This module aims to prepare students to become responsible global leaders who are capable to grow their business organization by conducting responsible businesses. The module will make students familiar with key concepts and theories in business ethics, responsible business, and sustainability. Through the series of seminars, students will learn how to apply these concepts and theories to analyse how multinational corporations can contribute to sustainable development through their social and environmental initiatives.

The module contributes to society by shaping students ethical awareness to reflect on their actions as responsible leaders and by shaping students international awareness to recognize the different factors that influence the sustainability practices of multinational corporations. Through the assessments, students will develop several practical skills, namely written and verbal communication skills, team player skills, project organization skills, and ability to work under pressure.

(LO1) Students will be able to present comprehensive understanding of concepts and theories in business ethics, responsible business, and sustainability

(LO2) Students will be able to recognize ethical dilemma of multinational corporations and to independently and within a small group formulate an ethical decision by applying the ethical decision-making model

(LO3) Students will be able to discuss evidence of how multinational corporations become part of the problem and the solution for social and environmental problems in society

(LO4) Students will be able to contrast shareholder value theory and stakeholder theory, and apply these theories to analyse the CSP of multinational corporations

(LO5) Students will be able to independently and within a small group identify the primary and secondary stakeholders and their role in shaping the CSP of multinational corporations

(LO6) Students will be able to independently and within a small group] identify the normative, coercive, and mimetic pressures and how the institutional pressures at home and host country shape the CSP of multinational corporations

(S1) Ethically aware

(S2) Internationally aware

(S3) Team player

(S4) Excellent verbal and written communicator

(S5) Organised and able to work under pressure

Teaching Method 1: Lectures
Scheduled Directed Student Hours: 2X12 (24 hours)
Description: 2 hours lectures for 12 weeks
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Teaching Method 2: Seminars
Scheduled Directed Student Hours: 6 hours
Unscheduled Directed Student Hours: 1 hour seminar every other week for 6 weeks
Description: small group discussions, interactive student led, case studies discussion, group activities, group report feedback session
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Self-Directed Learning Hours: 120 hours
Description: Lecture slides, further reading, group-work exercises and any other module announcements will be posted on Canvas. You are expected to prepare for and contribute to group discussions throughout the module. You will also be expected to conduct additional reading in preparation for each element of assessment.

Skills mapping

Skill: Ethically aware
How is it developed: Students will gain this skill by acquiring the knowledge o f how to recognize ethical dilemma and how to formulate ethical decisions using the ethical decision-making model through the lectures. Students will learn some examples in the seminars, discuss it in group, reflect in their self-learning, and apply this knowledge in the groupwork and examination.
How is it assessed (if applicable): Groupwork and unseen examination

Skill: Internationally aware
How is it developed: Students will gain this skill by understanding how global differences (values, norms, and culture) shape ethical dilemma and inform decision making process, and how the institutional dynamics between home and host country shape the corporate social performance of multinational corporations through the lectures. Students will learn some examples in the seminars and apply this knowledge in the groupwork and examination.
How is it assessed (if applicable): Group report and unseen examination

Skill: Team player
How is it developed: Students will gain t his skill by working in a small group of peers to deliver a group report.
How is it assessed (if applicable): Group report

Skill: Excellent verbal and written communicator
How is it developed: Students will gain the written communication skill by writing a group report. Students will shape their verbal communication skills through interactions with their team members and during the seminars.
How is it assessed (if applicable): Group report and unseen examination

Skill: Organised and able to work under pressure
How is it developed: Students will gain this skill by planning their coursework to balance the group work and their individual learning, and by meeting the group project and coursework deadline.
How is it assessed (if applicable): Group report and unseen examination

Theme 1: Key concepts in business ethics
• Business Ethics Introduction and Ethical dilemma and the straw man approach to business ethics in international business
• Global perspective of ethical decision-making

Theme 2: Key concepts and theories in responsible business
• Business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and corporate sustainability performance
• Environmental, social (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion), and governance (ESG)
• Shareholder value theory VS Stakeholder theory (Primary and secondary stakeholders of the firm)
• Institutional pressures on corporate sustainability performance

Theme 3: Key concepts in sustainability
• Triple bottom line: the three components of sustainability
• Porter Hypothesis and Multilateral environmental agreements
• Pollution halo VS pollution haven

Theme 4: Multinational corporati ons and sustainable development
• Multinational corporations and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• The corporate sustainability performance of emerging market multinational corporations

Revision, Assessment preparation, Feedback