Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Sustainability (BØK109)
Companies are increasingly confronted with demands for social responsibility, not only through expectations from employees and customers, but also in the form of government regulations and international frameworks, such as the UN's sustainability goals. In order to satisfy these requirements, and thus avoid having to face potentially serious legal, reputational, and financial consequences, companies today need to possess considerable ethical competence. The course will contribute to the development of such competence, by strengthening students' ability to identify, analyze and handle challenges related to ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability at the individual as well as the organizational level.
Dette er emnebeskrivelsen for studieåret 2024-2025
Students will be presented with different views on the nature and scope of the social responsibility of business, with particular emphasis on shareholder theory and stakeholder theory. Not favouring any particular of these, the presentation will encourage and allow the students to make an independent assessment of their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Students will also be introduced to various frameworks for responsible operations that companies today are expected to operate within. These include government regulations as well as various non-legally binding international conventions and agreements, of which UN's Global Compact is among the most important. An important question in this connection will be how considerations of profit may be balanced with the considerations of responsibility, as defined by the relevant frameworks.
The course will further introduce students to characteristic ethical and responsibility challenges pertaining to companies’ relationships with important stakeholder groups, such as owners, employees, customers, suppliers, and competitors. Relatedly, the course will familiarize them with various tools that can be used to identify, analyze, and handle such challenges. In addition to theories within normative ethics and political philosophy, these will include theories about ethical decision-making and theories about organizational implementation of accountability-promoting measures.
In light of the overall objective of the course - to contribute to strengthening companies' business ethical competence - the course will facilitate the development of the ability to convey and apply knowledge about ethics, social responsibility and sustainability in future working life contexts in a clear and assured way.
Learning outcome
Having completed the course, students are expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
Knowledge of business issues related to ethics, social responsibility and sustainability, and theories related to these.
Knowledge of existing frameworks for ethical, socially responsible, and sustainable business conduct.
Knowledge of challenges related to ethics, social responsibility, sustainability within different areas of companies' activities, and of tools that may be used to meet these, including normative ethics and political philosophy.
Skills
The ability to discuss business issues related to ethics, social responsibility and sustainability.
The ability to recognize, analyze, and handle business challenges related to ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability at the individual as well as the organizational level.
The ability to convey knowledge about business matters related to ethics, social responsibility and sustainability in a clear and assured way.
Forkunnskapskrav
Ingen
Exam
Form of assessment
Weight
Duration
Marks
Aid
Exam system
Withdrawal deadline
Exam date
Written exam
1/1
5 Hours
Letter grades
None permitted
Inspera assessment
14.11.2024
28.11.2024
Written exam, 1/1, 5 hours, graded A-F, no aids allowed.
There must be an early dialogue between the course supervisor, the student union representative and the students. The purpose is feedback from the students for changes and adjustments in the course for the current semester.In addition, a digital subject evaluation must be carried out at least every three years. Its purpose is to gather the students experiences with the course.
Litteratur
Book Etikk for beslutningstakere virksomheters bærekraft og samfunnsansvar Carson, Siri Granum, Skauge, Tom, Oslo, Cappelen Damm akademisk, 308 sider, 2023, isbn:9788202797331, Book Chapter Kvalnes (2012): Kap. 1-4 Kvalnes, Øyvind, Kvalnes (2012): Kap. 1-4, Oslo, Universitetsforl, 161 s., cop. 2012, 15-33, isbn:9788215020389, Book Chapter Skjerve: Kap. 4 Skjerve, K., Kjetil Skjerve, Skjerve: Kap. 4, 100-136, Book Chapter Kvalnes (2008): Kap. 8 Kvalnes, Øyvind, Kvalnes (2008): Kap. 8, Oslo, Universitetsforl, 206 s., cop. 2008, 153-170, isbn:9788215013565, Book Chapter Kvalnes (2014): Del 4 Kvalnes, Øyvind, Kvalnes (2014): Del 4, Oslo, Universitetsforl, 128 s., cop. 2014, 82-100, isbn:9788215021652, Article Friedman Milton Friedman, Magma, 5, 2001, https://old.magma.no/naeringslivets-sosiale-ansvar-er-aa-oeke-overskuddetView online Article Cappelen Alexander W. Cappelen, Magma, 5, 2001, https://www.magma.no/bedriftslederes-samfunnsansvarView online Book Chapter Crane & Matten (2019): Kap. 2 (utdr.) Andrew Crane (forfatter), Spence, Laura J.; Glozer, Sarah; Matten, Dirk; Crane, Andrew, Crane & Matten (2019): Kap. 2 (utdr.), Oxford University Press, XXIV, 608 sider, [2019], 65-77, isbn:978-0-19-881007-0, Article FN's bærekraftsmål Article Sandel Michael Sandel, Boston Review, 2012, Book Chapter Kvalnes (2008): Kap. 9 Kvalnes, Øyvind, Kvalnes (2008): Kap. 9, Oslo, Universitetsforl, 206 s., cop. 2008, 171-184, isbn:9788215013565, Book Chapter Crane & Matten (2016): Kap. 7 Crane, Andrew, Matten, Dirk, Crane & Matten (2016): Kap. 7, Oxford, Oxford University Press, XXV, 605 s., cop. 2016, 285-330, isbn:978-0-19-969731-1, Book Chapter Crane & Matten (2016): Kap. 8 Crane, Andrew, Matten, Dirk, Crane & Matten (2016): Kap. 8, Oxford, Oxford University Press, XXV, 605 s., cop. 2016, 338-378, isbn:978-0-19-969731-1,
The course description is retrieved from FS (Felles studentsystem). Version 1
