ENTR 300
Entrepreneurship
Fall Semester 2012
Days: Tuesday & Thursday Instructor: Prof. Bon
Time: 4:05 – 5:20 p.m.
E-mail: djb36@psu.edu
Place: 002 Sheetz Center
Office: 202D Sheetz Center
Phone: 814.949.5294
Office Hours:
T 10:30am-11:30am
W 9:30am-10:30am
R 10:30am-11:30am or by appt.
Course Description
The study of entrepreneurship has relevance today. It helps entrepreneurs fulfill their personal
needs as well as providing economic contributions to society. Entrepreneurship creates new jobs
and acts as a positive force in the economic growth by serving as the bridge between innovation
and the market place.
Entrepreneurship is more than something one does at a point in time. It is a philosophy of life.
The challenge to each student is to discover their own entrepreneurial potential and find ways to
capitalize on that potential. The challenge is to build an entrepreneurial career that might include
starting ventures, working for high growth ventures, taking over a family business,
entrepreneurship in a large company, and/or pursuing social and non-profit entrepreneurship.
The amazing entrepreneurs you will meet in the coming weeks can help you in defining your
path.
This class is learning by doing. It provides you with knowledge of leadership, teamwork, and
interpersonal skills to become a successful leader-entrepreneur. The hands-on projects will
provide you with “real world” examples of the frustrations and joys of owning your own
business.
Course Objectives:
1. To increase students’ knowledge of entrepreneurship.
2. To expose students to local entrepreneurs through guest speakers and interviews.
3. To enhance students’ creative thinking through classroom activities and presentations.
4. To expose students’ to entrepreneurship trends and events.
5. To distinguish entrepreneurial approaches to implementation and management of a
venture from conventional management approaches
6. To develop a better sense of some of the underlying characteristics, skills and behaviors
of successful entrepreneurs
7. To recognize the many dilemmas and choices that entrepreneurial individuals confront as
they pursue and implement their concepts, and the fact that the ‘right' course of action is
rarely apparent
8. To understand that successful entrepreneurship is both an individual and a team activity
Required Book – The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber ISBN: 0-88730-728-0
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Required Readings
Students are encouraged to read applied publications such as INC. magazine, Fast Company,
and Entrepreneur magazine and to look for insights in those publications that relate to the
various entrepreneurs and topics involved in the course. Subscriptions to any of these
publications can be gotten at a student rate. Other useful sources are www.entrepreneur.com,
www.entrepreneurmag.com, http://startup.wsj.com, www.entreworld.com, and
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/index.html. Students are strongly encouraged to
regularly access these sites for ideas to bring into class.
For Week 3 - Entrepreneurial Attributes And Characteristics
1. Natural-Born Entrepreneur by Dan Bricklin Harvard Business Review – 9/2001
2. The Reluctant Entrepreneur by Ken Veit Harvard Business Review – 11/1992
3. The Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs by Guy Kawasaki Harvard Business Review –
1/2001
4. Never Bet the Farm by Anthony L. Iaquinto and Stephen Spinelli Jr. Soundview Book
Summary – 9/2006
For Week 4 - Leadership & Management in an Entrepreneurial Business – 9/20
1. What Great Managers Do by Marcus Buckingham Harvard Business Review – 3/2005
2. The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson –
Harvard Business Review – 4/2012
4. Make Your Values Mean Something by Patrick Lencioni
Harvard Business Review, 7/2002
5. What's Your Culture Worth by Bo Burlingham
Forbes.com – 9/30/2002
Case study option - How Low Will You Go – Due the following week
For Week 5 - Leadership & Management in an Entrepreneurial Business (cont.)—9/25
1. The Hidden Traps in Decision Making by John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney,
and Howard Raiffa Harvard Business Review – 1/2006
2. The Trouble with Teamwork by Patrick Lencioni Patrick M. Lencioni –
Leader to Leader Institute
3. Giving It Away - The Art of Delegation by Paul Lemberg
www.talkbiz.com/digest/emt17.html
4. Delegating Strategically by Dr. Scott Williams
www.wright.edu/~scott.williams/LeaderLetter/delegating.htm
Case study option - The Micromanager – Due the following week
For Week 6 – Communication – 10/2
1. Barriers and Gateways to Communication by Carl R. Rogers and F.J. Roethlisberger
Harvard Business Review – 11/1991
2. Lost in Translation by Alison Stein Wellner Inc.com, Inc. Magazine, September 2005
3. A Crash Course in Communication by Sarah Fenson Inc.com, Inc. Magazine, August
2000
4. Listening to People by Ralph G. Nichols and Leonard A. Stevens Harvard Business
Review – 9/1957
5. The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why by Deborah Tannen Harvard Business
Review – 9/1995
Case study option - The CEO Who Couldn’t Keep His Foot out of His Mouth – Due the
following week
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For Week 7 - Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace – 10/9
1. Leadership That Gets Results by Daniel Goleman Harvard Business Review – 3/2000
Case study option - The Very Model of a Modern Senior Manager – Due the following
week
For Week 12 - Human Relations – Developing Human Capital – Pre-hire – 11/13
1. Zero Defect Hiring by Dr. Pierre Mornell
www.inc.com/magazine/19980301/889_Printer_Friendly.html
2. No Room for Compromise by Dr. Pierre Mornell
www.inc.com/magazine/19980801/986_Printer_Friendly.html
3. Making the Case for Behavioral Interviewing by Catherine F. Neiner
http://www.wetfeet.com/employer/articles/behavioral_interviewing.asp
Case study option - We Googled You – Due the following week
For Week 13 - Human Relations – Developing Human Capital – Post-hire – 11/29
1. 31 Core Competencies Explained by Edward J. Cripe and Richard S. Mansfield
www.decisioninsightinc.com/news/PerformanceCompetencies.pdf
2. Fundamental Attribution Error
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error
3. Crucial Confrontations-Summary by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan,
and Al Switzler Soundview Book Summary – 11/2004
4. Taking the Stress Out of Stressful Conversations by Holly Weeks Harvard Business
Review – 7/2001
5. How to Fire With Compassion and Class by Susan M. Heathfield
http://humanresources.about.com/od/discipline/a/firecompassion.htm
Case study option - The Reign of Zero Tolerance – Due the following week
For Week 14 – Entrepreneurial Challenges – 12/4
1. Succession Planning - Passing On The Mantle Small Business Administration (No longer
posted on the SBA.gov site)
2. Splitting Heirs by Stephanie Clifford http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070801/splittingheirs_Printer_Friendly.html
3. The Founder’s Dilemma by Noam Wasserman Harvard Business Review – 2/2008
Case study option - The Outstanding Outsider and the Fumbling Family – Due the
following week
Prerequisites
ECON 002 and ACCTG 211
Course Design and Method of Instruction and Course Requirements
Discussions and Lectures:
This course is designed to focus heavily on discussion. Students are expected to actively
participate rather than passively acquire concepts presented to them for their consumption.
It is imperative that each student read carefully the assignment for each class prior to
attending that day’s session. Students might be called upon at random to lead class
discussions.
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Profile of a Notable Entrepreneur
Students must do background research and write a 5-page (maximum length) paper on any
notable entrepreneur of their choosing. Examples include Michael Dell, Oprah Winfrey,
Richard Branson, Anita Roddick, Muhammad Yunus, Maxine Clark, and Sam Walton; but
there are thousands of others. The paper must delve into the person, not just their
accomplishments. The paper should look at the individual in terms of their character, their
values, their traits, their goals and objectives, their management styles, their skills and
limitations or weaknesses, their need for control, their risk tolerance, the family situation,
their community focus, and so forth. Papers must be properly referenced. The entrepreneur
chosen must have achieved a level of notoriety or recognition (e.g., past winners of the Ernst
and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, or individuals recognized by their communities
or nations, or individuals cited in the media). The individual can be a successful start-up
entrepreneur, corporate entrepreneur or social entrepreneur. This is not a story about their
company, but a story about the person as entrepreneur, leader, decision-maker, etc.
Entrepreneur Interview:
Each student will be required to interview an entrepreneur. This interview will explore the
background, influences, challenges, and/or a major crisis of the entrepreneur as well as
describing what you learned and how can you apply what you learned from that
entrepreneur. This interview should be presented through use of a video.
Case Study Assignment
Each week there will be a case-study reflecting an aspect of the material presented and
discussed. Following each case, there will be a specific question or path of action to be
taken and an analysis and recommendations from four different experts.
The assignment is to write your own “expert” opinion. If you agree with one of the expert
opinions given, state why and explain how and why you have reched the same or similar
opinion. Alternatively, you may choose to add a fresh or different perspective –but you
must explain why. It would be appropriate to draw on material from the assigned readings,
as well as your own experience.
You are required to choose three of the seven cases available to write on. Each case will
count as 10% of your final grade.
Cases are due the week following their listing in the course reading schedule.
Speakers/Guest Lecturers/Entrepreneurs
Throughout the course of the semester, there will be entrepreneurs and business leaders
attending the class as guest speakers. Students will be expected to dress business casual on
these occasions. Students will also be expected to bring questions and actively participate
when the occasion warrants. If you do not dress in business casual, your attendance will
not be counted for that class. Business casual means:
A nice shirt or blouse with a pair of kakis, dress pants, or skirt.
 No flip flops/sneakers
 No jeans
 No mid-drift shirts
 No sweatshirts/T-shirts
 No low-cut shirts
 No sweatpants
 No shorts
 No mini skirts
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The guests coming to our class deserve your respect and interest. They are doing Penn State
Altoona a big favor in modifying their busy schedules to share time with you.
Participation and Attendance
This grade takes into account a number of variables including but not limited to: 1) your
willingness to participate, 2) your cooperation in group and pair work, 3) your respect and
attitude towards the class and your classmates, and 4) your timely arrival to class. Pay attention
in class. Texting or surfing your computer is forbidden. Inattention and indiscreet eating are also
not appropriate. Cell phones must be turned off before entering the classroom.
Late Work
I will not accept late work unless due to a documented absence. There must be a reasonable
explanation for the absence.
Definition and Expectations of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible
manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The
Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act
in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University’s Code of
Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students’ dignity,
rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed
through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment not to engage in or
tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the
fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work
completed by others.
Consequences of Academic Dishonesty
The instructor may assign an academic sanction ranging from failure on the assignment to failure
in the course. The instructor reports each academic sanction to the Office of Judicial Affairs,
which keeps a record. Students can appeal academic sanctions to the Committee on Academic
Integrity through the Office of Academic Affairs. In more serious cases of academic dishonesty,
the Office of Judicial Affairs may apply disciplinary sanctions in addition to the academic
sanctions. These may range from automatic failure for the course to probation, suspension or
expulsion from the University. An “XF” grade is a formal University disciplinary sanction that
indicates on the student’s transcript that failure in a course was due to a serious act of academic
dishonesty. (Policies and Rules for Students, Section 49-20.)
Class Cancellation
I seldom cancel classes unless the classes are cancelled at the beginning of the semester and
noted in the syllabus. If I have access to the Internet and if class cancellation becomes
necessary, I will use the on-line class cancellation system to notify students. Use the URL below
to view classes that have been cancelled. http://www.aa.psu.edu/now/cancel.asp
Dissemination of Information
I will use ANGEL to send email messages to all members of the class. If you do not check
ANGEL mail regularly, you may forward your ANGEL mail to another email address. Use the
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online documentation included in ANGEL’s Help and Information Guide to learn how to
forward your ANGEL mail to another email address.
Note to Students with Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into its educational programs. If you have a
disability-related need for modifications or reasonable accommodations in this course, please
contact the Health & Wellness Center, Disability Services, located in the Sheetz Family Health
Center. For more information, call (814) 949-5540 or visit the Disability Services web site at
www.altoona.psu.edu/healthwellness. Your instructors should be notified as early in the semester
as possible regarding the need for modifications or reasonable accommodations.
Grading Guidelines
Overall, presentations, quizzes, papers, participation, and attendance will determine performance
for the course. Emphasis is placed on oral and written presentations, mastery of course material,
and cooperative learning.
Percentage Range
94% and above
90% - 93.99%
88 % - 89.99%
85% - 87.99%
80% - 84.99%
77% - 79.99%
70% - 78.99%
60% - 69.99%
Below 60%
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D
F
Evaluation
Discussion/Paragraphs
Networking Assignment
Entrepreneur Interview
Profile of a Notable Entrep.
Case Studies
Participation
Total
Weight
15%
10%
20%
15%
30%
10%
100%
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WK
Week of
Tuesday
1
8/28
Introductions and Expectations
2
9/4
Is there a teachable, learnable “core”
to entrepreneurship?
9/11
Entrepreneur
characteristics/competencies
9/18
Steps to starting a business –
Mr. John Horell
9/25
Leadership & Management in an
Entrepreneurial Business
10/2
Communication
10/9
Emotional Intelligence in the
Workplace
10/16
E-Myth Chpts. 6,7,8
10/23
E-Myth Chpts. 12,13,14
10/30
E-Myth Chpts. 15,16,17
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4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
11/6
E-Myth Chpts. 18,19, epilogue,
afterword
11/13
Human Relations – Developing
Human Capital – Pre-hire
Thanksgiving Break
13
14
11/27
Interview Roleplays
12/4
Entrepreneurial Challenges
15
12/11
Entrepreneur presentations
***This schedule may be subject to change
Thursday
8/30
Entrepreneur Interviews/Rubrics
Intro to Entrepreneurship
9/6
Newspaper article
9/13
Small business ideas
9/20
Leadership & Management in an
Entrepreneurial Business
9/27
E-Myth Intro.; chpts.1 & 2
10/4
No class
10/11
E-Myth Chpts. 3,4,5
10/18
EMyth Chpts 9,10,11
10/25
TBA
11/1
No class – Networking Assignment
due
11/8
Guest speaker – Mr. Marty Marasco
11/15
Guest speaker
Thanksgiving Break
11/29
Human Relations -- Developing
Human Capital – Post-hire
12/6
Entrepreneur presentations
12/13
Entrepreneur presentations
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