General Course Information

Instructors

Email

Jonathan Parkes, Department of Management

parkesj@uoguelph.ca

Nicole Bena, Department of Management

nbena@uogelph.ca

Office Location

MAC 235 and Remote – Microsoft Teams by appointment

Office Hours

Department/School

Teaching Assistants

Pre-requisites:

Co-requisites:

None

None

Restrictions:

Course Description

This 1.0 credit course, equivalent to the workload of two semester courses, holds paramount importance as a foundational cornerstone for all Bachelor of Commerce students. Its significance lies in providing students with a comprehensive grasp of business fundamentals, business management principles, and the profound societal impact of business enterprises.

At its core, this course delves into essential concepts, theories, and models that underpin effective business practices and ethical management. Moreover, its purpose extends to equipping students with invaluable research skills, enabling them to adeptly analyze the complex business landscape. By fostering a practical perspective, the course empowers students to apply industry best practices judiciously while fostering an acute awareness of the intricate interplay among diverse stakeholders both internal and external to the business sphere.

To imbue these concepts with real-world relevance, the classroom structure adopts the guise of a virtual ‘Company’. In this unique setup, students enrolled in Management 1000 assume the roles of organization employees. The course outline functions as the mutual agreement akin to an employment contract, outlining the expectations and responsibilities binding the instructor (as the employer) and the students (as employees). Guided by this arrangement, students, organized into teams, are tasked with the intricate endeavour of contextualizing business concepts, theories, and optimal methodologies within the framework of their designated ‘organization’. The principles governing classroom interactions echo the standards observed within professional workplaces. This entails punctual attendance, active participation, and an unwavering commitment to collaborative teamwork. A premium is placed on the manifestation of distinctive ideas and robust critical thinking skills, both in individual and collective assignments.

The culmination of this educational journey resides in a multifaceted project. Students are called upon to conduct a comprehensive External & Internal Situation Analysis, which encompasses an exhaustive SWOT analysis tailored to their allocated organization. Subsequently, students encounter an ethical quandary or a challenge pertaining to social responsibility. Drawing from the insights gleaned during the Situation Analysis and the ethical training woven through lectures and seminars, students are tasked with crafting viable recommendations. The pinnacle of this academic endeavor rests in the ‘Great Ethical Dilemma Case’, where students vie for the esteemed title of ‘Best in Class’. The culmination of their efforts materializes in the form of each team presenting to an executive board of directors on December 1^st with recommendations that resolve a challenging ethical dilemma faced by their assigned organization.  This distinctive challenge not only nurtures a deeper understanding of ethical considerations and social responsibilities but also underscores the practical application of these principles in a competitive arena.

Through this dynamic curriculum featuring interactive exercises, students are primed to develop a nuanced understanding of how ethical and socially responsible business strategies stand as linchpins for an organization’s success.

The Lectures and seminars are face-to-face in the classroom, however depending on public health recommendations we may be required to PIVOT to a remote synchronous learning environment (TBD). To complete this course successfully, students will need to ensure that they have a working and reliable internet connection, a computer capable of running a virtual classroom environment with 40 other people, a microphone and camera. All lectures will be live with lecture slides posted in advance of the lecture. Polling technology during the lecture time will be utilized (see page 6). Seminars will take place in the classroom and are mandatory. Seminar times vary by student and students must attend their seminar time only. Stay current on COVID-19 protocols https://www.uoguelph.ca/covid19/covid-info-for-students.

Course Learning Outcomes (LO)

Knowledge and Understanding:

Students will gain a common language and understanding of the various forms of business, key business concepts and theories. Additionally, students will learn ethical theories and their application within the business environment. Students will learn key processes for analysing an organization and its key influencing factors. Students should be able to apply this knowledge and understanding to subsequent courses within any of the departments within the Bachelor of commerce program.

Discipline/Professional and Transferable Skills:

Students will develop essential skills for application in their professional life. In particular, students are provided with a tool box of skills which include: research methods; how to participate as an active and effective team member; how to build an effective team; how to facilitate and lead a meeting; how to give and receive feedback; how to set priorities and manage timelines; how to perform an organizational assessment of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and the technical platforms necessary to work in a remote setting. Furthermore, students will be exposed to personal and business ethical principles as well as be provided with a process on how to think and resolve ethical issues in the workplace.

Values and Attitudes:

At the heart of our educational ethos lies the mission of the Lang School of Business & Economics: to cultivate visionary leaders who are catalysts for a Sustainable World. This can only be achieved through the provision of a transformative learning environment, one that nurtures critical introspection, personal evolution, community involvement, and a global perspective. A cornerstone of this approach involves fostering a profound grasp of traditional and emerging themes in management and economics.

Throughout your academic journey, and particularly in this class, we are committed to instilling social and ethical responsibility, shaping graduates who are primed for leadership roles capable of enhancing organizational efficacy and enriching the well-being of individuals both within Canada and across the globe. While this course creates the conducive setting to nurture and propel this mission, the disposition of each student in the program is pivotal to achieving success. Students are urged to cultivate an active investment in their education. This commitment entails wholehearted engagement in all learning endeavours.  Rather than being passive recipients of information, students are expected to actively partake in research and collaborative problem-solving. A culture of curiosity is actively encouraged—questioning, challenging conventions, and fostering debates—to cultivate an environment of dynamic discourse that begets profound knowledge and understanding. In this relentless pursuit of knowledge, students are called to embrace diversity, creating an inclusive environment that thrives on divergent perspectives. Encouraging fellow students to partake in the dialogue, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to respect, is pivotal. It’s important to recognize that both setbacks and achievements equally furnish invaluable learning prospects, contributing to individual growth and the enrichment of the collective academic community.

Remote and in-person Course Etiquette – Zero Tolerance for Inappropriate Behaviour!

Inappropriate online behaviour will not be tolerated. Examples of inappropriate in-class and online behaviour include:

.         Not following University policies (i.e., masks, social distancing)

.         Posting inflammatory messages about your instructor, TA, or fellow students

·         Using obscene or offensive language

·         Copying or presenting someone else’s work as your own

·         Adapting information from the Internet or AI without using proper citations or references

·         Buying or selling term papers or assignments

·         Posting or selling course materials to course notes websites

·         Having someone else complete your quiz or completing a quiz for/with another student

·         Stating false claims about lost quiz answers or other assignment submissions

·         Threatening or harassing a student, TA or instructor

·         Discriminating against fellow students, instructors and/or TAs

·         Using the course website to promote profit-driven products or services

·         Attempting to compromise the security or functionality of the learning management system

·         Sharing your username and password

·         Recording lectures without the permission of the instructor

Foremost is the establishment of an environment where students can engage in learning and collaboration without apprehension, knowing that they are encompassed by a secure space devoid of judgment or harassment. Instances of behaviour that are considered inappropriate within this framework will prompt the immediate request for the concerned student to exit the seminar. Depending on the gravity of the transgression, the student’s removal from the entire course might be deemed necessary. Additionally, the incident will be officially reported to the Dean’s office for further review. Central to this endeavour is the collective commitment to fostering a positive atmosphere. We are encouraged to approach our interactions with the shared aspiration of uplifting one another, rather than engaging in any form of derogatory behaviour. By recognizing the value of building a constructive community, we not only facilitate our own growth but contribute to an environment where every member can thrive.

Indicative Content

There are two (2) 50-minute lectures in class (100 minutes) per week. There is one (1) 2-hour seminar per week that will be conducted in the classroom- Room 232 MacDonald Hall unless otherwise specified; representing 3.7 hours of ‘face time per week. The course calendar is broken down into twelve weeks. The first lecture and seminars commence(s) on Monday, September 9, 2024.

Each week in addition to attending the lectures and seminar, you will be responsible for the following:

o    An individual reading assignment.

o    An on-line graded self-assessment based on the reading assignment.

o    Individual prep work to be submitted in advance of the seminar to be ready to contribute to teamwork.

o    Team(group) submission when requested at the end of the seminar to demonstrate productivity during seminar.

Additionally, throughout the semester in teams, you will be required to complete one culminating project which requires a complete situational analysis (internal and external) of an assigned publicly traded organization. The project is broken down into 5 components, allowing for feedback on each stage of your report prior to submitting the final report. Each component must be completed prior to advancing to the next component requirement. The entire team is responsible for gathering all information and the analysis required to complete each component. However, each team member will be assigned a lead role for one of the components. As the lead of a component submission, the student will be required to gather all information from their respective team-mates and then organize and prepare the component for submission. A higher-grade weighting will be given to the component leader (see culminating project for details).

The course schedule is below.

Individual

Prep for Seminar

Week 1

Week of Sept. 9

Understanding the CDN Business system

Read Chapter 1

Due

Week 1

Participation grades for polling

Upload assignment to drop-box.

Sunday Sept. 8

Week 2

Week of Sept.  16

See Individual Seminar Prep week 2.

The Micro-environmental Scan

Week 3

Week of Sept.  23

 Impact of Competition

See Individual Seminar Prep Week 3

Part A: Industry Analysis

Participation grades for polling

Quiz 3 due Sunday, Sept 29,

11:59 pm

· Upload Individual Prep. to drop box in advance of week 3 seminar.

· Group evaluations in PEAR for component 1 due 24 hours after component 1 submission

Week 4

Week of Sept. 30 

·    Globalization of Business

·    Forms of Business ownership.

·    Managing the organization.

See Individual Seminar Prep for Week 4

Part B: Competitive Analysis

Participation grades for polling

Week 5

Week of Oct. 7

NO LECTURES OR SEMINARS THIS WEEK

Read Chapter 5 & 6

Complete Quiz 5 & 6 due Sunday Oct. 13, 11:59 pm

Study for Mid-term: Includes Lecture content Sept. 9 -Oct. 7 & Chapters 1-6

Week 6

Week of Oct.  14

Read

Chapter

7

Due

Week 6

Participation grades for polling

Week 7

Week of Oct. 21

Operations Management

Read Chapter 8

Read Chapter 1:

Complete Quiz 8

See Individual Prep for Week 7

Strategic Overview

Due

Week 7

Participation grades for polling

Week 8

Week of Oct 28

Read Chapter 9

Read Chapter 2: HGPMTD

See Individual Prep for Week 8

Operations Management, Production and Cost efficiencies.

Participation grades for polling

Quiz 9 due Nov. 3, 

11:59 pm

Week 9

Week of Nov. 4

Marketing Management

Read Chapter 10

Read chapter 5: HGPMTD

See Individual Prep. for Week 9

Financial Analysis

Participation grades for polling

Quiz 10 due Nov 10,

11:59 pm

Week 10

Week of Nov.11

· Marketing Management

· Business Ethics

Read Chapter 11

Read Chapter 8: HGPMTD

Complete Quiz 11

Which includes questions on Chapter 1,2,5 & 8- HGPMTD

See Individual Prep. Week 10

SWOT/Wicked World Problem Presentations

Due

Week 10

Participation grades for polling

Upload prep. To drop box in advance of week 10 seminar

Group evaluations on PEAR for component 4 due 24 hours after component 4 submission

Individual

Prep for Seminar

Week 11

Week of Nov. 18

Business Ethics Continued

Study Mid-term

Lecture: Oct 14-Nov. 11

Chapters: 7-11

Chapters: 1,2,5 & 8

HGPMTD

Mid-term/Wicked World Problem Presentations

Participation grades for polling

Mid-term

Team presentations in Prep for GED

Week 12

Week of Nov.  25

“Great Ethical Dilemma-Rules of engagement”

No Lecture on Nov.29

No Seminar

Ethical Dilemmas Released to teams on Wednesday, Nov. 27 @ 6pm

Presentations uploaded to Drop box on Friday, Nov 29 @ 6am

Oral Presentations to Panel of Executive Directors on Nov 29th (Schedule of Presentation released Week of Nov. 11.

In Seminar

Week of Oct. 14

Week of Nov. 18

5.       Culminating Project

Component 1

Component 2

Component 3

Component 4

Component 5

Final Written Report

Peer Evaluations

Week of Sept.  22

Week of Oct.  13

Week of Oct. 27

Week of Nov.10

Week of Nov.24

Dec.  5

After each component submission (24 hours)

Double weighted course

Out of 200

Teaching and Learning Assessment Details  

We will be using a classroom polling system to make our lecture time more engaging. This will help me gauge your level of understanding, give everyone a chance to participate, and increase how much you learn when we are in class together. This will also provide you with feedback on how well you are comprehending course concepts, help you master challenging concepts, and allow you to review material after class.

We will be using iClicker cloud. To participate in class for grades, you will need to take the following steps:

1.      Create an I.Clicker student account. You’ll automatically receive a two-week free trial as soon as you create your account in the iClicker student app (formerly known as iClicker Reef). The iClicker student app can be used on mobile devices, tablets, or laptops in this class (we will not be using iClicker handheld remotes in this class). Follow the link on How to Create an iClicker Student Account

2.     Next you need to manually search for and add your instructor’s course in the app -Following the steps for option 2 found in this link How to Add an Instructor’s Course in the iClicker Student App . Be sure to search add the correct course based on your registered lecture time and classroom. Management 1000- ROZH M, W 2:30-3:20 pm Management 1000 -ROHZ M, W 4:30-5:20 pm, or Management 1000- M, W 2:30-3:20 Virtually If you select the wrong classroom assignment, you will not receive grades for the participation portion of this course’s assessment.

3.     Finally, you need to purchase your subscription. Follow option 1 (purchase a subscription) found in this link iClicker Student App Purchasing & Participation Options. A six month subscription is ($15.99 US). Once you have a subscription, the app can be used in any class that is using iClicker cloud technology.

Classroom participation will begin in lecture on September 16, 2024. Follow the link to How to Participate in a Poll with the iClicker Student App.  Each lecture is considered as one participation session that is worth 5 points: 1 point will be awarded for participation and for answering 75% of the questions posed during the session, regardless of the answer, with the remaining 4 points earned for correct responses.  The 4 lowest polling session scores will not count to allow for absences due to illness. Please DO NOT email me for missed lectures, if you miss a lecture, it will be dropped from your grade. You can miss four (4) lectures for any reason (including illness) with NO grade penalty.

We will be using geolocation technology that will only allow students to join and participate in the lectures when they are physically within the student assigned lecture hall. Additionally, iClicker Focus will be turned on to support students with staying on task when using mobile devices for participation in iClicker classroom activities. When Focus is turned on, the iClicker student app will detect if you leave the app and for how long and will report this information to you and your instructor. By providing you with this information, we hope it helps you better understand your participation habits and stay engaged in your courses. Student Guide: iClicker Focus

Enter Your MGMT 1000 Course on CourseLink:

1.     Sign in to CourseLink and enter your MGMT 1000 course.

2.     On the Course content page, click on readings and the link to textbook to gain access to our reading materials. The schedule found on page 4 & 5 highlights what chapters are to be read when and when quizzes are due.

3.     Quizzes are available by going to the quiz tab in courselink. Please note that you have only one chance to complete these quizzes, so ensure you have read the textbook chapter in advance. There are no extensions for these quizzes. Please note the due dates for these quizzes.

I will be dropping the two lowest quiz scores from your grade at the end of the semester. Please DO NOT email me for missed quizzes, if you miss a quiz, it will be dropped from your grade. You can miss two quizzes with NO grade penalty.

One of the key learning objectives of this course is the ability to work efficiently and effectively in a team. As such, 45% of your assessment is based on teamwork, Cardiff et al., 2020, National association of Colleges & Employers, 2013 along with several other studies have identified teamwork, leadership, analytical savvy, and communication skills as skillsets most demanded by employers.  Unfortunately, students do not always see the value associated with teamwork. In most cases this attitude is a result of not be given the correct tools or coaching on how to be successful as a team. Furthermore, incentives in the academic environment as it pertains to teamwork often lead to free-riding or hi-jacking behaviours by some members. As teamwork, leadership, analytical savvy, and communication will be critical to your success within your selected Bachelor of Commerce discipline and well as an important skill sought after by employers, the seminars are specifically designed to develop these skills.

Seminars consist of a set of active learning experiences designed to assist with the completion of the team culminating project. For these seminars you will be working with a pre-assigned culminating project team. See company project in courselink for details.

Students will be required to complete the following to develop these skills and to avoid free-riding behaviours:

1.     Create and sign a team contract. No component grades will be released unless a team contract has been created, signed, and uploaded to the appropriate drop-box. See courselink for team contract details.

2.     Each team member must submit individual preparation work necessary to participate in the seminar prior to the start of their assigned seminar to the drop box (20 pts). For example, if your seminar is at 8:30 am on Tuesday, your pre-work must be submitted to the Dropbox by 8:29 am on Tuesday to be eligible for a grade. If you submit the preparation work during or after the seminar, it will not be graded as the intention of this submission is to ensure all team members come prepared to participate during seminar.

§  Three (3) of your 8 weekly individual preparation submissions will be graded at random throughout the semester (the selected 3 weekly submissions will vary by seminar). The three selected preparation submissions and the grades will not be revealed until the end of the semester. The average grade of the three selected submissions will be used to grade your remaining unmarked submissions. It is recommended that you diligently spend time on each weekly individual preparation to maximize your grade allocation for this assessment.

3.     Attend seminar. Note, to receive seminar preparation grades- each team member in addition to submitting the individual preparation work on time, must be in attendance and participate in seminar activities.

4.      Sign a check list of work completed by each individual members after each group submission.

5.     Complete 5 group peer assessments in Pear (with one optional) on your fellow team members and yourself as well as hold two feedback sessions where an action plan is created to improve team performance. Component grades will NOT be released until each team member has completed the Pear assessment for that component.  

There are two mid-terms in this class.  Mid-term exams are scheduled to take place during your in-person seminar. It will emphasize material covered in lectures, activities, and assigned readings. The midterm exam is multiple choice.

These midterms will be conducted on-line during your assigned seminar. You will need to bring your laptop to seminar to complete the mid-term in courselink using the quizzing tool.  Respondus LockDown Browser will be enabled and there will be in-person proctors in the seminar. Use of Lockdown Browser with an in-person proctor on an on-line platform has been implemented to reduce the use of paper, improve the turnaround time for grading of exams and to maintain the academic integrity of the exam. You must download and install LockDown Browser and complete a practice test before coming to seminar.

The mid-terms are non-cumulative and cover the following topics:

§  Mid-term 1: Chapter 1-6 Open Access textbook, Lectures weeks 1-4 & 6; Seminars weeks 1-4

§  Mid-term 2: Chapter 7-11 Open Access textbook, Chapter 1,2,5 & 8–Lectures weeks 7-11; Seminars weeks 7-10

Important Note: There is a mandatory practice test that you are required to take before the online exam. The purpose of the practice test is to ensure that Respondus LockDown Browser is set up properly and that you are comfortable using the software.

If you have any questions regarding the use of Respondus Lockdown Browser or if you encounter any technical issues during the practice test or final exam, please contact CourseLink Support at courselink@uoguelph.ca or 519-824-4120 ext. 56939.

Respondus LockDown Browser Requirements

Respondus LockDown Browser is a locked browser for taking mid-terms in CourseLink. It prevents you from printing and copying; using other operating software; using search engines (e.g., going to another URL); communicating via instant messaging; and it blocks non-web-related software (e.g., Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word).

In order to use Respondus LockDown Browser you must meet the following technical requirements so that you can take the practice test and mid-term exam:

1.     Operating Systems: Windows 10, 8, 7; Mac OS X 10.10 or higher.

2.     Memory: Windows 75 MB Hard Drive space; Mac 120 MB Hard Drive space.

3.     For Mac users: Safari must function properly on the computer.

Mac users must have Adobe Flash Player installed to Safari, even if a different browser is normally used.

Students will work in teams consisting of 5 members (or 4 in some circumstances) and will become an extension of a pre-assigned existing company’s employee pool. In this capacity students will be responsible for completing a situational analysis for their company as well as making critical business decisions involving ethical issues. Students will use seminar time as well as outside classroom time to work on this project. One mark will be assigned to the entire team.

There are 7 Project components with the following corresponding due dates:

After each component, 1 – 6, students will complete a group assessment evaluation found in CourseLink in PEAR, rating the performance of each member of their team. Group assessments 2 and 4 will be followed up by a face-to-face communication and action plans to improve overall group performance. The instructor when awarding grades for this project considers the final group assessment evaluation. Any student whose contribution has been identified as poor by the other team members will have their work placed under-review. Specifically, the individual prep work grade for each seminar will be reviewed. If the individual prep work also reveals poor performance, then the under performer will lose marks on the project. In the past, students who did not participate fully in seminar and in the corresponding group work have failed this course. The group work component for this course is a very important ‘criteria’ that must be achieved to move forward in the Bachelor of Commerce program.

Your team’s component submission will not be considered complete until the Group assessments for the Component have been completed in PEAR.

For the details of the group project, and group assessments, please see the group work document posted on COURSELINK under Course Materials>Content>Culminating Project. There is a Group Assignment Checklist that is posted here as well. Once you have verified the check list, hand in this signed checklist with each milestone submission. Grading breakdown can be found here as well.

The University of Guelph writing centre is an excellent resource for the written assignments.

Each team assigned to a specific company will be sent an urgent email from their public relations officer 38.5 hours prior to the case competition taking place on November 29^th informing them of a critical ethical dilemma faced by their assigned organization that requires immediate resolution by their team.

Using the information gathered for your company report, ethical decision-making tools and theories and critical thinking skills acquired in class, your team will identify  potential resolutions to the problem converging on one recommendation that is supported with evidence. The competition is scheduled on November 29th in person, however, in the event that we cannot convene on campus, each group will be required to make an 8-minute presentation by creating a YouTube video(unlisted) or other video software (zoom recording or Microsoft teams) presenting their recommendation to their Executive Board of Directors consisting of industry experts and distinguished faculty.

AI rules of engagement during the Great Ethical Dilemma case competition

It is an academic violation to use AI to complete and produce work for the GED case competition. In this class the use of AI to generate final projects, component work, and seminar preparation will be identified as academic misconduct unless the instructor has indicated that the use of AI is acceptable to complete an assignment.

On the day of the competition, you will be required to sign attestation that you did not use AI to formulate any of your solutions or to create your presentation.

AI detection technologies will be activated in courselink for this assignment in addition to Turnitin.

See Company project details in courselink.

Each member of the group is expected to present.

There are more than 1300 students in the Management 1000 course this semester and only two instructors. As a first-year student it is often very difficult for students to engage with faculty. Therefore, once a week I host a tea-time which will accommodate 45 students per week. During this hour students and various faculty from other departments, including the Deans office will be invited to join us for tea. This is a great opportunity to meet your future professors from your chosen discipline, meet key individuals from the Dean’s office, and on some occasions the Dean themselves. You are welcome to ask course specific questions, program specific questions, Lang School specific questions or just come out and meet your class or faculty with no specific agenda. This opportunity is on a first come first serve basis and space is limited. You can sign up for Tea-Time, on –line in Courselink by self-enrolling into one of the Tea-Time groups. (Go to Courselink>connect>groups). I strongly encourage you take advantage of this opportunity. You may sign up for one Tea-Time only as there will only be spaces available for approximately 400 students this semester. Students who have attended in prior years loved this event.

Required

1.         I. Clicker Cloud subscription see iClicker Student App Purchasing & Participation Options and follow steps for Option #1 ($15.99 US for 6 months subscription-subject to current CDN exchange rates )

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Course Policies