This course has two elements: (1) it examines the principles and practice of corporate governance, and provides a framework for analysing issues in the governance of corporations; and (2) it examines key areas of research in corporate governance.

The first element provides a framework for analysing issues in the governance of corporations derived from a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and issues associated with corporate governance practices and mechanisms. This is achieved by examining the nature of corporations and their environments, and the concepts, principles and practices of corporate governance. This examination is based on a public interest perspective of corporations. Topics explore the complex interactive roles of various stakeholders in corporate governance, with some emphasis on shareholders, directors and management. Attention is also given to the regulation of corporations and to selected international corporate governance issues.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

On successful completion of the course students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a solid understanding of the purpose and nature of corporations.
2. Evaluate different stakeholders’ roles and significance in relation to corporate governance.
3. Explain the importance of regulation, markets and information in corporate governance.
4. Evaluate international differences and similarities in relevant institutions and developments.
5. Critically assess governance concerns for individual corporations and their stakeholders.
6. Demonstrate a critical understanding of corporate governance research. 

Research-Led Teaching

The content of this course is informed by research that examines the nature of corporations and their environments, and the concepts, principles and practices of corporate governance. Students are also required to directly engage with published research and complete a research project.

Examination Material or equipment

See the course page on Wattle.

Details regarding materials and equipment that is permitted in an examination room can be found on the ANU website:

http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/examination-conduct

Information regarding permitted examination materials for the course will be available on the examination timetable website when the examination timetable is released:

http://timetable.anu.edu.au/

Required Resources

Textbook: du Plessis, Hargovan, Bagaric & Harris Principles of Contemporary Corporate Governance Fourth Edition 2018. Cambridge University Press.

Available in hardcopy or as an eBook.

You are expected to have access to a copy of the prescribed book for the duration of the semester. A small number of copies are available for 2 hour loan in the reserve loan section of the Chifley Library. Please check the course Wattle page for updates on the availability of e-book access in the ANU Library.

Other readings: Supplementary notes and further readings will be provided on Wattle.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups and individuals.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

As a further academic integrity control, students may be selected for a 15 minute individual oral examination of their written assessment submissions.

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghost writing services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Misconduct Rule.

COMMUNICATION

Email and the Wattle Course Website

Email and the Wattle course website are the preferred ways of communication.

If necessary, the lecturer and tutors for this course will contact students on their official ANU student email address. Students should use this email address when contacting staff as spam filters used by ANU may not allow other email addresses to be received. Information about your enrolment and fees from the Registrar and Student Services' office will also be sent to this email address.

 

Announcements

Students are expected to check the Wattle site for announcements about this course, e.g. changes to timetables or notifications of cancellations.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	The nature of corporations	On-line quiz
2	Internal governance mechanisms	On-line quiz
3	External governance mechanisms	On-line quiz
4	Share ownership and Shareholders	On-line quiz
5	Regulation of corporations	On-line quiz Case Analysis 1
6	Contemporary Issues	On-line quiz Research Project Interim Report
7	Corporate citizenship and social responsibility	On-line quiz
8	Executive remuneration	On-line quiz
9	Accountability and monitoring: Accounting and auditing	On-line quiz
10	Accountability and monitoring: Non-financial	On-line quiz Case Analysis 2
11	International governance issues	On-line quiz
12	Governance issues in different countries.	On-line quiz Research Project Final Report

Tutorial Registration

This course includes a live on-line workshops and ad-hoc seminars, in addition to the BUSN7045 lectures. Workshop/Seminar signup for this course will be done via the Wattle website. Detailed information about signup times will be provided on Wattle. When workshops are available for enrolment, follow these steps:

1. Log on to Wattle, and go to the course site.

2. Click on the link “Workshop enrolment”

3. On the right of the screen, click on the tab “Become Member of ……” for the workshop you wish to enter.

4. Confirm your choice

If you need to change your enrolment, you will be able to do so by clicking on the tab “Leave group…” and then re-enrol in another group. You will not be able to enrol in groups that have reached their maximum number. Please note that enrolment in ISIS must be finalised for you to have access to Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
On-line quizzes	0 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5
Case Analysis 1 [15%]	15 %	28/08/2020	25/09/2020	2,3,4,5
Case Analysis 2 [15%]	15 %	16/10/2020	04/11/2020	2,3,4,5
Written examination [40%]	40 %	05/11/2020	03/12/2020	1,2,3,4,5
Research Project [30%]	30 %	04/09/2020	04/11/2020	1,2,3,4,5,6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

This course includes a formal examination that will be centrally administered through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes. It will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information.

Assessment Task 1

On-line quizzes

Quizzes will be available on the Wattle site for a limited period in each week, commencing in week 2. Further details will be provided on Wattle.

This task is self-assessed weekly. Student are encouraged to complete the quizzes in the weeks offered to receive timely feedback on their progress.

Return date: The return date listed in the assessment summary is the latest possible return date.

Assessment Task 2

Case Analysis 1 [15%]

An assigned case analysis must be submitted as specified in the class schedule and described on Wattle. The case is concerned with important current practical issues in corporate governance and is designed to improve your independent research and analytical skills. Each case will focus on a particular topic. Details will be provided on Wattle at least two weeks before each due date. It is important that you take account of the due date when planning and managing your study and other commitments (including employment) for the semester.

For referencing in all submitted work, please use the The Chicago Manual of Style author-date system (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html) or similar.

Assessment Task 3

Case Analysis 2 [15%]

An assigned case analysis must be submitted as specified in the class schedule and described on Wattle. The case is concerned with important current practical issues in corporate governance and is designed to improve your independent research and analytical skills. Each case will focus on a particular topic. Details will be provided on Wattle at least two weeks before each due date. It is important that you take account of the due date when planning and managing your study and other commitments (including employment) for the semester.

For referencing in all submitted work, please use the The Chicago Manual of Style author-date system (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html) or similar.

Assessment Task 4

Written examination [40%]

Details of the final exam will be provided no later than Week 12.

Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Exam scripts will not be returned. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided on the Research School of Accounting webpage in due course.

Assessment Task 5

Research Project [30%]

Instructions for the Research Project will be provided on Wattle in Week 2.

Students will submit two reports based on the assigned project - an interim report and a final report.

Due date: The due date listed in the assessment summary is for the interim report (Week 6). The final report is due Wednesday Week 12.

Return date: The date for return of assessment is for the final report.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission is not permitted for Weekly Quizzes. A mark of 0 will be awarded for any weekly quiz not attempted within the time period specified for that weekly quiz.
• Late submission is permitted for Case Analysis 1 and Case Analysis 2 and the Research Project. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item, whichever is earlier.
• Late submission is not permitted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Student work is submitted, held and graded electronically. Copies are not returned. Individual feedback will be provided as comments on Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Assignments cannot be resubmitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students