Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Question:

Background:
Master of Business

Section A: Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Subject Name & Code	MB112 Business Ethics
Semester/year	Semester 2 2020
Credit Point Value	10
Duration	One semester
AQF Level	8
Student Workload	10 hours a week
Pre-Requisite	None

Presentation Team

Subject Coordinator	Helene Strawbridge
Lecturers	Helene Strawbridge
Office Location
Email	helene.strawbridge@win.edu.au
Phone
Consultation times	By email and follow up phone call by arrangement

Teaching methods/strategies

Briefly describe below, the teaching methods/strategies (face to face lectures, online tutorial) used in this subject/unit:

Three-hour class contact including 1.5 hour lecture and 1.5 hour tutorial. § Hypothetical as well as contemporary real world case studies are used to develop students’ understanding of key management concepts and their applications. § Students are expected to do a minimum of 7 hours of personal study outside of class

Brief Subject Description

Business Ethics explores the breadth and depth of ethical issues confronting contemporary organisations. The Subject examines the major ethical theories and applies these to a critical analysis of both theory and practice. Emphasis is placed upon discussing the complexity involved in applying different ethical positions to business decisions and the implications of adopting a particular ethical position. There is a focus on equipping students with the understanding of the role, and implications of ethical behaviour in organisational practice.

Student Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this subject, students will be able to:

a	Identify core ethical issues, conflicts and dilemmas facing contemporary organisations
b	Explain the ‘moral maze’ created by the complexity of competing ethical positions
C	Classify organisational responses to ethical issues using the major ethical models
d	Articulate an informed ethical position on business issues
E	Evaluate the nature of professionalism and professional ethics and the ethical implications of working as a professional in organisations
F	Critically analyse the implied and explicit ethical positions in their own, others’ and organisations’ words and practices.

 

Weekly Schedule (Semester 2, 2020)

Week	Date (Week beginning Monday)	Topics	Required Reading
1	20.07.20	The Importance of Business Ethics.	Nonaka, K & Takeuchi, H (2011).The Big Idea: The Wise Leader. Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-big-idea-the-wise-leader
2	27.07.20	Stakeholder Relationships, Social Responsibility, and Corporate Governance.	Orts, EW & Strudler, A (2009). Putting a stake in stakeholder theory. Journal of Business Ethics 88(4), 605-615.
3	3.08.20	Emerging Business Ethics Issues.	Anderson, LV (2016),, Ethics Trainings Are Even Dumber Than You Think,’ slate.com. http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_ladder/2016/05/ethics_compliance_training_is_a_waste_of_time_here_s_why_you_have_to_do.html
4	10.08.20	The Institutionalisation of Business Ethics.	Jensen, T, Sandstrom, J & Helin, S (2009). Corporate codes of ethics and the bending of the moral space. Organisation. 16(4), 529-545.
5	17.08.20	Ethical Decision Making. Assessment 1 – Ethical dilemmas analysis	Brown, D (2016). Ethics and Professionalism in the Workplace. Indianapolis Recorder, September 15, 2016. http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/business/article_36d05298-7b96-11e6-8226-033c365dab07.htm
6	24.08.20	Individual Factors: Moral Philosophies and Values.	Baumane-Vitolina, I Cals, I & Sumilo, E (2015). ‘Is ethics rational? teleological, deontological and virtue ethics: theories reconciled in the context of traditional economic decision making’, Procedia Economics and Finance, 39, pp. 108.114.
7	31.08.20	Intra semester break
8	7.09.20	Organisational Factors: The Role of Ethical Culture and Relationships.	Riivari, E & Lamsa, A-M (2014). Does it Pay to Be Ethical? Examining the Relationship Between Organisations’ Ethical Culture and Innovativeness. Journal of Business Ethics, 124, 1-17.
9	14.09.20	Developing an Effective Ethics Program. Assessment 2 – Media Articles Folio	Stöber, T., Kotzian, P., & Weibenberger, B. (2018). Design matters: On the impact of compliance program design on corporate ethics. Business Research, September: 1-42.
10	21.09.20	Managing and Controlling Ethics Programs.	Remišová, Lašáková, & Kirchmayer. (2018). Influence of Formal Ethics Program Components on Managerial Ethical Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-16.
11	28.09.20	Globalisation of Ethical Decision Making.	De Roeck, K., Marique, G., Stinglhamber, F., & Swaen, V. (2014). Understanding employees’ responses to corporate social responsibility: Mediating roles of overall justice and organisational identification. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25 (1): 91–112.
12	5.10.20*	Ethical Leadership.	Hegarty, N. & Moccia, S. (2018). Components of Ethical Leadership and Their Importance in Sustaining Organisations Over the Long Term. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 11(1), .56-67.
13	12.10.20	Sustainability: Ethical and Social Responsibility Dimensions Assessment 3- Learning Journal	Aguinis, H., & Glavas, A. (2012). What we know and don’t know about corporate social responsibility: A review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 38 (4): 932–968.
14	19.10.20	Study Week – No classes
15	26.10.20	Exams
16	2.11.20	Exams

*Note – Monday 5 October is a public holiday

Summary of Assessment

Assessment Task	%	Relevant Learning Outcomes	Due Date
Assessment 1 – Ethical Dilemmas analysis Details on following pages	20%	A, B, D, E	Week 5
Assessment 2 – Media Articles Folio Details on following pages	40%	A, C, D, E	Week 9
Assessment 3 – Reflective Report Details on following pages	40% (Must pass with at least 40% to pass overall subject)	A-F	Week 13

Note:

• Students must achieve a total mark of at least 50% AND a mark of at least 40% in the final Assessment 3.

 

Text and References

Topic Readings

Hegarty, N. & Moccia, S. (2018). Components of Ethical Leadership and Their Importance in Sustaining Organisations Over the Long Term. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 11(1), 56-67.

Jensen, T, Sandstrom, J & Helin, S (2009). Corporate codes of ethics and the bending of the moral space. Organisation. 16(4), 529-545.

Remišová, Lašáková, & Kirchmayer. (2018). Influence of Formal Ethics Program Components on Managerial Ethical Behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-16.

Riivari, E & Lamsa, A-M (2014). Does it Pay to Be Ethical? Examining the Relationship Between Organisations’ Ethical Culture and Innovativeness. Journal of Business Ethics, 124, 1-17

Stöber, T., Kotzian, P., & Weibenberger, B. (2018). Design matters: On the impact of compliance program design on corporate ethics. Business Research, September: 1-42.

Wang, X, Li, F & Sun, Q. (2018). Confucian ethics, moral foundations, and shareholder value perspectives: An exploratory study. Business Ethics: A European Review. 27, 260–271.

Recommended Readings

Aguinis, H., & Glavas, A. (2012). What we know and don’t know about corporate social responsibility: A review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 38 (4): 932–968.

De Roeck, K., Marique, G., Stinglhamber, F., & Swaen, V. (2014). Understanding employees’ responses to corporate social responsibility: Mediating roles of overall justice and organisational identification. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25 (1): 91–112.

Mayer, D. M. (2014). A review of the literature on ethical climate and culture. In Schneider, B. & Barbera, K. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of organisational climate and culture. Oxford University Press.

Online Resources and Readings Students will need to be familiar with accessing library data bases and using web browsers to access online journals.

Recommended journals/Periodicals

Academy of Management Journal International Journal of Management

Advances in Management and Organisation Journal of Business and Management

Asia Pacific Management Review Journal of Management and Organisation

Asian Academy of Management Journal Journal of Organisational Behavior

Gender, Work and Organisation

Group and Organisation Management

Human Resource Management

 

Detailed Assessment Guidelines and Marking Templates:

Assessment 1: Ethical Dilemmas Analysis

Due date:	Sunday 23.08.20, before 11:55 p.m., end of Week 5
Weighting:	20%
Length and Format:	1000 words (excluding Reference list) Address each dilemma separately, with no common introduction or conclusion.
Assessment Details:	At the end of Week 3, FOUR ethical dilemmas will be provided. Read each of the dilemmas and chose TWO to answer. Individual questions will direct you to write 500 words for each dilemma, linking relevant theory from the Subject materials with your analysis and recommendations. One Reference list is required, to support your citations for both dilemmas. The dilemmas will be based on Topic 1-4 of the Subject materials.
Assessment addresses SLOs	A, B, D, E
Marking Criteria	Please refer to Marking Template A

Marking Template A – Assessment 1

Marking Template		SLOs		Very Poor	Poor	Satisfactory	Good	Very Good
Discipline knowledge		A
Critical thinking and analysis development		B and D
Academic presentation: referencing, writing and structure		E
	Summary comments:		Mark /20

Assessment 2 – Media Articles Folio

Due date:	Sunday, 20.09.20 before 11.55 p.m., end of Week 9
Weighting:	40%
Length and/or format:	2000 words (excluding Reference list) Address each article separately, with no common introduction or conclusion.
Assessment Details:	You choose TWO media articles (from a newspaper or magazine article, or internet article) published after 1 January 2020. Each article must be at least 200 words in length and are NOT academic journal articles. The articles must have issues of a business ethics nature, such as immoral behaviour by an individual or organisation, or other issues that have been covered in the Subject materials. For each article, write 1000 words to: · Present the title, media source, URL and date of the article. · Provide an overview of the article contents and the identified ethical issues. (start with Topics 4 and 5). · Analyse ONE issue with theories presented in the Subject materials to discuss why the event occurred, factors which contributed and the consequences. (start with Topics 3, 6 and 7). · Describe the stakeholders impacted now and in the future by the issue. Focus on positive and negative impacts. (start with Topic 2). · Make your recommendations that are realistic and practical to resolve the issue you have identified. One Reference list is required, to support your citations for both articles.
Assessment addresses SLOs	A, C, D, E
Marking Criteria	Please refer to Marking Template B

 

Marking Template B – Assessment 2

Media Articles Folio	SLOs	Very Poor		Poor	Satisfactory	Good	Very good
Demonstrated understanding of the relevant concepts/theories in application of business ethical management approaches	A
Identified relationships between stakeholder impacts and the key issue, use of critical analysis, quality of argument, addresses the guidelines	C
Made recommendations using theories that link to organisational ethical responses	D
Presentation – referencing style and use, punctuation, spelling, grammar and proofreading, acceptable layout and length, clarity of writing	E
Summary comments:			Mark /40

 

Assessment 3 – Reflective Report

Due date:	Sunday 18.10.20, before 11:55 p.m., end of Week 13
Weighting:	40%
Length and/or format:	2000 words (excluding Reference list) Address each article separately, with no common introduction or conclusion.
Assessment Details:	Your report will consist of three entries and one entry as a summary of learnings, a total of four reflections (500 words each). Each entry will relate to a different topic or task, namely: § Topic 9 Managing and Controlling Ethics Programs § Topic 10 Globalisation of Ethical Decision Making § Topic 11 Ethical Leadership § Professional Identity self-reflection Write a draft after each class, so that your reflection will be effective and relevant, related to the Topic just completed. Topic Reflections (for three topics) Each Reflective Report Entry for the Topic must be clearly organised under three headings below and should include the following contents and address the following questions: 1, Learning What have I learnt (i.e., what was new/different for me)? Reflective analysis on learning from online sessions and assigned reading(s) for each Topic. 2. Critique How relevant is the topic of study? This should include a discussion of strengths and weaknesses of the key theories/ideas/concepts for the topic. 3. Reflection (in two equal parts) · To what extent do the concepts/ideas and theories reflect what happens in your work place? (If you are not currently working, then reflect upon a previous place of employment or an organisation with which you are familiar, such as a sports or social club). · How can I make use of this learning in a future situation? For this section, you may choose to focus on one or two aspects of the topic. Cite at least one reading from the Subject materials and your own research for each of the three Topics, in the Learning and Critique sections for each Reflection. Professional identity self-reflection Assume that you are applying for an ethics officer position for an professional accounting organisation. Before the scheduled interview, you have been asked to submit a written statement. You must present a professional identity of yourself as an experienced practitioner, using relevant knowledge from Subject materials. Note that this entry does not require you to follow the contents, headings and structure of the three Topic reflections. The task is to : § Present your knowledge of the organisation’s likely ethical issues that may occur in their industry sector (start with Topic 3) § Show your understanding of the institutionalisation of business ethics (start with Topic 4) § Link your experience with ethical practices you have performed in your current or previous workplace in considering the development of effective ethics programs (start with Topic 8).
Assessment addresses SLOs	A-F
Assessment criteria:	See Marking Template C

 

Marking Template C

Marking Template		SLOs		Very Poor	Poor	Satisfactory	Good	Very Good
For each Topic (3 Topics)
· Learning		A and B
· Critique		C and D
· Reflection		E
Professional Identity Self-Reflection		A – F
Writing quality		E
	Summary comments:		Mark /40

 

Detailed descriptors for each grade

High Distinction (H)

An analytical piece of work that offers originality in synthesis or analysis, and utilises a multitude of relevant sources to justify arguments and produce a critical and intelligent piece of work. Work of this standard will require flawless referencing and will contain few, if any, grammatical errors. All areas of criteria will be of an excellent standard.

Distinction (D)

Comprehensively analyses the question, understands and compares approaches systematically, critical comments on literature, excellent examples and illuminating insights. Work of this standard will be consistent and clear with appropriate referencing and use of grammar throughout.

Credit (C)

Analytical and explanatory discussion, some theoretical insights, good use of sources and examples, focused argument that could be improved. Work of this standard may achieve good levels of performance on some of the criteria but not all. The discussion will address the question but could lean towards description rather than analysis.

Pass (P)

Competent descriptive discussion, some grasp of the topic, coherent style and composition, essentially a superficial discussion. Work of this standard might only include a limited range of source material and provide information rather than argument. Structure and presentation could require improvement and the introduction and conclusion might not clearly convey the position and findings of the author.

Fail (F)

Discussion fails to answer the set question or relies on few, if any, source material. Answer contains grammatical errors and/or inappropriate referencing technique and, of course, an absence of any referencing. Work of this standard is often brief and is unable to demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic and relevant issues. Responses fail to meet the learning objectives for the assessment.

Plagiarism

A similarity report provides an important indicator of whether a student’s work is original or plagiarised. Generally, a similarity report of more than 25% warrants close scrutiny to assess whether the problem relates to poor writing technique or plagiarism.

Moodle and Turnitin

This subject will use the Moodle learning management system. Moodle can be accessed by first clicking onto the Student Portal link on the Win home page, and then clicking onto Moodle.

The Moodle home page for this subject will include the subject outline, information on the essay and other subject information, a notice board, and a weekly folder of relevant course materials, including Power Point slides and a tutorial guide for each topic.

All communications with students in the subject will use the Notice Board and the Moodle email system. Emails will use only students’ Win email addresses.

Grades will also appear in the My Grades section of Moodle once marking for each assessment has been completed.

It is an expectation that all students will check the subject’s Moodle site (and their Win student email) on a regular basis each week.

Assessments (except the class test and final exam) will be submitted using the Turnitin link that will appear on the Moodle home page for this subject. Turnitin is a software product that reports on similarities between your paper and other documents. Turnitin is used by over 1000 organisations, including universities and colleges around the world. It is an important tool to assist students with their academic writing by promoting awareness of plagiarism.

When you submit your assignment through the Turnitin link, you will receive an originality report, based on a matching of your work to that in Turnitin’s extensive database. If you submit your assignment within a reasonable time before the due date, you will have time to act on the originality report, if necessary. For example, a high matching percentage may mean that you need to fully acknowledge your source materials, or it may mean that you need to better paraphrase the source materials in your own words. Therefore, if you use Turnitin in this way, it can be of considerable assistance in helping you to improve your writing skills. The key is to allow enough time to make any changes after viewing the originality report – do not leave your submission until the last minute!

Section B – Additional Institute Information

Grade Descriptions

Students may be awarded a raw numerical mark for each subject which will then be converted to one of the following:

HD – High Distinction 85% and above

D – Distinction 75 – 84%

C – Credit 65 – 74%

P – Pass 50 – 64%

F – Fail – below 50%

CF – Compulsory Fail (this may be a mark of over 50%, however the student did not achieve at least 40% in the final assessment item)

For more information on please refer to the Institute’s policy ‘Student Assessment Policy and Procedure’ available on the Institute’s website.

Assignment Submissions

Students are required to submit assessment items at the time and date specified in this Subject Outline. Assessment items submitted after the due date will be subject to a penalty unless the Lecturer or Course Coordinator has given prior approval in writing for an extension of time to submit that item.

Assessments should be submitted in the form specified in the subject outline or as notified by the Lecturer. Where assessment items are submitted electronically, the date and time the email was received will be considered the date and time of submission. Written papers or other physical submissions are to be time and date stamped as a record of receipt.

Students whose ability to submit or attend an assessment item is affected by sickness, misadventure or other circumstances beyond their control, may be eligible for special consideration. No consideration is given when the condition or event is unrelated to the student’s performance in a component of the assessment, or when it is considered not to be serious.

Please refer to the Institute’s policy ‘Student Assessment Policy and Procedure’ available on the Institute’s website for details.

Assignment Extensions and Penalties

Assignments must be submitted on the due date. Late assignments will incur a penalty as outlined in the Institute’s policy ‘Student Assessment Policy and Procedure’ available on the Institute’s website.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct involves cheating, collusion, plagiarism or any other conduct that deliberately or inadvertently claims ownership of an idea or concept without acknowledging the source of the information. This includes any form of activity that negates the academic integrity of the student or another student and/or their work.

Plagiarism occurs when students fail to acknowledge that the ideas of others are being used. Specifically it occurs when:

• other people’s work and/or ideas are paraphrased and presented without a reference;
• other students’ work is copied or partly copied;
• other people’s designs, codes or images are presented as the student’s own work;
• phrases and passages are used verbatim without quotation marks and/or without a reference to the author or a web page;
• lecture notes are reproduced without due acknowledgement.

Cheating occurs when a student seeks to obtain an unfair advantage in an examination or in other written or practical work required to be submitted or completed for assessment.

Collusion (unauthorised collaboration) involves working with others without permission to produce work which is then presented as work completed independently by the student. Collusion is a form of plagiarism. Students should not knowingly allow their work to be copied.

There are substantial penalties for academic misconduct. Please refer to the Institute’s ‘Academic Integrity and Honesty Policy and Procedure’ available on the web site for more information.

Referencing Procedures

The Institute has adopted the APA Style for the referencing of sources. Please refer to the Institute’s web site or the library for information on how to reference using the APA style.

Subject Evaluation

At the end of each semester all students will be asked to fill in a subject evaluation form. This information will assist us in making improvements to enhance the quality of delivery.

Evaluations will include questions about the content, the assessment, delivery mode and other features. You will also have an opportunity to make open-ended comments. Subject evaluations are important to us and are taken seriously so please ensure that your responses accurately reflect how you feel. All evaluations are anonymous to ensure privacy.

Learning Support Services

If you have any queries or requests about the course and this subject in particular, you should first approach your Lecturer or Tutor. You may also approach the Course Coordinator if you are unable to resolve your issue with the Lecturer or Tutor. Contact details are provided below.

The Institute wants to ensure that you have the best learning environment available to maximise your chances to do well in the course. We have staff on hand to provide student support and assistance with administrative matters when required. We also have a Student Welfare Officer who can provide assistance and support with any personal matters. Contact details are provided below.

If you are experiencing language difficulties, please discuss this with your lecturer who may refer you to an English language Centre for additional assistance. Depending on the level of support required, there may be some additional costs imposed.

The Institute has a Learning Assistance Centre which is provided through the Library. There are on-going workshops available if you need assistance with study skills, presentation skills, writing skills, how to reference information sources using the APA style etc. Please check with the Librarian to access these services.

Prior to your enrolment, the Institute makes every effort to ensure that your verbal and written skills in English are at the appropriate level to successfully complete a bachelor’s degree. Each of the subjects will be delivered by lecturers who are sensitive to the needs of students from a NESB. For this reason, important vocabulary will be pre-taught. Nevertheless, if you are experiencing language difficulties, you may be referred by your lecturer to the English language Centre or the Learning Assistance Centre for additional support.

All lecturers are instructed to carefully monitor each student’s language proficiency in the first four weeks of subject delivery using the “Participation” mode of assessment, to determine if there are any problems with your understanding and usage of written and spoken academic English. Through these Centres, the Institute offers specially developed modules of study designed to enhance your language and study skills. The level of language support you will require will be determined by our specially trained staff, qualified “IELTS” testers, in order to ensure that you have all the necessary support to succeed in your studies.

Depending on the level of support required, there may be some additional costs imposed.

The Institute’s Learning Assistance Centre based in the Library also provides on-going workshops and modules on study skills, presentation skills, writing skills and how to reference information sources using the APA style etc. Please check with the Librarian to access these services.

Additional Contacts

Dr Keri Spooner	keri.spooner@win.edu.au	Dean
Dennis Mortimer	dennis.mortimer@win.edu.au	Teaching and Learning Coordinator
Sue Bond	sue.bond@win.edu.au	Registrar
Dr Charles Lo	charles.lo@win.edu.au	Director of Master of Professional Accounting
Dr Keri Spooner	keri.spooner@win.edu.au	Director of Master of Business
Alison Lee	alison.lee@win.edu.au	Bachelor of Business Course Coordinator
Celine Adams	celine.adams@win.edu.au	Bachelor of Business (Professional Accounting) Course Coordinator
Jane Cameron	jane.cameron@win.edu.au	Bachelor of Interactive Media Course Coordinator
Bella Carr	bella.carr@win.edu.au	Study Skills Advisor
Deepa Thapa	deepa.thapa@win.edu.au	Study Support Tutor
Nina Suprun	nina.suprun@win.edu.au	Library Manager
Wendy Wu	wendy.wu@win.edu.au	Assistant Registrar of Higher Education
Ava Cai	ava.cai@win.edu.au	Accounts
Steve Li	steve.li@win.edu.au	IT Manager
Iris Weng	iris.weng@win.edu.au	Academic Officer

Wentworth Institute of Higher Education, 302 Elisabeth Street, Sydney http://www.win.edu.au/ Higher Education CRICOS code: 03279M

You choose TWO media articles (from a newspaper or magazine article, or internet article) published after 1 January 2020. Each article must be at least 200 words in length and are NOT academic journal articles.

The articles must have issues of a business ethics nature, such as immoral behaviour by an individual or organisation, or other issues that have been covered in the Subject materials.

Foreach article, write 1000 words to:

• Present the title, media source, URL and date of the article.
• Provide an overview of the article contents and the identified ethical issues. (start with Topics 4 and 5).
• Analyse ONE issue with theories presented in the Subject materials to discuss why the event occurred, factors which contributed and the consequences. (start with Topics 3, 6 and 7).
• Describe the stakeholders impacted now and in the future by the issue. Focus on positive and negative impacts. (start with Topic 2).
• Make your recommendations that are realistic and practical to resolve the issue you have identified.

One Reference list is required, to support your citations for both articles.