Handbook

NOTE:This course was previously identified as MBAX9151. 

Law, Regulation and Ethics (LRE) expresses, in concrete terms, the AGSM's commitment to global principles of responsible business practice. LRE fills an important gap in management education. It helps business leaders recognise and understand that effective management of non-financial risk is not (just) a technocratic exercise. It requires deep and considered engagement with the broader themes of law, regulation and ethics.

LRE is not about what the law says or requires. It is about how law, regulation and ethics work together to shape behaviour and inform management decision-making. It helps non-lawyers to see around corners, to anticipate and respond to non-financial risks that can inflict serious harm on businesses and the community if they are mismanaged. 

The course gives students the confidence, tools and knowledge to engage with lawyers, regulators and the risk function, and ask the right questions.

Evolving expectations and enhanced reporting frameworks mean that all organisations must track their environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact. Sustainability in the broadest sense is not just a question of values, it is a business imperative. This means leaders need to ask both "is it legal?" and "is it right?".

The course uses contemporary case studies to illustrate and model how major businesses and sectors can get it wrong, and to benefit from the hard lessons learned. In a fast-paced learning environment, students have the chance to apply key principles to problems pulled straight from the headlines.

The situations examined in the case studies involve entities that are not fringe or rogue businesses. These are living, breathing examples of how difficult it is to manage conduct and compliance risks in complex organisations. They provide an opportunity to reflect critically on how a more sophisticated understanding of law, regulation and ethics can build better business outcomes.