Module Code: H9CGBE
Long Title Corporate Governance, Business Ethics and CSR
Title Corporate Governance, Business Ethics and CSR
Module Level: LEVEL 9
EQF Level: 7
EHEA Level: Second Cycle
Credits: 5
Module Coordinator: COLETTE DARCY
Module Author: COLETTE DARCY
Departments: School of Business
Specifications of the qualifications and experience required of staff

Faculty who deliver this module will hold at least a Masters qualification in business or a professional qualification in law.  Experience of delivering at Level 9 is desirable 

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to:
# Learning Outcome Description
LO1 Demonstrate an enhanced appreciation for the relevance and practical application of ethics in the role of management
LO2 Critically evaluate the range of ethical issues that arise in management, and business organisations, the theories that are used to model these issues and propose solutions to those issues
LO3 Assess the different ways in which people, including individual behaviours, may respond to ethical issues at work and what may influence such responses
LO4 Utilise detailed knowledge of the development of Corporate Social Responsibility and the responsibilities of business corporations beyond profit maximisation
LO5 Appraise the theory of corporate governance and apply this theory in analysing corporate structures, board composition and how boards of directors conduct their affairs
LO6 Appreciate how the ethical and business values of different countries and societies differ
Dependencies
Module Recommendations

This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is required before enrolment on this module. While the prior learning is expressed as named NCI module(s) it also allows for learning (in another module or modules) which is equivalent to the learning specified in the named module(s).

No recommendations listed
Co-requisite Modules
No Co-requisite modules listed
Entry requirements  
 

Module Content & Assessment

Indicative Content
Defining Ethics in Business
¿ Business Ethics and its Issues ¿ Arguments for and Against Business Ethics ¿ Friedman’s theory and counter arguments ¿ Ethics and the Law
Ethical Theories
¿ Utilitarianism ¿ Justice and Fairness ¿ Virtue Ethics
Individual Responses to Ethical Issues
¿ Values, Perceptions of Values ¿ Influences on Ethical Decision Making ¿ Moral Reasoning and Moral Development ¿ The Individual in the Organisation – Rational Model and Political Models ¿ Whistle-blowing
Corporate Social Responsibility
¿ The Business Case for CSR and Criticisms ¿ CSR in a historical context ¿ Stakeholder Theory of the Firm ¿ Social Accounting ¿ CSR in an International Context ¿ Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Accountability
Corporate Governance
¿ Responsibilities of Directors – Duties and Powers ¿ Corporate Governance in the EU ¿ Responsibilities in Strategic Planning ¿ Codes of Best Practice ¿ Sarbanes Oxley
Corporate Governance Theories
¿ Separation of Ownership & Control ¿ Agency Theory, Stakeholder Theory, Stewardship Theory etc. ¿ Potential Conflicts of Interest.
Role & Responsibilities of Company Boards & Committee
¿ Board Composition – Chairperson, company secretary, Exec and Non Exec Directors ¿ Role & Responsibilities of Directors ¿ Board Committee – Audit, Risk, Remuneration, Nomination etc ¿ Risk Management & Role of Committees
Ethics in an International Context
¿ Globalisation and Ethics ¿ Cultural Diversity - Recognising International Differences ¿ The Multi-national Corporation ¿ UN Global Compact ¿ OECD Guidelines
Assessment Breakdown%
Coursework100.00%

Assessments

Full Time

Coursework
Assessment Type: CA 1 % of total: 100
Assessment Date: n/a Outcome addressed: 1,2,3,4,5,6
Non-Marked: No
Assessment Description:
Students will be given 3 to 5 different assignments to work on a long case study (typically 20 to 40 pages) which covers a range of issues related to the process, content and context of strategy. In each assignment students will conduct their analysis from a specific viewpoint (business level strategy, network level strategy, industry context, international context, strategic capabilities, punctuated equilibrium, etc.) and will be asked to synthesise their own theoretical framework from the content of the course and to analyse the strategic situation in the case study using such theoretical framework. Discussion on the case study will take place at the class level, guided by the lecturer, and in small groups outside contact hours. Submissions will be in the form of individual written essays. Final marks will be calculated averaging all submissions.
No End of Module Assessment
No Workplace Assessment
Reassessment Requirement
Repeat examination
Reassessment of this module will consist of a repeat examination. It is possible that there will also be a requirement to be reassessed in a coursework element.
Reassessment Description
Where a learner fails to achieve an average of 40% across all continuous assessment elements they will be offered the opportunity to sit an examination testing all of the learning outcomes attaching to this module. This repeat examination will be treated as a second sitting for the purposes of calculating the overall award classification of the learner.

NCIRL reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment

 

Module Workload

Module Target Workload Hours 0 Hours
Workload: Full Time
Workload Type Workload Description Hours Frequency Average Weekly Learner Workload
Lecture Lectures 30 Per Semester 2.50
Independent Learning Independent Learning 65 Per Semester 5.42
Directed Learning Directed e-learning 30 Per Semester 2.50
Total Weekly Contact Hours 5.00
Workload: Part Time
Workload Type Workload Description Hours Frequency Average Weekly Learner Workload
Lecture Delivered in block format 30 Per 15 week block 2.00
Independent Learning No Description 95 Per 15 week block 6.33
Total Weekly Contact Hours 2.00
 

Module Resources

Recommended Book Resources
  • Ferrell, C., Fraedrich, J. et al. (2018). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, 12th Ed., Cengage Learning.
  • Flynn, G. (2022). Leadership and Business Ethics, Springer.
  • Fisher, C. & Lovell, A. (2009). Business Ethics and Values - Individual, Corporate and International Perspectives, 3rd Ed., Prentice Hall London, UK.
  • Johnson, C.E. (2022). Organizational Ethics: A practical approach, 4th Ed., SAGE Publications.
Supplementary Book Resources
  • Tricker, R.I. (2019). Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies and Practices, OUP Oxford.
  • Crane, A. and Matten, D. (2016). Business Ethics: Managing Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability in the Age of Globalization, 4th ed. Oxford University Press..
  • Singer, P. (2016). Ethics in the Real World: 82 Brief Essays on Things That Matter, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, United States.
  • Hermalin. B. and Weisbach, M. (2017). The Handbook of the Economics of Corporate Governance, 1st ed, North Holland Publishing.
This module does not have any article/paper resources
This module does not have any other resources
Discussion Note: