Search Results

BUS 0260 - Introduction to Business

http://catalog.sierracollege.edu/course-outlines/bus-0260/

Catalog Description Formerly known as BUS 20 Hours: 54 lecture Description: A survey in business providing a multidisciplinary examination of how culture, society, economic systems, legal, international, political, financial institutions, and human behavior interact to affect a business organization's policy and practices within the U.S. and a global society. Demonstrates how these influences impact the primary areas of business including: organizational structure and design, leadership, human resource management, organized labor practices, marketing, organizational communication, technology, entrepreneurship, legal, accounting, financial practices, stocks and securities market. (C-ID BUS 110) (CSU, UC) Course Student Learning Outcomes CSLO #1: Examine and describe functional areas of business including: Entrepreneurship, Management, Marketing, Operations, Accounting and Finance. CSLO #2: Discover potential career or educational paths within business. CSLO #3: Describe business's impact on society. Effective Term Fall 2025 Course Type Credit - Degree-applicable Contact Hours 54 Outside of Class Hours 108 Total Student Learning Hours 162 Course Objectives At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to: 1. Cite the various ways the U.S. government affects, restricts, and protects business. 2. Compare and contrast the advantages/disadvantages in each form of business ownership. 3. Define business ethics and explain the role of social responsibility in an organization. 4. Compare and contrast the primary economic systems. 5. Identify how business operates in an international/global environment including legal, social, cultural, and interdependence and integrated financial markets. 6. Define and describe the key management functions of planning organizing, leading, and controlling. 7. Identify current production & operations processes. Address sustainability. 8. Identify key human resource management functions and laws. 9. Identify the marketing mix and key tools, terms and strategies related to each element. 10. Describe and identify how technology impacts all the primary functions of business. 11. Evaluate the basic components of financial statements and ratio analysis. 12. Explain the importance of finance to the operations of business; the various types of financing; and the process of internal and external financing and controls. 13. Identify securities markets including investment options, mechanisms of investing, and how to conduct basic analysis of business financial information. 14. Identify and describe the basics of business law including contracts, torts, intellectual property, and the American legal system. 15. Summarize the components of risk management and basic insurance concepts. General Education Information Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval) Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval) IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval) Articulation Information CSU Transferable UC Transferable Methods of Evaluation Classroom Discussions Example: Students will be expected to actively participate in class discussions that apply text/lecture concepts learned. After learning about the four functions of management and the various leadership styles in the leading function, students will discuss their personal experience with managers and how it impacted the work environment. Students will also reflect on the type of leader they want to be and which they prefer to interact with in their future. (Objective 6) Projects Example: Students will complete a business career presentation. Utilizing the concepts they have learned about business types and the functional areas of business, they will create a presentation with the following prompt: “As your final project for the class, you will use the topics we have learned throughout the semester to explore a potential career path. Drawing from the various assignments from our first few weeks (the career assessment quiz and worksheet), the various discussions we've had (i.e., What type of managers will you work with? What business technology will you use?), and the knowledge you've obtained on the different functional areas of business, you will give your peers a detailed presentation on the career path of your choice.” Students will be graded based on their concept application, research of the company, and accuracy of the job position functional area. Presentation skills will also be assessed. (CSLO 1 and 2) Reports Example: Students will dive into the rapidly evolving landscape of Human Resource Management (HRM) and explore the future trends shaping the way organizations manage their workforce. Students will write a report that explains a human resource trend impacting the workplace today and possibly affect them personally. Students will be guided to use credible sources, such as academic journals, industry reports, news articles, etc. and provide a write up on one of the following topics: • Remote Work and Virtual Teams: Assess the implications of remote work on employee productivity, work-life balance, and organizational culture. • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation: Analyze the potential impact of AI and automation on job roles, skills development, and workforce planning. • Employee Experience and Well-being: Investigate the growing importance of employee well-being, mental health support, and creating a positive workplace experience. • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Explore strategies for promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace and its impact on organizational performance. Repeatable No Methods of Instruction Lecture/Discussion Distance Learning Lecture: Instructor starts each class with a discussion on something in the news that the students have read about and will be interesting to them. The class discussion covers the impact the topic has from a business perspective. The student is involved in a discovery process to show the impact almost every news event has on the business world. (Objective 1) Instructor presents videos showing how big business advertises and promotes its products. Instructor guides students in a think/pair/share to discuss their appraisal of the advertisements. Students use smartphones to identify social media advertising tools used by other big businesses. (Objective 9) Distance Learning After learning about entrepreneurship through online video lectures, written content and viewing the TedTalk, “Don’t Fail Fast…Fail Mindfully” by Leticia Gasca, students will assess their entrepreneurship ability. Students will complete the Entrepreneurial Self-Assessment Survey and submit the following discussion post: “Once you have completed and scored your Entrepreneurial Self-Assessment Survey, when making your initial post, begin your post with something like this: “I scored 44 and self-employment may not be an appropriate career for me.” Then answer the following questions within your post: Were you surprised by the results of your self-assessment? In other words, did you regard yourself as more or less of an entrepreneur than the survey indicated? Of the entrepreneur characteristics measured in this assessment, which do you believe is the most important and why? Lastly, as an entrepreneur starting a business, you have to write a business plan. Based off the lecture video on business plans, which step do you think is the the hardest and why? (CSLO 1, Objective 2) Typical Out of Class Assignments Reading Assignments 1. Read the Forbes article on the business journey of the founder of Panda Express, Peggy Cherng. Discuss how her journey relates to what we have learned in our Intro to Business class regarding functional areas and the business impact on society. 2. Read the chapter on Human Resource Management and be prepared to discuss your experience with the strategic HR planning process (recruitment, selection, compensation, etc.) 3. Read current literature (Wall Street Journal) to research an assignment dealing with stocks and bonds. Writing, Problem Solving or Performance 1. Students are presented with a possible business scenario and need to determine the profitability of the new venture. They will create an income statement and determine the monthly breakeven point based on numbers (expenses, cost of good sold, etc) provided. 2. Students will read a chapter introducing them to the business environment and the external factors that impact businesses. The following prompt will be implemented via discussion board or assignment submission. “Let's scan the environment for Sierra College. In this module we talked about external factors that impact businesses such as Social, Demographic, Ethnic Markets, Competitive, Economic, Technological, Political, and Legal. Think about Sierra College and what factors impact them and how (hint: you can find something in all the factors). Pick at least one and expand on it after reading the sections in the text.” Students will have the option of written or video submission and will be marked complete/incomplete. Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) Students will learn about the functional area of marketing and how important it is for each element of the marketing mix (4P’s) to be implemented properly. Students will analyze a product they have recently purchased and how the company utilized each P (product, price, place, and promotion) to create value for consumers. Students will present this using a slide deck. This may be delivered in-person or as a recorded presentation to be uploaded to the LMS. Required Materials Understanding Business Author: Nickels, McHugh and McHugh Publisher: McGraw Hill/Irwin Publication Date: 2022 Text Edition: 13th Classic Textbook?: No OER Link: OER: BUSN: Introduction to Business Author: Kelly and Williams Publisher: Cengage Publication Date: 2023 Text Edition: 12th Classic Textbook?: No OER Link: OER: Fundamentals of Business Author: Ron Poff Publisher: Publication Date: 2023 Text Edition: 4th Classic Textbook?: No OER Link: OER: https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/fundamentalsofbusiness4e/ Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.