Course Syllabus

Course Description

Presents the fundamentals of business principles and practices. Business strategies emphasized are decision-making and planning, teamwork, technology, and communication. Topics include analysis of the business environment, starting a new business, managing business and employees, marketing, accounting, and finance.

Course Textbook(s)

No physical textbook is required; resources are integrated within the course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Identify basic business concepts. 2. Examine the different environments in which businesses operate, to include social, technological, economic, legal,

and market. 3. Explain management functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. 4. Identify the basic principles of marketing. 5. Determine the function and role of human resources, including key aspects of human resource management. 6. Discuss the importance of ethics and social responsibility in business. 7. Evaluate concepts associated with entrepreneurship. 8. Explain how outsourcing, offshoring, and foreign entities affect the operation of businesses in the United States.

Credits

Upon completion of this course, the students will earn 3 hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Study Guide: Course units contain a Study Guide that provide students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources.

2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.

3. Unit Lesson: Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Units contain Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or

outside resources. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed within the Study Guide. Students are encouraged to read the

resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are part of all CSU Term courses. More information and specifications can

be found in the Student Resources link listed in the Course Menu bar. 7. Unit Quizzes: This course contains Unit Quizzes. It is suggested that the quizzes be completed before students

complete the Unit Assessments. Quizzes are used to give students quick feedback on their understanding of the unit material.

8. Unit Assessments: This course contains Unit Assessments, which test student knowledge on important aspects of the course. These tests may come in many different forms, ranging from multiple choice to written response questions.

9. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

10. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or

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course content related questions. 11. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.

CSU Online Library

The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on “CSU Online Library.” You can also access the CSU Online Library from the “My Library” button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard.

The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail ([email protected]) and telephone (1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday – Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library’s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page.

Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services.

LibGuides

Think of a LibGuide (a Library Guide) as a mini-website to help you with your assignments. It has relevant information such as databases, e-books, and websites specific to your courses. If you have any questions, please reach out to your friendly library staff.

Click here for the LibGuide for this course.

Unit Assignments

Unit I Scholarly Activity

The purpose of this assignment is to describe the goals and responsibilities for each of the core components of business. You will list the typical job titles and a cost associated with each component.

Click here to access the template for this assignment. Save all of your work to the template, and submit it in Blackboard for grading.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit II Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to examine the different environments in which businesses operate. Include social, technological, economic, legal, and market environments when you complete the three exercises.

Click here to access the template for this assignment. Save all of your work to the template before submitting it in Blackboard for grading.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit IV Web Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is for you to identify the basic principles of marketing. You will describe a target market, market segment, and a message, and explain how marketing research contributes to reaching a specific audience.

Click here to access the template for this assignment. Save all of your work to the template, and submit it in Blackboard for grading.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit V PowerPoint Presentation

Human resource management plays an important role in any successful business. This assignment focuses on the key functions of human resource management. Your presentation must include a description of each key function in your own words. Your presentation should be a minimum of 10 slides.

A template has been provided to get you started. Your task is to complete this presentation by inserting the remaining elements. As you navigate from one slide to the next, be sure to read the instructions carefully. Once you finish, save all of your work to the template, and submit it in Blackboard for grading.

Click here to access the Unit V PowerPoint presentation template.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

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Unit VI Case Study

For this assignment, you will evaluate the concepts associated with entrepreneurship. First, locate the video below in the Films on Demand database in the CSU Online Library.

ABC News. (2013). Building a food truck business from the ground up [Video file]. In Films On Demand. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?auth=CAS&url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx? wID=273866&xtid=54907

Click here to view the video transcript.

Next, answer the following questions.

1. What value does this business bring to the communities it serves? 2. What are the advantages of the food truck business? 3. What are the risks involved in this business? 4. What characteristics of the owners help to make this business a success? 5. What type of entrepreneurship is displayed in the video? Explain. 6. Why is additional support critical for the success of the food truck business? 7. What suggestions would you recommend for this business?

Your case study must be a minimum of two pages in length.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VII Essay

Corporate social responsibility is an emerging trend for businesses in today’s environment. Regardless of the nature of the industry, corporations are held to higher ethical standards. This assignment will give you a chance to think as an executive and take into consideration the importance of ethics and social responsibility.

You are tasked with choosing a corporation and discussing the importance of ethics and social responsibility in relation to that particular corporation. Think about the stakeholders associated with the corporation and how they benefit if the organization displays social responsibility. Start with a brief introduction of the organization, and remember to think from the perspective of the leader of the organization.

Your submission must be a minimum of two pages in length. Be sure to cite any sources using APA format.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VIII Article Review

For this assignment, you will locate an article in the CSU Online Library that relates to organizational behavior, and write a review of the article. Your article review must be a minimum of two pages in length. Be sure to address each of the following points in your article review.

Identify the premise of the article and supporting points. How does the author describe organizational behavior? Why is organizational behavior important? Which business concepts covered in this course were you able to identify?

You are required to use at least one scholarly source. All in-text citations and references must be formatted according to APA guidelines.

The Business Source Complete, Academic Search Complete, ABI/INFORM Collection, and Academic OneFile databases should be helpful for this assignment.

Click here to view a tutorial that shares a few tips on finding articles in the databases.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines

The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU’s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center.

Grading Rubrics

This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level

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of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.

Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments).

The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions.

The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.”

Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.

Communication Forums

These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu.

Ask the Professor

This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.

Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non- public nature, please feel free to e-mail your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or e-mailed by the professor within 48 hours.

Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.

Student Break Room

This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers.

Schedule/Grading

The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

Unit I The Core Components of a Business [ Weight: 10% ]

Read/View: Unit I Study Guide Reading Assignments (4 articles, 3 presentations): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit I Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit I Quiz Unit I Scholarly Activity

2% 6%

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Unit II Various Environments of Business [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit II Study Guide Reading Assignments (3 articles, 3 presentations): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit II Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit II Assignment 11%

Unit III Functions of Management in Business [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit III Study Guide Reading Assignments (5 articles, 2 presentations): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit III Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit III Assessment 10%

Unit IV Principles of Marketing [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit IV Study Guide Reading Assignments (4 articles, 5 presentations): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit IV Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit IV Web Assignment 11%

Unit V Human Resource Management [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit V Study Guide Reading Assignments (4 articles, 4 presentations): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit V Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit V PowerPoint Presentation 11%

Unit VI Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit VI Study Guide Reading Assignments (7 articles, 3 presentations): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VI Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VI Case Study 11%

Unit VII Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit VII Study Guide Reading Assignments (4 articles, 1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VII Essay 11%

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Unit VIII Organizational Behavior [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit VIII Study Guide Reading Assignments (4 articles, 1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VIII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VIII Article Review 11%

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Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Identify basic business concepts. 1.1 Identify the core components of business. 1.2 Describe the major goal and responsibilities for each of the core components of business. 1.3 List typical job titles and a cost associated with each of the core components of business.

Reading Assignment In order to access the following resource(s), click the link(s) below: Jance, M. (2014). The hot dog stand: A business 101 capstone project. Academy of Business Research

Journal, 4, 20-23. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=bth&AN=100447486&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Karlgaard, R. (2012). The hard and soft stuff of business: Winners excel in both. Forbes, 50. Retrieved from

https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=bth&AN=84108457&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Van Meir, C. (2016). Branding benefits: Apply the four Ps of marketing to make benefits more engaging.

Benefits Magazine, 53(3), 34-39. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=bth&AN=113183936&site=ehost-live&scope=site

In order to access the following resource(s), click the link(s) below: Guerras-Martin, L. A., Madhok, A., & Montoro-Sánchez, A. (2014). The evolution of strategic management

research: Recent trends and current directions. Business Research Quarterly, 17(2), 69-76. Retrieved from https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc t=true&db=a9h&AN=98614050&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Click here to access an interactive tutorial about the marketing process. Click here to access an interactive tutorial about managing the business enterprise. Click here to access an interactive tutorial about the importance of accounting.

Unit Lesson Introduction Prior to beginning to understand the basic concepts of business, one must be able to understand exactly what a business is. According to Kelly, McGowen, and Williams (2014), a business is any type of firm or organization that provides goods and/or services to others in an attempt to generate a profit. While this definition may make it sound easy, running a business requires a great deal of behind-the-scenes components. These components of business will be the topic of this unit and are described throughout the remainder of this lesson.

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE

The Core Components

of a Business

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UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

In no certain order, the basic components of business are strategic management, finance and accounting, human resource management, marketing, sales, and operations management. While most large businesses have separate departments and sections that perform the aforementioned functions and many small businesses may have only one person or a few people performing all of these functions, the fact remains that ALL businesses perform these functions at some level in order to operate effectively. Let us begin our discussion of the basic business components by examining strategic management. Strategic Management Strategic management can be described as both an art and a science that deals with the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of cross-functional decisions and actions that allow a business to reach its goals and objectives (David, 2011). This means that strategic management is the area of the business that concentrates on making sure that all other functions of the business—to include management, marketing, finance and accounting, production and operations, research and development, and information systems— are working together as one large body so that an organization can reach its goals and objectives. Sometimes, it is best to think of strategic management in business as the coach of a football team. A successful football team is comprised of many individuals, all of whom possess certain specialties (e.g., kicking, blocking, rushing, and passing). Separately, they are good at their positions and specialties, but they could not win games by working alone. A good coach (i.e., strategic manager) knows how to put all of the individual specialties together, all working in harmony, to achieve the team goal of winning a game. Now, let us examine the next component of business, which is finance and accounting. Finance and Accounting One of the main goals of a business is to make a profit. Before a profit actually occurs, businesses typically spend and earn various amounts of money throughout the year. To maintain some sort of healthy stability with the money that comes and goes, it is vital for a business to include the components of finance and accounting. Van Horne (1974) states that the finance and accounting functions of business deal primarily with the investment, financing, and dividend decisions of a business. Because all aspects of a business are interrelated, and all work together, the functions of finance and accounting can show management which areas of the business are getting the most out of the money that they use. Through these functions, business managers/leaders can see what is being spent in the various areas of the firm, as well as what, if anything, they are getting in return for the money being spent. The information here can then be shared with others (e.g., shareholders, lenders, and investors) to signal the overall strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Human Resource Management The third component of business is human resource management (HRM). According to Dessler (2005), human resource management involves the policies and practices that are used to manage the human resource aspects of an organization. This includes recruiting, screening, training, appraising, and rewarding. Because people are performing the work that helps the firm achieve its goals, HRM plays an extremely vital role in any business. From going out and recruiting people to work for the business to making sure that new employees are properly trained and placed in the right positions within the firm, HRM can really make or break an organization. Sometimes, a business that is large enough will have an entire department devoted solely to performing HRM functions. However, many times, especially in small organizations, HRM functions may be performed by a department manager or the business owners themselves. Marketing Marketing is the fourth basic component of business; it is the process of determining, defining, anticipating, and fulfilling the needs of the customers so that it can help the business provide goods and services that are best suited to meet those needs. David (2011) advises that there are seven functions to marketing:

1. Customer analysis: This is where the customers’ needs and wants are examined and evaluated so the business can offer the best products, at the best prices, to suit the needs of its consumers.

2. Selling products/services: Here, functions such as advertising, sales promotions, and customer and dealer relations are performed. They are all designed with the goal of effectively reaching a particular group of individuals (called a target market or market segment) so they will buy and use the products of the business.

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UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

3. Product and service planning: This is where activities such as determining what type of packaging to use for various goods, creating product warranties, determining which types of product options to make available for various markets, and removing or phasing out of old products all take place.

4. Pricing: As the name implies, this is the function of marketing that sets or determines what prices or pricing options to assign to the various goods and services that the business offers.

5. Distribution: Here, decisions regarding product warehousing, distribution channels and coverage, sites of retail locations and retail sales territories or districts, and other functions related to getting products to market are made and carried out.

6. Marketing research: This deals with the collecting and analyzing of information about products on the market to determine what the future needs of customers will be, as well as what products the firm should offer to customers in the future to meet their ever-changing needs.

7. Cost/benefit analysis: This is the function of marketing that determines whether or not the risks involved with various marketing decisions are worth the costs of those decisions.

Sales The next component of business is sales. Sales generates revenue for the organization. Any business can have the best management, plans, and locations, but if it does not sell any of its goods and services, then it will not be successful. Unlike the marketing component, which is supposed to draw people toward goods and services offered by a business, sales actually receives the money for the organization from its customers (McClintock, n.d.). Sales in business can be achieved in several ways. One way involves having a dedicated group of people or sales force to go out and sell goods and services to other entities or people. Another way involves an associate in a physical location who assists customers with their purchases and then collects money from them once they have made up their mind to buy something from the business. Operations Management The final component of business is operations management. Here is where a person or people administer the practices of the business so they can create the most efficient methods of operation possible. This aspect of a business is most concerned with taking the goods, services, and people of an organization and converting them into profits for the firm while balancing the costs and revenue of the organization. One reason operations management is so concerned with balancing costs is so the business not only saves money (a penny saved is a penny earned), but also keeps product costs low for the customers. Now that we have addressed the basic components of business, we can further understand how businesses operate and why they do what they do. While each component has its own methods and best practices, they are parts of a whole that must all work in conjunction to ensure that the business reaches its goals and objectives, which ultimately best serves its customers.

References David, F. (2011). Strategic management: Concepts and cases (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Dessler, G. (2005). Human resource management (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Kelly, M., McGowen, J., & Williams, C. (2014). BUSN (6th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. McClintock, L. (n.d.). The importance of sales in an organization. Retrieved from

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-sales-organization-25038.html Van Horne, J. (1974). Financial management and policy (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.