Exploring Business Ethics

Lesson Overview

• Year Group: Year 11
• Subject: Business Studies
• Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
• Curriculum Link: GCSE Business, Theme 2 - Building a Business
  • Sub-topic: Ethical considerations in business and their impact on decision-making.
  • Key Objective: To understand and critically evaluate the implications of ethical and unethical practices in business using debate structures.

This lesson focuses on fostering critical thinking, speaking, and listening skills in alignment with the GCSE Business Studies objectives. Students will demonstrate understanding through an experiential debate on the topic: "Can businesses truly be ethical in a competitive world?"

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define and explain the concept of business ethics, identifying relevant real-world examples.
2. Articulate and defend arguments on opposing sides of an ethical dilemma.
3. Analyse the costs and benefits of ethical and unethical practices for businesses.
4. Develop teamwork and collaborative skills through organised debates.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity: Ethical Snap Judgement (5 minutes)

• Begin by presenting 4 quick-fire ethical dilemmas businesses might face (see below). Ask students for instant reactions (e.g., raise your hand for 'Yes' or 'No').
  Example statements:

  • "Should a business charge premium prices for sustainably sourced products?"
  • "Should a business exploit cheap labour from LEDCs (Less Economically Developed Countries) to remain competitive?"
  • "Is environmental concern more important than profit?"
  • "Should businesses always pay taxes in the country they operate in?"

• Purpose: To quickly engage students and build curiosity about the lesson topic.

Teacher Note: Use the "snap judgement" results to highlight the diversity of perspectives in ethical debates.

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2. Introducing Business Ethics (10 minutes)

Content to Teach:

1. Define "business ethics."

   • Key definition: The moral values and principles that guide the way a business behaves.
   • Link to UK examples: Discuss key ethical issues in businesses like Pret A Manger's food waste donation policy or Boohoo’s labour practices controversy.

2. Briefly review impacts of ethical/unethical decisions.

   • Impacts on profitability, brand image, consumer loyalty, cost base, and legal risks.

Engagement Tip: Ask students to think of ONE company they believe is ethical and ONE they believe is unethical. Take 3-5 volunteers to share examples.

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3. Debate Setup: Ethical Dilemma in Spotlight (25 minutes)

Introducing the Debate:

• Topic for debate:
  "It is impossible for large businesses to remain ethical while competing globally."

• Divide the class into two teams (14 or 15 students each).
  Team A: "It IS impossible."
  Team B: "It IS possible."

• Students will then divide into sub-groups to prepare their arguments:

  • Researchers (5 per team): Research arguments and examples (Teacher provides a pre-crafted resource sheet if internet research is unavailable).
  • Persuasive speakers (5 per team): Draft impactful opening and closing statements.
  • Questioners (4 per team): Develop questions to challenge the opposing team in cross-examination.

Preparation Areas to Cover:

1. Financial Perspective: Does ethical behaviour increase costs?
2. Legal Perspective: How does the law enforce or encourage ethical behaviour?
3. Environmental Responsibility: Can sustainability initiatives co-exist with profit-making?
4. Social Perspective: Impact on employees, supply chains, and society.

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4. Debate Execution (15 minutes)

Debate structure:

1. Opening Statements (2 minutes per team)

   • Team A and Team B present their arguments.

2. Cross-Examination (6 minutes total)

   • Teams question each other using prepared challenges.

3. Closing Statements (2 minutes per team)

   • Summarise key points and reinforce the main argument.

Whole-Class Engagement: Unaligned students ("judges") listen carefully to vote on the most convincing argument at the end.

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5. Plenary: Reflect & Vote (5 minutes)

• Reflection Questions (Think-Pair-Share):

  1. Was it easier to argue for or against the motion? Why?
  2. Do you think businesses have a moral obligation to act ethically, even at the expense of profits?

• Vote: Judging panel announces the winning team based on clarity, evidence, and persuasiveness.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide printed resources with pre-researched examples, sentence starters, and key phrases (e.g., “One example of unethical behaviour is…”, “Research shows that…”).
• Challenge: Ask high-ability students to act as mediators or judges during the debate. Alternatively, integrate more complex UK scenarios like tax evasion by multinational corporations operating in the UK.

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Homework/Extension Activity

"Case Study Review":
Research a business in the UK that has been praised or criticised for its ethical practices (e.g., The Co-operative Bank, Unilever, or Amazon). Write a 300-word reflection to evaluate the ethical issues they faced and whether their approach aligns with your own beliefs about ethics.

Optional: Prepare a 60-second speech for next lesson defending whether the business is “ethical” or “unethical.”

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Teacher Notes

• This debate could lead into a deeper discussion in future sessions around CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and sustainability, key mid-tier concepts for GCSE students.
• Use this lesson to assess students' critical thinking and collaborative abilities, which are integral to the Business GCSE exam.