Explore Options; Plan Your MBA Academic Program

Please note: Before scheduling classes, check with the department
to determine the availability of courses for the upcoming
semester or visit the legal studies and Business ethics website at
.
The Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department brings
together the main means society uses to shape the conduct of
business: law and ethics . In some courses, law and ethics are
tightly integrated . In others, the focus is on either law or ethics
. Certain courses focus on specific industry contexts, such
as in professional services, health care, sports, entrepreneurial
activities, and financial markets .
The study of law provides valuable insights into the
business-government relationship and the public policy process
. It also enhances students’ knowledge and reasoning skills
in practical areas relevant to transactions and everyday business
activities . Familiarity with the law enables one to identify potential
legal problems, seek appropriate counsel before making
key decisions, and to work more effectively with lawyers .
Ethics is a lens through which individuals and firms determine
appropriate and fair ways to conduct their business both
locally and globally . Law is one guidepost, but ethical values,
human rights, stakeholder interests, and cultural norms are also
valuable to consider . Some courses consider the social impact
and responsibility of business broadly .
The core courses, LGST 611 and LGST 612, look at situations
students will likely face in their careers from both a legal
and an ethical viewpoint . These courses are designed to develop
analytical ability in problem-solving context and to hone
reasoning skills . LGST 611 is designed to cover material from
a global perspective, whereas LGST 612 aims to cover some of
the same topics from the vantage point of professional services .
The department participates in and is the administering
department for the Environmental and Risk Management major
and for the Social Impact secondary major . It also plays an
important role in the popular Negotiations course .
The Legal Studies and Business Ethics Department is
home to several research centers including the Initiative for
Global Environmental Leadership (IGEL), the Wharton
Sports Business Initiative (WSBI) and the Carol and Lawrence
Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research .
Our faculty includes experts in several domains of law and
ethics, including global dimensions . The unique breadth of our
faculty means that the department can offer specialized courses
not found in other business schools, as well as courses that synthesize
legal and ethical concepts .
MBA Advisor: Kevin Werbach (telephone: 215 .898 .1222;
email: werbach@wharton .upenn .edu)
40
Legal Studies and
Business Ethics
Core
LGST 611 Responsibility in Global Management ( .5 cu)
LGST 612 Responsibility in Professional Services ( .5 cu)
Electives
LGST 640 Digital Game Design Techniques for Business
LGST 692 Advanced Topics in Negotiations
LGST 802 Corporate Law and Management in
Global Perspective
LGST 804 Real Estate Law
LGST 805 Law of Marketing and Antitrust
LGST 806 Negotiations and Conflict Resolution
LGST 807 Securities Regulation
LGST 809 Sports Business Management
LGST 810 Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility
LGST 811 Legal Aspects of Health Care
LGST 813 Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship
LGST 815 Environmental Management, Law & Policy
LGST 820 International Business Ethics
LGST 830 Social Impact and Responsibility
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
LGST 611 ( .5 cu)
Responsibility in Global Management
Description: This course uses the global business context to
introduce students to important legal and ethical challenges
they will face as business leaders, with a particular focus on
large, publicly traded, multinational corporations . Cases and
materials will address how business leaders, constrained by law
and motivated to act responsibly in a global context, should
analyze relevant variables to make wise decisions . Topics will
include an introduction to the basic theoretical frameworks
used in the analysis of ethical issues, such as right-based, consequentialist-based,
and virtue-based reasoning, and conflicting
interpretations of corporate responsibility . The course will
include materials that introduce students to basic legal (common
law vs . civil law) and normative (human rights) regimes at
work in the global economy as well as sensitize them to the role
of local cultural traditions in global business activity .
Topics may also include such issues as comparative forms
of corporate governance, bribery and corruption in global
markets, human rights issues, diverse legal compliance systems,
corporate responses to global poverty, global environmental responsibilities,
and challenges arising when companies face conflicting
ethical demands between home and local, host country
mores . The pedagogy emphasizes globalized cases, exercises,
and theoretical materials from the fields of legal studies, business
ethics and social responsibility .
Format: Class participation, midterm and final exams .
Materials: Coursepack