Ethics and the Changing Role of Corporations in Society

Overview:

Ethics: This comprehensive course examines how the role of the corporate sector has changed – from a shareholder centric business model to a multistakeholder business model. It provides CPAs and others with an in-depth understanding of why ethical practices are fundamental to the success of any organization today – regardless of the industry, type or size of the organization. It describes how individual employees, teams, and corporations can navigate complex and challenging situations using an ethical mindset. Using plenty of real-life examples and several case studies, the course will demonstrate that there is a return on investment from ethical business practices, and that our standards and expectations for business ethics are rising, and rightly so. 

Course Content:

In this course you will gain knowledge about the following topics:

• Global corporate scandals and lessons learned  
  
• Balancing profit and purpose  
  
• The 4th Industrial revolution and its impact  
  
• How business ethics is different from the law 
  
• The return on investment from ethical business practices 
  
• Importance of employees  
  
• 6-step framework for ethical decision making 
  
• Mini ethical dilemma case studies 
  
• Crisis response ideas and cases 
  
• Emerging issues in accounting – AI, ESG 
  
• Measuring social impact  
  
• B Corp Certification
  

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the implications of the 4th industrial revolution 
  
• Learn key returns on investment from ethical business practices 
  
• Learn what an organization's biggest asset is and how to protect it 
  
• Identify important do's and don'ts from real life case studies 
  
• Identify the steps to take when handling an ethical dilemma 
  
• Identify key ethical considerations when dealing with a crisis situation 
  

Who Will Benefit: 

This course is ideal for CPAs, finance and accounting professionals, managers, and business leaders who want to strengthen their ethical decision‑making skills, understand the shift toward stakeholder‑driven business, and confidently navigate emerging issues such as AI, ESG, and social impact in today’s evolving corporate environment.