Students
PHIX2010 – Business and Professional Ethics
2020 – Session 3, Fully online/virtual
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Thomas Corbin
Contact via Email
TBD
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides students with an introduction to some of the main ethical issues raised by the activities of businesses and corporations in contemporary society and introduces some central topics in professional ethics. The first part of the unit examines the roles and responsibilities of businesses and corporations in relation to individuals and society. We ask whether corporations have moral responsibilities to stakeholders other than shareholders and examine competing accounts of economic justice related to this question. Other topics in this section include the ethics of discrimination and affirmative action and the influence of business on government. The second part of the unit begins with an examination of the responsibilities of business in relation to the environment. Other topics in this section include justice and globalization, conflicts of interest in medicine, the ethics of advertising, and whistleblowing. This unit is relevant to students in accounting and business studies as well as those in the humanities and social sciences.
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
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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:
- ULO1: demonstrate good general knowledge of the major issues in contemporary business and professional ethics.
- ULO2: understand the major ethical concepts and theories that inform the business and professional ethics literature.
- ULO3: analyse and critically evaluate theories and arguments in the relevant literature.
- ULO4: relate ethical concepts and theories to relevant case studies and current events.
- ULO5: develop your own perspective, through analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit.
- ULO6: demonstrate improved skills in clarity of thought and communication.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 short quizzes | 20% | No | 11th of Dec (Week 2) & 8th of Jan (Week 4) |
| Final Test | 35% | No | 22nd of Jan |
| Participation | 15% | No | Ongoing |
| Reading assignment | 30% | No | December 18 (Week 3) |
2 short quizzes
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 11th of Dec (Week 2) & 8th of Jan (Week 4)
Weighting: 20%
A series of questions that assess your knowledge and understanding of key concepts and arguments in business ethics.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- demonstrate good general knowledge of the major issues in contemporary business and professional ethics.
- understand the major ethical concepts and theories that inform the business and professional ethics literature.
Final Test
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 22nd of Jan
Weighting: 35%
A series of questions that assess your knowledge and understanding of concepts, methods and arguments in business ethics covering the whole course.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- demonstrate good general knowledge of the major issues in contemporary business and professional ethics.
- understand the major ethical concepts and theories that inform the business and professional ethics literature.
- analyse and critically evaluate theories and arguments in the relevant literature.
Participation
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 15%
Contributing to online discussions through engaging constructively with peers and tutor.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- demonstrate good general knowledge of the major issues in contemporary business and professional ethics.
- understand the major ethical concepts and theories that inform the business and professional ethics literature.
- analyse and critically evaluate theories and arguments in the relevant literature.
- relate ethical concepts and theories to relevant case studies and current events.
- develop your own perspective, through analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit.
- demonstrate improved skills in clarity of thought and communication.
Reading assignment
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: December 18 (Week 3)
Weighting: 30%
Answering a few questions on a text relating to the issues studied in the weeks prior to the assignment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- demonstrate good general knowledge of the major issues in contemporary business and professional ethics.
- understand the major ethical concepts and theories that inform the business and professional ethics literature.
- analyse and critically evaluate theories and arguments in the relevant literature.
- develop your own perspective, through analysis of the views and arguments presented in the unit.
- demonstrate improved skills in clarity of thought and communication.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
All readings will be supplied to students through the iLearn unit once semester begins. Lectures are recorded and will be available to students through the iLearn unit. Weekly tutorial participation will take place over online discussion forums and will be directed and moderated by teaching staff.
Unit Schedule
The first part of the unit examines the roles and responsibilities of corporations in relation to individuals and society. We ask whether corporations have moral responsibilities to stakeholders other than shareholders and examine competing accounts of economic justice related to this question. The second part of the unit begins with an examination of the responsibilities of business in relation to the environment. Other topics in this section include justice and globalization, conflicts of interest in medicine, and corporate influence on government. This unit provides students with an introduction to some of the main ethical issues raised by the activities of businesses and corporations in contemporary society and introduces some central topics in professional ethics.
Please note that in Semester three this is offered only as an intensive unit, which means that we will be covering a normal semesters worth of content in a condensed period of time. We will be looking at 12 topics in Business and Professional Ethics in a 5 week period, and therefore each week we will be looking at 2 or 3 topics. This makes this unit somewhat demanding in terms of time and effort, but also extremely rewarding in terms of the knowledge and understanding gained in a relatively short period of time.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@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.