
393388: Fundamentals of Business Administration and Management
MGMT-X 497.613
- Fall 2023
- Section 1
- 4 Credits
- 09/28/2023 to 12/14/2023
- Modified 09/22/2023
Meeting Times
Thursday 6:30PM - 9:30PM
28 September 2023 to 14 December 2023
10920 Lindbrook Drive
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center- Room 211
Description
A majority of businesses fail within the first two years, and a significant percentage of the initial survivors don't last much longer. There are many reasons for this, including inexperienced management, lack of sufficient capital, failure to do proper marketing, and a lack of financial competency. The bottom line is that most managers don't know how to properly systematize, structure, and manage their businesses. They don't know because they're not aware of where or how to find this information. This course is designed to teach students how to properly structure, systematize, and manage a business of any size or type, service, or product--and in any industry.
Objectives
The goal of this course is to introduce students to fundamental business concepts, analyses and management approaches in business. Upon completing the course, students will be able to:
- Identify fundamental business analyses such as economic factors, financial statements and statistical analyses that are used in traditional and contemporary businesses.
- Apply these analytic approaches to frame and analyze various business challenges and opportunities.
- Adapt their findings to a variety of audiences, communicating effectively within and between organizations.
- Learn the fundamentals of developing best practices.
- Learn the basic foundational principles of finance, marketing and strategy so they can comprehend and evaluate, and engage in business opportunities/operations.
Outcomes
Students will be able to do the following:
- Effectively evaluate a business plan.
- Be able to implement best business practices.
- Be able to make better strategic and tactical decisions.
Materials
Required Textbook:
FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS 7th Ed. By Pride, Hughes, Kapoor
ISBN: 9780357717943
Copyright: 2019
Evaluation
Quizzes: 250 points. There will be six quizzes administered during the course of the semester. Only the best five will count for your grade. All missed quizzes will be given a score of zero. You will be given fifteen minutes in the beginning of every class to take the quizzes. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE UP QUIZZES.
Group Project: 250 points. You will be assigned a group project where you will be writing a business plan for an existing, new, or ficticious business. A guide and rubric is provided for your convenience. You will also be presenting your plan at the end of the course.
Simulation: 150 points. You are responsible for attending class and actively participating in the simulation. The simulation will be discussed in more detail throughout the course.
Attendance and Participation: 150. Attendance and participation are MANDATORY! Throughout the course we will be working on group exercises, preparing, and sharing your results/conclusions with the class.
Final Examination: 200. The final examination will cover the entire course material. The examination will be an essay examination. A set of questions will be made available a week before the examination. The examination will consist of a smaller set of questions from that list.
Criteria
Breakdown
Breakdown
UNEX Grading Scheme
Grade Range
A 100% to 90.0%
B <90.0% to 80.0%
C <80.0% to 73.0%
F <73.0% to 0.0%
Course Policies
Classroom Demeanor
Students MUST demonstrate professional demeanor and class commitment in a variety of general ways focused on energetic and respectful participation in class. You must exhibit a willingness to accept and complete course obligations. Professional demeanor also includes dimensions such as punctuality, attendance, maintaining a positive attitude, class preparation, use of appropriate language, and respectfulness towards other students and the professor. Students are expected to come to class prepared, participate in class activities and discussions, and treat others with respect (listening interactively to classmates and the professor, and respecting others‟ viewpoints).
*Students are expected to arrive for class and be in their seats by the scheduled beginning of class.
*Students are expected to attend class. It is your responsibility to obtain information about missed material/assignments, etc. from classmates.
*Do not leave class early unless prior arrangements have been made. IF YOU LEAVE CLASS WITHOUT MAKING PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS, YOU WILL BE COUNTED AS BEING ABSENT. NO EXCEPTIONS.
*Do not read the newspaper or other materials during class.
*Do not bring meals or snacks into the classroom (Coffee excepted) :)
*Cell phones, beepers (Ancient term), laptop volume controls, pagers (Ancient but not so ancient term), personal digital assistants, should be set to mute or off before coming to class.
*Restrict laptop use to note taking or class-related web sites. Random browsing, playing computer games, exchanging e-mail and Internet messaging are discouraged. If engaged in unauthorized communication or entertainment, you may be asked to leave class.
*Class Demeanor is calculated in the attendance and participation evaluation criterion
Policy on Make-up Quizzes
There are no make-up quizzes. In a professional setting, if you have a presentation to make, you will not be given a “make-up” presentation. Since only five of the six quizzes will count, you do have one as a “mulligan”, meaning if you miss it, that is the one that will not count.
Institutional Policies
Student Conduct
Students are subject to disciplinary action for several types of misconduct or attempted misconduct, including but not limited to academic dishonesty, such as cheating, multiple submission, plagiarism, or knowingly furnishing false information to the University; or behavioral misconduct, such as theft or misuse of the intellectual property of others, harassment, or disruption of the learning environment.
All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition and includes the use of material generated wholly or in part through the use of artificial intelligence (except when the use of AI has received prior authorization for assessment as a reasonable accommodation for a student’s disability, or when the use of AI is a specified part of the coursework, e.g. data science or user experience). Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Student Rights & Responsibilities Policy and to report concerns.
Services for Students with Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, UCLA Extension provides appropriate accommodations and support services to qualified applicants and students with disabilities. These include, but are not limited to, auxiliary aids/services such as sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices for hearing-impaired individuals, extended time for and proctoring of exams, and registration assistance. Accommodations and types of support services vary and are specifically designed to meet the disability-related needs of each student based on current, verifiable medical documentation. Arrangements for auxiliary aids/services are available only through UCLA Extension’s Service for Students with Disabilities Office at (310) 825-7851 or by email at [email protected]. For complete information, please visit Accessibility and Disability Services.
Incompletes
The interim grade Incomplete (I) may be approved for a student who has completed the majority of the course requirements, with passing quality (grade C or higher), but is unable to complete a small portion of the coursework by the course end date for good cause. For courses in which an Incomplete may be allowed, approval by the instructor of record and the academic program director is required. The Incomplete grade is not an option for courses that do not bear credit, such as 700, 800, or 900-level courses.
- It is the student’s responsibility to petition for an Incomplete by emailing the appropriate academic program department at least one week before the end of the course. The Program Department will initiate the petition process once the email is received.
- The student, the instructor, the CE/Program Director, and the program staff must complete the petition prior to the final course meeting or before the quarter end date. This process can take up to one week to complete.
- The instructor will approve or deny the request. The instructor will provide details on what the student needs to accomplish in order to complete the course, as well as a due date for submitting completed work. The due date cannot exceed the end of the ensuing quarter when a final grade must be reported or the Incomplete lapses to the grade “F,” “NP,” or “U.” Visit UCLA Extension Grading Scale for more information.
An Incomplete allows the student to complete only work that is outstanding and does not allow prior completed work to be retaken or resubmitted.
All Grades are Final
No change of grade may be made by anyone other than the instructor, and then, only to correct clerical errors. No term grade except Incomplete may be revised by re-examination. The correction of a clerical error may be authorized only by the instructor of record communicating directly with personnel of Student and Alumni Services.
Sexual Harassment
The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in an atmosphere free of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation. Every member of the community should be aware that the University prohibits sexual harassment and sexual violence, and that such behavior violates both law and University policy. The University will respond promptly and effectively to reports of sexual harassment and sexual violence, and will take appropriate action to prevent, to correct, and when necessary, to discipline behavior that violates our policy.
All Extension students and instructors who believe they have been sexually harassed are encouraged to contact the Department of Student and Alumni Services for complaint resolution: UCLA Extension, 1145 Gayley Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90024; Voice/TTY: (310) 825-7031. For more information, please view the University’s full Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence.
Additional Items
Protecting Privacy and Data During Live Instruction
Live meeting sessions for this class, when applicable, are being conducted over Zoom. As the host, the instructor may be recording live sessions. Only the host has the ability to record meetings, no recording by other means is permitted. Recorded sessions will be posted in the Videos area of this class unless otherwise notified. Due to privacy, recordings are not available for download and are only accessible via Canvas for the duration of the class. If you have privacy concerns and do not wish to appear in the recording, do not turn on your video and/or audio. If you also prefer to use a pseudonym instead of your name, please let the instructor know what name you will be using so that the instructor knows who you are during the session. To rename yourself during a Zoom meeting, click on Participants, click on your name, click on More, click on Rename. If you would like to ask a question, you may do so privately through the Zoom chat by addressing your chat question to the instructor only (and not to ""everyone""). Additionally, chat may be used and moderated for live questions, and saving of chats is enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact the instructor via Canvas Inbox.
Pursuant to the terms of the agreement between Zoom and UCLA Extension, the data is used solely for this purpose and Zoom is prohibited from re-disclosing this information. UCLA Extension also does not use the data for any other purpose. Recordings will be deleted when no longer necessary. However, recordings may become part of an administrative disciplinary record if misconduct occurs during a video conference.
Course and Instructor Evaluation
UCLA Extension values your feedback on course and instructor evaluations. We ask all students to take a few minutes to complete an end-of-course evaluation survey. Updates to the course and instruction are influenced by your feedback. Understanding your student experience is essential to ensure continuing excellence in the online classroom and is appreciated by your instructor and the UCLA Extension academic leadership.
Your participation in a survey is voluntary, and your responses are confidential. After instructors submit grades, they will be given an evaluation report, but this report will not contain your name.
About Your Online Course Materials
Please note the following about online course components at UCLA Extension:
- Students must have basic computer skills, including the use of word processing software, email, and the ability to use internet browsers, such as Safari, Firefox, or Chrome.
- Students are responsible for meeting the technical requirements of Canvas and familiarizing themselves with the Canvas Learning Management System.
- Students are responsible for keeping a copy of all assignments and work submitted, and to be aware of all assignments, due dates, and course guidelines.
- Students have access to courses via Canvas for an additional 30 calendar days after the course end date listed in the syllabus (the first 14 days are full access; the rest are read-only).
- Students are encouraged to download/print content throughout the duration of the course and before the additional 30-day access ends. No further access is possible after the course becomes unavailable.
To download all your assignment submissions in Canvas, please refer to the online support guide. for more information or contact Canvas Support via the help menu within Canvas.
UCLA Extension Canvas and Learning Support
For immediate 24/7 Canvas technical support, including holidays, click on Help (located on the menu to the left) where you can call or chat live with a Canvas Support representative.
UCLA Extension Academic Technology and Learning Innovation
The UCLA Extension Learning Support staff assists both students and instructors with Canvas-related technical support, as well as general and administrative questions.
Learning Support staff is available Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 9 PM (Pacific Time), except holidays:
- Email: [email protected]
Campus Safety Escorts
For students taking classes held on the UCLA campus and in and around Westwood Village, the UCLA Police Department provides a free walking escort service every day of the year from dusk until 1 a.m. Community Service Officers (CSOs) are available to walk students, faculty, staff members and visitors to and from anywhere on campus, in Westwood Village, and in the village apartments. CSOs are uniformed students who have received special training and are employed by the UCLA Police Department. To obtain an escort, please call (310) 794-9255 and allow 15 to 20 minutes for your escort to arrive. For complete information, see UCLA Evening Escorts.
Schedule
DATE | TOPIC | ASSIGNMENT |
9/28 | Administrative Issues Why Do Businesses Exist? Business and Economics |
Chapter 1 |
10/5 | ETHICS AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Ethical Behavior, CSR Global Business |
Chapter 2 Chapter 3 |
10/12 | OWNERSHIP Ownership Selection Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Franchises |
Chapter 4 Chapter 5 |
10/19 |
MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION |
Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 |
10/26 | Human Resources Attracting and Retaining Employees Motivating and Satisfying Employees |
Chapter 9 Chapter 10 |
11/2 | IN CLASS SIMULATION | |
11/9 | MARKETING Building Customer Relationships Product and Pricing Strategies |
Chapter 11 Chapter 12 |
11/16 | MARKETING (CONT.) Promotional and Distribution Strategies Social Media and e-commerce |
Chapter 13 Chapter 14 |
11/23 |
Thanksgiving No Class |
|
11/30 | Guest Speaker | |
12/7 | Presentations | |
12/14 |
Final Examination |