This course is part of the Business in Society and Leadership & Management track.
Introduction to Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability

LIMITED TIME ONLY

Extra learning at no extra cost. Enroll now and unlock a GenAI Bonus Bundle featuring complimentary lessons on AI fundamentals. Download our guide to learn more about this limited-time offer.
 

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability

$1,850
Next 6-week session starts June 4th
Develop a toolkit for making tough leadership decisions with economic, legal, and ethical considerations.
6
weeks
7-9
hours per week
5
modules
Self-Paced
with regular deadlines

 This course earns you a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online. What you earn.

Overview
Syllabus
Enrollment
Stories
FAQs

Key Concepts

Develop a framework for understanding the responsibilities leaders have to their customers, employees, investors, and society
Determine and deliver on your economic, legal, and ethical responsibilities
Formulate a plan to address conflicts and communicate the “why” behind your decisions
Establish a toolkit for making tough leadership decisions now and in the future

Who Will Benefit

Determine and deliver on your responsibilities to investors, customers, employees, and society.
"Don't lose hope. These courses helped change my career trajectory, and I hope they do wonders in your life as well. In the end, it'll be all worth it."
Riya Dashoriya
Engineering Manager at Quizlet at Infosys
Prepare for, or acclimate to, new leadership roles in which you’ll be faced with making difficult decisions.
"For me, that connection from textbook to reality made the courses memorable, enjoyable, and interesting. Case studies were absolutely my favorite part of the program."
Kyle Rosenmeyer
Boise State University Graduate, Engineer, and Photographer
Learn how to navigate new leadership challenges as you build or scale your venture.
"I would advise that you ask for help or opinions on any topic that appears murky to you."
Fabian Ibekwe
Founder, Angelus Consulting and Research Limited at Infosys

What You Earn

Certificate of Completion

Certificate of Completion

Boost your resume with a Certificate of Completion from HBS Online

Earn by: completing this course

Certificate of Specialization

Certificate of Specialization

Prove your mastery of leadership and management and business in society

Earn by: completing any three courses within either subject area to earn a Certificate of Specialization

Syllabus

5 Modules, 40-50 Hours
Download full syllabus
12-16
hrs
Module 1 - 2 Weeks

Delivering on Responsibilities to Customers

Understand what “gray-area situations” are and the reflective leadership model to start assessing difficult circumstances and improve your decision-making skills.

Highlights

Information Asymmetry
Development of Antegren
Alex's Final Decision
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. Course Introduction and Overview of the Reflective Leadership Model
  2. The Complexities of Business-Customer Relationships
  3. Applying the Reflective Leadership Questions
  4. Ethical Practices with Business Customers

Featured Exercises

  • Examine gray-area decisions related to customers
  • Apply the reflective leadership model to work through a crisis
  • Differentiate between customers, clients, and counterparties
7-9
hrs
Module 2 - 1 Week

Ensuring Fairness for Employees

Learn how to make a fair workplace culture at scale that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and analyze how personal beliefs might influence decision-making. Develop techniques to combat bias.

Highlights

What is Fairness
Organizational Fairness and Challenges
Explicit Bias vs. Implicit Bias
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. Employee Considerations
  2. An Analysis Using the Reflective Leadership Framework
  3. Examining Employee Responsibilities at Scale: What Can We Learn from Google?
  4. Review and Self-Reflection

Featured Exercises

  • Analyze your biases and reflect on past decisions to help identify problem areas
  • Consider how employee rights factor into firing decisions
  • Identify three types of fairness in employee-employer relationships
7-9
hrs
Module 3 - 1 Week

Investor Responsibilities and Fiduciary Duties

Explore due diligence and how fiduciary duties influence leadership responsibilities. Unpack the tensions leaders face when balancing value creation for investors with accountability to other constituencies.

Highlights

What Can We Learn
Briefing on Wilder's Plan
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. Theranos: Where Does the Responsibility Lie?
  2. Power and Money at TXU Corporation
  3. From TXU to Energy Future Holdings
  4. Review and Self-Reflection

Featured Exercises

  • Evaluate long-versus short-term responsibilities through the lens of different stakeholder interests
  • Reflect on the responsibilities of founders, CEOs, and boards
7-9
hrs
Module 4 - 1 Week

The Social Responsibility of Business

Understand different perspectives on the role of business in society and why an organizational approach focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues can—and should—be financially viable.

Highlights

Causality and Complicity
The Tazreen Fire
Purpose of the Firm
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. The Changing Role of Business in Society
  2. Engaging with Harms in the Garment Industry
  3. SA Taxi: One Firm’s Response to Harms
  4. Long-Term Value Through Commitment to Society

Featured Exercises

  • Analyze an organization’s goals by reflecting on your company’s purpose
  • Identify different types of harms most common in your industry
7-9
hrs
Module 5 - 1 Week

Reflective Leadership in a Digital World

Discover how the scale, scope, and speed of business in Big Tech affects leadership responsibilities and integrate your knowledge of the reflective leadership model through a critical analysis of Facebook.

Highlights

Intro to Protagonists and Tech Effects
Frances Haugen - Civic Integrity Work
Mossberg and Spar about Privacy
ShowHide Details

Concepts

  1. Leadership Changes in the Digital Age
  2. Awareness: Considerations and Responsibilities at Facebook
  3. Judgment: What Should Facebook Do?
  4. How Should Facebook Do It?

Featured Exercises

  • Develop action plans to address specific company problems
  • Reflect on past mistakes and issues in tech to identify improvement areas
  • Identify your strengths and weaknesses when dealing with ethical decision-making
Free E-Book

How to Become a More Effective Leader

Learn about the difference between leadership and management, uncover the qualities and skills that characterize an effective leader, gain an understanding of common leadership styles, and explore how you can unleash the potential in yourself and others.

Upskill Your Team, Transform Your Organization

Whether you represent a large multinational corporation or a small local business, we have a solution for your learning and development needs.

Our Difference

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability helps current and aspiring managers determine and deliver on their responsibilities to customers, employees, investors, and society by drawing on economic, legal, and ethical considerations.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes, including applying the reflective leadership framework.
Stay active by engaging in a new activity every three to five minutes, including applying the reflective leadership framework.
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Get social by collaborating with a global community of peers before, during, and after your course. Learners who successfully complete an HBS Online program will be added to the HBS Online Community's Official Networking Group and gain exclusive access to events and other networking opportunities.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading companies like Facebook, Google, and SA Taxi.
Immerse yourself in real-world, case-based examples brought to life by industry-leading companies like Facebook, Google, and SA Taxi.

About the Professor

Nien-hê Hsieh
Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability

Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration
“This course will offer valuable tools to sharpen your judgment and decision-making skills and help you act and lead with integrity and good conscience.”

Dates & Eligibility

Starting
Jun
04
6 Weeks  $1,850 + applicable international taxes
Enrollment deadline May 29
View weekly calendar
Enroll Now
Starting
Aug
13
6 Weeks  $1,850 + applicable international taxes
Enrollment deadline August 7
View weekly calendar
Enroll Now
Starting
Oct
22
6 Weeks  $1,850 + applicable international taxes
Enrollment deadline October 16
View weekly calendar
Enroll Now
  • No documentation required

All learners must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course.

Learn about bringing this course to your organization.

Learner Stories

91%
Gained Deeper Expertise in Specific Areas
Participating in the student discussions was empowering. It ignited a drive within me to learn and absorb as much as I could.
Leslie Pico
A small business owner and tech entrepreneur from Arizona
Programming & System Analysis, Biomedical Engineering, Estrella Mountain Community College
Small Business Administration, Northern Arizona University
As always, the case studies are eye-opening. The content is superb, and the presentation of the case is superb as well.
Richard Pitts
VP and Senior Medical Director at St. Joseph Heritage Health
* Source: 2022 surveys and course data
 
All FAQs

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability FAQs

Participants in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability are eligible for a Certificate of Completion from Harvard Business School Online.

Participants are expected to fully complete all coursework in a thoughtful and timely manner. This means completing each course module and fully answering questions posed therein by the required deadline. This course also features recommended weekly deadlines to help ensure your cohort proceeds through the course at a similar pace and can take full advantage of social learning opportunities. In addition to module and assignment completion, we expect participation in the social learning elements of the course by offering feedback on others’ reflections and contributing to conversations on the platform. Participants who fail to complete the course requirements will not receive a certificate and will not be eligible to retake the course.

More detailed information on course requirements will be communicated at the start of the course. No grades are assigned for Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability. Participants will either be evaluated as complete or not complete.

You will have access to the materials in every prior module as you progress through the program. Access to course materials and the course platform ends 60 days after the final program deadline.

At the end of each course module, you’ll be able to download a PDF summary highlighting key concepts introduced in the course. At the end of the program, you’ll receive a PDF compilation of all the module summary documents. We hope these serve as a helpful resource after you finish the course.

Harvard Business School Online
Certificate in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
[Cohort Start Month and Year]

List your certificate on your LinkedIn profile under "Education" with the language from the Credential Verification page:

School: Harvard Business School Online
Dates Attended: [The year you participated in the program]
Degree: Other; Certificate in Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability
Field of Study: Leave blank
Grade: Complete
Activities and Societies: Leave blank

For the program description on LinkedIn, please use the following:

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability is a 6-week, 40-50 hour online certificate program from Harvard Business School. It helps current and aspiring managers determine and deliver on their responsibilities to customers, employees, investors, and society, drawing on economic, legal, and ethical considerations.

 

Related Programs

7 Courses

Credential of Leadership, Impact, and Management in Business (CLIMB)

CLIMB enables new and experienced leaders to ignite their careers with a combination of vital and forward-looking business skills, self-reflection, and an immersive cohort-based learning experience with a diverse global network.

1 year, 5-9 hrs/week
Apply by September 10th, Enroll by September 13$15,000 (four installments of $3,750)Credential 

Leadership Principles

Professors Joshua Margolis & Anthony Mayo

Learn to bring out the best in others by applying and adapting your leadership style and managing the conditions that drive team performance.

6 weeks, 7-9 hrs/week
Enroll by May 15$1,850Certificate 

Management Essentials

Professors Joseph Fuller & David Garvin

Master four vital managerial processes: decision-making, implementation, organizational learning, and change management.

8 weeks, 4-7 hrs/week
Enroll by September 25$1,850Certificate 

Sustainable Business Strategy

Professor Rebecca Henderson

Become a purpose-driven leader by learning how to influence key stakeholders and integrate values into your work to catalyze system-level change.

3 weeks, 7-9 hrs/week
Enroll by June 5$1,850Certificate