In the past decades, technology has profoundly transformed every aspect of our lives: from our consumption habits to our work practices, from how we communicate, to how we fight wars. The pressure to stay ahead by innovating is immense. But there is a price: the ever-accelerating pace of innovation opens up a plethora of utterly new and unfamiliar ethical quandaries. Issues like data mining, invasion to privacy, data theft and workplace monitoring are just the tip of the iceberg. Not solely are we often inapt in detecting and resolving the ethical issues that have surfaced so far; the real issue is how to foresee and manage the ethical challenges ingrained in the technologies that no one has thought about yet.

So how should we go about it? We know that regulatory oversight is not a panacea; regulatory gaps exist because laws have not—and cannot—keep up with the exponential curve of innovation and technology. In every domain that technology touches—which is probably every facet of the modern world—the gaps are getting wider as technology advances ever more rapidly. Furthermore, as globalization extends our reach, it becomes easy to fall into a “problem-solution” mindset for what looks like someone else’s problem, leading us to impose solutions we would never consider in our own context. Supposedly, improved ways of doing things can quickly morph into a “new normal.” The appearance (or justification) of social good can impede real reflection.

With the normative frameworks that have guided us for centuries becoming less obviously relevant, we have to explore new frameworks for ethical decision-making.

Readings involve controversial case studies, insights from experimental psychology and economics, and a brief introduction to some relevant philosophy. Through class exercises, rigorous discussion, role-play and directed personal reflection, you will clarify your own ethical stance, think through ethical dilemmas, practice articulating recommendations compellingly, discover the diversity of ethical viewpoints, and find out how to avoid the social and cognitive pitfalls that come in the way of ethical leadership.

1. To develop students’ ability to recognize ethical issues in business;
2. To increase students’ sensitivity to the prevalence and complexity of ethical dimensions in everyday managerial decision-making;
3. To familiarize students with a diverse set of descriptive and prescriptive frameworks that facilitate the analysis and resolution of ethical situations;
4. To provide a safe space to explore students’ ethical convictions;
5. To expose students to a diversity of ethical viewpoints, from authors and fellow students, to recognize their good-faith value, and to hone students’ skills at engaging them with respect and
   understanding

Only students who attend at least 80% of the session hours in class will be able to complete this course.

Discussions, case studies, videos and further teaching methods will be used in this class.

10%   Contribution (discussions)   Individual
40%   Written Assignment             Groups of 2
50%    Final Exam                          Individual

It is your obligation is to prepare in advance for class discussion. Class discussion is an essential component of the course. There will be cold-calling and teamwork in which others will be counting on you to have done the reading. Readings are located on Course website (on Learn).

This class relies on active yet judicious participation by students. The students have an extraordinary opportunity to discuss the role of ethics in business in a safe environment with their peers. The goal is that everyone will get to contribute to the discussion (and get 1-3 bonus points for contribution).

Contribution bonus will denote consistent, timely and astute observations, answers, or comments, which clearly elevate everyone’s learning experience