BUS/211 Week 1

Includes Paper #1Word Count: 616 words!

Includes Paper #2 Word Count: 1,021 words!

Includes Paper #3 Word Count: 315 words!

Consider a local business whose services you frequently use. What are
the main components of this compan's business model?

Write a 400- to 500-word response in which you do the following:

• Describe the three components of the business system that comprises the local business you selected. Use Figure 1.2 on p. 11 of Introduction to Business as a reference.
• Identify the form of business organization that the business currently uses: joint-stock company, limited liability, partnership, or sole proprietorship.
• Explain the differences between your business's form of organization and the other three forms.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

What makes some companies more profitable than others? What are the similarities and differences between profit and profitability? Provide real-world examples to support your answer.

BUS/211 Week 1 Discussion Starters

Supply & Demand
Discuss how the laws of supply and demand operate together to determine the price at which products will be sold in a market. Please give an example. 

BUS/211 Week 1 Discussion Starter 2

Business History & Economic Systems
Describe how business has evolved from feudalism, mercantilism, and capitalism. Compare and contrast capitalism with a planned economy, and mixed economy. 

Week 1 Quiz

1. What is defined as the absolute monetary difference between sales revenues and operating costs?
2. In general, the more a particular product is valued, the more it is demanded. Which is true in regard to this statement?
3. Information technology, e-commerce, human resource management, and procurement are included in what type of value chain function in a business?
4. What was the original purpose of the limited liability company?
5. Which of the following businesses is the best example of when to set up a limited liability company in order to control financial risk of the stockholder(s)?
6. What measures how efficient a company uses its capital and resources to generate returns for its investors?
7. What are the three components that make up a business system?
8. Which of the following best describes a joint-stock company structure?
9. If a company were to have a total sales revenue of $50 and a total operating cost of $37, what is the total profit?
10. Which of the following best describes limited liability as it relates to a business?
11. Which of the following businesses best matches the definition of a sole proprietorship?
12. What defines a group of companies that have similar products and business activities?
13. What law refers to the tendency of people to buy more of a product when the price is lower and less of it when its price is higher? 
14. What are the four productive resources that make a business possible?
15. This is the point at which the supply of the product just meets the demand for it.
16. Which of the following best describes a system through which goods or services are exchanged for capital with the aim of making a profit?
17. Enterprise, as a main component of business, requires which of the following?
18. If a business partnership grows, what is usually added over time?
19. How does specialization assist a business in becoming more productive?
20. Imagine Company A has a total profit of $40 million and that it invested $400 million in the course of a year. Company B has a total profit of $20 million and has invested $80 million over the course of the year. Which company has the greater profitability?
21. Which of the following is the best example of a business partnership?
22. Capital, land, enterprise, and labor are all costs associated with making and selling goods. What do they determine?
23. What equation correctly shows how profit is calculated?
24. What is an obstacle that professionals avoid in a sole proprietorship?
25. Who assumes all liability for debt created in a sole proprietorship?
26. In economics, what principle indicates the value placed on a product lessens as consumption increases?
27. What will most likely increase the demand for better quality goods and services?
28. Which equation correctly shows how to calculate profitability?
29. What law shows that there is a direct relationship between the price of a product and the amount that is supplied in the market?
30. Which term refers to the total money or assets of a business?
31. Which of the following is the best advantage of a joint-stock company?
32. Which of the following best describes a partnership?
33. What is the best way to raise funding for a joint-stock company?
    

BUS/211 Week 2

Evolution of Business Presentation

Resource: Your Week 2 collaborative discussion and the Ch. 2 of Introduction to Business

Research the evolution of business with your assigned team members.

Locate information on the following points:

• Feudalism

• Mercantilism

• Capitalism

• Commerce

• Property rights

• The Industrial Revolution

Individually, create a 10- to 15-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation describing the evolution of business.

Provide examples and appropriate visuals to illustrate each phase of business.

Include detailed speaker notes, a title slide, and an APA-formatted reference slide.

Profits and Supply and Demand

Consider a fictional business you would be interested in starting. You will be using this same business in other weekly assignments throughout the course.
You are seeking financing for your business, and a potential investor has asked you to provide more information.
Write a 400- to 500-word response to your potential investor in which you do the following:

• Describe the products or services your business will offer and the resources--materials, supplies, building, and so on--that you will need for your startup.
• Examine the differences between profit and profitability and how you plan to use your profits to increase your business profitability.
• Describe how you expect your business may be affected by the laws of supply and demand.

If the majority of companies strive to conduct their business ethically, why is there a need to create laws? How are ethics different from the law? How are ethics and the law the same? Support your answer with real-world examples.

BUS/211 Week 2 Discussion Starter 1

Compare and contrast being efficient and effective in managment. Which is better and why?

BUS/211 Week 2 Discussion Starter 2

Name and discuss the 4 main types of laws affecting business commerce. Why were U.S. laws governing trade and commerce initially passed? What is the importance of U.S. laws governing trade and commerce in a capatislist business environment.

Week 2 Quiz - Correct Answers Provided

1. Jones (2007) describes a three-stage business plan used by managers. Which of the following is one of the stages?
2. Important issues can arise concerning how and when payments are made to this group of stakeholders?
3. There are several advantages a company can gain over its competition by behaving in an ethical way. The main advantage is   
4. A detailed SWOT analysis would classify competition in the industry or market as a    
5. What is the definition of a business plan?
6. The utilitarian rule bases a business decision on which of the following?
7. What is the primary role of a non-managerial employee?
8. Which of the following impact ethical practices in business at home and abroad?
9. The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Organization (OSHA) is the government agency primarily responsible for
10. A detailed SWOT analysis would classify a well developed and informed business model as a  
11. What rules can managers employ as guidelines to analyze the effects of their business decisions on stakeholders?
12. Which of the following best describes how an employee can increase his or her chances of being promoted inside an organization?
13. Who has a claim on a company because they own shares?
14. What is a difference between an employee and a manager?
15. What is a copyright?
16. How do managers help the company’s stakeholders?
17. Which two types of laws have been enacted to promote a company’s continued existence and profitability?
18. This is a process of dissolution of a business through which its assets are sold to repay its creditors.
19. Which law was enacted to force companies to more fully disclose their financial results and to protect stockholders of the company? 
20. A detailed SWOT analysis would classify a poorly designed marketing plan as a
21. Laws governing diversity endeavor to motivate employers to
22. Which answer contains the three types of entrepreneurial activities?
23. When an entrepreneur uses advancing technology to find a new way to make or supply a product, the entrepreneur utilizes which of the following opportunities?
24. This Act was passed by congress to protect air quality and motivate companies to pollute less.
25. Which example best describes an organizational opportunity?
26. What type of information is within a business plan?
27. Anti-trust legislation exists
28. Which of the following best describes the employee “role”?
29. Which ACT prohibits U.S. companies from paying bribes in order to win contracts abroad?
30. Which of the following best defines the entrepreneurship process?
31. This type of law exists to ensure that people have the skills they need to properly serve the public interest.
32. Which of the following people or groups supply a company with   productive resources and are affected by the way a company does business?
33. When is a business plan developed?
34. This is the effect of unethical behavior on business commerce.
35. What are the four elements of a SWOT analysis? 

BUS/211 Week 3

SWOT Analysis & Appendix B

Complete the following with your learning team members.

• Research different examples of business plans found on the Internet.
• Choose one of them to use for this assignment.
• Review the example of a SWOT analysis on p. 97 of the text.
• Conduct a SWOT analysis of the sample business plan you selected with your team members. Use Appendix B as the template for your SWOT Analysis.

Individually, write a 700- to 1,050-word paper examining the business plan you selected. Include a SWOT analysis highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company you chose.

Post Appendix B and your paper as an attachment.

Resource: Ch. 3 & 5 of Introduction to Business Consider the fictional company you started in Week 2. What will be the roles of the entrepreneurs, managers, and employees of your company? What will be the ethical code of your company?

Write a 500- to 700-word paper in which you do the following:

• Describe the roles of the entrepreneurs, managers, and employees of your company.  Describe its ethical code of conduct, including the rules and principles your company will use in its decision making.
• Provide a brief explanation of why you selected each rule and principle. How will your ethical code of conduct affect your business?
• Examine any laws that may be relevant to the chosen rules and principles of your business. How do these laws differ from the business ethics you have established?
• Explain the behaviors you would like to cultivate in your company.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.
Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Consider the different types of communication described on p. 194 of the text. What types of communication would be most effective in persuading groups in an organization, including trainers, employees, programmers, and managers? Why?

Learning Object Prompt:
There are many ways a company can motivate its employees. Consider the different types of pay and benefits.   What type of incentive do you think is most effective for creating a motivating work environment? Why?

BUS/211 Week 3 Discussion Starter 1

Please differentiate between the four main approaches to leadership.  In your opinion does effective leadership involves matching a leadership approach to the characteristics of employees and the work situation? Why or why not?

BUS/211 Week 3 Discussion Starter 2

Discuss why organizational structure and culture are important determinants of a company’s ability to pursue a profitable business model. Give an example of an open and closed organizational structure and their impact on organizational culture. 

1. Formal events that recognize an employee or group that have benefited the company by their works are
2. Which of the following could cause an individual to avoid performing a required job task according to expectancy theory?
3. Maslow’s Need Theory is an hierarchal format that deals with ‘what’ is important to individuals.  Which of the following hierarchy most accurately reflects Maslow’s hierarchy?
4. Organizational design is best defined as
5. An organizational performance is increased with employees working in teams since
6. According to the goal-setting theory, job performance goals should  
7. Businesses often promote norms which are entrepreneurial or conservative in nature. Why?
8. Which theory tries to explain the psychological factors underlying why an individual selects a task and exerts effort in performing a task?
9. Which of the following best describes a company that has established a professional culture?
10. Employees quickly figure out and adopt the values and norms desired by their company. What is this process called? 
11. Which of the following in the best example of active listening?
12. What best describes company norms?
13. Managers can cause organizational dysfunction by doing which of the following?
14. Which of the following best describes sources of a company’s culture?
15. Employees will most often be motivated to initially fulfill basic needs rather than higher level needs. Which of the following satisfies a higher need?
16. The Matrix Structure is a unique organizational structure that responds to rapid changing situations. Which of the following is a component of this structural design?
17. Being goal oriented has shown to be paramount to a person’s success. Why?
18. Which of the following best describes how the values of the company’s founder influence an organization?
19. What work attitude would a leader promote to influence his or her worker?
20. What are teams grouped by areas of expertise?
21. Which of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is geared toward personal fulfillment?
22. Company values are shared standards that employees use to
23. A company who desires to develop new or improved products would fit best with what type of team?
24. What form of business communication offers the highest form of persuasive communication?
25. What is the definition of a team?
26. What form of business communication offers the lowest form of persuasive communication?
27. What does the amount of conflict in an organization signal?
28. The motivational theory that tries to determine how much work is needed for a specific outcome is
29. Which of the five sources of a leader’s power would be demonstrated by a leader with rightful authority to direct and control an employee’s activities?
30. What best describes the contingency approach, as it relates to organizational design?
31. Companies with a strong culture may hold meetings to announce the company’s achievements. Which source of company culture would best describe this activity?

BUS/211 Week 4

Includes 4 Options for your new imaginary company. 

Paper #1: Motivation & Team Case Study / Word Count: 561

Paper #2: Motivation & Team Case Study / Word Count: 608

Paper #3: Motivation & Team Case Study / Word Count: 422

Paper #4: Motivation & Team Case Study / Word Count: 396

All 4 papers provide different perspectives on the case studies.

Read the two case studies on pp. 233-236 of the text.

Discuss the following with your Learning team:

• What motivation theories may be found in each case study?
• Describe the theories found in each case study and cite specific examples.
• What was each business owner's approach to creating high-performing teams within their company? What are common characteristics of high-performing groups and teams?
• Summarize your discussion in a 200- to 300-word individual response.
  Format your summary consistent with APA guidelines.
  Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Persuasive Communication and the

Job Fair Brochure

Includes 2 Options for Brochure: Both created in Microsoft Word for easy editing.  See Below for examples.

You have decided it is time to hire additional employees and would like to have a job fair. It is your responsibility to persuade the organization that the job fair will be beneficial.

Answer the following in a 200- to 300-word response:

• What types of communication would be most effective in persuading the groups in

    your organization--including trainers, employees, programmers, and managers--that

    the job fair will be beneficial?
• Describe these communication types and explain why they would be effective.
• Now that you have decided on the most effective method of communicating to your

    organization, you have set up a booth at the local job fair to generate interest in your

    new company and search for prospective employees.
• Create a 1-page brochure describing your company's structure, business model, and

    culture. Describe how organizational culture has influenced your business.

Post your persuasive communication response and brochure as an attachment.

Imagine you work in the human resources (HR) department of a medium-sized company. Your manager has asked you to brainstorm ways to improve one of the five areas of human resource management in your company. Assuming that all five areas are currently functioning at an equal level, what type of improvement would you implement in your assigned area? What effect do you think the improvement will have on your business?

BUS/211 Week 4 Discussion Starter 1

List and describe the 4 factors that determine the usefulness of information.  What is the the relationship between information, knowledge, and learning? How does this contribute to an organization's success? 

BUS/211 Week 4 Discussion Starter 2

What are the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external employee recruitment? Under what circumstance might you employ internal and external employee recruitment?

1. Which best describes e-commerce?
2. The combination of which two factors gives people the ability to better react to the economic environment in which they function?
3. What is the major advantage of broadband technology?
4. Which of the following best describes the result of information overload?
5. Which of the following costs is associated with a firm’s operations and materials management function?
6. Which of the following best explains how information technology improves innovation in a company?
7. The operating system that combines both the benefits of customized products and low cost production is called 
8. Information technology improves customer responsiveness by
9. Which component of the HRM system provides employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their job?
10. Which of the following is software developed for business within the same industry to conduct trading?
11. For what purpose do businesses consider establishing maquiladoras?
12. One major result of organizational learning is
13. Which of the following describes managers’ ability to use the collection and analysis of data to gain information about various tasks and operations to increase the efficiency of a particular function?
14. The aim of this process is to align human resources recruitment and retention with future organizational goals. 
15. According to Jones (2007), the hardware and software components of a company’s existing IT systems are called its
16. Of the three stages in operation and materials management, which stage comes first?
17. Which best describes B2B commerce?
18. Which component of the HRM system strives to ensure equity and fairness in dealing with employee issues and concerns?
19. According to Jones (2007), the semi-finished goods and services that go through a company’s production process are called
20. Which of the following is a key benefit of mass production operating systems?
21. Which of the following is a form of information that is constantly updated to make sure that decisions can be as up-to-date as possible?
22. In the 1990’s, the Windows operating system, created by Microsoft, was installed in 90% of the world’s PCs. This kind of penetration in the personal computer business made Windows the
23. Which of the following is the correct order of the operations and material management process?
24. In the history of modern computers, which of the following came first?
25. According to Jones (2007), what attributes should information provided to managers have to be useful to the organization?
26. Which of the following is one of the four major sources of competitive advantages provided by information technology?
27. Which is the process that aims at identifying company inefficiencies and then determines where improvements are needed?
28. Which of the following best describes information learned from a Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ)?
29. Some examples of elements in the operations stage of the operations and material management process include
30. Which component of the HRM system provides employees with information about their performance relative to job expectations?
31. According to Jones (2007), which type of operating system is designed to make unique or custom-made products?

BUS/211 - Week 5

Review the assignments you completed throughout the course.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper describing the fictional business you created.

Include information on the following topics:

• Business organization
• Potential legal or ethical issues
• Business culture
• Types of motivation
• Technology
• The operations of the five areas of human resource management in your fictional company
• The effects and costs of operations and materials management on your fictional company

Create a 10- to 15-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation supporting the information included in your final paper. You may use text, charts, tables, and visuals to detail the different areas of business found within your company.

Include detailed speaker notes, a title slide, and an APA-formatted reference slide.

IT Applications - Appendix C

Hardware and Software Components

Resource: Your Week 5 collaborative learning team discussion and Ch. 9 of Introduction to Business.

Discuss with your assigned team members the following IT applications, hardware, and software components and how they affect your everyday life at home and at work.

• Transaction processing systems
• Knowledge management systems
• Expert system and artificial intelligence
• Enterprise resource planning systems
• E-commerce systems
• Legacy systems
• Mainframe computers
• Microprocessors
• PCs
• Network computers
• World Wide Web and the Internet
• Wired and wireless broadband technology
• PC software
• Networking software
• Computer security software

Individually complete the table in Appendix C by describing the uses of the IT applications and hardware and listed software components.

Post Appendix C as an attachment.

BUS/211 Week 5 Discussion Starter 1

Compare and contrast Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Where do you think the United States falls in Hofstede's cultural dimensions and and what are the ramifications?

BUS/211 Week 5 Discussion Starter 2

In your opinion, what are the 3 core business principles learned in this course? Why did you choose these principles?

1. A three stage business plan is used by managers. Which of the following is one of the stages?
2. Which component of the HRM system determines who is the best fit for the organization’s specific job requirements?
3. Marketing, operations, sales distribution, and customer service support are included in what functions of a business?
4. What leadership approach would a leader take if they were to combine a concern for the well-being of the employee with an approachable demeanor and attitude? 
5. A detailed SWOT analysis would classify competition in the industry or market as a
6. What term best describes the buyers and sellers available for a particular product?
7. When looking at a demand curve for a particular product. The slope falls downward from left to right. This slope shows which of the following: