Unit Outline
BMA250
Managerial Social Responsibility
Semester 1, 2026
Timothy Donnelly
Tasmanian School of Business & Economics (TSBE)
Tasmanian School of Business and Economics
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B
Unit Coordinator
Timothy Donnelly
Email: Timothy.Donnelly@utas.edu.au
 
What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
Sound and effective management and leadership require not only financial and technical expertise but also ethical competency. This unit provides a focus on ethical decision-making, and in particular introduces a series of frameworks for discerning what is right and wrong in important areas of business practice. Ethical competency is the ability to, a) perceive the ethical implications of a situation, b) engage in sound ethical reasoning, and c) develop sustainable problem-solving strategies.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1.
Describe theories and concepts of ethical reasoning
2.
Explain the ethical issues of relevance to a business context
3.
Apply ethical reasoning to make evidence-based management decisions
4.
Communicate complex ethical analyses and judgements using a team-based approach
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
1 x introductory level, or higher, unit
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)
BMA350, BAA310
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 
How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Team Case Analysis
Week 5
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:
Live Case Analysis
Week 10
30 %
LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:
Capstone Assessment
Week 13
40 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Team Case Analysis
Task Description:
Sudents will work in small teams (3 - 5 students) to prepare and deliver a recorded presentation explaining relevant ethical theories and analysing provided cases.
Task Length:
20 minutes
Due Date:
Week 5
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Define key foundational ethics theory: Utilitarianism
LO1
2
Define key foundational ethics theory: Kantian Ethics
LO1
3
Define key foundational ethics theory: Ethical Rights
LO1
4
Define key foundational ethics theory: Distributive Justice
LO1
5
Identify relevant case facts and case issues
LO2
6
Define the ethical dilemma and punishments
LO2
7
Present a logical application of Utilitarianism
LO3
8
Present a logical application of Kantian Ethics
LO3
9
Present a logical application of Ethical Rights
LO3
10
Present a logical application of Distributive Justice
LO3
11
Communicate a team-based analysis and sustainable resolution(s) to the ethical dilemma
LO4
12
Demonstrate the student’s unique contribution to the team’s case analysis
LO4
 
Assessment Task 2: Live Case Analysis
 
Task Description:
Students will select one (1) of three (3) provided cases and prepare a written ethics analysis report.
Task Length:
2500 words
Due Date:
Week 10
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Identify relevant case facts
LO2
2
Identify relevant case issues (Decision Maker)
LO2
3
Identify relevant case issues (Ethical Dilemma)
LO2
4
Present a logical application of Utilitarianism
LO3
5
Present a logical application of Kantian Ethics
LO3
6
Present a logical application of Ethical Rights
LO3
7
Present a logical application of Distributive Justice
LO3
8
Communicate sustainable resolution(s) of the Ethical Dilemma
LO3
9
Present logical communication via compliance with referencing and presentation standards (i.e., expression, spelling, grammar, page numbers, double line spacing)
LO3
 
Assessment Task 3: Capstone Assessment
Task Description:
Students will select four (4) cases from a choice of seven (7) alternatives and provide analyses that identify, explain, and resolve relevant ethical problems evident in the chosen cases.

Note that the cases for the Capstone Assessment will not be made available to students until the start of Week 13.
Task Length:
3000 words
Due Date:
Week 13
Weight:
40 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Identify and define the relevant business ethics topic(s) in the case
LO2
2
Explain the business ethics problem(s) using ethics theory, concepts, or processes
LO1
3
Communicate a logical resolution and/or prevention of the business ethics problem(s)
LO3
 
 
 
How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 
 
 
Required Resources
Required reading materials
There is no prescribed text for this unit. See MyLO for access to the required readings in this unit. 
 
Recommended reading materials
Becker, C. U. (2024). Business ethics (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Chandler, D. (2023). Strategic corporate social responsibility (6th ed.). Sage.
Haski-Leventhal, D. (2022). Strategic corporate social responsibility (2nd ed.). Sage.
Johnson, C. E. (2022). Organizational ethics: a practical approach (5th ed.). Sage.
Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2022). Business ethics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
 
 
Other required resources
NA