BUS1000: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS
Fall 2011
COURSE OUTLINE
Professor Hirokazu Takada
Class Meets: Monday 12:25—2:05P.M. Room 5-150VC
My Office: 12-288 the vertical campus Telephone: (646) 312-3289
E-mail is the best way to communicate with me:
Hirokazu.Takada@baruch.cuny.edu
(Questions regarding your recitation section should be directed to that professor, not me.)
This class is broken into four distinct parts—finance, marketing, management and an
introductory section that covers current business trends, ethics, global business and
economics. Each section examines the basic concepts in an area you might select as a
major. Each section also covers current issues you are likely to read about in today’s
business press. Lectures are supplemented with real-world case histories designed to
highlight a specific point in the textbook. This supplementary material is not in the
textbook, but is on the exams, so you must attend class to have any chance of getting
a good grade.
The purpose of this class is threefold:
1. to provide students with an understanding of how the world of business really
works,
2. to give students a basic overview of business studies early in their college careers
so that they can decide which area of business to major in, and
3. to have students work individually and in groups on projects that enhance both
their written and oral communications skills. This is a communications intensive
course.
TEXTBOOK
The title of the text is: Understanding Business, by Nickels, McHugh and McHugh,
McGraw-Hill-Irwin.
The 9th edition is most desirable for your reading. But, to lessen the price impact on your
wallet (or your parents’ wallet) you can also use the earlier editions. Additional study
guides are only optional, not required.
1
GRADES
2/3rds of your grade comes from the large lecture quizzes—1/3rd comes
from the recitation sections
Lecture Quizzes:
Quizzes 1 through 4 (25 percent each)
Each quiz consists of 40 multiple-choice questions given during the final 50 minutes
of class. A shortened lecture precedes each quiz. Each quiz is based on the material
in the assigned chapters. “Boxes” and special discussions in the chapters are not
included. Be advised that many questions come only from my lectures and are
not in the book. Nor will I post them on Blackboard. If you are absent (or late)
from that lecture you will not be able to answer those questions. The lecture-based
questions are based on major points I discuss, not small details.
The quizzes are non-cumulative. Your final grade is determined by averaging your
top three quiz scores. If you take all four quizzes, your lowest score is dropped. If
you miss a quiz, it becomes your lowest score. Because this is a jumbo class, no
make-ups are given. No exceptions are granted. Bring a No. 2 pencil (and eraser)
to the quiz or you may be forced to “buy one” with a point off your quiz grade.
Needless to say, CHEATING IS NOT ALLOWED, and you will be reported to the
authorities and receive a zero for the exam if you are caught. The same is true for
PLAGARISM in the recitation assignments. Every semester a student or two is
given a zero in the recitation sections for plagiarizing assignments.
You may schedule an appointment with me if you think you were incorrectly graded.
Be advised, however, that I will not sit and argue about each question.
Recitation Assignments: (grade allocation based on100 percent)

“Shadow-a-Company” Group Presentation and paper
60%
Teams will be formed, which will pick a company (or be
assigned one by the recitation professor) and write a paper,
which is due the last day of class. Each team will make a 20
minute POWERPOINT presentation.


Written assignments #1, #2 and #3
Class participation + Attendance
2
30%
10%
THE “SHADOW-A-COMPANY” PROJECT
This is a communications intensive course. In addition to attending the large lecture, you
will break into 22-student recitation sections. The primary purpose of those recitation
classes is to teach you to speak and write clearly about a specific company.
You will pick (or be assigned) one of the following companies. (Your recitation
professor may change the list to suit his or her expertise.) You will then break into six
groups of three/four students each. The initial group of companies is:
1. Polo Ralph Lauren Corp (RL—NYSE—apparel retailer)
2. Sprint Nextel Corp (S—NYSE—telecommunications company)
3. Charles Schwab (SCHW—NYSE—discount brokerage firm)
4. Microsoft (MSFT—NASDAQ—computer software company)
5. Target Corp (TGT—NYSE—general merchandiser)
6. Walt Disney Co (DIS—NYSE—entertainment company)
7. Marriott International Inc (MAR—NYSE—hotel)
8. Yum! Brands Inc (YUM—NYSE—restaurants)
During the semester you will research your company and towards the end of the semester
make a group presentation about that company. At the end of the semester you will hand
in a written paper detailing your findings—including stock price changes, issues affecting
the company either positively or negatively and future prospects. Your recitation leader
will provide you with details on length, style and other issues.
ATTENDANCE, SEATING AND ABSENCE POLICY:
1. Attendance is taken by seat number. If you are not sitting in your assigned seat, you
will be marked absent. It is your responsibility to make sure you are in the right seat.
2. A permanent seating chart will be posted by the second or third week of class. Please
inform Mr. Grandone if you have special needs that require a seat up front.
3. My large lecture and the recitations each meet only 14 times. You are allowed a
maximum of two absences in my large lecture, and two absences in the recitation.
Lateness equals absence. Students who arrive late (or leave early) will be marked
absent. Three absences from my large lecture and your final grade for my section of
the course will drop by one letter grade—from, for example, B+ to B or C to C-.
Three absences from the recitation section and your final grade for that section will
drop by ADDITIONAL points as determined by that professor.
4. Tardy students distract from the lecture as they walk across the floor to their seat.
Furthermore, business values punctuality. Therefore, if you are more than 30
minutes late, I will sometimes refuse you admittance. If you are more than 30
minutes late, do not bother coming.
3
Large Lecture
Dates
1. August 29th
Topic
Chapters
Introduction
Recitation Sections
Date
Recitation Activities
1. August 26th
Introduction and team formation: Pick (or be assigned) one of
the companies above (or one that your recitation professor
substitutes) that you will follow throughout the semester.
Chapter 1: Business
Environment
2. September 12nd
Chapter 2: Economics
2.
Sept. 2nd
Chapter 3: Global
Markets
3.
Chapter 4: Ethics
September 19th
3. Sept. 9th
The recitation professor will explain how to do college level
research (no encyclopedias or Wikipedia). Introduction to the
tutorial: “The Beginner’s Guide to Business Research” at
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/tutorials
Ethics Discussion: Your recitation professor will assign a topic
or article for discussion.
Hand in Written Assignment #1: learning to do college level
research: Use the research tools in the tutorial to learn more
about your company. Submit a three-page, typed, “fact-based”
summary of what you found and how you found it. Be sure to
include the stock price.
4. September 26th
EXAM 1
4. Sept. 16th
4
Learning to use the Wassserman Trading Floor (Meet
there—ground floor of the library)
5.
October 3rd
6.
October 17th
Finance
Chapter 19: Stock
Market
5.
Sept. 23rd
6. October 4th
Hand in Written Assignment #2: How to write an effective
business memo: Search the internet for guidelines for writing a
business memo. Also, find some sample memo formats. Print out
and bring to class. No printouts = no points. Write a memo to
your recitation professor. Professor will summarize.
7. October 14th
Primer on Financial Literacy: Discussion of your basic personal
financial concepts such as credit scores. Handout assigned for you
to read before class.
8. October 21st
How to make a PowerPoint presentation: Research and write
down some of the basic concepts and commands for making
PowerPoint slides. Students will present to the others in class.
Chapter 13: Marketing
9. October 28th
Discussion of the basics of Excel spreadsheets
Chapter 14: New
Products and
Pricing
10. Nov. 4th
Hand in Written Assignment #3: Solving the Excel
spreadsheet problem: Discussion and solution by recitation
professor.
11. Nov. 11th
The basics of making an effective presentation
12. Nov. 18th
Presentation #1 and Presentation #2
Chapter 20: Financial
Institutions
Chapter 17: Accounting
Chapter 18: Financial
Management
7.
October 24th
8.
October 31st
EXAM 2
9.
November 7th
Marketing
10. November 14th
11. November 21
Chapter 15:
Distribution
st
Practice use the Wassserman Trading Floor—(Meet there)
Chapter 16: Promotion
12. November 28th
EXAM 3
5
13. December 5th
14. December 12nd
Management
Chapter 5: Forms of
Business Ownership
13. Dec. 2nd
Presentation #3 and Presentation #4
14. Dec. 9th
Presentation #5 and Presentation #6
Chapter 7: Leadership
Chapter 8:
Organizational
Structure
Chapter 10: Motivation
Last Exam (not cumulative) is given during
final exam week
6
7