Integrating Ethics Content into the Core Business Curriculum: Do Core Teaching Materials Do the Job?

Some business schools have integrated business ethics issues into their core functional courses rather than simply offering a separate ethics course. To accommodate such a strategy, functional faculty members usually teach ethical issues, a task for which they are rarely trained. However, learning materials are available: some core course textbooks provide additional coverage of ethics, and case studies (and accompanying teaching notes for instructors) are also available which cover ethical issues. This paper reports on an analysis of these materials. We find that a sample of the leading textbooks provides only very superficial coverage of ethical issues. Cases provide a wide range of issues suitable for class discussion, but their teaching notes in many cases provide little guidance for instructors unfamiliar with teaching ethics. Thus there remains a need for teaching resources for business faculty new to teaching ethics.     

A Case Example: Integrating Ethics into the Academic Business Curriculum

This paper combines a review of existing literature in the field of business ethics education and a case study relating to the integration of ethics into an undergraduate degree. Prior to any discussion relating to the integration of ethics into the business curriculum, we need to be cognisant of, and prepared for, the arguments raised by sceptics in both the business and academic environments, in regard to the teaching of ethics. Having laid this foundation, the paper moves to practical questions such as who should teach ethics, and when and how can ethics be taught. The paper presents alternative models for the teaching of ethics in the curriculum of undergraduate and postgraduate business programmes. An integrative model is elaborated on in more detail with a case example describing the six-stage process undertaken in the move from a single entry course to an integrated approach. The case study details not only the planning and initial implementation of ethical education in the context of an undergraduate business degree programme, but also the means by which a change in the way that ethics is taught was achieved in a business faculty in a tertiary institution.     

An Experiential Approach for Teaching Business Ethics

Despite the recognition in the business literature of the need to include ethics in all business courses, ethics is still given at best a perfunctory treatment by many instructors. This paper presents two pedagogical methodologies that the authors have used with success for teaching ethics to undergraduate business students. The approaches described in this paper are founded on the belief that in order to raise students' consciousness about ethical issues, students must be challenged to experience conscious ethical conflicts and to incorporate their own values into solving ethical problems. The power of working through ethical conflicts lies in its ability to force such a confrontation and, through it, to achieve enhanced self understanding.     

Integrating character in management: virtues,character strengths,and competencies

In recent years, character traits in general and virtue-related concepts in particular have been of considerable interest to philosophers, psychological researchers, and practitioners in the business ethics field. Three approaches to character traits can be used to incorporate ethics into organizations: virtues (philosophical approach), character strengths (psychological approach), and competencies (management approach). The aim of this article is to clarify the concept of character traits, or virtues, and provide a unified operational version of it for incorporation into management. To this end, we first discuss the analogy among virtues, character strengths, and competencies. Then, we propose a list of moral competencies that can be implemented in competency-based human resource management.     

Business ethics: A classroom priority?

“Schools of business are being blamed for much of the unethical behavior in business today” (Harcourt, 1990: p. 17); “Ethics can and should be integrated into coursework throughout students' college careers” (Spencer and Lehman, 1990: p. 7); “... business schools have been charged with inadequate attention to ethics” (Bishop, 1992: p. 291); “The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) encourages schools of business to incorporate business ethics throughout the curricula” (Davidet al., 1990: p. 26). These quotations indicate the concern for providing ethics education in today's business curriculums. In 1976, the AACSB urged business educators to include ethics in their course curricula, however, over 15 years later there is still concern as to whether the coverage of this topic in the business curriculum is adequate. A review of the literature indicates that professors are beginning to integrate this topic into its curriculum. But what are the techniques that work? And is the topic of ethics truly being integrated into the entire business curricula? This research assesses the integration of ethics into the business curricula today. Graduating seniors in the college of business of several universities were questioned to determine: (1) the courses in which the issue of ethics was addressed; (2) how much time was devoted to the issue by the professors; and (3) the methods employed to address the issue, and students' perceptions of their effectiveness.     

Using Computer-Based Simulation Exercises to Teach Business Ethics

This paper discusses how to introduce ethical dilemmas into computer-based business simulation exercise to teach business ethics. Simulations have an inherent advantage over other pedagogies for teaching ethics because simulations provide students with both an intellectual and a behavioral exposure to the topic. Issues addressed include considerations before writing ethical dilemmas, the writing of ethical dilemmas, and process issues for introducing ethical dilemmas. An example is developed and discussed. Through the process described, instructors can better prepare students for a lifetime of tough business decisions.     

How can corporations adopt Confucianism in business practices? Two representative cases

Ethics is one of the oldest scholarly topics, whether in Eastern Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism, or Western Deontology, Utilitarianism, and Virtue Theory, among others. Traditional ethics focuses on providing guidelines for behavior at a personal level. However, business ethics focuses more on corporations, with related studies addressing why corporations should practice social responsibility and embed ethics in business practices. Applying ethics to firms requires a variety of considerations in many areas. This is especially the case in Confucianism, which emphasizes self‐cultivation, self‐reflection, and self‐discipline. This study investigates two modern representative cases of Confucian firms and observes how they integrate Confucianism into their business practices. It finds that despite the prevalence of a complex environment, Confucianism can still be adopted by them if they use certain methods. Besides, we also identify the common outcomes across these companies. These findings provide a reference for companies that want to incorporate Confucianism in their operations.     

Use of focus groups in business ethics research: potential,problems and paths to progress

The use of focus groups is a well-established qualitative research method in the social sciences that would seem to offer scope for a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and understanding in the field of business ethics. This paper explores the potential contribution of focus groups, reviews their contribution to date and makes some recommendations regarding their future use. We find that, while the use of focus groups is not extensive, they have been utilised in a non-negligible number of studies. Focus groups are usually used as a supplementary method, often as part of the development of a research instrument. Whether used on their own or in conjunction with other methods, we find that in the majority of cases there is insufficient information for a reader to judge that the method has been carried out well and hence that the ‘findings’ may be trusted. Nor is it easy for future researchers to learn about the practical application of the method in business ethics contexts. We therefore recommend improved reporting in future published studies. Based on an analysis of a subsample of papers that provided a reasonable level of methodological detail, we provide further insights into, and recommendations for, the use of focus groups in business ethics research.     

A bar too high? On the use of practical wisdom in business ethics

In the business ethics literature, many argue that managerial decision making ought to be improved by more robust ethical concerns. Some see the virtue of “practical wisdom” as the key for improved managerial decision making. However, because of the epistemic limitations confronting decision makers in the face of irreducible market complexity, there is a risk that practical wisdom, employed in the context of day-to-day managerial decision making, becomes an impractical concept. Nevertheless, if the attempt to incorporate virtue ethics (and its related concepts) into business practices is laudable, if indeed a virtuous life is worth pursuing and practical wisdom plays an essential role toward that end, it is important to attempt to salvage practical wisdom and uncover its appropriate usage. Thus, this article pursues two major ends. First, upon surveying some of the prominent and standard usages of the term, it articulates concerns, rooted in epistemic limitations, about the way that practical wisdom appears in business ethics literature. Second, it offers a new way forward for understanding “practical wisdom.” By contextualizing day-to-day, rule-based managerial decision making within the ethical value of the market order, practical wisdom reappears as the higher-order capacity to pursue vocations, as morally worthwhile projects, in business.     

How Not to Make Ethical Decisions: Guidelines from Management Textbooks

Since 1974, business programs have responded to the AACSB's requiring enhancement of instruction in ethics. One way has been through the integration of ethics coverage across departments. In Management, the introductory textbooks that provide coverage of ethics often attempt to simplify for students the process of making ethics decisions by presenting guidelines or tests. We examine two such guidelines, the TV and significant others tests, and discuss their myriad severe deficiencies. Specific ways in which four of the stakeholders in this issue – authors, publishers, instructors, and business schools – can respond to these deficiencies are suggested.     

Information and Transformation in Teaching Businesses Ethics

Teaching in business ethics has conformed to the dominant Western model of pedagogy whereby students are provided with information about ethics but rarely asked to analyse their own behaviour. There is no evidence that this approach has any practical impact on future behaviour and much reason to doubt its potential in this regard. The pedagogical traditions of India offer an alternative approach to ethical improvement – one based in self-reflection and personal transformation. The following paper considers the potential of this tradition and offers practical suggestions for its integration into Western teaching practice.     

Integrating Business Ethics in Classroom Teaching: Some Preliminary Considerations

Some practical suggestions for the integration of business ethics in teaching disciplinary business topics are provided. Primarily, the tensions between ethical theory and disciplinary applications and those between abstract reasoning and practical actions provide the context for an exploration of pedagogical content and methods in teaching business ethics at the disciplinary level. Issues and considerations in the nature of business ethics, their justification and pedagogical tools are discussed along with a recommendation for normative business ethics.     

Quantitative content analysis as a method for business ethics research

The aim of this article is to discuss quantitative content analysis as established in communication sciences as a method for research in business ethics. We argue that communication sciences and business ethics are neighboring disciplines, which allow the transfer of quantitative content analysis from communication sciences to business ethics. Technically, quantitative content analysis can be applied through human as well as software coding. Examples for both applications are provided and discussed. We make reference to the software solutions ‘Leximancer’, ‘Crawdad’, and ‘Wordle’, and examine their suitability and limitations with regard to ethical questions for researching business ethics. We recommend a mixed-method approach, combining human and software coding. Furthermore, we propose a three-step process that discusses quantitative content analysis as a method for business ethics, including an ethical research objective, and most importantly, concluding with ethical reasoning and interpretation of the quantitative results.     

Business Ethics: Practical Proposals for Organisations

A review of ethical literature demonstrates that the material presented to date is largely based upon theoretical and empirical research. While this information has contributory value, the information produced is largely observational rather than practical. Managers are anxious to receive assistance with the mechanisms by which ethics can be integrated into their organisations. Utilising the recent experience of the author with a large utility company in Asia committed to developing an ethical programme to enhance ethical awareness in their organisation, this paper intends to review current systems and procedures available to managers for integrating ethics into business. In addition to reviewing mechanisms for promoting an ethical climate, where appropriate, reference will be made to prior research and specific organisations where these practices have been used successfully. The paper concludes with a set of summary recommendations for managers embarking on the introduction of an ethical programme to their organisation.     

Introducing Practical Wisdom in Business Schools

This article echoes those voices that demand new approaches and ‹senses’ for management education and business programs. Much of the article is focused on showing that the polemic about the educative model of business schools has moral and epistemological foundations and opens up the debate over the type of knowledge that practitioners need to possess in order to manage organizations, and how this knowledge can be taught in management programs. The article attempts to highlight the moral dimension of management through a reinterpretation of the Aristotelian concept of practical wisdom. I defend the ideas that management is never morally neutral and that Aristotelian practical wisdom allows the recovery of moral considerations in management practice. I analyze the impact and implications that the introduction of practical wisdom in business schools entails for the conception and objectives of management education. This view reconfigures management education in terms of attention to values, virtues and context. Therefore, management programmes should prepare students to critically evaluate what they hear and to make decisions coherent with their values and virtues. In the final section, I reflect on the pedagogical implications of this approach. I point out that an integrated model of ethics and practical wisdom promotes education of cognition and education of affect as well. I provide an example to illustrate my perspective and to support my conclusions.     

Business Ethics in the Curriculum: Integrating Ethics through Work Experience

In this paper we seek to make the case for a teaching and learning strategy that integrates business ethics in the curriculum, whilst not precluding a disciplines based approach to this subject. We do this in the context of specific work experience modules at undergraduate level which are offered by Middlesex University Business School, part of a modern university based in North West London. We firstly outline our educative values and then the modules that form the basis of our research. We then identify and elaborate what we believe are the five dimensions which distinguish an integrated approach based on work experience from a disciplines-based approach, namely: process and content, internal and external, facilitation and teaching, covert and overt, and living wisdom and established wisdom. The last dimension draws on the practical relevance of the Aristotelian notion of phronesis inherent in our approach. We go on to provide two case examples of our practice to illustrate our perspective and in support of our conclusions. These are that reflection integrated into the Business Studies curriculum, using the ASKE typology of learning [Frame, 2001, Proceedings of the 9th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference (Nottingham: Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University), p. 80], in respect of personal and group process in a work experience context, provides a useful heuristic for the development of moral sensibility and ethical practice.     

Teaching Business Ethics in Transitional Economies: Avoiding Ethical Missionary

North American and West European academics are accepting offers to speak or teach about business ethics to audiences in countries with transitional economies. Such engagements should not be accepted without an appreciation for the challenges involved. This paper outlines the dynamics of business ethics in these former communist countries and describes circumstances relating to ethical training, and course content and pedagogy. A concluding section of the paper identifies some guidelines that instructors should consider before becoming involved with ethical training in transitional economies. The principle message to be received from this paper is that instructors should avoid being ethics missionaries with preconceived ideals.     

Business Ethics in the Curriculum: Integrating Ethics through Work Experience

In this paper we seek to make the case for a teaching and learning strategy that integrates business ethics in the curriculum, whilst not precluding a disciplines based approach to this subject. We do this in the context of specific work experience modules at undergraduate level which are offered by Middlesex University Business School, part of a modern university based in North West London. We firstly outline our educative values and then the modules that form the basis of our research. We then identify and elaborate what we believe are the five dimensions which distinguish an integrated approach based on work experience from a disciplines-based approach, namely: process and content, internal and external, facilitation and teaching, covert and overt, and living wisdom and established wisdom. The last dimension draws on the practical relevance of the Aristotelian notion of phronesis inherent in our approach. We go on to provide two case examples of our practice to illustrate our perspective and in support of our conclusions. These are that reflection integrated into the Business Studies curriculum, using the ASKE typology of learning [Frame, 2001, Proceedings of the 9th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference (Nottingham: Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University), p. 80], in respect of personal and group process in a work experience context, provides a useful heuristic for the development of moral sensibility and ethical practice.This article is in part based on a paper that was originally presented at the 2003 Teaching Business Ethics Conference, Institute of Business Ethics and European Business Ethics Network-UK, London and we are grateful for the constructive comments that we received then.     

Situating ‘Giving Voice to Values’: A Metatheoretical Evaluation of a New Approach to Business Ethics

The evaluation of new theories and pedagogical approaches to business ethics is an essential task for ethicists. This is true not only for empirical and applied evaluation but also for metatheoretical evaluation. However, while there is increasing interest in the practical utility and empirical testing of ethical theories, there has been little systematic evaluation of how new theories relate to existing ones or what novel conceptual characteristics they might contribute. This paper aims to address this lack by discussing the role of metatheorising in assessing new approaches to ethics. The approach is illustrated through evaluating a new pedagogy and curriculum for ethics education called Giving Voice to Values (GVV). Our method involves identifying a number of metatheoretical lenses from existing reviews of ethical theories and applying these to examine GVV’s conceptual elements. Although GVV has been explicitly presented as a pedagogy and teaching curriculum, we argue that it has the potential to contribute significantly to the development of ethical theory. We discuss the general implications of this metatheoretical method of evaluation for new approaches to business ethics and for GVV and its future development.