BUSINESS LAW AND ETHICS - 2021/2

Module Overview

This course provides an opportunity for students following the Accounting and Financial Management pathway, to be introduced to the English, European and international legal systems, contract law, the tort of negligence, employment law, and modes of trading and the ethics of accounting.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

BURNS-PEGLER Debbie (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 4

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The following areas of Law will be covered:

English Legal System:

• The sources of English Law.


• The system of judicial precedent.


• Statute law and interpretation.


• The essential elements of the tort of negligence, including duty, breach and damage/loss/injury and the liability of professionals in respect of negligent advice.

Contract

The essential elements of a valid simple contract and the requirement of formality where appropriate.

• Offer, acceptance, consideration and intention in the creation of a contract.


• Contractual terms.


• Unfair terms in respect of both consumer and non-consumer business agreements.


• Performance of the contract and valid and invalid reasons for non-performance.


• Breach of contract and the remedies which are available for serious and minor breaches of contract.

Employment Law

• The difference between employees and independent contractors and how the contents of a contract of employment are established.


• The distinction between unfair and wrongful employment.


• The distinction between unfair and wrongful dismissal.


• The statutory provisions for the protection of employees.

Trading vehicles

• Sole traders.


• Partnership.


• Limited companies.

Ethics in Business and Professional Life:

• Values and attitudes for professional accountants.


• Legal frameworks, regulations and standards for business.


• Nature of ethics and it’s relevance to business and the accountancy profession. Rules based and framework approaches to ethics.


• Personal development and lifelong learning.


• Personal qualities of reliability, responsibility, timeliness, courtesy and respect.


• Ethical principles of integrity, objectivity, professional competence, due care and confidentiality.


• Concepts of independence, scepticism, accountability and social responsibility.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide the opportunity for the students to demonstrate the ability to apply the main principles of the law relating to the legal areas covered in this module and to apply these in practice through coursework and examination.

The summative assessment for this module consists of an individual assignment which will be directed at the area of ethical considerations relating to professional and business life. Coursework will be required to demonstrate individual knowledge and research with a structured, reasoned and logical approach. It will test  understanding and the ability to apply knowledge. purpose of this is to provide an opportunity to consolidate and enhance the learning from early lectures/seminars and to give the student the opportunity to gauge their progress. The examination will be in a multiple choice format, duration 1.5 hours. Principally, the examination tests the students’ detailed knowledge of the required reading and ability to analyse and apply such knowledge.

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will receive individual feedback during the module from the tutor.

Module aims

• To enable students to develop an understanding of the general legal framework and principles of English law of obligations.
• To enable students to develop knowledge of the impact of business law in the professional context
• To enable students to gain an appreciation of the ethical obligations of a professional accountant

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to develop an understanding and critical awareness of the essential principles of the law relating to the fundamentals of business law and ethics, so as to develop an ability to apply the principles in an appropriate way.

The learning and teaching methods include lectures and tutorials.  The lectures will introduce the students to the subject areas and provide an over-view to enable students to understand the basic principles and underlying concepts.  The tutorials will open out the subject, consider key principles and legislative provisions and provide the student with signposts to background and supplementary reading.  During tutorials students will be expected to have prepared and developed topic areas and to take an active role in discussing them.  Students will be expected to appreciate the relevance of the law covered to their future professional activities.  Their ability to challenge the propositions of others and to respond to challenges to their own will be monitored and developed.  

The form of the tutorials will include the consideration of legal questions and scenarios mirroring real life.   Special importance will be assigned to the student’s ability to analyse legal issues and present realistic conclusions in language comprehensible to commercial clients.  The teaching and learning strategy is designed to stimulate private study using and to develop an understanding and critical awareness of the commercial imperatives, values, essential principles and ethical considerations in accountancy and financial management.

• A wide variety of methods of teaching and learning.


• Progression from introductory courses to more advanced options.


• Courses informed by current research of teaching staff.


• Opportunities both for independent learning and for problem-solving with other students.


• Innovative use of IT resources.


• Varied methods of assessment.

To pass this module the student will demonstrate a knowledge and application of the key aspects surrounding the legal and ethical principles in both accountancy and financial management.

Hours per week





Activity


Hours




Lectures


22




Tutorials


11




Directed learning


33




Self-directed learning


84




Total


150

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN1094

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.