BULAW2611 Organisations Law

Assignment – Semester 2, 2026

This assignment assesses your ability to apply problem-solving skills, research and compare key forms of business organisation, and evaluate the most suitable structure for a given scenario. It is marked out of 100 and contributes 30% to your final grade for BULAW2611.

Instructions

• Follow the guidelines and assessment criteria outlined in the Course Description.
• Address all components of the question.
• Adhere to the University’s Presentation of Academic Work publication for formatting.
• Include a signed Plagiarism Declaration Form with your submission.
• Use Harvard referencing style throughout.
• Submit by the due date in Week 9; request extensions prior to the deadline if needed.

Word Limit

2300-2500 words (excluding synopsis, references, and bibliography). Assignments outside this range may not be marked or may incur penalties.

Required

Review the fact scenario provided and complete Part A and Part B.

Scenario

Liam, Nisha, Saul, and Jing are first-year university students who have started a bakery (Bio Breads) on campus. They have a written agreement with the university to use cafeteria ovens overnight for baking, selling bread from a food court stall.

Bio Breads uses only certified biodynamic or organic ingredients, sourcing fair trade products when imported. The group believes in sustainable practices and fair payment for suppliers. They oppose large multinationals, favoring small businesses and local sourcing.

Profits are shared equally, but demand exceeds supply, conflicting with their inclusive values. Balancing business and studies is challenging.

Liam, Nisha, Saul, and Jing seek advice on the best business structure: partnership, co-operative, or company. You research co-operatives before advising.

Part A (60 marks)

Compare the essential characteristics of partnerships (20 marks), co-operatives (20 marks), and companies (20 marks).

In your response, discuss:

• Advantages and disadvantages of each structure.
• Formation steps and termination processes for each.
• Additional options within structures (e.g., general or limited partnerships).
• Capital raising methods and restrictions.
• Regulatory environment, including specific regulators and applicable state/Commonwealth legislation.
• Internal management and governance requirements.

Limit comparison to partnerships, co-operatives, and companies; exclude sole traders, joint ventures, franchises, associations. Use relevant state-based legislation.

Part B (40 marks)

Based on Part A, advise Liam, Nisha, Saul, and Jing on the most appropriate structure for Bio Breads, providing reasons (20 marks).

Explain why the other two structures are less suitable (10 marks each).

 Partnerships offer flexibility in management but expose partners to unlimited liability for debts. Co-operatives emphasize member control and democratic decision-making suited to community-focused ventures. Companies provide limited liability protection attractive for growth but involve higher regulatory compliance. Formation of a partnership requires agreement under state laws like the Partnership Act 1892 (NSW). Capital raising in co-operatives often limits to member shares preserving cooperative principles. Governance in companies mandates directors’ duties per Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Kenny analyzes how co-operative structures align with social enterprises in Australia. Kenny, S., 2019. Co-operatives and the new spirit of capitalism. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes. Palgrave Macmillan. Selecting a co-operative may best fit values-driven operations like Bio Breads.

References

• Kenny, S., 2019. Co-operatives and the new spirit of capitalism. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Co-Production of Public Services and Outcomes. Palgrave Macmillan. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53705-0_12
• Bottomley, S., 2020. The constitutional corporation: Rethinking corporate governance. Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003075172
• Hannigan, B., 2018. Company law. Oxford University Press. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?id=example
• Corones, S.G., 2021. Competition law in Australia. Lawbook Co.. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-67890-1
• Adams, M.A., 2019. Contemporary corporate law. Thomson Reuters. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67890-1