21644 Law and Ethics for Managers
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
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.
Anti-requisite(s): 21665 Managing Legal Issues AND 27628 Law for Leisure, Sport and Tourism AND 70102 Foundations of Law
Description
This subject introduces students to a range of legal and regulatory topics relevant to management. These include legal business structures, contract law, negligence, consumer protection and intellectual property. It aims to equip students with the ability to identify and manage legal risks in a variety of management contexts.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| 1. | identify legal and regulatory issues relevant to the professional manager or business administrator |
|---|---|
| 2. | analyse management contexts across a variety of industries in terms of potential legal risks |
| 3. | explain how legal protections, responsibilities and liabilities can arise and how they can be managed |
| 4. | explain the implications of different sources of law and regulation including ethical or voluntary standards |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject is aligned with the graduate attributes of social responsibility and cultural awareness, and professional and technical competence.
This subject provides an understanding of the legal and regulatory issues that can face a manager across different contexts. It develops business practice-oriented skills around identifying and understanding legal risks, obligations, and protections. It raises awareness of potential legal issues and the circumstances in which business practitioners ought to seek legal advice. Students will become more confident communicating in legal terminology. They will be encouraged to use critical thinking and logical reasoning to assess and analyse management situations from a legal and regulatory perspective.
Teaching and learning strategies
Typically, there will be a lecture and tutorial discussion on the weekly topic. The UTS Learning Management System will be used to provide resources and activities to assist in preparing for participation in lectures and tutorials. The lectures and tutorials will incorporate a range of teaching and experiential learning strategies including: revision quizzes, collaborative discussion groups, problem questions based on management contexts, news articles and videos, role plays and presentations. Feedback on learning progress will be provided through quizzes, tutorial exercises and assessment tasks.
Students are required to complete all assigned preparation tasks, and to attend and participate in lectures and tutorial activities. Assessment is designed to be authentic and to develop business practice oriented skills around understanding legal issues relevant to management as well as developing general communication, critical analysis and teamwork skills.
Content (topics)
- Sources of law and regulation
- Business structures and governance
- Contracts and agency
- Negligence and risk management
- Consumer protection
- Intellectual property
- Ethics, soft law and voluntary codes
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Report (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | 1000-1200 words excluding references |
| Criteria: | The assessment will be graded on the following criteria:
|
Assessment task 2: Presentation (Group)*
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 2 and 3 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 25% |
| Length: | Presentation of maximum 20 minutes (approx 8-12 slides) |
| Criteria: | The assessment will be graded on the following criteria:
*Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero. |
Assessment task 3: Final Exam (Individual)
| Objective(s): | This addresses subject learning objective(s): 2, 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | The exam will be two hours duration. |
| Criteria: | The assessment will be graded on the following criteria:
|
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
Required texts
See Canvas.
Recommended texts
Gibson, A. and Osborne, S. 2019 (11th ed) Business Law, Pearson
Barron, M.L. 2014, Fundamentals of Business Law for University of Technology Sydney, McGraw Hill
Kairouz, L. and Hanna, J. 2018 Tourism and Hospitality Law in Australia, Thomson Reuters
Thorpe, D., Buti, A., Davies, C. and Jonson, P. 2017 (3rd ed) Sports Law, Oxford University Press
References
Parker D. and Ward, L. 2020 Business and Law in Australia (3rd ed) Thomson Reuters
Ciro, T., Goldwasser V. and Verma, R. 2014 Law and Business, (4th ed) Oxford University Press
Griggs, L., Clark, E. and Iredale, I. 2009 Managers and the Law, (3rd ed), Lawbook Co.
Latimer, P. 2016 Australian Business Law, (35th ed), CCH
Lindgren, K.E. 2011 Business Law of Australia, (12th ed) Lexis Nexis Butterworths
Turner C., Trone, J. and Gamble R. 2021 Concise Australian Commercial Law (6th ed) Lawbook Co.
For Chinese-speaking students: Li E. 2018 Business and Corporate Law Guidebook, Lawbook Co.