MANT 427 TOPIC IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT 1 (SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT) 2011 Semester 1 Course Coordinator: Dr Jodyanne Kirkwood Room 8.22 Phone 479 8523 Email: jodyanne.kirkwood@.otago.ac.nz Office Hours: Tues 11-12 during semester time, or by appointment Class time Tues 12-2 weekly until mid semester break. Then final class on 3 May. Please note: I will be on maternity leave from 13 May 2011. All work for this paper will have to be handed in earlier than other papers by Monday 9 th May at the latest. Therefore, there will not be any flexibility in the hand in dates as you may have for other papers. AIMS AND PHILOSOPHY The course attempts to give you a good understanding of the theory and practice of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Entrepreneurship. This means looking at governance issues as well as managerial. In so doing, we also try to attain a key objective of helping you assess your own potential as an entrepreneur, and/or small business manager/director/owner. MANT 427 is student rather than lecturer oriented, and you are expected to take the primary responsibility for your own learning. My role is to act as a facilitator, and sounding board for your ideas, and understanding of relevant concepts, theories and practice. TEACHING METHODS The class meets every week for the first half of the semester; Tuesday 12-2pm in Commerce 6.25. Please attend all classes and if you are going to be absent from a class let me know. The classes are designed to help you with the assessment in the course, and non-attendance will likely have an impact on your grade in this course. The classes take a multidimensional format: they include discussions, case studies, seminars, and student presentations. I can also make provisions for any guest speaker(s) you may wish to invite. Although the class sessions have a formal element to them, they are more collegial and informal in nature. They give us an opportunity to explore in depth, practices, concepts, and theories about small business management. 1
I will provide the readings required for the sessions in advance (generally 2-3 articles, chapters), on Blackboard or paper copies if you prefer. There will usually be a small task related to these readings (a summary, a comparison table, brief presentation, contribution to discussion) which you will be required to complete before the class. I also expect you to search out your own relevant material. COURSE OUTLINE Class discussions can include all or most of the following topics (and additional topics), depending on your interest areas (we will discuss this in session 1): Session/Date Topics (subject to change) Due dates 1) 8 March Introduction/assessment SMEs in New Zealand 2) 15 March Entrepreneurs definitions, personality 3) 22 March Strategy/Business models 4) 29 March Environmental/social entrepreneurs 5) 5 April Book review presentations 6) 12 April Family businesses Presentations (in class) 25% and Written Book review (25%) Due (in class). 7) 19 April Women entrepreneurs 8) 3 May Small business growth Essay Due. Mon 9 th May. Noon. 8 th floor reception. 50% ASSESSMENT MANT 427 is assessed by coursework. Only ONE SUBMISSION is assessed, although I encourage you to discuss your work with me as you progress through it. I will look over drafts of your work and give advice but will not mark it. Book review (25%) and presentation (25%) 50% Essay 50% 1) a. Book review and presentation Select a biography or autobiography of a small business owner or entrepreneur (eg. Richard Branson, Donald Trump, Suzanne Paul, Martha Stewart, John Britten, Annah Stretton). Write a brief book review (appx 2,000 words) using the Emerald book review format provided in class and on blackboard, and 2
b. deliver to the class a 10-15 minute presentation, focusing on the following 3 questions: 1) How did they get started in business? 2) What entrepreneurial characteristics and traits are evident in this person? 3) Why do you believe they have been successful and what can other aspiring entrepreneurs learn from the entrepreneur? 2) Essay - Topic of your choice. Please provide a brief synopsis of your essay choice by email by 15 th April and I will provide direction/suggestions. After that, please see me for help with your essay or if you want me to look over it at any stage. 4-5000 words. 1.5 spacing. 50%. OR Are SMEs so vital to New Zealand s economy? Why or why not?. Research the New Zealand and international literature on SMEs and their impact on economies. Select one industry to focus your answer around (eg. tourism, agriculture, manufacturing). Some ideas: Business Success/Failure Financing/Venture capital Growing small businesses Operations management in small businesses Entrepreneurship Intrapreneurship/corporate entrepreneurship Family businesses Women in business Indigenous businesses, immigrant entrepreneurship Ecopreneurs Enterprise Support Organisations Community Based Ventures/social entrepreneurship Youth Entrepreneurship USEFUL READINGS Books: Allen, K. (2003). Launching New Ventures: an entrepreneurial approach, Boston, Houghton Mifflin. Barrow, C. (2001). Financial Management for the Small Business, (5 th ed.), London, Kogan Page. Beaver, G. (2002). Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, Essex, Prentice Hall. Bolton, B. & Thompson, J. (2000). Entrepreneurs: Talent, Temperament, Technique, Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann. Cameron, A. & Massey, C. (2002). Entrepreneurs at Work: successful New Zealand business ventures. Cameron, A. & Massey, C. (1999). Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: a New Zealand Perspective, Auckland, Addison Wesley Longman. 3
Ferguson, C. & McKillop, D. (1997). The Strategic Development of Credit Unions, Chichester, Wiley. Frederick, H; Kuratko & Hodgetts, R. (2009). Entrepreneurship: Theory, process, practice: Asia Pacific 2 nd Edition (or other editions of Kuratko & Hodgetts, same title but not AP edition) Hatten, T.S. (2003). Small Business Management : entrepreneurship and beyond, Boston, Houghton Mifflin. Massey, C (2005). (ed) Entrepreneurship and small business management in New Zealand, Auckland, Pearson/Prentice-Hall. Morris, M (2001). Starting a Successful Business, 4th edition, London, Kogan Page. Oliver, L & English, J (2002) The small business book: a New Zealand guide, 4 th edition, Wellington, Bridget Williams. Scarborough, N.M. & Zimmerer, T.W. (2003). Effective Small Business Management: an entrepreneurial approach, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Timmins, J & Spinelli, S. (2007). New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21 st Century. 7 ed (or earlier editions). New York. McGraw-Hill Irwin. Wilson, P & Bates, S. (2003). The Essential Guide to Managing Small Business Growth. Chichester, Wiley. Journals: Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research International Journal of Small Business Management International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management Journal of Small Business Management Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurial Development Small Business Economics Small Enterprise Research: The journal of SEAANZ Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development Entrepreneurship and Regional Development Newspapers/Practitioner publications: National Business Review Otago Daily Times: Business Section Her Magazine New Zealand Business Time.com PLAGIARISM Students should make sure that all submitted work is their own. Plagiarism is a form of dishonest practice. Plagiarism is defined as copying or paraphrasing another's work and presenting it as one's own (University of Otago Calendar 2006 page 193). In practice this means plagiarism includes any attempt in any piece of submitted work (e.g. an assignment or test) to present as one's own work the work of another (whether of another student or a 4
published authority). Any student found responsible for plagiarism in any piece of work submitted for assessment shall be subject to the University's dishonest practice regulations which may result in various penalties, including forfeiture of marks for the piece of work submitted, a zero grade for the paper, or in extreme cases exclusion from the University. All assignments may be put through Safe Assign. This programme indicates what seems totally original and what may have been cut and pasted from: The internet Published works Other essays and assignments (from your class and worldwide) 5