BUSINESS SCHOOL

ECOF1004 The Business Environment Semester 2 2011

Unit of study outline
Unit Coordinator: Dr Leanne Piggott, First Year Undergraduate Program Director Phone: 9351 4075 Email: leanne.piggott@sydney.edu.au Office: Merewether Building, Room 385 Consultation time: Thursday, 11.00am-12.00pm Other members of the Teaching Team Lecturers Professor Tyrone Carlin (Dean) Dr Nigel Finch (Discipline of Accounting) Dr Andrew Wait (School of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) Sue Lord (Deans Unit) Email: sue.lord@sydney.edu.au Consultation time: Tuesday, 11am-12pm. See Blackboard for venue. Tutors Shae Bannister David Casson-Medhurst Paul Duffy Omer Konakci Heather Robson Max Soyref Peter Vymys Kelvin Yu

Email: s.bannister@econ.usyd.edu.au Email: d.medhurst@econ.usyd.edu.au Email: p.duffy@econ.usyd.edu.au Email: o.konakci@econ.usyd.edu.au Email: h.robson@econ.usyd.edu.au Email: max.soyref@sydney.edu.au Email: peter.vymys@sydney.edu.au Email: k.yu2@econ.usyd.edu.au

See Blackboard for your tutors consultation time and venue. Lecture streams (time and venue): see your timetable for your lecture day, time and venue. You must attend the lecture scheduled on your timetable. Do not attend any other lecture. Tutorials (time and venue): see your timetable for tutorial day, time, and venue. You must attend the tutorial scheduled on your timetable. Do not attend any other tutorial.

1. Unit of study information 1.1 School handbook description

This unit of study is the second of two junior core units aimed at introducing students to the internal and external contexts in which business operates in the twenty-first century, and building effective problem solving, critical analysis and communication skills. In this unit, students will build an understanding of the economic, political and regulatory, socio-cultural, and technological factors that impact on the external context of the commercial landscape while developing an awareness of potential risks and disruptions in the business environment. Raising awareness of corporate social responsibility is also introduced as a key learning goal.

1.2 1.3

Pre-requisite units Assumed knowledge and/or skills

ECOF1003 From your studies in ECOF1003, it is assumed that you have developed an understanding of the strategy, structure and behaviour of business as well as a raised awareness of ethical business practice.

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE 1.4 Workload requirement

In order to manage your time effectively throughout the semester, it is expected that you will spend an average of 9-12 hours per week dedicated to work related to ECOF1004. In the process, you will be required to produce approximately 6,000 words, or equivalent, of work. In addition to attending all lectures and tutorials, this time should be spent as follows: Reading and listening to the business news Doing the required weekly readings BEFORE the lecture and tutorial Keeping a learning journal (highly recommended but not assessed in this unit) Researching and summarising media cases Researching, discussing, writing and presenting company risk and opportunity analyses Researching and writing your company report Preparing for your exam.

2. Learning aims and outcomes 2.1 Aims of the unit

The aims of ECOF1004 are to: 1. Develop an understanding of the external environment of business through an analysis of the opportunities and threats presented by the economic, political and regulatory, socio-cultural, and technological environments. 2. By building on the awareness of ethical business practice developed in ECOF1003, develop an understanding of how business mitigates its impact on these environments through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR). 3. Further develop the key employability skills of communication, problem solving, and team work

2.2

Learning Outcomes (LO)

The learning outcomes (LO) are: LO1. Develop a conceptual awareness of the external environment of business and the tools and values to participate effectively within it. LO2. Apply an interdisciplinary business framework to understand the contemporary external business environment. LO3. Identify and appropriately incorporate relevant research into academic and business writing and presentations. LO4. Demonstrate critical thinking skills through analysing current business problems, challenges, and relevant academic debates. LO5. Function effectively in team work during preparation and presentation of team deliverables, listening sensitively, expressing understanding of others' viewpoint, and contributing to conflict resolution if and when required. LO6. Communicate ideas relating to the external business environment confidently, clearly, concisely, and effectively both orally and in writing, in lectures, tutorials (including presentations) and in written work.

2.3

Links between learning outcomes and learning and teaching methods

Learning and teaching methods and their relationships to learning outcomes are as follows: Readings: you are expected to read and summarise the required weekly reading BEFORE you attend the lecture and tutorial. Those students who wish to excel at their studies are strongly encouraged to read as widely as possible as this will enable you to keep up with new ideas and the latest developments in the field. It is also expected that you will read and watch the business news, a habit developed in ECOF1003. Business news: In order to keep up with weekly business news, you should read or listen to the following business media, daily: The Australian Financial Review (http://www.afr.com/). For free, daily access to the AFR, register at http://subscribe.afr.com/usyd. You must register whilst on campus via the Universitys network (VPN), after which you will be able to access afr.com from anywhere on the Internet using your user name and password. This is a free service to students of the Business School, saving you the normal subscription fee of $109 per month. See Blackboard for terms and conditions.

Page 2

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

The Sydney Morning Heralds business section (http://www.smh.com.au/business). Additionally, a free, daily SMH Newspaper is included in a University ACCESS Card subscription (more information at http://www.accessbenefits.com.au/#). The Australians business section (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business) Bloomberg Business Week (http://www.businessweek.com/) The Economist (http://www.economist.com). Free Economist podcasts are also available at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-economist/id151230264 ABC News Radio (http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/) and ABC AM (http://www.abc.net.au/am/). These ABC radio programs offer live streaming and MP3 downloads/podcasts of current business news. SkyNews Business News (http://www.skynews.com.au/business/). Includes streaming and podcasts. See http://www.studentmagazines.com.au/category.php/4.html for student subscription rates. Lectures: content is designed to raise your awareness of the external environment of business, and to build your knowledge of the wider Australian and global commercial landscape through the weekly News Story and Company of the Day. Tutorials: content and structure are designed to enable you to clarify, expand and apply your understandings to the business world. Tutorials also give you the opportunity to participate in activities, either individually or in teams. Therefore, your informed input is expected and will be assessed as a part of your tutorial participation. The participation mark will include input into discussion of the weekly readings and media cases. Exam: tasks are designed to assess your ability to problem solve and apply key concepts to the external business environment. The Peer Assisted Study Sessions Program (PASS) The Business School funds an additional program for students called PASS. PASS is an acronym for Peer Assisted Study Sessions. Research from Australia, the UK, and the USA has consistently demonstrated that students who regularly attend PASS are likely to improve their academic performance and are less likely to fail or drop out. How to register for PASS: Registrations open the first week of semester. PASS starts in Week 2 of semester. Spaces in the PASS program are limited, so be sure to sign up quickly. Email all enquiries about the PASS program to: business.pass@sydney.edu.au Register for PASS online at: http://sydney.edu.au/business/learning/students/pass Meeting times and venues are listed in the PASS section on Blackboard. Lecturer and tutor consultation hours are available to provide additional support for your learning. Do not be shy in asking for help. Tutors consultation times and rooms are listed on Blackboard under Tutor Information. Blackboard (http://blackboard.econ.usyd.edu.au) provides the main online learning support for this unit. It is therefore essential that you log in regularly in order to stay informed. There will be unit-wide announcements and resources available to supplement your learning. All written assessment tasks are submitted via Turnitin on Blackboard.

2.4

Asking questions and staff communication policy

Asking Questions: If you have a question relating to the unit content, assessment, or anything else, always try to find an answer during the lecture or at your tutorial. If this is not possible, email your tutor or visit her/him during her/his consultation time. Do not be shy in asking for help. Communication policy: When emailing your lecturers or tutors ensure that you include the information below in your emails. If your email does not follow the format below, it will be returned to you for re-drafting and re-sending, causing delay. Always, when writing emails to staff:

Page 3

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

In the subject line, refer to the specific unit of study about which you're enquiring, and a brief description of the issue (e.g. ECOF1004: tutorial attendance). Staff members often teach multiple units, so this will help them quickly understand the background to your email. Address the email to a specific person (e.g. Dear Dr Piggott or Hello Sue), taking care to spell the name correctly. Introduce yourself before asking your question or requesting a meeting Use full, grammatically correct sentences, not jargon (e.g. thank you for your help, rather than thx). Using formal English will ensure your reader understands your concerns. Describe the issue fully, and if you can think of potential solutions to problems, provide them. Sign off by providing your full name, student ID, tutorial time, and tutors name. There will be many issues where staff might need to check your records in order to understand the issue, so providing a full name and student ID is crucial.

The Unit Co-ordinator is Dr Leanne Piggott, and she is available during her consultation hour listed on page 1. The contact details for other lecturers and the tutors are listed on page 1.

2.5

Links between learning outcomes, assessment, and marking criteria

See Section 3 for the relationship between specific assessment tasks and the units learning outcomes.

3. Assessment
Assessment items 1. Team presentation 2. Media summary & analysis (3) 3. Company Report 4. Participation 5. Exam Academic honesty module ** Relevant unit learning outcome/s LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 Word length N/A 1,500* 3,000* N/A 2 hours Weight 15% 15% 30% 10% 30% Due Date Wks 4, 6, 8, 11 Wks 5, 7, 10 Wk 14 Continuous Exam period

* Please note that the word length for this assessment includes in-text references but not the Reference List.
** Students must complete the academic honesty module in Blackboard with a mark above 80%, or an Absent Fail (AF) grade will be given for the entire unit. Students can complete the module multiple times until this grade is achieved. Students who completed the module with a score of 80% or above last year do not need to do it again.

With the exception of the final exam, all written assessment must be submitted electronically via Turnitin on Blackboard. Do not attach a cover sheet. See below for submission details as well as on Blackboard under Assessment. If submission problems occur, students should contact Faculty eLearning Support at business.elearning@sydney.edu.au or on 9036 6433.

3.1. Detailed assessment information 3.1.1 Assessment 1: Tutorial team presentations - Weeks 4, 6, 8, 11: Advice to the Company Board
For all tute members N.B. Before coming to the tutorials in Weeks 4, 6, 8 and 11, the following questions must be prepared by all students in relation to the Company of the Week (see below for relevant company and respective environment identified for analysis). Your typed answers must be submitted at the tutorial. No more than one page is required. 1) What do you consider to be the key strength of the company and why? 2) What do you consider to be the key weakness of the company and why? 3) From the perspective of corporate social responsibility, what is an additional strength or weakness of the company? How might this create an opportunity for the company? 4) Considering the current economic/political/regulatory/socio-cultural environment what is the most significant opportunity facing the company and why?
Page 4

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

5) Considering the current economic/political/regulatory/socio-cultural environment what is the most significant risk facing the company and why? CSR: Businesses refers to CSR in many different ways - Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Sustainable Practice, Involvement in Community (and many more terms) are all used to indicate a commitment to CSR. Students who do not bring their typed answers to the tutorial will receive a penalty on their participation mark. If you are absent from a relevant tutorial, and your application for Special Consideration is successful, the penalty will not be applied. For the presentation team Your team is required to consider the problem raised by the respective companys Board and prepare an oral presentation (including ppt slides). See below for specific questions raised by each company Board. In approaching the task, you should take careful note of the following: 1. The Boards agenda is extremely tight. Therefore, you have been allocated a maximum presentation slot (including a brief period for questions) of 30 minutes. 2. Using Powerpoint, you should structure your presentation to comprise of no more than 8 slides. (Title slide, 2 slides for past forces, 2 slides for future forces, 1 slide for CSR considerations, 1 slide for conclusion, 1 slide for references Harvard Referencing is mandatory.). 3. You should note that the board is deeply aware of the affairs of the company. Therefore, your presentation should concentrate on an analysis of the key issues, not a description of the company unless description of an element of the business is strictly necessary to allow you to explain your analysis. 4. Notwithstanding (3) above, you will need to develop a detailed understanding of the company, its businesses and the issues that confront it in order to carry out your assigned task effectively. See below for Company background research questions to guide you in your initial analysis of the company. These questions represent a starting point for your research, and you are not required to submit them. 5. The board (your fellow tutorial members and tutor) will assess the quality of your advice based on the following characteristics: Professional execution of the presentation component Clear familiarity with the business and its operations Capacity to identity relevant past and future disruption factors (as specified for the respective company) and logically articulate the linkage between these factors and their impact on the business Quality of the sources of evidence drawn upon as a basis for the formulation of your advice Company background research questions: 1. What was the firms total revenue in each full year from 2006 through 2010, inclusive? 2. What was the firms full year earnings per share and dividends per share in each of 2006 through 2010, inclusive? 3. What was the value of the firms total asset base at the end of each full year in 2006 through 2010? 4. Approximately how many people did the firm employ in each of 2006 through 2010? 5. Where is the business headquarters located? 6. At the present time, how large is the firms board of directors? 7. At the present time, what is the mix of executive and non-executive directors on the board? 8. At the present time, what types of qualifications and experience do the members of the board have? 9. What main line/s of business is the firm involved in and how significant is each line? 10. Does the firm have operations outside Australia? If so, where are these and how significant are these relative to the Australian operations? 11. What, if any, CSR policies and activities are pursued by the company? This is a team-based exercise and will be assessed on a whole of team basis. You should commence active planning as soon as your team has been formed in Week 2 to ensure that each team member is engaged in contributing to a successful outcome. This will be critical for the team presenting in Week 4. In doing so, you should be mindful that each team member has a responsibility to contribute fully to the work of the team and to hold other team members accountable for the same level of commitment. The team should be cognisant of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each team member in planning task allocations. You should build on the strategies for effective team work developed in ECOF1003.
Page 5

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

Companies Week 4: The Board of the Australian Securities Exchange The Board of the ASX is worried. With the ongoing debt crises in the USA and Europe, coupled by a series of natural disasters around the world, global economic growth remains slow with low investor confidence in the stock markets. The board wishes to better understand the impact of these concerns and seeks your advice. Specifically, the board wishes you to work with your team to identify and explain: Two key forces of economic disruption/change which have adversely influenced the business over the past two years, and why the impact of those identified factors has been negative for the business. Two key forces of economic disruption/change which are likely to materially influence the business over the next two years, and what the nature of the likely impact may be. Any CSR issues which might change this outlook assessment Whether your overall outlook for the business over the next 2 years is Adverse, Neutral or Positive, given these past and future forces you have identified as influencing the business. Week 6: The Board of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX Code: FMG) The Board of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd is troubled. While aspects of the Groups operations continue to generate attractive cashflows and profits, concerns are emerging about the seeming strengthening of political factors which could impact on the business. To try to understand this issue, the board seeks your advice. Specifically, the board wishes you to work with your team to identify and explain: Two key political issues or forces which have adversely influenced the business over the past two years, and why the impact of those identified factors has been negative for the business. Two key political issues or forces which are likely to materially influence the business over the next two years, and what the nature of the likely impact may be. Any CSR issues which might change this outlook assessment Whether your overall outlook for the business over the next 2 years is Adverse, Neutral or Positive, given these past and future forces you have identified as influencing the business. Week 8: The Board of Origin Energy Ltd (ASX Code: ORG) The Board of Origin Energy Limited Ltd is concerned. The Australian Government is debating a carbon tax that has the potential to impact significantly on its revenues and share price. The board is trying to better understand what the future might hold. Specifically, the board wishes you to work with your team to identify and explain: Two key regulatory issues or forces which have adversely influenced the business over the past two years, and why the impact of those identified factors has been negative for the business. Two key regulatory issues or forces which are likely to materially influence the business over the next two years, and what the nature of the likely impact may be. Any CSR issues which might change this outlook assessment Whether your overall outlook for the business over the next 2 years is Adverse, Neutral or Positive, given these past and future forces you have identified as influencing the business. Week 11: The Board of Seven West Media Limited (ASX: SWM) The Board of Channel Seven is attempting to gain a better understanding of the impact of an increasing number of people turning to the internet for media content. Consequently, it is seeking your advice. Specifically, the board wishes you to work with your team to identify and explain: Two key forces of socio-cultural disruption/change which have materially influenced the business over the past two years, why these forces have impacted on the business and what the nature of the impact of those identified factors has been on the business. Two key socio-cultural disruptions/change likely to materially influence the business in the next two years, and what the nature of the impact might be. Any CSR issues which might change this outlook assessment Whether your overall outlook for the business over the next 2 years is Adverse, Neutral or Positive, given these past and future forces you have identified as influencing the business..
Page 6

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE 3.1.2 Assessment 2: Media summary and analysis - Weeks 5, 7, 10.
This assessment requires you to apply the key concepts in the lectures and in the readings to the real world of business. The activity incorporates both an individual component (Case Summary & Analysis) and a team component (Team Analysis & Response). The aims of the media analysis are two-fold: For individuals: to develop skills in critical literacy by requiring you to summarise and analyse information with respect to a particular news item, in relation to a theme(s) related to the content of the unit. For teams: to develop skills in critical literacy through the development of communication skills by working in diverse teams, by deliberating on a response to the questions posed in the tutorial, and by defending your decisions. 1. Individual task: Case Summary & Analysis Find and bring to class a real-world case. You are required to identify an example in the current Australian print media of a current business case relevant to the lecture content covered for that theme (economic, or political/regulatory, or socio-cultural environment) and the related readings: i.e. a situation, event or issue that has been prominent in the media and which clearly relates to the key concepts and practices covered during the unit either in the lecture and/or in the readings. Cases must be drawn from articles in the media published after 1 March 2011. See pages 2-3 above for suitable English language media sources. Do not choose articles that focus on companies used in other ECOF1004 assessment tasks. Before attending the relevant tutorial, you must submit, via Turnitin, a 500 word summary and analysis of the news item. Your assignment will include: a brief summary of the key features of the case in your own words; a clear statement of how this case relates to concepts covered in ECOF1004 for that theme(s); your individual analysis of the case, based on your application of concepts introduced during the lectures and readings (e.g. use lecture content to explain the main cause of the situation reported, or to predict what might happen and why). Where relevant, use your critical analysis skills developed in ECOF1003 to identify a counterargument (and rebuttal) to arguments presented your media case; and an accurate list of references using the Harvard referencing system. You must use at least 4 references from suitable academic sources. Referencing and Academic Honesty: You must reference consistently and correctly using the Harvard referencing style. You will lose marks if the Harvard referencing style is not used. A word count penalty will apply of 10% per 100 words for assignments in excess of 550 words. If your assignment is too short (less than 450 words) a word count penalty will apply of 10% per 100 words. Please note that the word count does include in-text references but not include your Reference List. Topics Economic Environment Political /or Regulatory Environment Socio-Cultural Environment Submission date Monday 22 August 5pm Monday 5 September 5pm Monday 3 October 5pm

Week 5 Week 7 Week 10

Submission Submit each Media Summary and Analysis via Turnitin on Blackboard by the due date and time. You must: 1. In the header of the document write: Your name Your student ID Your tutors name; and the Day and time of your tutorial (Example: Smith, John, 0311000123, Heather Robson, Friday, 1pm)
Page 7

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

2. Use a 12 point font. 3. Save your files as .doc or .docx for uploading through Turnitin. 4. Use your name (Last name, First name, e.g. Smith, John) as the file name for the .doc In order to avoid a failure to submit by the due date and time as a result of submission problems, be sure to submit your assessment well in advance of the cut-off time. If submission problems occur, you should contact Faculty eLearning Support at business.elearning@sydney.edu.au or on 9036 6433. Late submissions will incur a penalty of 5% per day. When considering late submissions or any other appeal, advice from your tutor will be sought. 2. Team Media Analysis & Response The second part of the Media Summary & Analysis task will take place during the tutorial for that week. This involves a team analysis and response that requires your team to complete a series of tasks given to you by your tutor in class. Your team will work together on three media analyses throughout the semester. While each media analysis will require individual preparation, the tasks of problem solving and answering the questions will be done in teams during the relevant tutorial. It is imperative that you come to the relevant tutorials well prepared to contribute to the team effort. You must bring with you to your tutorial: A copy of your written Summary & Analysis; and evidence of the case itself, in the form of newspaper cuttings (photocopies are fine), or a printout from a website. Teams will discuss each students news item, and then choose one that will best enable them to answer the questions provided by your tutor in the tutorial. 3. Marks In order to receive a mark for this assessment piece, you must complete the individual component (Case Summary & Analysis) and the team component (Team Analysis & Response). You must: submit your individual assignment through Turnitin, bring to class your individual media Summary & Analysis, and evidence of the case; submit both of these to your tutor in class; and contribute to, and participate in, your teams discussion and response. Students who do not bring their case Summary & Analysis to class will receive a score of zero (0) for that Media Analysis. If you are absent from a tutorial for a Team Analysis, and your application for Special Consideration is successful, you will receive half of the class average mark. If special consideration is not given, you will receive zero (0) for that weeks analysis. Your participation in the Team Analysis & Response tasks will be monitored by your tutor. Participation marks will be awarded or deducted according to evidence of preparation and/or contribution.

3.1.3 Assessment 3: Company Report

You work for an investment company that is considering investing in Gunns Limited (ASX: GNS). To assist your companys board with their decision-making, you have been asked to write a report on the attractiveness of investment in Gunns over the next 3 to 5 years. The board specifically requests that you incorporate into your report consideration of: Any relevant political or regulatory factors likely to impact on the attractiveness of investment Any relevant economic considerations likely to impact on the attractiveness of investment Any relevant demographic or socio-cultural issues likely to impact on the attractiveness of investment Any relevant technological developments or factors likely to impact on the attractiveness of investment Any relevant CSR issues likely to impact on the attractiveness of investment
Page 8

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

As the board is intimately familiar with the operations and present position of Gunns Limited. you should include descriptive material relating to the business only where it is essential in support of your analysis. Key Deliverables 1. A written report of no more than 3000 words responding to the Board request as set out above. 2. Within this report, a final section clearly labelled Conclusion and Recommendation in which you articulate your view using the following scale: Do Not Invest, Neutral or Invest. 3. A Powerpoint presentation of no more than 6 slides that you would use as a basis for a 10 minute presentation to the Board of Directors if called upon to do so. This should be appended to your written report. 4. A reference list using the Harvard reference style. Please note that in-text referencing is included in the word count while the reference list is not. The word length may be a maximum of 10% under or over 3,000. A penalty of 10% for every 100 words under or over this limit will be applied.

3.1.4 Assessment 4: Tutorial participation

You are required to participate actively in tutorials. Just attending does not equate to participation. You must come ready to be actively involved in discussions and activities, having completed the readings and attended the lecture. You are also required to bring: your Company of the Week profiles typed to the tutorials in Weeks 4, 6, 8 and 11, AND a copy of your typed media case Summary and Analysis and the media article to the tutorials in Weeks 5, 7, and 10. The attendance requirement for tutorials is a minimum of ten weeks from Weeks 2-13 inclusive. For every tutorial missed beyond this number, a 10% penalty will apply to your participation mark. Attendance will be taken at every tutorial.

3.1.5 Assessment 5: Exam

You will be assessed on your ability to problem solve and apply key concepts to the external business environment.

3.2. Referencing style and style guide

For this unit the Harvard Referencing Style must be used. You will find a copy of the style guide on Blackboard.

3.3 Feedback on assessment

Timely feedback (which may be written, oral, class discussion, peer review, online feedback etc) is intended to help you to improve your learning during the unit

3.4. Academic honesty, plagiarism, legitimate cooperation and team work

Commencing students should complete the academic honesty module available via Blackboard before their first assessment submission. Students should refer to Business School and University policies on academic dishonesty and plagiarism (sydney.edu.au/business/currentstudents/student_information/student_administration_manual), copyright (sydney.edu.au/senate/policies/Intellectual_Property_Rule.pdf) and the All your own work website (sydney.edu.au/student_affairs/plagiarism_index.shtml) for information about legitimate cooperation, group work, how to reference correctly and how to avoid plagiarism. Academic honesty is important to protect students' right to receive due credit for work submitted for assessment. It is clearly unfair for students to submit work for assessment that dishonestly represents the work of others as their own and gain marks and degrees, which are not based on their own efforts and abilities. Deliberate breaches of academic honesty constitute academic misconduct. These breaches include: plagiarism, fabrication of data, recycling previously submitted material, engaging someone else to complete an assessment on ones behalf and misconduct during supervised assessments.

Page 9

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

The penalties for academic misconduct may include: a mark of zero on the assessment; a fail grade in the unit of study, additional assessment (including an unseen exam), and reference of the matter to the University Registrar. All assessments will be checked for plagiarism. Where plagiarism is suspected, the assessment will be fully checked and monitored using manual process, Google checks and also electronic plagiarism detectors. In order to do this, the Business School may reproduce the assessment, provide a copy to another member of the Business School, and/or communicate a copy of this assignment to a plagiarism checking service (which may then retain a copy of the assignment on its database for the purpose of future plagiarism checking). Academic dishonesty involves more than just copying material. Cooperation and helping other students may at times trigger academic dishonesty proceedings if it appears you have worked too closely with another student. In this unit, 1. Assignment 1 is a team assessment task. 2. Assignment 2 is an individual task. 3. Assignment 3 is an individual task. 4. Assignment 4 is an individual task. 5. Assignment 5 is an individual task. Individual assignments must be written and prepared alone. You may consult with other students about ideas and possible research sources but the analysis and writing of the assignment must be done alone. Group assignments should be prepared within the group. Students should contribute fully to the group and take part in all group activities, contributing ideas, analysis and writing to the final product. While students within the group should assist each other freely, students should not carry this level of cooperation outside the group. One group may cooperate and help another group about ideas and possible research sources but the analysis and writing of the assignment must be done by the group alone.

3.5. Turnitin
Turnitin is the anti-plagiarism, text-matching, software used in the University of Sydney Business School. You will find information about Turnitin on Blackboard under Assessment. For further information, contact the eLearning Helpdesk on 9036 6433 and business.elearning@sydney.edu.au. Further information is provided at: http://sydney.edu.au/business/currentstudents/student_information/student_administration_manual/academic_ dishonesty

4.

Texts and other resources

The texts and resources for this unit are: Required Reader: ECOF1004 The Business Environment Semester 2, 2011. This is available at KopyStop, located at 55 Mountain St, Broadway. The cost is $34.00. You will need your student ID to purchase the Reader. Supplementary readings and material: Additional, non-required readings are listed on Blackboard under Learning Resources. To excel at your studies, you are strongly encouraged to read as widely as possible as this will enable you to keep up with new ideas and the latest developments in the field. The supplementary readings and material available on Blackboard may help your understanding of a concept, assist your research, or clarify key definitions. You are encouraged to read, watch, or listen to this material. A copy of the Reader is available in Fisher Librarys Reserve Collection.

5.

University and Faculty policies and support

5.1. Faculty policies

Faculty policies are contained in the Administration Manual for Students: http://sydney.edu.au/business/currentstudents/student_information/student_administration_manual

Page 10

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

It is crucial that you take the time to consult this manual early in your studies in order to familiarise yourself with policies and procedures relating to critical issues such as the Facultys policy on special consideration. This includes: Requirements and timelines, e.g. lodging applications five working days after a missed assessment Appeals, e.g. lodging within 15 working days of the decision, and Other policies such as enrolment, credit, etc. Assistance is available from the Facultys Student Information Office (sydney.edu.au/business/student_informa tion_office

5. 2. University policies
University policies: sydney.edu.au/policy Assistance is available from the Universitys Student Centre: sydney.edu.au/current_students/studen t_administration The code of conduct is an important policy which outlines the Universitys expectations about treating all staff employees and students with respect, dignity, impartiality, courtesy and sensitivity and refrain from acts of discrimination, harassment or bullying: sydney.edu.au/ab/policies/Student_code_condu ct.pdf

5.3. Student resources and services

Links to other student services and resources are included on Blackboard and on the learning and teaching section of the Faculty website: sydney.edu.au/business/learning . In particular, important University dates are listed at: http://sydney.edu.au/business/currentstudents/student_information/student_administration_m anual/dates

6.

Continual improvement of the Unit

6.1 Past Feedback

Feedback from the previous iteration of this unit has been incorporated into the design for this semester. Particular attention has been paid to students comments included in their Learning Journals.

6.2. How feedback will be collected

Your feedback on this unit of study will be collected informally throughout the semester and formally at the end of semester through the Business Schools on-line evaluation process.

Page 11

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

Week 1 Date 26, 28 July Readings Ernst and Young. 2011, Turn risks and opportunities into results: exploring the top 10 risks and opportunities for global organizations, Oxford. Reeves, M. and Deimler, M. 2011, Adaptability: the new competitive advantage, Harvard Business Review, vol 89, no. 7/8, pp. 135-141. 2 2, 4 August Hamilton, L. and Webster, P. 2009, The international business environment, Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 111-146. Carroll, A.B. and Shabana, K.M. 2010, The business case for corporate social responsibility: a review of concepts, research and practice, International Journal of Management Reviews, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 85-105. Hubbard, R.G., Garnett, A.M., Lewis, P. and OBrien, A.P. 2010, Essentials of economics, Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest, pp. 360-95; 440-467. Minutes of the monetary policy meeting of the Reserve Bank Board 5 July 2011, 2011 Reserve Bank of Australia, viewed 21 July 2011, <http://www.rba.gov.au/monetarypolicy/rba-board-minutes/2011/05072011.html> Reserve Bank of Australia. 2011, Statement by Glenn Stevens, Governor: monetary policy decision, viewed 21 July 2011, <http://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2011/mr-1115.html> Morrison, J. 2009, International business: challenges in a changing world, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 77-115. Ryan, N., Parker. R. and Brown, K. 2003, Government, business and society, 2nd ed., Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest, pp. 13-28. Hill, C. W., Cronk, T. and Wickramasekera, R. 2011, Global business today, 2nd ed., pp. 232-253. Hill, C. W., Cronk, T. and Wickramasekera, R. 2011, Global business today, 2nd ed., pp. 253-268. The Business Context: What & Why & How Team formation; media case summary and analysis model Team presentation model Team presentation: economic environment Lecture content Unit Introduction Tutorial Activity No tutorials Assessment Due

3 4

9, 11 August 16,18 August

The Economic Environment The Economic Environment

Tute Team 1 presentation

23, 25 August

The Political Environment

Media Case 1 Team Activity

Media Case 1 Summary and Analysis Tute Team 2 presentation

30 August 1 September

The Regulatory Environment

6, 8 September 13, 15 September

Bremmer, I. 2005, Managing risk in an unstable world, Harvard Business Review, vol 83, no. 6, pp. 51-60. Eurasia Group. 2011, Top risks 2011, New York. Morrison, J. 2011, The global business environment: meeting the challenges, 3rd ed., Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 378-387. Crabb, A. 2011, The great carbon tax secret: who are the misfortune 500?, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 13 July, viewed 20 July 2011, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/201

The Political Environment The Regulatory Environment

Team presentation: economic environment Media Case 2 Team Activity Team presentation: economic environment

Media Case 2 Summary and Ana;ysis Tute Team 3 presentation

ECOF1004 UNIT OF STUDY OUTLINE

9 20, 22 September 4, 6 October 11, 13 October 1-07-12/the-great-carbon-tax-secret-who-are-the-misfortune/2790974> Dwyer, J. 2008, The business communication handbook, 8th ed., Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, pp. 362-381; 464-499. AVCC non-teaching week (26-30 September 2011) Morrison, J. 2011, The global business environment: meeting the challenges, 3rd ed., Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, pp. 192-222. Strack, R., Baier, J. and Fahlander, A. 2008, Managing demographic risk, Harvard Business Review, vol. 86, no. 2, pp. 119-128. United Nations. 2011, World population to reach 10 billion by 2100 if fertility in all countries converges to replacement level, New York. Otter, D. 2011, The technological environment in D. Otter and P. Wetherly (eds.), The business environment, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 63-82. Deloitte. 2011, Cyber crime: a clear and present danger, Oxford. McAfee. 2011, Unsecured economies: protecting vital information, Santa Clara. StuVac Examination Period How to write a company report The SocioCultural Environment The SocioCultural Environment The Technological Environment The Technological Environment Company Report model Media Case 3 Team Activity Team presentation: economic environment Technology: risk and opportunity The CSR debate Exam preparation Company Report Media Case 3 Summary and Analysis Tute Team 4 presentation

10

11

12

18, 20 October 25, 27 October

13

14 15-16

Page 13