MGX3100 - Corporate social responsibility and business ethics - 2018

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.

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.

Within semester assessment: 50% + Examination: 50%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information