Instituto Universitario
de Investigación en
Estudios Norteamericanos
“Benjamin Franklin”
PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
This class is designed for business students. The student will have the chance to learn
the most powerful tools used in business and use them preparing business plans. This
course introduces and builds an understanding of the functional business areas such as
managing employees, business strategies, decision making, organization design and
leadership. Trough out the course, there will be several cases and presentations of
business plans; thanks to them students will improve their communication skills, and will
learn how important teamwork is for an entrepreneur or a manager in a company.
Competence 1.
Leadership
Competence 2.
Teamwork
Competence 3.
Communication Skills
Competence 4.
Entrepreneurship
Competence 5.
Analytical Skills
Página 1
COURSE SUMMARY*
Week
Session
Hours
1
Course presentation. Syllabus review. History of MG theory
3
2
Corporate structures and management teams. Cases
3
3
Business Finance: P&L, Balance Sheet
and Cash Flow Analysis
3
4
Business Ethics & Social Resposability
3
5
Fundamentals of Marketing. Tools and Cases
3
6
Leadership and motivating employees
3
7
Structured Financing:
How to rise funds and How to deal with banks.
3
8
Communicating. Manager presentations
3
9
Leadership & Entrepreneurship
3
10
Off-site 1: Mahou Brewery
3
11
Strategy in business (Tools and business cases)
3
12
Off-site 2: TBD*
3
13
Business Plan Presentations (Day 1) - Defend your business
plan
3
14
Business Plan Presentations (Day 2) - Defend your business
plan
3
15
Final Test
3
Total
45
Página 2
*It may differ, cause dates are not 100% determined (TBD)
METHODOLOGY
Apart from participation and attendance, there will be two main evaluations for this course:
1. Business Plan Presentations (35 points): Each student will have to prepare a
business plan in depth. There will be a role play at the end of the course and each
stududent will have to present a start-up project to potential investors (the rest of the
class and the teacher).
Evaluation:
 General Performance  20 points; depending on their approach as a team
in regard of the following skills:
o Research  10 points. All figures of the presentation must be based
in reliable sources. Figures and graphs that help to better understand
the business will add points instead of slides full of useless
sentences.
o Quality of the structure and the execution of a business plan for
investments
 5 points. Tools learned during the course of the
sessions should help the students to explain their ideas.
o Quality of the power point presentation  5 points. The student must
be the center of the presentation, however in business Power Point is
a useful tool. Try to build a good Power Point presentation that helps
you to explain your ideas.
 15 points  Personal performance. Business is about people selling
products or services. The students must also adapt their speech to investors.
o Competences  10 points. Apart from being evaluated as a group,
each student will be evaluated for his/her skills as a manager (see 5
competences above)
o Active participation as an investor at the end of the rest of the groups
presentations  5 points
o PLUS 5 extra points to the best student. Each student will chose the
best presentation, so if there is consensus, that person gets more
votes will add points to final score.
2. Final Exam  30 points. Each student will have to pass an MCQ test about all the
Página 3
topics covered during the sessions.
PREPARATION
I
t is expected that students will read all cases or articles requested by the professor every
week and discuss them in class. Students are also assumed to participate actively in
class with relevant questions and comments.
EVALUATION
This course includes different evaluation systems. Student´s daily and continuous work will
be taking into account as well as their attitude and interest towards the subject.
 Business Plan Presentation
35 points
 Final Exam
30 points
 Class Participation/Attendance
35 points
 Total
100 points
Grades: 90-100 = A; 80 to 89 = B; 70 to 79 = C; 60 to 69 = D; Below 60 =F
Students who copy or plagiarize any school work including exams will get a 0 as a final
grade.
Participation
The grade for participation will be based on:
 High participation: student is ready for class most of the time, participates actively
with comments and asking questions relevant to the subject, showing that he has
read and has thought about the course materials. His attitude is positive and is
interested in the class.
 Low participation: student is not active in class, he is absent minded, talks with
other students, does not read course materials, does not ask questions. Does not
make comments. His attitude is passive and uninterested.
Off-Sites:
There will be two off-sites during the course. The students will have the opportunity to visit
two companies in Madrid. They will have the chance to get to know how business is made
in Spain.
Página 4
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is mandatory. If a student has more than two absences (not excused with a
doctor´s note or by his onsite coordinator) his final grade will be lowered 10 points for each
unexcused absence. It is the student´s responsibility to get class notes and homework for
the missing days.
It is the student´s responsibility to attend all classes and activities outside of the
classroom. Before making personal travel arrangements please talk with the
professor. Personal trips and family visits will not be justified excuses for
absences.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Apart from the class materials, we can recommended the following manual:

Management, 2nd Edition, by Thomas S. Bateman and Scott A. Snell McGraw-Hill
Irwin. (ISBN 978-0-07-740432-1, MHID 0-07-740432-7)
WE SPEAK IN ENGLISH
This course will be conducted in English. Course work, presentations and exams will be
in English.
Página 5