107 Syllabus S15
Alan Ross | alanross@haas.berkeley.edu
U.C. Berkeley | Haas School of Business
Spring 2015 | UGBA 107
UGBA 107 – The Social, Political and Ethical Environment of Business
This is a survey course on the social, political, and ethical environment of business. It is designed to give you insight into complex and controversial social issues and public policy problems that complicate the task of managing American business. Topics covered include the historical development of American business, America’s competitiveness problems, and the debates over business ethics, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and government regulation of business. We will study and consider the implications of several of the most perplexing paradoxes facing American business managers today: the conflict between our faith in a free market and our desire for regulations providing consumer and environmental protection; the contradiction between the historical success of American business and our growing competitiveness problems; and our confusion over how best to manage business given the conflicting demand from shareholder and stakeholder groups with incompatible short- and long-term interests.
Text
There is a reader of articles for the class available at www.study.net
Additional articles will be posted on bCourses throughout the semester.
In addition, daily reading of a business publication is expected.
Course Requirements and Grading
Class Participation and Journal 15%
Midterm Exam 15%
Research Paper 35%
Final Exam 35%
Jan. 26 INTRODUCTION TO COURSE
Feb. 2 THE HISTORICAL SETTING
Reading 1: Business and Politics in the U.S., Graham Wilson, “Business & Politics, A Comparative Introduction,” 2003
Feb. 9 ETHICS IN THE BUSINESS SYSTEM
Reading 2: The Cheating Culture, “A Question of Character,” David McCallahan, 2004
Reading 3: Individual Factors: Moral Philosophies and Cognitive Moral Development, O. C. Ferrell, John Fraedrich, and Linda Ferrell, Business
U.C. Berkeley | Haas School of Business
Spring 2015 | UGBA 107
UGBA 107 – The Social, Political and Ethical Environment of Business
This is a survey course on the social, political, and ethical environment of business. It is designed to give you insight into complex and controversial social issues and public policy problems that complicate the task of managing American business. Topics covered include the historical development of American business, America’s competitiveness problems, and the debates over business ethics, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and government regulation of business. We will study and consider the implications of several of the most perplexing paradoxes facing American business managers today: the conflict between our faith in a free market and our desire for regulations providing consumer and environmental protection; the contradiction between the historical success of American business and our growing competitiveness problems; and our confusion over how best to manage business given the conflicting demand from shareholder and stakeholder groups with incompatible short- and long-term interests.
Text
There is a reader of articles for the class available at www.study.net
Additional articles will be posted on bCourses throughout the semester.
In addition, daily reading of a business publication is expected.
Course Requirements and Grading
Class Participation and Journal 15%
Midterm Exam 15%
Research Paper 35%
Final Exam 35%
Jan. 26 INTRODUCTION TO COURSE
Feb. 2 THE HISTORICAL SETTING
Reading 1: Business and Politics in the U.S., Graham Wilson, “Business & Politics, A Comparative Introduction,” 2003
Feb. 9 ETHICS IN THE BUSINESS SYSTEM
Reading 2: The Cheating Culture, “A Question of Character,” David McCallahan, 2004
Reading 3: Individual Factors: Moral Philosophies and Cognitive Moral Development, O. C. Ferrell, John Fraedrich, and Linda Ferrell, Business