COMM 394 - Environment, Society, and Government (formerly named Government and Business)

This course explores the roles of government and business in the Canadian economy, emphasizing interactions with the environment and society, including indigenous communities. The course also explores the ethical foundations of government, business and personal decision making. Economic analysis will be used to answer pertinent questions about the three core areas of this course:

1. Environment: How can businesses become more sustainable and respond to the challenges of climate change? How can governments design effective policies to further sustainability goals?
2. Society: What is the social responsibility of businesses? How can businesses and individuals master the ethical challenges of our modern times?
3. Government: What policy tools are available to governments to correct market failures? How can governments promote sustainability, fairness, competition, and reconciliation?

An important part of the course involves consideration of current public policy issues as well as ethical dilemmas confronting managers.

Learning objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the Canadian economic scene and ability to comment intelligently on the public policy issues that are relevant for businesses.
2. Use a framework based on economic concepts and ethical principles to guide public policy, taking into account incentive effects, economic efficiency, and fairness.
3. Evaluate the appropriateness of particular business decisions based on important philosophical approaches to business ethics. 

Prerequisite: One of COMM 295, ECON 201, ECON 301.