BUSINESS IN THE CANADIAN CONTEXT—ADMS 1010
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
We will look at key issues and companies in Canadian business. How has Canada achieved prosperity? How might
we maintain it in a globalized economy? We will examine how our geography, our people and our legal and
political institutions have shaped business and business has shaped government. We will use business case studies
to look at political, economic and legal issues in the Canadian context.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: THE FINE PRINT
Prerequisite: AP/ADMS 1000 3.00. Course credit exclusions: None. PRIOR TO FALL 2009: Prerequisite: AK/ADMS
1000 3.00. Course credit exclusions: AK/ADMS 1010 3.00, AK/ADMS 2410 3.00 (prior to Summer 1999), AK/ADMS
2420 3.00 (prior to Summer 1997), AK/ADMS 2430 3.00 (prior to Summer 2005).
Additional Requirements: AK/ADMS1000 3.0 or previously completed AK/ADMS2000.03 Note: Not open to
students who have taken AK/ADMS 2410 3.0 or AK/ADMS 2420 3.0 or AK/ADMS 2430 3.0 Students are personally
responsible to ensure that they have the required prerequisites as stated in the course outline or in the course
calendar.
ALERTS:
Please BE AWARE: Students CANNOT write exams or submit any work for sections that they are not registered in.
Students must confirm the correct section within the first two weeks of class. The instructor/course director has
NO AUTHORITY to enroll students into the course. Please direct all registration questions to the main office of the
Administrative Studies (http://www.yorku.ca/laps/sas/index.asp ). DO NOT contact the instructor/course director
in these matters. Students who do not have the prerequisites are at risk of being dropped from the course at any
time during the course. The School will not be responsible for refunds resulting from students being dropped from
a course due to a lack of the appropriate prerequisites.
T HIS SECTION IS GOING TO BE MANAGED THROUGH M OODLE .
COURSE OBJECTIVE:
You will know how Canada’s business culture and laws have evolved, how Canadian business has failed and
succeeded, and you will know better where business in Canada is going.
ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
REQUIRED COURSE TEXT / READINGS
Joe Martin. Relentless Change: A History of Canadian Business. University of Toronto Press, 2010
CIVICS CANADA ONLINE TEXTBOOK. OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES.
HTTP:// WWW.CIVICSCHANNEL .COM / CIVICS/ INDEX.PHP/WELCOME _TO_CIVICS_CANADA _ONLINE
Students will be expected to read and discuss current Canadian business issues and events. These can be found in
sources such as The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, the Toronto Star, the National Post, CBC.ca, CTV.ca and
Canadian Business magazine.
Links to good sources for global business and economic news can be found in the Business Section of Google News.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/index.asp
COURSE INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION
EVALUATING YOUR PERFORMANCE
1. FINAL EXAM 35%
2. MIDTERM TEST (WEEK 6) 30%
3. TWO QUIZZES (WEEK 5 AND WEEK 10) 25%
4. BEST TWO OF THREE IN-CLASS PROJECTS (WEEK 3, WEEK 8 AND WEEK 11) 10%
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
EXPANDED COURSE DESCRIPTION
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION
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
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WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO FOR 12 WEEKS ?
WHAT IS CANADA?
WHAT IS BUSINESS?
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/index.asp
http://www.prenhall.com/divisions/hss/worldreference/CA/introduction.html
http://www.canadianstudies.ca/NewJapan/institutions.html
Civics Canada Online Textbook
Relentless Change, pp. 1-14
EXERCISES – Why are you in Canada? Why are you going into the business world?
WEEK 2: DEFINING CANADA — CURRENCY AND BANKS
THE CANADIAN CONFEDERATION AND CANADIAN INSTITUTIONS, CURRENCY AND BANKS
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
Civics Canada Online Textbook
James Powell. A History of the Canadian Dollar. “Currency Reforms 1841-1871” http://www.bank-banquecanada.ca/en/dollar_book/1841-71.pdf History of the Canadian Dollar The chapter you want is Currency Reforms
(1841-71).
Confederation (civics textbook) Talks about the enormously complex precursors to the Government of Canada: fur
companies, French crown, English military, the First Nations, United Canadas, etc. Why do the Europeans need or
want better government in North America? What does this have to do with business?
Canadian Financial institutions A Government of Canada explanation.
Case: Relentless Change, Bank Act of 1871, pp. 20-37
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Canadian Government Structure

Confederation: What is it?
o
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Confederation vs Unitary State
Difference between Canada and US Confederation
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
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The evolving nature of Canada’s Confederation
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The fiscal and institutional arrangements of federal-provincial relations
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·Differing Approaches to regional economic diversities and disparities

Effect on Canadian Business
EXERCISES –Rules for banks
WEEK 3: CANADA EXPANDS —AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING
SETTLEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT —FOREST TO FARMLAND
THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURING
PROTECTIONISM AND THE NATIONAL POLICY
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
The Massey Harris Company
Civics Canada Online Textbook
Agriculture in Canada
Manufacturing in Canada
Statscan Information on Manufacturing
Stuff to know on Trade Policy: Go look up these words. Know them!
Generic: Tariffs, Mercantilism
Canadian historical: National Policy, Reciprocity Treaty
There's material all over the web about these topics. You don't need to be a trade economist and learn
them in depth. Just know what they mean and be able to talk about them sensibly. Trade policies
determine a lot of what firms can do successfully.
Case: Relentless Change, Massey Harris Company, pp. 60-76
WEEK 4: CNR—THE GOVERNMENT IN THE ECONOMY
THE RAILROADS
KEYNESIANISM AND THE DEPRESSION
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
The CNR http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0006655
Keynes in Canada http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004289
The Depression in Canada
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0003425
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
Social Welfare in Canada
Crown Corporations in Canada
Rasmussen's slides on Crown Corporations
Railways in Canada
CN today
Case: Relentless Change: Wars, Depressions and Dynamic Growth, pp. 79-94 AND CNR, pp. 100-117
WEEK 5: AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
How did the Canadian government first support this dominant industry? What were the costs and benefits? What
can it tell us about business and government today?
Manufacturing and FDI
The role of the auto sector in the Canadian economy
History of US Canada trade and investment
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
The Auto Industry—Canadian Encyclopedia
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000412
http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/trade_agreements/topics/326/
Foreign Ownership of Canadian Companies A Wikipedia article!
Foreign Investment in Canada
Great Depression in Canada
Photos of the Great Depression in Canada
Government of Canada's ppt on Auto Sector
Case: The Canadian Automobile Industry, pp. 120-136
WEEK 6: THE MIDTERM
WEEK 7: THE RISE OF THE CANADIAN CONSUMER AND CANADIAN RETAIL
I NCREASING PROSPERITY AND THE R OLE OF C ONSUMERISM IN THE C ANADIAN E CONOMY

E CONOMIC E XPANSION AFTER WWII
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T HE US R ETAIL I NVASION AND ITS IMPACT ON C ANADA

I MPACT OF THE C ANADIAN D OLLAR
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
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F UTURE I MPACT OF G LOBALIZATION ON C ANADIAN R ETAIL
THE ROLE OF RETAIL AS CULTURAL INSTITUTION IN
C ANADA .
W OMEN IN THE WORK FORCE
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
Eaton’s: A Canadian Institution http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/business/topics/377/
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Eaton%27s
Competition: The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter
History of Women in the Canadian Workforce
Retail Council of Canada
R. B. Bennett The Prime Minister when H. H. Stevens was Finance Minister. Set up the Royal commission on Price
Spreads to appease discontent.
The Eaton Family: Can a family business last four generations?
http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/business/topics/377/ ,
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Eaton_family
H. H. Stevens Interesting guy. Chair of the Price Spreads Commission.
Case: Eaton’s and Simpson’s-Sears, pp. 140-157
WEEK 8: THE BANK OF CANADA: FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, LAWS AND POLICIES
IN CANADA
THE FOUNDING OF THE BANK
History
THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE BANK
Why monetary policy matters
David Olive on James Coyne
Jack Layton’s big mistake re the Bank of Canada
US Federal Reserve Bank and Politics
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
WEEK 9: CANADIAN MINING—THE CASE OF INCO
N ATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
C ANADIAN OWNERSHIP AND GLOBAL COMPANIES
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
Canadian Suppliers of Mining Goods and Services, pp. xiii-xv. http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/mms-smm/busiindu/pdf/minegs-eng.pdf
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/heirloom_series/volume4/268-271.htm
http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/heirloom_series/volume3/chapter11/chapter11.htm
Overview
Activists and watchdogs
Nice history of mining in Canada Download the pdf and you're good to go.
The industry association
How First Nations negotiate with mining companies Inco and Voisey's Bay
How much is left? A really interesting interactive page that tells you how much is left of critical natural resources.
Check out the minerals (orange in the time line).
Funky newspaper from Inco in the 1960's Imagine what life was like when the company was everything.
Case: A New World at Inco, pp. 200-220
WEEK 10: OIL IN ALBERTA
N ATIONALISM AND REGIONALISM
F OREIGN D IRECT I NVESTMENT
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/energy_production/topics/378
http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/events/issues_nep.html
History of the petroleum industry in Canada
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
Stories in the news: It seems there is a debate in the US over whether importing oil from Alberta is a bad idea.
National Geographic Magazine and the Tar Sands A couple of years ago, NG published a critique of the tar sands. It
created a lot of debate. Check it out.
 Profile of the Oil Industry in Canada
 History of the Oil Industry in Canada
 Impact of Oil on Regional Disparity in Canada
 Oil and NAFTA
 Environmental Concerns
 Need for Regulation or Deregulation
Case: Canada’s Black Gold, pp. 221-239, Oil Sands, pp. 318-339
WEEK 11: WINE IN CANADA
F REE T RADE A GREEMENT (FTA) AND N ORTH A MERICAN F REE T RADE A GREEMENT (NAFTA)
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/trade_agreements/topics/536/
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0003054
 History of the Wine Industry in Canada
 Profile Today of the Wine Industry in Canada
 Review of Protectionism
 Role of Free Trade Agreements
 Key Stumbling Blocks to Global Free Trade
 Comparative advantage
Case: The Challenging Years, pp. 243-260 AND Wine Industry, pp. 265-283
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
WEEK 12: CONFEDERATION LIFE AND RBC
Profile of the Financial Services Industry in Canada
Canada’s Financial Service Industry Compared to US
Role of the government in managing risk
A Case of the merging of Canadian Banks.
R ISK , CONCENTRATION AND REGULATION IN C ANADA ’ S F INANCIAL I NDUSTRIES
R EADINGS ( TO BE DONE PRIOR TO CLASS ) :
Case: Confederation Life, pp. 286-301 and RBC, pp.303-317 and Conclusion, pp. 340-355
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Deferred standing may be granted to students who are unable to write their final examination at the scheduled
time or to submit their outstanding course work on the last day of classes. In order to apply for deferred standing,
students must complete a Deferred Standing Agreement (DSA) form and submit their request no later than five (5)
business days from the date of the exam. The request must be properly submitted with supporting documentation
directly to the main office of the School of Administrative Studies (282 Atkinson), NOT to the Course Director.
These requests will be considered on their merit and decisions will be communicated to the students by the main
office. Students with approved DSA will be able to write their deferred examination during the School's deferred
examination period,which for Winter term courses will be administered during the period Friday May 13 through
Sunday May 15. No further extensions of deferred exams shall be granted. The format and covered content of the
deferred examination may be different from that of the originally scheduled examination. The deferred exam may
be closed book, cumulative and comprehensive and may include all subjects/topics of the textbook whether they
have been covered in class or not. Any request for deferred standing on medical grounds must include an
Attending Physician's Statement form; a “Doctor’s Note” will not be accepted.
DSA Form: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/deferred_standing_agreement.pdf
Attending Physician's Statement form: http://www.yorku.ca/laps/council/students/documents/APS.pdf
IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION
The Senate Academic Standards, Curriculum and Pedagogy (ASCP) provides a Student Information Sheet that
includes:
•
York's Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures / Academic Integrity Web site
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
•
Access/Disability
•
Ethics Review Process for Research Involving Human Participants
•
Religious Observance Accommodation
•
Student Code of Conduct
Additional information:
•
Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
•
Alternate Exam and Test Scheduling
•
Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy
The Senate Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy stipulates that (a) the grading scheme (i.e. kinds and weights of
assignments, essays, exams, etc.) be announced, and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class,
and that, (b) under normal circumstances, graded feedback worth at least 15% of the final grade for Fall, Winter or
Summer Term, and 30% for ‘full year’ courses offered in the Fall/Winter Term be received by students in all
courses prior to the final withdrawal date from a course without receiving a grade.
•
Important University Sessional Dates ( you will find classes and exams start/end dates, reading/cocurricular week, add/drop deadlines, holidays, University closings and more.
http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/importantdates/index.htm
•
"20% Rule"
No examinations or tests collectively worth more than 20% of the final grade in a course will be given during the
final 14 calendar days of classes in a term. The exceptions to the rule are classes which regularly meet Friday
evenings or on Saturday and/or Sunday at any time, and courses offered in the compressed summer terms.
•
Final course grades may be adjusted to conform to Program or Faculty grades distribution profiles.
•
Services for Mature and Part-time Students
The Atkinson Centre for Mature and Part-time Students (ACMAPS) maintains and strengthens York University’s
ongoing commitment to welcome and to serve the needs of mature and part-time students. For further
information and assistance visit: http://www.yorku.ca/acmaps
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ADMS 1010A Fall 2011
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