Bus 3306 Business & Society

BUS 3306 – BUSINESS & SOCIETY

Course Description:

In this course, we will be exploring the inter-relationships between business and society, including the tensions between various stakeholders and the growing pressures to approach business with corporate responsibility and sustainability as primary underlying influences. With rapidly changing technology and globalization, we must strategize our business decisions with far greater insight and conscientiousness than ever before. This course takes a look at business and society relationships from various global perspectives, including developing countries and societies, and different cultural norms and beliefs. It provides students with insights into the issues surrounding business from both macro and micro level perspectives.

Required Textbook and Materials:

All readings are found through weblinks provided within each unit.

Software Requirements/Installation

No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. describe why ethical behaviors benefit a company.
2. identify the major stakeholder groups which interact with business organizations and the kinds of expectations they may hold with respect to their role in the business enterprise and society.
3. define the areas of corporate social responsibilities of business: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic and be able to explain their tensions with one another.
4. analyze the types of decisions that managers must face and dilemmas which they may experience in their professional leadership roles, and will apply their knowledge to making ethical business decisions.
5. describe the important considerations for business leaders in terms of organizing and managing a diverse workforce.

Course Schedule and Topics

This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, one unit per week.

Unit 1 – Introduction to Business and Society
Unit 2 – Corporate Social Responsibility
Unit 3 – The Social Contract: Time to Redefine?
Unit 4 – Social Business Enterprise
Unit 5 – Sustainability
Unit 6 – Going “Green”
Unit 7 – Managing Diversity in the Workplace
Unit 8 – Managing Ethics
Unit 9 – Final Reflections and Examination