SYLLABUS
BUS 10 ~ Introduction to Business
Fall, 2021
Section 002
Instructor: Dr. Raj Singh
Office: Virtual
Office Hours: T/TH
12:30 pm to 01:30 pm
Classroom: Virtual
Class Hours: T/TH 11:00 am to 12:20 pm
E-Mail: raj.singh@ucr.edu
Course Website: http://ilearn.ucr.edu/
School of Business Vision
We pursue excellence in all that we do, as our vision is to be an internationally recognized
leader in business education and research.
Mission
We create knowledge through impactful research, unlock potential through exceptional
educational experiences, and foster success in an innovative and collaborative environment.
Strategy
We pursue excellence in all we do by cultivating our environment, engaging our
community and empowering our stakeholders. The School of Business at the University of
California Riverside engages in drive for excellence by relying on the pillars of
Environment, Engagement and Empowerment. Our ongoing focus on scholarship in
discovery, practice, and integration drives us to reach for the highest levels.
We pursue Excellence by building our Environment, maximizing Engagement, and
motivating Empowerment in all we do.
Undergraduate Program – Learning Goals
Problem Solving Skills
Students will be able to use a variety of theoretical perspectives to identify and
critically evaluate implications of business decisions for organizational
stakeholders (e.g., customers, colleagues, employees, stockholders, suppliers,
foreign governments, communities, cultures, regulatory agencies) and the
natural environment.
Professional Integrity / Ethical Reasoning Skills
Students will be able to recognize ethical issues, demonstrate familiarity with
alternative frameworks for ethical reasoning, and discern trade-offs and
implications of employing different ethical frames of reference when making
business decisions.
Global Context Skills
Students will be conversant with major economic, social, political, and
technological trends and conditions influencing foreign investment and
development of the global economy and demonstrate an understanding of the
cultural, interpersonal and analytical competencies required for engaging in
global business activities.
Written Communication Skills
Students will demonstrate proficiency in written communications by creating
written document that are clearly written, with appropriate content and
conclusions.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The Fortune 500 firms employ less than 10% of the United States’ workforce.
The rest are employed by a wide variety of different types of organizations.
However, all of these employing organizations have as their primary purpose
the production of a good or the provision of a service. These organizations
include government (U.S. Postal Service), not-for-profits (Madonna
Rehabilitation Hospitals), professional corporations (law firms), and charitable
foundations (United Way and Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
This course is intended to provide a broadly based introduction to the many
functions required to successfully create and sustain an organization in any
setting. The course is designed to enhance your knowledge and abilities in the
following ways:
Factual Knowledge: A minimum expectation is that you will learn the
fundamental principles and terms that are involved with operating and
discussing a business venture.
Conceptual Thinking: You will be expected to integrate and organize relevant
data into frameworks/models, which will help to understand the larger picture
of the business environment. This is the “integration” portion of the course.
Analytical Skills: You will be expected to develop the basic ability to analyze
business situations and develop strategies to address dynamic
and uncertain conditions. This is the “critical thinking” component of the
course.
Practical Application: Through a group project, you will be given the
opportunity to experience problem solving, teamwork and presentation skills.
Personal Growth: The final objective of the course is for you to explore
whether a career in business is appropriate for you, and if so, what specific
area in business may provide the best opportunity for further study as an area
of specialization. Whether or not you seek a career in business, many of the
principles learned in this course can be invaluable to achieving your goals.
LATE POLICY
There are times when compelling and legitimate reasons, beyond your control,
arise for missing an assignment due date. Typically, there is no make up for
quizzes or exams. Prior arrangements should be made with the Professor (not
the TA’s) when one will not be able to meet the deadline. Failure to make prior
arrangements will require adequate documentation of the reasons for missing
the deadline. Under exceptional circumstances, to be determined by the
Professor, part or all of the penalty may be waived.
STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY AND HARASSMENT
The university is a setting for the free exchange of ideas. It is a place for
individuals to explore new ideas, encounter new people, and broaden their
intellectual perspective. To this end, the classroom setting should foster
participation and the sharing of opinions. Learning and intellectual growth
require the challenge of pre-existing assumptions and stereotypes. However,
such challenges should always address appropriate issues and not threaten
the personality or demographic traits of an individual.
INTEGRITY STATEMENT:
At the University of California, Riverside honesty and integrity are fundamental values that guide and
inform us as individuals and as a community. The academic culture requires that each student take
responsibility for learning and for producing work that reflect their intellectual potential, curiosity, and
capability. Students must represent themselves truthfully, claim only work that is their own,
acknowledge their use of others’ words, research results, and ideas, using the methods accepted by the
appropriate academic disciplines and engage honestly in all academic assignments. Misunderstanding
of the appropriate academic conduct will not be accepted as an excuse for academic misconduct. If a
student is in doubt about appropriate academic conduct in a particular situation, he or she should
consult with the instructor in the course to avoid the serious charge of academic misconduct.
To ensure the highest standard of academic integrity, all students should be familiar with the
guidelines posted at:
http://conduct.ucr.edu/docs/generalconductbrochure.pdf
REQUIRED TEXT
William M. Pride, Robert J. Hughes and Jack R. Kapoor, Business. (Cengage
Learning, 2018)
Business MindTapV2.0
by William M. Pride, Robert J. Hughes, Jack R. Kapoor
0th Edition | Copyright 2018
GRADING
Course grades will be based on the following:
TOPIC
Exam I
Exam II
Exam III
Quizzes (3)
Homework Assignments (6)
e-Portfolio Assignments (2)
Group Project (20 points for
presentation and 60 points for
written report)
Group Member Evaluation
Discussion section evaluation
POINTS
40 points
40 points
120 points
30 points
60 points
10 points
80 points
TOTAL
450 POINTS
25 points
45 points
Conversion:
RANGE
GRADE
Top Score Above ~ 420
420~450
405~419
390~404
375~389
360~374
345~359
330~344
315~329
300~314
285~299
270~284
000~269
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Each student is required to attend all lecture and section meetings and be
prepared to discuss all reading material assigned for the applicable week and
any previously assigned reading material. Each student will be required to
participate in a group project, asked to evaluate their group members, and may
be asked to periodically assess the effectiveness of the course.
READING ASSIGNMENTS
In addition to reading assignments given in class or otherwise, all students
should read and be prepared to discuss, prior to class, the following:
Week 0
September 23, 2021
Course Introduction
Read Lesson 1 – Exploring the world of Business and
Economics
Week 1
September (28 - 30)
Read Lesson 2 – Being Ethical and Socially
Responsible
Read Lesson 3 – Exploring Global Business
Week 2
October (5 – 7)
Lesson 4 – Choosing a Form of Business Ownership
Lesson 5 – Small Business Entrepreneurship, and
Franchises
Week 3
(October (12 -14)
Lessons in Entrepreneurship
Exam 1 – Lessons 2,3 and 4 – October 14th
Week 4
October (19 - 21)
Lesson 6 – Understanding the Management Process
Lesson 8 – Producing Quality Good and Services
Week 5
October (26 – 28)
Lesson 9 – Attaining and Retaining the Best
Employees
Lesson 10 – Motivating and Satisfying Employees and
Teams
Week 6
November (02 -04)
Lesson 11 – Enhancing Employee Management
Relations
Lesson 12 – Building Customer Relationships Through
Effective Marketing
Week 7
November (09 – 11)
Lesson 16 – Exploring Business Technology
No Class on November 11th
Week 8
November (16 – 18)
Lesson 17 – Using Accounting and Financial
Exam 2 – Lessons 6, 9 and 10 – November 18th
Week 9
November (23 – 25)
Lesson 18 – Understanding, Money, Banking and
Credit
No class on November 25th
Week 10
November 30th and December 2nd
Lesson 19 – Mastering Financial Management
Course Review
Final Exam – 12/10/2021
Chapters 5,17,18, 19 and personal investments
11:30 am to 12:50 pm
Final Business Plan Submission
1. Electronic copies of Final Business Plan and PP slides to be submitted on
December 2nd.
2. All homework assignments are due on or before class meeting on
December 2nd.
GROUP PROJECT:
You will participate as a member in a group project as part of the activities to
promote wisdom and practical application of concepts learned in this course.
Each group will consist of 5 individuals based on discussion section
enrollment. A portion of lecture will be used from time to time to discuss
expectations and provide guidelines for the group project. Portions of
discussion sections will also be used to investigate and complete project
relevant activities. Your grade in the course will be influenced by your grade
on the project and how your contributions are evaluated by your teammates. A
sample evaluation sheet is provided in the course materials section. Any
questions concerning the project may be directed to the instructor.
Project Description: As discussed at the first lecture, there are many types of
business and organizations. However, the primary objective of each is to
provide a product or service. Each group will select an industry (e.g., retail,
food service, transportation, health care, charitable organizations) and a
specific organization (e.g., Nordstrom, Marshall’s, UCLA Medical Center, CedarSinai Hospital, United Way, Red Cross, etc.) Finally, you will select a product
or service it delivers (e.g., clothing, sports equipment, surgery, financial
assistance, etc.). Your choices do not need to be profit-making ventures.
The focus of the project will be to identify or develop a product service that
would be a worthwhile addition to the organization’s product or service
offerings. We will refer to this as the “extension” and you will analyze its
impact on the “product or service mix” of the organization. During the quarter,
each group will utilize the course materials to investigate the numerous issues
confronting how the “extension” fits into and affects the “mix” and how to
identify and implement the strategy for delivering the “extension” to the
organization’s customer and to evaluate the impact on the overall success of
the organization the “extension may have. Your analysis should address the
CEO Twelve.
Deliverables: Each group will produce and turn in a written analysis of their
research. The length of this document is not as important as the quality of its
content. The document will present an analysis of your recommended
business plans/strategy. For the purposes of the project, analysis means
“what the organization is doing and why.” Not only will you need to rely on
information gained through class lectures, discussion sections and the course
text, but you will need to use library and other resources to gather information
necessary to understand your chosen organization and industry.
The “extension” need not be successful. That is, you can get a good grade for
having suggested a “bad” idea provided you explain, with supporting facts, why
the idea is not a good “extension.” The project will be graded on the adequacy
and coverage of your examination, the accuracy of your research and analysis,
the quality of the document’s content and clarity and the understanding of the
course material as demonstrated in the document’s analysis.
Your major direction for the project will come from your TA. Seek his/her
guidance for direction and checking your progress. Have the TA review a draft
of the document from time to time.
GROUP PROJECT GRADING GUIDELINES
PRODUCT/EXTENSION:
5 points ____
Is the product well identified? Are its features and market location clearly explained?
Does it seem a reasonable extension? Is its potential demand adequately discussed?
 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:
10 points ____
What are the unique contributions of the extension to the mix? What is its positioning
Vis a Vis the mix and the competition? What are the results of the SWOT analysis?
Have appropriate environmental issues been assessed?
 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS:
10 points ____
What are the capital requirements to bring the extension to market? How will
the capital needs be met? Is there sufficient return on investment to warrant
the risk? To what extent, if any, will the extension detract or enhance or
financial needs of the organization?
 PRODUCTION PLAN:
5 points ____
What are the processes necessary to deliver the extension? Are they synergistic with
existing processes? How much of the production should be “outsourced?” What level
of quality is needed for the extension to be successful? How will quality be assured?
How will the extension be distributed?
 MARKETING STRATEGY:
10 points ____
What is the extension? How will it be promoted? Who are the customers?
Who are the users? Who will sell the extension to the customer and tio the
consumer? How will it be priced? Under what terms will it be sold? What
warranties will be offered? Will it be branded or a commodity? What is the
“product life cycle” for the extension? Is it part of the organizations current
product mix i.e., an extension of the current mix or is it a new direction in the
organization’s product line?
 ORGANIZATION:
5 points ____
What is the approach used in the organizational structure? How will the extension
impact the organization? What motivation strategies and reward systems will be used
in support of the extension? Will additions to the workforce be necessary? Who will
be hired? How will they be compensated?
 MANAGEMENT:
10 points ____
What is the organization’s mission? What is the vision for its products? What is the
organization’s culture? Are the organization’s mission, vision and culture consistent?
Will the extension be compatible with the organization’s mission, vision and culture?
Are there existing leaders within the organization who can handle the addition of the
extension to the organization’s product line? If not, how will additional leadership be
acquired? If so, how will their existing duties be handled once they assume new
responsibilities?
 COMPREHENSIVENESS & QUALITY OF ANALYSIS:
10 points ___
Does the project consider and address the relevant range of course materials? Does it
provide an appropriate depth of analysis? Is it accurate? Are its conclusions
reasonable and supported by the information provided?
 PRESENTATION QUALITY:
10 points ____
Is the project well organized? Is there a smooth flow between sections? Is there
continuity and consistency across segments?
 OVERALL IMPACT:
5 points ____
Is the project persuasive? Would the CEO of the organization want to read it?
TOTAL SCORE = ________ POINTS