PHIL41915: MORAL AND CORPORATE TRUST: Trust and Accountability

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• To introduce students to the key philosophical questions in the role of Trust in business.
• To provide students with the tools to understand the links between philosophical theory and the practice and theory of Trust in business
• To examine topics, debates and concepts at the heart of the field and thereby promote an advanced critical understanding of a wide range of concerns and discussions of Trust in business and management
• To provide students with the knowledge and skills required to research and write about a specific topic under the guidance of members of staff
• To introduce students to debates at the cutting edge of philosophical research in general and moral theory in particular and examine how they apply to cases in business

• Topics will include:
• Introduction to Trust
• Philosophical accounts of Trust
• Trust in Different Cultural Contexts
• Should Organizations be Trustworthy?
• Institutional Trustworthiness
• Trust in Banking and Financial Investment
• Trust and Distrust

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Students will be able to:
• Understand the main challenges facing the notions of ethical trust and corporate trust in a business context
• Gain insight into the theories that may be able to shed light on and/or resolve some of these challenges
• Apply ethical thinking and studies to real life cases and examples
• Understand the background issues that shape the debate and influence current discussion in the field
• Be able to draw parallels between different kinds of cases and examples by means of conceptual analysis and philosophical theory
• Recognise the relevance of philosophical research to business theory and practice

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students will be able to:
• Identify key issues, questions and debates with regard to the role of trust in business practice
• Draw analogies between these issues, questions and debates
• Identify and make us of relevant literature
• Identify a philosophical problem, formulate a philosophical position and employ critical skills to address the problem
• Write an essay which answers a question in an appropriately focused manner, with a clear and concise discussion of the topic area and a structured argument

Key Skills:

• Students will be able to:
• Identify and locate research materials
• Write in a clear and rigorous style
• Manage their time efficiently
• Pursue interdisciplinary research
• Make a responsible decision about their chosen essay topic
• Think clearly and independently in a variety of professional and commercial contexts

• Most of the teaching will take the form of seminars, which will consist of a 1 hour lecture followed by a 1 hour discussion. In the seminars, we will address questions that are central to the relevant field and apply ethical thinking to real life cases in business. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and debate the topics outlined in the lecture, and will be encouraged to develop their own opinions and defend their own points of view with the help of philosophical concepts and distinctions. They will be guided through the material and have a chance to develop both their analytic and argumentative skills.
• The tutorials will enable smaller groups of students to target a specific research area (based on the essay topic they have chosen) and participate in in-depth discussions of this particular topic. They will have a chance to examine the wider ramifications of their research area and reflect on the practical relevance within commercial and practical contexts. These tutorials will also enable students to work on their essay-writing techniques, receiving individual guidance where appropriate.
• Towards the end of the module the students will attend a workshop focusing on specific applications of the theories they have studied. During this workshop students will present a team-based case study. They will defend their arguments by responding to questions. This will help students to develop their skills for collaborative ethical decision making. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss their arguments with professionals who will be invited at the workshop.

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