Borough of Manhattan Community College

BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE The City University of New York Department of Business Management

Title of Course: Introduction to Business Class Hours: No formal class meeting Semester: Fall 2013 Credits: 3 credits Instructor Information Dr. Katherine Conway [email protected] Course Description - Business and industry in the United States are surveyed broadly in this course. Emphasis is placed on the historical development, objectives, methods of operation, and the interrelationships of management, labor and government. Included is the study of new developments and trends in business administration and the problems they engender in the total management process. The class will take a case study approach. Throughout the semester students will apply knowledge learned from each chapter topic to an analysis of Mattel, the world’s largest toy company.

Basic Skills - Students must have passed ENG 088, ESL 094, ACR 094, and Math 008 (previously MAT 010 or 011). Course Student Learning Outcomes (Students will be able to…) Measurements (means of assessment for student learning outcomes listed in first column) 1. Discuss business and economic activity, and the factors impacting 1. Measured through test questions and/or written business globally; Identify ethical concerns in the business world. assignments. 2. Evaluate different forms of business ownership; utilize a 2. Measured through test questions and/or written managerial decision making process. assignments. 3. Discuss the primary elements of employee compensation & 3. Measured through test questions and/or written benefits and explain contemporary views on motivation. assignments. 4. Describe the components of the marketing mix and the marketing 4. Measured through test questions and/or written environment for a given product. assignments.

Below are the college’s general education goals. The goals that are checked in the left-hand column indicate goals that will be covered and assessed in this course. General Education Goals Measurements (means of assessment for general education goals listed in first column) x Communication Skills- Students will write, read, listen and speak Measured via test questions, written assignments critically and effectively. and /or class presentations.

x Quantitative Reasoning- Students will use quantitative skills and the Measured via questions and assignments related to concepts and methods of mathematics to solve problems. coursework on finance topics. Scientific Reasoning- Students will understand and apply the concepts and methods of the natural sciences. Social and Behavioral Sciences- Students will understand and apply the concepts and methods of the social sciences. Arts & Humanities- Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the arts and literature. Information & Technology Literacy- Students will collect, evaluate and interpret information and effectively use information technologies. x Values- Students will make informed choices based on an Measured via test questions and/or written understanding of personal values, human diversity, multicultural assignments related to coursework on ethics and awareness and social responsibility. human resources.

Required Text & Readings Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor, Business, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Students can use 10th, 11th or 12th Edition. The slides posted online are from the 11th edition. There are a variety of ISBN codes – some are for hard cover editions, others are for loose- leaf versions; any version will suffice.

Basic Skills: Familiarity with word processing, email, internet usage.

Other Resources: Business Periodicals (e.g. Business Week, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal)

Time Management An online class is at least as much of a time commitment as a face to face class. In a face-to-face class you meet three hours per week and then are expected to spend an additional three to six hours on work outside of class. In this online class you might expect to spend your time on average as follows:

Reading the Chapter: 1 hour Taking the chapter quiz: 1 hour Reviewing the chapter and the quiz: 30 minutes Initial posting to discussion board: 30 minutes Follow up posts (minimum two – 15 minutes each to read and respond) 30 minutes Written assignments (6 in total – expect to spend 2-3 hrs. on each) 1 hour Reading announcements (follow up to discussions) 30 minutes

For some of you this will be a sufficient amount of time, other students may need more time to read, digest, write etc.

Evaluation & Requirements of Students The class uses a 300 point system. Discussion Boards (informal writing) 9 posts, 10 pts. each 90 Formal Writing Assignments* 4 assignments, 10 pts. each 40 Organization Chart Exercise 10 Financial Statement Exercise 10 Chapter Quizzes 15 quizzes, 10 pts. each** 150 Final Submission*** A compilation/revision of prior work -- 300 *One of the writing assignments requires that you watch the film GLORY (a Civil War film and a departure from our weekly examination of Mattel and the toy industry). Be sure to investigate well in advance how you will get a copy of the movie (it is typically available in libraries, on Netflix etc.) **Each quiz has thirty questions, and the gradebook will show a score from 1-30 – however I will add up your highest 15 quizzes (dropping the lowest or 16th quiz) and then divide by three (so if you get a perfect 30 on 15 quizzes that will equal 450 in the online gradebook, which I will then divide by three to get 150 maximum points). This is more complicated than I would like but in the past quizzes were 10 questions and 10 points, but students preferred a greater number of questions, such that no one question significantly impacts your grade… ***The final submission as noted above is a compilation/revision of earlier work (discussion posts and formal writing) and has the potential to improve your earlier grade on these assignments.

A 95% and above (285 or A- 90-94% (270-284 pts.) B+ 87-89% (261-269 pts.) B 84-86% (252-260 pts.) more points) B- 80 - 83% (240-251 pts.) C+ 77-80% (231-239 pts.) C 74-78% (222 – 230 pts.) C- 70-73% (210-221 pts.) D+ 67-69% (201-209 pts.) D 64-66% (192-200 pts.) D- 60-63% (180-191 pts.) F Below 60% (179 or fewer pts.)

Each week students will contribute to a discussion board or submit an assignment.

Discussion Board The Discussion Board replaces face-to-face classroom discussion and is an essential part of the online class. We are lucky to live in a land of free speech and everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. If you disagree with a classmate, do not be afraid to say so, but be constructive in your remarks. Misunderstandings do occasionally occur. If you feel a classmate may have misunderstood, give them the benefit of the doubt and ask them to clarify their position. Neither profanity nor disrespect of any kind will be tolerated on the Discussion Boards; both are grounds for expulsion from the class. There are 9 graded Discussion Boards over the course of the semester. Discussion boards are relevant to the chapter readings. You should post a minimum of three times before the discussion ends. Aim to post at least 250 words initially, unless the directions for the board provide other guidelines. Ask a classmate a question about their post and respond to any questions you receive. The first Discussion Board begins immediately and ends on Tuesday 9/3 at midnight. The second discussion starts Wednesday 9/4 and ends Tuesday night 9/10 at midnight. It is possible to post to the discussion without having read the chapter, but the better posts are usually from students who have done the reading. The Discussion Board called the Cybercafe is for free discussion and does not impact your grade. Feel free to experiment with discussion boards at this location and be sure to post an introduction during the first week of the semester. Grading of the DB’s is roughly as follows: 0 pts.: failed to contribute in a timely manner (ex.: no posts on time) 5 pts.: contributed on time, but remarks were perfunctory (“good answer” “I agree”) at best 7 pts.: contributed initial post in a timely manner but did not engage classmates or sufficiently respond to questions 8 pts.: timely contribution, added to the discussion in a positive manner, engaged classmates with thoughtful questions and responses 10 pts.: participated as described above and then went the extra mile – included research, posted a link etc. to expand the discussion Formal Writing Assignments The four formal writing assignments are posted under the Assignments button on Blackboard. The first formal assignment (Jose Rivera) is due on September 24th by midnight (end of day). To upload the assignment click on the title of the Assignment (in dark black text) not the word doc, from there it is self-explanatory. Assignments will not be accepted late. Each assignment should be typed, double-spaced, and uploaded as a word document to Blackboard. Be sure to cite all sources and use spell check. Do not use a cover page; type your name at the top of the first page.

Organizational Chart Exercise Students will create an organizational chart for Mattel and support the structure they select.

Financial Statement Exercise Students will calculate a series of ratios for Mattel and its rival Hasbro and then compare the financial performance of the two companies.

Quizzes Chapter quizzes, a combination of true/false and multiple-choice questions, will be taken online after reading the chapters. Quizzes can be found in the chapter folders under Course Documents (Chapter One quiz in Chapter One folder).

Semester Schedule: Note – Each week begins on a Wednesday and ends on a Tuesday, except the last week of the semester when the final assignment is due on Sunday 12/15. As soon as possible you should get the textbook and also familiarize yourself with the Mattel web site, www.mattel.com. You should also complete the syllabus quiz before midnight on Saturday August 31 st , and post to the Cybercafe Discussion Board; neither of which will impact your grade but both tasks must be completed or you cannot move ahead with the course. Listed below are the topics covered each week. Each topic represents a chapter (but are not numbered because there is a slight variation depending on the edition of the textbook you are using). The topic should enable you to identify the appropriate chapter in your text. Given the short duration of the summer session, you will see below that in week one for example, you are expected to read three chapters and participate in two discussions.

Week Topic Activity Due Date One An Overview of Business Discuss the Economy & the Discussion ends 9/3 midnight Challenges Facing Mattel Two Business Ethics & Corporate Social Discuss Mattel’s Philanthropy Discussion ends 9/10 midnight Responsibility Three Global Business Discuss Mattel Globally Discussion ends 9/17 midnight Four Forms of Business Ownership Assignment: Jose Rivera Due 9/24 midnight Five Small Business, Entrepreneurship Discuss American Girl franchise Discussion ends 10/1 midnight & Franchises potential Six The Management Process Discuss Your Manager Discussion ends 10/8 midnight Seven Creating a Flexible Organization Organization Chart Assignment Due 10/15 midnight Eight Attracting & Retaining Employees Discuss Your New Toy Company Discussion ends midnight 10/22 Nine Motivating & Satisfying Assignment: GLORY Due 10/29 midnight Employees & Teams Film will be shown on campus on 10/23, alternatively you can watch it at home (Netflix etc.) Ten Marketing – there are typically four Discussion: Effective Discussion ends midnight 11/5 chapters in the marketing section of Advertisements the textbook – you will use all four Eleven chapters as a resource for the Assignment – Marketing Barbie Due 11/12 midnight. discussion and the assignment

Twelve Accounting Financial Statement Exercise Due Midnight 11/19 Thirteen Money, Banking and Credit Discussion: Credit Discussion ends midnight 11/26 Thanksgiving week Fifteen Financial Management Discuss Mattel Stock Discussion ends midnight 12/10 Recommendation Sixteen Personal Finances and Investments Assignment – Factors to Consider Due midnight 12/15

The last day of class is 12/15. More information on the final submission will be distributed later in the semester. There is no midterm or final exam in this class. Changes in the above schedule are at my discretion.

College Attendance Policy An missed assignment or a skipped discussion will be considered an absence. In the case of excessive absences, the instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WU grade.

Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.

BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCC’s website, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on integrity and behavior, please consult the college bulletin (also available online).