M I D D LE S E X
COM M U N ITY COLLE G E
BEDFORD
•
MASSACHUSETTS • LOWELL
Strategies for Success
COURSE GUIDE
Strictly Business:
Not Just Another
Computer Class
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant, Strategies for Success: Increasing Achievement, Persistence, Retention & Engagement, 2008-2013.
Title III Strengthening Institutions Project Strategies for Success: Increasing Achievement, Persistence, Retention and Engagement The Strategies for Success Title III initiative is a major, five‐year project (2009‐2013) funded by a two million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This initiative is intended to transform Middlesex Community College by improving the academic achievement, persistence, retention, and engagement of its students. The project focuses on reformed curricula and comprehensive advising. Reformed Curriculum involves the design of developmental and college Gateway courses and learning communities embedded with Core Student Success Skills related to critical thinking, communication, collaboration, organization, and self‐assessment. Overall, 45 courses will be impacted over the five years of the project. Comprehensive Advising involves the design of integrated advising services to include identification of academic and career goals, creation of realistic educational plans, and continuous tracking and intervention with an emphasis on the Core Student Success Skills. Comprehensive Advising Services will be specifically tailored to each program of study. Cross‐division curriculum and advising design teams composed of faculty and staff are designing, piloting, and assessing the curriculum and advising initiatives. The Title III grant provides resources to support faculty professional development related to designing and piloting new curriculum and advising students. The grant also supports the purchase of advising software programs and the hiring of a Pedagogical Instructional Designer, Learning Engagement Specialist, Advising Coordinator, and two academic advisors. The resources provided by the grant offer an exciting opportunity for the college community to work together to develop the strong programs and services that will increase student success. 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 2 1BLESSON PLAN 1: BUSINESS OWNER INTERVIEW ........................... 3 2BLESSON PLAN 2: THE VIRTUAL WORLD OF SECOND LIFE .............. 5 3BLESSON PLAN 3: STOCK MARKET PROJECT................................... 6 4BLESSON PLAN 4: RESUME WRITING ............................................. 9 5BLESSON PLAN 5: MIKE’S BIKES SIMULATION GAME .................... 11 6 PPENDIX A: SAMPLE SYLLABI .......................................................... 13 BUA
7BAPPENDIX B: HANDOUTS ................................................................. 23 Business Interview Questionnaire ........................................... 23 Lesson 3 Rubric ....................................................................... 27 2 Introduction This course introduces students to the world of business. Topics include basic economic ideas that teach students how to be business savvy and computer savvy in the same course! Students gain foundational business knowledge of economics, organizational structures, business ownership, management, marketing, financial operations, and the impact of ethical and social responsibilities worldwide. They will develop your critical thinking, research, planning, problem‐solving, leadership, and organizational skills, while working collaboratively with other students. While learning about the business world, students will hone their computer skills as they develop business presentations using computerized documents, spreadsheets, and multimedia applications. This course has also been designed to meet the goals of the Title III grant, Strategies for Success: Increasing Achievement, Persistence, Retention and Engagement. The grant has outlined the following Core Student Success Skills (CSSS): Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Organization, and Self‐Reflection. The concept is to lead students to apply these skills as a method for learning course content. The expectation is that by practicing these skills in this course, they will develop into more successful college students overall, and as a result, persist in their college studies. Team Members John Femia femiaj@middlesex.mass.edu Barbara Noonan noonanb@middlesex.mass.edu 3 Lesson Plan 1: Business Owner Interview 1B
Learning Objectives: After successfully completing this activity, students will be able to: • Schedule and correspond with a business owner • Demonstrate their understanding of how and why a business is organized • Identify products and services a business offers • Distinguish the differences between a balance sheet and an income statement • Communicate a marketing plan for a viable business (price, product, promotion and place) • Realize the constraints a business faces • Explain organizational structure and create an organization chart for a small business • Comprehend the current state of the economy and demonstrate how economics affects business planning and strategy • Prepare a SWOT (strengths‐weaknesses‐opportunities‐threats) analysis for an ongoing business or non‐profit organization • Prepare a written analysis and summary based on an informational interview • Prepare a concise summary of business using PowerPoint Core Student Success Skills Addressed: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking Suggested Timeframe: One thirty‐minute lecture before project begins, 3 hours outside of class to complete interview, 3‐4 hours to complete Word document and PowerPoint presentation outside of class. Presentation should be 30 minutes in class. Materials: Business Owner questionnaire Instructions In teams of 3‐5, students will select and interview a business owner of their choice. Students will make use of the Business Owner questionnaire (see appendix B) in their interview they will need to acquire the following information: • How the business runs • Core values of the business and what is important to the success of the business • The product or service that the business produces • How the product or service is marketed • How the company reacts to changes in the economy • How business cycles cause changes in strategy and planning. • How the business owner conducts financial planning • The organization’s structure, and resource allocation 4 •
•
•
The importance of employee relations The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the business How social responsibility impacts revenues and expenses Assessment: Upon completing the interview, the students will create a MS Word document detailing the interview, and prepare an oral presentation to the class using PowerPoint. 5 Lesson Plan 2: The Virtual World of Second Life 2B
Learning Objectives: After successfully completing this activity, students will be able to: • Demonstrate an understanding of virtual world technology and its applications Core Student Success Skills: Critical Thinking, Communication Suggested Timeframe: 2 hours Materials: Computer with Internet Handouts Context within the Course: This assignment will have the students become familiar with the computer and navigating the internet. It will allow for interaction with other people inside and outside the classroom in a virtual world. It helps students prepare for the Mike’s Bikes and Stock learning simulation projects. Instructions 1. Students will be introduced to Second Life which is a virtual world. 2. Each student will be required to create an alter ego known as an avatar in Second Life. 3. After creating an alter ego, students will practice teleporting to different locations in Second Life. 4. There will be a required class meeting at a predetermined virtual location. 5. When students are comfortable navigating in Second Life, there will be scavenger hunt where students will be required to teleport to various locations in Second Life and find objects and information. 6. Students will write a report about their experience in the virtual world. Assessment: Quiz 6 Lesson Plan 3: Stock Market Project 3B
Learning Objectives: After successfully completing this activity, students will be able to: • Demonstrate their understanding of how stock prices move up and down based on the market • Create a spreadsheet using data collected from the internet • Create formulas in MS Excel, especially with respect to the Mathematical Order of Operations. • Create functions and formulas within a range of data in MS Excel • Demonstrate an understanding of how historical price changes create gains or losses in a portfolio of stock investments • Explain the time value of money, and communicate how compounding works mathematically Core Student Success Skills: Critical Thinking Suggested Timeframe: Throughout the semester – 30 minutes in class and 30 minutes outside of class per week for 10 weeks Materials: Handouts Instructions 1. Instructors begin explaining why collecting and sorting data is important to a business. 2. After providing the rationale for business data analysis, the instructors will demonstrate how to develop formulas, and format spreadsheets. 3. During the demonstration, instructors will engage students by asking questions along the way. Instructors will call upon students randomly and they will help walk us through it, explaining their rationale, while the rest of the class follows along. 4. In the following weeks, the students will watch the stock market to see how the prices of stocks move during a 2 ½ month period. Each student will choose 6 companies to watch. 5. During this period, class discussions and lectures will address the following topics: • The theory of Supply and Demand (How prices move) 7 •
•
Investing in Growth or Income stocks The economy as a whole, including basic theory of inflation, interest rates, and unemployment. These topics are essential to understanding stock price movements. Understanding these topics will also help students when the PMT function in MS Excel is covered. Students will understand how, changes in interest rates, payments on goods such as cars and homes change. 6. The students will log stock prices of the 6 stocks they picked to watch. Each student will personalize a Yahoo page so that their individual portfolio shows them their stock prices daily. In class, we will set up an MS Excel spreadsheet template. Students will be responsible for entering the stock price data. The stock performance project includes: • A PRICES sheet that keeps the stock prices, including formulas using functions to find the High, Low, and Average Prices during the time period. • A VALUES sheet, that tracks the VALUE of their “portfolio” – based on an assumed investment of $1,000 in each company. The VALUES sheet will also include formulas that calculate total portfolio value, gain or loss, and % gain/loss calculations. • LINE CHARTS and PIE CHARTS created from the data they collect. The students will include in their reports, a line‐chart showing the price movements, and 2 pie charts showing total value of their portfolio. One pie chart will reflect values from the first day of tracking and the other will show values from the last day of their tracking. • A sheet that shows if there were any DIVIDENDS paid during the semester. 7. At the conclusion, the students write a 2‐3 page paper describing what these numbers mean. When we complete this sheet in the workbook, there will be one more review of CHARTS in MS Excel, which we will have already covered, and they will prepare the additional 3 charts for the project on their own. They will write the written part of the project in MS Word on their own, with correct MLA formatting. The students will also format the 2 worksheets, (PRICES and VALUES) before turning in the project. An interactive tutorial which shows students how to format a MS Word 2007 document in MLA style is available at http://tiny.cc/1etlx. 8 Assessment: The project will serve as the Assessment artifact (see Lesson 3 Project Rubric in Appendix B). 9 Lesson Plan 4: Resume Writing 4B
Learning Objectives: After successfully completing this activity, students will be able to: • Develop a Word document and understand Word formatting • Evaluate personal life experiences and transcend into business language • Identify job responsibilities and develop an appropriate educational plan to acquire skills required for successful career placement and advancement • Communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing, and create a document, i.e. cover letter • Perform basic operations using the Windows operating system • Manage files and folders using Windows Explorer • Identify the importance of interpersonal skills as well as improve these skills Core Student Success Skills: Critical Thinking, Self Assessment, Organization Suggested Timeframe: Three hours in class and three hours outside of class Materials: Computer Handouts Context within the Course: This will enable the student to become familiar with Word. It will allow the student to use the ruler, formatting, and spacing in Word. Students will be required to think creatively concerning management topics to create a resume that will generate interest a prospective employer’s interest. Instructions 1. Students will be instructed in the essential elements of a resume and cover letter. 2. Students will reflect on skills and abilities necessary to obtain a job. They will be required to tailor these skills and abilities into a resume to grab hold of a prospective employer’s attention. 3. Students will then open a Word document and begin to draft their own cover letters and resumes. 4. Instructors will demonstrate how to alter font styles and sizes as well as page margins. Students will then practice these skills. 5. Students will be paired and then exchange resumes. There will be peer evaluations of both resume and cover letter. Next Step: Students will go to the internet and research current job openings in their desired fields. They will utilize job search sites such as Monster.com and other similar 10 sites. This will enable them to compare their resumes and backgrounds to currently available positions in order to further refine their inventory of skills, education, and abilities. Assessment: The resume and cover letter will serve as the assessment artifacts. 11 Lesson Plan 5: Mike’s Bikes Simulation Game 5B
Learning Objectives: After successfully completing this activity, students will be able to: • Demonstrate an understanding of the following concepts: strategy, marketing, product development, operations, finance, and accounting • Develop strategy for an organization, and continually • Analyze company and market data using informative and detailed written reports and spreadsheets. Core Student Success Skills Addressed: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Organization Suggested Timeframe: Thirty minutes in class each week. One to three hours of out‐of‐
class homework. Materials: Mike’s Bikes Software Instructions 1. “Mike’s Bikes” is an introduction to management set in a simplified bicycle manufacturing firm. Students get the opportunity to understand the significance of all the key decisions required to run a small manufacturing business. 2. Teams of 3‐5 students will make fundamental marketing management choices. The teams decide whether to adopt functional marketing roles or be a general management team. 3. Each team competes directly against each other. Their performance can be measured by the results of their firm compared to the results of the other teams in the class. 4. All students start with the same product segment. When the game begins, the students decide on a product strategy choosing to implement one of three product strategies: • High Price, Lower Volume • Medium Price, Medium Volume • Low Price, Higher Volume 5. Student teams are continually promoted and their decision‐making responsibilities increase. As the simulation progresses, students have the option of increasing the number of products they sell, so they can develop from being a single‐product distributor into a more complex multi‐product firm if desired. Decisions involve such topics as: • Pricing and Advertising • Public Relations • Sales Forecast vs. Production Levels 12 •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Distribution Channels Branding Capacity Planner Production Efficiency Increasing Product Quality Bonds Issue Launching New Products First Product Redevelopment Abandon (existing product) Issuing or Buying Back Equity Paying Dividends The simulation accelerates student learning by making the class fun, interactive, and competitive. It highlights the key principles of marketing, capacity planning, and financial operations in a fun and engaging way. Students feel connected to the game and develop bonds to their classmates. Decision changes are made in real time and classmates compete against each other in teams. Each week the game moves ahead one year. Students have 8 years of experience running the company, and at the end of that time the team with the highest stock price wins the game. At the end of the game, teams will discuss their strategies, and determine what made their team successful or not successful. Sharing in the decision‐making process will reinforce the concepts in this wrap‐up discussion. Assessment: Instructors will create a rubric for assessing student efforts in the simulation. 13 Appendix A: Sample Syllabi
6BU
LIC 110: Strictly Business MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Instructor: John Femia Phone Number (978) 656‐3173 E‐Mail: femiaj@middlesex.mass.edu Office Hours TBA Instructor: Barbara Noonan Phone Number (978) 656‐3113 E‐Mail: noonanb@middlesex.mass.edu Office Hours TBA COURSE DESCRIPTION This course introduces students to the world of business. Topics include basic economic ideas that teach students how to be business savvy and computer savvy in the same course! Students gain foundational business knowledge of economics, organizational structures, business ownership, management, marketing, financial operations, and the impact of ethical and social responsibilities worldwide. They will develop your critical thinking, research, planning, problem‐solving, leadership, and organizational skills while working collaboratively with other students. While learning about the business world, they will hone your computer skills as they develop business presentations using computerized documents, spreadsheets, and multimedia applications. Students in this six credit learning community will receive credit for CAP 101 Microcomputer Applications and BUS 110 Introduction to Business. This course was redesigned as part of the Title III grant, Strategies for Success: Increasing Achievement, Persistence, Retention and Engagement. The course materials will focus on key skills of Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Organization, and Self‐Assessment. As students in the pilot version of this course, you will have an opportunity to think more explicitly about these skills, to apply them to course concepts and then to demonstrate how you have improved in these skills by the end of the semester. Operational definitions for each term are listed below: Critical Thinking: Critical Thinking involves a variety of means for integrating knowledge, using reasoning and solving problems. At its “Developing” Level (Application) it requires HU
U
HU
H
U
14 that students identify and use relevant information and reach conclusions consistent with evidence presented. At more “Proficient” and “Advanced” Levels it requires that students compare and contrast differing views, analyze and evaluate information logically, and make inferences based on testable hypotheses. Communication: Communication entails the ability of students to explain ideas related to what they are learning in clear oral or written forms. Such information may be presented individually or in groups. Skills may include the ability to break content down into smaller pieces, organize and summarize information, and demonstrate informational, technological, and quantitative literacy. Collaboration: Collaboration includes the skills necessary for students to work together in group activities and projects. This includes direct skills such as dividing tasks into parts, collecting and sharing information, and making group decisions. It also includes skills related to the processes for learning in community with others such as learning to appreciate differences, negotiating, compromising, and reaching consensus. Organization: Organization involves a variety of related abilities. These include the ability to systematically relate areas of content to each other, the ability to take an overarching piece of information and to present concepts in a logical manner, and the ability to come up with an outline to show how concepts relate to one another. It may also include the ability to read and follow the syllabus, time‐management, and the use of effective study skills. Self assessment: Self assessment includes setting academic and career goals, developing and following a plan to achieve those goals, and utilizing college resources to help students achieve their goals. It involves the ability to assess oneself to gain insight into how one learns, plans, makes decisions, and studies. It also involves the ability to examine how relevant theories apply to real life. Pre‐requisites: (EN 2103 Minimum Grade: D‐ or Reading Score 068 or Reading Exemption 999 or Grandfathered Read Exemption 666 ) and ( EN 1101 Minimum Grade: D‐ or English/Writing 103 or English Exemption 999 or EN 1102 Minimum Grade: D‐ ) and ( MA 1103 Minimum Grade: D‐ or Mathematics 104 or Math Exemption 999 or Mathematics 140 ) Intensive Values: Multicultural/Global Awareness; Values/Ethics/Social Policy Computer Literacy Instructional Materials TEXTBOOK: Marcella Kelly / Jim McGowen BUSN Cengage Publishing. ISBN‐10: 0324581882 | ISBN‐13: 9780324581881 | U
U
15 COMPUTER FILE STORAGE: (1) USB drive. You will be required to use a computer to write papers, download and analyze information, and do other assignments, as well as save your work. Instructional Methods There will be a great deal of reading in this course. We will try to supplement your reading by explaining what you learn in your reading assignments as simply as possible. We will try to use real life examples when possible in my lectures, and will try to think of analogies that will help simplify the concepts you will learn about in your reading. We want you to understand the theories we cover in class, but we also want you to be a critical‐thinker and a problem‐solver. We will show videos and assign outside reading that we will ask you to evaluate based on your new learning, and we are eager to listen to your points of view. You will also be assigned to work in teams quite often throughout the semester. Working with others can be very difficult, but in almost every situation you will face for the rest of your life you will have some interaction with others. We are hopeful you will develop and appreciate the teamwork skills you will gain that will be necessary for lifelong success, no matter what path you choose to follow in life. A skills classroom is quite different from a traditional classroom. Education as we have known it is primarily lecture, demonstration and exam‐based assessment. In this class, you will also learn on your own and from others as you perform activities and solve problems. In the process, you will: • Practice software skills using a step‐by‐step tutorial approach with initial demonstrations by the instructor. • Apply software skills to a business task. • Use technology to complete a business project. • Acquire and evaluate data • Organize and maintain files, interpret and communicate information, • Apply technology to specific tasks • Apply critical thinking and problem solving • Work with members of a team 16 Student Responsibilities Please be aware that there will be A GREAT DEAL OF READING in this course. You must be responsible enough to budget your time to complete the reading on schedule. Often times the theories are difficult to pick up at first, so you may need to read the material twice or more. YOU MUST ATTEND ALL CLASSES – We cannot be responsible for helping you catch up if you miss class time. It is not fair to those students who attend class, and we cannot stop their learning to help if you are not giving us your best effort. Successful people are those that have a good attendance record and give their best effort all the time. We EXPECT all of your assignments to be completed on time. Spelling and grammar are important. We want you to have pride in your work. You will be working in teams a lot during the semester. Developing soft skills such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, and working together are qualities that are common in all successful people. We have often learned more about things when teaching others, so we are hoping your cooperation and patience with others will lead to a better comprehension of all our classroom conversations. We like to listen to other viewpoints because it helps us to evaluate our own understanding of concepts, issues, and opinions on all subjects. We hope you will be open‐minded in listening and speaking with your classmates, and hope you will develop a network of friends that will take your learning to a higher level than just that of writing down lecture notes. We want you to go beyond the concepts we cover and anticipate having interesting conversations with you in class about success stories and we look forward to your participation in all classroom discussions. Knowledge, Skills and Goals by Topic MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES • Describe organizational structures and hierarchies • Summarize the roles of the various departments within an organization • Choose an appropriate form of ownership for different business types and sizes • Illustrate leadership concepts, and self evaluate leadership traits ECONOMICS • Explain competition and illustrate the characteristics of market types • Summarize Supply and Demand and how they affect price and quantity in the marketplace U
U
U
U
17 •
•
•
Recognize barriers to entry new businesses face when entering competitive markets Summarize the phases of business cycles and rationalize business decisions based on the state of the economy as well as future expectations Describe how unemployment and inflation affect a company’s performance and planning MARKETING • Identify marketing concepts such as Price, Product, Promotion and Placement in bringing new ideas or products to the marketplace • Identify SWOTs (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) • Illustrate and give examples of how businesses benefit by investing resources in technology and productivity • Describe and evaluate how businesses compete through product differentiation ETHICS • Develop an awareness of business ethics • Evaluate historical lessons of unethical behavior FINANCE • Identify Income Statement Items • Prepare a simple twelve month Profit and Loss projection • Research and numerically summarize business start up costs SOFT SKILLS • Develop skills such as critical thinking, writing, researching and presenting in evaluating businesses and choices businesses face in the decision‐
making process • Work in teams to deliver professional presentations on business topics • Offer critiques on presentations and participate in brainstorming activities, question and answer activities, and roundtable discussions KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ATTITUDE GOALS The student will learn to: • Name and identify fundamental components and operating principles of a microcomputer, including hardware, applications software, operating systems, and network connectivity 18 •
•
•
•
•
Perform basic operations using the Windows operating system, including format and copy disks, and manage files and folders using Windows Explorer Use the Internet as a research and communications tool to browse the Web, Search the Web by subject directory or keyword Use E‐mail in a professional manner Use Microsoft Office as a business productivity and problem‐solving tool for: Word Processing, Spreadsheet Analysis, Business Graphics, Presentation graphics Identify the importance and improve these Basic Skills: Reading ‐ locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules. Writing – clearly communicates thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing; and creates documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, and flow charts Arithmetic/Mathematics ‐ performs basic computations and approaches practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques Listening ‐ receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues Speaking ‐ organizes ideas and communicates well orally Identify the importance and improve these Thinking Skills: Creative Thinking ‐ generates new ideas Decision Making ‐‐ specifies goals and constraints, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses best alternative Problem Solving ‐ recognizes problems and devises and implements plan of action Visualizing ‐ organizes, and processes symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information Knowing How to Learn ‐‐ uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills U
U
19 Reasoning ‐ discovers a rule or principle underlying the relationships between two or more objects and applies it when solving a problem Identify the importance and improve these Personal Qualities: Responsibility ‐ exerts a high level of effort and perseveres towards goal attainment Self‐Esteem ‐ believes in own self‐worth and maintains a positive view of self Sociability ‐‐ demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings Self‐Management ‐ assesses self accurately, sets personal goals, monitors progress, and exhibits self‐control Integrity/Honesty ‐ chooses ethical courses of action Identify the importance and improve these Interpersonal Skills: Collegiality ‐ participates as member of a team; teaches others new skills Serves Clients/Customers ‐ works to satisfy customers' expectations Exercises Leadership ‐ communicates ideas to justify position, persuades and convinces others, responsibly challenges existing procedures and policies Negotiates ‐ works toward agreements involving exchange of resources, resolves divergent interests Works with Diversity ‐ works well with men and women from diverse backgrounds Assignments Assignments passed in on time will receive full credit. Exams Students attending all classes should have no problem with the exams, which will be based on the class lectures, assignments and all readings. 20 There are no make‐up exams, not showing up for an exam will result in a grade of “0”. In the event of extremely special circumstances, at our discretion, we may choose to allow you to take a make‐up exam. Please be aware, though, that in fairness to your classmates that come to the scheduled exams on time, make‐up exams will be CONSIDERABLY more difficult. We strongly urge you to make sure you show up for the exam on the date scheduled and on‐time. Attendance Policy It is the responsibility of each student to keep current with the lectures and assignments, and not slow others from progressing through the semester. Absences Attendance Points 1 – 3 100 4 50 5+ 0 ** Any student missing 3 consecutive classes without communicating with us will be asked to withdraw from the class. Please be on‐time to class. When we close the door to start class, if you are not seated and ready, you are absent. Being tardy is disrespectful to students who come to class on time. Repeated tardiness may result in your standing in the front of the class to explain to your fellow students why you are late. Grading Students will earn a letter grade based on their performance as follows: Projects & HW Assignments 100 Points Case Studies & Research Papers 100 Points Business Plan 300 Points Exams 200 Points 100 Points Attendance & Participation Final Exam Presentation 200 Points TOTAL 1000 Points Letter Grades will be assigned based on the points you earn for each assignment listed above: 900 ‐ 1000 A 850 ‐ 900 B 21 825 ‐ 850 C 800 ‐ 825 D Below 800 F ` ***Please note that Attendance and Participation are part of your grade. The attendance policy is strict. If you miss 5 classes or more, you will be starting with a B, and you will not be eligible for a grade of A or A‐. Not showing up for the final exam is grounds for an automatic grade of “F”. Week # READING SCHEDULE Week 1 Sept 8 – 10 Overview of Course, Student Introductions Week 2 Sept 15 –17 Chapter 1: Business Now: Change is the Only Constant Week 3 Sept 22 –24 Chapter 2: How Economics Affects Business Chapter 3: Competing in Global Markets Week 4 Sept 29 –1 Chapter 4: Demonstrating Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility Week 5 Oct 6 –8 Chapter 6: Choosing a Form of Business Ownership Chapter 7: Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business Week 6 Oct 13 –15 Chapter 15: Management, Leadership, and Employee Empowerment Chapter 16: Human Resources and Adapting Organizations to Today's Markets Week 7 Oct 20 –22 Chapter 17: Information and Technology 22 Week 8 Oct 27 ‐ 29 Chapter 11: Marketing: Customer Service Chapter 12: Marketing: Product Strategy Week 9 Nov 3 –5 Chapter 13: Marketing: Distribution and Price Week 10 Nov 10 –12 Chapter 14: Marketing Promotion Week 11 Nov 17 –19 Chapter 8: Accounting Chapter 19: Financial Management Week 12 Nov 24 TBA Week 13 Dec 1 – Dec 3 Chapter 10: Securities Markets: Financing and Investing Opportunities Chapter 20: Understanding Money, Financial Institutions and the Federal Reserve Start Final Project Week 14 Dec 6 –8 Final Project Presentations Week 15 Dec 15 Final Project Presentations FINAL EXAMS Dec 12 –16 Presentations 23 Appendix B: Handouts
7B
Business Interview Questionnaire
Mission and Values • What is most important to your business? • Do you have a Mission Statement that reflects how you do business? • What are your “Core Values” and why are they important? • How important is customer service? Marketing • Describe your Product – what does it mean to you, and what is the “VALUE” to your customers? • What is your “Product Differentiation?” – how is your product different than your competitors, and how do you get the customer to understand why they should buy from you and not your competition? • How do you Price your product? Are you high price, low volume, medium‐
medium, or low price high volume? Why do you price your product this way? • How do your customers get your product (Place)? • Do you have a company slogan? Do you have a logo? How were they developed? • Tell me about your Promotions – how do customers find out about you and your products? How much money do you spend on advertising expenses per month, and where do you spend it (TV, Magazines, Newspaper, Trade Shows etc.)? • What is your market niche? Who are your target customers? How do you cater to that specific population? Tell me what you can about your customer demographic? What must you do today, this week, this month, this year, to be #1 in your market niche? Strategy and Planning • How would you describe your overall business strategy? Are you trying to improve your market share, or do you concentrate on improving your product and the efficiency of your operations? • Is your business a one time sale, or do you have recurring revenues – If you have repeat customer‐‐ How do you keep them coming back? Why do customers walk away? • Do you love what you are doing and where you are going right now? Is that important to the success of your business? 24 •
•
Do you have an AOP –annual operating plan? Do you have a five‐year plan? Do you compare actual sales and expenses versus your forecast? What do you do on a day‐to‐day basis that provides the highest and best return on your time? Economics • Does the current state of the economy help or hurt your business? Why or why not? What are you doing to change your business in light of the current downturn we are facing? What is different about your business today than five years ago? • Do you do business locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally? Do you have plans to expand? What is the absolute maximum upside potential of your market? • How is the current employment rate, and consumer confidence affecting your company? • Do you know how the current health care initiatives will affect your bottom line? • What governmental regulations affect your business? How and why? • Do the seasons play a role in your business? If so, how do you compensate for changing conditions? • How do taxes affect your business? Can you tell me what type of taxes affect your company the most? Why? Technology • How has technology changed your business? • Can you give me an example of how changing technology has changed the way you do business? Supply Chain Management • Tell me about your supply chain – where do your products come from, and how do you handle ordering and inventory? • Is there anything important about the timing of your inventory management? • How important are relationships with suppliers and vendors? Employees • How many employees do you have? How long do your employees stay? How do you judge their performance? Do you pay more or less than your competition? Why do employees leave? Do you offer training for your employees? What are your benefits, and what do they cost you per employee? 25 •
Would you describe your decisions as being “top down” – where you make the decisions and instruct your employees, or do you empower them to make decisions? How much leeway do you give them in making decisions? Do you have an example of an employee seeing something you have not that changed the way you operate? SWOT • What are your Strengths? • What are your Weaknesses? • Does the business have any opportunities that you are currently exploring? • What are the Threats to your business? Financially • What are your revenues? You can give us a ball park figure if you do not want to divulge sensitive information. • What are your costs of goods sold and fixed costs, versus the variable costs you incur? How important is controlling costs? • How do you decide on whether or not to invest in capital equipment? Are you currently spending more on repairs rather than buying new equipment because of the economy? • What is your weekly payroll? • Do you have an accountant? • How much do your employee benefits cost you? Social Responsibility • Is Social Responsibility important to you? • Is it important to your customers? • Do you support any charities, sponsor local sports teams or other events? • How and why is this important to your business? Other • What else can you tell me about your business that you feel is important and that I have not asked you? Next Steps After students present their business summaries orally in class, there will be a discussion comparing and contrasting different methods used by different business owners. 26 Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast different strategies used based on business size, product (or service) type, economic conditions, and overall goals of the organization. Students will formulate opinions on how to run a successful organization, taking bits and pieces from each presentation. 27 Lesson 3 Rubric
The Lesson 3 project will be graded according to the following rubric. Prices Sheet Evaluation Criteria Student provided stock name and symbol on both the prices and values worksheets. Student provided the FUNCTION for the High, Low, and Average for each stock on the prices sheet. Student provided the correct price for each stock for each day of tracking, with day, date, and price. Student formatted the sheet correctly so that The columns are even for width. The title of the worksheet is centered across the entire selection. The row heights and the columns are the same width and the stock names and symbols fit appropriately. (see FORMAT> CELLS> ALIGNMENT> HORIZONTAL>CENTER ACROSS SELECTION) The row heights are adjusted so that the text wraps if necessary. Student formatted the prices for currency within 2 decimal places. Values Sheet Evaluation Criteria Student provided stock name and symbol. Students formatted the sheet so that The columns are even for width. The title of the worksheet is centered across the entire selection. The row heights and the columns are the same width. The stock names and symbols fit appropriately. (See FORMAT> CELLS> ALIGNMENT> HORIZONTAL> CENTER ACROSS SELECTION) The row heights are adjusted so that the text wraps if necessary. Students formatted the sheet so that The investment is formatted as currency with no decimal places, and a formula links the Purchase Price to the opening price on the Prices sheet. The Purchase Price is formatted as currency with 2 decimal places. The students Used the function ROUNDDOWN to divide the investment by the Purchase Price to show the number of shares owned. Formatted the number of shares as a general number with no decimal places. The students Entered each day a formula multiplying the # of shares owned times the price for that day from the Prices sheet. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: The # of shares owned will be a mixed reference locking in the row but not the column. The second part of the formula will be a link to the appropriate price for that day, and will be a relative reference.) Points 1 10 1 5 1 Points 1 5 1 5 5 28 Students added a column to add the total value (use AUTOSUM) of their stocks for each day. Students added a GAIN/LOSS column for each day. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: Add a formula to subtract the sum of the total value each day from the original sum of the investment from the first day. You will not have a GAIN/LOSS on day 1. You will need to subtract the original investment from the sum each day. The formula will contain a relative address (the autosum from each day) minus an absolute reference for the total investment from the first day. Your formula should NOT subtract the value today from the value of the day before, but from the first day.) Students added a row at the bottom of each column to subtract the first day’s value from the last day’s value. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: This will give you the GAIN/LOSS for each individual stock. The AUTOSUM of these GAINS/LOSSES should be equal to the column showing the GAIN/LOSS for each day.) Students printed both the prices and values on one page each. (See FILE>PAGE SETUP> FIT 1 page wide by 1 page tall.) Graph Evaluation Criteria (Three graphs must be included in report.) Student provided a LINE CHART showing the prices for each day. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: The line chart should have the DATE (not the day!) on the X axis and the Y axis should show a dollar amount for the PRICES. Make sure your chart has an appropriate TITLE, and the LEGEND should show either the STOCK PRICE or the STOCK SYMBOL. You decide which one you want.) Student provided a PIE CHART of the VALUES from day 1. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: The pie chart should show the VALUE of each slice from day 1, and the legend should show the stock NAME or SYMBOL. Your Chart SHOULD BE FORMATTED APPROPRIATELY.) Student provided a PIE CHART of the VALUES from the last day. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: The pie chart should show the VALUE of each slice from the last day, and the legend should show the stock PRICE or SYMBOL. Your Chart SHOULD BE FORMATTED APPROPRIATELY.) Student provided a printout of the VALUES sheet showing all of your formulas (CONTROL ~). Dividends Page Evaluation Criteria Student provided a sheet that lists any dividends that your stock may have received. The dividend sheet should show The stock, # of shares, Dividend date Amount of dividend per share. (NOTE TO STUDENTS: Take the dividend per share and multiply by the number of shares to show the total income generated for the period.) Data Analysis Report Evaluation Criteria Student provided a two page report explaining what all these numbers and charts mean. The report is formatted with page numbers in the header with 1 5 5 10 10 Points 5 5 10 15 Points 20 Points 30 29 inch margins all the way around (right, left, top, and bottom) as well as a cover sheet with a title and the student’s name. NOTE TO STUDENTS: In your report, please answer the following questions: What was the price on day 1 and what was the price on the last day? Compare these numbers to the high low and average numbers. Did the price start high and continually sink? Or, did it start low and rise? How do the prices from the first and last day compare to the average price? What does that mean? What was your total investment? How many shares of each stock did you own? In looking at the Gain/Loss COLUMN from the VALUES sheet, when could you have sold your stocks to make the most money? When would you have lost the least? Which stocks made you money and on which stocks did you lose money? (See the GAIN/LOSS row at the bottom of the VALUES sheet.) Are your stocks moving in an upward or downward trend, or are they staying fairly level? (Comment on the PRICES graph.) Do you think the economy or current events had an impact on the stock price? Why? (Think about what each company does, and what industry they are in.) TOTAL PROJECT POINTS 150