MAN 4802 Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management Online. Fall 2012

Transcription

1 MAN 4802 Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management Online Fall 2012 INSTRUCTOR Dr. William T. OFFICE HOURS Jackson OFFICE Piano Man 103D Monday 9:00-11:00 and 3:00-5:00 Office Phone Tuesday By Appointment Wednesday By Appointment FAX Thursday By Appointment Friday By Appointment COURSE SPECIFIC SECTION Course Format: This is a totally online version of MAN 4802 Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. Students are not required to come to campus EXCEPT FOR THE FINAL EXAM. All lectures, PowerPoint presentations, assignments, quizzes, and exams (except for the final exam) will be posted to and accomplished through the USF Blackboard system ( You will need a computer with Internet Explorer to view the lectures. It is your responsibility to learn how to use Blackboard. It is strongly recommended that you visit for a demonstration of a distance learning lecture. In addition to offering a demonstration, this website will likely answer questions you may have regarding distance learning (technical requirement, for example). If you have a technical question about distance learning, please first visit this website to see if your question is answered. To seek help from the distance learning department, please send them an (dl@nelson.usf.edu) or call (727) to schedule an appointment. If your home computer does not meet the recommended technical requirements, there are computers available on campus (i.e. first floor of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library) and a viewing room available in the distance learning center (second floor of the Nelson Poynter Memorial Library). This syllabus provides extensive guidelines for many of the details associated with this class. Please read it carefully before beginning any work on the course, and, refer back to it frequently during the semester. In addition, please listen carefully to the material provided on the introduction audio recording found on BlackBoard. Between these two

2 media sources, most questions you may have regarding this class will be answered. While I will be enthusiastic about addressing concerns you have about the class material or questions regarding that material, I will not answer basic questions that are covered in those two sources it is your responsibility to read/listen to them carefully. Course prerequisites: ACG 2021, ACG 2071, MAR 3023, or CI. If you do not meet these prerequisites, please contact me. I can grant special permission to remain in the class, but only after discussing the implications of not meeting these requirements. Course Description: Study the factors involved in starting and managing a small to medium-sized business. Emphasis is on pre-business feasibility study, start-up of business, successful management of the firm, and options for succession or termination. Objectives: Upon completion of this course students will be able to: 1) Assess potential small business opportunities 2) Understand a working business plan and related documents 3) Identify and apply key management skills required to succeed in a small enterprise environment 4) Understand the nature of entrepreneurship and the impact this segment has on our economy Required/Supplementary Text: The textbook for this course is titled Pearson Custom Business Resources: Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management and is bundled with a Business Simulation package. By bundling and using a customized textbook I was able to lower the price for these two books by around $ If you prefer, you can purchase the regular textbook, Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures (4 rd Edition) by Barringer and Ireland and purchase the separate Business Simulation package at the beginning of the semester thru the publisher of the simulation (instructions are included in Week one s assignments. The bundled package can only be purchased at the campus Barnes and Nobles bookstore. In addition to the required text above, students may be assigned various articles and other outside readings by the Professor during the semester. These will be available online at no cost. Grade In this class, based upon the points earned, the following grades will be awarded:

3 A 921 points or above A points B points B points B points C points C points C points D points F 599 or below Grade Components: Quizzes and online assignments points each 150 points Simulation reflection paper and peer evaluations 25 points each 50 points Exams 3 exams 150 points each 450 points Final Exam 350 points 350 points Total Points 1000 points Time Requirements This is an online 3 semester credit hour course designed to be completed within a semester time frame. Information will be posted and submitted on a weekly basis as indicated in the course schedule. There will be no class meetings on campus throughout the semester but students are required to participate in the final exam on the USF St Petersburg campus. The time for this required on campus final exam has been posted on OASIS December 8 th, 9:00-11:00 in the Science & Technology Building room 110 (it may be necessary to move to a different room due to the size of the class if so, an announcement will be made). If for some reason you cannot make this time, a makeup exam time must be arranged with the instructor this reason must be an emergency and approved by the instructor. As a three semester credit hour course the expectation is that students will spend a minimum of 38 hours on the course not including individual study time recommended at 2-3 hours per each online hour. These time requirements are the basis for the course assignments. To facilitate the acquisition of the material, weekly due dates have been spaced throughout the semester. This means that support material for each week is posted at the

4 beginning of each week only. If a student wishes to get ahead, I recommend reading and outlining the chapters in the text. Course Communication All communication with me should be through at my USF address wtj@usfsp.edu. s may be sent at any time but while I will probably respond immediately, I will only schedule official respond time at 9:00-10:00a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. While I may answer s on weekends, do not consider this to be automatic (see note above). If during the week you have sent me an and I have not responded to you during the above times, please me again in case the was lost or went to spam. All communication must include the course id MAN 4802 in the subject line and the student s complete name (first and last) listed in the first line of the . not including this information as specified will be returned unread. Please do not me with technical issues regarding your access to blackboard. Those need to be addressed through the Blackboard technical support area. I have provided a link to this area on your course home page. Also, if questions regard information available on the syllabus I will direct you back to the posted syllabus information. I prefer that you use a formal business tone in your refraining from slang terms, online shorthand (bff, lol, etc) and informal greetings (hey prof, etc). I will use your USF address to communicate with you. It is your responsibility to check this on a regular basis. Blackboard Announcements Blackboard announcements will be used to notify the class as a whole of any modifications to the schedule or clarifications to course material. It is your responsibility to check Blackboard on a regular basis throughout this course. At a minimum, you should check your announcement section at least twice a week. I will often use the announcements for FAQs. Virtual Office Hours I will not automatically hold virtual office hours but are willing to make either an office or a virtual meeting with you if you need additional assistance. Overall Course Plan:

5 For maximum absorption of material, educational experts recommend a steady, methodical approach to the presentation of material. Based upon this pedagogy, each week s material will be opened to the student at 11:59 pm on Sunday night. If you are interested in getting further ahead, my recommendation is for you to read the upcoming chapters and outline the material, but under no circumstances will the material for the upcoming week be posted sooner. Each week students will need to: read the current chapter and review the PowerPoint presentation associated with that chapter, take a chapter quiz on the chapter, review the supplemental material assigned for that chapter to include various video presentations and/or guest lectures on the chapter s subject matter, complete weekly assignment, as a group make a decision on the computer simulation (once this project is initiated), and (if included in that week) take the online exam. Exams: Three regular exams will be administered throughout the semester. Material included on the exams will come from chapter and outside reading, lectures, and online assignments. The format of the exams will be multiple choice. These exams will be posted to Blackboard. You will have access to each of these exams at the beginning of the week they are assigned. You will be allowed 1 minute to answer each question there will normally be 50 questions on each exam. You can only open the exam one time if you close out of the exam prior to completing it, the exam will be graded at that point if the answers were recorded in BlackBoard (most exits result in not having answers recorded). In the past, there have been students that either closed out of the exam by mistake or lost internet access. As previously mentioned, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure the reliability of their computer access. Unfortunately, I will not consider re-opening any exam or quiz. If this occurs on an exam (or if you fail to take an exam) the final exam will automatically be worth an additional 150 points (total of 500 points) please do not contact me regarding missing an exam. On the quizzes, I will give an additional quiz during the semester that can replace your lowest quiz score again please do not contact me if you miss a quiz or have a computer problem. Due to the time limitations on the exam, relying on looking up the questions during the exam will not be possible. The student is also expected to complete the exam alone. Any student caught completing these exams in a group setting will be given a failing grade for the course and reported for further proceedings to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg disciplinary committee. In addition to the three regular exams, there will also be final exam. This exam is comprehensive and will be administered on campus at USFSP. The final exam is mandatory. The format of the exam will be multiple choice. I will provide the scantron answer sheet for the exam. Quizzes:

6 There will be a quiz given for most chapters. These quizzes will be posted to Blackboard and will consist of ten multiple choice questions. You will have one opportunity of ten minutes to complete the quiz. Once you close the quiz, it cannot be re-opened. In addition, during the semester other online assignments will be assigned that count as quizzes. Videos: There are numerous videos included in the course. These are normally short snippets relating to small business or entrepreneurship. Most, in fact, are intended to give you a better understanding of the entrepreneur and how each is different. Many of these are short YouTube ( videos. All videos are fair game in terms of exam and quiz questions. Computer Simulation: A small business computer simulation will be used for this class. Instructions for participation as well as group assignments are included under the syllabus tab bar. It is absolutely imperative for you to get started immediately on the simulation. If you bought the bundled book package you have an access code and can register (see simulation syllabus instructions) immediately. If you are buying separately, follow the instructions given on the simulation syllabus. The simulation is a group activity, and is explained in the simulation syllabus. Due Dates: To pace your acquisition of course concepts, due dates have been set throughout the term. Assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. MUST be submitted by the due date and time. After the Due Date the assignments and exams will no longer be available. Only under extreme unforeseen emergencies will due dates be amended. Computer issues, outages, etc not due to university or system wide outages will NOT be considered an unforeseen emergency. Having to work late, overtime, extra shifts, etc will NOT be considered an unforeseen emergency. Minor illnesses will NOT be considered unforeseen emergencies. Do not wait until the last minute to complete assignments. Allow time for work, family and life interruptions. PowerPoint Presentations: PowerPoint presentations are provided for all chapters as well as some specific topical coverage. Students should understand that while these presentations are generally highlighting the most important concepts in the textbook, this does not mean that they are the only concepts that will be on the exam. In addition, students that rely simply on the

7 textbook and these PowerPoint slides for studying for the exam will miss some very important concepts. Week of Chapter Coverage 8/27-9/2 Chapter 1/Computer Simulation Entrepreneur 9/3-9/9 Chapter 2/Computer Simulation Entrepreneur 9/10-9/16 Chapter 3/Computer Simulation Entrepreneur 9/17-9/23 Chapter 4 EXAM 1 9/24-9/30 Chapter 5/Decision 1 10/1-10/7 Chapter 6/Decision 2 10/8-10/14 Chapter 7/Decision 3 10/15-10/21 Chapter 8 EXAM 2 10/22-10/28 Chapter 9/Decision 4 10/29-11/4 Chapter 10/Decision 5 11/5-11/11 Chapter 11/Decision 6 11/12-11/18 Chapter 12 EXAM 3 11/19-11/25 Chapter 13/Decision 7 11/26-12/2 Chapter 14/Decision 8 12/3-12/7 Chapter 15/Simulation Peer Evaluations 12/8 FINAL EXAM 9:00-11:00 AM NOTE: Do not rely on this general listing for complete listing of weekly assignments. The details for each week s assignments are included under Weekly Assignments tab in BlackBoard. Required Course Content: Key Leadership Skills and Perspectives Addressed in This Course: Interpersonal and Communication Skills Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills Information Technology Skills Reflective Thinking and Experiential Learning Ethical and Social Consciousness Multicultural Competence Interpersonal and Communication Skills Student will need to synthesize information provided in outside readings into 1 to 2 paragraphs. Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills Articles discussion and developing a working knowledge of a business plan. Information Technology Skills This course is being taught completely online using various online resources including the ability to research information necessary for a business plan. Reflective Thinking and Experiential Learning The entire format for the class is experiential in nature. A completely different teaching format for students.

8 Ethical and Social Consciousness Ethics and CSR are discussed throughout the course and is the major component of the last learning module. UNIVERSITY POLICY HONOR SYSTEM: Under the USF Honor System, each student is expected to observe complete honesty in all academic matters. Violation of the Honor System will be referred to the Honor Council. Note: The following are violations of the Honor Code: Copying another student s homework, signing another student s name on the attendance roster, copying another group s disk or written work, using another student s computer disk to print out your assignment, copying another student s file onto your disk, and misrepresenting a reason for a missed exam. Punishment for academic dishonesty may result in an automatic F or FF in the course or action that may result in suspension or expulsion. See the USF Policy on Academic Dishonesty & Disruption of the Academic Process at /adadap.htm STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Please notify your instructor by the second class meeting if you have a learning disability or require special assistance with this course. Confidential personal and learning assistance counseling are made available to students through the Division of Student Affairs. Contact R. Barry McDowell, St. Petersburg Campus: TER 200 (727) , (mcdowell@stpt.usf.edu) for more information. RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES: Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observance of a major religious holiday must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting. COPYRIGHTS: Students who wish to audiotape lectures can do so with direct permission from the professor, but tapes and lectures may not be sold. No videos or photos can be taken in the classroom! INCOMPLETE GRADES: An I grade may be given to an undergraduate student only when a small portion of the student s work (normally 30% or less) is incomplete due to circumstances beyond the control of the student and only when a student is otherwise earning a passing grade. I grades are to be used only in emergency situations and cannot to be used as a means of avoiding a poor grade. Normally these are only for medical emergencies and require a signed letter from a medical professional that the student was prevented from attending class. The student must petition the professor before the week of final exams for a grade of I to be given. GRADE FORGIVENESS: Grade forgiveness is limited to three USFSP courses with no more than one repeat per course. Accounting majors can use the forgiveness only once in upper level accounting courses. WITHDRAWAL: No W grades can be obtained after the official drop or withdrawal date (indicate date for each semester). All students enrolled as of the withdrawal date (indicate date for each semester), will receive a letter grade of A, B+, B, C, C+, C, D+, D or F. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS: In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard

9 site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, s, and MoBull messages for important general information. BOMB THREAT OR OTHER DISRUPTION: All scheduled classes will be held in an alternate room in the case of a bomb scare, fire alarm or other disruption. Students will gather outside of the classroom building at a designated area in the parking lot so that an alternative room may be announced. S/U GRADES: State whether this course can be taken on an S/U basis. CELL PHONES/PAGERS: If you bring a cell phone, pager or any other communication device to class, please be sure to turn it off and do not use it in the classroom. These devices are not to be used during an exam.