BRAC UNIVERSITY

BRAC BUSINESS SCHOOL

Course Outline: Spring 2015

SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS (BUS 101)

Course Instructor: Md.Fazla Mohiuddin Section Day Start End Room

Lecturer,BBS Time Time
Office: UB20512 005 Monday- 9:30AM 10:50A UB2010
Section: 005 & 002 Wednesday M 2
E-mail: [email protected] 002 Sunday- 2:00PM 3:20PM UB2010
Counseling hours: Section 05: Mon – Wed: Tuesday 3
11AM – 12:30PM /Section 02: Sun – Tues:
12:30PM – 1:50Pm/ Thursday: 9:00AM – 1:00PM

Course Objective

This course will introduce students to the field of business and management and the role business plays in our society.
The course offers an overview of basic business and management concepts, terminology, institutions, practices, and
operations. It examines the various aspects of business management and their relationships with each other. Apart from
familiarizing the students with the knowledge of general business terms, concepts, and theories, this course will help
provide them with an overview of the necessary skills and abilities needed to succeed in a business school.

Reading

William G. Nickels, James M. McHugh & Susan M. McHugh, Understanding Business, (10th Edition), McGraw-Hill,

Methodology

The course will be conducted by means of lectures, discussions, case studies, problem solving, readings and
assignments. Each student must come to each class to actively participate in discussion of the material.

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IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Class attendance: As per University rules. Note: Students who are unable to attend at least 70% of the total
number of classes will not be allowed to sit for the final exam.
2. Quizzes: 3 quizzes will be taken of which the best 2 will be counted for grading purpose. The tests are usually 20
minutes exam. Syllabus, for the respective quizzes, will be announced in the classes, which usually consists of
the topics covered in classes prior to the date of the quiz. Quiz weighs 15% of the total marks. Specific test time
will be announced during the class time and scheduled at least one week before the quiz.
3. Midterm Examination: Midterm exam will take place on the midterm week during regular class hour. It is a 70-
80 minutes exam and the syllabus includes the concepts discussed by the middle of the semester. The exam will
comprise of multiple choice questions, short answer questions, problem solving. Note: There will be no
makeup midterm unless there is a valid reason and that again is at the discretion of the registrar’s office.
4. Assignments: Comprehensive problems related to the course will be assigned during the semester to be solved.
Assignments or case study should be submitted timely. Delay in submission will result in cancellation of the
allotted marks.
5. Final Coursework: a term paper will be given as a final coursework. It is a group coursework and should be
computer composed. The coursework submission deadline will be announced during the regular sessions.
Students are required to sign up a submission sheet while submitting their assignments as proof of
submission.
6. Final Examination: It is a 2 hour exam, and the syllabus is comprehensive as per university rules.
7. As a business school student, we expect the students to be punctual and manage time effectively and efficiently.
Thus students must strive to meet the deadlines. Marks will be penalized in case if a student fails to meet the
respective deadlines of assignments/course works/ projects/reports etc.
8. When it comes to cheating and plagiarism, BRAC University strictly adheres to a “zero tolerance policy”.
9. Citations should be clearly referenced using Harvard System of Referencing.
10. Students are expected to attend classes on time, preferably few minutes before the beginning of the class.
11. No matter what, a student must not disturb others in any way or form in the class. Ringing of cell phones
hampers the environment of the class room. Therefore cell phones should be turned off, or at least kept on
silent mode.
12. This specification is a rough guideline of the course, and the instructor reserves the right to change/modify/add
the contents of this specification at any time during the course with sufficient notices.

Grading Procedure

Range of Marks Grade in Letter Grade Point

90 - 100 A 4.0
85 - <90 A- 3.7
80 - <85 B+ 3.3
75 - <80 B 3.0
70 - <75 B- 2.7
65 - <70 C+ 2.3
60 - <65 C 2.0
57 - <60 C- 1.7
55 - <57 D+ 1.3
52 - <55 D 1.0
50 - <52 D- 0.7
<50 F 0.0

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Assessment

Modes Weight
Class Attendance 5%
Quiz 15%
Midterm examination 20%
Term Paper 5%
Presentation 5%
Case Analysis 5%
Assignment 5%
Final Examination 40%
Total Marks 100%

Course Content

Taking risks and making profits within the Dynamic Business Environment (Chapter-01)
1. Entrepreneurship and Wealth Building: (4 - 8)
 Revenues, Profits, and Losses
 Matching Risk with Profit
 Standard of Living and quality of life
 Responding to the Various Business Stakeholders
 Using Business Principles in Nonprofit Organizations
2. Entrepreneurship versus Working for others: (8 - 11)
 Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
 The Importance of Entrepreneurs to the creation of Wealth
3. The Business Environment: (11 - 19)

Understanding How economics Affects business (Chapter-02)

1. How Economic Conditions Affect Business: (30 - 33)
 What is Economics
 The Secret to creating a Wealthy Economy
 Adam Smith and the Creation of Wealth
 How Business Benefit the Community
2. Understanding Free-Market Capitalism (34 - 40)
 The Foundations of Capitalism
 How Free Markets Work
 How Prices are Determined
 The Economic Concept of Supply
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  The Economic Concept of Demand
 The Equilibrium Point or Market Price
 Competition within Free Markets
 Benefits and Limitations of Free Markets
3. Understanding Socialism. (40 - 41)
4. Understanding Communism (41 - 42)
5. The Trend toward Mixed Economies & The differences among three economic systems (42 - 44)

Demanding Ethical and Socially responsible Behavior ( Chapter-04)

1. Ethics is More Than Legality. (90 - 94)
2. Managing Businesses Ethically and Responsibly. (94 - 98)
3. Corporate Social Responsibility. (98 - 105)

How to form a Business ( Chapter-05)

1. Basic Forms of Business Ownership (114-115)
2. Sole Proprietorships, advantages and disadvantages (115-117)
3. Partnerships, types of partnership, advantages & disadvantages (117-120)
4. Corporations, advantages, disadvantages, S corporation and limited liability companies (120-128)
5. Corporate Expansions: Mergers and Acquisitions (129-130)
6. Franchises, advantages, disadvantages (131-133)
7. Cooperatives (137-138)

Management and Leadership (Chapter-07)

1. Functions of Management (179-181)
2. Planning and decision making (181-186)
3. Organizing: Creating a Unified System (186-189)
4. Leading: Providing Continuous Vision and Values (189-193)
5. Controlling: Making Sure it Works (193-195)

Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees (Chapter-11)
1. Working with People is Just the Beginning (284-285)
2. The Human Resource Challenge (286)
3. Determining Your Human Resource Needs (290-292)
4. Recruiting Employees from a Diverse Population (292-293)
5. Selecting Employees Who Will Be Productive (293-297)
6. Training and Developing Employees for Optimum Performance (297-300)
7. Appraising Employees Performance to Get Optimum Results (301-302)
8. Compensation Employees: Attracting and Keeping the Best (303-306)

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Marketing: Helping Buyers buy (Chapter-13)
1. What is Marketing (346-347)
2. Evolution of Marketing (347-349)
3. Four P’s of marketing (Marketing Mix) (350-354)
4. Marketing Research Process (354-357)
5. How marketers use environmental scanning (357)
6. Factors included in environmental scanning (358-359)
7. Learning about consumer and Business to business (B2B) (359-366)

Understanding Accounting and Financial Information (Chapter-17)

1. What is Accounting (456)
2. Different accounting disciplines ( Managerial and Financial Accounting) (457-459)
3. Steps in Accounting Cycle (462)
4. Understanding key financial statements (463-468)

Financial Management (Chapter-18)

1. Role and responsibilities of financial managers (486-488)

2. Different sources of short term financing (496-501)
3. Different sources of long term financing (501-507)

Tentative Class Schedule

Session-1 Introductory Class
Session-2 Ch. 1 Taking risks and making profits within the Dynamic Business Environment
Session-3 Ch. 1 Taking risks and making profits within the Dynamic Business
Environment. Discussion on Business Case Analysis
Session-4 Ch. 2 Understanding How economics Affects business
Session-5 Ch. 2 Understanding How economics Affects business
Session-6 Ch. 4 Demanding Ethical and Socially responsible Behavior
Session-7 Ch. 4 Demanding Ethical and Socially responsible Behavior
Session-8 QUIZ 1. (Ch 1, 2 & 4)
Ch.5 How to form a Business
Session-9 Ch. 5 How to form a Business
Session-10 Report Writing Format
How to make a good presentation
Session-11 Ch. 07 Management and Leadership
Session-12
Ch. 07 Management and Leadership

Session-13 Mid Term (Ch 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7)

Session-14 Ch.11 Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best
Employees
Session-15 Ch.11 Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best
Employees

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 Session-16 Ch. 13 Marketing: Helping Buyers buy
Session-17 Ch. 13 Marketing: Helping Buyers buy
Session-18 QUIZ 2. (Ch 11 & 13)
Business Case Solving
Session-19 Ch. 17 Understanding Accounting and Financial Information
Session-20 Ch. 17 Understanding Accounting and Financial Information
Session-21 Ch. 18 Financial Management
Session-22 Ch. 18 Financial Management
Session-23 QUIZ 3. (Ch 17 & 18)
Business Case Solving
Session-24 Presentation Session
Session-25 Presentation Session
Session-26 Presentation Session

**The course outline, calendar and any rules etc. mentioned here is a rough guideline for the course, and may
change if the need arises.

Best of Luck

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