20112 Business Ethics and Sustainability
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
In this subject, students explore the breadth and depth of ethical issues confronting contemporary organisations as they relate to general business practice and social and ecological sustainability. They examine major philosophical conceptualisations of ethics and apply these to critically analyse both theory and practice. The subject places particular emphasis on developing ethical vocabulary and ethical argumentation so that they are better equipped to successfully carry an ethically informed subjectivity into their organisational practice. This subject provides students with various frameworks for incorporating and critically evaluating sustainability in organisational practices and decision-making.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | Critically appraise organisational and individual responses to ethical issues, conflicts and dilemmas, using relevant ethical theories and philosophies |
|---|---|
| 2. | Develop, and clearly articulate, an informed ethical position on business issues |
| 3. | Articulate the global sustainability landscape of principles, legal and regulatory frameworks and the social and environmental drivers of the sustainable enterprise logic |
| 4. | Explain the relationships between sustainability and innovation, entrepreneurship, value creation and corporate governance |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following program learning objectives:
- Make judgements and business decisions consistent with the principles of social responsibility, inclusion and knowledge of different cultures (3.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject contributes to the Bachelor of Business by developing in students a critical understanding of the ethical issues, conflicts and dilemmas facing contemporary organisations as well as the conceptualisation of these ethical issues within the business ethics, corporate social responsibility and allied academic and practitioner fields. Using current ethical case studies, the subject equips students with a critical understanding concerning the management considerations necessary to advance their ethical vocabulary and ethical argumentation in a broad variety of organisational contexts. Through activities and content exploration, students sharpen their critical management skills and knowledge by equipping themselves with critical appreciation, and embodiment, of ethical attitudes and values. This subject is geared towards developing both appreciation, and embodiment, of ethical attitudes and values. This subject is geared towards developing both a theoretical understanding and a practical capability in students regarding ethics and sustainability in organisations.
This subject contributes to the development of the following graduate attribute:
- Social responsibility and cultural awareness
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject will be taught using a combination of lectures and tutorials. The lectures provide the structure of the topic area, discussion of the theory and introduce students to critical issues and controversies. Tutorials provide students with a forum to apply, develop and deepen their understanding of the topic area covered in the lectures through discussion of specific cases, issues and examples. Students are required to complete preparatory work, such as reviewing academic materials, case studies, and frameworks and insights from current industry practice. All students will be provided with the opportunity for initial feedback on their performance in the subject during the first six weeks of the semester, for example, through tutorial exercises, online quizzes, draft assignments and other assessment methods. Further feedback will be provided in relation to submitted assessment tasks.
Content (topics)
- What is business ethics?
- Ethics, leadership and justice
- Organisational culture and ethics
- Ethics, diversity and discrimination
- Ethics and civil society
- Key concepts and frameworks in sustainability
- A compliance approach to sustainability
- Sustainability as a business strategy
- Imagining the sustaining corporation
- Ethics and sustainability as responsible management
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Point of View Analysis (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | 1,500 words. |
| Criteria: |
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Assessment task 2: Case Study Analysis and Report (40% Individual and 20% Group)*
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 This addresses program learning objectives(s): 3.1 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 60% |
| Length: | Each student will speak for three minutes, with an additional five minutes allocated to the group recommendations and reflections. |
| Criteria: | Individual assessment criteria:
Group assessment criteria*:
*Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero. |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
References
Reference materials will be specified on the UTS learning management system.