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FINN1071: Ethics and Finance

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Type Tied
Level 1
Credits 20
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Finance

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None

Aims

  • The aims of the module are the following:
  • introduce students to key concepts in ethics and their articulations in finance and financial offerings.
  • discuss emerging ethical-based financing offerings, including ESG, social and sustainable development financing.
  • provide students with frameworks and skills necessary to understand and critically evaluate the ethical nature of financial offerings in different institutional forms, including ESG, FinTechs and capital markets.

Content

  • Ethical and Moral Foundations of Finance.
  • Changing Financial Landscape and the Importance of Ethics in Finance and Financial Decision Making.
  • Shareholder Value Maximisation vs Stakeholder Governance in Financial Sector
  • Ethical Screening Methods in Finance and Investment: ESG, Responsible Finance, Impact Investing, Social Investment.
  • Sustainable Development Financing.
  • Ethical Capital Markets: Approaches and Products.
  • Financial Inclusion, Inclusive Finance and Microfinance.
  • Ethical Issues in Digital Financial Offerings, Fintechs, and Social Finance.
  • Ethical and Social Finance Regulations.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Understand foundational bases of ethics and morality and their articulations in financial transactions and spheres.
  • Develop knowledge of the ethical issues and dilemmas that arise in various financial offerings and institutional forms.
  • Examine various forms of ethical compliance and screening in financial offerings.
  • Develop knowledge of the ways and mechanisms finance and financial institutions can contribute to ESG and sustainable development.
  • Understand the ethical aspects and requirements of the regulatory environment.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • By the end of the module, students should be able to:
  • Recognize the ethics and ethical issues relevant to financial transactions and the sector.
  • Developed technical and academic skills to distinguish and analyse ESG risks and ethical screening processes in financial transactions and the institutions.
  • The ability to examine practical issues and case studies, practice problem-solving and analysis of ethical issues in financial transactions and institutions.
  • Developed skills to critically evaluate developments, performance and progress of financial institutions and markets in relation to ethics, social and governance (ESG) and sustainable development goals (SDGs).
  • Assess the regulatory approaches used in different jurisdictions to understand various ways in which ESGs and SDGs integrated into financial offerings.
  • Understand ethical concepts and their articulations in finance and financial transactions from multi-disciplinary perspectives.

Key Skills:

  • Written Communication through summative assessment.
  • Planning and Organising by observing the strict assignment deadlines and by preparing for the examination.
  • Problem-solving and analysis by applying the necessary analytical skills to identify ethical compliance-related concerns and screening in financial transactions in undertaking seminars and assessed work.
  • Ability to seek out and use relevant information and data sources, including electronic and bibliographic sources.
  • Independent learning within a defined framework of study.
  • Apply knowledge to new situations in relation to ethical decision-making in finance.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Teaching is by lectures and workshops. Learning takes place through attending lectures, preparations and participation at workshops, and private study.
  • Workshop activities and discussions provide technical awareness of topics in a comprehensive form.
  • Formative assessment will be answers prepared by students to pre-assigned questions and readings that are presented and discussed in seminars.
  • Summative assessment comprises a 3000 word assignment.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures10Weekly2 hrs20 
Workshops4Fortnightly2 hrs8Yes
Preparation and Reading172 
Total200 

Summative Assessment

Component: AssignmentComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Written Assignment3000 words max100same

Formative Assessment

Answers are prepared by students to pre-assigned questions and readings that are presented and discussed in seminars.

More information

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