Using Live Cases to Teach Ethics

Authors: McWilliams, Victoria¹; Nahavandi, Afsaneh²

Source: Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 67, Number 4, September 2006 , pp. 421-433(13)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This paper describes a live ethics case project that can be used to teach ethics in a broad variety of business classes. The live case differs from regular cases in that it involves a current situation. Students select an on-going or current event that involves ethical violations and write a case about it. They then present their case and run a debate about the challenges and issues outlined in the case and the actions that could have or should have been taken. The dynamic project fulfills the key criteria for effective ethics education since it increases awareness of the complexity of ethical challenges, allows application of concepts, creates a personal emotional engagement in the case, is relevant, holds students accountable for their position, and creates a setting that encourages students to think critically about ethics.

Keywords: application of ethics; critical thinking; emotional engagement in ethics; increased awareness of ethics; live cases; student accountability; teaching ethics; teaching ethics in finance

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9035-3

Affiliations: 1: Email: victoria.mcwilliams@villanova.edu 2: Email: anahavandi@asu.edu

Publication date: 2006-09-01