Organisational Social Responsibilities unit (BFA758)

Introduction

Organisations impact, and are impacted by, the societies in which they operate. That is, they are part of a broader social system. Society generally, and different groups of stakeholders specifically, expect an organisation to accept various responsibilities with respect to how it interacts with, and how it is accountable to, different stakeholders. Failure to comply with particular stakeholders’ expectations can have implications for the survival of an organisation. Employer groups, professional accounting bodies and course advisory committees have consistently highlighted the need for business students to be critical thinkers; be able to demonstrate skills that extend beyond technical competencies; and to be able to demonstrate an understanding that organisations are part of a broader social system on which they rely for organisational survival. This unit responds to this expectation, as it: Focusses on graduate self-awareness and applied technical and professional ‘soft’ skills in the following key areas:

• Provides insight into identifying stakeholders and their expectations

• Emphasises the relevance of sustainability to organisational success

• Provides a background to enable the determination of relevant frameworks to apply in order to improve an organisation’s social and environmental performance

• Provides insights into applying an accountability model to guide organisational reporting decisions

Summary

Unit name	Organisational Social Responsibilities
Unit code	BFA758
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Tasmanian School of Business and Economics
Discipline	Accounting
Coordinator	Associate Professor Trevor Wilmshurst
Delivered By	University of Tasmania and Third Party(ies): ECA
Level	Postgraduate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

• Investigate how managers’ perceptions of business responsibilities influence their perceptions of social (sustainable) responsibility and accountability
• Critically review the relevance of sustainability practices and the role of managers in embracing these practices
• Evaluate the relevance of different frameworks identifying ways to view business/organizational social responsibility and select and apply them appropriate to business setting
• Professionally communicate information and recommendations to a range of stakeholders

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Mutual Exclusions

You cannot enrol in this unit as well as the following:

XPD510

Teaching

Assessment	Individual Assignment (30%)|Individual Assignment (Video and Written Report) (35%)|Individual/Team Project (negotiated) (35%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	There is no specific textbook for this unit, however the unit contents have relied heavily on contents derived from: Deegan, C., An Introduction to Accounting: Accounting in Organisations and Society. 2nd ed, Cengage, 2023.
Recommended	As provided online.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.