Frederick Community College

            BU103ONL -  INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS

Summer 2012

 

You must send your email address to the instructor before class begins

 

Class begins:  6/4/12    Class ends:  7/30/12   Last day to drop:  7/18/12

 

 

Instructor Information:

 

 

 

 

Name:   Donna J. Lane, CPA, MBA

Office:  C221

 

E-mail:  dlane@frederick.edu

Phone Number:  301-846-2603

 

Office Hours:  by appointment

Campus Mail Box #: 269

 

 

 

 

 

Course Information:

 

 

 

 

 

Credits:  3

 

 

On-campus Meetings:  none

On-campus Exams:  2

 

 

Prerequisites:  EN50A and EN52 or ESL95 and ESL99

Co-requisites:  none

 

Course Description:

 

 

         Introduces effective use of planning, organization, and control in the management of an

         enterprise.  Introduction to finance, personnel and plant management, marketing, and

         business and government relations.

 

 

Core Learning Outcomes:

 

1.                  Discuss the major differences between capitalism, socialism, and 

             communism.

2.                  Describe how technology has changed business practices.

3.                  List the forms of business ownership and identify several

            advantages and disadvantages of each.

4.                  Identify the four functions of management.

5.                  Describe the elements of the marketing mix.

6.                  Define the functions of human resource management.

7.                  Describe the tools of the Federal Reserve and how they impact the

             economy.

8.                  Determine the role of debt and equity to finance a business.

 

 

Instructional Methods:

 

Textbook assignments

Business news

Internet exercises

Investigative paper

Online discussion

 

 

How is this course organized:

 
Instructions, dates, assignments are on the Blackboard website.  The course is not self-paced.  Due dates are firm.  Weekly assignments are to be completed on time.
 

Text(s) for Course:

 

Understanding Business, Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, 9th Edition, 2010, McGraw-Hill/Irwin ISBN #978-0-07-351170-2

Optional:  Student Assessment and Learning Guide

 

 

Evaluation Methods:

 

Tests / Papers / Projects

Point Value

Final Grade Scale

 

4 exams

400

540-600 = A

10 “Net” items

100

480-539 = B

15 Business news summaries

75

420-479 = C

Business interview/paper

25

360-419 = D

 

Total points

 

600

Below 360  = F

 

 

Progress Report:  

 

Each student will be made aware of his or her progress in the course by the third week of classes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Services

 

A variety of services are available to assist students in succeeding at FCC. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the Student Services web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/index.aspx.

Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations or who have questions related to disabilities services should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at 301-846-2408. Students can learn more about these services by visiting the Services for Students with Disabilities web page: http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/disability.aspx.

 

Participation Policy  

 

No points are given for participation but students are expected to participate. 

The course is not self-paced so assignments are due when indicated.

Federal Credit Hour Statement

At Frederick Community College, in all credit courses, students are expected to invest a minimum of two hours completing out-of-class course work for every hour of instructional time. For online and hybrid courses, students can expect active instruction time and “out-of-class” course work to be comparable to face-to-face courses with the same number of credits. For example, during a traditional 15-week, 3 credit course, students experience 2.5 hours per week of instructional time and should invest a minimum average of 5 hours per week in out-of-class time preparing for the course and completing assignments and activities.

 

Attendance Policy:

  To complete this course successfully you do NOT have to be online at a particular day or time.  However, the course follows a weekly schedule.  Students are expected to complete all the work assigned for a particular week and to observe all test and exam deadlines throughout the semester.

 

Email Policy:

With the exception of MOL students, all FCC students will receive and are expected to use their FCC email address for correspondence with faculty and staff at the college. Students can establish and access their FCC email accounts at https://myfcc.frederick.edu. Email is an instructional tool essential to student-instructor and student-student communication. In the Blackboard environment by default, your email address is available to all students in this course.

However, students are permitted to use email addresses of other students in this course only for the purpose and the duration of this course.

The instructor can be expected to respond to regular student email inquiries (grades, posted assignments, and tests excluded) within the time frame of 24 to 48 hours.

 

Academic Integrity:

 

Work in this course is subject to the provisions of the FCC Code of Academic Integrity. Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. As a student, it is your job to practice academic honesty at ALL times.  Make sure that all sources, particularly Internet sources, get proper credit for quotations, paraphrases, and ideas. More information about this and the Student Conduct Code are available at http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/studentpolicies.aspx

You must send your Academic Integrity Pledge to the instructor. The form is available at http://courses.frederick.edu/_utilities/regform.htm

 

 

 

TOPICAL OUTLINE

 

WEEK

SUBJECT

CONTENT

1

Ch.1 Taking Risks and Making Profits within the Dynamic Business Environment

 

 Ch. 2 Understanding How Economics Affects Business

 

 

 

 

Ch. 3 Doing Business in Global Markets

Entrepreneurship

Business Environment

Evolution of Business

 

Economics and Business

Economic Systems

US Economic System

BUSINESS NEWS #1

INTERVIEW QUESTION

 

Trading in Global Markets

Reaching Global Markets

Trade Protectionism

BUSINESS NEWS #2

TAKING IT TO THE NET #1

       

2

Ch. 4 Demanding Ethical and Socially Responsible Behavior

 

EXAM 1 (Chapters 1-4)

 

 

 Ch. 5 How to Form a Business

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ch. 6 Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business

 

Managing Business Ethically

Corp. Social Responsibility

International Ethics

BUSINESS NEWS #3

 

 

3 Basic Forms

Mergers and Acquisitions

Franchises

BUSINESS NEWS #4

TAKING IT TO THE NET #2

 

 

 

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Getting Started

Managing a Small Business

 

3

Ch. 7 Management and  Leadership

 

 

 

 Ch. 8 Adapting Organizations to Today’s Markets

Functions of Management

Learning Management Skills

BUSINESS NEWS #5

TAKING IT TO THE NET #3

 

The Changing Organization

Structuring and Restructuring

Organization models

BUSINESS NEWS  #6

INTERVIEW PAPER DUE

 

4

Ch. 9 Production and Operations Management

 

 

 EXAM 2 (Chapters 5-9)

 

Ch. 10 Motivating Employees

 

Manufacturing/Services Base

Operations Management

Production Techniques

BUSINESS NEWS #7

TAKING IT TO THE NET #4

 

Importance of Motivation

Motivation Theories

Open Communication

BUSINESS NEWS  #8

 

5

Ch. 11 Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees

 

 

 

 Ch. 12 Dealing with Employee-Management Issues and Relationships

 

 

 

 Ch. 13 Marketing: Helping Buyers Buy

Finding the Best Employees

Keeping the Best Employees

Laws Affecting HR Mgmt

BUSINESS NEWS #9

TAKING IT TO THE NET #5

 

Collective Bargaining

Labor-Mgmt. Conflicts

Controversial Issues

BUSINESS NEWS #10

TAKING IT TO THE NET #6

 

Marketing Mgmt. and Mix

Consumer Market

Business-to-Business Market

 

6

Ch. 14 Developing and Pricing Goods and Services

 

EXAM 3 (Chapters 10-14)

 

  

Ch. 15 Distributing Products

Product Differentiation

Branding and Brand Equity

Brand Management

BUSINESS NEWS  #11

TAKING IT TO THE NET  #7

 

Marketing Intermediaries

Wholesale and Retail

Nonstore Retailing

BUSINESS NEWS  #12

 

7

Ch. 16 Using Effective Promotions

 

 

 

 

 Ch. 18 Financial Management

 

 

Ch. 19 Using Securities Markets for Financing and Investing Opportunities

Promotion Mix

Managing the Promotion Mix

BUSINESS NEWS  #13

TAKING IT TO THE NET  #8

 

Financial Planning

Short-Term Financing

Long-Term Financing

 Debt and Equity Financing

How to Invest

Understanding Information

BUSINESS NEWS  #14

TAKING IT TO THE NET  #9

 

8

Ch. 20 Money, Financial Institutions, and the Federal Reserve

 

Bonus Ch. D (back part of text) Managing Your Personal Finances

 

 

EXAM 4 (Chapters 15, 16, 18-20)

 

 

Control of the Money Supply

American Banking System

Future of Banking

 

Financial Planning

Building Capital

Retirement Planning

 

BUSINESS NEWS #15

TAKING IT TO THE NET #10

 

 

 

THE OUTLINE MAY BE CHANGED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE INSTRUCTOR.