COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Copyright Regulations 1969
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUBJECT INFORMATION
4
LECTURING STAFF
4
SUBJECT MATERIAL
5
SUBJECT DESCRIPTION
7
SUBJECT OUTCOMES
8
OVERVIEW OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES
8
SUBJECT CALENDAR
9
SUBJECT ASSESSMENT
10
GRADES AND STANDARDS
16
LATE POLICY
17
PRESENTATION OF WRITTEN WORK
18
LANGUAGE AND ACADEMIC SKILLS SUPPORT
19
ACCESS AND EQUITY
19
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION
19
ATTENDANCE POLICY
20
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
20
ACADEMIC APPEALS
21
REVIEW OF ASSESSMENT
22
POLICIES AND FORMS
22
STUDENT SUPPORT
22
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
22
INTERNET ETIQUETTE
23
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SUBJECT INFORMATION
Trimester One, 2014
Dates: Monday 24th March 2014 Saturday 13 June 2014
Subject code: MAN2100
Subject Title: Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics
Awards: Bachelor of Business
Prerequisites: None
Students should read this subject outline carefully. It contains important information about the subject. If anything in it is unclear, please consult your lecturer.
LECTURING STAFF
Academic Head: Dr Stephen Fox
02 8248 6758
stephen.fox@kbs.edu.au
Lecturer – Adelaide: Dr Chris Riley
Mr Gobi Muthusamy (Weeks 1 & 2 only)
08 8215 4100
chris.riley@kbs.edu.au
Lecturer – Brisbane: Ms Barbara Jamesson
07 3872 3800
barbara.jamesson@kbs.edu.au
Lecturer – Melbourne : Mr Muralee Das
03 9626 4576
muralee.das@kbs.edu.au
Lecturer – Sydney : Dr John Powers
02 8248 6758
john.powers@kbs.edu.au
Students can meet with lecturers by appointment only outside of normal class hours.
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SUBJECT MATERIAL
Prescribed Textbook Information
Title:Moral Issues in Business: 2nd Asia Pacific Edition(2013)
Author(s):William H. Shaw; Vincent Barry; Theodora Issa; Bevan Catle
ISBN:978-0-17-021495-7
Available in e-book format
Recommended Reading
Title:An Introduction to Business Ethics
Author(s):Joseph Desjardins
ISBN:978-0073535814
This title is listed in the Kaplan library catalogue
Title:Business Ethics
Author(s):Richard T. De George
ISBN:978-0130991638
This title is listed in the Kaplan library catalogue
Title:Business Ethics in the 21st Century
Author(s):Norman E. Bowie
ISBN:978-9400762220
Title:Competing with Integrity in International business
Author(s):Richard T. De George
ISBN:09-19-508226-5
Title:The Ethics of international Business
Author(s):Thomas Donaldson
ISBN:0-09-507471-8
Title:Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Business Ethics
Author(s):Patricia H. Werhane & R. Edward Freeman (editors)
ISBN:9-780631-210801
Title:The Moral Philosophers: An Introduction to Ethics
Author(s):Richard Norman
ISBN:978-0073535814
Title: TheBlackwell Guide to Ethical Theory
Author(s):Hugh LaFollette (editor)
ISBN:9-780631-201199
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Other resourcesJournals
Journals are an excellent source of up to date information that you can use to find information for your assignments. Here are examples of some titles that are available in print and/or electronic format.
This list is not exhaustive and you will be expected to engage in a wide literature search for Assessment 1 and Assessment 2.
Asian Journal of Business Ethics
Business Ethics: A European Review
Business Ethics Quarterly
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
Journal of Academic and Business Ethics
Journal of Business Ethics
Journal of International Business Ethics
Society and Business Review
Social Responsibility Journal
Many resources are available from the online databases and which can be accessed through the Kaplan Business School portal; click on the Academic Success Centre/Library tab on the student portal for information on accessing the online databases.
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SUBJECT DESCRIPTION
When business ethics started as a field [of study] in the late 1970s, it was widely considered an oxymoron. The Myth of Amoral Business, or the view that ethics has no place in business, held sway. It was not that businesses necessarily were immoral. It was rather that they were considered amoral both by those in business and by the general public. Nonetheless, despite the Myth, business ethics served a needed social and business function, public opinion was awakened, and the Myth was slowly unmasked. Business ethics has developed and is now integrated at least nominally into most large corporations (De George 2000).
MAN2100 considers business ethics to be concerned with the moral conduct of businesses. In this sense, businesses are seen as entities comprising people and whose activities are arranged through hierarchical systems of functionally defined positions that are designed to achieve particular goals. More, the scope of business ethics extends to any organization involved in transactions; this would include non-governmental organizations, non-profits and charities etc.
Rooted in Bowens 1953 seminal work, Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a branch of ethics that has emerged more strongly in recent decades. CSR requires businesses to not only meet legal and ethical requirements in their pursuit of economic goals but also to consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on all stakeholders, including the environment (Cole and Kelly 2011: 590). Some writers argue that CSR requires businesses to go further than this and make an active commitment to improving social conditions (Chrysiddes and Kaler 1993: 230).
CSR has now become embedded in the behaviour of many organizations to the degree that they report on their CSR activities in their annual reports. Indeed, this is a requirement of listed companies in several countries.
Of course, not everyone agrees with the efficacy of CSR; this includes both businesses and scholars and there is much debate in the literature. To simplify the CSR debate, there are those who claim that companies can do well (make profits) by firstly doing good (provide solutions for social issues) and those who refute this idea saying that profits should be prior to any philanthropic activities of a firm. Some business leaders assert that business has no social responsibility at all and that social responsibility lies with governments to which businesses pay taxes.
Whilst introducing students to theories of ethics, MAN2100 also seeks to engage the student in the practical aspects of business ethics. This is done through lectures, tutorial discussions and case studies. From these it will be seen that rules of proper conduct that are utilized in everyday life do not always resolve business questions, and problems arise when ethical considerations conflict with practical business concerns. Each role in a business organization involves unique responsibilities (such as the obligations of an employee to an employer or the duties of management to the shareholders) and these too influence what a person should, or should not, do.
Bowen, H., R., 1953, Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, Harper, New York.
Chrysiddes, G., D., Kaler, J., H., 1993, An Introduction to Business Ethics, International Thomson Business Press, London.
Cole, G., A., Kelly, P., 2011, Management Theory and Practice, Cengage Learning, Andover.
De George, R., T., 2000, Business ethics and the challenge of the information age, Business Ethics Quarterly, Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp63-72.
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SUBJECT OUTCOMES
By the end of this Subject, you should be able to:
MAN2100
Demonstrate understanding of concepts related to corporate social
responsibility and business ethics and their application to practice.
MAN2100
Consider and become familiar with the ethical dimensions of business and
management.
MAN2100
Understand the value of integrity in decision-making.
MAN2100
Conduct investigations into organizations by:
– obtaining facts concerning an ethical issue (descriptive),
– using the facts to understand or analyze the actions of the decision makers as related to the ethical issue (analytical),
– recommending a course of action which aims to avoid unethical behaviour in future (normative).
OVERVIEW OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES
A weekly two-hour lecture will introduce students to the key concepts and issues within each topic area. This is achieved by explaining concepts, providing a theoretical context and most importantly, through the use of examples, showing the application of concepts to real industry experience.
Weekly one-hour tutorials provide an opportunity for students to explore, in-depth, the weekly topics and to address questions related to that topic. This is achieved mainly through case study analysis and discussion. In addition, this time is also used for clarification and guidance on completing the various assessment tasks and which, in this subject, are aimed very much at improving students basic academic skills and critical thinking.
Students are encouraged to share their opinions and to participate in class discussions.
In addition, students should spend at least five to six hours each week in private study.
Private study activities could include:
Reading lecture notes and required readings (e.g. articles and textbook chapters)
Completing specified learning activities as set out in the Subject notes
Undertake relevant research activities
Prepare for and undertake assessment activities
Revision for final assessment (exam)
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