Required Textbook
- Barringer, B. R., & Ireland, R. D. (2016). Entrepreneurship: Successfully launching new ventures (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
ISBN-13: 978-0133797190
Syllabus for MAN-230
INTRODUCTION TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship is the process by which individuals pursue opportunities without regard to resources they currently control. The essence of entrepreneurial behavior is identifying opportunities and putting useful ideas into practice. The tasks called for by this behavior can be accomplished by either individuals or a group and typically require creativity, drive, and a willingness to take risks. Introduction to Entrepreneurship explains the entrepreneurial process and the way it typically unfolds. This process consists of four steps: deciding to become an entrepreneur; developing successful business ideas; moving from an idea to an entrepreneurial firm; and managing and growing the entrepreneurial firm. The course integrates readings and cases with online discussions, activities, and a unifying project to encourage students to demonstrate how the process can be used by them to help launch a successful new venture.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
CO1 Describe entrepreneurship and identify the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.
CO2 Identify the characteristics of a “window of opportunity” and the environmental trends that are instrumental in creating business opportunities.
CO3 Describe the components of a feasibility plan: market research, competitive analysis, organizational competence, and financial analysis.
CO4 Articulate a new venture’s business model.
CO5 Explain the business planning process.
CO6 Describe how to create a strong ethical culture in an entrepreneurial venture.
CO7 Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of business ownership.
CO8 Describe financial planning and cash flow analysis.
CO9 Identify the financing options for new venture startups.
CO10 Compare different strategies for sustained venture growth.
CO11 Analyze miscellaneous issues that are critical to venture success: market segmentation/branding, intellectual property, franchising.
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University’s textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
Required Textbook
ISBN-13: 978-0133797190 |
Introduction to Entrepreneurship is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO2
Course objectives covered in this module: CO3, CO4
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take a proctored midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
You are required to complete six written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.
Your answers should be well developed and convey your understanding of the question topics. When it will strengthen your answer, you may quote or paraphrase relevant facts, ideas, and theories from your course reading materials. Be sure to cite these references in an appropriate manner following APA format. See the “Writing and Research Resources” in the final project area of the course site for help with formatting your assignments.
Every written assignment has an embedded grading rubric; your mentor will be using this form to grade your assignment. You can view this rubric by clicking the assignment link (the place where you will eventually submit your assignment) and scrolling down past the assignment description. Beneath Submission Status you will see all of the grading elements and levels of performance. It is a good idea to check the rubric for a written assignment before starting the assignment so that you are clear on what you’ll be graded on.
Introduction to Entrepreneurship requires you to participate in six graded discussion forums. There is also an ungraded but required Introductions Forum in module 1.
Each of the six graded discussion forums is based on one of the case studies in your textbook. You will be required to read the designated case study and then to answer one question listed below the case. (The goal for this activity is to answer all four of the case study questions, so if a classmate has already answered one of the questions, please choose a different question for your initial posting.) Then you will comment on at least two of your classmates’ responses by the date indicated in the Course Calendar.
You are required to take a closed-book, proctored midterm examination. Consult the Course Calendar for the scheduling of this examination.
The midterm exam is two hours long and consists of 25 multiple-choice and 5 essay questions. The exam covers materials assigned in Modules 1, 2, and 3 of the course.
For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course website) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
Your final project is a written case analysis of between 2000 and 3600 words (between 8 and 12 pages with a typical font and spacing).
After reading the final project case, you will be asked to analyze this case by answering:
This final project draws on concepts and knowledge gained from this course. Internet research will be required, and you must document all outside sources properly in APA style. To allow yourself sufficient time to complete an exemplary analysis, consider beginning the project soon after the start of Module 6.
See the Final Project area of the course website for further details.
The final project, like the written assignments, has an embedded grading rubric; your mentor will be using this form to grade your project. You can view this rubric by clicking the final project assignment link (the place where you will eventually submit your project) and scrolling down past the assignment description. Beneath Submission Status you will see all of the grading elements and levels of performance. It is a good idea to check the rubric for the final project before starting work on it so that you are clear on what you’ll be graded on.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.
Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.
All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.
Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:
Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.
If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)
Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.
Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.
Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.
For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.
Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism
When to Quote and When to Paraphrase
Writing Assistance at Smarthinking
Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.
If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.
If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.
Possible sanctions include:
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