Ethics and Responsibility Issues

Objectives and Course Description

Ethics is one of the most important aspects of human behavior and concerns how people's actions interact and relate to the choices we make about ourselves and others. It is therefore directly related to business operation and decision making and is linked to key aspects of management (such as finance, marketing, human resource management and production).

In modern times, linking business to ethical, social and environmental issues is imperative. Society licenses companies to operate and increasingly requires companies to behave ethically and responsibly. Employees expect fair treatment and consumers respect for their rights. Likewise, other stakeholders push for transparency and accountability. To some extent, companies have understood these new conditions, have incorporated corresponding practices into their operation and have redefined the way they make decisions. However, ethical dilemmas arise on a daily basis as companies try to reconcile their profitability with the social and ethical aspects of their operation. Ethical dilemmas are also raised by modern technological developments as the development and use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the use of big data, etc. raise questions about the human-machine relationship but also the responsibilities that the individual and the company are called upon to take on the new data. Therefore, the relationship between Business, Technology and Ethics is worth discussing both in society and in the university environment.

The main goal of the course is to help students identify and evaluate the ethical and value dimensions of some of the decisions they will be called upon to make in the future. Decisions related to ethical issues are perhaps the most difficult and demanding. For this reason, the course is designed to confront students with real ethical dilemmas and to involve them through a fruitful dialogue in a process of analyzing the dimensions of each dilemma.

Aimed results

• Understanding the role of ethics in business. The recognition of ethical issues within companies
• The application of important concepts and theories (eg utilitarianism, ethics, etc.) on ethical values ​​for resolving business issues
• Understanding the benefits of business ethics and relating to the concepts of competitiveness and sustainability
• Evaluation of individual behaviors in the context of business using theoretical models
• Understanding the concept and importance of social responsibility and its integration requirements in business strategy
• Understanding the concept and importance of Corporate Governance. Familiarity with the frameworks and regulations governing Corporate Governance
• Gaining a global understanding of current issues related to business administration, responsibility and governance
• Understanding the modern ethical dilemmas raised by the development of new technologies (artificial intelligence and ethics, big data and ethics, etc.)