Ethically Responsible Commerce and Socially Beneficial Business Activity Course

Explores the role of individual, business, and government activities related to ethically responsible commerce and socially beneficial business activity.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Analyze the concepts of business ethics from a personal and an organization perspective.
   
   
2. Assess the ethical issues facing business leaders.
   
   
3. Evaluate and distinguish between the concepts of social responsibility, integrity, and business ethics.

4. Explain the framework required to make ethical decisions in today's business environment and how it improves the business climate.

5. Summarize how moral philosophies, on a corporate and individual level, influence ethical decision-making in business.

6. Analyze the influence of corporate culture, including leadership, power, and motivation, on business ethics in the workplace.
   
   
7. Explain the pressures that influence ethical decision making in the organization.
   
   
8. Evaluate the need for ethical standards, codes of ethics and practices in business.
   
   
9. Assess the auditing process to assure ethical practices are being followed.
   
   
10. Analyze the role that culture plays in global business ethics.

For this assignment, choose an article from SAGE Journal Articles. You may choose any article from Chapters 1-3 so long as the article is at least five pages in length.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to practice reviewing articles that contribute to the industry. The authors of these articles are researchers and professionals that have shared or experimented with ideas that demonstrate potential to improve the industry. As a professional in the industry, it is in your best interest to review the literature and trends. This provides you with the opportunity to read about what was successful and how they accomplished it. Plus, it allows you to analyze what was unsuccessful, how you can improve it, or at least avoid repeating the mistakes of others. These skills are vital when contributing to research papers and other scholarly writing. If you have not already, hopefully you will contribute to the industry by publishing an article and sharing with your community of peers.

As you read the articles, consider the following questions:

• Who were the stakeholders in the article?

• What was the firm’s corporate reputation?

• How could the topic of this article apply to your personal or professional life?

• How could it apply to an organization you have observed?

• What conclusions can you draw about the ethical issues facing business leaders?

Your first paragraph should briefly introduce and summarize the article while identifying the author’s main points. Your Article Review should be at least 500 words in length, double-spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font, with references and direct quotes in APA format. Title page, abstract, and running head are not required.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Read Case Study 1, “Bernie Madoff: How “One Big Lie” Can Destroy Thousands of Lives,” on pages 258-264. Summarize the overall viewpoint of the author, and discuss the major issues presented in the case. Review the “Questions for Thought.” Answer the four “Questions for Thought” using the business ethics principles from the textbook.

Your summary of the author’s viewpoint and your discussion of the major issues presented in the case must be in paragraph form. However, your responses to the four “Questions for Thought” can be answered either in paragraph form or as a numbered list. Ensure to include your summary of the author’s viewpoint, your discussion of the ethical issues facing Bernie Madoff, and your responses to the questions.