Faculty Syllabus

BUSI-1301 Business Principles


Robert Jackson


Credit Spring 2026


Section(s)

BUSI-1301-023 (15665)
LEC DIL ONL DIL

Course Requirements

Study PowerPoint lectures.

Complete four exams.

Complete the stock project.

Complete optional extra credit assignments to improve your grade.


Readings

The textbook is not required.

Optional Readings

Chapters 2, 14, 3 thru 13, 15, and 16 of Edition 2 of Understanding Business: The Core, by authors Nickels, McHugh, McHugh


Course Subjects

Chapter 2 – Doing Business in Global Markets

                Importance of global markets and nations with absolute or comparative advantages

                Imports and exports

                Strategies for reaching global markets

                Forces affecting global markets

                Advantages and disadvantages of trade protectionism

                Dynamic markets & offshore outsourcing

Chapter 14 - Understanding Accounting and Financial Information

                Understand the role of accounting information

                Understand the accounting cycle

                Become comfortable using key financial statements

                Be able to use financial ratios to analyze financial performance

Chapter 3 – Demanding Ethical & Socially Responsible Behavior

                Obeying the law is only the first step in behaving ethically

                Three questions to answer when facing a potentially unethical action

                Management’s role in setting ethical standards

                Distinguish between compliance and integrity-based ethics codes

                Define corporate social responsibility and responsibilities to stakeholders

                The role of US businesses in influencing ethical behavior in world markets

Chapter 4 – How to Form a Business

                Advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorships

                General & limited partners and advantages and disadvantages of partnerships

                Advantages and disadvantages of corporations

                Differences between C corporations, S corporations, and limited liability companies

                Three types of mergers, leveraged buyouts, taking a firm private

                Franchising

                Cooperatives

Chapter 5 – Entrepreneurship & Starting a Small Business

                Risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur

                Attributes of entrepreneurs

                Importance of small businesses to the US economy

                Causes of small business failure

                Small business operations

                Starting and running a small business

                Advantages and disadvantages of small businesses in global markets

Chapter 6 – Management & Leadership

                Changes occurring in the management function

                Four functions of management

                The planning process and decision-making

                Organizing function of management

                Compare leaders and managers and describe leadership styles

                Five steps of the control function of management

Chapter 7 – Structuring Organizations for Today’s Challenges

                Principles of organization management

                Compare organizational theories of Fayol & Weber

                Choices in structuring organizations

                Benefits of interfirm cooperation and coordination

                The role of culture in adapting to change

Chapter 8 – Production & Operations Management

                US manufacturing

                Evolution from production to operations

                Production processes and techniques to improve them

                Flexible and lean manufacturing, mass customization, and robotics

                Operations planning issues

                PERT and Gantt charts

Chapter 9 – Motivating Employees

                Taylor’s theory of scientific management

                Hawthorne studies

                Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

                Herzberg motivators and hygiene factors

                Principles of goal-setting, expectancy, reinforcement, and equity theories

                Putting theories into action

                Personalizing motivation

Chapter 10 – Human Resource Management: Finding & Keeping the Best Employees

                Current issues in human resource management

                Effects of legislation on HR

                Five steps in HR planning

                Methods to recruit and retain

                Six steps in selecting employees

                Training and development methods

                Six steps in appraising employee performance

                Objectives of compensation and benefits programs

                Adapting schedules to meet employee and business needs

                Promotion, transfer, termination, and retirement

Chapter 11 – Marketing: Helping Buyer’s Buy

                Marketing in for-profit and nonprofit organizations

                Four P’s of marketing

                Marketing research process

                Environmental scanning

                Market segmentation, relationship marketing, consumer behavior tools

                Business to business and business to consumer marketing

Chapter 12 – Managing the Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Place, Promotion

                Total product offer

                Functions of packaging

                Brands, brand names, trademarks and band equity

                Pricing objectives and strategies

                Marketing channels and intermediaries

                Wholesale and retail intermediaries and online retailing

                Promotional tools

                Measuring the effectiveness of promotions

Chapter 13 – Using Technology to Manage Information

                Outline the changing role of business technology

                List types of business information

                Identify the characteristics of useful information

                Discuss how data is stored and analyzed

               Compare internets, intranets, and extranets

               Discuss private networks and broadband technology

                Explain virtual networking and explain the benefits of cloud computing

                Evaluate business issues impacted by information technology

Chapter 15 - Financial Management

               Understand what a finance manager does

               Discuss an approach for making ethical decisions

               Become familiar with different sources of financiing

Chapter 16 – Money, Financial Institutions, and the Federal Reserve

                Explain money

                Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply

                Discuss the history of banking

                Classify institutions comprising the U.S. banking system

                 Discuss the causes of the 2008 banking crisis

                 Discuss the role of technology in improving banking system efficiency

                 Evaluate the international banking, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund


Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

Chapter 2 – Doing Business in Global Markets

                Importance of global markets and nations with absolute or comparative advantages

                Imports and exports

                Strategies for reaching global markets

                Forces affecting global markets

                Advantages and disadvantages of trade protectionism

                Dynamic markets & offshore outsourcing

Chapter 14 - Understanding Accounting and Financial Information

                Understand the role of accounting information

                Understand the accounting cycle

                Become comfortable using key financial statements

                Be able to use financial ratios to analyze financial performance

Chapter 3 – Demanding Ethical & Socially Responsible Behavior

                Obeying the law is only the first step in behaving ethically

                Three questions to answer when facing a potentially unethical action

                Management’s role in setting ethical standards

                Distinguish between compliance and integrity-based ethics codes

                Define corporate social responsibility and responsibilities to stakeholders

                The role of US businesses in influencing ethical behavior in world markets

Chapter 4 – How to Form a Business

                Advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorships

                General & limited partners and advantages and disadvantages of partnerships

                Advantages and disadvantages of corporations

                Differences between C corporations, S corporations, and limited liability companies

                Three types of mergers, leveraged buyouts, taking a firm private

                Franchising

                Cooperatives

Chapter 5 – Entrepreneurship & Starting a Small Business

                Risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur

                Attributes of entrepreneurs

                Importance of small businesses to the US economy

                Causes of small business failure

                Small business operations

                Starting and running a small business

                Advantages and disadvantages of small businesses in global markets

Chapter 6 – Management & Leadership

                Changes occurring in the management function

                Four functions of management

                The planning process and decision-making

                Organizing function of management

                Compare leaders and managers and describe leadership styles

                Five steps of the control function of management

Chapter 7 – Structuring Organizations for Today’s Challenges

                Principles of organization management

                Compare organizational theories of Fayol & Weber

                Choices in structuring organizations

                Benefits of interfirm cooperation and coordination

                The role of culture in adapting to change

Chapter 8 – Production & Operations Management

                US manufacturing

                Evolution from production to operations

                Production processes and techniques to improve them

                Flexible and lean manufacturing, mass customization, and robotics

                Operations planning issues

                PERT and Gantt charts

Chapter 9 – Motivating Employees

                Taylor’s theory of scientific management

                Hawthorne studies

                Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

                Herzberg motivators and hygiene factors

                Principles of goal-setting, expectancy, reinforcement, and equity theories

                Putting theories into action

                Personalizing motivation

Chapter 10 – Human Resource Management: Finding & Keeping the Best Employees

                Current issues in human resource management

                Effects of legislation on HR

                Five steps in HR planning

                Methods to recruit and retain

                Six steps in selecting employees

                Training and development methods

                Six steps in appraising employee performance

                Objectives of compensation and benefits programs

                Adapting schedules to meet employee and business needs

                Promotion, transfer, termination, and retirement

Chapter 11 – Marketing: Helping Buyer’s Buy

                Marketing in for-profit and nonprofit organizations

                Four P’s of marketing

                Marketing research process

                Environmental scanning

                Market segmentation, relationship marketing, consumer behavior tools

                Business to business and business to consumer marketing

Chapter 12 – Managing the Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Place, Promotion

                Total product offer

                Functions of packaging

                Brands, brand names, trademarks and band equity

                Pricing objectives and strategies

                Marketing channels and intermediaries

                Wholesale and retail intermediaries and online retailing

                Promotional tools

                Measuring the effectiveness of promotions

Chapter 13 – Using Technology to Manage Information

                Outline the changing role of business technology

                List types of business information

                 Identify the characteristics of useful information

                 Discuss how data is stored and analyzed

                Compare internets, intranets, and extranets

                Discuss private networks and broadband technology

                Explain virtual networking and explain the benefits of cloud computing

                Evaluate business issues impacted by information technology

Chapter 15 - Financial Management

               Understand what a finance manager does

               Discuss an approach for making ethical decisions

               Become familiar with different sources of financiing

Chapter 16 – Money, Financial Institutions, and the Federal Reserve

                Explain money

                Describe how the Federal Reserve controls the money supply

                Discuss the history of banking

                Classify institutions comprising the U.S. banking system

                Discuss the causes of the 2008 banking crisis

                Discuss the role of technology in improving banking system efficiency

                Evaluate the international banking, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund


Office Hours

T Th 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM HL2 - 1234

NOTE Available by appointment for virtual student meetings.

Published: 01/23/2026 18:31:56