Required Materials: Customized Readings for Foundations of Business Environments
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Business 302 July 7 – August 8
Business 302 Foundations of Business Environments
Summer 2008 0900-1100 MWF Instructor: Dr. Beverlee Anderson Office Hours: M&W 11-11:30 432 Markstein Hall And by Appointment Telephone: 750-4248 email: [email protected]
Required Materials: Customized Readings for Foundations of Business Environments Wall Street Journal . An InterWrite PRS RF “Clicker”
Course Website: WebCt 6
Prerequisites: All Lower Division Core
Note: The pre-requisites for this course are listed in the course catalogue. The instructor reserves the right to administratively drop, at any point, any student who has not met the prerequisites. Students choosing to withdraw from this course are responsible for doing so according to university procedures and deadlines.
Course Purpose and Objectives. All organizations must function within the context of their environments. What "works" and is successful under one set of environmental conditions may be disaster when there are changes in one or more components of the environment. The purpose of this course is to create an understanding of the components and importance of both external and internal factors that surround and impact an organization's success. While the focus of the course is on the environment, the course will touch on alternate ways in which firms respond to their environments. The course approach is based on the proposition that a successful organization is one that is both efficient (using resources wisely and without waste) and effective (doing the right things).
The objectives of the course are that the student will: 1. gain an understanding of the nature and components of environments that are relevant to organizations; 2. learn to identify and classify elements of the environment using Porter's and Griffin's classification frameworks; 3. develop the ability to differentiate between salient and nonsalient environmental factors; 4. be able to apply the concepts, models and principles to actual cases; 5. consider the standards of right conduct under alternative ethical systems. Course Approach. The course will feature a combination of instructional methods. There will be lectures, with ample opportunity for questions, clarification and discussion. There will also be small group break-out sessions in which groups will consider some of the issues raised by questions, Business 302 July 7 – August 8 exercises, and case analyses, which are assigned. The output from these small group sessions will then be shared and discussed with the entire class. Active involvement in and discussion of the course material is encouraged. You are encouraged to research and read additional information on the material and organization featured in each case and presentation. The more knowledge you have about the situations and the organizations, the more you will gain from the cases.
Case Analyses. Each case will be examined and analyzed using the Griffin framework, terminology, and classifications. The format for analysis is included in the course reader. In each case, the environment includes both salient and nonsalient factors. As part of the analysis we will identify the relative impact of the factors on the organization, its success or its failures. We will also try to determine the environmental factors to which the organization appears to have been most responsive.
Requirements and Expectations. Much of the reading involves cases, which are concentrated in the second part of the course. Given the standard 2 for 1 ratio (two hours outside of class for each hour in class), a student should expect to spend approximately 60 - 65 hours on course material outside of class during the term. All written assignments must be machine printed. Handwritten submissions will not be accepted.
Each student is expected to: a) attend all class sessions; b) check the website for announcements and assignments c) read all assigned material; d) complete all written assignments on time; e) participate in class discussion; f) speak up and ask questions when something is unclear or not understood; g) turn off cell phone during class, and g) notify instructor if unable to fulfill any of the above.
The instructor is expected to: a) attend all class sessions; b) have read and prepared for presentation all assigned material; c) grade all written assignments within a reasonable time; d) give all students an opportunity to participate; e) respond to all questions; f) be available (in office) during posted office hours; and g) notify students if unable to fulfill any of the above.
Examinations. There are no scheduled examinations, but there will be several quizzes over material covered in previous classes and the reading material assigned for that class session. You are required to bring your “clicker” with you to each class meeting.
Wall Street Journal Assignments. During the term, each student will submit five (of 7 possible) assignments based on Wall Street Journal articles. Each assignment is an analysis of an article from Business 302 July 7 – August 8 a set of specified articles of the WSJ. The options for each WSJ assignment will be available on WebCT under the Syllabus and Assignments tab. The template for these assignments is on the course website. The assignments will be collected in class. These are individual assignments, not team assignments. Late assignments will not be accepted.
Written Case Assignments. The four written case analyses are to use the SOR Case Analysis Template, which is in the Customized Readings and may be downloaded from the course website. The analysis ask you to identify the environmental factors (General and Task Factors) that served as stimuli to the organization, the salient internal environment components, and the organization’s response. Cases will be graded based on 1) accurate identification of stimuli, 2) relevant internal environment, and appropriate related response to the identified stimuli, and 3) SOR row logic.
No late cases will be accepted. Emailed case analyses will not be accepted without prior approval. While you may discuss the issues of the cases with your classmates, the work you submit as your own is assumed to be your own. You may wish to review the University’s Academic Honesty Policy, which is linked in this syllabus. The case written assignments are individual assignments in this course.
Electronic Reserve. You may access all library reserve materials for this course electronically. To access: 1. Go to the University’s home page and click on “Library” 2. Click on “Library Catalog” 3. Click on “Electronic Reserves” 4. Click on “Electronic Reserve and Course Materials” 5. Using the drop down menu select either department or instructor (Anderson or Antoniou) 6. Click on the “go” button 7. Click on Business 302 8. Enter the password “market” for Anderson –“or market1” for Antoniou) no quote marks 9. Click on the item you want to view 10. If you want to go back and view other items, click “file” and highlight “close”
Academic Honesty Students will be expected to adhere to standards of academic honesty and integrity, as outlined in the Student Academic Honesty Policy. All assignments must be original work, clear and error- free. All ideas/material that are borrowed from other sources must have appropriate references to the original sources. Any quoted material should give credit to the source and be punctuated with quotation marks.
Academic Honesty Policy The maintenance of academic integrity and quality education is the responsibility of each student within CSUSM and the CSU system. Cheating and plagiarism in connection with an academic program at a campus is listed as an offense for which a student may be expelled, suspended, put Business 302 July 7 – August 8 on probation, or given a less severe disciplinary sanction. Please see the online version for more details at: http://lynx.csusm.edu/policies/policy_online.asp?ID=25
Grades. The grade you receive in this course will be based on the following components and weights:
Quizzes 20% Wall Street Journal Assignments (5 @ 5% each) 25% Case Analyses (5%, 10%, 10%, 15%) 40% Other (Attendance, group work, etc.) 15% Total 100%
Grades will be available through the web. Business 302 July 7 – August 8
Class Assignments
Monday, July 7 Course Introduction and Overview "Global Capital Market" - a video Group Work: Discussion Questions for session #1
Wednesday, July 9 Quiz #1 "Why Nations Triumph." Review of Michael Porter's book from Fortune. CR pp. 1-9, “Global Governance: New Players, New Rules” CR pp.69-73 Group Work: Discussion Questions for session #2
Friday, July 11 Quiz #2 Reading Assignment: "The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy" CR pp. 13-29. Written Assignment: Wall Street Journal assignment TBA Group Work: Discussion Questions for session #3
Monday, July 14 Quiz #3 Reading Assignment: Ricky Griffin's "The Environment and Culture of Organizations," Chapter 3, Management, 7th ed., CR pp. 31-58 . Written Assignment: Wall Street Journal - TBA Group Work: Discussion Questions for session #4
Wednesday, July 16 Reading Assignment: "SWOT Analysis" and “Opportunities and Threats” CR pp.59-64. “Thinking Ethically: A Framework for Moral Decision Making” CR pp. 65-67. Written Assignment: Wall Street Journal - TBA Group Work: Discussion Questions for session #5
Friday, July 18 Quiz #4 Reading Assignment: "A Guide for Identifying Environmental Factors for the Case Analyses" CR pp 74- 84. "Bull Run: Merrill Lynch in Japan”. CR pp. 85-88. “Merrill Will Return to Japan” ER (Anderson) Group Work: Analyze the Case Bull Run
Monday, July 21 Reading Assignment: Case: "ADM: Price fixing and Political Cronyism" CR pp.89-100. "Get Smart About the Other Guy," ER. "They Snoop to Conquer," ER (Antoniou). Written Assignment: Wall Street Journal TBA. Group Work: Case discussion of ADM and Discussion Questions for session #7 Business 302 July 7 – August 8
Wednesday, July 23 Quiz #5 Written Assignment: Case Analysis “Levi Strauss and Company Exports Production to Third World” CR pp 101-107. Wall Street Journal TBA Group Work: Discussion Questions for session #8
Friday, July 25 Quiz #6 Reading Assignment: "Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s World – Part I" ER. (Anderson) "Facing Diversity" ER (Anderson). Written Assignment: Wall Street Journal TBA Group Work: Case discussion of "Levi Strauss" and discussion questions for session #9
Monday, July 28 Quiz #7 Reading Assignment: Written Assignment “Sears Auto Centers (A) CR pp.109-123.
Wednesday, July 30 Reading Assignment: "It doesn't only happen to others," Chapter 1 of Dieudonnee ten Berge, The First 24 Hours. (English version) Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell Ltd. , 1988. ER (Antoniou). Written Assignment: Wall Street Journal TBA Group Work: Discussion questions for session #10
Friday, August 1 No Class
Monday, August 4 Quiz #8 Reading Assignment: “Trends Shaping Tomorrow’s World – Part II. ER (Anderson). Written Assignment: “TDK de Mexico” CR pp.125-133 . Group Work: Discussion questions for session #11
Wednesday, August 6 Quiz #9 Viewing Assignment: The Smartest Guys in the Room” Written Assignment: Final Case Analysis is Due "Enron Corp." CR pp.135-156. Group Work: Discussion questions for Session #12
Friday, August 8 Quiz #10 Group Work: Presentations on Key Aspects of Business Environments