School of Business and Economics
Unit Outline
Accounting Unit
Undergraduate
Mode: On-campus
AFW2700
Ethics and Business
2009, Semester 2
Contact details for Unit Coordinator:
Lecturer: Anton du Toit
Office: D2-15
Consulting hours : Wednesdays 08:30 – 10:30, 11:30 – 12:30
Telephone: 011-950 4216
Fax: 011-950 4022
E-mail: Anton.Dutoit@buseco.monash.edu
Lectures and tutorials will take place on the following days and at the
following venues and times:
Mondays: 10:30 – 12:30: Lecture – SA_C/Seminar Room 6
Wednesdays: 14:30 – 15:30: Tutorial Group 1 – SA BLOCK C Tut room 17
(from second week)
Tuesdays: 12:30 – 13:30: Tutorial Group 2 – Tut room 5 (from second week)
Tuesdays: 14:30 – 15:30: Tutorial Group 3 – Tut room 5 (from second week)
Students admitted to AFW2700 should read this unit outline very carefully.
It contains the Ethics and Business course outline and references to
important source material to be used in addition to the prescribed
textbooks. AFW1000, AFW1001 or MGW1010 is a prerequisite for this unit.
Responsibilities of Students
As a student of the University you must:
 apply yourself to your studies to the best of your ability
and accept joint responsibility for your learning
 become familiar with the rules and regulations governing
the degree in which you are enrolled, and ensure that the
units selected meet the degree requirements
 be aware of the policies and practices of the university and
of any faculty and department in which you are enrolled,
which are contained in the materials and information made
available to you
 be aware of the rules and regulations concerning the use
of university computing, library and other facilities, as set
out in published material
 meet deadlines for work to be submitted
 take the initiative and consult appropriately when problems
arise
 submit original work for assessment without plagiarising or
cheating
 if you are an on-campus student, attend lectures, tutorials
and seminars for each unit in which you are enrolled; if
you are an off-campus student, engage thoroughly with all
course materials and participate in any prescribed
residential schools
 contribute to the development of programs and policies by
participating in consultative and deliberative processes in
a responsible and ethical manner
 be aware of the University's commitment to equal
opportunity and to demonstrate tolerance and respect for
all members of the university community
 respect the right of staff members to express views and
opinions
 respect the working environment of others in all areas of
the University
 retain a copy of all assignment work submitted for
assessment, and hold it until a grade for the unit has been
published
 regularly scan personal computers for viruses and other
destructive software and to ensure that ‘infections’ are not
transmitted to computers owned by the university, or to
computers owned by other students, or by other
individuals or organisations
 regularly back-up documents, databases, presentations,
spreadsheets and other files held on a personal computer
which relate to your study at university and to arrange
secure storage for these ‘back-up’ copies
 regularly check both the unit Blackboard site and your
official university email account.
Plagiarism, Cheating and Collusion
You are reminded that university rules (Statute 4.1) prohibit
plagiarism, cheating and collusion and that severe penalties
will be imposed on students who engage in, or who support
other students engaged in, activities which seek to undermine
the integrity of the unit assessment process. In simple terms:
Plagiarism – means to take and use another person’s ideas
and/or manner of expressing them and to pass them off as
your own by failing to give appropriate acknowledgement.
Cheating – means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in
an examination or in other written or practical work required to
be submitted or completed by a student for assessment.
must therefore be your own work. In quoting or paraphrasing
material from other sources, those sources must be
acknowledged in full.
The Faculty will consider that plagiarism has occurred in any
of the following circumstances where:
 phrases and passages are used verbatim without
quotation marks and without a reference to the author
 an author's work is paraphrased and presented without a
reference
 other students' work is copied or partly copied
 items for assessment are written in conjunction with other
students (without explicit direction by the relevant staff
member)
 a piece of work has already been submitted or assessed.
For more information on plagiarism and cheating please refer
to the following links:
http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/secretariat/policies/collusncollabn-palgrsm.html
Ethical Behaviour
In the course of your studies you may undertake research
projects or case studies, and otherwise discuss business
issues with managers, employees or customers of companies
or other organisations.
You must appreciate the goodwill of the individuals and
organisations that agree to assist you and must behave in a
professional and ethical manner at all times.
You must never use or divulge the confidential information of
any organisation, including your employer, in any assignment
or report without the written permission of this organisation.
In collecting material for assignments etc. you must properly
represent yourself at all times. You must disclose:
 that you are a Monash student
 the details of the project you are working on
 whether or not you are employed and if you are employed,
who your employer is
 whether there is the potential for a conflict of interest such
as would occur if your employer was an actual or potential
competitor of the respondent’s business.
Certain types of research activity require special ethics
approval by the University’s Human Ethics Office. For
information about “Research involving human participants”
and the process to obtain approval to conduct this research,
visit:
http://www.monash.edu.au/research/ethics/human/index.htm
If you have any doubt about whether or not the data collection
you wish to undertake falls within the University’s Ethics
guidelines you must consult your Chief Examiner.
Prior to contacting any individual or organisation, you must
acquaint yourself with the university’s Ethics Policy which is
available at:
http://www.monash.edu.au/research/ethics/human/index.html
Table of Contents
1.
Unit Introduction .................................... 1
Collusion – is the presentation of work which is the result in
whole or in part of unauthorised collaboration with another
person or persons.
2.
Resources And Requirements .............. 2
Within the University, plagiarism is regarded as a form of theft
and is therefore a serious offence.
3.
Program ................................................... 3
The submission of essays, assignments and homework is an
essential part of the learning process and a vital way of
assessing your understanding of a unit. The submitted work
4.
Assessment ............................................ 5
1. Unit Introduction
Unit synopsis
AFW 2700 provides an introduction to ethical issues in business, with a specific
focus on the accounting profession. The unit addresses four areas of ethics and
business:

an introduction to ethical theories and applied ethics, including the nature of
ethics and ethical decision-making;

an overview of business ethics and its relationship with corporate governance and
social responsibility;

an understanding of how ethics affects businesses, organisations and
professions; and

The Code of Professional Conduct in the accountancy profession.
Unit objectives
The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

examine the ethical dimension of individual and social life in the context of cultural
diversity;

define and explain selected ethical theories and their relevance to business and
professional ethical issues;

apply an ethical and corporate governance perspective to organisational and
management issues;

explain the nature of professionalism;

be able to use ethical knowledge and theory to make decisions in relation to case
studies;

describe the purpose, structure and contents of selected codes of conduct from
business and professions, particularly the accounting profession; and

apply critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills to individual and/or
group activities dealing with ethics in business, as well as in the accounting
profession.
Time commitment
The expected workload per semester for AFW2700 is 12 hours per week. This will
include contact hours in the form of lectures and tutorials, plus independent study.
Generally, the lectures provide the core material.
Teaching and learning approach
This unit will be taught as a two-hour class session and a one-hour tutorial each
week for 13 weeks. This will include lectures, tutorials, seminars, discussion forums,
case studies, video and audio presentations.
Tutorial allocation
At the beginning of the semester, on-campus students are enrolled in tutorial groups
for many of their subjects. Tutorial groups are composed of up to 25 students from
the lecture group who normally meet for one hour per week to discuss issues that
arise from the lectures. The tutorial questions specified must be prepared in advance
and, to bring the material to life, each student is expected to actively participate in
and contribute to the discussion of the questions.
Attendance at tutorials and performance in written work are regarded as important
and are strongly recommended. Tutorial registers will generally be kept. In borderline
cases tutorial attendance and performance will be considered in assessing the
student's performance in this unit.
2. Resources and Requirements
Unit requirements
None.
Prescribed text(s)
Rossouw, D., Prozesky, M., Van Heerden, B. & Van Zyl, M. (2006), Ethics for
Accountants and Auditors, Oxford University Press, Cape Town.
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (2008), SAICA Handbook
2008/2009, LexisNexis, Durban.
Recommended text(s)/readings (in library)
Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (2009), Manual of Information.
Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), Johannesburg.
Auditing sites on the Internet
SA Government
South African Government online
http://www.gov.za
The SA Institute for Chartered Accountants
Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors
http://www.saica.co.za
http://www.irba.co.za
Auditing Publishers
Juta
LexisNexis
http://www.juta.co.za
http://global.lexisnexis.com/za
Auditing firms
PricewaterhouseCoopers
KPMG
Deloitte
Ernst&Young
http://www.pwc.com/za
http://www.kpmg.co.za
http://www.deloitte.com
http://www.ey.com
Organisations and
Regulatory bodies
Recommended readings
To give students a general and broad exposure to South African Auditing, different
writers and specialised texts on the topics covered in the Unit, reference will be made
to relevant material other than the prescribed textbook throughout the Unit Outline.
Please note that the Unit Outline indicates "prescribed reading material" and
"recommended reading material".
You will be tested on the "prescribed reading material", it must be studied for
examination purposes.
As to "recommended reading material", you can decide independently whether you
want to read and/or study the material or not. Recommended material can be of
some assistance to students to come to a better understanding of the particular
theme. The material is recommended in order to broaden a student's knowledge and
insight. A student will not be penalised if he/she did not read and/or study
recommended material, as it is optional.
A list of selected texts is also contained in the “Recommended text” section above.
Calculators
The calculator models that will be permitted for use in this unit’s final examination
are:
 Citizen SRT-135T scientific calculator
 Casio fx-82MS scientific calculator
 Casio fx-82AU scientific calculator
 Sharp EL-735 business/financial calculator
 A calculator identified with an ‘Approved for Use’ faculty label.
Q Manual
For referencing, essay/report writing structure, etc. url:
http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/publications/qmanual/
Student Feedback and Support Services
Feedback to Students
Students will receive feedback on work in the following ways:
 In class, one week after a test/assignment
Feedback from Students
Students will be expected to provide feedback on the unit, in order to maintain and
improve the unit quality.
Health, Wellbeing and Development Contact Information
A range of student development and support services (http://www.monash.ac.za/current/student_dev/) are
provided to help ease the transition to university life. These services focus on both academic and social student
orientation and interaction.
Student Development Services offers support and advice to students and staff on emotional, psychological,
health, financial, accommodation, religious/ spiritual, educational, family and physical concerns in order to
enhance the academic performance and wellbeing of the Monash South Africa community.
The services include: counseling and therapy; career development; psychoeducational programmes; HIV peer
educator training; health and disability liaison; financial aid; sports and recreation and chaplaincy.
The Student Development services offered on campus are free of charge to all students. Where students are
referred to external professionals they will be liable for the fees charged by these professionals.
Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching Services. Student Support (CALT.SS)
This service is available to all Monash students to ensure success in their academic studies. CALT.SS
concentrates on the development of academic literacies and study skills through joint faculty tutorials, generic
workshops, individual consultations, online tutorials and drop-in sessions.
3. Program
Lecture program
Week
Topic
1.
20 Jul 2009
2.
27 July 09
3.
3 August 09
4.
10 August 09
5.
17 August 09
6.
24 Aug 09
7.
31 Aug 09
8.
7 Sep 09
9.
14 Sep 09
10.
21 Sep 09
11.
5 Oct 09
12.
12 Oct 09
13.
19 Oct 2009
Required Readings
Introduction to Ethics
Rossouw, et al. : Chapter 1
Value systems in South Africa
Rossouw, et al. : Chapter 2
Philosophical Foundations of ethics,
Ethical decision-making, Resolving
ethical dilemmas
Rossouw, et al. : Chapters 3, 4 and 5
Public holiday – no class
Test 1 – topics covered in the first 3
weeks (chapters 1 – 5 in textbook)
Macro-ethics, The modern
corporation and its moral obligations
Corporate Governance
Corporate Governance, Managing
ethics
Professionalism, careers and ethics
MonQuest evaluation
Codes of Professional Conduct
Test 2 – topics covered in weeks 5 to
9 (chapters 6 – 13 in textbook)
Applying the code of professional
conduct
UNIT REVISION
Rossouw, et al. : Chapters 6 and 7
Handout
Rossouw, et al. : Chapters 8 and 9
Rossouw, et al. : Chapter 11
Rossouw, et al. : Chapters 12 and 13,
SAICA Handbook : Ethics
Rossouw, et al. : Chapter 14
All
Tutorial Program
Week
1.
21/22 July
2009
2.
28/29 Jul 2009
3.
4/5 Aug 2009
4.
11/12 Aug
2009
5.
18/19 Aug
2009
6.
25/26 Aug
2009
7.
1/2 Sept 2009
Activity
Required Preparation
None
Introduction to Ethics
Value systems in South Africa
Will be provided in previous week’s
class
Will be provided in previous week’s
class
Philosophical Foundations of
ethics, Ethical decision-making,
Resolving ethical dilemmas
Will be provided in previous week’s
class
Test 1 week – no class
-
Philosophical Foundations of
ethics, Ethical decision-making,
Resolving ethical dilemmas
Macro-ethics, The modern
corporation and its moral
obligations
Will be provided in previous week’s
class
Will be provided in previous week’s
class
8.
Will be provided in previous week’s
Corporate Governance
8/9 Sept 2009
class
9.
Corporate Governance, Managing
Will be provided in previous week’s
15/16 Sept
class
ethics
2009
10.
Will be provided in previous week’s
22/23 Sept
Professionalism, careers and ethics
class
2009
11.
Test 2 week – no class
6/7 Oct 2009
12.
Will be provided in previous week’s
13/14 Oct
Codes of Professional Conduct
class
2009
13.
Applying the code of professional
Will be provided in previous week’s
20/21 Oct
class
conduct
2009
Students should note that the lecture and tutorial programs outlined above are a guide to the
material to be covered in this unit and not a definitive statement of when that material will be
covered. Specific details relating to the timing will be discussed in lectures and tutorials.
4. Assessment
Assessment Summary
Assessment Task
Due Date
Value
Class Test 1
17 August 2009
20%
Class Test 2
5 October 2009
20%
Final Examination
Official Examination Period
60%
Total 100%
Marks and Grades
Hurdle requirements
Your final mark will be the sum of the marks gained in all pieces of assessment, except that to pass
this unit you must achieve at least 45% in the final examination. Where you achieve less than 45% in
the final examination your maximum final mark for the unit will be 43%.
Second Marking
Where an assessment task is given a fail grade by an examiner, that piece of work will be marked
again by a second examiner who will independently evaluate the work, and consult with the first
marker. No student will be awarded a fail grade for an assessment task or unit without a second
examiner confirming the result.
Note:
Exceptions to this are individual pieces of assessment contributing 10% or less of the final mark, unless
the total of such pieces exceeds 30% of the final mark.
Final marks and grades
Faculty policy states that ‘the final mark that a student receives for a unit will be determined by
the Board of Examiners on the recommendation of the Chief Examiner taking into account all
aspects of assessment’.
Assessment Details
Final Examination
Examination date and location
This examination will be held during the official examination period. The examination timetable which
provides full details of the examination schedule can be accessed through the my.monash portal.
Examination Duration
This will be a 3 hour examination.
Materials that are examinable
All prescribed materials, as listed in the programme above, will be examinable.
Instructions to students
The examination is in case study/practical application format and it is a closed book examination.
Any prior examination papers available will be on the shared drive.
Return of Final Marks for the Unit
The final mark for this unit will be released by the Board of Examiners on the date nominated in the
Faculty Calendar. Student results will be accessible through the my.monash portal.
Special Consideration
A student whose work during a teaching period, and attendance, performance in a semester test, class
presentation, assignment or final exam has been affected by illness or other serious cause may apply
for special consideration. Details regarding eligibility, closing dates, supporting documentation
requirements
and
an
application
form
can
be
found
at
http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/student/exams/
Collusion, Collaboration, Plagiarism and Cheating
The submission of written work such as essays and assignments is an essential part of the learning
process and a vital way of assessing students' understanding of an area of study. Submitted work must
therefore be a student's own work. This does not mean that students may not make use of the work of
others. However, in quoting or paraphrasing material from other sources, those sources must be
acknowledged in full.
For more information please refer to the following link:
http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/secretariat/policies/collusn-collabn-palgrsm.html
Assignment and Examination Assessment Criteria
Grading descriptors
High Distinction
(80%+)
Distinction
(70 – 79%)
Credit
(60 – 69%)
Pass
(50 – 59%)
General
description
Outstanding or
exceptional work in terms
of understanding,
interpretation and
presentation
A very high standard of
work which demonstrates
originality and insight
Demonstrates a high level Satisfies the minimum
of understanding and
requirements
presentation and a degree
of originality and insight
Fails to satisfy the
minimum requirements
Reading
Strong evidence of
independent reading
beyond core texts and
materials
Evidence of reading
beyond core texts and
materials
Thorough understanding
Evidence of having read
of core texts and materials core texts and materials
Very little evidence of
having read any of the
core texts and materials
Knowledge of
topic
Demonstrates insight,
awareness and
understanding of deeper
and more subtle aspects
of the topic. Ability to
consider topic in the
broader context of the
discipline
Evidence of an
awareness and
understanding of deeper
and more subtle aspects
of the topic
Sound knowledge of
principles and concepts
Articulation of
argument
Demonstrates imagination
or flair.
Demonstrates originality
and independent thought
Evidence of imagination
Well-reasoned argument
or flair.
based on broad evidence
Evidence of originality and
independent thought
Analytical and
evaluative skills
Highly developed
analytical and evaluative
skills
Clear evidence of
analytical and evaluative
skills
Problem
solving
Ability to solve very
challenging problems
Ability to solve non-routine Ability to use and apply
problems
fundamental concepts
and skills
Adequate problem-solving Very little evidence of
skills
problem-solving skills
Expression and
presentation
appropriate to
the discipline
Highly developed skills in
expression and
presentation.
Well developed skills in
expression and
presentation.
Adequate skills in
expression and
presentation
Knowledge of principles
Scant knowledge of
and concepts at least
principles and concepts
adequate to communicate
intelligently in the topic
and to serve as a basis
for further study
Sound argument based
on evidence
Evidence of analytical and Some evidence of
evaluative skills
analytical and evaluative
skills
Good skills in expression
and presentation.
Accurate and consistent
acknowledgement of
sources.
Fail
(Less than 50%)
Very little evidence of
ability to construct
coherent argument
Very little evidence of
analytical and evaluative
skills
Inadequate skills in
expression and
presentation. Inaccurate
and inconsistent
acknowledgement of
sources.
Source: University of Adelaide 2005
Near Pass: From 2009, students enrolled in undergraduate
courses managed by the Faculty of Business and Economics
who fail a unit with a mark between 45% and 49%, which is
confirmed to be the last unit necessary to complete a course
of study, will be given a Near Pass (NP) in that unit provided
that they have completed all the work for the unit, and have
sat the final examination. For further information, refer to the
following: links:
http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/secretariat/policies/nearpass-fb-0507.html and for students enrolled prior to 2009
http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/student/exams/npinfo.html
Honours programs: The following grading structure applies
for Honours Coursework Degrees:
80% +
70-79% 60-69%
50-59%
Below
50%
H1
H2A
H111
Fail
H2B
Assistance for students experiencing
difficulties completing assessment tasks
The Monash University Library provides services and
resources to Monash students who want to improve their
academic learning skills, including the quality of their academic
English and approaches to study, at the undergraduate and
postgraduate levels. Assistance is offered in such areas as oral
communication and presentation, reading, study and exam
preparation, effective listening and note-taking in lectures and
seminars, analysis, problem solving and critical thinking, and
academic essay, report and thesis writing.
Drop-in sessions, classes and workshops are scheduled
throughout the semester. You can come to a library dropin session for a brief 10 to 15 minute consultation with a
learning skills adviser about your assignment or academic
skills. A longer appointment may be scheduled for a later
date if deemed necessary by the learning skills adviser.
Further information on learning skills services can be found
at: http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/learning-skills/ .
Online language and learning resources are also available.
These include: tutorials, interactive exercises,
downloadable examples and other resources covering:
essay, report and thesis writing; reading and note taking;
grammar; listening to lectures; oral presentation; other
study skills;.
Online learning support resources are also available for
higher degree research students, off-campus learners and
students with a disability. To access the online resources
visit: www.monash.edu.au/lls.
Health, Wellbeing and Development is a branch of the
Student and Staff Services Division offering services to
students and staff in the areas of chaplaincy, counselling,
family and child care advice, financial aid, housing advice and
health and medical assistance.
Health, Wellbeing and Development contributes to the
university's goals by providing support and advice to
students and staff on emotional, psychological, health,
financial, accommodation, religious/spiritual, educational,
child care and physical problems in order to enhance their
academic performance and the university community life.
http://adm.monash.edu.au/community-services/aboutus.html.