MGC3100 - Management ethics and corporate governance

Leader: Dr Elizabeth Prior Jonson

Offered

Clayton First semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

Do corporations have any responsibilities beyond profit maximisation? To what extent should business activities be left to the operation of the free market and to what extent should they be regulated by government? This unit examines the theoretical foundations of the different answers that have been given to these two fundamental questions. More specifically it examines the topics of ethical issues in marketing, advertising and environmental protection regulation and corporate governance, human resource management and whistleblowing.

Objectives

The learning objectives of this unit are to:

• identify important ethical issues that arise in various business contexts;
• demonstrate a sound understanding of the ethical concepts and philosophical frameworks that are relevant for understanding ethical problems;
• explain the implications of adopting different approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility;
• critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility;
• critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of different mechanisms for regulating business behaviour.

Assessment

Individual essay (3000 words): 30%
Group assignment (1000 words):10%
Examination (3 hours):60%

Contact hours

Three hours contact per week.

Prerequisites

MGC1010 or MGC1020