PRDV223: Organizational Culture, Diversity, and Ethics

This course will conclude with an exploration of business ethics in the modern-day workplace environment. An organization and its managers have duties – including legal and ethical responsibilities – that they must uphold as part of their service to their stakeholders, including investors, vendors, employees, and the communities in which the organization operates.

First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

Corporate culture or organizational culture has a large impact on many aspects of a business and can sometimes influence its success or failure. It is defined as a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs that show people what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior in the workplace.

In this unit we will explore the fundamentals of organizational culture. We'll look at the dimensions of organizational cultures that you are likely to encounter in the workplace and why they matter. We'll also explore how managers can measure, create and maintain cultures in their organization. Finally, we'll take a look at what happens if the culture has changed or needs to change.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 5 hours. 

Another major impact on the culture of an organization is the makeup of its workforce. Specifically, what is diversity and how does it affect the management of an organization. In this unit we'll explore topics related to managing a diverse workforce including the benefits and challenges of an organization comprised of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. In addition, we'll look at the more well-known laws regarding discrimination in the work place and how cross-cultural issues can impact doing business globally.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 6 hours. 

Management sets the tone not only for a corporate climate; it also sets the standard for personal behavior. In this unit you will learn about the importance of ethics - that is, "doing what is right" or "doing the right thing." In light of recent major business scandals borne out of unethical behavior, almost all business schools have devoted aspects of their curricula to the study of ethics. In order to understand how to apply ethics to different circumstances, you must understand how ethics can vary based on differences in society, culture, and politics. There are a number of different philosophies purporting to explain how to apply ethics to decision-making, but none of them are absolute. However, understanding these various philosophies can help you reach workplace decisions that are more ethically grounded.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours. 

Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses.

If you come across any urgent problems, email contact@saylor.org.

Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.

Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.