Social Responsibility and Ethics (BUSA90481)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 6.25On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
Contact information
Summer Term
June
September
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
| Availability | Summer Term March June June September September |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
In this subject, students learn about the societal context in which business operates, together with the skills for reasoning about ethical problems that arise in this context. The course examines the various stakeholders of business and discusses the obligations of corporations to those stakeholders. It considers strategies for achieving corporate social responsibility goals – such as environmental sustainability and social outcomes ‐‐ taking into account both the ethical case and the business case for such strategies. The course also examines a range of alternative approaches to moral reasoning as well as the applications of those approaches to the complex and dynamic ethical problems that confront leaders of modern organizations, both in Australia and in other cultures.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should:
- Apply the different approaches to moral reasoning and appreciate the limitations of these different approaches;
- Apply various ethical frameworks in the analysis and resolution of ethical problems
- Recognise some of the potential pitfalls of individual moral judgment;
- Describe the different forms that corporate social responsibility can take;
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the business case for corporate social responsibility;
- Appreciate the ethical dilemmas that arise in persuasion and communication with stakeholders, including customers, workers, and shareholders;
- Respond to the ways in which consumers’ purchase decisions are influenced by their ethical frameworks.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
June
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Contribution to class learning, ongoing
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Syndicate presentation (equivalent to 500 words per individual)
| During the teaching period | 20% |
Individual research assignment
| 2 Weeks after the end of teaching | 60% |
Case preparation and discussion, ongoing
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
September
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Contribution to class learning, ongoing
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Syndicate presentation (equivalent to 500 words per individual)
| During the teaching period | 20% |
Individual research assignment
| 2 Weeks after the end of teaching | 60% |
Case preparation and discussion, ongoing
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Summer Term
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Contribution to class learning, ongoing
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Syndicate presentation (equivalent to 500 words per individual)
| During the teaching period | 20% |
Individual research assignment
| 2 Weeks after the end of teaching | 60% |
Case preparation and discussion, ongoing
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Additional details
January, June and September (Full time and Part Time).
March (EMBA):
- Syndicate assignment (equivalent to 500 words per individual), due at the end of the subject (20%)
- Final examination (2 hours), held at the end of the subject (80%)
Hurdle requirement: to pass this subject, students are required to pass the final examination.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Summer Term
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 15 hours Total time commitment 70 hours Pre teaching start date 7 January 2020 Pre teaching requirements Students are required to complete approximately 10 hours of reading to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period. Teaching period 9 January 2020 to 11 January 2020 Last self-enrol date 7 January 2020 Census date 9 January 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 14 January 2020 Assessment period ends 18 January 2020 Summer Term contact information
- March
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 70 hours Pre teaching start date 5 February 2020 Pre teaching requirements students are required to complete approximately 30 hours of readins to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period Teaching period 5 March 2020 to 5 April 2020 Last self-enrol date 10 February 2020 Census date 6 March 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 13 March 2020 Assessment period ends 5 April 2020 - June
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 70 hours Pre teaching start date 19 June 2020 Pre teaching requirements Students are required to complete approximately 10 hours of reading to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period. Teaching period 21 June 2020 to 23 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 19 June 2020 Census date 22 June 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 26 June 2020 Assessment period ends 30 June 2020 - June
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 15 hours Total time commitment 70 hours Pre teaching start date 23 June 2020 Pre teaching requirements Students are required to complete approximately 10 hours of reading to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period. Teaching period 25 June 2020 to 27 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 23 June 2020 Census date 25 June 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 30 June 2020 Assessment period ends 4 July 2020 June contact information
- September
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 70 hours Pre teaching start date 9 September 2020 Pre teaching requirements Students are required to complete approximately 10 hours of reading to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period. Teaching period 11 September 2020 to 13 September 2020 Last self-enrol date 9 September 2020 Census date 14 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 16 September 2020 Assessment period ends 20 September 2020 - September
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 15 hours Total time commitment 70 hours Pre teaching start date 15 September 2020 Pre teaching requirements Students are required to complete approximately 10 hours of reading to prepare for the subject during pre-teaching period. Teaching period 17 September 2020 to 19 September 2020 Last self-enrol date 15 September 2020 Census date 17 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 22 September 2020 Assessment period ends 26 September 2020 September contact information
Time commitment details
70 hours
Additional delivery details
PLEASE NOTE: this subject is not being run in April or July, please ignore any references to April or July teaching availabilities above.
This subject is only available to students admitted to GD-BA, GD-MKTG, MC-BAPT, MC-BAPTME, or students with permission of the MBA Course coordinator.
In some offerings, this subject will have a pre-teaching period:
- Check availability information (above) to see which offerings have pre-teaching periods.
- Students are required to complete readings and preparation tasks as specified by the lecturer in the pre-teaching period.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
- Subject notes
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Last updated: 3 November 2022