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Syllabus
HRER 860
Ethical Decision-Making for HR Practitioners (3 credits): Ethical decision-making represents the way in which we resolve conflicting moral demands that we face. This course addresses that problem in the context of human resource management professionals. The course will identify the normative standards (i.e., moral principles) that are most frequently utilized when confronting such dilemmas, as well as a systematic approach to decide the appropriate course of action.
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Technical Requirements | Course Schedule | Course Requirements and Grading | Assignments | Academic Integrity | Policies
Overview
Increasingly, stakeholders, including human resource practitioners, are expected not only to understand and apply core organizational values but also to be capable of engaging in ethical decision-making at those moments where they are confronted by competing moral demands. Students in this class will study a five-step ethical decision-making process that organizes the manner in which they will most effectively resolve these conflicts.
HR practitioners find such dilemmas in a wide variety of contexts. Students will study the application of the decision-making model to interpersonal relationships and HR policy making and implementation, as well as situations involving business strategy.
Students will also engage in a detailed examination of how stakeholders actually behave when confronted with moral dilemmas. The need for this insight emerges in related lessons that help prepare students to manage ethical programs. For example, how does one construct a code of ethics? What helps to make such codes effective in promoting ethical awareness and eventually ethical action? What specific techniques can help create valuable training initiatives that, again, promote ethical awareness and, eventually, ethical action?
One of the themes that will constantly emerge in this course is the unique and important role HR practitioners play in helping groom the ability of all stakeholders to avoid careless decision-making when confronting moral choices that are critical to the organization’s ability to sustain itself and the communities in which they seek to thrive.
Course Objectives
After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- explain the difference between normative and descriptive ethics;
- compare and contrast morality and ethics;
- apply the five-step decision process to situations where someone must determine correct behavior in the context of ambiguous or conflicting moral expectations;
- apply the five-step decision process to common problems confronting HR practitioners, including issues related to technology, performance management, labor relations, and global HR issues;
- explain and apply non-Western values to the same types of dilemmas;
- describe the manner in which stakeholders actually behave in situations requiring ethical choices; and
- construct processes designed to create and sustain an ethical organizational culture, including the development of processes that promote open and honest reporting of ethical violations and problems.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
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Lesson 11 Commentary E-Reserves
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Lesson 12 Commentary Other Readings:
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Lesson 13 Commentary Other Readings
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Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Course Requirements and Grading
| Lesson | Activity | Points Per Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Part 1 | Getting Started Activities | ungraded |
| 1 Part 2 | Lesson 1 Individual Essay Assignment | 30 |
| 2 | Moral Values Class Discussion | 30 |
| 2 | Lesson 2 Quiz | 20 |
| 3 | Lesson 3 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 4 | Lesson 3 Quiz | 20 |
| 4 | Lesson 4 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 5 | Lesson 5 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 6 | Lesson 6 Quiz | 20 |
| 6 | Lesson 6 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 7 | Ethical Dilemmas Class Discussion | 30 |
| 8 | Lesson 8 Quiz | 20 |
| 8 | Group Discussion and Paper | 100 |
| 9 | Lesson 9 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 10 | Lesson 10 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 11 | Lesson 11 Individual Essay Assignment | 80 |
| 12 | Lesson 12 Quiz | 20 |
| 12 | Lesson 12 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 13 | Lesson 13 Individual Essay Assignment | 50 |
| 14 | Group Discussion and Paper | 100 |
| 15 | Sustainability Class Discussion | 30 |
| 15 | Final Exam | 100 |
| 1,000 |
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| Individual Essays | 51% |
| Group Papers | 20% |
| Class Discussions | 9% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
| Final Exam | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
| Grade | Minimum% |
|---|---|
| A | 93 |
| A- | 90 |
| B+ | 87 |
| B | 83 |
| B- | 80 |
| C+ | 77 |
| C | 70 |
| D | 60 |
| F | <60 |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Activities
Discussions and Participation
During each week in which there is a discussion, you will be expected to make an initial post and at least two additional posts in response to posts by fellow classmates. You may submit additional posts where you feel is appropriate. Your work will be evaluated on three criteria:
- Did you make the three required posts?
- Were the posts submitted within the required time frame?
- Was each of the posts of substantive?
With respect to the third criterion, it would never be acceptable to make a post such as the following:
- I read Chapter 3 and found that it did not correctly speak to the issues raised in the assignment. I simply don't get the author's point.
- Nor would the following be an appropriate response to a classmate's posting:
- Frank, your comment is right on point. I've been in situations of that sort before.
In essence, "substantive" suggests that you will add value to the discussion, either because you recount a personal experience that helps broaden everyone's experience, or you make an insight that represents a critical analysis of the text, or you interject additional research as part of the discussion that is not otherwise available to fellow students, or some other set of comments of a comparable nature. Anything that appears perfunctory will receive a "no" in the chart below.
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Posted on time? |
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First response must be made no later than Friday |
Yes or No |
Yes or No |
Yes or No |
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Second response must be made no later than Sunday |
Yes or No |
Yes or No |
Yes or No |
Papers and Essays: Spelling, Grammar, Syntax
With respect to all written activities, your work will also be evaluated with respect to spelling, grammar, and syntax. A stray typo will not result in a lower grade; however, a pattern of minor errors suggesting careless writing and little or no proofreading will result in a lower grade. No student who writes an incomplete sentence will receive a grade of "A" no matter how superb the substance of the paper itself.
With respect to syntax, it is common—particularly when rushed—to write sentences which, in some cases, make little or no sense. It is often the case that proofreading a sentence may not be enough for you to notice the error, in part because you know what you meant to say, and because of this, you may easily miss the error. If you read your work out loud before submitting the final copy, you'll more easily catch these errors. We often hear mistakes we simply don't see.
Individual Essays
Each submission will be graded based on the degree to which you are responsive to each part of the assignment. If, for example, the assignment requires two examples of a situation you have previously experienced and you only provide one such example, your grade will be reduced. This will occur no matter how well the one example is presented. Individual essay assignments will be submtited via Turnitin (a web-based plagiarism detection and prevention system)
Group Papers
Again, each submission will graded based on the degree to which the group is responsive to each part of the activity. As stated above, if the activity requires two examples of a situation you have previously experienced and you only provide one such example, your grade will be reduced. This will occur no matter how well the one example is presented.
Also, any week in which a group paper is assigned, all group members must go to their Group Discussions no later than 11:59 p.m. (ET) Tuesday to identify for fellow members their availability during that week. Any student who does not post information by that time will receive a five-point deduction from what would otherwise be the team's score. For example, if the group submission results in 90 out of 100 points, the individual who fails to post as noted will receive a grade of 85.
Note that the group activities require that you fill out a Peer Evaluation Form on each of your group members and one on yourself. Failure to complete and submit the Peer Evaluation Forms will adversely affect your grade.
Final Exam
For your final exam you will each receive 50 questions that will be selected randomly from the entire pool of quiz questions used throughout the semester. You are free to consult your text, E-Reserves, and other reading materials for assistance.
Additional Considerations
Students please note: The School of Labor and Employment Relations does not view Wikipedia as a valid source for information cited in academic work. It can be a useful tool for quickly finding general information on subjects or as a starting point for research. However, students should not cite Wikipedia as a source in papers, reports, assignments, etc.
NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" on the World Campus Student Policies website.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Course Policies
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Please note that course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. The course instructor and any teaching assistant(s), of course, have access to the course throughout the semester. Each course offered via the World Campus has several instructional design staff members assigned to assist in managing course content and delivery. These instructional design staff members have access to the course throughout the semester for this purpose. Also, World Campus technical staff may be given access in order to resolve technical support issues. In addition, mentor, department head, or program chair may be provided with course access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. Each of these individuals will keep confidential all student course and academic information.
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.