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Sustainable Business Ethics LIBS 7023

Liberal Studies Course

Course details

There is a widespread consensus that corporations have social responsibilities that extend beyond mere conformity to the law. Yet how are we to conceive these responsibilities? In an interconnected global business environment, the impacts of business activities are coming under increased social and environmental scrutiny. Business managers now face increasing pressure to balance ethical and environmental responsibilities with their obligations to shareholders. In this course, we will address questions about standards that guide business activities. In particular, we will address the task of reconciling environmental responsibilities with the obligations of business managers to maximize shareholder value. We will ask how the obligations of a corporation to maximize the profits of its shareholders may be reconciled with its environmental responsibilities. We will attempt to answer this question via examination of economic, social, and ethical relations through the perspective of collective action problems.

Prerequisite(s)

  • BCIT ENGL 1177, or 6 credits BCIT Communication at 1100-level or above, or 3 credits of a university/college first-year social science or humanities course.

Credits

3.0

Cost

$667.34

Course offerings

Spring/Summer 2023

Below is one offering of LIBS 7023 for the Spring/Summer 2023 term.

CRN 64878

Duration

Mon May 22 - Fri Aug 11 (12 weeks)

  • 12 weeks
  • CRN 64878
  • $667.34
Class meeting times
Dates Days Times Locations
May 22 - Aug 11 N/A N/A Online
Instructor

Robert Munro

Course outline

Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.

Cost

$667.34

Important information
  1. Internet delivery format.
  2. *(A)* This is NOT a SELF-PACED course. There will be specific timelines for assignments and exams. Course content, kind and quality of assignments and general standards for this online course are the same as classroom courses. You will have discussions and assignments to complete each week (although you do NOT have to be online at a particular time or day). *(B)* FINAL EXAMS: Your instructor will provide further information regarding format and date of all exams.
Status

In Progress

This course offering is in progress. Please check back next term or subscribe to receive email updates.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Introduce and assess the strengths and weaknesses of major normative theories, such as consequentialism, deontology, distributive justice theory, and virtue ethics.
  • Describe the main differences between fiduciary obligations and moral obligations.
  • Identify collective action problems in market failures.
  • Explain the connection between social responsibility and economic efficiency.
  • Resolve tensions between economic efficiency and social obligations.
  • Evaluate alternative, ethically relevant, choices and defend a plausible course of action.

Effective as of Fall 2016

Related Programs

Sustainable Business Ethics (LIBS 7023) is offered as a part of the following programs:

School of Business + Media

  1. Accounting
    Bachelor of Accounting Full-time/Part-time

School of Construction and the Environment

  1. Kitchen & Bath Design
    Associate Certificate Part-time
  2. Residential Interiors
    Diploma Part-time

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