BUS 220 Ethics in Contemporary Organizations

Overview of Course

This course examines the ethical challenges facing organizations in today’s globalized world, with a strong emphasis on case study analysis and experiential learning. Students will explore how businesses address responsibility, sustainability, and integrity across diverse cultural, political, and economic contexts.
Using Global Business Ethics: Responsible Decision Making in an International Context (Francis & Murfey, 2015) as the primary text, the course emphasizes international perspectives and ethical frameworks. To complement this global orientation, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2022) provides contemporary case studies and managerial tools that ground theory in practice.
A case study–driven approach challenges students to apply ethical frameworks to real-world dilemmas, encouraging critical thinking and practical problem-solving. Through lectures, guided discussions, and Semester at Sea’s multi-country environment, students will analyze topics such as corporate social responsibility, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and cross-cultural dilemmas. Port visits serve as living laboratories, connecting course concepts with firsthand observations of organizational practices in diverse regions.
Assignments include case analyses, reflective essays, and applied projects requiring students to evaluate organizational decisions and propose ethically sound alternatives.