Monash University Handbook 2011 Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

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 through internal and external mechanisms? 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 and advertising, climate change and environmental protection regulation and corporate governance, human resource management and social accounting.

Objectives

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

1. identify important ethical issues that arise in various business contexts
2. explain the implications of adopting different approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility
3. critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility
4. critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of different mechanisms for regulating business behaviour
5. apply different approaches to Corporate Social Responsibility and different approaches to regulation to issues specific to marketing, HRM, environment and social accounting.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 40%
Examination (3 hours): 60%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Elizabeth Prior Jonson

Contact hours

3 hours per week

Prerequisites

Completion of 12 units (72 points) of study