Students

MGMT2031 – Ethics and Sustainability Management

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Grant Michelson
grant.michelson@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
50cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines the relationships between contemporary ethical and sustainability issues and dilemmas faced by managers in corporate, not-for-profit or government sectors. By the end of the unit, students will have a strong appreciation of how individuals and organisations can potentially contribute to society and the business environment. This unit encourages students’ innovation and creativity in business planning that leads to a sustainable future.

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: Explain and apply key terms, concepts, frameworks and theories relevant to ethics and sustainability in business.
  • ULO2: Assess ethical and sustainability factors into business decision-making and management practice.
  • ULO3: Evaluate the impact of responsible leadership on business sustainable development and approaches.
  • ULO4: Formulate collaborative business solutions that address ethical and environmental issue(s) and drive sustainable outcomes for society.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalties

If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days. Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

Example 1 (out of 100):

If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

Example 2 (out of 30):

If you score 27/30 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

Extensions

Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration. Need help? Review the Special Consideration page for further details.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI assisted?
Formal examination: Test 30% No Week 5 Individual No Observed
Professional practice: Applied ethics and sustainability analysis 40% No 10/05/2026 Individual and Group No Open AI
Skills development: Ethical reflection and application 30% No 04/06/2026 Individual Yes Open AI

Formal examination: Test

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Observed

The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate your ability to apply theoretical concepts and frameworks introduced in the first half of the unit to discipline-specific problems in a structured, time-limited setting.

 

You will complete an individual open-book, hand-written test covering unit content. The assessment will evaluate your understanding, interpretation, and application through a series of questions.

 

 

Skills in focus:

 

  • Discipline knowledge
  • Critical thinking and problem solving

 

Deliverable(s): Test

 

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and apply key terms, concepts, frameworks and theories relevant to ethics and sustainability in business.
  • Evaluate the impact of responsible leadership on business sustainable development and approaches.

Professional practice: Applied ethics and sustainability analysis

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 10/05/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is to develop your ability to apply ethics and sustainability theories to real organisational contexts, critically evaluate corporate practices, and communicate evidence-based recommendations.

 

You will work in a group to research and assess the ethics and sustainability performance of a selected organisation. Your team will prepare a written report that analyses the organisation’s policies, practices, and leadership, and provides justified recommendations for improvement. Each student will also deliver an individual presentation summarising their section of the report and reflecting on the organisation’s performance.

 

 

Skills in focus:

 

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Collaboration and communication
  • Global, ethical and environmental citizenship

 

 

Deliverable(s): Group written report [max 2500 words] and individual presentation (max 5min)

 

Individual and group assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain and apply key terms, concepts, frameworks and theories relevant to ethics and sustainability in business.
  • Assess ethical and sustainability factors into business decision-making and management practice.
  • Evaluate the impact of responsible leadership on business sustainable development and approaches.
  • Formulate collaborative business solutions that address ethical and environmental issue(s) and drive sustainable outcomes for society.

Skills development: Ethical reflection and application

Assessment Type 1: Reflection task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 04/06/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI assisted?: Open AI

The purpose of this assessment is to strengthen your ability to critically reflect on your ethical development and sustainability thinking, connecting personal experience with conceptual and theoretical insights.

 

You will write a self-reflective, conceptually informed essay that explores what has most challenged your values or assumptions during the unit, and how you can apply ethical reasoning in your future practice.

 

 

Skills in focus:

 

  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Global, ethical and environmental citizenship
  • Discipline knowledge

 

Deliverable(s): Reflective essay [max 1500 words]

 

Individual assessment
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess ethical and sustainability factors into business decision-making and management practice.
  • Formulate collaborative business solutions that address ethical and environmental issue(s) and drive sustainable outcomes for society.

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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

A series of lectures, case studies, readings and videos will be employed to encourage and develop student learning. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

An in-class exam (open-book and handwritten) is new for 2026 and will evaluate understanding and application of important theories and concepts to real-world examples. The exam replaces the essay offered in previous offerings. The exam is worth the same marks as the essay.  

Consultation Hours

The unit convenor is willing to consult students via zoom, telephone or in-person. Please feel free to arrange this by email. In addition, your tutor is available to answer questions from students. 

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook