Active learning ideas
Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) challenge students to think about the moral dimensions of the economy. This topic, situated in Strand 2 and Strand 3, explores how businesses should balance the pursuit of profit with their responsibilities to employees, customers, the environment, and the local community. Students examine real-world examples of ethical dilemmas, such as fair wages, honest advertising, and ethical sourcing.
Activity 01
The class holds a mock trial for a fictional company accused of using misleading environmental claims (greenwashing). Students take on roles as prosecutors, defense lawyers, and a jury to decide if the company acted unethically.
What does it mean for a business to act ethically?
Activity 02
Groups research the CSR policies of well-known Irish companies (e.g., SuperValu's Tidy Towns or a local credit union's sponsorship). They create posters showing the positive impact these actions have on society.
How does CSR benefit a company's reputation?
Activity 03
Give pairs a scenario: 'You find out your cheapest supplier uses child labor. Switching suppliers will double your costs and might make you go out of business. What do you do?' Pairs discuss and share their reasoning.
What are the consequences of unethical business practices?
A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Students often think that acting ethically always makes a business less profitable.
Explain that ethical behavior can build brand loyalty and attract customers, leading to long-term success. A collaborative investigation into 'B-Corps' or successful ethical brands can provide evidence for this.
There is a belief that ethics is just about following the law.
Clarify that ethics goes beyond legal requirements; it's about doing what is right, even when the law doesn't require it. Using a 'Legal vs. Ethical' sorting activity helps students distinguish between the two concepts.
Methods used in this brief
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