• Course Introduction

        • Time: 22 hours
        • Free Certificate
        According to Twin (2020), "business ethics is the study of appropriate business policies and practices regarding potentially controversial subjects including corporate governance, insider trading, bribery, discrimination, corporate social responsibility, and fiduciary responsibilities". In today's business climate, people at all organizational levels must understand business ethics and their role in ensuring a responsible and safe environment for everyone. This course will expose you to terms such as integrity and corporate social responsibility. You will learn about ethical dilemmas and develop critical thinking about how to solve those dilemmas. This course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of business ethics as they are practiced today from various perspectives.

        • Course Syllabus

          First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

        • Unit 1: Why Ethics Matters

          Why do ethics matter? According to Driscoll (2017): "...businesses without values are businesses at risk. Their reputations suffer in the marketplace, depressing stock prices and eroding consumer confidence; recruitment of talented personnel is more difficult. Many companies now perform due diligence on companies they are considering as partners or suppliers, and are passing on those that don't meet their ethical standards." If you are a part of an organization at any level, it is essential to understand your role in ethical conduct and recognize what to do when ethical challenges arise. In this unit, you will examine the concepts of being a professional of integrity, the role of ethics and profitability, as well as single vs. multi-ethical standards.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

        • Unit 2: Ethics from Antiquity to the Present

          From ancient Greece to ancient China, ethics has played a significant role in developing individual character and social rankings. In this unit, you will examine the evolution of ethics from Ancient Greece and China and compare eastern and western virtue ethics. We will also introduce the concept of utilitarianism, deontology of ethics as a duty, and theories of justice.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

        • Unit 3: Defining and Prioritizing Stakeholders

          If you were operating as a US company executive in a country where the practice of stoning still existed, and you were forced to attend such an event or risk the loss of a major deal for your company, would you attend the stoning? That is a real-life scenario that happened to a female executive negotiating an agreement in a foreign country. Stoning would be considered a human rights violation in the US. However, in that particular country, the practice of stoning is entirely legal, and failure to attend could be viewed as an insult, thereby jeopardizing the deal. This is just one example of a situation, particularly as we find ourselves expanding in the global marketplace, where legal compliance and ethical decision-making aren't black and white issues. In this unit, you will learn about stakeholder orientation and claims, ethical decision-making, and corporate social responsibility as it relates to corporate law, the environment, and the public and private sectors.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

        • Unit 4: Employer/Employee Obligations

          The employer/employee relationship is complex in terms of its mutual dependency. Each side has obligations to the other to ensure shared success overall. The concepts of honesty, integrity, and respect for one another play a substantial role in ethical behavior regardless of position. Both management and staff should base their decisions in the workplace not on what is best for the individual but for the whole organization. In this unit, you will learn about the role of ethics in the workplace, union organizing, privacy issues, the concept of company/brand loyalty, contributing to a positive work environment, financial integrity, and whistleblowing.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

        • Unit 5: Recognizing and Respecting the Rights of Everyone

          Remember the example of the executive in a foreign country being forced to watch a stoning from Unit 3? This is an excellent example of ethical decision-making and considering the culture where business is conducted. Every culture has its own traditions and perspectives, and we must be mindful of those differences and ensure that the policies in the workplace embrace or at the very least consider those perspectives. In this unit, you will learn about diversity and inclusion, making reasonable accommodations, sexual identification and orientation, income inequalities, and animal rights implications.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

        • Unit 6: Future Trends

          Creating a system of ethical concepts that considers the future can be a daunting prospect. Ethical managers must consider that new business models may be driven by technological advances, including the use of artificial intelligence and telecommuting. With the advent of "workplace campuses", which include exceptional comforts like employee housing, we must understand the role of ethics in the workplace and our role in an ethical environment.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 2 hours.

        • Unit 7: Why Ethics Still Matter

          When taking an ethics course, you need to understand that "just because it's right, doesn't make it legal; and just because it's legal, doesn't make it right". This is an important sentiment to keep in mind because, in business, there are bound to be challenges we must face that fall into one category, "right", or the other, "legal", but which type is ethical? Understanding the context of ethics, its foundation, and its history will make it easier to understand your role in ethical conduct and how to resolve ethical dilemmas in the future. In this unit, you will learn how ethics evolve in a business environment, commit to an ethical view, become an ethical professional, and how you can make an ethical difference in the world.

          Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

        • Course Feedback Survey

          Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses.

          If you come across any urgent problems, email contact@saylor.org.

        • Certificate Final Exam

          Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

          To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.

          Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.

        • Saylor Direct Credit

          Take this exam if you want to earn college credit for this course. This course is eligible for college credit through Saylor Academy's Saylor Direct Credit Program.

          The Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam requires a proctoring fee of $5. To pass this course and earn a Credly Badge and official transcript, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on the Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam. Your grade for this exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again a maximum of 3 times, with a 14-day waiting period between each attempt.

          We are partnering with SmarterProctoring to help make the proctoring fee more affordable. We will be recording you, your screen, and the audio in your room during the exam. This is an automated proctoring service, but no decisions are automated; recordings are only viewed by our staff with the purpose of making sure it is you taking the exam and verifying any questions about exam integrity. We understand that there are challenges with learning at home - we won't invalidate your exam just because your child ran into the room!

          Requirements:

          1. Desktop Computer
          2. Chrome (v74+)
          3. Webcam + Microphone
          4. 1mbps+ Internet Connection

          Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a Credly Badge and can request an official transcript.