To better understand the risk management process, you will apply it to a particular risk that affects many firms operating in global markets: foreign exchange risk. This week you will focus on risk analysis, to demonstrate how foreign exchange movements might impact on firm resilience through the balance sheet. Analysis leads naturally to visualisation and communication of risk concepts – crucial tools for influencing risk management decisions.

Corporate Governance is the framework of rules, relationships, systems and processes by which authority and influence are exercised in corporations. Corporate governance also encompasses crucial issues such as accountability of leaders, protection of stakeholder interests, setting of objectives and risk management. This week you will consider the classical Anglo-American governance model for listed firms with its emphasis on shareholder rights. You will compare this with alternative governance models. Finally, you will also consider some contemporary governance challenges such as the ‘curse’ of short-termism and poor design of incentive schemes.

You will continue your application of the risk management process to foreign exchange risk. This week the focus is on the treatment of risk. You will consider a wide range of options, highlighting the capacity of firms to manage risks through operational decisions rather than relying on derivative contracts. You will conclude with frameworks for risk governance, to ensure that risk is managed effectively.

Future-focussed firms must always have an eye to emerging risks. These risks can be among the most challenging to manage because they are poorly understood and difficult to quantify. You will use Cyber-risk as an exemplar to draw out practical issues of analysis and treatment. In this context you will also consider the conditions when insurance may, or may not be, an effective solution.

Unfortunately it’s a fact that staff sometimes violate policies and act in a manner that is not in the long-term best interests of stakeholders. This week you will seek to understand the dark side of risk – why people misbehave at work – and what can be done to minimise the possibility of misconduct. Is it due to individual factors (bad apples), characteristics of the workplace (bad barrels) or perhaps characteristics of the whole industry (bad orchards)? How can we influence ourselves and others to behave ethically?