MGT 709 - Moral Leadership and the Brain

This course takes a hard and pragmatic view of ethics and leadership. It does this by reviewing the brain-basis for moral values, how values can be measured, and uses exercises through which we can practice being ethical. It then relates these findings to issues business leaders face and shows how ethical environments can be created. This information will be disclosed through lectures and discussions. Students are required to do the readings before class, and to participate in class discussions. Learning is a cooperative endeavor and the more cooperation the greater the learning that occurs.

Students will gain an understanding of why human beings are ethical, and why they are not. With this knowledge, leaders can design ethical environments for their employees, customers, and stakeholders. Both the economic and human payoffs and costs of moral leadership will be identified, as well as a methodology described to help leaders resolve the inevitable ethical dilemmas leaders face.