2. The Rejuvenation of Business Education Robert Shaw

3. Our discussion 1 The justification of a curriculum 2Skills 3Let us examine the business curriculum 4The American Business School debate 5Business ethics

4. The justification of a curriculum 1Philosophical a)The nature of knowledge (mind) b)Liberal education (Paul Hirst) c)Knowledge or skills? 2Sociological a)Relate adequately to society b)Who does it advance? 3Psychological a)Implicit learning theory b)Spiral curriculum c)Rhythmic claims of freedom and discipline

5. Structure of knowledge 1Learning domains a)Aristotle b)Current base structure science mathematics humanities aesthetics applied medicine law accounting c)Primary & secondary education (literacy fad) 2Unity of human understanding – PhD, German tradition, corruptions

6. Skills – a reminder of the basics 1.The current premise of tertiary education 2.Public or private benefit a.Treasury determination, 1989 b.Control of the curriculum 3.Transfer of skills a.What is a skill? b.Physical skills c.Cognitive skills i.Reading ii.Thinking iii.Business? d.Tanks & Yanks

7. Justification of curriculum 1.Levels of assessment/justification a.Award objectives b.Course objectives c.Student objectives 2.Award / course objectives

8. Business curriculum - international context 1.Some trends a.America - massive dissatisfaction with Business Schools b.Europe - holds to traditional awards / course structures c.Australia - massive commercialisation 2.Calls for greater insight & leadership (by government, by business & in education) a.Science – more about less b.Entrepreneurship example 3.Western metaphysics / English 4.Pathway strategies

9. Business curriculum - student context 1.Student diversity a.Expectations b.Force grade, objective and award deflation & inflation c.Cross-cultural meanings d.Textbook problems (Daft/motivation, subordinates/NZ) 2.Student dishonesty a.Universal b.Challenge of the West – Eastern and Asian c.Students not with traditional or “our” values d.Distance education most vulnerable 3.New methods of dishonesty a.Cheating culture b.Login/password transfer c.Purchasing assignments ($120 or less) d.Memory enhancers – Modafinil ($39.12 for 30) & Retalin

10. Let us examine the business curriculum First we need a theory. Any of the dimensions of justification mentioned earlier might be relevant, but we are going to pick on Kant’s theory.

11. A Kantian model for curriculum assessment 1.Immanuel Kant a.Enlightenment, 1784 b.Rational justification c.Theories of ethics 2.The moral person according to Kant 1.Autonomous OR 2.Heteronomous

12. Heteronomous or autonomous 1.The moral person / leader / manager is EITHER Heteronomous – follows rules ORAutonomous – independent in thought and action 2.If you are morally autonomous, you a.Make your own decisions b.Do so rationally c.Have strength-of-will sufficient to act as you decide 3.The ethical theory became a theory in psychology - moral development a.Piaget – 3 stages b.Kohlberg – elaborates 3 to 6

13. Kant’s theory Piaget’s levels Kohlberg’s stages

14. The big debate 1.What is the purpose of a Business School? a.Teach traditional knowledge & skills (accounting, planning …) ☺ b.Should graduates be i.Honest and reliable (Heteronomous) ii.Creative & independent (Autonomous) 2.Business ethics is the battle ground

15. Business ethics pedagogy 1.Two basic pedagogical strategies Examples / issues → Theory OR Theory → Examples 2. The theory of ethics a.Well understood b.Well structured c.Same theory for medicine, engineering, law, education, public policy, environmental ethics, accounting, business … 3. Corporate social responsibility (not just about ethics)

16. Poor approach Lesson 1: Business Calling Lesson 2: The Morality of Capitalism Lesson 3: Organizational Ethics Lesson 4: Social Responsibility Lesson 5: International Ethics Lesson 6: Employee Relations Lesson 7: Advertising Ethics Lesson 8: Financial Ethics Lesson 9: Conclusion But, Sandel takes this approach and does well: government bailouts, same- sex marriage, surrogate pregnancy, immigration reform.

17. Outline of an ethics curriculum 1.Greek ethics – what is the good life? 2.Theories about decision-making - stoicism, cynicism, hedonism, Christian ethics, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, pragmatics, deontological theories 3.“Modern ethics” - topics: free will/determinism (moral responsibility), objectivity/subjectivity, naturalism, emotivism, rationality 4.Continental philosophy – Nietzsche, Foucault Adam and Eve by Albrecht Dürer (1507)

18. Thank you.