With leadership comes responsibility. This course explores the numerous ethical issues faced by managers and organizations and provides both analytical frameworks and the latest findings on human behavior to inform ethical decisions and strategies. The readings present challenging and controversial case studies, provide insights from experimental psychology and economics, and discuss relevant philosophical concepts and arguments. Through class exercises, rigorous discussion, and personal reflection, you will clarify your own ethical stance, think through ethical dilemmas, and practice articulating recommendations compellingly. You will also discover the diversity of ethical viewpoints and find out how to avoid the social and cognitive pitfalls that can make ethical leadership challenging.
2 units · GSB Letter Graded
With leadership comes responsibility. This course explores the numerous ethical issues faced by managers and organizations and provides both analytical frameworks and the latest findings on human behavior to inform ethical decisions and strategies. The readings present challenging and controversial case studies, provide insights from experimental psychology and economics, and discuss relevant philosophical concepts and arguments. Through class exercises, rigorous discussion, and personal reflection, you will clarify your own ethical stance, think through ethical dilemmas, and practice articulating recommendations compellingly. You will also discover the diversity of ethical viewpoints and find out how to avoid the social and cognitive pitfalls that can make ethical leadership challenging.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.