Epistemological and Pedagogical Challenges of Teaching International Business Ethics Courses

Abstract

International business ethics courses imply four basic epistemological and pedagogical challenges: (a) understanding various perceptions of ethics and values/virtues; (b) identifying ethical maxims among religious/spiritual traditions; (c) designing international business ethics courses as dialogical experiences; and (d) deepening our personal contribution to others’ learning process. This article argues that those epistemological and pedagogical challenges could determine the design and the contents of international business ethics courses: facing up to compatible/incompatible ethical theories (philosophical questioning), identifying ethical maxims among religious/spiritual traditions (religious and spiritual questioning), and reading our actions/decisions as quasi-texts (literature-bound questioning). Business ethics teachers could take those challenges upon themselves and design their business ethics courses accordingly. For each of the four challenges, a specific ethical issue is described; advice for teachers as well as ethical questions for debate and personal development are provided.

Keywords:

• Business ethics courses
• Ethical theories
• Literature
• Religious/spiritual traditions

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michel Dion

Dr. Michel Dion is Full Professor of Business Ethics at the Faculté d’administration, Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). He is the Chairholder of the CIBC Research Chair on Financial Integrity.