CO 317: Communication and Business Ethics

This course examines the ethical issues surrounding the role of verbal and nonverbal communication in distinguishing human participation in society within a business and organizational context. Students will be asked to think critically about the range of issues germane to communication & business from a variety of normative perspectives. Given the fact that language use as a symbolic activity is often highlighted as that “cachet” which distinguishes us and defines—in part—our humanness—and is certainly sine qua non for any vocation, the material is essential for all students in professional contexts and personal relationships. The central question this course explores is: What is the framework for discerning responsibility for one’s “talk,” and the way we expect that responsibility for one’s actions within a business and organizational context?