Business Ethics: Values, Voice, and Leadership

In today’s business world, ethical competence is not optional — it is essential for leadership and long-term success. This course treats ethics not only as a framework for understanding right and wrong (or good and bad) but as a practical, actionable skill set. Students will learn to recognize when values may be in conflict, build the confidence and competence to voice their values effectively, and translate personal commitments into professional excellence.

At the same time, this course takes a broader perspective by inviting students to explore the foundational question: What makes life worth living? We will examine how different philosophical, religious, and cultural traditions answer this question—and how those answers shape our personal and professional lives and the ways we should act both in and outside of work. Students will be encouraged to articulate their own vision of the good life and test it through the lens of business leadership, organizational purpose, and ethical decision-making.

Through interactive discussions, case studies, and reflective exercises, students will develop the habits of mind and action needed to align personal integrity with professional purpose. The course emphasizes that ethical competence strengthens organizational culture, drives innovation, builds stakeholder trust, and contributes to a flourishing life—within and beyond one’s career. Students will leave the course better prepared to work and live with character, courage, and a commitment to values in every stage of their careers and lives.