Education Is Not the Filling of a Pail, but the Lighting of a Fire

College of Business – Department of Management and International Business BA 100 –Introduction to Business– Fall 2010

Instructor Christine Mark, MBA Class Hours Sect H002 2-4:45 MW in JGH 104

Office JGH 312-E Office Hours T, TH 2:15-5PM, also by appointment

Telephone 266-6279 (Office) E-mail [email protected]

Website http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w813743/ba100website.html

Course Description

BA 100 is an introductory course to the major aspects of the business world. It is an introduction to what a business is, how it operates, and how it is managed. Students will identify forms of ownership and the processes used in production and marketing, finance, personnel and management in business operations.

Course Objectives

1. Analyze the environment in which business operates. 2. Analyze the affect of economic conditions on business performance. 3. Analyze the affect of global conditions on business performance. 4. Identify the main forms of business organizations. 5. Acknowledge the role of ethics in the business environment. 6. Explain the marketing process and how it drives business activities. 7. Determine how distribution strategies influence the firm’s value. 8. Explain the internal structures of organizations. 9. Depict the role of operations in the business environment. 10. Explain how firms use accounting. 11. Analyze sources of financing for businesses.

Required Readings Required Text: BUSN3, 2010-2011 Edition, by Marce Kelly and Jim McGowan, South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011,2010. ISBN: 978-1-4390-3963-2

Supplemental readings and other materials, as assigned during the semester.

Course information including PowerPoint presentations for each chapter can be accessed on my website: http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w813743/ba100website.html Evaluation

Your final grade in the course will be based on the percentage of total points you earned throughout the semester. There are 3000 possible points as follows:

Item Percentage of Final Grade Total Points Midterm Exam 10% 300 Final Exam 20% 600 Blackboard Quizzes and Bio 10% 300 Group Company Notebook 20% 600 News Sharing 10% 300 Forum Discussion 15% 450 Attendance and Class Participation 15% 450

The grading scale is:

Grade Percentage Point Range A 90.00% and above 2700 and greater B 80.00-89.99% 2400 - 2699 C 70.00 – 79.99% 2100 - 2399 D 60.00 – 69.99% 1800 - 2099 F 59.99% and below 1799 or less

Exams (30%)

Classroom lectures, discussion materials, guest speakers, videos, etc. will be covered on exams. There will be a midterm examination and a final. The final will be comprehensive over the entire course. You must take the exams at the specified date and time UNLESS you have approval from me to take the exam EARLY. If you have a University- approved reason for missing an exam, you may take the exam EARLY. You may NOT take an exam LATE. If you anticipate missing an exam you MUST notify me PRIOR to the start of the exam. If you arrive to class on the day of an exam after the first student has completed the exam and left the classroom you will not be allowed to take that exam.

Blackboard Quizzes and Bio (10%)

Each student will post a short bio on Blackboard worth 40 points. There will be a total of 13 quizzes (20 points each), one for each chapter. The quizzes are taken on Blackboard using your book and notes. The quizzes will be available up until midnight before the day of the midterm (for those chapters covered on the midterm) and midnight of the day before the final (for the remaining chapters after the midterm). The quizzes must be taken during this time period. There are no extensions.

Group Company Notebook (20%)

You will be responsible for putting together a notebook with a group on a publicly-traded company. You will be assigned to a group and company the second day of class. Details will be provided.

News-Sharing (10%)

Your group will be assigned two (2) dates where each group member will bring in a news article and share it with the class. Each person will need to turn in a hard copy of the news article.

Forum Discussion (15%)

Blackboard will be used for discussions, questions and postings. The following will be graded:  Answering three (3) discussion questions including responding to two other posts. Each discussion will be worth 150 points. Details will be provided. Attendance and Class Participation (15%)

Class attendance is required. It is expected that all assigned reading materials will be prepared prior to class. We will not cover every topic in the chapters assigned during class. However, for the exams, students are responsible for all materials assigned in the course and any other issues or discussion during class.

Attendance is required and since missing one class day equates to missing a full week during the regular semester, students will lose 1% off their final grade for each class missed over 1. Excused absences will be given only if due to a University-approved activity. Everyone is expected to participate in class discussion and group activities during each class.

Since the class is 2 hours and 45 minutes long we will be taking a break in the middle. Anyone who leaves during the break will be considered absent for the entire class.

Class Procedures and Requirements

The College of Business is a Professional School. Therefore the following rules will be enforced: 1) Cell phones are to be turned off during class-not silent, or vibrate, but off. This means no text messaging either. If you are faced with an emergency see me before class. 2) No laptops can be used in class either. If you have any problems taking adequate notes talk to me. 3) You must be in your seat ready for class at the scheduled time for class to begin. Once there you are expected to stay there. If you have a situation I need to know about see me before class or ask for permission to leave. Arriving late to class and the accompanying disruption will not be tolerated. 4) If you feel the need the read the paper, a magazine, book from another class, notes from another class, or something else not related to the class, please do not come to class. Repeat offenders will be asked to leave.

ADA Statement

If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office for Disability Accommodations (ODA) for information on appropriate policies and procedures. Disabilities covered by ADA may include learning, psychiatric, physical disabilities, or chronic health disorders. Students can contact ODA if they are not certain whether a medical condition/disability qualifies. Address: The University of Southern Mississippi, Office for Disability Accommodations, 118 College Dr. #8586, Hattiesburg, MS 3940-0001; Voice Telephone: (601)266-5024 or (228)214-3232; Fax: (601)266-6035; Individuals with hearing impairments can contact ODA using the Mississippi Relay Service at 1-800-582-2233 (TTY); or email Suzy Hebert at [email protected].

Please read the remaining COB policy statements on the COB website at the following address: http://www.usm.edu/business/students/syllabus_statements.php You are responsible for knowing the content of the statements – ignorance of the policies is not a valid excuse.

DO NOT HESITATE TO TALK WITH ME IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS OR PROBLEMS CONCERNING THE COURSE OR ASSIGNMENTS. If you have a problem relating to the course and would like to discuss it with me, please feel free to see or contact me during my scheduled office hours. However, if these hours are not convenient, I may be contacted at any time using several methods. Please do not hesitate to call me at school at 601-266-6279. I may also be reached by email at [email protected]. College of Business – Department of Management and International Business BA 100 –Introduction to Business – Spring 2010

Tentative Course Schedule*

Date Day Activity Topic Assignment Due Oct 13 W Introduction Preliminary Activities (See email) Oct 18 M Introduction Course Introduction, Syllabus Bio due on Blackboard Chapter 1 Business Now: Change

Oct 20 W Chapter 2 Economics Group Project Group Assignments News Sharing News Sharing Assignments

Oct 25 M Chapter 4 Business Ethics Blackboard Discussion 1

News Sharing: Groups 1, 2 3, 4 Oct 27 W Chapter 5 Business Communication News Sharing: Groups 5, 6, 7, 8

Nov 1 M Chapter 6 Business Formation News Sharing: Groups 9, 10, 11

Nov 3 W Chapter 7 Small Business and News Sharing: Groups 12, 13, 14 Entrepreneurship Nov 8 M Mid-Term Exam Chapters 1-7 Blackboard Quizzes (1,2,4,5,6,7, ) Due by Chapter 8 Accounting Midnight 11-7

Nov W Chapter 9 Finance News Sharing: Groups 15, 16, 17, 18 10 Blackboard Discussion 2 Nov M Chapter 11 Marketing News Sharing: Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 15 Nov W Chapter 12 Product and Promotion News Sharing: Groups 5, 6, 7, 8 17 Nov M Chapter 13 Distribution and Pricing News Sharing: Groups 9, 10, 11, 12 22 Blackboard Discussion 3 Nov M Chapter 14 Management, Motivation, News Sharing: Groups 13, 14, 15, 16 29 Leadership Dec 1 W Chapter 16 Managing Information and News Sharing: Groups 17, 18 Technology Group Company Notebook Due

Blackboard Quizzes (8,9,11,12,13,14,16) Due by Midnight 12-6

*May be changed or adjusted by Instructor

Final Exam:

Tuesday December 7th at 7:00 PM