MNGT5522 Mergers and Acquisitions

Subject Code

MNGT5522

Study Level

Postgraduate

Commencing Term

Term 1

Total Units of Credit (UOC)

Delivery Mode

Term 1 (Session 3) 2023, Kensington

School

AGSM

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1. Course Details

Summary of Course

The objective of this course is to provide students with the knowledge and skills to successfully initiate, analyse, evaluate and implement M&A transactions. The course will explore the development and execution of transactions including business acquisitions, takeovers, divestments, and initial public offerings. In addition, students will consider corporate and business strategies that motivate M&A transactions and the motivations of financial buyers such as private equity participants in M&A markets. Students will learn to assess targets and value target businesses by applying corporate finance tools and knowledge within the context of evaluating, developing and executing M&A transactions. The course emphasises the practical applications of skills and knowledge through a combination of case studies, group activities and online discussions.

Teaching Times and Locations

Please note that teaching times and locations are subject to change. Students are strongly advised to refer to the Class Timetable website for the most up-to-date teaching times and locations.

This course is scheduled to run in face-to-face mode. However, there is a chance that there could be subsequent COVID-19 restrictions.

If it is not possible for us to gather together on campus, we will offer the course synchronously online in Moodle.

https://www.covid-19.unsw.edu.au/

View course timetable

Course Policies & Support

The Business School expects that you are familiar with the contents of this course outline and the UNSW and Business School learning expectations, rules, policies and support services as listed below:

Program Learning Outcomes
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Student Responsibilities and Conduct
Special Consideration
Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts
Student Learning Support Services

View course Policies and Support

Course Aims and Relationship to Other Courses

The course will introduce students to Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and the M&A process from a business leader, financier and adviser perspective. The study of M&A usually sits in the curriculum of an MBA program within the discipline of Finance as an advanced elective, but there is much more to M&A than just finance. As you will see in this course, successful M&A activity involves other disciplines such as strategy, public policy, critical thinking, human behaviour, negotiation and psychology.

The execution of M&A transactions is an important vehicle for the strategic development of firms with a growth objective. This type of development involves many different issues such as corporate strategy, regulatory compliance, competition law, funding requirements, environmental concerns, employment concerns and more. The successful execution of an M&A based corporate development strategy requires the successful management of all of these types of issues within an M&A transaction context. In this course participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of value creation through M&A.

M&A is complex, challenging and often involves high stakes for the participants - and that is why it is an exciting profession to work in. This course is relevant to the progression of many different types of career paths including:

Investment banking
Management consulting
Commercial banking especially corporate lending
Boutique advisory services in finance, corporate law or strategy
Private equity
Corporate and business strategy within large companies
Equity capital markets
Funds management
Financial services especially transaction services such as due diligence and financial modelling
Company research
Government, especially privatisation and public partnerships
Regulation especially competition policy, foreign investment policy and corporate governance

The two core courses Accounting and Corporate Finance are pre-requisites for this course.

Additional Course Details

In this course, we make extensive use of case studies. Nearly every unit draws upon at least one case study.

There are three types of case studies:

Classic cases involving actual transactions. These historically significant cases are excellent exemplars of their transaction type.
Harvard Business School cases. These are typical HBS type case studies (some are sourced from other schools) that address specific learning objectives.
Topical cases involving contemporary actual transactions. These will be current or recent M&A transactions relevant to the unit topic.

2. Quality Assurance and Course Alignment

Quality Assurance

The program is aligned to a number of international standards, to ensure the courses you study are high quality. At present, this includes designing courses to:

meet Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation standards, through the measurement of students program-level learning outcomes
align with the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (UNPRME)
meet Australian educational and government governing body requirements, e.g. the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) standards
European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation is also held by UNSW Business School.

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Goals and Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes	Course Assessment Item
PLO 1: Business knowledge	Understand the regulatory environment and its impact on the planning and execution of M&A transactions	Assessment 1 : Quizzes Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
	Understand the principles underlying M&A valuation	Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
	Define M&A and understand the motivations and typical steps involved in undertaking an M&A process for private treaty and public company takeover transactions	Assessment 1 : Quizzes Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
	Understand the process of post-acquisition integration and its impact on value creation from M&A	Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
PLO 2: Problem solving	Undertake financial analysis for business valuation within the context of M&As, build an M&A valuation model and apply M&A valuation methods to establish a range of values for potential M&As	Assessment 1 : Quizzes Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
	Develop and evaluate strategy for M&As	Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
	Evaluate an acquisition proposal from the position of a potential acquirer in an M&A transaction	Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
PLO 3: Business communication	Produce an acquisition proposal for a potential acquirer in an M&A transaction	Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 4 : Participation
PLO 4: Teamwork	Participate in and contribute effectively to a multi-functional team to deliver a shared outcome to a high standard	Assessment 3 : Critiques of M&A proposals Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 3 : Peer Evaluation
PLO 5: Responsible business practice	Identify and discus how to manage important ethical considerations in M&As	Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 4 : Participation
PLO 6: Global and cultural competence	–	Not specifically addressed
PLO 7: Leadership development	–	Not specifically addressed

3. Staff Contact Details

Position	Name	Email	Location	Phone	Consultation Times
Facilitator	Shanie Atkinson		–	–	–

4. Learning and Teaching Activities

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course

The course content includes specific exercises and cases. This content also includes the required methods and principles. However, the formulation of inputs and interpretation of outputs will require students to apply insights from other classes and/or experience, with an aim of offering a reasoned opinion on the topic under discussion. Students will need to think about and share with other course participants their views on companies' broader goals, resources and strategic challenges and how these translate into an estimate of the scope for value creation and how to develop and implement effective strategies for the execution of M&A transactions.

Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies

Students will work through Unit content and related activities as the weeks progress. During this progression, it is expected that all members of the class will be part of the ongoing discussion of content, especially after the foundation ideas are laid and the superstructure of examples and concepts is established.

Course Structure

In Unit 1 we introduce Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and essential steps in the M&A process. M&As are a well publicised corporate strategy for growth and value creation through diversification, economies of scale and scope. They attract publicity due to the high failure rate of M&A initiatives and the enormous losses that have been encountered and devastate businesses. Research has shown that the large majority of M&A do not deliver on expectations of value creation and some studies suggest that the majority of M&A transactions result in losses for the acquirer. It is difficult to measure the value created by M&A and as a result the conclusions from research on M&A value creation are a long-term topic of debate. Regardless, M&A remain an important and significant aspect of corporate activity and corporate development. Improving management capabilities in M&A processes and increasing awareness of potential pitfalls will improve outcomes from this important vehicle for growth - this is the overriding aim of this course.

In Unit 2 we consider motivations for M&A from a business perspective. The Unit covers corporate and business strategy frameworks and initiatives that lead to the search for an M&A transaction and/or divestment. In addition the steps in the M&A search process are discussed.

In Unit 3 and 4 we look deeply into valuation for M&A. The content of these units revisits finance principles already covered in previous studies and extends on these in the context of M&A valuation. Valuation techniques are discussed including strengths and weaknesses of the techniques and self-assessment questions and case studies provide the opportunity to apply the M&A valuation techniques. Due diligence approach and process is also reviewed.

In Unit 5 we consider the Regulatory Environment generally as it applies to M&A. Later in the course, particularly in Unit 6 and Unit 7, we focus on specific legislation relevant to certain types of transactions.

In Unit 6 the topic is types of M&A transactions with a focus on Private Treaty Transactions. This is the most common type of M&A transaction. These transactions involve the sale and purchase of businesses undertaken in the private domain.

In Unit 7 we continue our focus on types of M&A transactions and consider Takeovers. These types of transactions are nearly always conducted in the public domain and are often high profile. The special regulatory requirements for takeovers are discussed.

In Unit 8 we cover a special segment of equity capital markets referred to as Private Equity. This segment is a large and growing specialisation. Private Equity investors are important participants in M&A activity as investors acquire and then later sell businesses with a view to making returns on invested funds. We focus on the M&A aspects of this segment.

In Unit 9 we focus on post-acquisition integration. Post-acquisition integration is implemented after the M&A settlement is complete, but post-acquisition integration is an important consideration from the very beginning and throughout the M&A process.

In Unit 10 we address a special form of divestment, the Initial Public Offering. This type of transaction is in fact the partial sale of a business to the public and commonly represents one of the most significant milestones in the corporate development of a firm.

5. Assessment

Formal Requirements

Students are expected to attempt all assessment requirements, and must achieve a composite mark of at least 50% to pass the course. Students are also expected to actively engage in course learning activities. Failure to engage in assessment tasks that are integrated into learning activities (e.g. class discussion, presentations) will be reflected in the marks for these assessable activities.

Assessment Structure

Assessment	Task	Weighting (%)	Length	Due Date	Individual / Group
Assessment 1	Quizzes	15	3 multiple-choice questions per quiz, 5 quizzes, quizzes are 9 minutes each	Submit by 11.59pm on the Sunday of Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 (Open from Monday to Sunday for completion)	Individual
Assessment 2	Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper	30	1,800-word written report	Monday 27 March 2023 (Week 7) by 3pm Sydney time	Individual
Assessment 3	Development of an M&A proposal	30	15-minute recorded team presentation with up to 25 presentation and supporting-information slides	Monday 24 April 2023 (Week 11) by 3pm Sydney time	Group
	Peer Evaluation	0	N/A	Friday 28 April 2023 (Week 11) by 3pm Sydney time	Individual
	Critiques of M&A proposals	15	500-word written critique	Monday 1 May 2023 (Week 12) by 3pm Sydney time	Individual
Assessment 4	Participation	10	N/A	During intensive weekends and in online class activities provided by your facilitator during the term	Individual

Assessment Feedback

Feedback on student performance from formative and summative assessment tasks will be provided to students in a timely manner. Assessment tasks completed within the teaching period of a course will be assessed and students provided with feedback, with or without a provisional result, within 10 working days of submission, under normal circumstances. Feedback on continuous assessment tasks (e.g. participation) will be provided prior to the midpoint of the course.

Assessment Summary

Assignment Submission Procedure

Unless otherwise stipulated in the specific details for each of your assessments, please prepare and submit your assessments in accordance with the following.

Assessment length

What is included in the word count?

Executive Summary (if required)
All text, tables, figures, diagrams, graphs and charts contained in the body of the report (if required)

What is excluded from the word count?

Reference list or bibliography
Table of contents (if required)
Appendices (note: these are for supporting material only and will not be included as part of the grading)

Note: any text that goes beyond the word count will not be read in grading the assessment.

Assessment format

Students are required to submit assessments in Word, in a format suited to a professional audience, with a Header or Footer containing your name and zID. It is acceptable and indeed recommended to use editing software (e.g. the Editor in the Review ribbon of Microsoft Word) to help you check your work and polish your writing.

Headings

Heading 1 Font size: 14 point

Heading 2 Font size: 12 point

Text style: Bold

Body text

Font size: 12 point

Line spacing: Single, with an additional line space between paragraphs

Text style: Normal

Assessment file name

Please use the following file naming convention for each assessment:

z999999_surname_[XXXX1111]_23T1_Asst1

where:

- z999999 is your student ID

- surname is your family name

- XXXX1111 is the course code

- 23T1 is the term name (2023, Term 1)

- Asst1 is the Assessment number (Asst2 for Assessment 2)

Assessment submission

You must submit your assessments through your online classroom in Moodle. Email submission is not an acceptable submission format at UNSW.
Written-assessment submission in Moodle is performed via Turnitin, the similarity detection software used by UNSW students and teaching staff to detect plagiarism. You can access Turnitin submission resources under the 'Assessments' section in your online classroom in Moodle. More information about plagiarism can be found at https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism
You may submit a draft to Turnitin prior to the submission due date. It may take 24 hours to get a response and so you should allow at least this much time before submitting your final version. Please note that draft assessments submitted in this way will be regarded as the final version at the due date if you have not uploaded a subsequent, finalised version (each file uploaded overwrites the previous version).
Submission of audio-visual assessments should be completed by uploading the final version of the assessment to a file sharing site (for example, OneDrive, Dropbox, SharePoint, YouTube, etc.) and then sharing a link to the appropriate submission location in your class Moodle page to enable your Facilitator to access and view/download the file.
Late submissions will be subject to late penalties of 5% of the assessment weighting per day and will be capped at five days (120 hours) from the assessment deadline, after which you cannot submit an assessment. If for any reason you are unable to submit a late submission via Turnitin, please contact your Class Facilitator or AGSM Student Experience at once.
Extensions to assessment deadlines may be granted in exceptional circumstances. See information about UNSW's Special Consideration at https://student.unsw.edu.au/special-consideration
Assessment tasks will normally be reviewed, and feedback provided, within 10 working days of submission.
Please keep a copy of your assessment.

Special Consideration

You must submit all assignments and attend all examinations scheduled for your course. You can apply for special consideration when illness or other circumstances beyond your control, interfere with your performance in a specific assessment task or tasks. Special Consideration is primarily intended to provide you with an extra opportunity to demonstrate the level of performance of which you are capable.

Please note the following:

Applications will not be accepted by teaching staff. The lecturer-in-charge/course coordinator will be automatically notified when you lodge an online application for special consideration.
Decisions and recommendations are only made by lecturers-in-charge/course coordinators (or by the Faculty Panel in the case of final exam special considerations), not by tutors.
Applying for special consideration does not automatically mean that you will be granted a supplementary exam or other concession.
Special consideration requests do not allow the awarding of additional marks to students.

Further information on Business School policy and procedure can be found under 'Special Consideration' on the Policies and Support page.

Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts

6. Course Resources

The course materials comprise the 10 weekly Units, this Course Outline and the Assessment Details document, all of which will be available in your Moodle class site.

7. Course Evaluation & Development

Continual Course Improvement

AGSM courses are reviewed each time they run, with updated course outlines and assessment tasks developed.

Additionally, the data collected in the myExperience survey provides anonymous feedback from students on the quality of course content and materials, class facilitation, student support services and the program in general. This student feedback is considered during all course revisions.

Student Response

The current version of M&A course reflects students' feedback from previous terms.

Past students have provided feedback that Assessment 2 was challenging to complete within the word count.

Response to Student Feedback

Assessment 2 has been modified in response to student feedback.

8. Course Schedule

Week	Activity	Topic	Detail/Engagement	Assessment Task
Week 1	Course material study	Introduction and the Role and Purpose of M&A	Complete Unit 1 of the course material.	Assessment 4 : Participation
Week 2	Course material study; Complete Assessment 1 Quiz	Strategy for M&A	Complete Unit 2 of the course material Complete Assessment 1 Quiz by Sunday at 11.59pm Sydney time	Assessment 4 : Participation Assessment 1 : Quizzes
Week 3	Course material study; Intensive 1	Valuation for M&A Part 1: Value, Price and Market Multiples	Complete Units 3 and 4 of the course material prior to the Intensive Weekend. Intensive Weekend 1: Saturday 4 March and Sunday 5 March 2023, 9am to 5pm	Assessment 4 : Participation
Week 4	Course material study; Assessment 1 Quiz	Valuation for M&A Part 2: Discounted Cashflow and Due Diligence	Complete Unit 5 of the course material. Complete Assessment 1 Quiz by Sunday at 11.59pm Sydney time	Assessment 4 : Participation Assessment 1 : Quizzes
Week 5	Global Network Week	–	–	–
Week 6	Complete Assessment 1 Quiz; Course material study	Regulatory Framework	Complete Unit 6 and 7 of the course material Complete Assessment 1 Quiz by Sunday at 11.59pm Sydney time	Assessment 4 : Participation Assessment 1 : Quizzes
Week 7	Assessment 2 due; Intensive 2	Private Treaty Transactions and Takeovers	Assessment 2 due on Monday 27 March 2023 by 3pm Sydney time Complete Units 8 and 9 of the course material Intensive Weekend 2: Saturday 1 April and Sunday 2 April 2023, 9am to 5pm	Assessment 2 : Individual growth strategy and M&A valuation management paper Assessment 4 : Participation
Week 8	Course material study; Complete Assessment 1 Quiz	Private Equity	Complete Unit 10 of the course material. Complete Assessment 1 Quiz by Sunday at 11pm Sydney time	Assessment 4 : Participation Assessment 1 : Quizzes
Week 9	Work on Assessment 3	Post-acquisition Integration	–	Assessment 4 : Participation
Week 10	Complete Assessment 1 Quiz; work on Assessment 3	Initial Public Offering	Complete Assessment 1 Quiz by Sunday at 11.59pm Sydney time	Assessment 4 : Participation Assessment 1 : Quizzes
Week 11	Complete Assessment 3	-	Submit Assessment 3 Development of an M&A proposal by Monday 24 April 2023 at 3pm Sydney time Submit Assessment 3 Peer Evaluation and Critiques of M&A Proposals by Friday 28 April 2023 at 3pm Sydney time	Assessment 3 : Development of an M&A proposal Assessment 3 : Peer Evaluation
Week 12	Assessment 3: Critique of M&A proposal	–	Submit Assessment 3 Critique of M&A proposal on Monday 1 May 2023 (Week 12) by 3pm Sydney time	Assessment 3 : Critiques of M&A proposals

9. Policies and Support

Information about UNSW Business School protocols, University policies, student responsibilities and education quality and support.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Business School places knowledge and capabilities at the core of its curriculum via seven Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). These PLOs are systematically embedded and developed across the duration of all coursework programs in the Business School.

PLOs embody the knowledge, skills and capabilities that are taught, practised and assessed within each Business School program. They articulate what you should know and be able to do upon successful completion of your degree.

Upon graduation, you should have a high level of specialised business knowledge and capacity for responsible business thinking, underpinned by ethical professional practice. You should be able to harness, manage and communicate business information effectively and work collaboratively with others. You should be an experienced problem-solver and critical thinker, with a global perspective, cultural competence and the potential for innovative leadership.

All UNSW programs and courses are designed to assess the attainment of program and/or course level learning outcomes, as required by the UNSW Assessment Design Procedure. It is important that you become familiar with the Business School PLOs, as they constitute the framework which informs and shapes the components and assessments of the courses within your program of study.

PLO 1: Business knowledge

Students will make informed and effective selection and application of knowledge in a discipline or profession, in the contexts of local and global business.

PLO 2: Problem solving

Students will define and address business problems, and propose effective evidence-based solutions, through the application of rigorous analysis and critical thinking.

PLO 3: Business communication

Students will harness, manage and communicate business information effectively using multiple forms of communication across different channels.

PLO 4: Teamwork

Students will interact and collaborate effectively with others to achieve a common business purpose or fulfil a common business project, and reflect critically on the process and the outcomes.

PLO 5: Responsible business practice

Students will develop and be committed to responsible business thinking and approaches, which are underpinned by ethical professional practice and sustainability considerations.

PLO 6: Global and cultural competence

Students will be aware of business systems in the wider world and actively committed to recognise and respect the cultural norms, beliefs and values of others, and will apply this knowledge to interact, communicate and work effectively in diverse environments.

PLO 7: Leadership development

Students will develop the capacity to take initiative, encourage forward thinking and bring about innovation, while effectively influencing others to achieve desired results.

These PLOs relate to undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs. Separate PLOs for honours and postgraduate research programs are included under 'Related Documents'.

Business School course outlines provide detailed information for students on how the course learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment/s contribute to the development of Program Learning Outcomes.

UNSW Graduate Capabilities

The Business School PLOs also incorporate UNSW graduate capabilities, a set of generic abilities and skills that all students are expected to achieve by graduation. These capabilities articulate the University’s institutional values, as well as future employer expectations.

UNSW Graduate Capabilities	Business School PLOs
Scholars capable of independent and collaborative enquiry, rigorous in their analysis, critique and reflection, and able to innovate by applying their knowledge and skills to the solution of novel as well as routine problems.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 4: Teamwork PLO 7: Leadership development
Entrepreneurial leaders capable of initiating and embracing innovation and change, as well as engaging and enabling others to contribute to change	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 4: Teamwork PLO 6: Global and cultural competence PLO 7: Leadership development
Professionals capable of ethical, self-directed practice and independent lifelong learning	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 5: Responsible business practice
Global citizens who are culturally adept and capable of respecting diversity and acting in a socially just and responsible way.	PLO 1: Business knowledge PLO 2: Problem solving PLO 3: Business communication PLO 4: Teamwork PLO 5: Responsible business practice PLO 6: Global and cultural competence

While our programs are designed to provide coverage of all PLOs and graduate capabilities, they also provide you with a great deal of choice and flexibility. The Business School strongly advises you to choose a range of courses that assist your development against the seven PLOs and four graduate capabilities, and to keep a record of your achievements as part of your portfolio. You can use a portfolio as evidence in employment applications as well as a reference for work or further study. For support with selecting your courses contact the UNSW Business School Student Centre.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic Integrity is honest and responsible scholarship. This form of ethical scholarship is highly valued at UNSW. Terms like Academic Integrity, misconduct, referencing, conventions, plagiarism, academic practices, citations and evidence based learning are all considered basic concepts that successful university students understand. Learning how to communicate original ideas, refer sources, work independently, and report results accurately and honestly are skills that you will be able to carry beyond your studies.

The definition of academic misconduct is broad. It covers practices such as cheating, copying and using another person’s work without appropriate acknowledgement. Incidents of academic misconduct may have serious consequences for students.

Plagiarism

UNSW regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct. UNSW has very strict rules regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism at UNSW is using the words or ideas of others and passing them off as your own. All Schools in the Business School have a Student Ethics Officer who will investigate incidents of plagiarism and may result in a student’s name being placed on the Plagiarism and Student Misconduct Registers.

Below are examples of plagiarism including self-plagiarism:

Copying: Using the same or very similar words to the original text or idea without acknowledging the source or using quotation marks. This includes copying materials, ideas or concepts from a book, article, report or other written document, presentation, composition, artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer program or software, website, internet, other electronic resource, or another person's assignment, without appropriate acknowledgement of authorship.

Inappropriate Paraphrasing: Changing a few words and phrases while mostly retaining the original structure and/or progression of ideas of the original, and information without acknowledgement. This also applies in presentations where someone paraphrases another’s ideas or words without credit and to piecing together quotes and paraphrases into a new whole, without appropriate referencing.

Collusion: Presenting work as independent work when it has been produced in whole or part in collusion with other people. Collusion includes:

Students providing their work to another student before the due date, or for the purpose of them plagiarising at any time
Paying another person to perform an academic task and passing it off as your own
Stealing or acquiring another person’s academic work and copying it
Offering to complete another person’s work or seeking payment for completing academic work

Collusion should not be confused with academic collaboration (i.e., shared contribution towards a group task).

Inappropriate Citation: Citing sources which have not been read, without acknowledging the 'secondary' source from which knowledge of them has been obtained.

Self-Plagiarism: ‘Self-plagiarism’ occurs where an author republishes their own previously written work and presents it as new findings without referencing the earlier work, either in its entirety or partially. Self-plagiarism is also referred to as 'recycling', 'duplication', or 'multiple submissions of research findings' without disclosure. In the student context, self-plagiarism includes re-using parts of, or all of, a body of work that has already been submitted for assessment without proper citation.

To see if you understand plagiarism, do this short quiz: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism-quiz

Cheating

The University also regards cheating as a form of academic misconduct. Cheating is knowingly submitting the work of others as their own and includes contract cheating (work produced by an external agent or third party that is submitted under the pretences of being a student’s original piece of work). Cheating is not acceptable at UNSW.

If you need to revise or clarify any terms associated with academic integrity you should explore the 'Working with Academic Integrity' self-paced lessons available at: https://student.unsw.edu.au/aim.

For UNSW policies, penalties, and information to help you avoid plagiarism see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism as well as the guidelines in the online ELISE tutorials for all new UNSW students: http://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/elise. For information on student conduct see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/conduct.

For information on how to acknowledge your sources and reference correctly, see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/referencing. If you are unsure what referencing style to use in this course, you should ask the lecturer in charge.

Student Responsibilities and Conduct

Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to university policies in relation to class attendance and general conduct and behaviour, including maintaining a safe, respectful environment; and to understand their obligations in relation to workload, assessment and keeping informed.

Information and policies on these topics can be found on the 'Managing your Program' website.

Workload

It is expected that you will spend at least ten to twelve hours per week studying for a course except for Summer Term courses which have a minimum weekly workload of twenty to twenty four hours. This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems, online activities and attending classes. In periods where you need to complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater. Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. You should take the required workload into account when planning how to balance study with employment and other activities.

We strongly encourage you to connect with your Moodle course websites in the first week of semester. Local and international research indicates that students who engage early and often with their course website are more likely to pass their course.

View more information on expected workload

Attendance

Your regular and punctual attendance at lectures and seminars or in online learning activities is expected in this course. The Business School reserves the right to refuse final assessment to those students who attend less than 80% of scheduled classes where attendance and participation is required as part of the learning process (e.g., tutorials, flipped classroom sessions, seminars, labs, etc.).

View more information on attendance

General Conduct and Behaviour

You are expected to conduct yourself with consideration and respect for the needs of your fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and students may be asked to leave the class.

View more information on student conduct

Health and Safety

UNSW Policy requires each person to work safely and responsibly, in order to avoid personal injury and to protect the safety of others.

View more information on Health and Safety

Keeping Informed

You should take note of all announcements made in lectures, tutorials or on the course web site. From time to time, the University will send important announcements to your university e-mail address without providing you with a paper copy. You will be deemed to have received this information. It is also your responsibility to keep the University informed of all changes to your contact details.

Student Support and Resources

The University and the Business School provide a wide range of support services and resources for students, including:

Business School EQS Consultation Program
The Consultation Program offers academic writing, literacy and numeracy consultations, study skills, exam preparation for Business students. Services include workshops, online resources, individual and group consultations.
Level 1, Room 1035, Quadrangle Building.
BUS.EQS.Consultations@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4508

Communication Resources
The Business School Communication and Academic Support programs provide online modules, communication workshops and additional online resources to assist you in developing your academic writing.

Business School Student Centre
The Business School Student Centre provides advice and direction on all aspects of admission, enrolment and graduation.
Level 1, Room 1028 in the Quadrangle Building
02 9385 3189

UNSW Learning & Careers Hub
The UNSW Learning & Careers Hub provides academic skills and careers support services—including workshops, individual consultations and a range of online resources—for all UNSW students. See their website for details.
Lower Ground Floor, North Wing Chancellery Building.
learningcentre@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 2060

Student Support Advisors
Student Support Advisors work with all students to promote the development of skills needed to succeed at university, whilst also providing personal support throughout the process.
John Goodsell Building, Ground Floor.
advisors@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

International Student Support
The International Student Experience Unit (ISEU) is the first point of contact for international students. ISEU staff are always here to help with personalised advice and information about all aspects of university life and life in Australia.
Advisors can support you with your student visa, health and wellbeing, making friends, accommodation and academic performance.
International.student@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

Equitable Learning Services
Equitable Learning Services (formerly Disability Support Services) is a free and confidential service that provides practical support to ensure that your health condition doesn't adversely affect your studies. Register with the service to receive educational adjustments.
Ground Floor, John Goodsell Building.
els@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

UNSW Counselling and Psychological Services
Provides support and services if you need help with your personal life, getting your academic life back on track or just want to know how to stay safe, including free, confidential counselling.
Level 2, East Wing, Quadrangle Building.
counselling@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 5418

Library services and facilities for students
The UNSW Library offers a range of collections, services and facilities both on-campus and online.
Main Library, F21.
02 9385 2650

Moodle eLearning Support
Moodle is the University’s learning management system. You should ensure that you log into Moodle regularly.
externalteltsupport@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 3331

UNSW IT
UNSW IT provides support and services for students such as password access, email services, wireless services and technical support.
UNSW Library Annexe (Ground floor).
02 9385 1333

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Accreditation

MNGT5522 Mergers and Acquisitions - 2023

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1. Course Details

Summary of Course

Teaching Times and Locations

Course Policies & Support

Course Aims and Relationship to Other Courses

Additional Course Details

2. Quality Assurance and Course Alignment

Quality Assurance

Student Learning Outcomes

3. Staff Contact Details

4. Learning and Teaching Activities

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course

Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies

Course Structure

5. Assessment

Formal Requirements

Assessment Structure

Assessment Feedback

Assessment Summary

Assignment Submission Procedure

Special Consideration

Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts

6. Course Resources

7. Course Evaluation & Development

Continual Course Improvement

Student Response

Response to Student Feedback

8. Course Schedule

9. Policies and Support

RELATED DOCUMENTS

UNSW Graduate Capabilities

Plagiarism

Cheating

Workload

Attendance

General Conduct and Behaviour

Health and Safety

Keeping Informed

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