Business and Marketing Ethics (MKTG30012)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject addresses the ethical challenges confronting managers and marketers in contemporary business organisations. Ethically questionable practices can include sweatshop labour, the destruction of the natural environment, sex in advertising, and political lobbying and influence. But business and marketing can also demonstrate ethical leadership, for example through green products, cause-related marketing and sustainable supply chains. The subject will explore why firms respond in these ways from the context of debates on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability, including strategic, ethical and critical/political perspectives. The subject then addresses what ethical issues are important to specific stakeholder groups, including employees, consumers, governments and NGO activists.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Appreciate the variety of social, political and economic forces, stakeholders and issues affecting business organisations today at global and local levels;
- Identify and analyse current public issues in the interplay between businesses and their stakeholders, such as social justice, environmental degradation, and government regulation;
- Critically evaluate the debates around ethics, social responsibilities and sustainability for business; identify the different ethical frameworks for engaging in those debates; and understand how managers and marketers can respond to calls for social responsibility and sustainability; and
- Apply the above learnings to real-world cases and situations.
Generic skills
On successful completion of this subject, students should have improved the following generic skills:
- Critical thinking about ethical, societal and environmental issues in organised settings;
- Oral and written communication;
- Problem solving and collaborative learning; and
- Synthesis of data and other information.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Please note this is a third-year level subject. Students should have completed at least 175 points of study prior to taking this subject.
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: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Tutorial preparation and participation
| Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Individual essay
| Week 4 | 10% |
Group presentation in an assigned tutorial
| Throughout the semester | 10% |
Group assignment (groups of 2-3)
| Week 9 | 30% |
End-of-semester examination
| During the examination period | 40% |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Andrew Zur Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours One 2-hour lecture and one 1-hour tutorial per week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 February 2024 to 26 May 2024 Last self-enrol date 8 March 2024 Census date 3 April 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 3 May 2024 Assessment period ends 21 June 2024 Semester 1 contact information
Mr Andrew Zur: ajzur@unimelb.edu.au
Time commitment details
170 hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025