Trinity Valley Community College

TVCC … Excellence … A Shared Vision

 

Business Ethics, BMGT 1341

Internet Syllabus

 

Instructor

Kippi Harraid

Business Professor

Email

kharraid@tvcc.edu

Prefer emails within WebCT for class questions

Office Hours

Location:  TC224

Baugh Technology Center

1:00 –   3:00 pm      M/W

10:30 – 12:00 am    T/TH

Phone

903.677-TVCC

903.670.2632 (office)

 

 

 

Description:

Welcome to Business Ethics Online!  The general purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to ethical decision making in business. The focus will be on ethical decision making and ethical business issues at individual, organizational, and societal levels. Dilemmas, real life situations, and cases will provide an opportunity for students to use course concepts to address ethical issues in real life. The course emphasizes critical thinking and informed decision making about ethical action.  This course is not designed as a university transfer course. 

 

Business Ethics is part of a workforce education program designed for employment in business, industry, technical fields, and health services.  Ethical decision making is of vital importance and demanded by employers today. 

Goals:

The primary purpose of Business Ethics is to prepare you for ethical dilemmas you will face in your business career.   Building on the foundation of your textbook, we'll add lecture notes, class discussions, Internet research assignments, case studies, and weekly quizzes.  The course is fast-paced, so keep up with the work!

 

Requirements:

The computer system requirements for this course are as follows:

·          Windows 98 or later operating system

·          Easy access to a reliable Internet connection – 56K modem speed or higher

·          A word processing program such as Microsoft Word 97 or later version, Microsoft Works, or Word Perfect.

·          Other helpful software needs

o         Presentation capabilities utilizing Microsoft PowerPoint 97 or later version

o         Some Internet assignments require you to access PDF documents.  The letters PDF indicate a document is in the Portable Document Format (PDF). To view these files you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available for free from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Texts:

Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, John, and Linda Ferrell.  Business Ethics:  Ethical Decision Making and Cases, 7th Edition. New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.   ISBN 0-618-74934-8

Jennings, Marianne.  A Business Tale:  A Story of Ethics, Choices, Success – and a Very Large RabbitNew YorkAmacom, 2003.  ISBN 0-8144-7197-8

 

Resources:

The textbook, Business Ethics:  Ethical Decision Making and Cases, 7th ed., offers some excellent special features including a great student web site. 

Expectations:

You will be expected to:

·          Follow TVCC Internet course policies and procedures

·          Communicate weekly with instructor and meet all deadlines

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 

·          Identify and define key moral concepts and theorists and assess their impact on business ethics decisions.

·          Demonstrate an understanding of the dimensions between business ethics, economics, law, corporate and organizational culture, performance, and relationships.

·          Identify, discuss and analyze important ethical concerns and issues in the functional areas of business including management, marketing, accounting, and finance.

·          Explain the significance of business ethics and apply moral principles to evaluate ethical issues.

Course Access via WebCT

Students can log on to the TVCC WebCT website after the first class day of the semester by following the link https://ecourses.tvcc.edu.

 

All student log-ins are as follows:

·          User ID:  Your last name followed by the first initial of your first name plus the last four digits of your social security number.  For example, Kippi Harraid, 461-08-1234, would be harraidk1234. 

·          Password:  The last four digits of your social security number. 

·          Both your user name and password are case sensitive, so pay close attention to the caps lock key!

·          Once you have logged in to WebCT, you may change your password – just make sure you remember it!  If you forget your password, you will not be able to access your course until it is reset by TVCC Network Services.

·          Utilize the navigation tools within WebCT to go from place to place within your course rather than the back and forward buttons in your browser.

Assignments:  

You will be provided with an assignment calendar at the beginning of the semester on the class homepage.  Changes are made to this assignment calendar throughout the semester, so visit this page often.  Pay close attention to due dates and times!  

 

Each student will be expected to log on to the discussion board on WebCT each week where there will be chapter discussion thread assignments posted.   You will be required to read and discuss selected cases.  All entries should be posted no later than 11:00 p.m. on Saturday of the scheduled week.

Exams:  

All quizzes will be timed. Each one will be available all day Friday and Saturday of its scheduled week.  Quizzes should be submitted no later than 11:00 p.m. on Saturday of the scheduled week.  Students who fail to take a quiz or an exam without contacting the instructor prior to the test will receive a zero for that test and will not be given a make-up test.

 

If a test is announced as a proctored exam, the exam will not be administered online.  Students will be required to come to the TVCC Athens Campus Library Resource Center, testing center, or the testing center on their home campus to take any proctored exams. These will not be available to take on the weekend, but must be taken during testing center hours.  VCT students will be required to go to the testing center on their host campus to take the proctored exams.    

Online Learning:  

This is not a self-paced class. Please refer to the class schedule and calendars for assignments and due dates. Keep in mind that online learning is active and self-initiated, and therefore requires self discipline. Don't think that this class will be easier because it is online; it will probably be harder.
Here are some tips for successful completion of an online course.

·          Prepare in advance

·          Set a specific time of day for doing the work

·          Prepare a physical setting (close the door, eliminate interruptions, etc.)

·          Ask lots of questions in the discussion board if you don't understand something

Online Etiquette:  

If you haven't participated in online communication very much, you might want to visit a few web sites that explain "Netiquette,” such as http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/09netiqt.htm
Briefly,

·          Use polite, understated, good language

·          Do not type in ALL CAPS, which is perceived as shouting

·          If you disagree, do so politely

·          Think of your comments as being printed in a newspaper

Documentation of Course Completion:

You are expected to keep copies of all of your submitted work.  If an assignment is lost, it will be your responsibility to redo and/or resubmit the assignment for grading. 

 

Once an assignment is graded and returned, you must keep a copy of the graded assignment in electronic format.  Then, if there is a dispute on the grade, you have verification of grade received.

Late Work:

This course is not self-paced; there are published assignment due dates.  No late work will be accepted, unless there is a special circumstance that is discussed with the instructor BEFORE the assignment's due date.  Any work turned in after this date will be recorded with a grade of zero.

Withdrawals:

It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to withdraw from this class. It must be done through the registrar’s office.  A phone call to your instructor WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED as a withdrawal.  Proper paperwork required by TVCC must be completed. You will not be dropped by the instructor.

If you do not take care of responsibility and miss the last day to withdraw and still receive a “W” on your transcript, your grades will be averaged as is and submitted with final grades.  This may mean a grade of an “F” if you have not completed your assignments.  Please take care of business and DROP this class through the registrar’s office if you do not plan to complete it.

Academic Integrity:

Among the violations of academic integrity are: cheating, plagiarism, falsification and fabrication, abuse of academic materials, personal misrepresentation and proxy, bribes, favors, and threats. 

 

Any work that is submitted for grading should belong to you.  Your work must reflect your own personality and understanding; work copied from another is unacceptable and grounds for a breach of the academic integrity. 

 

Specifically, as academic integrity issues relate to this course, if it is discovered that you are not completing your own assignments, you will fail this course.  The moral of this story is to study with others, but do your own work! 

 

TVCC is an equal opportunity employer/educator functioning under the affirmative action plan and

does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or other legislated

categories in its services, employment programs,and/or its educational programs and activities.

This includes but is not limited to admissions, treatment, and access.