BUSI 4350: Business Law and Ethics
1. What Is BUSI 4350 About?
BUSI 4350: Business Law and Ethics is an Honors course at the University of Houston that explores the legal and ethical challenges managers face in organizational settings. The course focuses on developing critical thinking skills to help students evaluate complex business situations and make responsible decisions.
Rather than attempting to provide specialized legal expertise for every business profession, the course emphasizes the legal and ethical issues that managers commonly encounter, particularly in human resources and labor relations.
Students examine how laws, ethical principles, organizational behavior, and personal values influence decision-making. Through written analyses, group debates, class discussions, and legal topics, the course encourages students to evaluate different perspectives and understand the consequences of business decisions.
Course details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Course Code | BUSI 4350 |
| Course Title | Business Law and Ethics |
| University | University of Houston |
| Semester | Fall 2026 |
| Section | – |
| Format | Face-to-face |
| Course Type | Honors |
| Prerequisites | BUSI 3302, declared business major or program director approval, and a GPA of 2.0 or higher |
| Main Focus | Business law, ethical decision-making, human resources, and labor relations |
| Required Textbook | Business Ethics (OpenStax) |
2. What Do Students Learn in BUSI 4350?
BUSI 4350 helps students develop the ability to recognize, analyze, and respond to legal and ethical dilemmas in business environments.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Evaluate ethical dilemmas: Apply critical thinking to complex business situations involving competing values, interests, and responsibilities.
- Understand business law fundamentals: Become familiar with legal issues relevant to managers, particularly in human resources and labor relations.
- Apply ethical theories: Use ethical frameworks and theories to assess organizational decisions and justify conclusions.
- Recognize behavioral influences: Understand how personal values, moral development, and organizational structures can affect ethical behavior.
- Analyze discrimination and workplace issues: Explore legal and ethical challenges involving diversity, harassment, age discrimination, and disability discrimination.
- Conduct credible research: Investigate current business issues using relevant, reliable, and academically rigorous sources.
- Communicate and defend arguments: Present reasoned positions through written analyses, group debates, and classroom discussions.
The course emphasizes practical reasoning over memorizing large amounts of specialized legal information. Students are expected to understand how legal and ethical considerations affect decisions made by typical managers.
3. BUSI 4350 Course Topics
The course explores business law and ethics through several connected areas of study.
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Business Law and Ethics | Examine the relationship between legal obligations and ethical responsibilities in business decisions. |
| Ethical Theories | Explore frameworks for evaluating moral questions and determining appropriate courses of action. |
| Behavioral Ethics | Understand how human behavior influences ethical decision-making in organizations. |
| Giving Voice to Values | Consider how individuals can communicate and act on their values in professional situations. |
| Moral Foundations Theory | Explore different foundations that influence moral judgments and ethical perspectives. |
| Diversity and Discrimination | Study workplace diversity and issues involving unequal treatment and discrimination. |
| Title VII | Examine employment discrimination law under Title VII. |
| Harassment | Explore legal and ethical concerns surrounding harassment in organizational settings. |
| Age Discrimination | Understand workplace issues involving discrimination based on age. |
| Disability Discrimination | Examine discrimination involving disability and related workplace concerns. |
| Human Resources and Labor Relations | Focus on the legal fundamentals managers need to understand when dealing with employees and workplace relationships. |
These topics connect ethical reasoning with practical managerial responsibilities. Ethical theories and behavioral ethics provide tools for analyzing decisions, while employment law topics introduce legal considerations that shape workplace policies and organizational conduct.
4. How Is BUSI 4350 Structured?
BUSI 4350 combines classroom discussions, independent reading, written assignments, group research, debates, and an online examination.
The course places considerable emphasis on active participation and applying ideas to real-world business situations.
Its main components include:
- Lectures and discussions: Explore business law, ethical theories, behavioral ethics, workplace discrimination, and other course topics.
- Class reflections: Students write reflections on assigned readings and classroom material to demonstrate their understanding and critical thinking.
- Group debates: Students work in teams to research an ethical issue or relevant law in their business field, develop opposing arguments, and lead class discussions.
- Ethical analysis project: Students select a real-world ethical dilemma and develop a written analysis in two stages, incorporating feedback and academic research.
- Online examination: One online exam assesses material covered under the Legal Background content area.
- Participation and attendance: Students are expected to contribute actively to classroom discussions and activities.
The course uses a combination of individual and collaborative learning. Written assignments encourage independent analysis, while debates and discussions expose students to competing viewpoints and arguments.
5. What Assignments Are in BUSI 4350?
BUSI 4350 includes several substantial assignments that emphasize critical thinking, research, writing, and communication.
Class Reflections
Students must submit 10 written class reflections, each worth 5 points, for a total of 50 points.
Each reflection should be between 700 and 900 words and focus on assigned readings, classroom material, or both.
These assignments encourage students to engage with course concepts, reflect on ethical questions, and develop their analytical writing skills.
Important requirements:
- Ten reflections are required.
- Each reflection must be 700–900 words.
- Submissions are due on Friday of the designated week.
- Late submissions are not accepted.
Group Prepared Debates
Students are divided into debate groups of approximately 8–10 members. Each group researches an ethical issue or an important law or regulation relevant to its members’ business fields.
Groups select an issue with at least two possible positions, subject to approval. Members then divide into opposing teams and prepare arguments supporting or challenging the chosen position.
Each debate presentation can last up to 40 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session.
The assignment emphasizes extensive research using credible sources, thoughtful argument development, teamwork, and effective communication.
The debate assignment is worth 50 points, with the score divided between group performance and individual contributions. Individual performance also incorporates peer evaluation.
Peer Evaluation
Every student must evaluate the contributions of their fellow group members.
Peer evaluations are worth 5 points and form part of the individual debate assessment. Students who fail to submit their evaluations receive zero for their own peer evaluation grade.
Evaluations are confidential and must be submitted through the course’s assignment platform on the day of the group presentation.
Ethical Analysis Project
The ethical analysis project is a two-stage assignment in which students examine a real-world ethical dilemma involving an organization or an individual.
Students can select a current event from the news or other media, or analyze a real-life situation they experienced or witnessed.
Stage 1: Initial Ethical Issue Report
Students submit an approximately one-page report introducing the selected ethical dilemma and providing an initial analysis.
The report should summarize the situation and identify the main ethical issues. It should demonstrate critical thinking and thoughtful analysis, although extensive academic research is not yet required.
- Length: Approximately one page.
- Format: 1.5 spacing, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman.
The instructor provides feedback on the initial report, which students use to improve their final analysis.
Stage 2: Final Ethical Analysis
Students revisit the same dilemma and develop a more rigorous argument informed by ethical theories, course concepts, and credible academic research.
They must either defend the actions of the person or organization involved or argue that those actions were unacceptable.
The analysis should systematically evaluate the ethical dilemma using theoretically and empirically sound perspectives rather than relying primarily on personal opinions.
- Length: Approximately four pages.
- Format: Double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman.
- Research: Substantial, relevant, credible, and academically rigorous outside sources.
The project helps students develop the ability to apply ethical frameworks to real business situations and support their conclusions with evidence.
Online Examination
The exam covers material under the Legal Background content area and is worth 60 points.
Students must use Respondus LockDown Browser to complete the examination. The syllabus also specifies webcam and workspace requirements for the online testing process.
6. BUSI 4350 Grading Breakdown
The syllabus identifies the following graded activities and point values.
| Assessment | Points |
|---|---|
| Online Examination | 60 |
| Class Reflections | 50 |
| Class Participation | 40 |
| Group Prepared Debates | 50 |
| Total of Listed Categories | 200 |
The ethical analysis project is also a major graded assignment, but its point value is not specified in the provided syllabus excerpt.
The debate assessment includes group and individual performance, with peer evaluation incorporated into the individual score. The syllabus separately identifies peer evaluation as worth 5 points.
Because the available syllabus information does not fully clarify how the ethical analysis project and peer evaluation fit into the overall grading total, the complete course grading structure cannot be established from the provided material.
7. What Readings and Materials Are Used in BUSI 4350?
The required textbook for BUSI 4350 is Business Ethics, available free through the OpenStax library.
The syllabus also recommends several additional books that provide deeper perspectives on ethical decision-making, moral reasoning, and business ethics.
| Reading | Author(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Business Ethics | OpenStax | Required |
| Blind Spots: Why We Fail to Do What’s Right and What to Do about It | Max H. Bazerman and Ann E. Tenbrunsel | Recommended |
| The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion | Jonathan Haidt | Recommended |
| Managing Business Ethics (6th edition) | Linda K. Treviño and Katherine A. Nelson | Recommended |
The recommended books offer additional insights into ethical behavior, moral judgment, and organizational decision-making. Managing Business Ethics is specifically identified as a useful reference for written assignments, although its contents are not necessarily covered directly in quizzes.
Additional readings may be assigned occasionally and made available through Canvas.
8. BUSI 4350 Weekly Topics
The provided syllabus excerpt identifies the main lecture and discussion subjects but does not include a complete week-by-week schedule.
The listed subjects include:
| Subject Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Business Law and Ethics | Legal and ethical dimensions of organizational decisions |
| Ethical Theories | Frameworks for evaluating moral dilemmas |
| Behavioral Ethics | Psychological and behavioral influences on ethical choices |
| Giving Voice to Values | Communicating and acting on personal and professional values |
| Moral Foundations Theory | Foundations that shape moral judgments |
| Diversity and Discrimination | Workplace diversity and discriminatory practices |
| Employment Discrimination Law | Title VII and related legal considerations |
| Workplace Harassment | Legal and ethical issues involving harassment |
| Age Discrimination | Workplace discrimination based on age |
| Disability Discrimination | Workplace discrimination involving disability |
The course places particular emphasis on applying ethical reasoning to managerial situations and understanding employment-related legal responsibilities.
The syllabus excerpt does not specify the exact dates or weekly sequence for these lecture topics.
9. What Skills Can Students Develop in BUSI 4350?
BUSI 4350 is designed to strengthen skills that help students make informed and responsible decisions in professional environments.
Key skills include:
- Critical thinking: Evaluate complex legal and ethical situations and consider the consequences of different decisions.
- Ethical reasoning: Apply ethical theories and moral frameworks to real-world organizational dilemmas.
- Legal awareness: Recognize fundamental legal issues affecting managers, especially in human resources and labor relations.
- Research and information evaluation: Identify credible sources, conduct extensive research, and use evidence to support arguments.
- Analytical writing: Develop structured, well-supported written arguments through reflections and the ethical analysis project.
- Public speaking: Present arguments clearly and confidently during group debates and classroom discussions.
- Teamwork: Collaborate with classmates to research, prepare, and deliver debate presentations.
- Perspective-taking: Understand opposing arguments and evaluate competing ethical positions.
- Professional communication: Defend decisions and communicate ethical concerns in organizational contexts.
These skills are developed through a combination of independent assignments, collaborative research, classroom discussions, and structured debates.
10. What Should Students Expect in BUSI 4350?
Students taking BUSI 4350 should expect a discussion-oriented Honors course with a strong emphasis on independent research, written analysis, and active participation.
Several aspects of the course are particularly important.
- Active classroom participation: Attendance, punctuality, and meaningful contributions to discussions and activities are important parts of the learning process.
- Substantial writing requirements: Students must complete ten reflections of 700–900 words, as well as a two-stage ethical analysis project.
- Extensive independent research: Debate groups and the final ethical analysis require students to use credible, relevant sources beyond basic textbook material.
- Collaborative assignments: Group debates involve dividing research responsibilities, preparing opposing arguments, presenting findings, and answering questions.
- Strict reflection deadlines: Late class reflections are not accepted, making consistent time management essential.
- Critical examination of real-world issues: Students analyze current events and practical ethical dilemmas rather than relying exclusively on hypothetical scenarios.
- Online exam preparation: The semester includes one online examination that requires Respondus LockDown Browser and compliance with the stated testing conditions.
- Limited absence allowance: The syllabus permits one unexcused absence, emphasizing the importance of regular attendance.
