Debate Motion
“This Business School believes that ethical leadership is impossible in a shareholder focused economy”
Preparation for Seminar
Individually read each of the character profiles and formulate a response to each of the indicative questions posed underneath each outline. Meet as a team before the seminar (physically or virtually). It is critical that before the seminar that your team reviews all of the character profiles. Your team will be asked to represent one of the characters in the debate. Please decide in advance who will be your team’s spokesperson. There will be three rounds of debate so your team can nominate one person for all rounds, or have two different spokespersons in rounds one and two. The third round is open discussion, so anyone can be the spokesperson or your team can stay with the single nominee.
This seminar is aiming to develop your verbal communication skills and to build your confidence in debating issues critically and yet professionally. This is another example of the sort of skills which might be examined in an assessment centre day and will certainly be required as you engage in management in your future career.
Take carefully note of the debate motion, the argument is implicitly between the shareholder and stakeholder centric views, although there will be other dissenting voices. Remember that the debate will end with a vote on the motion as stated above.
In preparation for this seminar it is important that you familiarise yourself with ALL of the following four “characters” which will be represented in the debate.
You are to prepare notes for each of the characters viewpoints. There are some guiding questions beneath each profile to get you started.
Your team will be asked to play one of these characters in class.
Remember, these are just character outlines. If your team feels that a profile can be elaborated while maintaining the essential essence of the character this will be allowed in debate by the tutor. However, you must declare that this is a team interpretation during the debate. The tutor may rule against this interpretation if he (she) feels that it is too speculative or misleading to others.
Directed Reading
Crane A and Matten D (2010) Business Ethics OUP Chapter 5 & 6