| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Innovation, Science & Sustainability |
| Unit Title: | Business, Society and the Planet |
| Unit ID: | BUGEN5930 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 080301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This course aims to enable students to develop perspective, knowledge and skills to recognise and evaluate ethical, socially responsible and sustainable business practices and to consider the impact of these practices. Students will investigate relevant theories and apply suitable research methods to determine the appropriateness of contemporary business practices. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | |  | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Recognise the interdependence of society, natural environment and the economy and the challenges this poses to business |
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| K2. | Explain key concepts of sustainability and evaluate the potential for sustainablepracticesto create economic value |
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| K3. | Identify ethical dilemmas and recognise ethical decision making styles in business contexts |
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| K4. | Outline relevant theories and suitable research methods to determine the appropriateness of businesspracticesin contemporary society |
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| K5. | Appraise different perspectives on the role of business in todays society |
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| K6. | Identify strategies for influencing socially responsible change in business |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Engage with systems thinking and complexity |
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| S2. | Identify and analyse complex challenges facing business by applying established theories within various contexts ofpracticeand knowledge |
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| S3. | Reflect on theory and ones own perspective, including exploration and transformation, and evaluate other perspectives and recognise alternative views |
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| S4. | Independently critique and synthesise the literature related to an issue, concern, or problem, and summarise the research findings |
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| S5. | Evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable business challenges and generate and articulate responses to these challenges. |
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| S6. | Demonstrate critical thinking skills including a critical awareness of bias |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Confidently construct and deliver responses, based on personal values, to conflict in a business environment |
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| A2. | Work both independently and co-operatively, demonstrating intercultural awareness and understanding |
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| A3. | Integrate social, environmental and economic perspectives into business practice |
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| Unit Content: |
•The role of business in the 21st century The only business of business is wealth maximisation or is it? Business models and structures
•What do we mean by ethical, socially responsible and sustainable? Concepts and definitions Interdependencies - systems thinking
•Ethics in a business context Recognition of ethical problems Ethical decision making
•Business strategy and the role of social responsibility Supply chains Fair trade Labour standards
•Research an aspect of business social responsibility
•Sustainability as a business imperative Emerging issues and challenges to business Interdependencies of economic, social and environmental systems
•Identifying and measuring business success Financial and non-financial reporting What should companies report for whom? Why? |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K5, K6, S1, S2, S3, S5, S6, A3 | Relate how learning evolves during the course | Reflective writing | 20-30% | | 2. | K1, K3, K5, S1, S2, S4, S5, S6, A1, A2 | Group task with individual research and other contribution required | Individual contribution to combination of group written report, essay or script and presentation | 30-40% | | 3. | K4, K5, K6, S1, S2, S3, S5, S6, A1, A3 | Reviewing, demonstrating knowledge of key concepts, analysis | Exam | 40-50% |
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