[Excerpt from Unit of Study outline: Work 2219,
Management and Organisational Ethics]
1. Teaching Staff
Unit of Study Coordinator:
Name
Room and building
Phone number
Email
Consultation hours
Susan Ainsworth
Rm 5.07, Level 5, School of Business Building, (H69)
9036 5304
s.ainsworth@econ.usyd.edu.au
2. Unit of Study Aims
This unit of study aims to provide students with an understanding of the ethical issues
facing managers in contemporary organizations and the skills to identify and analyse
the ethical implications of current organizational practices.
By the end of the unit of study students will:

Be able to explain current interest in corporate social responsibility and
business ethics

Have an understanding of major ethical frameworks, their relevance to work,
management and organisations and be able to apply them to analyse problems

Be familiar with key areas of interest to practitioners, policymakers and
researchers

Understand the ethical dilemmas facing managers in different organizational
contexts

Be able to critique major approaches to business ethics

Be aware of, and be able to assess, current issues and trends in organisational
ethics
Management and Organisational Ethics is an advanced undergraduate unit that can be
taken as a standalone unit or as part of a broader programme of study in either
Management or Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management. It builds on
foundation units in these areas by developing students’ understanding of the ethical
dimensions of work, organisations and management.
3. Unit of Study Learning Goals
Learning Goals
Graduate Attributes
1. Demonstrate a capacity
Personal and Intellectual
Autonomy: Graduates of
the Faculty of Economics
and Business will be able
to work independently and
sustainably, in a way that is
informed by openness,
curiosity and a desire to
meet new challenges.
Research and Inquiry:
Graduates of the Faculty of
Economics and Business
will be able to create new
knowledge and
understanding through the
process of research and
inquiry.
to work independently
including the ability to
plan and achieve goals.
2. Identify, define and
analyse problems and
recommend creative
solutions within realworld constraints.
3. Critically evaluate
underlying theories,
concepts, assumptions,
limitations and
arguments in
disciplinary and crossdisciplinary fields of
study.
4. Demonstrate the
capacity to deal with
ethical and other issues
in business, government
and social contexts in
relation to their personal
and professional lives.
5. Confidently and
coherently communicate,
orally and in writing, to a
professional standard in
major fields of study.
6. Manage, analyse,
evaluate and use
information efficiently and
effectively.
Ethical, Social and
Professional
Understanding:
Graduates of the Faculty of
Economics and Business
will hold personal values
and beliefs consistent with
their role as responsible
members of local, national,
international and
professional communities.
Communication:
Graduates of the Faculty of
Economics and Business
will recognise and value
communication as a tool for
negotiating and creating
new understanding,
interacting with others, and
furthering their own
learning.
Information Literacy:
Graduates of the Faculty of
Economics and Business
will be able to use
information effectively in a
range of contexts.
Assessment
Group Project
Case Study
Group Project
Essay
Group Project
Essay
Group Project
Case Study
Essay
Group Project
4. Assessment
4.1. Types and due dates of assessment
Type (for example)
1. Individual essay
2. Group project (and
presentation)
3. Case study
Total
Weighting
30%
40%
Submission date
30%
100%
4.2. Explanation of assessment
1. Individual essay
Weighting: 30% of final mark
Report format: 1500 words
Students will be given a choice of two essay topics related to material covered in the
first 5 weeks of the unit of study. In the first question, they will be asked to critically
evaluate current interest in corporate social responsibility and business ethics. They
will be required to gather and analyse relevant academic and business-related
literature and develop a coherent argument that assesses the basis for organisational
corporate social responsibility and ethics programs. In the second question, students
will be asked to assess the ethical basis for human resource management, using
different ethical frameworks. The essay questions focus on material covered in the
five weeks of the subject, however, the understanding students gain through
completing this first piece of assessment will provide the basis for a critical
appreciation of the rest of the material covered in the unit of study.
This piece of assessment relates to three of the six learning goals of this unit of study.
First, it asks students to critically evaluate key concepts and assumptions related to
corporate social responsibility and business ethics (essay question 1) or human
resource management and ethics (essay question 2). Second, it requires students to be
able to coherently communicate their arguments in a discussion that is focused on
addressing a specific question. Third, students will need to locate, manage, analyse,
evaluate and use academic and business-related information in a way that effectively
supports their arguments, within the time and word-constraints of this assessment task.
2. Group project
Weighting: 40% of final mark
Report format: 3000 words
In this group project, students will be asked to develop organizational interventions
that address one of the issues covered in the unit of study, for example, a
whistleblowing policy and procedure, introduction of a code of ethics, an ethics
training program for managers, a corporate policy on drug and alcohol testing, a
corporate cultural change program, an equal employment opportunity program that
will be implemented in diverse cultural contexts or an organizational policy on
working hours. In addition to a written report, this piece of assessment requires
students to give an oral presentation in which they outline their recommendations, and
the rationale for these recommendations.
This piece of assessment contributes to the achievement of all of the learning goals in
this unit of study. It requires students to demonstrate their capacity to work
independently as a small group, including planning and achieving completion of the
project. It involves them in identifying, defining and analysing organisational issues
and developing creative interventions that could be implemented in organisations. In
doing so, students will be demonstrating their capacity to deal with ethical issues in
organisationally relevant situations. In addition, the oral and written components of
this assessment task require students to confidently and coherently communicate their
analysis and recommendations. Finally, in order to develop and explain their
organisational intervention, they will be engaged in managing, analysing, evaluating
and using information efficiently and effectively.
The tutorial programme for this unit of study will provide opportunities for students to
complete this assessment task. Some tutorials will include time for structured group
work and will be based on tasks relevant to completing this project. Details about this
group project, the individual essay and tutorial programme are contained in a separate
handout which will be distributed in the first tutorial and available on blackboard.
3. Case Study
Weighting: 30% of final mark
Report format: 1500 words
The case study will describe an organizational scenario that integrates material
covered in the unit of study. Students will be asked to answer 3 questions in which
they will be asked to identify relevant issues, analyse them and provide
recommendations. This assessment task relates to two key learning goals (2 and 5):
students will be asked to identify, define and analyse problems and recommend
solutions to a given organisational scenario in a written answer.
Grade Descriptors
The following grade descriptors, where appropriate, will be used as a basis for
feedback on assessment in this Unit of Study.
Excellent
Criteria as for ‘Very Good’ however the work also shows
evidence of critical reflection on the subject content, a high
degree of originality and extensive, relevant research
Very Good
The work presents a systematic analysis of a given topic(s)
including the application of relevant theoretical frameworks.
There is evidence of integration of material and complex
understanding of ethical implications.
Good
The work contains relevant and accurate information and
shows evidence of understanding of the content. Some
integration, analysis and application of theory are included.
Discussion shows understanding of how different ethical
frameworks differ and overlap.
Satisfactory
The work contains relevant information and meets the
minimum requirements of the assessment task but includes
minimal analysis and integration of material. Work shows an
awareness of different perspectives on ethical issues
Unsatisfactory
The work may contain some relevant information but does
not address the requirements of the assessment task.
Excessive absence from sessions or failure to submit in the
agreed timeframe.