Students

MGMT303 – Business Leadership: Ethics and Social Responsibility

2017 – S1 Evening

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
David Rooney
Contact via david.rooney@mq.edu.au
E4A 511
4-5pm Monday
Yang Yang
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to BBusLeadCom and ((45cp at 100 level or above) including MGMT304)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
The principal aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of the myriad of ethical issues and dilemmas faced by leaders in corporate, not-for-profit or government sectors. Issues explored will relate both to the society and environment within which organisations and their leaders operate, and to individuals employed within organisations. The unit has a strong research focus and students will apply the theoretical knowledge gained in the course to real-world situations. This will equip them to engage with the complex ethical issues that will inevitably arise during the course of their careers.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.
  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

General Assessment Information

General Comments

Each of the three assessment items below requires you to exercise your judgement. Your experience in exercising judgement in this way is part of the pedagogy of this course. For the first two assignments you have to make judgements about what aspects of the case study you should research, what arguments you should develop in the essay, and how you should structure the essay to best present your findings. You will have to do this in collaboration with your group members. The final assignment requires you to make judgements about what you have taken away from this course as key learnings and insights and how, based on those learnings and insights, you will construct a self-assessment pointing to how to further develop your leadership ability.

No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply to cases in which an application for disruption of studies is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

All text-based assessment tasks need to be submitted electronically via Turnitin.

 

Allocation of Grades

Grades will be allocated according to Criterion Based Assessment.

The following generic descriptors provide a point of reference for these standards (Note: Each passing grade subsumes and goes beyond the grades lower than it.)

 

Grade

 

Description of Grade

Fail

Falls short of satisfying most requirements for Pass. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.

Pass

Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills (such as basic writing, research and referencing skills, skills in providing direct evidence for claims, application of theory, and analytical writing skills); demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate in the course. Mistakes in execution of skills and grasp of fundamental concepts are frequently and consistently observable.

Credit

Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the course, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill (such as basic writing, research and referencing skills, skills in providing direct evidence for claims, application of theory, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills) to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight. Demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered good or effective in the course. Poor execution of skills and grasp of fundamental concepts are often observable.

Distinction

Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and subtle aspects of the course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas. Demonstrates mastery of basic skills (such as basic writing, research, and referencing skills, skills in providing direct evidence for claims, application of theory, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills). Demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered very good or very effective in the course. Very Good execution of skills and grasp of fundamental concepts are mostly observable.

High Distinction

Demonstrates imagination, insight, originality or flair in relation to relevant learning objectives; and the work is interesting or surprising or exciting or challenging or erudite. Excellent execution of basic skills (such as basic writing, research, and referencing skills, skills in providing direct evidence for claims, application of theory, critical thinking, and analytical writing), and excellent knowledge of fundamental concepts are uniformly observable. Demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered outstanding or excellent or first-rate.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Individual Assignment 30% No Week 5, Thursday 10pm
2. Group Assignment (Part A) 35% No Week 11, Thursday 10pm
3. Group Assignment (Part B) 35% No Week 13, Thursday 10pm

Individual Assignment

Due: Week 5, Thursday 10pm
Weighting: 30%

This assignment asks you to identity your core values and analyse how your values align with wise leadership behaviours. Central to the task is that you align your values with behaviours that support and are consistent with those values. For example, if a core value is generosity what kinds of generous behaviours would support and be consistent with your preferred ways of enacting generosity. You could start by asking what kind of generosity do I value: is it generosity with money, generosity with your time, or generosity of spirit? If it is generosity of spirit, what behaviours would align with it in your case? You should begin your research for this assignment by reading the virtues and values literature and wisdom research.

The second important part of this assignment is your ‘values enactment’ plan. An important question here is how will you develop the habit or natural impulse (moral conation or volition) to spontaneously behave in ways that support and align with your values? You, therefore, need to construct a concrete and plausible plan that will help you develop these habits.

Essays are to be your independent AND original work and include an introduction, body, and conclusion. You must also develop an argument showing how your topic assists in understanding the case study. Essays will be formal in style, include appropriate source citation and reference lists. Your essay will be formal in style, include appropriate source citation and reference lists. 

Please put a word count on the front page of your assignment and ensure that you reference appropriately using the APA or AMJ style (e.g. http://journals.aomonline.org/amj/style_guide.pdf). An author/date referencing style is required if you choose to cite research, for example, (Smith 2008, p, 112) or (Smith 2008: 112) or (Smith 2008), and NOT (M. Smith 2008, p. 112) or (Smith: 112). Assignments exceeding the word limit in excess of 10% will be penalised as will those that are more than 10% shorter than the word limit.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.
  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

2. Group Assignment (Part A)

Due: Week 11, Thursday 10pm
Weighting: 35%

The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate the overall initial impact or your project. An important part of the assignment is that you design your own impact evaluation protocol based on sound industry or government evaluation principles. You will, therefore, need to have a methods section in your report explaining your data collection and analysis approach.

Please put a word count on the front page of your assignment and ensure that you reference appropriately using the APA or AMJ style (e.g. http://journals.aomonline.org/amj/style_guide.pdf). An author/date referencing style is required if you choose to cite research, for example, (Smith 2008, p, 112) or (Smith 2008: 112) or (Smith 2008), and NOT (M. Smith 2008, p. 112) or (Smith: 112). Assignments exceeding the word limit in excess of 10% will be penalised as will those that are more than 10% shorter than the word limit.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.
  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

3. Group Assignment (Part B)

Due: Week 13, Thursday 10pm
Weighting: 35%

The individual essay seeks to consolidate your learning by asking you to write a reflexive essay that considers your experiences in this course and in life and how you can use that experience to plan your own ongoing development as a wise leader. You will have to use the research literature to justify the efficacy of this self-development plan.

You need to keep a weekly reflexive journal or diary for this assignment. The diary will be a primary data source for the assignment but you must cite the literature from relevant research areas.

Don’t forget that you can quote your journal entries as evidence to support your argument in the essay and you will have to write your reflections in the first person.

What is different about this essay compared to others you may have written at University is that I am not asking you to write an essay summarising the content of the course (or parts of the course). What you are required to write about is what you can imagine you can do with the content of this course to become a wise leader. Put in different words, we are asking you to demonstrate the ways in which this course is of benefit to you as a future leader.  You may also find it useful to write in the first person rather than the normal third person.

An essay is by definition a written argument. You must, therefore, demonstrate to the marker that you have a particular point of view and you must support this with evidence from the course and your journal (primary data/sources) and the literature (secondary data/sources). To this end, you may also need to research beyond the set readings already provided to you in the course materials.

A basic essay plan includes (Pavlovich, Collins, & Jones, 2007, p. 12):

Introduction

Describe the learning event/s, issue or situation.

What critical events happened?

  • How did you feel?
    • What was your reaction and why did this happen? (Cognitive and emotional)
    • Identify specific emotions: this is very important to be able to really understand the triggers for change.
    • Analyse the learning event, issue, or situation in relation to prior knowledge, feelings, or attitudes. What were the consequences of that feeling?
    • Discuss several points from the literature that help you understand what happened.
  • What have you learned?
    • Have you gained a new understanding of the learning event, issue, or situation?
    • What is that value of the learning event, issue, or situation that has occurred?
    • What is your new understanding of the learning event, issue, or situation?
  • Indicate how the learning event, issue, or situation affects future behaviour.
    • This includes the clarification of an issue, the development of a skill, or the resolution of a problem.
    • How will you approach the same or similar event, issue, or situation in the future?
    • What have you learned about yourself through this process?
  • Conclusions
  • Reference list

Essays/reports are to be your independent AND original work. Essays will be formal in style, include appropriate source citation and reference lists. Your essay will be formal in style, include appropriate source citation and reference lists.

You must use a standard 12-point font. You may use section headings in essays if you wish.

Please put your name/s and a word count on the cover page of your assignment and ensure that you reference appropriately using the APA or AMJ style. An author/date referencing style is required when you cite research, for example, (Smith 2008, p, 112) or (Smith 2008: 112) or (Smith 2008), and NOT (M. Smith 2008, p. 112) or (Smith: 112). I recommend that you use Endnote or similar referencing software which is available from the library (http://libguides.mq.edu.au/referencing-software)

Assignments exceeding the word limit in excess of 10% will be penalised as will those that are more than 10% shorter than the word limit.

You should be well prepared for this assignment from attendance at classes, and through completing your reflexive learning journal. 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.
  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

Delivery and Resources

Course Overview

Responsible leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are central to the future of the planet. An important question that we focus on in this unit is, how do you become an expert at being responsible, ethical and wise? This unit will develop your ability to lead ethically and responsibly using a learning-by-doing approach. In other words, the unit gives you direct experience in leading wisely.  This, therefore, is very much a practice-based unit. It is important that you learn from this practical experience in a reflexive way.

You will work in small teams to develop and implement projects that make social impacts through your responsible leadership. For much of the semester, class time will be taken up by working directly on your project. Not only will the projects give you experience in leading socially responsible change but will give you valuable opportunities to reflect on your successes and failures in the project. Your reflections will then be used to guide your future development as a leader who leads responsibly.

Unit Schedule

 

TEACHING WEEK

CLASS TOPIC

READINGS

ACTIVITIES

 

1

Introduction

None

 

 

2

Leadership

Cacioppe, R. (1997). Leadership moment by moment! Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 18(7), 335-345.

  • Project ideas development

 

3

Responsibility & CSR

McWilliams, A. (2000). Corporate social responsibility. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management.

  • Project ideas development

 

4

Values (ethics, virtue)

Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 11.

  • Values, ethics & Altruism questionnaires
  • Group formation

 

5

Values alignment

Slack, R., Corlett, S., & Morris, R. (2015). Exploring employee engagement with (corporate) social responsibility: A social exchange perspective on organisational participation. Journal of Business Ethics, 127(3), 537-548.

  • Assignment 1 due
  • Group formation
  • Begin projects

 

6

Dealing with ethical failure

Bachmann, R., Gillespie, N., & Priem, R. (2015). Repairing trust in organizations and institutions: Toward a conceptual framework. Organization Studies, 36(9), 1123-1142.

  • Weekly class presentation

 

7

Studio

Self-directed reading

  • Weekly class presentation

 

 

Mid-semester break

 

 

 

 

Mid-semester break

 

 

 

8

Studio

Self-directed reading

  • Weekly class presentation

 

9

Studio

Self-directed reading

  • Weekly class presentation

 

10

Studio

Self-directed reading

  • Weekly class presentation

 

11

Studio

Self-directed reading

  • Group Assignment a due
  • Weekly class presentation

 

12

Being Reflexive

Cunliffe, A. L. (2004). On becoming a critically reflexive practitioner. Journal of Management Education, 28(4), 407-426.

 

 

13

Summing up

 

  • Group Assignment b (individual reflexive analysis) due

Learning and Teaching Activities

Studio learning approach

This is a project-based unit that develops experience in being ethical and responsible; indeed, the unit is designed to help you develop the habits and impulses for being an ethical and responsible leader. You will be exposed to methods that help you to become a values-driven leader who can act wisely. An important aspect of the unit is the work you will do aligning your values with your behaviour in ways that replicate how wise leaders act. For much of the semester we will work on a studio model in small teams to lead, develop and implement socially responsible projects.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Timetable

Consult the timetable to find the day, time and location of your unit at http://timetables.mq.edu.au

iLearn

You can access content for this unit in iLearn at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au 

Reading

There is no textbook for this unit but you will have to complete readings as directed. Your readings will be posted on the iLearn site for this unit.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

Assessment tasks

  • 2. Group Assignment (Part A)
  • 3. Group Assignment (Part B)

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Individual Assignment

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.

Assessment tasks

  • 2. Group Assignment (Part A)
  • 3. Group Assignment (Part B)

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.

Assessment task

  • 3. Group Assignment (Part B)

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

Assessment tasks

  • Individual Assignment
  • 3. Group Assignment (Part B)

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.

Assessment task

  • 2. Group Assignment (Part A)

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.

Assessment task

  • Individual Assignment

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Begin on the path towards being a wise, responsible leader.
  • Build specific habits, skills, responses, and experience in acting responsibly.
  • Develop relevant expertise and theoretical and research knowledge.

Assessment tasks

  • Individual Assignment
  • 2. Group Assignment (Part A)

Changes since First Published

Date Description
11/01/2017 details