ADMS1000 COURSE OUTLINE
WINTER 2017
Introduction to Administrative Studies:
The Context of Business
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Is Canadian business headed for a dismal future, or one that is bright? Assessing the prospects of business requires a careful examination of the environment within which business operates. Our exploration considers the most fundamentally important challenges businesses face, including: labor, strategic, global, competitive and political challenges. In addition to considering the corporate context, we also draw attention to issues pertinent for small, entrepreneurial business and non-profit organizations. The broad aim is to provide insight into current challenges and opportunities that can critically impact the functioning and fate of organizations. Prerequisite: None
COURSE GOALS
- To explore the environment within which business operates.
- To understand the challenges & opportunities currently facing business – both in Canada and globally.
- To encourage critical thinking regarding issues that impact business and business objectives.
REQUIRED READINGS
1. Course Text:Karakowsky, L. & Guriel, N. (2015). The Context of Business. Pearson: Toronto
2. Course Kit: ADMS1000 Course Kit (2016)
COURSE EVALUATION
Dates of assignments & exams to be announced in class
1. Mid-Term Examination 40%
2. Short assignment #1 5%
3. Short assignment #2 5%
4. Final Examination 50% (during exam week)
For more details, see notes following Course Outline
COURSE OUTLINE
SESSION 1: Exploring Canadian Business: A Critical Approach
Learning Goal: Is Canadian business headed for a dismal future, or one that is bright? How does one make sense of the current state of Canadian business? Assessing the prospects of organizations requires a careful examination of the contexts within which they operate. This session <CORE>introduces the framework for this book—</CORE<ALT1>provides </ALT1>a critical examination of the internal and external forces that can critically impact the functioning and fate of business.
Reading: Text: Chapter 1; Course Kit: Course Advice, Case Advice, Grading Explanation
Case: Course Kit: BlackBerry & Sam the Record Man; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 2: Managerial Challenges
Learning Goal: Organizations that succeed can only do so with the support of their organizational members. We will examine the fundamental philosophies underlying different management styles. We will also examine the management-labour relationship, with a particular emphasis on the perspectives that shape debates about how that relationship should be governed.
Reading: Text: Chapter 2, p.40-52 only; Chapter 3
Case: Text: Kicking Horse Coffee; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 3: Strategic Challenges
Learning Goal: The ability to respond effectively to the business environment is the fundamental challenge of strategic management. The aim of this session is to identify the forces that shape industry structure and consider how they influence business and corporate level strategies. We will examine several major strategic business models and develop an understanding of strategic management and its relationship to the external environment.
Reading: Text: Chapter 5
Case: Text: Lululemon; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 4: Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility
Learning Goal: Who is ultimately responsible for the behavior of a business? We examine the role of corporate governance and methods to achieve good governance. We define and discuss the notion of corporate social responsibility and analyze the debate regarding what role business should play in this area.
Reading: Course kit: Reading #1; Text: Chapter 10
Case: Text: Joe Fresh and the Bangladesh Tragedy; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 5:Economic Challenges
Learning Goal: In this session, we identify the fundamental elements of an economic environment and consider important indicators of the health of an economy. We discuss four types of economic systems and understand the system within which Canadian business operates. A comparison is made of the different kinds of competition exhibited in industries, and how economic factors can impact business activity.
Reading: Text: Chapter 6; Course Kit Sample short answer questions
Case: no case
SESSION 6 MIDTERM EXAM: Date t.b.a, 2 hours, Sessions 1-5, closed book
SESSION 7: Competitive & Technological Challenges
Learning Goal: Why do industry-leading firms sometimes lose their market position to rivals? Why do some entrepreneurial firms fail to survive and grow following early marketplace successes? These questions can be addressed through an understanding of industry life cycles and competitive behaviour. We will see how an industry’s stage of evolution is a critical determinant of the degree and type of competition faced by businesses.
Reading: Text: Chapter 7
Case: Text: Has soda lost its fizz?; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 8:Global Forces
Learning Goal: In this session, we will examine different types of global business activity and identify the fundamental driving forces behind globalization. We will discuss one of the central controversies of globalization: the multinational corporation and its impact on host countries. We will also aim to understand why nations desire, or do not desire, to promote international trade, including an examination of the pros and cons of Canada’s free trade agreement with the United States. The implications of foreign ownership and trade will also be addressed.
Reading: Chapter 8
Case: Text: Beijing and the Calgary oil sands; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 9: Political Forces
Learning Goal:Should the Canadian government take a more active role in the welfare of Canadian industry? In this chapter, we will examine how government can intervene in business activity while fulfilling its role as both guardian of society and guardian of business. We will consider current and critically important trends regarding the shift toward reduced government involvement in the business sector. We will discuss the impact of government actions on business with special attention given to issues such as government subsidies and regulation. We will also explore the trends toward deregulation & privatization.
Reading: Chapter 9
Case: Text: The wireless service industry in Canada; Case Suggestions in Course Kit
SESSION 10: Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Learning Goal: Given the ability of small business to play a prominent role in the business landscape it is certainly worthwhile to consider the nature of these organizations along with the entrepreneurs who launch them. This session will explore the nature of entrepreneurship, and the challenges and opportunities it presents. The business planning process and the modes of launching entrepreneurial ventures will be examined.
Reading: Course kit: Reading #2
Case: none
SESSION 11: Non-Profit Organizations
Learning Goal: The aim of this session is to shed light on an important segment of the Canadian organizational landscape – the nonprofit sector. What types of organizations make up this sector, and in what ways do they contribute to society? We will address these questions, and look more closely inside and outside nonprofit organizations. How are they typically designed and governed, and what environmental factors play a critical role in their functioning?
Reading: Course kit: Reading #3
Case: none
SESSION 12: Course Review
Readings: Course Kit: Additional Case with suggestions
FINAL EXAM: Date t.b.a., held during exam week, 3 hours, cumulative, closed book
COURSE EVALUATION: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Assignments (10%) (Due Date and Description TBA)
1. Pre-midterm Short assignment#1: due date and description TBA (5%)
2. Pre-final exam Short assignment#2: due date and description TBA (5%)
2. Mid-Term Examination: 40% (Date: To be announced; held in Session 6)
The mid-term exam is a closed-book exam covering material discussed in class, as well as the relevant material in the textbook and course kit. NOTE: Students who are absent from the midterm exam must notify their course director by email no later than 3 business days following the date of the midterm exam. Students absent from the exam are also expected to submit an Attending Physician's Statement form for their absence to the main office at Atkinson 282 no later than 5 business days following the date of the midterm exam (please note: A “Doctor’s Note” will not be accepted). Failure to do the above will result in a mark of zero on the midterm exam. The weight of a missed Midterm Exam cannot be transferred to the Final Exam.
Students are required to present their current sessional identification card, and their York Card or one piece of photo identification at the midterm and final exams.
2. Final Examination: 50% (Date: To be announced)
The final exam will be held during the formal examination period for the semester, following the end of the course. The final exam is a closed-book exam so you cannot bring any material into the exam. Further information will be provided prior to the exam date. If you are absent from the final exam, you will follow the instructions detailed below.
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GENERAL UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS
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 made availableto the students by the main office in the School's web site (under the heading of 'Links'), noindividualized communication will be sent by the School to thestudents (no letter or e-mails). The status of the DSA submitted shall be checked at:
Students with approved DSA will be able to write their deferred examination during the School's deferred examination period.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:
Attending Physician's Statement form:
Academic Honesty: The Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studiesconsiders breaches of the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty to be serious matters. To quote the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. The Policy on Academic Honesty is an affirmation and clarification for members of the University of the general obligation to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. As a clear sense of academic honesty and responsibility is fundamental to good scholarship, the policy recognizes the general responsibility of all faculty members to foster acceptable standards of academic conduct and of the student to be mindful of and abide by such standards. Suspected breaches of academic honesty will be investigated and charges shall be laid if reasonable and probable grounds exist.
Students should review the York Academic Honesty policy for themselves at:
Students might also wish to review the interactive on-line Tutorial for students on academic integrity, at:
Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy: The grading scheme (i.e. kinds and weights of assignments, essays, exams, etc.) shall be announced, and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class, and, 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.
Note: Under unusual and/or unforeseeable circumstances which disrupt the academic norm, instructors are expected to provide grading schemes and academic feedback in the spirit of these regulations, as soon as possible. For more information on the Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy, please visit:
In-Class Tests and Exams - the 20% Rule: For all Undergraduate courses, except those which regularly meet on Friday evening or on a weekend, tests or exams worth more than 20% will not be held in the two weeks prior to the beginning of the official examination period. For further information on the 20% Rule, please visit:
For further information on examination scheduling and other important dates, please refer to:
Reappraisals: Students may, with sufficient academic grounds, request that a final grade in a course be reappraised (which may mean the review of specific pieces of tangible work). Non-academic grounds are not relevant for grade reappraisals; in such cases, students are advised to petition to their home Faculty. Students are normally expected to first contact the course director to discuss the grade received and to request that their tangible work be reviewed. Tangible work may include written, graphic, digitized, modeled, video recording or audio recording formats, but not oral work. Students need to be aware that a request for a grade reappraisal may result in the original grade being raised, lowered or confirmed. For reappraisal procedures and information, please visit the Office of the Registrar site at:
Accommodation Procedures: LA&PS students who have experienced a misfortune or who are too ill to attend the final examination in an ADMS course should not attempt to do so; they must pursue deferred standing. Other students should contact their home Faculty for information. For further information, please visit:
Religious Accommodation: York University is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all members of the community, and making accommodations for observances of special significance to adherents. For more information on religious accommodation, please visit:
Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The nature and extent of accommodations shall be consistent with and supportive of the integrity of the curriculum and of the academic standards of programs or courses. Provided that students have given sufficient notice about their accommodation needs, instructors shall take reasonable steps to accommodate these needs in a manner consistent with the guidelines established hereunder. For more information please visit the Disabilities Services website at
York’s disabilities offices and the Registrar’s Office work in partnership to support alternate exam and test accommodation services for students with disabilities at the Keele campus. For more information on alternate exams and tests please visit
Please alert the Course Director as soon as possible should you require special accommodations.