Teaching business ethics in China

Robert ShawGraduate School of BusinessGuangdong University of Foreign Studies

2nd International Symposium on Corporate Responsibility & Sustainable Development 第二届国际企业责任和可持续发展研讨会

Agenda

1. Business ethics in the West

2. Business ethics in China

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1 Business ethics education in the West

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New topics

New aims

Research is becoming more profound

The purpose of Business Schools

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About half the Business Schools in the West emphasise ethics

Who decides the curriculum?

Produce employable graduates,honest workers

Business ethics is the battle ground

Example: Entrepreneurship

Misunderstandings about business ethics

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Ethics is about what people ought to do

Contrast with science

Contrast with the law

If you want to know how to get people to obey the law, ask the police, criminologists, psychologists, sociologists

Business ethics courses will not make people more honest, nor should they try to do this

Is this book about business ethics?

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Is moral development theory about ethics?

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How children become mature moral adults

Stage theoriesof moral development

Cognitive development

How does the law relate to business ethics?

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Is business ethics not just a matter of obeying the law?

Most of the cases of dishonesty in the news are not of much interest to those with a serious interest in ethics

If you want to know how to get people to obey the law, ask the police, criminologists, psychologists, sociologists

Ethics appears in two places in relation to the lawPolicy and the formulation of lawsThe use of discretion

Discretionary justice

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Kenneth Culp DavisProfessor in Administrative LawUniversity of Chicago

Discretion is a tool, indispensable for the individualization of justice … Rules alone, untempered by discretion, cannot cope with the complexities of modern government and modern justice

The mechanical application of a rule means injustice … what is needed is individualised justice

Discretionary justice

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There is always a gap between a rule and its application – discretion

This theory is not just about the lawApplying rules = implementing policyA course for chief executives

Research on rules involvesThe philosophy of languageUniversals / particularsFree will / determinism

Traditional topics in business ethics

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The subject business ethics appeared in the 1960s

Topics:Employee dishonestyCodes of conductFair working conditions - health and safetyRespect for other culturesThe horrors when corporations are caught lyingMonitoring emailTaking and giving bribesChild labour in foreign countriesWhistle blowingWorkplace rights - drug testing, surveillanceThe joys of corporate social responsibility

Topics in business ethics

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New problematics:

Social justice –distribution of wealthEconomic theory – neoliberalismCapitalism & socialismDemocracy & other systemsCorporations & moralityThe effect of technology on societyEthics of cyberspace Eco-phenomenologyHuman rightsIndigenous rights – land rights, cultural harvestAnimal rightsOpen access to data/science/government information

The new business ethics

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Ethics in as it appears in

Public policy

Economics

Social theory

Political theory

Methods of critical analysisDraws upon the disciplineof philosophy

The aims of business ethics

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The goal – coursesTo discuss what people ought to doMoral dilemmasScholarship

The goal – studentsDevelop decision-making skillsTo make better decisions [& act differently]Scholarship

Business ethics courses – a tradition of 2,500 years

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Parmenides & Kant – rationalityAristotle – flourishing & codes of ethicsKant –moral autonomy & deontologyBentham & Mill –utilitarianism

The aims of business ethics courses

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Moral autonomy

The moral person / leader / manager is

EITHER Heteronomous – follows rules

OR Autonomous – independent in

thought and action

Kant: If you are morally autonomous, youMake your own decisionsDo so rationallyHave strength-of-will, act as you decide

Influences on business ethics courses

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University teachers teach what they research

The scholar practitioner

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What is the basis of policy?

The British Treasury in the early 1900s

SP applies togovernmentbusiness

2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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2 Business ethics education in China

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Ethics advances in China

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2006

Rothlin B (2004)Becoming a Top-Notch Player: 18 rules of international business ethics (In Chinese)

Rules and critical thinking

What I see in China

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80% of businesses small or medium

NationalismValuesPrideConfidenceUnity

Localisation = National self-determination

IdentityOpenness to ideasThe Chinese way

Role of leadership

Approaches to business

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C0mpetitition Capitalism Stakeholders Community Truth/Virtue

The way ahead

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My personal suggestions for China

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Throw away the Western textbooks

Bring Chinese and Western philosophers into critique

Build on existing ethics courses

Understand about case studies

Relate business ethics to Chinese theories of management

Support Chinese scholarship / research

Address the evil of examinations

Thank you ww.gdufs.biz

2nd International Symposium on Corporate Responsibility & Sustainable Development 第二届国际企业责任和可持续发展研讨会