Ethics and sustainability in a business environment

Should corporations be environmentally sustainable? To what extent should business organisations be ethical and just? To what extent should corporations have social responsibilities? Do managers have obligations to stakeholders such as employees and customers? This unit examines these fundamental questions by applying ethical theories. This unit will focus on ethical issues that arise in business organisations, which involve the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to human rights, environmental protection, marketing and advertising, human resource management and social accounting.

Active learning - This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.

Case-based teaching - This unit includes case-based teaching, where you apply your knowledge and engage in analytical and reflective thinking to solve complex contextual scenarios. Activities are often designed so that there is not one clear answer, but you need to work together to examine, analyse and make decisions to resolve the situation.

Enquiry-based learning - This unit engages you in enquiry-based learning, where you will be encouraged to use your own knowledge to develop and engage in a process of enquiry, study and research to identify areas to be investigated and an approach to doing so.

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.