INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT KOZHIKODE

Post Graduate Programme in Management

Teaching Plan

LEGAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES FOR MANAGERS 2019

Course Code and Course Title PGP 23, Legal and Ethical Perspectives for
Managers
Course Type Compulsory
Pre-requisites (if any) Nil
Course Credit 2
Total No. of Sessions 16
Session Duration 75 minutes
Term III
Year and batch 1st year 2019-2020, PGP 23
Sections (if any) A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H

Instructors(s) Prof. Shannu Narayan

Contact Details 0495-2809430; shannu.narayan@iimk.ac.in
Office Faculty Block 3, Room 10
Consultation Hours To be announced

Instructors(s) Prof. Deva Prasad M

Contact Details 0495-2809427; devaprasad@iimk.ac.in
Office Faculty Block 3, Room 23
Consultation Hours To be announced

Introduction

Business is both facilitated as well as regulated by laws. Pertinent legal concepts helpful for
day-to-day functioning in a commercial/business environment are introduced through this
course. Knowledge of business law concepts is significant for effectively steering forward an
existing business organisation as well as for evolving new entrepreneurial ventures.

Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives

The main objective of this course is to make a student of business management understand the
principles and concepts of law relevant to efficient functioning of business. This includes
formation of contracts; rights and obligations arising from contracts; special forms of contracts;
law dealing with formation and functioning of companies; law relating to partnership; law
relating to intellectual property rights; competition law; consumer protection law.

Textbooks and Learning Materials

Text Book(s)

1
Pathak, Akhileshwar, Legal Aspects of Business, Sixth Edition, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi,
2014 [AP-LAB].

Reference Book(s)
 Anurag K Agarwal, Business Leadership and Law, Springer, New Delhi 2017 [AKA-
BLL].
 Constance Bagley, Managers and the Legal Environment: Strategies for the 21st
Century, Eighth Edition, Cengage Learning, Boston, 2016.
 Daniel Albuquerque, Legal Aspects of Business: Texts, Jurisprudence, and Cases,
Second Edition, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2015.
 Anurag K Agarwal, Business and Intellectual Property, Random House India, New
Delhi 2010 [AKA-BIP].
 A. Crane & D. Matten, Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization, Oxford University Press, New Delhi 2010
[CM-BE].
 Agarwal, Anurag K, Business Law for Managers: Kaleidoscopic Tales, Penguin Random
House, IIMA Book series, 2018 [AA-BLM]

Additional Reading(s)
Hard copies of relevant additional reading materials will be distributed as and when required.

Technology and Software (if any)

NIL

Other Resources (Journals, Internet Websites) (if any)

NIL

Pedagogy Used/Learning Process

The course will be primarily offered through lectures, discussion and analysis of relevant
practical legal issues through decided cases. In the course delivery, emphasis is on the
maximisation of student learning within the classroom itself, by way of methods such as
problem based learning method. The participants are encouraged to read introduction to the
subject in order to equip them to explore and analyse the legal issues to be discussed in the
class.

Evaluation Components/Assessment of Student Learning

Assessment Tool Percentage Description

Class Participation 5% Students will be assessed based on relevant
interaction in class.
Assignments/Class 15% Students are expected to work in teams or
Presentation individually analysing contemporary issues
regarding legal aspects of business.
Quizzes 10%

2
Mid Term 30% These components are required to check and
End Term 40% evaluate students’ understanding of legal
concepts and principles and their application in
solving managerial decision-making problems.

Session Plan

Session Module Topic Chapter No. / Reading

material / Cases
1-2 Introduction to  Relevance of legal [AKA-BLL]: Chapter 1
Legal and approach to business
Ethical  Introduction to Indian
Perspectives Legal System
 Corporate Accountability-
Regulatory and Ethical
Perspective

3-6 Legal Aspects of Business Contracts [AP-LAB]: Chapter 2,3,

Business  Essentials of Formation of 8, 9, 20 and 23
Contracts and a Contract [AA-BLM]: Chapter 1
Ethical  Termination and Damages
Concerns  Contracting with
Government
 Regulating unfair terms in
B2B and B2C contract
 Fairness in Business
Contracts – Ethical
perspective

7 - 10 Legal Aspects Introduction to partnership and [AP-LAB]: Chapter 25

of Business Limited Liability Partnership
Organizations (LLP)
and Corporate  Basics on Partnership
Accountability Model
 Nature of LLP
 Formation of LLP

Company Law
 Characteristic of a
Company
 Memorandum & Articles [AP-LAB]: Chapter 30,
of Association 31, 32 and 34
 Doctrine of Ultra Vires, [AA-BLM]: Chapter 3
Indoor Management
Relevant Handouts
 Importance of Independent
Directors
 Insolvency of a Company

3
  Stakeholder Concept
versus Shareholder
concept – Legal and
Ethical Perspective
 Mandatory Corporate
Social responsibility -
Legal and Ethical
Perspective
 Corporate Board Conduct

11 - 12 Responsibilities  Basics and Types of

to Public: intellectual property rights Relevant handouts
Property  Patents and Compulsory
Rights/Public
Licensing
Interest

13 - 15 Legal and Consumer Protection [AKA-BIP]: Chapters 2,

Ethical Aspects  Product Warranty – 3, 4 and 7
of Trade Ethical Issues [AA-BLM]: Chapter 5
Practices
 Responsibility towards
Consumers – Product
Safety and Liability
 Unfair Trade Practice
 Advertising Practices
[AP-LAB]: Chapter 26
Trade Practices: Law & Ethics and 27
 Anti-Competitive [AA-BLM]: Chapter 8
Agreements
 Abuse of Dominant [AP-LAB]: Chapter 28
Position [AA-BLM]: Chapter 7
 Regulation of Mergers &
Acquisitions
16 Emerging  Corruption and Ethics Relevant Handout
Areas &  Individual and Corporate
Contemporary responsibilities – Legal
Challenges and Ethical Perspective

Additional Instructions (if any)

NIL