Business & Management MA(SocSci)/BSc/LLB/MA
Ethics and Business MGT4028
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: Adam Smith Business School
- Credits: 15
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
The course introduces students to the ethical dimensions of business activities in contemporary capitalism and of competing ethical claims relating to such activities.
Timetable
11 x 2 hour lectures
2x 1 hour seminars
Excluded Courses
None
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
1. Degree exam: in-person; individual; 120 minutes; 100%: ILOs 1-5.
Main Assessment In: April/May
Course Aims
This course aims to:
■ Introduce students to concepts of ethics and morality.
■ Enable students to critically identify distinctive ethical approaches, particularly in the context of the conduct of business.
■ Enhance students' awareness of ethical issues in various domains of contemporary capitalism: society and business, consumption, and the workplace (production).
■ Enhance students' transferable skills by affording them the appreciation of the dimensions of ethical issues in the context of business activities.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Define meanings of ethics and morals in the context of business and management.
2. Identify the principal competing ethical approaches in contemporary capitalist relations.
3. Analyse the importance of ethical considerations of business and commercial activities.
4. Analyse and critique notions of corporate social responsibility and accountability.
5. Critically examine the relationships between business and wider society in contemporary capitalism.