Overview

This unit facilitates students’ sound understanding of the fundamental ethical principles, the main ethical issues encountered, and the ethical behaviour support resources available, in professional financial planning services practice. Students are introduced to the profession’s ethics regime, exposed to real-life ethical problems and dilemmas, and guided to develop solutions to anticipate and mitigate the consequences of (un)ethical choices and decisions in relevant professional contexts. In the second section of the unit, students learn about the skills and knowledge required for effective communication with clients in the financial planning process. Establishment of an ongoing client relationships based on trust, honesty, empathy, and technical expertise are among the other topics covered in this unit.

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
26-February-2024
26-May-2024
Last self-enrolment date
10-March-2024
Census date
31-March-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
12-April-2024
Results released date
02-July-2024
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Analyse complex situations that may lead to conflicts of interests in client-financial planner relationships
  • Analyse and evaluate financial dilemmas and propose ethical solutions, demonstrating consideration of systemic consequences of decisions and actions
  • Apply knowledge of fundamental aspects of client engagement psychology for effective communication in financial services contexts
  • Understand individual and inter-personal behavioural patterns in an organisational context, to support positive relationships with clients and peers
  • Work effectively in teams

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssessmentIndividual 30 - 50% 1,2,3,4 
AssignmentGroup 30 - 40% 1,2,3,4,5 
TestIndividual 20 - 30% 1,2 

Content

  • Key ethical principles and values of the FASEA codes of ethics and professional conduct, and the institutionalised ethics regime of the financial planning services industry
  • Ethical issues and dilemmas in financial planning services
  • Recognising and avoiding conflicts of interests
  • The role of trustworthiness, honesty and integrity in professional conduct
  • Resisting power pressure and giving voice to values
  • Client relationships in financial planning services
  • Effective communication skills
  • Key concepts of interpersonal behaviour in organisations
  • Empathy, trust and managing conflicts with clients
  • Shareholder activism and climate change risk

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.