AMB255 Avoiding the Dark Side: Marketing, Ethics and Society
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | AMB255 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | 48 credit points of completed studies |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | AMB255 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 48 credit points of completed studies. |
| Coordinator: | Erik Cateriano Arevalo | e.caterianoarevalo@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Avoiding the Dark Side: Marketing, Ethics and Society seeks to equip students with a strong understanding of the principles and practical tools necessary to understand the impact of marketing decisions and strategies on consumers, the natural environment and society with a view to avoiding the ‘dark side’ of marketing.
A marketer's individual values and perspectives influence the approach to ethics in the design and delivery of marketing, and hence form part of the foundation of this unit. Students will discover their personal ethical approach as well as learn ethical principles, concepts, and theories, and how to apply these to a professional marketing context. Students will analyse real world ethical dilemmas and develop innovative and creative solutions to creating a better society, one step at a time.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Understand the key principles of applying ethics in a marketing context.Relates to: UG Business Capabilities: SE (5.1)
- Identify your own perspective on, and approach to, ethics in a marketing context.
- Use ethical principles, concepts and techniques to analyse and plan how to tackle real-world ethical problems and recommend creative solutions.
- Communicate effectively; in writing and electronically.Relates to: UG Business Capabilities: PC (3.1)
Content
Students will learn about and engage with ethical principles, theories, approaches and concepts, understand their own approach to ethics, and apply their learnings to authentic scenarios.
Learning Approaches
This unit will adopt a teaching and learning methodology that includes the presentation of core ethics principles, concepts and theories. A lecture format will be used to introduce the core principles, concepts and theories, and tutorials will be used to review and apply them to real world ethical issues through a range of experiential activities. These experiential activities will provide students with an opportunity to link the theory to practical application of ethics in a marketing context.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
- Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
- Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary
- Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
- Indirect: to the whole class
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessment items.
Assessment 1 covers lecture topics up to and including week 6, and is formative.
Assessment 2 covers learning content from week 1 to 13, and is summative.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Self-Reflective Essay
This assessment item requires students to reflect on their own perspectives and approaches to ethical issues in marketing, and is a self-reflective style. In addressing this assessment item, students will need to apply knowledge of ethics principles, concepts, theoretical approaches. Guidelines and format for the assessment, and marking criteria will be made available on the unit's Canvas page.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Formative or Summative: Formative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1), HO (2.1), PC (3.1), TS (4.1), SE (5.1)
Assessment: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
Students will be given the challenge of critically analysing and responding to ethical dilemma scenarios from the perspective of a business executive. This assessment item is an in-person individual exam format. Students will identify and critically evaluate ethical issues in scenarios and make informed recommendations.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
This invigilated examination requires attendance on campus or at an assessment centre, regardless of your attendance mode for the unit.
Formative or Summative: Summative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.2), HO (2.2), SE (5.1, 5.2)
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
This unit will be supported by relevant readings, content delivered via Canvas and in classes, and a recommended text.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Eagle, L., & Dahl, S. (Eds.). (2015). Marketing Ethics & Society. Sage.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the ordinary risks associated with learning and teaching activities in this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
QUT Business Capabilities (Undergraduate)
HO (2.1): Critical Analysis
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay
HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
KS (1.1): Discipline Knowledge
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay
KS (1.2): Technical and Technological Skills
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay
SE (5.1): Ethical and Legal Understanding
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
SE (5.2): Global Social Responsibility
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
TS (4.1): Self-Reflection and Accountability
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BS05 Bachelor of Business
- Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broad field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Apply technical and technological skills appropriate and effective for real world business purposes and contexts.
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Investigate real world business issues and situations through the effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise independent judgement and initiative in adapting and applying knowledge and skills for effective planning, problem solving and decision making in diverse contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise self-reflection, responsibility and accountability in relation to own learning and professional practice.
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
BS06 Bachelor of Business
- Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broad field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Apply technical and technological skills appropriate and effective for real world business purposes and contexts.
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Investigate real world business issues and situations through the effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise independent judgement and initiative in adapting and applying knowledge and skills for effective planning, problem solving and decision making in diverse contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise self-reflection, responsibility and accountability in relation to own learning and professional practice.
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
BS08 Bachelor of Business - International
- Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broad field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Apply technical and technological skills appropriate and effective for real world business purposes and contexts.
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Investigate real world business issues and situations through the effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise independent judgement and initiative in adapting and applying knowledge and skills for effective planning, problem solving and decision making in diverse contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise self-reflection, responsibility and accountability in relation to own learning and professional practice.
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2027, Online
| Unit code: | AMB255 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 48 credit points of completed studies. |
Overview
Avoiding the Dark Side: Marketing, Ethics and Society seeks to equip students with a strong understanding of the principles and practical tools necessary to understand the impact of marketing decisions and strategies on consumers, the natural environment and society with a view to avoiding the ‘dark side’ of marketing.
A marketer's individual values and perspectives influence the approach to ethics in the design and delivery of marketing, and hence form part of the foundation of this unit. Students will discover their personal ethical approach as well as learn ethical principles, concepts, and theories, and how to apply these to a professional marketing context. Students will analyse real world ethical dilemmas and develop innovative and creative solutions to creating a better society, one step at a time.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Understand the key principles of applying ethics in a marketing context.Relates to: UG Business Capabilities: SE (5.1)
- Identify your own perspective on, and approach to, ethics in a marketing context.
- Use ethical principles, concepts and techniques to analyse and plan how to tackle real-world ethical problems and recommend creative solutions.
- Communicate effectively; in writing and electronically.Relates to: UG Business Capabilities: PC (3.1)
Content
Students will learn about and engage with ethical principles, theories, approaches and concepts, understand their own approach to ethics, and apply their learnings to authentic scenarios.
Learning Approaches
This unit will adopt a teaching and learning methodology that includes the presentation of core ethics principles, concepts and theories. A lecture format will be used to introduce the core principles, concepts and theories, and tutorials will be used to review and apply them to real world ethical issues through a range of experiential activities. These experiential activities will provide students with an opportunity to link the theory to practical application of ethics in a marketing context.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
- Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation
- Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary
- Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation
- Indirect: to the whole class
Assessment
Overview
There are two assessment items.
Assessment 1 covers lecture topics up to and including week 6, and is formative.
Assessment 2 covers learning content from week 1 to 13, and is summative.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Self-Reflective Essay
This assessment item requires students to reflect on their own perspectives and approaches to ethical issues in marketing, and is a self-reflective style. In addressing this assessment item, students will need to apply knowledge of ethics principles, concepts, theoretical approaches. Guidelines and format for the assessment, and marking criteria will be made available on the unit's Canvas page.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.
Formative or Summative: Formative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1), HO (2.1), PC (3.1), TS (4.1), SE (5.1)
Assessment: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
Students will be given the challenge of critically analysing and responding to ethical dilemma scenarios from the perspective of a business executive. This assessment item is an in-person individual exam format. Students will identify and critically evaluate ethical issues in scenarios and make informed recommendations.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.
This invigilated examination requires attendance on campus or at an assessment centre, regardless of your attendance mode for the unit.
Formative or Summative: Summative
Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.2), HO (2.2), SE (5.1, 5.2)
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
This unit will be supported by relevant readings, content delivered via Canvas and in classes, and a recommended text.
Resource Materials
Recommended text(s)
Eagle, L., & Dahl, S. (Eds.). (2015). Marketing Ethics & Society. Sage.
Risk Assessment Statement
There are no out-of-the ordinary risks associated with learning and teaching activities in this unit.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
QUT Business Capabilities (Undergraduate)
HO (2.1): Critical Analysis
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay
HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
KS (1.1): Discipline Knowledge
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay
KS (1.2): Technical and Technological Skills
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
PC (3.1): Professional Communication (Written)
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay
SE (5.1): Ethical and Legal Understanding
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
SE (5.2): Global Social Responsibility
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
TS (4.1): Self-Reflection and Accountability
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.BS05 Bachelor of Business
- Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broad field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Apply technical and technological skills appropriate and effective for real world business purposes and contexts.
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Investigate real world business issues and situations through the effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise independent judgement and initiative in adapting and applying knowledge and skills for effective planning, problem solving and decision making in diverse contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise self-reflection, responsibility and accountability in relation to own learning and professional practice.
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
BS06 Bachelor of Business
- Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broad field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Apply technical and technological skills appropriate and effective for real world business purposes and contexts.
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Investigate real world business issues and situations through the effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise independent judgement and initiative in adapting and applying knowledge and skills for effective planning, problem solving and decision making in diverse contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise self-reflection, responsibility and accountability in relation to own learning and professional practice.
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)
BS08 Bachelor of Business - International
- Demonstrate and apply integrated discipline (including technical) knowledge across the broad field of business with depth in one or more core business disciplines.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of socially responsible behaviour in analysing and addressing business issues in national and international business contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Apply technical and technological skills appropriate and effective for real world business purposes and contexts.
Relates to: Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Investigate real world business issues and situations through the effective analysis, evaluation and synthesis of theory and practice.
Relates to: Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise independent judgement and initiative in adapting and applying knowledge and skills for effective planning, problem solving and decision making in diverse contexts.
Relates to: ULO3, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam) - Use information literacy skills, and communicate effectively and professionally in written forms and using media appropriate for diverse purposes and contexts.
Relates to: ULO4, Self-Reflective Essay - Exercise self-reflection, responsibility and accountability in relation to own learning and professional practice.
Relates to: ULO2, Self-Reflective Essay - Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal principles and practices in analysing and responding to business issues.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Self-Reflective Essay, Ethical Dilemma Response (Exam)