Overview of Course

Managers are confronted with increasingly complex environments and face challenges when trying to balance the economic, legal, and ethical responsibilities vis-a-vis the stakeholder groups with whom they interact. Regardless of the location, ethical business decision-making impacts the firm’s long-term success. This course investigates the spectrum of business ethics and social responsibility issues that managers face in today’s organizations. While global competition may pressure management to do whatever it takes to stay in business; organizations must consider the impact of their actions on customers, shareholders, employees, and other stakeholders. This course will be grounded in contemporary events and address these challenges from an individual and a managerial perspective; and where possible, include discussions of ethical issues associated with the regions visited during the Semester at Sea voyage. This course introduces topics like corporate social responsibility, privacy in the workplace, and employee rights and uses real-world examples to identify social and ethical issues facing organizations today.