Fundamentals of Business Administration and Management Instructor: Maria Vitale, MA Office Hours: By appointment Location: Online Instructor Phone: 909.652.7171 Instructor E-mail: maria.vitale@ucla.edu Course # X410.53 Winter Term Reg # Y8015 January 17 March 28, 2013 Online Syllabus Quarter Units: 4.0 Email inquiries will be responded to within 24 hours Course Description This online course presents an introduction to how successful businesses operate profitably and efficiently by providing an overview of how companies are structured, organized and managed. The importance of developing long-range strategies and business plans and how those strategies and plans are developed will be explored in depth. Topics include recognizing business trends and analyzing their impact: determining the right business structure; options for funding the business; key aspects of accounting and finance; developing the marketing plan; recruiting, selecting, training and retaining employees; and establishing information system strategies. Three of the greatest trends to have swept through modern business Globalization, E-Commerce, and Workforce Diversity are also discussed throughout the course, as is the increased use of changing technology. Students will leave the course with a macro understanding of what it takes to make a business successful in today s dynamic business environment. Course Pre-requisites None Page 1
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, a successful learner should be able to: 1. Understand the changing business environment, current economic climate, and global business world. 2. Acquire the skills for business formation, small business, entrepreneurship, ethics, social responsibly, and communication skills. 3. Learn about the accounting, finance, and financial markets within the business world. 4. Develop the 4 P s of marketing: Product, promotion, distribution (place), and pricing. 5. Attain management, leadership, and human resource management skills 6. Obtain skills to manage information, operations, and technology. Welcome Welcome to Fundamentals of Business Administration and Management. This course will explore the various topics within the business environment in an online interactive format. Please select the buttons along the left side column in Blackboard to explore each location of the course materials. The announcement page will keep you up-todate with new events in our course. The syllabus button contains all of the relevant information for the successful completion of this course. This section also contains the course schedule. Next, you will see the weekly buttons which hold all of the content necessary to finish your weekly tasks. Our week starts on Thursday and ends on Wednesday at 11:59 pm. There are further details outlined in the course syllabus. I look forward to spending the next 11 weeks with you in our virtual classroom! Please contact me with any questions or comments via the Contacts button. Maria Vitale, MA Instructor Bio I graduated from Chapman University in Orange, California with a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership along with a Certificate in Human Resources in 2004. I received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Management and Human Resources from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. I am the mother of two children under the age of five years old which most certainly keeps me active! I have enjoyed teaching since 2008 as an adjunct faculty member at both Chaffey College and Brandman University. I have taught online and hybrid courses on both the Blackboard and Moodle learning platforms. I am looking forward to teaching Fundamentals of Business Administration and Management online. This will be the first course I will teach with UCLA Extension for the upcoming winter 2013 term. Page 2
Prior to teaching, I was the National Director of Training for Ole Henriksen which is a revolutionary personal care company with a celebrity following. Furthermore, I managed the entire sales team for the United States. In addition, I worked for many years in the beauty industry in various capacities for such companies as Clinique, Christian Dior, and Prescriptives. Once I realized my true passion for teaching others, my career path changed slightly. I decided to apply my knowledge, skills, and abilities at a higher level in academia rather than being a corporate trainer in the beauty industry. I am a dynamic, motivated, and enthusiastic educator who creates a stimulating classroom atmosphere (online and face-to-face). The learning process should be enjoyable for all students to be successful and I make this possible through the use of various teaching methods. Instructor Expectations 1. Be prepared each week by reading the assigned chapter(s). 2. Be aware of the weekly assignments due. 3. Actively participate in all class discussion boards. 4. Submit all assignments on time. 5. Each week starts on Thursday and ends on Wednesday at 11:59 pm. 6. NO MAKEUP OR LATE COURSEWORK. 7. Observe all online course policies and be courteous to others. 8. Please make contact with me if anything regarding this course is unclear. Assignments Weekly Quizzes There will be weekly quiz questions to further the student s knowledge of the subject. A detailed list of due dates is located in the course syllabus schedule. Weekly quizzes must be completed by Wednesday at 11:59 pm. The week begins on Thursday and ends on Wednesday at 11:59 pm. Once the week is complete, the week s quiz will no longer be available. Weekly Discussion Board Question(s) Each week, there will be Discussion Board questions to answer. The week begins on Thursday and ends on Wednesday at 11:59 pm. The Discussion Board question(s) will be available until Wednesday at 11:59 pm on the week due. Once the week is complete, the Discussion Board will no longer be available. To earn the full ten (10) points for the question(s): o Post one (1) complete initial response (150-200 words) to the question(s) by Sunday. o Post at least two (2) responses per question to other students posts from Monday through Wednesday. Page 3
Business Research Paper The topic will be the student s choice of any business organization, to be approved by the instructor. The length will be three to five (3-5) pages (not including the cover and reference pages) in APA 6 th edition Format only. Please be sure to apply at least three (3) outside sources and cite all the references used. The following items must be discussed in the research paper: 1. Short background/history 2. Written evaluation of relevant financial data from the income statement, balance sheet, etc. 3. Current top management 4. Marketing/sales plan 5. Ethics & social responsibility 6. SWOT analysis 7. Apply a minimum of ten (10) concepts/terms from the BUSN 5 textbook (use BOLD font to identify) The research paper must be submitted to the Instructor via Blackboard only. Due Week #10 on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 11:59 pm. Online Business Team Presentation Each team will develop a NEW and innovative business which does not currently exist (be creative!). It can be a product or service, profit or non-profit. Designate the finances and resources required to create this business. Define the management team and employees necessary to start this business. Label the features and benefits of the business. Which product or service is the primary competition? Describe the marketing strategy needed to produce the product/ service. Use PowerPoint or Prezi to create an aesthetically pleasing presentation. Create a timed presentation with vocal clips from each team member. Short film clips of approximately one to two (1-2) minutes may be utilized. Presentation should be posted via the Discussion Board in order for all students to view. Due Week #11 on Wednesday, March 28, 2013 at 11:59 pm. Final Exam Consists of multiple-choice, true/false, and fill in the blank questions. Includes information covered in the textbook, PowerPoint slides, videos, and any other pertinent information discussed from the course. Will be available the last week of the course and is due by Wednesday at 11:59 pm of Week #11. Page 4
Required Course Resources Textbook: BUSN Authors: Marcella Kelly & Jim McGowen Edition: 5 th Publisher: South-Western College Publishing ISBN: 9781111826734 List Price: $59.95 The textbook is available as an ebook or the regular hard copy version. Only one version is utilized for this course. Course Grading Grades are assigned based on points. All work will be graded within seven days of the due date. Explanations about discussion questions, assignments, and other course components appear in the appropriate weekly pages. Points % Weekly Quizzes 10pts x 10 wks 100 22 Weekly Discussion Board Questions 100 22 Business Research Paper 100 22 Online Team Presentation 75 17 Final Exam 75 17 Total 450 100 Grading Scale Grade Points % A+ 435-450 97-100 A 421-434 94-96 A- 404-420 90-93 B+ 390-403 87-89 B 376-389 84-86 B- 358-375 80-83 C+ 344-357 77-79 C 333-343 74-76 C- 313-332 70-73 D+ 300-312 67-69 D 286-299 64-66 D- 268-285 60-63 F 0-267 0-59 *PLEASE BE AWARE THAT SOME CERTIFICATES REQUIRE A FINAL CUMMULATIVE GRADE OF B- IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE CERTIFICATE. Page 5
Policies About Deadlines and Late Work Late coursework is not accepted unless there are accentuating circumstances. Please contact me if there are issues which interfere with your assignment deadlines. Academic Honesty Policy Each student is expected to uphold academic integrity and produce his/her original work. All references utilized must be cited. Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, copying, collaboration, sharing answers, cheating, etc. Any academic dishonesty will result in an "F" grade and referral to the appropriate party at UCLA Extension. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the UCLA Student Conduct Code and the official statements regarding cheating and plagiarism. These and other relevant documents are available on the Dean of Students Office website: http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/dos/students/integrity/ Discussion Rubric: This rubric will be used to assess the quality of your initial responses and interaction in the online discussion forums. Please use this tool as a guide when constructing your postings. Mechanics of the Posting Participation in the Discussion Content of Posting Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished Uses incomplete Uses complete Uses complete Uses complete sentences, is sentences and the sentences, sentences, organization unstructured in its posting is organization is is clear and thoughtful, organization, and comprehensible. The evident, and the the posting is includes frequent or organization could be posting includes no grammatically correct, consistent errors in improved to present a more than one and free of spelling mechanics (grammar, more coherent mechanical error errors. The tone is clear spelling, usage) in argument, statement, (grammar, spelling, and respectful. each paragraph. The or question. Includes usage) per posting is unreadable 2-3 mechanical errors paragraph. The tone and there is a distinct grammar, spelling, is clear and lack of tone. usage) per paragraph. respectful Provides minimal comments and information to other participants in the forum. Writes a general or superficial posting that is unrelated to the discussion at hand and/or posts no comments. The tone is respectful. and some new information on a sporadic basis. Interacts with only 2 participants in the forum. Demonstrates a restricted understanding of the concepts, topics, and ideas as evidenced by posting information that could be derived from prior posts and/or including highly general comments. discussion, questions, and new information on a fairly regular basis. Interacts with three or more participants in the forum. Demonstrates an adequate understanding of the concepts, topics, and ideas as evidenced by posting superficial, or general statements in the forum. Includes a few details in the posting. discussion, questions, and new information on a regular, active, and weekly basis. Shows a high degree of interaction with five or more participants in the forum. Demonstrates a solid understanding of the concepts, topics, and ideas as evidenced by thoughtful responses and questions that show a clear connection (are integrated) with the course material at hand. The posting shows depth, and includes many supporting details. Page 6
Critical Thinking Evidenced by Posting Provides no evidence of agreement or disagreement with an existing discussion. Indicates agreement or disagreement with an existing discussion but provides no justification or explanation for comments. Indicates agreement or disagreement with an existing discussion including a limited explanation or justification. discussion, and questions without a clear connection to the course material at hand. Demonstrates a critical analysis of an existing posted idea or introduces a different interpretation to an existing concept or idea. Includes comments, discussion, and questions that have a clear connection (are integrated) with the course material at hand. Course Schedule The following class schedule may be modified with the addition or deletion of items to accommodate the learning experience. Week Dates Thurs - Wed 1 1/17 1/23 Chapter 1: Business Now 2 1/24 1/30 3 1/31 2/6 4 2/7 2/13 5 2/14 2/20 6 2/21 2/27 7 2/28 3/6 8 3/7 3/13 Chapter(s) Chapter 2: Economics Chapter 3: The World Marketplace Chapter 4: Ethics & Social Responsibility Chapter 5: Business Communication Chapter 6: Business Formation Chapter 7: Small Business & Entrepreneurship Chapter 8: Accounting Chapter 9: Finance Chapter 10: Securities Markets Chapter 11: Marketing Chapter 12: Product and Promotion Chapter 13: Distribution & Pricing Chapter 14: Management Motivation & Leadership Chapter 15: Human Resource Management 9 3/14 3/20 Chapter 16: Managing Information & Technology 10 3/21 3/27 Chapter 17: Operations Management 11 3/28 TEAM PRESENTATION DUE FINAL EXAM DUE Weekly Assignments Review the course syllabus & schedule Chapter 1 Online Quiz Chapters 2 & 3 Online Quiz Chapters 4 & 5 Online Quiz Chapters 6 & 7 Online Quiz Chapters 8 & 9 Online Quiz Chapters 10 & 11 Online Quiz Chapters 12 & 13 Online Quiz Chapters 14 & 15 Online Quiz Chapter 16 Online Quiz Chapter 17 Online Quiz RESEARCH PAPER DUE Page 7