SOUTHEASTMISSOURISTATEUNIVERSITY
COURSE SYLLABUS
Department of Management and MarketingCourse Number: BA521
Title of Course: Topics in Entrepreneurship Updated: Fall 2007
I.Course Description and Credit Hours: This course focuses upon the critical issues and challenges encountered at different stages in the processes of new venture initiation and growing privately-held companies. (3 credit hours)
II.Prerequisite(s): Senior standing or permission of the instructor.
III.Purpose or Objectives of the Course:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
A.Relate the functional areas of business to the needs of the privately-held enterprise as a whole and the various publics it serves.
B Apply analytical and problem-solving skills in complex, unstructured situations.
CAssess the nature and extent of the tasks of general management, particularly in the privately-held enterprise.
D.Explore and assess the impact of personal goals, values and attitudes of the privately-held business owner/manager/entrepreneur on enterprise/organizational performance.
E.Survey systematically the literature and databases, to encounter the issues and challenges and possible resolutions in starting and/or growing the privately-held enterprise.
F.Further develop the ability to perform business research.
G.Develop oral and written communication skills at the professional level.
IV.Expectations of Students:
A.Regular Class Attendance.
B.Active Class Participation.
C.Challenging, inquisitive, and cooperative learning attitude.
D.Assigned work completed on schedule.
V.Course Content or Outline.Approximate Class Hours
A.Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship 4
1.What is Entrepreneurship.
2.Who Are Entrepreneurs and What Do They Do?
B.The Context of Entrepreneurship 4
1.Issues Affecting Entrepreneurship in Action
2.Identifying Environmental Opportunities
3.Understanding Competitive Advantage
C.Researching the Venture’s Feasibility 5
1.Generating and Evaluating Business Ideas
2.Researching Competitors and Competitive Advantage
3.Researching Financing Options
D.Planning the Venture 5
1.Developing Organizational Vision and Mission
2.Organizational Culture Issues
3.Developing and Writing the Business Plan
E.Organizing the Venture 4
1.Legal Forms of Business Organization
2.Legal Issues
3.Organizational Design Issues
F.Launching the Venture 6
1.Establishing Goals and Strategies
2.Technology and Operations Methods
3.Marketing Strategies
4.Information System Strategies
5.Financial and Accounting Strategies
G.Managing Processes 4
1.Making Decisions
2.Measuring and Evaluating Organizational Performance
3.Stimulating and Making Changes – Being a Change Agent
4.Contemporary Issues in Managing Processes
H.Managing People 4
1.Human Resource Management Issues
2.Motivating Employees
3.Employee Teams and Leadership
4.Interpersonal Issues
I.Managing Growth and Other Entrepreneurial Challenges 6
1.Managing Growth
2.Managing Downturns
3.Exiting the Venture
4.Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
5.Family Businesses
6.Managing Your Personal Life
J.Applications 3
1.Business Plans
2.E-Business
3.Web Sites for Entrepreneurs
VI.Textbook(s) and Other Required Materials or Equipment:
Coulter, Mary (2001), Entrepreneurship In Action, First Edition.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Smilor, Raymond W. (2001), Daring Visionaries.Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation.
Price, Robert W. (Editor), (2001/2002), Annual Editions: Entrepreneurship, Third Edition. McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
VII.Basis for Student Evaluation:
A.Class Participation (attendance, attitude, active participation)
B.Class Assignments (written and/or oral presentations of cases, readings, etc.)
C.Quizzes and Examinations
D.Team/Individual Case/Research Term Project
E.Scholarly Papers
F.Other Assignments (field trips, guest speakers, Internet activities, readings, etc.)
G.Graduate students will be required to complete a business plan for a business enterprise, in addition to completing a major individual research-based term project. Alternative assignments may be made in lieu of the business plan and/or research based project.