This course focuses predominantly on the skill development of critical analysis.

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to …

(1) Apply their understanding of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility issues and variation across firms and countries in the global business environment.
(2) Apply their critical and analytical thinking skills to problems and dilemmas in corporate responsibility and governance.
(3) Develop well-reasoned arguments about current debates and dilemmas in international corporate governance and corporate social responsibility, such as with ethical dilemmas, corporate governance practices, how corporations deal with sustainability and poverty, stakeholder vs shareholder interest debates, among others.
(4) Develop applied research skills to deal with practical problems in global corporate governance and social responsibility, specifically, problem framing, literature research, data collection, analysis and interpretation, formulation of managerial recommendations.
(5) Understand the interaction between corporate goverance, sustainable profits and the international trade architecture.
(6) Develop problem-solving skills by addressing relevant managerial problems in international corporate governance and corporate responsibility issues through team-work and intercultural collaboration.

No prescribed textbook

Online learning resources include: course material (slides, access to case-studies, video clips and films), standardized online quizzes and interactive material

This course involves students working on critical analysis and applying practical solutions or strategies to corporate governance and corporate social responsibility challenges. Sessions will usually start with powerpoint presentations which provide information about concepts, issues or challenges facing corporations and then lead into interactive debate using case-studies, quizzes, debates, simulations and group work. We will also deepen our understanding through the critical analysis of related research-based scholarly articles. Emphasis will be placed on the application of your readings (textbook and articles) and critical reflections of your applied research activities during classes.

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

The University expects full-time students (i.e., those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course of private study outside of your regular classes.

Students in this course are expected to attend all sessions.

Please see our University policy for details: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/669/

Sessions and Topics

The following is a guide only, as the timing, order and specific content of topics can vary from year to year. Readings and film clips/DVDs to watch will be announced in class in module one and throughout the course. Pre-course reading for module one will be available on the MyUni course website for INTBUS 7501.


Module One:

 Introductions and course overview
 What sort of governance challenges do global corporations face?
 Globalisation and current implications for multinatinal companies in emerging and developed countries
 Taxonomy of perspectives on corporate governance and corporate behaviour
 What is corporate governance and its role in dealing with contemporary ethical challenges?
 Shareholder and stakeholder theory and analysis
 Introduction to corporate social responsibility (CSR)and its relationship with corporate governance
 CSR impact on stock exchanges and investment funds
 Case-study exercise
 Corporate governance in emerging and developed economies
 The political economy of corporate goverance: task assignment
 Introduction to and work on the major research assignments and formation of business teams

Module Two:

 Revision of module one and research assignment update
 Governance, corporate responsibility and increasing use of sustainability indexes
 Comparative analysis of corporate governance across political and economic systems
 Leadership and transparency and the role of the Board of Directors
 How business ethics contribute to corporate governance discipline
 Is it better for governments to increase hard law or is soft law regulation more effective?
 Use of voluntary codes and financial regulation - guest speaker and case-study
 International trade law, trade economics and the WTO
 Trade and investment agreements: implications for corporate goverance and global companies in today's world
 Corporate governance in dealing with environmental sustainability and climate change issues


Module 3:

 Corporate responsibilty and governance in dealing with poverty and conflict situations
 Corporate responsibilty and governance in dealing with gender and social inclusion
 Future role of global corporations and strategies in dealing with major contemporary challenges
 Case-study exercise and simulated role plays in dealing with governance and ethical dilemnas
 Course summary
 Preparation for final major in-class test
 Final major test
 Student research presentations on comparative corporate peformance
 Discussion of research report structure and rubric
 Final discussion of research reports, contents issues and course evaluation

Assessment Task	Weighting	Learning Outcome
Applied research project	35%
Quizzes	10%
Participation (in-class discussion)	5%
Case-Studies and In-Class Exercises	10%
Final Major Test (in-class)	40%

TOTAL 100%

APPLIED RESEARCH PROJECT

An integral part of this course is the applied research project. The goal of this project is to work with a busines partner in
developing a comparative analysis of two global corporations in the same industry in relation to their corporate goverance structure and
performance as a resonsible corporation, with recommendations on how each firm could improve on its current performance. Details of
the project will be given during module one. The research project aims to enhance and apply your problem solving, analytical and
research skills, while applying conceptual and contemporary isses raised in the course. Your team will be required to present findings in
a power-point presentation toward the end of the course.  This research report is worth 35% of the total mark


SHORT INDIVIDUAL TESTS (QUIZZES)

Over the duration of the course, there will be administered short individual quiz tests so you can check your
understanding of some key concepts or issues discussed in the assigned readings.
The aim of this assessment is to help you verify whether or not you have adequately prepared for your class,
whether or not you are up-to-date with your readings and whether or not you have a correct understanding of the
concepts covered by the course: worth up to 10% of total mark.


PARTICIPATION

Your participation in class is essential to the course as we will construct knowledge through student-centered inclass
discussions. Basically, your participation will be assessed using three levels: (i) (almost) never participates;
(ii) participates occasionally; (iii) makes significant contributions to the development of knowledge. Significant
contributions are characterized by critical, analytical thinking and well-argued thoughts. Participation scores will add up to 5% of your
overall course grade.


CASE-STUDY EXERCISES AND PRESENTATIONS


There will be 3-4 case-studies for students to analyse requiring answers or solutions and will add up to 1O% of your overall course
grade. The case-studies are intended to consolidate course content with practical and applied situations confronting contemporary
global corporations. Students will also undertake short power-point presentations on various topics which will be assessable.


FINAL MAJOR TEST

Details of the final test, to be held on the final day of the course in-class, will be fully discussed during the course so students can be fully prepared. 

In short, it will test student ability to apply and critically analyse information from the overall course by way of answering 3-4 essay
style questions dealing with corporate goverance and corporate social responsbility issues.  It will be a 2 hour open book test with answers to be discussed at the end of the test.

Students undertaking this course should be aware it is a language intensive course that requires competent skills in English comprehension and interpretation, synthesis and extrapolation of the course concepts and material presented.

Rote learning material will NOT be sufficient to demonstrate an understanding of the material in this course in assessment. Instead, you are expected to have acquired critical thinking, analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The final test counts 40% of the overall course grade.

Assignments will be submitted through MyUni.
Students should retain a copy of all assignments submitted.