EPOKA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
COURSE SYLLABUS
2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE INFORMATIONCourse Title: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS |
| Code | Course Type | Regular Semester | Theory | Practice | Lab | Credits | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUS 103 | B | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) | NA |
| Main Course Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: | Prof.Dr. Osman Nuri Aras oaras@epoka.edu.al , Thursday 14:30 - 17:00 |
| Second Course Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours: | NA |
| Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours: | NA |
| Language: | English |
| Compulsory/Elective: | Compulsory |
| Study program: (the study for which this course is offered) | Bachelor in Economics (3 years) |
| Classroom and Meeting Time: | E/211 Wednesday 08:40 |
| Code of Ethics: |
Code of Ethics of EPOKA University Regulation of EPOKA University "On Student Discipline" |
| Attendance Requirement: | 75% |
| Course Description: | Introduction to Business is a course that offers essential information related to the business landscape and business functions (Operations & Production, Marketing, Finance & Accounting, Human Resourced Management, IT). The course has been designed in such a way that it provides to the students the updated information on the business reality which changes very rapidly. At the same time, it provides the necessary information for more advanced courses related to the aforementioned business functions. Through real life examples and case studies, both national and international; the content of this course has been aligned with the contemporary developments in the field of business, and aims to provide the basics for the understanding of business organizations and people who operate them. |
| Course Objectives: | This is an introductory level course designed to introduce students to basic business terminology, operations, and principles, including an introduction to the business functions. Upon completion of this course students will demonstrate the ability to describe and explain: Basic business concepts, terminology, and institutions' basic environment (legal, social, economic) in which a business operates; Basic concepts of management and recognize problems faced in operating a business enterprise; Basic concepts related to the marketing of goods and services; Basic elements of accounting, computers, data processing, and quantitative methods with emphasis on the role these play in business. |
|
BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE
|
| 1 | Matching Risk with Profit |
| 2 | Understanding Free-Market Capitalism |
| 3 | Strategies for Reaching Global Markets |
| 4 | Managing Businesses Ethically and Responsibly |
| 5 | Basic Forms of Business Ownerships |
| 6 | Learning about Small - Business Operations |
| 7 | Finding and Keeping the Best Employees |
| 8 | Financial Planning |
|
COURSE OUTLINE
|
| Week | Topics |
| 1 | Introduction & Syllabus Review: An introduction of each topic which will be lectured during the semester weeks, also the material needed and the requirements to succeed the course. |
| 2 | Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits within the Dynamic Business Environment; In this week we will describe the relationship between profit and risk, and show how businesses and nonprofit organizations can raise the standard of living for all. Also, analyze the effects of the economic environment and taxes on businesses. (page 2-25) |
| 3 | Chapter 2: Understanding Economics and How It Affects Business; This lecture is dedicated to explain what capitalism is and how free markets work, to compare socialism and communism, and to analyze the trends toward mixed economies. (page 26-55) |
| 4 | Chapter 3: Doing Business in Global Markets; Firstly we discuss the importance of the global market and the roles of comparative advantage and absolute advantage in global trade. Also, explain the importance of the global market and the roles of comparative advantage and absolute advantage in global trade. (page 56-85) |
| 5 | Chapter 4: Demanding Ethical and Socially Responsible Behavior; This chapter explains why obeying the law is only the first step in behaving ethically. Also, describes management’s role in setting ethical standards. (page 86-109) |
| 6 | Chapter 5: How to Form a Business; In this week the topics explained are related to the differences between general and limited partners, and compare the advantages and disadvantages of partnerships. (page 110-139) |
| 7 | Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business; This lecture explains why people take the risks of entrepreneurship; the attributes of successful entrepreneurs; and describes entrepreneurial teams, intrapreneurs, and home- and web-based businesses. (page 140-167) |
| 8 | Midterm Exam |
| 9 | Chapter 7: Management and Leadership; Describe and explain the four functions of management; explain the differences between leaders and managers, and describe the various leadership styles. (page 168-189) |
| 10 | Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management; This lecture identifies various production processes, and describe techniques that improve productivity, including computer-aided design and manufacturing, flexible manufacturing, lean manufacturing, mass customization, robotics, and 3D printing. (page 190-215) |
| 11 | Chapter 11: Human Resource Management; The topics explained this week are related the importance of human resource management, and describe current issues in managing human resources. Describe methods that companies use to recruit new employees, and explain some of the issues that make recruitment challenging (page 266-299) |
| 12 | Chapter 13: Marketing: Helping Buyers Buy; We first define marketing, and apply the marketing concept to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, then describe the four Ps of marketing. (page 326-352) |
| 13 | Business Plan: Presentations |
| 14 | Business Plan: Presentations |
| Prerequisite(s): | N/A |
| Textbook(s): | Understanding Business / William G. Nickels, James M. McHugh, Susan M. McHugh. —Twelve edition. (2018) |
| Additional Literature: | |
| Laboratory Work: | N/A |
| Computer Usage: | N/A |
| Others: | No |
|
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
| 1 | Understanding the basic concepts of business |
| 2 | Understanding the business as a system |
| 3 | Understanding the business types and legal structures |
| 4 | Understanding the setting up of a business, and business size |
| 5 | Understanding the different business functions |
| 6 | Be familiar with contemporary issues in business |
|
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES
(Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution) |
| No | Program Competencies | Cont. |
| Bachelor in Economics (3 years) Program | ||
| 1 | Students define the fundamental problems of economics | 4 |
| 2 | Students describe key economic theories | 1 |
| 3 | Students critically discuss current developments in economics | 4 |
| 4 | Students appropriately use software for data analysis | 1 |
| 5 | Students critically contextualize the selection of an economic problem for research within scholarly literature and theory on the topic | 5 |
| 6 | Students apply appropriate analytical methods to address economic problems | 5 |
| 7 | Students use effective communication skills in a variety of academic and professional contexts | 5 |
| 8 | Students effectively contribute to group work | 5 |
| 9 | Students conduct independent research under academic supervision | 5 |
| 10 | Students uphold ethical values in data collection, interpretation, and dissemination | 5 |
| 11 | Students critically engage with interdisciplinary innovations in social sciences | 5 |
| 12 | Student explain how their research has a broader social benefit | 5 |
|
COURSE EVALUATION METHOD
|
| Method | Quantity | Percentage |
| Midterm Exam(s) |
1
|
30
|
| Project |
1
|
30
|
| Quiz |
2
|
5
|
| Final Exam |
1
|
30
|
| Total Percent: | 100% |
|
ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)
|
| Activities | Quantity | Duration(Hours) | Total Workload(Hours) |
| Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
| Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) | 16 | 3 | 48 |
| Mid-terms | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Assignments | 0 | ||
| Final examination | 1 | 17 | 17 |
| Other | 0 | ||
|
Total Work Load:
|
125 | ||
|
Total Work Load/25(h):
|
5 | ||
|
ECTS Credit of the Course:
|
5 | ||
|
CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE COURSE LECTURER
|
|
Attendance: Students should attend at least 75% of the classes. However, students should consider possible loss of specific evaluation in a certain day they are missing. Academic integrity: Cheating, plagiarism or any other type of academic dishonesty is not tolerated. Each student is responsible for understanding the Epoka University Student Discipline Regulation and Exam Rules. Grading: Student grade is not subject to negotiation. In case of perceived human error by the lecturer side, the student should submit their concern in writing and ask for reevaluation of the exam paper/assignment/project. |