Postgraduate Course: Leadership and Responsibility (MBA) (CMSE11228)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | The course provides a general grounding in both theoretical and applied ethics and how they are important to business leaders in responsible decision-making and overall corporate governance. |
| Course description |
The course content is designed around the following components: a perspective on the moral content of managerial agency and corporate impact; a review and analysis of the range of theories within the field of moral philosophy; a critical analysis of the economic (markets) and organisational (commercial entities) contexts within which ethical or unethical decision making and practice operates; and an insight into applied ethics through the analysis of case studies and insights into codes of practice.
Syllabus
Introduction: Business and Society
Models of Ethical Decision-making: prescriptive theories
The Manager, the Corporation and Bureaucratic Rationality
A Boardroom Debate
Corporate Governance and Corporate Responsibility
Corporate Strategy for Reputation Management
Student Learning Experience
Students undertake the indicated course reading and prepare questions concerning any problems or issues for discussion and/or clarification in class. Students access internet resources dealing with applied ethics, company codes, or web sites organised for the purposes of protest against specific companies or ethics related issues. Students also use the mainstream press as a source of material to assess the use and validity of ethical theories to current business issues.
Case studies and vignettes of ethical problems are delivered in class in order to develop students¿ abilities to recognise and analyse types of ethical problems. Guest speakers will contribute from a range of companies and sectors, including healthcare and financial services.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and critically evaluate the scope and content of ethical theory (including its limitations) and its relevance for diverse institutional and operational business contexts and individual choice and agency.
- Apply the theoretical precepts of ethical theory in order to evaluate real-life situations, clarify ethical alternatives, articulate associated moral values and be able to explain techniques of moral reasoning.
- Understand and critically evaluate the relevance of ethical reasoning to one¿s own professional career and to be aware of the constraints that organisational life and leadership can sometimes place on moral self-determination
- Critically evaluate corporate social responsibility policies and the significance of corporate governance in shaping the values and practices of an organisation and its leadership
- Recognise cross-cultural variations in assessing moral issues through case based discussions with other members of learning groups and with visiting business leaders.
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Reading List
| There is no recommended text for this course. A set of articles and cases will be provided at the start of the course. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Cognitive Skills:
Critically evaluate the content and objectives of corporate social responsibility policies.
Critically evaluate the significance of corporate governance in shaping the values and practices of an organisation and its leadership.
Recognise cross-cultural variations in assessing moral issues through case based discussions with other members of learning groups and with visiting business leaders.
Transferable Skills:
Develop and refine skills of argument and debate.
Develop and enhance effective team work skills.
Be aware of one¿s own beliefs and how they affect personal perspectives and decisions. |
| Keywords | Ethics Responsibility Leadership Sustainability |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr James Hine
Tel: (0131 6)50 3805
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Carole Gibson
Tel: (0131 6)51 3854
Email: |
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