New Venture Creation MGT 320: Course Policies and Assignments Fall 2006

Monday and Wednesday -- Miriam Hall, Room 207

Professor: Diane M. Sullivan, Ph.D. / Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday
Office location: SBA, room 702 / 1:00pm-2:45pm, or by appointment
Phone: 937-229-3705
Email:
Website: http://academic.udayton.edu/DianeSullivan

Objective

MGT 320 is the foundation course for the Entrepreneurship major. This course is intended to provide the student with the basic knowledge necessary to create new business ventures and to innovate within existing companies. Some goals of the course include:

1.  Determine if entrepreneurship is an appropriate career choice

2.  Understand entrepreneurship, including how to start a new business, and how to manage the entrepreneurial venture

3.  Learn the importance of innovation, market research, new business feasibility, and planning, product and service concepts

4.  Prepare you for future courses necessary to complete the Entrepreneurship major

Text

Barringer, B.R. and Ireland, R.D. (2006). Entrepreneurship: Successfully Launching New Ventures. Pearson Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River: NJ.

Any supplemental materials (e.g., cases, readings, etc.) that may be needed will be available as needed on my website. You will be informed as to when you are to print out these materials and bring them to class.

Grades

Grades are comprised of:

Assignments / Point Value / Due Date
Individual Assignments
Elevator Pitch (Lifestyle business) / 80 / September 13, 2006, Wednesday
Elevator Pitch (Micro-business) / 60 / October 18, 2006, Wednesday
Elevator Pitch (Growth-oriented business) / 60 / November, 6, 2006, Monday
Exam #1 (Chapters 1-5, Articles, Special Topics) / 150 / October 4, 2006, Wednesday
Final Exam (Chapters 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, Articles, Special Topics) / 150 / ·  3:00pm – 4:15pm class: The final exam is on Wednesday, December 13th from 10:10am – 12:00pm in room MH 207
·  4:30pm – 5:45pm class: The final exam is on Monday, December 11th from 4:30pm – 6:20pm in room MH 207
Assignments / Point Value / Due Date

Team Assignments:

Feasibility Assignment Description of Business and Team Documents Paper

/ 100 / September 25, 2006, Monday

Product/Service Feasibility Analysis Paper

/ 100 / October 11, 2006, Wednesday

Industry/Market Feasibility and Competitive Environment Analysis Paper

/ 100 / October 25, 2006, Wednesday

Organizational Feasibility Analysis Paper

/ 100 / November 13, 2006, Monday

Feasibility Analysis Presentation

/ 100 / ·  November 27, 2006 (Monday): Teams 1 and 2
·  November 29, 2006 (Wednesday): Teams 3 and 4
·  December 4, 2006 (Monday): Team 5

Participatory Evaluations

Preliminary Peer Evaluation / October 18, 2006, Wednesday
Peer Evaluation (Determines percentage of team points each team member receives) / Between 0% and 100% / Due when team presents
Total Possible Points (individual and team): / 1,000

Ø  Grading

The plus/minus system will be used whereby grades will be distributed according to the following schedule:

Out of 1,000 Points:

Grade / Low Range / High Range / Percentage (low range) / GPA
A / = / 925 / 1,000 / 92.5% / 4.00
A- / = / 900 / 924 / 90.0% / 3.67
B+ / = / 875 / 899 / 87.5% / 3.34
B / = / 825 / 874 / 82.5% / 3.00
B- / = / 800 / 824 / 80.0% / 2.67
C+ / = / 775 / 799 / 77.5% / 2.34
C / = / 725 / 774 / 72.5% / 2.00
C- / = / 700 / 724 / 70.0% / 1.67
D / = / 650 / 699 / 65.0% / 1.00
F / = / - / 649 / 0.00% / 0.00

Ø  Attendance

Excessive absences (more than 3) will result in a reduction of your final grade, and will also detrimentally affect how your team evaluates you and how I evaluate your class participation efforts. If you are late coming into class or leave early, that will have a direct effect on your class participation grade. I will not excuse absences for whatever reason. If you believe you have a good reason for your absences, I suggest you apply for a withdrawal status should your absences become excessive. Grade reductions will occur as follows:

4 absences: 1 letter grade reduction

5 absences: 2 letter grade reductions

6+ absences: 3 letter grade reductions

I believe students who attend all class sessions throughout the semester should be rewarded. Students who attend all class sessions will receive 5 extra credit points.

Miscellaneous Policies

Ø  Academic Integrity

1.  Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. This is a policy that I take very seriously. If cheating, plagiarism, or academic dishonesty of any kind occurs, the offender will be automatically dismissed from the course with a failing grade.

2.  The University Bulletin specifies what constitutes academic dishonesty, so I suggest that you read it. For example, beyond those types of dishonesty discussed in point one in this section, academic dishonesty also involves enabling others to cheat. That is, if you “lend an assignment” to someone, and they copy it (or just portions of it), you will receive the same penalty as they do. It doesn’t matter if you tell them not to copy, if they do so anyway, you share liability with them. If it is a group assignment, I use my judgment to decide what to do, but everyone within the group can received the same grade.

3.  With regard to citing references that you have used within the body of your work, you must cite all sources. Anything that is cut and pasted should be included in quotes, and cited in your references section. Do not excessively use direct quotes, either. Be sure to paraphrase if direct quoting becomes excessive. If you are unclear of what to cite or not, contact me for clarification prior to turning in materials.

Ø  Electronic Devices

1.  Cellular phones and other electronic devices are not allowed to be used in the classroom. All electronic devices must be turned off.

Ø  Classroom Professionalism

1.  Always be respectful of others in the class (professor and students alike); both their opinions and their comments.

2.  Respect extends beyond the classroom. The content of any emails, group meetings, online chat meetings, etc., should be carefully thought out. Please be respectful of each other and the professor, including your electronic transmittals. Remember this is a formal business course and I expect you to conduct yourselves as business people both inside and outside of the classroom, including any correspondence.

3.  The professor reserves the right to alter the syllabus, itinerary, or class assignments at any time.

4.  Any behavior deemed by the professor as unprofessional will result in up to a 10% reduction in your final grade.


New Venture Creation MGT 320

Course Outline for Fall 2006

Professor: Diane M. Sullivan

The following is a schedule outlining the various topics to be discussed in the course. All readings and assignments are due on the day noted on this itinerary, so please come to class prepared to discuss the readings assigned for each class period. Changes can and may occur to maximize learning.

Class Date

/

Day

/

Topics

/
Assignments Due
August 21 / Monday / *Classes Begin*
·  Introduction
·  Assignment Discussion
August 23 / Wednesday / ·  Introduction to Entrepreneurship / ·  Individual Assignment Due: Individual Performance Contract Due
·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 1
August 28 / Monday / ·  Recognizing Opportunities and Generating Ideas Day #1 / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 2
August 30 / Wednesday / ·  Recognizing Opportunities and Generating Ideas Day #2
·  Creative Destruction/Opportunity Recognition In-Class Exercise / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Schumpeter on Speed article (Author: Rich Karlgaard)
·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: File Sharing: Creative Destruction or Just Plain Destruction (only read pages 1-4) article on website (Author: Stan Liebowitz)
September 4 / Monday / *No Classes, Labor Day Holiday*
September 6 / Wednesday /

·  Recognizing Opportunities and Generating Ideas Day #3

o  Identifying Opportunities via Porter’s Value Chain
September 11 / Monday /

·  Special Topic: The “Art” of the Elevator Pitch

/ ·  Download and bring to class Elevator Pitch Slides on website
September 13 / Wednesday / ·  Elevator Pitch for Lifestyle Businesses and Team Formation / ·  Individual Assignment Due: One-minute elevator pitch for lifestyle business (80-points)
September 18 / Monday / ·  Introduction to Feasibility Analyses / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 3
September 20 / Wednesday /

·  Product/Service Feasibility analysis

o  Using tools from market research
o  Prototypes and R&D (IDEO company; American Inventor) / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 3
September 25 / Monday / ·  Industry and Competitor/Market Feasibility Analysis
·  Assessing Industry Attractiveness via Porter’s Five Forces
·  Industry Structures and Opportunities / ·  Reading Assignment(s): Textbook, Ch. 4
·  Team Assignment Due: Feasibility Assignment Description of Business and Team Documents Paper (100-points)
·  Download and bring to class Industry Structures and Opportunities Handout from website
·  Download and bring to class Porter’s Five Forces Handout from website
September 27 / Wednesday /

·  Organizational Feasibility Analysis – Part I

/ ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 5
October 2 / Monday /

·  Exam #1 Review

October 4 / Wednesday /

Exam #1

(Chapters 1-5 and in-class material)

/ ·  Individual Assignment: First exam (150-points)
October 9 / Monday /

*Mid-Term Break, No Classes*

October 11 / Wednesday / ·  Organizational Feasibility Analysis – Part II / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 6
·  Team Assignment Due: Product/Service Feasibility Analysis Paper (100-points)
October 16 / Monday / ·  Ethical and Legal Issues Associated with Founding New Ventures / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 8
October 18 / Wednesday / ·  Elevator Pitch for Lifestyle Businesses and Team Meetings / ·  Individual Assignment Due: One-minute elevator pitch for micro-business (60-points)
·  Team Assignment Due: Peer Review
October 23 / Monday / ·  The Business Plan Part I / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 9
October 25 / Wednesday / ·  The Business Plan Part II / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Why Business Models Matter article on website (Author: Joan Magretta)
·  Team Reading Assignment(s) Due: Napster’s New Old Business Model article on website (Author: Anthony Bruno)
·  Assignment Due: Industry/Market Feasibility and Competitive Environment Analysis Paper (100-points)
October 30 / Monday / ·  Growth-Oriented Ventures / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 13
November 1 / Wednesday / ·  Strategies for Firm Growth / ·  Reading Assignment(s) Due: Textbook, Chapter 14
November 6 / Monday / ·  Elevator Pitch for Growth-Oriented Businesses and Team Meetings / ·  Individual Assignment Due: One-minute elevator pitch for growth-oriented business (60-points)
November 8 / Wednesday / ·  Special Topic: Entrepreneurial Strategies / ·  Download and bring to class Entrepreneurial Strategies Slides on website
November 13 / Monday / ·  Special Topic: Networking and Entrepreneurship / ·  Team Assignment Due: Organizational Feasibility Analysis Paper (100-points)
November 15 / Wednesday / ·  Special Topic: The Role of Negotiating in Entrepreneurship
November 20 / Monday / ·  Team Meetings and Preparation for Feasibility Analysis Presentations
November 22 / Wednesday /

*Thanksgiving Holiday, No Classes*

November 27 / Monday / ·  Team Feasibility Analysis Presentations (Teams #1 and #2) and Peer Evaluations Due to Teams #1 and #2 / ·  Team Assignment Due: Feasibility Analysis Presentation and Peer Evaluation (Teams #1 and #2)
November 29 / Wednesday / ·  Team Feasibility Analysis Presentations (Teams #3 and #4) and Peer Evaluations Due to Teams #3 and #4 / ·  Team Assignment Due: Feasibility Analysis Presentation and Peer Evaluation (Teams #3 and #4)
December 4 / Monday / ·  Team Feasibility Analysis Presentation (Team #5) and Peer Evaluations Due to Team #5 / ·  Team Assignment Due: Feasibility Analysis Presentation and Peer Evaluation (Teams #5)
December 6 / Wednesday /

*Last Day of Classes*

Wrap up and preparation for final exam
Final Exam Week
(December 11-15) /

Final Exam (150-points)

(Chapters 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, Special Topics, and in-class material) / ·  3:00–4:15pm: The final is on Wednesday, Dec. 13th, 10:10am – 12:00pm, rm MH 207
4:30–5:45pm: The final is on Monday, Dec. 11th, 4:30pm – 6:20pm, rm MH 207


New Venture Creation: Individual Assignments

Assignment Name: Elevator Pitch (Lifestyle Business)*

Assignment Type: Individual Assignment

Points: 80-points

Due Date: September 13, 2006, Wednesday

As you have learned, a lifestyle business is a type of new venture that is generally somewhat focused in its scope within the industry it competes and growth aspirations for the firm are generally modest. That is, founders of lifestyle businesses are not usually looking to grow their ventures to become large organizations. Another term that you may have heard for a lifestyle venture is a “small-to-medium size company,” or SME. Further, the types of firms that your book refers to as “salary-substitute firms” would fall under this category. Regardless of the growth aspirations of the founder, the entrepreneur is generally interested in starting and running the company for an indefinite amount of time (e.g., they are not looking for a liquidity event), and they generally only have one or just a few physical “office” locations. Characteristics of these types of firms include that they provide their founders with enough financial means to make a living equivalent to what they might earn in a traditional job and they occasionally allow their founders to pursue a particular lifestyle or interest (e.g., in the case of founders pursuing a particular hobby or special interest).

For this assignment, you will be required to identify an opportunity for a lifestyle venture and to conduct a one-minute elevator pitch of that lifestyle venture in front of the class. The new venture, lifestyle business, elevator pitches conducted by the class are very important as five of them will become the topic of your group feasibility projects. Consequently, carefully consider and prepare these presentations. Specifically, after everyone in the class has completed the one-minute, lifestyle venture elevator, pitch I will select five that seem the most promising upon my initial inspection of the idea. Teams will them be formed around the five selected lifestyle business opportunities.