked to the two learning objectives following the seven grade scale according to the following criteria:

Learning objective 1:

Critically analyse the ethical behaviour or non-behaviour of organizations using ethical theories and analytical methods, particularly in accounting.

Learning objective 2:

Critically analyse one’s own ethical thinking, attitudes and behaviour in one’s own professional and private life.

A

Exhibited an excellent ability to generalize in an original way ethical analysis beyond the immediate subject area. Being able to perform a relevant, original and convincing ethical abstract discussion, and transfer the principles from the specific to the abstract.

Exhibited an excellent ability to generalize in an original way ethical analysis to other applicable areas than oneself. Being able to perform a relevant, original and convincing ethical abstract discussion on the basis of one’s own experiences.

B

Exhibited a stringent ability to generalize in an original way ethical analysis beyond the immediate subject area. Being able to perform a relevant ethical abstract discussion, and transfer the principles from the specific to the abstract.

Exhibited a stringent ability to generalize in an original way ethical analysis to other applicable areas than oneself. Being able to perform a relevant, original and convincing ethical abstract discussion on the basis of one’s own experiences.

C

Demonstrated an ability to orchestrate facts and theory, action and purpose: demonstrated relationships and differences between ethical theories; demonstrated relationships between practical applications and ethical theories.

Exhibited an ability to demonstrate relationships between one’s own thinking and behaviour and ethical theories.

D

Displayed understanding of boundaries, but not of systems: having made a number of connections between ethical theories and/or practical applications, without specifying the significance of the relationship.

Demonstrated a number of connections between ethical theories and/or oneself, without specifying the significance of the relationship.

E

Shown a minimalistic understanding: an ability to memorize, identify and recognize fundamental concepts in the course. Performed an ethical analysis of a company making simple and obvious connections. Being present and active at the seminars and lectures.

Performed an ethical analysis of oneself making simple and obvious connections.

Fx

Failed on the quiz twice. Exhibited pieces of unconnected information from the course. Not being able to organize the information. Not exhibited a sense for the whole.

Not exhibited basic understanding for fundamental ethical concepts in the analysis of oneself. Analyzed other objects than oneself.

F

Failed on the quiz four times. Not exhibited basic understanding for fundamental ethical concepts. Not being present at more than two seminars.

Not performed an ethical analysis of oneself.

Attendance on all course activities is mandatory. Absence more than twice (2 times) implies failure on the course. Supplementary work to compensate absence is not applicable.

Opportunity to complete the requirements via supplementary examination

No information inserted

Opportunity to raise an approved grade via renewed examination

No information inserted

Examiner

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information

Course room in Canvas

Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.

Offered by

Main field of study

Industrial Management

Education cycle

Second cycle

Add-on studies

No information inserted

Contact

registrar@sses.se

Supplementary information

The course language is English.

The course is offered within the framework of the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship.

Responsible institution: Stockholm University (SU)

Course director: Associate professor Bengt Gustavsson, bgu@fek.su.se; Jessica Lindberg, jeli@fek.su.se

Queries can be addressed to SSES EducationCoordinator via registrar@sses.se