Tribhuvan University
Faculty of Management
Office of the Dean
Bachelor of Business Management (BBM)
Course Description
:This co urse explores the ethical dimensions of business decisions and the systems of corporate governance that promote ethical conduct, responsible practices, and system-driven approach within business organizations. It provides students with the tools to understand and apply ethical principles in business settings and introduces the structures and mechanisms through which corporations are directed and controlled. The course emphasizes both global perspectives and the Nepalese business context. Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students will be able to: Understand the fundamental principles and theories of business ethics, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility. Analyze ethical issues in business and apply ethical theories to handle real-world business situations. Adopt appropriate mechanism for ensuring effective corporate governance. Apply the various business ethics and corporate governance related international standards. Examine the business ethics and corporate governance issues in the Nepalese context and suggest the way forward. Course Details This course examines dynamic and contemporary issues impacting global business operations. From geopolitical tensions and climate change to digi tal disruption, demographic shifts, and stakeholder capitalism, students will explore how these forces shape global business in the future. The course integrates academic research, policy insights, and corporate case studies to prepare students for leadership in a rapidly evolving global economy. Details:
Course Objective
:The main objective of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles, theories, and practices of business ethics and corporate governance . It aims to develop their ability to identify and analyze ethical issues in business, make responsible decisions, and understand the role o f governance in smooth functioning of business . The course also seeks to enhance students’ awareness of ethical issues and responsible business practices, with a particular focus on both global standards and the Nepalese context. The major objective of this course is to acquaint students with various issues to be faced in the operations of global business. Specifically, course intends to inculcate knowledge of business environment affecting global business, analyses global business trends and apply such knowledge in the global business, impact of digitalization in global business and develop managerial decisions. Learning Outcomes This course aims to empower students to scan and manage businesses in the global business environment. More specifically, by the end of this course, students will be able to Examine geopolitical, socio-cultural, and regulatory factors affecting global operations. Analyze emerging global business trends and their managerial implications. Evaluate the impact of digitalization, AI, and global supply chains on international business strategies. Formulate strategies for sustainable and ethical global business practices. Develop managerial decision-making skills using global case studies and simulations.
Course Contents:
Lecture hours show the approximate classroom time allocated to each unit.
Unit 1. Introduction to Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
- Business Ethics – Concept of ethics
- Concept of business ethics
- Myths about business ethics
- Causes and consequences of ethical problems in business
- Major theories and frameworks governing business ethics
- Corporate Governance – Concept of corporate governance
- Essential elements of good corporate governance
- Evo lution of corporate governance
- Similarities and differences between business ethics and corporate governance
- Significance of business ethics and corporate governance.
Unit 2. Ethical Issues in Business
- Recognizing an ethical i ssue (ethical awareness)
- Foundational values for identifying ethical issues: Integrity, honesty, and fairness
- Concept of ethical issues and dilemmas
- Emerging ethical issues and dilemmas in business
- Ethical issues in functional areas of business: Ethical issues in marketing and sales
- Ethical issues in finance
- Ethical issues in informational technology
- Environmental ethics
- Whistle blowing
- Making ethics work in organizations.
Unit 3. Ethical Decision-Making
- Concept of ethical decision making
- F ramework for ethical decision making in business : Ethical issue intensity
- individual factors
- organizational factors
- opportunity
- and business ethics intentions, behavior, and evaluations
- Using the ethical decision -making model to improve ethical decisions
- Normative considerations in ethical decision-making.
Unit 4. Corporate Governance Theories and Models
Theories and philosophies of corporate governance: Agency theory, transaction cost economics, stewardship theory, stakeholder theory, and resource dependency theory; Corporate governance models: Anglo -American model, German model, Japanese model, Indian model, and the Asian family-based model.
Unit 5. Corporate Governance Structures
- The scope of corporate governance
- Role of board of directors (BOD), auditors, management team, shareholders, government and regulators, and other stakeholders in corporate governance
- Corporate governance failure cases (such as Enron) and lessons from them
- Emerging trends in corporate governance.
Unit 6. Business Ethics and Corporate Governance Codes and Standards
- Code of ethics: Concept and importance
- Contents of a code of ethics
- Code of conducts in Nepal: FNCCI’s business code of conduct, 2061 and NBI’s business code of conduct concepts, 2070
- Key corporate governance provisions in prevailing Nepalese Company Act and Nepal Rastra Bank’s Unified Directives
- and International standards related to business ethics and corporate governance: United Nation’s Global Compact (UNGC), SA 8000, ILO standards, OECD principles of corporate governance, and ISO 37000.
Unit 7. Framing Business Ethics from Corporate Responsibility Perspective
- Law, business ethics, corporate governance, and corporate s ocial responsibility: similarities and differences
- Concept and importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR)
- Major theoretical perspectives on CSR – Friedman’s shareholder theory, Freeman’s stakeholder theory, Carroll’s CSR pyramid
- Elkington’s triple bottom line approach, Porter a nd Kramer’s creating shared value (CSV) approach
- Legal provisions governing corporate social responsibility in Nepal.
Unit 8. Business Ethics and Corporate Governance in Nepal
- Business ethics issues in Nepal
- Way forward for improving ethical business practices in Nepal
- Corporate governance practices in Nepalese family -owned businesses, BFIs, and other business sectors
- Issues and challenges of corporate governance in Nepal
- Way forward for improving corporate governance practices in Nepal.
Unit 1. Introduction to Emerging Global Business Trends 4 L Hs
Historical context and trend scanning, Globalization 4.0 and post-globalization
Unit 2. Environment and Strategic Implications in Global Business
V olatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity in global business , VUCA world and globalization redefined, Strategic responses
References:
Chapagain, B. R. (2018). Business and society . Kathmandu, Nepal: Ashmita Books Publishers & Distributors. Fernando, A. C. (2016). Business ethics: An Indian perspective. Chennai, India: Pearson. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. ( 2022). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases (13th ed.). Boston, USA: Cengage Learning. Tricker, B. (2015). Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices (3rd ed.). UK: Oxford University Press.
ELE 221: Emerging Global Business Issues Credits: 3 Lecture Hours: 48