Business ethics may be defined as "the principles, values and standards that guide behavior in the world of business." The importance of ethical awareness in business transactions and education is widely recognized, and evidence shows that ethics education can influence decision making in the workplace. As a result, colleges of business often…

In the online environment, students and instructors are virtually, but not physically, present in the same environment. In the online environment, technology mediates learning: it mediates communications and information transfer between the student and the instructor, between the student and the content, and among the students. Critics fear that…

One of the most enjoyable and interesting subjects for students taking a business law or legal environment course is the study of torts. Whether a course only allows this discussion for a week or longer, seasoned professors realize that they can capture the attention of students by covering torts topics such as slip-and-fall litigation, defective…

In this article, the author reflects on his career as he turned fifty years old. He looks back on the most significant influences upon his professional life. This includes identifying the people who had the greatest influence on his teaching. This perspective not only serves as a reflection on the people and ideas that have influenced his teaching…

Teaching a specialized law course to students who are not in law school is a refreshing venture for most instructors. It often provides the instructor with an opportunity to teach in an area of specific research interest that is much more focused than the general business law or legal environment of business course. Accordingly, for those…

This paper describes the author's experience and strategy in teaching business law and ethics. Jennings shares how business scandals have changed her three decades of teaching and describes how she has found a way of connecting with students by introducing some cognitive dissonance that stays with them when they are asked to do something in their…

Business law professors have long recognized the pedagogical value of using simulations in the classroom. In-class simulations can serve to develop the all-important critical thinking skills that educated people are expected to possess in today's complex legal environment. Moot court exercises, also known as appellate argumentation or appellate…

This article is intended for business law and legal environment instructors who want to help students understand how they might react when presented with an ethical conflict, no matter how big or how small. The article discusses not only the compelling ethical issues that may arise in reneging cases, but also legal issues. The article provides…

This article provides a tool to help instructors introduce students to the intersection of blogging and employment law. Section II provides source materials on the subject. Specifically, it presents a summary overview of: (1) the development of blogging and other forms of online user generated content; (2) the legality of terminating an at-will…

The teaching of law in collegiate schools of business has a long history and a set of purposes that includes training students to know and understand their basic legal rights and obligations in the business arena, to recognize and avoid the liability-laden situations that would necessitate legal representation, to know when to engage legal…

Magic is exciting, but dangerous. David Copperfield explained "of all the performers on stage, no one courts disaster, no one flirts with danger as much as the magician." On October 3, 2003, Siegfried and Roy experienced that danger firsthand when Roy was attacked by one of his tigers while performing before a live audience. This tragic event can…

In this article, the authors echo the assertion of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Ethics Education Task Force that business schools must encourage students to develop a deep understanding of the myriad challenges surrounding corporate responsibility and corporate governance; provide them with tools for…

In the twenty-first century, differences in the treatment of trade in alcoholic beverages in comparison to other commercial goods seem at odds with the federal regulation of interstate trade under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which prohibits "differential treatment of in-state and out-of-state economic interests that…

In June 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision that caused much concern and anxiety across America. "Kelo v. City of New London" was viewed by many as an egregious violation of the Takings Clause of the U.S. Constitution. In "Kelo", the majority upheld a state statute that supported the use of eminent domain for purposes of economic…

This article discusses the tensions between the federal government and the states in several areas in modern commerce where consumers and business have competing interests. First the article discusses traditional approaches to express preemption and the constitutional and economic policy behind its uses by Congress. Even when Congress expressly…