BUS 304 - Seminar in Management

Credits: 3 in fall, winter; 4 in spring
Planned Offering: Fall

BUS 304: Money, Power, and Lies (4). Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing. Can we design and lead organizations that foster ethical behavior? This course integrates the disciplines of business ethics and organizational behavior to address this question. It examines the impact of psychological and social forces on the ability of individuals to act ethically in large organizations. Beginning with the era of the ENRON and Arthur Anderson scandals and continuing through the recent financial crisis, the issue of unethical behavior in large organizations has grown more disturbing. The 2008 financial melt- down is addressed as the major case study. The issue is not confined to the financial industry, and cases from a variety of industries will also be studied. As examples, both NASA shuttle disasters have been used as case studies in both ethics and groupthink. Off-shore work practices and CEO compensation have raised ethical questions in many large companies. Herbert.

Fall 2012 topic:

BUS 304: Social Entrepreneurship (3). Prerequisite: At least sophomore standing, from any major. Social entrepreneurship is distinguished within the broad discipline of entrepreneurship by its focus upon complex societal challenges (e.g., hunger, education, health care) and explicit expectations for what is known as “social impact.” The goals of this course are: (a) to introduce students to the structure, methods, and mindsets of the social venture community (e.g., key ventures, foundations, venture philanthropy, social return), (b) to engage students in the application of these methods and mindsets through not only case analyses and discussions, but also the proposal of a new social venture, and (c) to encourage students to change the world in significant and positive ways. Touve.