Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Course Description In this course, students explore the foundation of business by reviewing topics regarding the structure and culture of the modern business environment. Additional topics include the evolution of business, the role of business ethics, communication, technology, operations, leadership, and human resources. Upon completion, students are better prepared to make informed decisions regarding their educational and professional goals. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Jones, G. R. (2007). Introduction to business: How companies create value for people. New York, NY: McGrawHill/Irwin. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Supplemental Resource Associate Level Writing Style Handbook, available online at https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CWE/pdfs/Associate_level_writing_style_handbook.pdf
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Respond to weekly discussion questions. Consider a local business whose services you frequently use. What are the main components of this company's business model? Write a 200- to 300-word response describing the three components of the business system that comprise the local business you selected. Use Figure 1.2 on p. 11 of Introduction to Business as a reference.
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Respond to weekly discussion questions. Resource: Ch. 5 of Introduction to Business Imagine that you are starting your own company. What will be the ethical code of your company? Write a 200- to 300-word ethical code of conduct listing the rules and principles that your company will use in decision-making. Provide a brief explanation of why you selected each rule and principle.
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Resource: Ch. 3 of Introduction to Business Review the four main functions of management, which are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, on pp. 7882 of Introduction to Business. Consider a time when you were tasked with management, such as in the workplace, at home, or coordinating a party. Describe your event and categorize your actions under each of the four functions of management using Appendix C. Post Appendix C as an attachment.
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Resource: Ch. 3 of Introduction to Business Select a sample business plan from the list your instructor provides. Research your sample business plan at http://www.bplans.com/Sample_Business_Plans/. Review the example on p. 97 of the text as a guide. Conduct a SWOT analysis of the sample business plan you selected. Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in APA format explaining the business plan you selected and your SWOT analysis discussing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company you chose. Post your paper as an attachment.
Day 7
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Readings Participation
Discussion Questions
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Resource: Ch. 6 of Introduction to Business Complete Appendix D by using figures 6.3 & 6.4 on pp. 182183 as a guide. Base your answers on a real or hypothetical work environment. Describe the components of the contingency theory of leadership as it applies to the work environment you selected. Conclude with your recommendation for the best leadership approach. Post Appendix D as an attachment.
Day 5
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Resource: Ch. 7 of Introduction to Business Read the two case studies on pp. 233236 of the text. Answer the following in a 200- to 300-word response: What motivation theories may be found in each case study? Describe the theories found in each case study and cite specific examples. What was each business owners approach to creating highperforming teams within their company?
Continue to explore the hypothetical company you created in Week Four. You have set up a booth at the local job fair to generate interest in your new company and search for prospective employees. Create a 1-page brochure describing your company's structure, business model, and culture. Write a 500- to 750-word paper in APA format describing the structure, business model, and culture you selected. Provide justification for why you selected each element and explain how your choice may affect your business. Post your brochure and paper as an attachment.
Day 7
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7.1 Explain the ways that human resource management impacts a business. Read Ch. 9, 12, & 13 of Introduction to Business. Participate in class discussion. 4 days each DQ week Day 2 Day 4 Day 5 10
Respond to weekly discussion questions. Your manager has asked you to draft a proposal for improving the management of human resources in your company. Resource: Ch. 13 of Introduction to Business Describe the best ideas for improvement presented in the brainstorm session from the human resource improvement Discussion Question. Select the best ideas from at least two of the different areas discussed. What are the different ways that changes to these areas would affect a business? Explain your answer in a 200- to 300-word response.
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Complete the table in Appendix E by describing the uses of following hardware and software components: Legacy systems Mainframe computers Microprocessors PCs Network computers World Wide Web and the Internet Wired and wireless broadband technology PC software Networking software Computer security software Post Appendix E as an attachment.
Resources: Ch. 12 of Introduction to Business Read the Developing Good Business Sense activity on p. 394 of the text. Answer Questions 14 from the activity in a 700- to 1,050-word paper in APA format. Post your paper as an attachment.
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Respond to the capstone discussion question. What career paths are of interest to you? How has the information presented in this course influenced your thoughts about your personal career path? What insights or reactions do you have concerning what you now know about the field of business? Resource: Appendix A Review the CheckPoints and assignments you completed throughout the course. Create a 10- to 15-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation of information about the fictional company you created in Week Four. You may use text, charts, tables, and visuals to detail the different areas of business found within your company.
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Include information on the following topics: Business organization Potential legal or ethical issues Business culture Types of motivation Human resource management Technology Operations and materials management Include detailed speaker notes, a title slide, and an APA reference slide. Post your final presentation as a Microsoft PowerPoint attachment. Optional Discussion Questions Week One Discussion Questions Your friend has asked you why the price of bananas is higher during certain times of the year. Using what you have learned about the laws of supply and demand, explain to your friend how the market affects price. Respond to your classmates' answers by asking additional questions that a newcomer to business might ask. Is the explanation clear? Which areas do you understand? In which areas would you like more clarification? What makes some companies more profitable than others? What are the similarities and differences between profit and profitability? Provide real-world examples to support your answer. Week Three Discussion Questions Review the Business in Action case studies on pp. 143, 146, 154, & 159 of the text. Select one case that you find especially interesting and explain how ethics and decision-making effect the individuals involved in the scenario. Respond to two of your classmates who selected a case study other than the one you selected. Ask for additional information or clarification if needed. Explain why you agree or disagree with their assessment of the issues. If the majority of companies strive to conduct their business ethically, why is there a need to create laws? How are ethics different from the law? How are ethics and the law the same? Support your answer with real-world examples. Week Five Discussion Questions Consider the different types of communication described on p. 194 of the text. What types of communication would be most effective in persuading groups in an organization, including trainers, employees, programmers, and managers? Why? Review your classmates' responses. Do you agree or disagree with their selections? If you disagree, let them know why. If you agree, provide an additional example of why their selections would work.
Review the political tactics used by organizations described on pp. 196197 of the text. Have you experienced any of these tactics in your workplace or have you heard anyone describe a situation in their workplace in which they experienced a political tactic? Describe the situation and the political tactic. Respond to a classmate who has described a different political tactic than the one you chose. Describe how the outcome of the situation would have been different if a different political tactic had been applied. Week Seven Discussion Questions There are many ways that a company can motivate its employees. Consider the different types of pay and benefits described on pp. 420423 of the text. What type of incentive do you think is most effective for creating a motivating work environment? Why? Your instructor will assign you one of the five areas of human resources management to discuss. Imagine that you work in the human resources (HR) department of a medium-sized company. Your manager has asked you to brainstorm ways to improve one of the five areas of human resource management in your company. Assuming that all five areas are currently functioning at an equal level, what type of improvement would you implement in your assigned area? What effect do you think the improvement will have on your business? Respond to your classmates by considering the implications of their suggested HR improvement. Do you have any recommendations that would expand on their ideas? Are there any negative implications to their suggested HR improvement? Copyright
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