MGMT 80 Syllabus

MANAGEMENT 80- SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Instructor: James Mucci, BS, MBA; W (562-546-2604);  jmucci@lbcc.edu

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The number of small businesses in America in 2012 reached a new high of 28.44 million. The SBA report counts 6 million small firms with employees and close to 20 million sole proprietorships. 3,622,304 small business were accounted for in California alone. MGMT 80 will look at this very important segment of the economy from both the Entrepreneurial focus and the Small Business Management focus.  After developing an understanding of the entrepreneurial elements of starting a small business, such as types of business ownership, the attributes of a successful entrepreneur and the importance of business plans (mouse trap & envelope), you will focus on the traditional management skills necessary to extend the life of the startup. These skills will be vital in starting a small business but can also be useful for both entry and mid-level management positions. In addition to learning how to write a business plan, your study of small business management will provide some focus on other important challenges faced by owners/managers, such as diversity, quality, ethics and the global environment. Issues concerning innovation and technology will also play an important role in all of these discussions.

 

COURSE CONDUCT & STRUCTURE: Respect Based Management "It is my belief that an environment that fosters effective levels of creativity, autonomy, cohesion among colleagues and discipline that promotes responsibility is the most productive for creating and sustaining superior performance." - James A. Mucci While the course structure is designed with wider boundaries than a typical academic course, the structure is clearly evidenced by the course web site.  It is the student's responsibility to follow and complete the material on schedule. The course is designed to encourage creativity and adaptive business processes found in many leading business enterprises. Refer to Dr. Ken Robinson's Ted Talk on Creativity 

 

COGNITIVE & SKILLS OBJECTIVES: This course is competency based. Competency is demonstrated by mastery of the cognitive content and the technical skills.

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CRITICAL THINKING: The intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.  We will be discussing divergent points of views based on different life experiences. Geo Political issues and legislation that effects businesses and Prof Mucci's business values, beliefs and experiences (see CV) are discussed in this class as a supplement to the course material. Students are encouraged to share their values, beliefs and experiences in line with the boundaries outlined in Respect Based Management.

 

OUTCOMES:     

Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. Identify the primary elements of the language and theories of small business and entrepreneurship.
2. Use creative and critical-thinking strategies in the solution of challenging business situations through the application of learned small business and entrepreneurial concepts.
3. Develop the capability to access, evaluate, and use information in fulfillment of coursework and independent study.
4. Recognize the importance of ethics, social responsibility, and diversity as legitimate small business objectives.
5. Develop professional communication and teamwork skills for the purpose of ensuring future success in a professional environment.

OBJECTIVES:     

Upon completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. Develop a working knowledge of common terms and concepts. (Learning Outcome 1)
2. Recognize the role of small-business in industry and society. (Learning Outcomes 1,2 & 4)
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the personal factors which lead to small-business success. (Learning Outcomes 1,3)
4. Examine the effects of ethics/social responisibility, diversity, and globalism on the small business. (Learning Outcomes 1,4 & 5)
5. Determine the impact and effects of technology on the small business. (Learning Outcomes 1,2 & 4)
6. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the elements of the business plan and the role that a plan plays in small business success. (Learning Outcomes 1,2,3 & 4)
7. Use analytical, communication and critical-thinking skills to examine business issues related to small-business. (Learning Outcomes 1,2,3 & 4)
 

COURSE ORGANIZATION

This is not a "traditional academic process" course. It uses a combination of "evidenced based" learning modalities and processes routinely found in the business community to meet the academic standards while making the experience more productive, relevant and enjoyable for the students. Geo Political issues and legislation that effects businesses and Prof Mucci's business experience. values and beliefs (see CV) are discussed in this class as a supplement to the course material.

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The course follows the web hosted basic calendar schedule consisting of media, introductions, interviews with industry experts, multiple reference links, research and forum assignments. The course offers an extra credit class collaborative project based on the concepts and lessons discussed during the course. The class project is to design a new or improved business. The new business should address an area currently missing in an emerging market creating better jobs for the community.  Business development documents should include: strategic marketing analysis, mission statement, management philosophy, cost and operational advantages and job creation.

 

We will be using the text above in the 2ND EDITION. The bookstore shows this text as "recommended", although it is necessary for success in this course. I "recommended" it at the bookstore only because of the price, although you may be able to still get some used editions there. The fact is that there are many new/used editions available on the internet (over 20m results, if that means anything) at very low prices. In fact, the 1st edition is even less expensive and contains all of the pertinent information that we will be studying.