Teaching a business ethics course can be more difficult than one anticipates. This is so for a number of reasons, which briefly outline below:
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Posted by
Guy on 02/22 at 01:14 AM
Good article. I have experienced some of these issues, though not all, talking about ethics to my product design students…. innate emphasis on “profit” approximates to “end-user function + style”!
Posted by
Pastor_Alex on 02/22 at 10:46 AM
We should start teaching the basics of critical thought in public school. That includes the difference between a critique and an insult. 
Unfortunately there is no guarantee that the prof knows any better than the student how to critique a position. I have had many papers that have had more comments about the presumed amount of work or attitude than about the actual content and thinking in the paper.
You are also fighting the cultural perception that being too intelligent is a bad thing. It is easier to attack a person than to talk intelligently about their position. It has got to the point that talking about issues in a political campaign is almost seen as a waste of time.
Posted by
guitar39 on 02/24 at 11:34 PM
Good article.
Couple of comments.
“top scorers on the GRE tend to be philosophy majors or physics majors” Citing that will likely create more resistance. It proves to them you think you are smarter than they are. Snooty of you. 
Also, it is quite likely that despite the average a couple of these students will be extremely bright. Get them working with you.
As you point out, these courses ask for considerable critical thinking. You can get more cooperation, perhaps, by pointing out that critical thinking makes for better decisions in the business world, and that the best leaders are good critical thinkers. A couple of case histories here might help.
“their goal is to become able to make better ethical decisions, more carefully considered decisions; they don’t have to figure out with absolute certainty what’s right, but just what’s better.” This can also be related to business decisions. They are seldom black and white, they will be evaluating alternatives. One of the best leaders I know advised me that I only had to be right 51% of the time to be something of a hero.
One of the ways I get around some of these objections is through participation. Pick the three subjects you usually have the most trouble with and ask the students to write a short paragraph defining and explaining the subject. Then get them to discuss.
examples : 1 what is critical thinking?
2 some opinions are better than others. Why? What are
three rational ways of evaluating the strength of
an opinion?
3 outline three ways that being more ethical can make you
more successful in business ( or make your company
more successful).
You probably already do things like this, but it might help others to hear it from you.
Posted by
ptittle on 03/03 at 09:57 PM
sorry, didn’t realize this one had been posted…
yeah, alex, teaching CT should be mandatory from early on…as in Europe (or at least UK and Scandinavia, I think)
guitar and alex, yeah, forgot to include the snooty factor. especially significant if you’re a woman and your students are men.
guitar, yeah, in my business ethics text, that’s exactly why i include a lengthy section I which is all about CT, addressing, among other things, exactly your points 1 and 2!
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