Government-Business Relations (6606.5)

Please note these are the 2016 details for this unit
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Government-Business Relations
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
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EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Business, Government & Law
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Canberra School Of Politics, Economics And Society Level 1 - Undergraduate Introductory Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
The relationships which link government and business, the two primary institutions in society, are inherently complex. Analysing these relationships is an essential element in understanding how society is organised. This unit considers a number of Australian policy choices and major international issues from a government-business relations perspective, taking into account both domestic and international contexts. Such a combination of insights will provide a strong understanding of complex interactions between government and business at the local, national, and international levels.

This unit provides students with an awareness of the relationship between political, economic, social and policy aspects of interaction between government and business in Australia and a selection of other countries. It investigates the extent of government influence, how power is distributed throughout society, the impact of interest groups on policy, and how government and business are organised in a global context. Students will also be provided with a historical insight into, and a thorough understanding of, the interplay of economics and politics in international capitalism and the changing global environment.

The unit is designed to stimulate critical thinking and informed analysis, but there are no neat and easy answers to key themes and arguments. In many, if not most, cases there is no single ¿right¿ answer, but students should be able to support their positions with reference to generally accepted facts, an understanding of the readings and sound reasoning.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Understand the roles of government and business in pursuing social and economic goals;

2. Contrast theoretical traditions about and global approaches to the economic role of government;
3. Relate political, social and economic changes to changes in the national and global environments;
4. Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the ways that business and government respond to the dynamics of globalisation; and
5. Undertake projects requiring research, analysis and the effective communication of the results in writing.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
Not available

Required texts

No set text. Readings are provided via Canvas.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

Students are expected to participate in all tutorials (on campus) and to do the required readings before the commencement of each week.  Students are expected to undertake the necessary reading and research for written assignments. While there is no mark for participation, past experience proves that students who do not participate adequately are most at risk of failing the unit. Students who are unable to attend on campus classes should consider attempting this unit at a time when they can prioritise their on campus attendance.

Required IT skills

Students are to submit all work via Canvas. It is the student's responsibility to keep a back-up of their work. Technical problems such as poor internet connections or Canvas login issues will not be regarded as reasons for extensions. The ability to back-up one's work and manage one's network access are key skills in the modern workplace.

Work placement, internships or practicums

Work placements or internships are not available for this unit.

Additional information

Authority of the Unit Outline: This unit outline is a formal document and it is the student's responsibility to read the document in its entirety. Students can avoid incorrectly submitting assessment items and other issues which may affect the student's grade simply by reading this document. If you have any questions about the unit outline, ask your lecturer or tutor.

Where to Submit Assignments: All assignments are to be submitted online via the unit Canvas site using the space provided only. Assignments submitted elsewhere or in any other file format will not be considered as submitted and will attract a mark of zero. Students are responsible for ensuring they have Canvas access during the semester. Inability to access the internet will not be considered as grounds for an extension. 

By submitting assignments to the Canvas site, students are making the following declaration:

I certify that:

  • the attached assignment is my own work and no part of this work has been written for me by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer/s concerned;
  • material drawn from other sources has been fully acknowledged as to author/creator, source and other bibliographic details according to unit-specific requirements for referencing; and
  • no part of this work has been submitted for assessment in any other unit in this or another Faculty except where authorised by the lecturer/s concerned.

Writing style: All written assignments are to be written in full prose, that is, full sentences using the generally-accepted academic essay format. Dot-points or numbered lists are not acceptable and written assignments with dot-points or numbered lists will contribute to a lower mark for the relevant assessment item.

Referencing: All words taken from any source must be presented within quotation marks and acknowledged with a reference using the Harvard referencing system. The complete guide is available via the UC Library. Where an idea or a quote is used, page numbers must be provided e.g. (Smith 2001: 11) or (Smith 2001, p. 11). All written assignments are to include a reference list at the end of the assignment. A reference list is a list of the references actually cited in the essay, presented in alphabetical order by author surname. Dot points or numbered reference lists are not acceptable. Failure to follow this convention will result in a lower mark for the relevant assessment item.

Students are not to use lecture notes or tutorial discussions as references for assessment items – students must undertake their own study and reference the main source. Use of lecture and tutorial discussions as references is unacceptable and will contribute to a lower mark for the relevant assessment item.

Students are expected to look for material which is additional to the lectures, tutorials andCanvas in preparing their assessment items, and over-reliance on the readings or the internet for sources may reduce the marks awarded.

Assessment Criteria: Assessment criteria are outlined in lectures, tutorials, online discussions and on the unit website. Sample essays at each grade level are provided to assist students to grasp the relevant standards. Marking rubric will be used to mark assignments and the details of the rubrics are available on the Canvas site. Additional information relating to assessment is outlined below:

Grade Descriptors:

High Distinction: Work of outstanding quality on the learning outcomes of the unit, which may be demonstrated in areas such as criticism, logical argument, and interpretation of materials or use of methodology. This grade may also be given to recognise particular originality or creativity, provided the work follows academic conventions and is of a high academic standard.

Distinction: Work of very good quality on the learning outcomes of the unit, demonstrating a sound grasp of content, together with efficient organisation and selectivity.

Credit: Work of good quality showing more than satisfactory achievement on the learning outcomes of the unit, or work of very good quality on some of the learning outcomes of the unit.

Pass: Work shows a satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes of the unit.

Fail: Work showing an unsatisfactory achievement of one or more learning outcomes of the unit.

Additional Criteria: In addition to the above, criteria used to assess your work will include:

  • Evidence of reading relevant material, including different points of view.
  • Evidence of understanding the essay question.
  • Discussion and critical analysis of relevant concepts, theories and issues.
  • Logical arrangement of material relevant to the question asked, reflecting understanding of the issues and the relationships between elements of the unit.
  • Use of relevant facts or empirical information to develop and substantiate critical analysis and argument.
  • Clarity and correctness of writing (for example grammar, punctuation including use of capital letters and spelling). 
  • Proper referencing, acknowledgement and citation of sources - students must use a recognised Author/Date system of referencing. A list of references actually cited in the essay is required, presented in alphabetical order by author surname. Do not number or bullet-point the reference list as this will result in a lower mark.

Moderation Procedures: All written assignments are independently moderated in this unit. When a mark or grade is awarded that places the student in jeopardy of a Fail in the whole unit, more than one member of academic staff will be involved in the decision.

Obtaining Advice on Assignments: Advice on written assignments can be obtained from academic staff for specific advice on structure and content – do not expect the lecturer or tutors to read a draft of your essay. Students are strongly encouraged to use the University's "YourTutor" program, the Study Skills centre, or the UC Library for additional assistance (details are provided on the University website and in the unit Canvas site).

Announcements on Canvas: Announcements made on Canvas are deemed to be made to the whole group. The lecturer and tutors will not provide individual notices or materials to students who have failed to attend scheduled classes or read discussion forums. Such information may be available on the unit website, but ultimately it is the student's responsibility to attend tutorials or keep abreast of material provided online.

Late Assignments and Extensions Procedures: Late submissions will be penalised at the rate of 5% of the available marks per day, including weekends. For example, an assignment that is worth 40% of the overall assessment, which is two days late and would have received a mark of 20/40 if it had been submitted on time, will be reduced to 16/40.

Unless appropriate documentary evidence is provided, marks will be deducted for late submissions of all assessment items. All requests for extensions must be made to the lecturer via email before the submission time and must include scanned copies of the signed assignment extension request form and the relevant evidence.

Sending an email to the lecturer just before the submission deadline does not constitute the granting of an extension. Extensions will only be considered if medical certificates, letters from counsellors or other appropriate documentation are submitted with the signed request form. Generally, assignment extensions will not be accepted after the submission deadline.

Students are to keep copies of their assignments: Students are to keep a separate copy of all assessment items that are submitted. This is the student's responsibility and failure to do so will not constitute grounds for reassessment in any circumstances.

Individual work and plagiarism: No tolerance: Work by students' suspected of containing plagiarised content will be submitted to the Associate Dean (Education) of the Faculty for immediate investigation. It is taken for granted that assessment items give evidence of background reading, intelligent criticism, keen observation and the development of a line of argument to support any particular stance adopted.  It is also assumed that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, each assignment is entirely the work of the individual submitting it and is produced specifically for the unit AND the relevant semester in question. Submitting assignments or parts of assignments which have already been submitted for other units and/or semesters will therefore constitute plagiarism for the purposes of assessment in this unit. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any item of assessment found to contain plagiarism by the Associate Dean (Education) may attract a sanction including a fail grade for the assessment item or the whole unit.

Good scholarship necessarily requires building on and borrowing from the work of others but this use must be acknowledged.  Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values of respect for knowledge, scholarship and other scholars. Presenting another person's ideas or arguments by reproducing, paraphrasing, summarising or other altered forms without acknowledgement is plagiarism. Plagiarism includes submitting work prepared by another author, including another student, as your own and includes the use of an assignment you have previously submitted for another unit or a previous attempt at this unit. Students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module before attempting any assessment in this unit.