ICM336: Governance, Power and Accountability

Module code: ICM336

Module provider: ICMA Centre; Henley Business School

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Deepa Govindarajan Driver, email: d.govindarajan@icmacentre.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 28 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This real-world module prepares finance students for careers in the world of business and in government / policy positions. Students explore how power is moderated by mechanisms for good governance and accountability, and how institutional safeguards can be created so the public interest is preserved.  

To do this, students will examine contemporaneous case studies that cover key instances of state and corporate criminality and/or misconduct, and understand the risks the community is exposed to, when untrammelled power is exerted by an elite group. Students will also study how safeguards such as whistleblowing processes and free and critical media, enable the exercise of power to be kept in check.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

-  discuss how corporations and states exercise power 

-  critically reflect on the key imbalances of power in society, how these are entrenched or eroded through practices like lobbying and regulatory power and the consequent impact on stakeholders 

-  explain how institutional and procedural safeguards can be used to moderate those powers and provide accountability for criminality or misconduct.  

-  cite real world cases and arguments that bring to life their arguments and support key precepts

Module content

Students reflect critically on practitioner and scholarly contributions across topics, and are encouraged and supported to engage actively in wide-ranging discussions in the following areas with key points illustrated by case studies:   

-  power and power dynamics 

-  the profit motive and the market mechanism  

-  financialization 

-  the public interest and the creation and maintenance of public interest safeguards 

-  state and corporate criminality 

-  incentives and disincentives, the role of transparency and disclosure: voice, exit and the market for corporate control 

-  lobbying and regulatory capture  

-  oversight and senior management arrangements  

-  third parties and advisors 

-  regulatory and institutional accountability 

-  whistleblowing, trade unions and press freedom as mechanisms to preserve accountability 

-  culture, inclusion and how accountability mechanisms can be sidestepped. How should we respond 

It is also expected that students will review and reflect upon a range of scholarly and practitioner materials, both individually and in groups so as to develop and demonstrate understanding of the subject area

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is taught using 9 face-to-face lectures. Where a specific lecture cannot be taught in person on campus, it will be re-arranged, subject to timetabling constraints to another date as a face-to-face on-campus lecture. In some rare circumstances, it may have to be delivered online live. Our expectation though is that the lectures will typically be taught face-to-face on campus. 

There will also be 8 face to face seminars, 3 of these seminars may be run online-live to facilitate discussion and the inclusion of guest speakers where applicable 

Reading lists and associated materials will be made available via Blackboard. Hard copy materials may supplement any online resources; if so these will be distributed during the lecture.

Study hours

At least 23 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

50% of weighted average mark

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Weekly interaction contributions during lectures and seminars

Reassessment

Additional costs