Module BUSS3191: CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Department: Economics, Finance and Business (Business) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

BUSS3191: CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• This module provides a foundation upon which students can understand and critique the role of business in society. It provides a framework for the critical analysis of moral responsibility in business organisations, discusses responsibilities in relation to different stakeholder groups and explores mechanisms for managing corporate responsibilities.

Content

• An introduction to corporate responsibility
• The role and purpose of business in society
• Corporate moral agency and the nature of corporations
• The stakeholder theory of the firm
• Normative ethical theories
• Ethical decision-making in a business context
• Shareholders and corporate responsibility
• Employees and corporate responsibility
• Consumers and corporate responsibility
• Suppliers and corporate responsibility
• Communities and corporate responsibility
• Ecological environment and corporate responsibility
• Managing corporate responsibility: Codes of ethics; Social and environmental accounting and reporting
• SMEs and responsible business practice

Learning Outcomes

• To understand and critique the role and purpose of business in society
• To understand ethical theory at a basic level and be able to apply it to business organisations
• To critically analyse the nature of responsibility in business organisations and apply this analysis to different stakeholder groups
• To understand and critique mechanisms for managing corporate responsibility

• Ethical decision-making in a business context

• Research appropriate periodicals, websites, books, other references to draw together required information.
• Having located relevant information from a variety of sources, to bring it together and present it in a coherent argument.
• Consider issues from a range of perspectives and draw upon appropriate concepts/values to reach a critical assessment.
• Take an active role in learning and recognise potential responsibility for own lifelong learning.
• Think laterally and inventively, to develop original approaches in defining and solving problems.
• Prioritise tasks, manage and achieve results on time and within budgets and/or other constraints.
• Construct grammatically correct and well written/spelt essays and reports, using the most appropriate style for the purpose.
• Open, hear and understand verbal messages without prejudice or assumptions.
• Seek, store, retrieve, synthesise, use and present information in ways appropriate to the task, including the use of C& IT.
• Use computer applications to the level required and appropriate to the problem in hand.
• Cooperate with others, make a variety of contributions to help the group achieve its goal.
• Recognise and accommodate the fact that others have different needs, feelings, and/or behaviour.
• Give constructive feedback to student peers and to receive/accept similar from them.
• Manage, guide or facilitate a group to maximise its success and the contribution of all participants.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching is by lectures and seminars. At least one external speaker will be invited to provide a practitioner perspective. Learning takes place through attendance at lectures, preparation for and participation in seminars, and private study. Formative assessment is by means of an individual assignment. Summative assessment is by means of a multiple choice examination and an individual assignment.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One individual assignment.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University