BUS /398 ONLINE COURSE OUTLINE FALL 2015

Transcription

1 BUS /398 ONLINE COURSE OUTLINE FALL 2015 Instructor: Wallace Lockhart Ph.D. FCPA, FCMA, MBA Office : ED Times/Dates: September 8 December 10 Through URCourses only please Office Hours: Online URCourses / forums. Office Monday 1-2 PM / Drop-in anytime COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES This course provides a broad introduction to business and management concepts. Functional areas marketing, finance, accounting, entrepreneurship, operations management, human resources, strategy, and organizational behavior are also introduced. Further, the course covers key processes and topics such as the Canadian business environment, environmental scanning, ethics and risk, and decision-making. The course introduces material seen in higher-level business courses. As an online course, an important goal is for all of us to connect with each other as much of the learning will come from open class discussions and group activities. LEARNING OBJECTIVES The course objectives are to: 1. Understand the environment in which business operates. 2. Introduce the language and culture of Canadian business. 3. Understand how business functional areas & business processes help businesses succeed. 4. Prepare students for future courses in business and introduce career options for graduates. 5. Develop and practice qualitative and quantitative analysis and interpretative skills. 6. Enhance teamwork skills and strengthen communication skills. 7. Introduce ethical framework and practice ethical reasoning skills. The course will use lecturettes in the form of brief videos, as well as cases and exercises, group discussions, class projects, CLASS PREPs (essay assignments for each modules), audiovisual materials, online resources, and extra reading. BEING SUCCESSFUL IN THIS COURSE In university, you have less contact time with instructors, your marks are initially (typically) lower than in high school, and you have to prepare for classes on your own time and initiative. Past students have offered suggestions for a top 10 list on what you should do to be successful: 1

2 1. ATTEND: We don t have a classroom, so attendance is connecting online. 2. READ: Buy the textbook and read assigned readings before every class. 3. PRACTICE: Use the study tools in Connect (on-line support to purchasers of the textbook and e-book) and any resources provided on UR Courses. 4. STUDY: Book a fixed time weekly to prepare for discussion forums and assignments and stick to it. 5. RECORD: Take your own notes in class forums and group work, adding examples and class discussion points to your course notes, and review your notes after class. 6. STAY POSITIVE :A bad mark or a bad class doesn t have to discourage you. 7. PARTICIPATE: Participate in class activities and forums ask questions, make comments, answer questions, and learn from the discussion in class. 8. VISIT: If you are in Regina, feel free to drop in to see me at least once this semester, and don t wait until the day before an exam or an assignment s due date. I am also available online using URCourses . Also, visit the Library (online) for assistance. 9. FOCUS: Make sure study time is study time & eliminate distractions bring your attention to class. 10. HAVE FUN or why are you doing this? Your goal should be more than passing this class; your goal must be to do well. This class is a foundation to future business classes and new skills will help in your university career. Further, you will face lots of competition for jobs (beginning with 1,500 students in the Hill School) so you need to stand above others in your marks, in your work and experience, and in your attitude and skills. Your class hours per week don t look full-time, but let s do some math. You need to invest on average 7-10 hours per week on reading, CLASS PREP essays and discussion forums. If you are not doing that every week, you are already behind! Note: your assignments will be extra time. If you are taking four to five classes this semester, your commitment will be at least 32 to 40 hours per week - it is a full-time job!! You will fit this around part-time work, social activities, and exercise. RESOURCES Required Readings: Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, Cossa, and Sproule. Understanding Canadian Business, 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson (ISBN or ). Although it is not a requirement for the class, students are encouraged to purchase access to Connect and Learn Smart the on line tools associated with the textbook. (Note: The publisher reports some issues using Internet Explorer so try other browsers.) Optional Reading: You are encouraged to read other news /business resources. Examples are: newspapers and web-sites (Globe and Mail, etc.), Bloomberg and internet news sites, magazines, blogs, Twitter feeds, etc. 2

3 UR Courses: Please visit UR Courses regularly throughout the weekl to ensure you have updated information, to access to any extra resources and to participate in the discussion forums. We regularly post messages on URCourses. All class assignments are handled through UR Courses. Optional Seminars: For those who are in the Regina area, you may participate in any or all of the six sets of seminars (generally weekly but not every week) during the semester. These seminars are designed for the main-stream classes but you are welcome to attend and participate. Seminars will provide critical skills needed during your studies and career. Seminars are offered twice for each topic. You may choose from: Tuesdays from 5:30 6:20 p.m. in ED191 OR in Wednesdays 2:30 3:20 p.m. in RIC119 Please see the class schedule for the specific content of these seminars. You may attend either the Tuesday OR Wednesday seminar when scheduled. Attendance will be taken at each seminar. For each set of seminars you attend, you will be given a 1% reduction in the weight of the final exam (up to 4%). For example, if you attend five seminars, your final exam s weighting (starting at 32%) will be reduced by 4% to 28% of your total mark. For those who are not in the Regina area, we will attempt to make materials available from each seminar. No marks will be allocated for students who are not able to attend the seminars. Please note : you must pass the final exam to pass BUS 100. These optional seminar marks will not help to turn a failing final exam mark to a passing final exam mark. WRITING ASSISTANCE Proper grammar and effective writing skills are essential to your success in a work environment and in this class. Free writing assistance (with advance notice) is available from the Student Success Centre ( or via access to the Writing Support section on their web-site. SPECIAL NEEDS If a special accommodation is needed due to a disability, you should contact the Centre for Student Accessibility at (Room 251, Riddell Centre) or via accessibility@uregina.ca. HARASSMENT POLICY 3

4 The University of Regina promotes an environment that is free of all forms of harassment and discrimination. The University will neither tolerate nor condone any inappropriate or irresponsible conduct (and behavior) that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for work or study through the harassment of an individual or group on the basis of: (1) race and all race-related grounds such as ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship or creed or (2) sex, gender or sexual orientation. Please refer to the University s General Calendar for more information. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT AND PLAGIARISM While you are encouraged to interact with, and learn from, other students in this class, you are required to do your own work. Plagiarism is a serious issue. Students plagiarizing others work will face misconduct penalties. Please avoid actions that constitute academic misconduct that could include talking during exams, signing other classmates in for attendance purposes, etc. Be sure you understand Section 5.13 Student Behaviour, contained in the Academic Calendar, or ask your instructor in advance if you have questions about plagiarism or other forms of misconduct. We will be providing you with a tool to help you identify plagiarism in your assignments: we are using Turnitin for your submissions. This software scans your paper to identify sections which are copied (or closely copied) from other sources such as web sites and past student papers. GRADING Please note that you must complete the required course work to be eligible to write the final exam, AND that you must have a passing marking (50% or higher) on the final exam to pass the course, regardless of other marks. The mark distribution is as follows: Deliverables Marks 1. Pre-class CLASS PREPs (mandatory) 10% 2. Class Leadership (Forums / Contribution to the class) 8% 3. Small Exam 5% 4. Mid-term Exam 15% 5. Assignment #1 Why Am I Here? 3% 6. Assignment #2 E-Scan 7% 7. Term Project 20% a. Project Memo team, project chosen, and brief work plan - 2% b. Weekly team minutes (see minute template) to be submitted by 11:00 p.m. on four consecutive Sundays starting October 25 5% c. Final Report 13% 8. Optional Seminars attendance * 0-4%* 9. Final Exam (must pass final to pass the class) 32%* TOTAL 100% *With optional seminars, the final exam weighting could be reduced to 28% if a student attends four (4) optional seminars. (see page 3) 4

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6 COURSE REQUIREMENTS The class requirements and expectations are fairly heavy. Yet, past students have repeatedly said the variety of work and the regular deadlines force them to be ready for classes and future courses. 1) CLASS PREP essays: Most weeks there will be a CLASS PREP essay including a short, reflective discussion based on the textbook reading. These CLASS PREP essays will be submitted through URcourses. Please note that all CLASS PREP essays are mandatory. You must complete at least 8 of 10 CLASS PREP essays to be eligible to write the final exam, but you will be marked on all 10 pre-class essays. The deadline is generally 11:00 pm on Sunday nights; specific deadlines are posted on each assignment. Content: - Breadth & Depth, Flow, Organization - Strength of Argument Use of Information - Quality of sources - Effective use of info - Citation of Sources BUS100 Weekly CLASS PREP Essay Marking Template /0.5 /0.5 Total /1.0 This marking key will be used for grading of your weekly CLASS PREP essays. You may choose your own format / presentation. We are looking for thorough, well thought out work, presented in a professional tone. You may choose the following template as a guide: (MLA style citation is required in all written assignments) A brief introductory paragraph that describes the topic, the purpose of the paper, and a brief discussion about what will be presented in the paper. 4-6 paragraphs which present what you want to share: o Each paragraph begins with a sentence introducing the subject o Each paragraph introduces your key findings about the subject o Each paragraph includes your comments / conclusion the so what that demonstrates to the reader why this subject is important and what you ve presented. A conclusion paragraph which briefly reiterates what the essay was about and what was the important information presented. A works cited page at the end, which presents all sources used in your paper, using MLA format Students who do not submit a satisfactory essay in terms of content and form for essays 1 and 2 will be given the opportunity to re-write the essay and resubmit. For all subsequent essays no re-submissions will be allowed. 6

7 Market Watch Game: Students may choose to participate in the Market Watch investment game. Those who participate have the option of using their game results as the topic for the Finance CLASS PREP assignment. The game is a great way to become familiar with stock market investing and to understand how changes in the business environment affect prices. Here s how it works: on Marketwatch.com, choose Games. Find a game: BUS100FALL2015 is our game. To password is HILLBIZ and you can set up your own portfolio from there. Each student is given a $1 million fund to start the game off. 2) Class Participation, Leadership: Learning in this class is not a one-way direction (i.e., from your instructor to you). Your peers experiences will assist in your learning, and you are expected to respond by being prepared and also participating, primarily through the weekly discussion forums. You will be marked on both quality and quantity of contributions to the forums; a well thought out posting or one which contributes your research & new ideas will be both valued by other students and rewarded with grades. Contributions consist of making critical observations, answering / asking key questions, providing relevant examples, and offering alternate viewpoints (even if you don t share that view). To obtain a great leadership mark, you will need to participate effectively in discussions, and be a leader in your group work. Any completed bonus assignments offered during the semester will count towards these marks. At the beginning of the semester, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Market Watch game. It s fun! Each student will select a portfolio of publicly traded stocks (on New York Stock Exchange) and may buy / sell / hold stocks throughout the semester. Participating students will have the benefit of preparing for a special question (about their portfolio decisions) on the final exam. We will also have a Marketwatch discussion forum where you may post discussions / observations. More details will be discussed in class. 3) Exams: There are three exams, each with questions in a variety of formats, which may include multiple choice, short answer, longer essay, and mini-cases. The exact format will be discussed in class. Please note: some sample exam questions are found in Connect (text s online resource). Small Exam : A small exam will be held on course material covered in first month. This exam is an early warning indicator of how well you are doing in class so that issues can be addressed early. This exam is not invigilated we will rely on the honour system for you to follow the rules of the examination. 7

8 Mid-term Exam: The in-class mid-term exam will cover course content from start of the semester, but with more emphasis on recent content since the small exam. This exam is not invigilated we will rely on the honour system for you to follow the rules of the examination Final Exam The final exam is comprehensive, covering all course content. It will have a similar format to the mid-term exam. As noted earlier, to pass this class: You m ust complete 8 of 10 pre-class essays to be eligible to write the final exam. You must have a passing mark on the final exam to pass the course. If you cannot write the final exam for a medical or other legitimate reasons, your final exam may be deferred. However, your Instructor cannot defer the final exam; please see the Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs for deferral permission. 4) Assignments: Assignment #1: Why Am I Here? Prepare a formal essay (using professional writing and presentation) about why you are here, what are your expectations, and what you need to do to succeed. Target about 500 words. Possible discussion topics include (but you don't have to follow this format): Why are you here at the U of R taking business classes? What other options had you considered? What led you to this decision? What are you hoping to get out of this course (grades, learning, contacts, etc) What do you think you need to do to meet your goals - in this course, in your university endeavours overall? What might prevent success for you? Be honest (with yourself and with your instructor). For example, if you are here because your parents offered you the choice of going to school or moving out of the house, say that. Now, what are you going to do after making that choice? In Assignment #1, your grade will be based on two main criteria: The breadth and depth of effort you put into your thoughts, and The quality of written presentation (structure, clarity, free of typos, etc.) Assignment #2: Environmental Scan You may choose to do this assignment on your own or with a partner. You will select and conduct an environmental scan on a Canadian public company. The list of companies students can choose from is contained within the instructions for assignment #2 on 8

9 URcourses. Only papers written on companies from this prescribed list of companies will be accepted. Please review Chapter 1 and 14 for things to consider in an environment scan. Businesses scan the environment to collect critical information. Specifically, you will look at the corporate mission (its purpose), the industry and environment of the business, and its behavior as demonstrated by ethics, social responsibility (social, environmental, and economic), and values. Describe what you have discovered about the company and offer some comments on challenges and opportunities for the business. To do this, you will conduct secondary (published data) research and use proper citations (no footnotes used, you will use MLA citation style). Please note that Wikipedia (and similar general sources) are not considered an appropriate reference and only looking at the company web site is not sufficient. Multiple citations are better. An appropriate length is single spaced and 3-4 pages. Marks will be assigned on the following basis: 25% for the company description, 50%* for the e-scan (breadth of research use of information, proper citation), and 25% for writing organization and fluency. *The escan score of 50% will be assessed at 0 (zero) if MLA style citation is not properly followed. A marking rubric for this assignment is on URcourses. Students are strongly urged to follow this rubric. The Library has online resources for understanding and preparing MLA citations, which are used most frequently in a business academic setting. Note: our Business Librarian, Kate Cushon, will provide a full class on library resources and MLA citation style. Students will be asked to complete a peer evaluation for this assignment. Your individual performance will be grading by your partner and you will evaluate your partner s performance. Partners who do not make appropriate and comparable contributions may have their individual marks adjusted. The peer evaluation form is on URcourses. 5) Documents Produced: While each assigned task may have specific requirements, all written paper submissions will be typewritten - single-spaced, with a 12 pt. font. Margins should be 2.5 cm (1 ) and pages are numbered at the bottom right hand corner. For readability, use only left justification of text; please don t fully justify (i.e., don t make it square on both sides) your text. Your name should also appear on all documents. At minimum, all papers are expected to contain good writing style, appropriate grammar and no spelling errors or typos. Please note that all assignments will be submitted electronically in a Microsoft Word format (or earlier version) format saved in a.doc or. docx format. No PDFs or Apple file extensions. 9

10 If you use others work and/or concepts, you must cite your information properly. This class will use the MLA style of citations. Thus, footnote citations (i.e., text 1 ) are not acceptable. The MLA style is used to keep text readable and free of disruptions. The library provides specifics on the MLA citation style: 6) No Late Assignments: Late assignments / pre-class essays / papers are not accepted and will be assigned a mark of 0%. All assignments will be submitted on or before the assigned class date. 7) Term Project: In groups of four to five people, you will prepare a written report. The teams will be assembled in the first month. It is strongly suggested that you select people in your group that share and will commit to your expected goal (e.g., quality of report, target mark, etc.). You should also consider forming a team with different skills and backgrounds, to add other perspectives to your project. You are expected to manage your group and address any problems as they arise but you will advise your instructor if your problem doesn t get resolved (and don t wait until the end of the semester!). Group work can be a challenge in an online course; I will set up discussion forums for your groups but you must also make an effort to connect and co-ordinate with them. For your topic, you have four options but may do only one. Please note you require the permission of your instructor for each of these options. A marking rubric for this assignment is posted on URcourses. Students are strongly encouraged to refer to the rubric when completing this assignment. PLEASE NOTE: YOUR PROJECT PLAN MUST BE APPROVED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. A. Business Plan Your team may develop a business plan for a new business. It may be any new goods producing or service-providing business, but your instructor must approve the topic and work plan. Your analysis will cover content from at least four (4) textbook chapters (e.g., Marketing, Operations, etc.) plus industry environment analysis sections. B. Research on one functional area of business: You will conduct in-depth research into one aspect of business (e.g., accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, entrepreneurship, operations management) and write a formal report (see under project deliverables on the next page). What does the literature (articles, newspapers, data banks at university, textbook, public sources) say about this field of work? You will also conduct interest interviews of people who work in the given field. Some business contacts will be offered through the Leaders Group and /or the Mentors Group contacts list managed by the Business Faculty. You can also find your own people to interview if you wish. 10

11 Each member of the group needs to interview at least 2 people in the workplace (professionals and entry level workers) and submit their summaries (notes) in the project memo. The questions you want to answer are: What are the different sub-areas of the field you are studying (e.g., human resources includes recruitment, labour relations, compensation, etc.)? How does this work add value to a company? Why is it important and how does this type of work contribute to the company s vision, bottom line, clients, employees, etc.? What does a professional or entry level worker in this field actually do on a given day, week, month? Include any other key aspects that surface during the course of your research. Summarize and theme this information in a cohesive, integrated formal report. Each person in the group will individually write at least 2 paragraphs in the final report describing what aspects they personally would enjoy or not enjoy in this work and why. The intent of this project is for you to gain a better understanding of what a career in your selected area would look like. C. Volunteer Option Please note only teams willing to complete at least 15 hours of volunteer time should select this option. You and your team have an opportunity to volunteer with a community charitable organization, but only with approval by your instructor. Each team member will volunteer to work at least 15 hours before the end of the semester. Based on your observations and formal research, you will write a group paper based on your collective experiences, what you learned about the organization and how it operates the same as, and differently from, a business. You will also provide an environmental scan, observations / findings relate to course material and content from at least four (4) textbook chapters (e.g., Marketing, Operations, etc.). Please note that you can use content from other chapters in the textbook that are not covered in class. D. Business Case Competition Please note - Only teams prepared to, and do, compete in the Business Student Society case competition on Saturday, November 14 th (9:00 am 5:00 pm) will be permitted to select this option for their group project. Part 1: All participating teams will be assigned a case. The team will read the case, extract relevant information (deconstruction phase), and using course concepts, develop a written report with the solution & implementation plan. Part 2: On Saturday, November 14 th, each team will be given a new case to deconstruct and be required to make an oral presentation of the proposed solution in front of judges. Each team will be assigned JDC West case competition alumni who will work with the team to guide the team during the deconstruction, but not to participate in the 11

12 development of the solution or finalization of the presentation. The finalist team will receive a bonus mark of 1% and an additional 1% if finishing in the top three teams. For all four options, you will utilize various elements from the textbook and class discussions to supplement your report. Information can be obtained from the Internet, published sources, media, and in-person. The Library Summon search engine is a great tool and the Library has an online application that will prepare your reference list for you. If you plan to interview a person or persons within an organization, you must obtain your instructor s approval in advance. In addition to the research, students are expected to provide commentary on the information they find. You also must apply your critical thinking skills to make an overall conclusion in your report; consider these projects as working for a client who wants your assessment. You will make a total of six submissions including your final report. Only one submission per group is required. Please make sure to include your group number and name of your group members on each submission. The six submissions are: i. Project Memo: A word business memo will be submitted containing a) your team members and why they were selected, b) your choice of project option and the project topic, and c) a brief work plan. Your memo is required to get approval for your project option and topic. If the memo is not submitted, your instructor will assign a team and topic to you. Marking will be based on: 0% bonus for no submission or inadequate effort; 1% in the effort is somewhat satisfactory but the quality of report is not strong and /or incorrect format is used; and 2% for a well-written and concise report in proper format. Please refer to the project management slides from Karen Graham s presentation at the optional seminar for the proper format for a business memo. You will be given permission to proceed (or not) with your project based on your report. ii. Weekly minutes: Starting Sunday, October 25 th, groups are asked to submit meeting minutes for their group meetings. Minutes must be submitted every Sunday for 4 weeks. The minutes submitted should be cumulative over the 4 weeks which means week 2 minutes include week 1 and 2 minutes, etc. The meeting minute template to be completed and submitted is posted on URcourses. iii. Final Report: Your full report will include: a title page, executive summary, table of contents, report content, appendices, and works cited list will be needed. The main body (i.e. the report content) should be at least 8 pages but no longer than 10 pages (single-spaced), plus the other information identified above. A rubric for this report is on URCourses. Students are encouraged to review this marking rubric. Your written report must be submitted via URCourses on Friday, November 27 th. There will be both group and peer evaluation of the project. In the case of the peer evaluation, your individual performance will be grading by your team members and you will evaluate each of your team member s performance. Any team members 12

13 that do not make appropriate and comparable contributions may have their individual marks adjusted. The peer evaluation form is on URcourses. 13

14 TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE Dates Sep 9-18 Topics Introduction, E-scan, Inquiry Sep MBTI E-Scan, Economics & Government Sep 26-Oct 2 Library, research and plagiarism Marketing Oct 6-16 Entrepreneurship Corporate Structures Oct Management and Leadership Motivation Oct Operations Management Human Resources Management Nov 3-13 Ethics and CSR Nov Accounting Concepts Accounting Decisions Nov Nov 28 Dec 7 Finance, Banking and Market Watch Game Results Case: Urban Rehab; Course Wrapup Detailed Schedule Date Topic Text Online CLASS PREP Sep 9-18 Introduction, E-scan, Inquiry CH 1 1 Video CLASS PREP 1 Ch 1 Fri Sep 18 Assignment Why am I here? due on line via URcourses at 11:00 p.m. Sep MBTI E-Scan, Economics & Government Ch 11 Ch 2&4 2 videos CLASS PREP 2 MBTI CLASS PREP 3 Escan and Plagiarism Tues Sep 22 Last day to drop Tues / Wed Sep 22/23 Seminar 1 : Business Students Society, Getting Involved on Campus, and Teaching Assistants (TAs) / International study opportunities / research ED 191 Tuesday at 5:30 6:20 pm OR RIC 119 Wednesday at 2:30 3:20 pm Sep 26-Oct 2 Library, research and plagiarism Marketing Ch 14 2 videos CLASS PREP 4 Marketing Mon Oct 5 Small mid-term exam Oct 6-16 Entrepreneurship Corporate Structures Ch 6&7 1 Video CLASS PREP 5 Entrepreneurship Oct 6/7 Tues Oct 13 Fri Oct 16 Seminar 2 Student Success Centre and UR Guarantee* ED 191 Tuesday at 5:30 6:20 pm OR RIC 119 Wednesday at 2:30-3:20 pm Seminar 3 Creating a Global Community ED 191 Tuesday at 5:30 6:20 pm TUESDAY ONLY Assignment: E Scan due on line via URCourses at 11:00 p.m. Oct Management and Leadership Motivation Ch 8 Ch 11 2 videos CLASS PREP 6 Leadership Oct 20/21 Oct. 23 Seminar 4 Managing your Team Project Karen Graham ED 191 Tuesday at 5:30 6:20 pm OR RIC 119 Wednesday at 2:30-3:20 pm Group Project Memo due via URCourses at 11:00 p.m. 14

15 Date Topic Text Online CLASS PREP Oct Tues Oct 27 Oct 27/28 Fri Oct 30 Mon Nov 2 Operations Management Human Resources Management Ch 10 Ch 12 Business Student Society Annual Business Dinner Seminar 5 Preparing for Exams and Studying Tips 2 videos CLASS PREP 7A Operations CLASS PREP 7B- HRM ED 191 Tuesday 5:30 6:20 p.m. OR RIC 119 Wednesday at 2:30 3:20 pm Group Project Meeting Minutes due via URCourses at 11:00 PM Second midterm exam Nov 3-13 Ethics and CSR CH 5 1 Video Nov 6 Nov 13 Sat Nov 14 Nov Mon Nov 16 Nov 17/18 Nov Fri Nov 27 Nov 28 Dec 7 St. Dec 12 Group Project Meeting Minutes due via URCourses at 11:00 PM Group Project Meeting Minutes due via URCourses at 11:00 PM CLASS PREP 8 Ethics & CSR Business Student Society Case Competition (mandatory for teams selecting thee competition for their group project) Accounting Concepts Accounting Decisions Last day to drop W status Seminar 6 Presentation Skills Ch 16 2 videos CLASS PREP 9 Accounting ED 191 Tuesday 5:30 6:20 p.m. OR RIC 119 Wednesday at 2:30 3:20 pm Finance, Banking and Market Watch Game Results Ch 18 1 video CLASS PREP 10 Finance Group Project Final Report and peer evaluation due via URCourses at 11:00 pm Case: Urban Rehab Final Exam 9:00 12:00 - Location to be determined Online discussions about the case 15