Description
Within this brief illustration around entrepreneurship a flat world imperative.
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SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
COURSE SYLLABUS
Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems Course Number IU305
Title of Course: Entrepreneurship: A Flat World Imperative New Spring 2008
I. Descriptions and Credit Hours of Course:
Catalog Course Description: An exploration of innovation, opportunity, and new business
creation as economic and personal imperatives for success in the global economy. (3)
University Studies Handbook Course Description: This course provides a dynamic,
practical, hands-on study of the nature and importance of entrepreneurship in the
increasingly global economy and encourages students to immerse themselves in the
vision, research, and planning aspects of a new business.
Students probe, question, and evaluate the personal, social, and economic importance of
entrepreneurship in the global economy as they acquire the knowledge, skills, and
strategies critical for successful start-up and new business creation. Students consider
critical foundational topics related to entrepreneurship including assessment of personal
style, creative talents, and career interests compared to those of successful entrepreneurs,
strategies used to create innovative ideas, methods used to evaluate durable market
opportunities. Students also experience all aspects of planning a new business including
considering various entry paths to entrepreneurship, researching the feasibility of a new
business, and developing a business plan.
II. Interdisciplinary Nature of the Course: Students explore from the perspective of the
entrepreneur, economic, political, social, and technological factors that have converged to
create an increasingly competitive integrated global economic playing field. Students
assess the impact of significant recent events on individuals, entrepreneurs, and
corporations including: the fall of the Berlin Wall and resulting expansion of previously
closed Eastern economies; the creation of a global communication platform derived from
considerable advances in information technology leading to increased personal and
organizational productivity, creation of a global fiber optic communication platform
resulting from unprecedented investment in information technology companies during the
90s, and standardization of information sharing protocols; and changes in personal and
business behaviors intended to create comparative advantage including outsourcing, off-
shoring, and open-sourcing. These and other global forces of change provide a
framework from which students consider opportunities to create new ideas, products, and
business ventures at a time when more people around the world are able to collaborate to
deliver and consume more products and services than even before. Students critically
consider the importance of the entrepreneurial process as an imperative for personal,
regional, and national competitiveness in the global economy.
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Entrepreneurs come from all walks of life and durable business opportunities are created
by individuals from all academic disciplines. This course is designed to provide students
studying any discipline within the university the opportunity to (1) integrate previous
knowledge into a broad understanding of how domestic and global political, social,
economic, and technological trends relate to challenges and opportunities for personal,
local, regional, and national economic success, (2) assess ines personal characteristics
compared to those of successful entrepreneurs, (3) create new ideas and recognize
profitable and durable entrepreneurial opportunities, (4) analyze whether an idea for
starting a new business will turn into a profitable business, (5) create a business plan
around a chosen concept, (6) develop critical thinking skills, (7) and enhance research,
writing and oral presentation skills.
III. Prerequisite(s): Completion of lower division University Studies requirements in
behavioral, economic, political, and social systems
IV. Purposes or Objectives of the Course:
Students:
A. Assess the nature of entrepreneurship in the United States of America and
examine the importance of the entrepreneurial process in maintaining and
enhancing personal, regional, and national competiveness in a rapidly changing
and increasingly integrated global economy. (US Objectives 2, 4)
B. Consider the brief history of globalization in the 21
st
Century; evaluate recent
significant social, political, economic and technological events that converged and
leveled the global economic playing field; and critically appraise entrepreneurship
as an essential comparative advantage for personal and economic success in the
global economy. (US Objectives 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
C. Examine the entrepreneurial process and personal characteristics of successful
entrepreneurs, compare student’s personality preference, creative talents, and
career interests with those of small business owners. (US Objectives 1, 2, 4, 5, 6,
9)
D. Identify how successful entrepreneurs craft, discover, and differentiate profitable
and durable ideas; better understand creativity and the impact of individual
differences on creative results, and practice using ones creative talents for results;
research, recognize, and assess business opportunities; analyze the feasibility of a
new business; and determine optimal paths to entrepreneurship. (US Objectives
1, 2, 3)
E. Associate the nature and interdependence of entrepreneurship with other
disciplines, especially economics, political science, and information technology.
(US Objectives 3, 4, 6)
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F. Integrate knowledge of domestic and global political, social, economic, and
technological trends with gathering and utilizing the resources and processes
necessary to launch a new business, and the skills to formulate and communicate
an integrated business plan. (US Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
V. Expectations of students:
A. Students are expected to attend class regularly, prepare for class by responding to
Socratic questions covering required readings and viewings, and be prepared for
and participate in field and classroom activities and discussions.
B. Students are required to reflect on and think critically about weekly readings,
viewings, activities, and discussions in a written journal.
C. Students are required to provide evidence of understanding course material and
the integration of concepts during the completion of exams and quizzes, class
discussions and activities, and written research projects including a feasibility
analysis.
D. Students are required to develop an individual or group business plan on a
concept or idea of their choosing that provides a very concrete/tangible integrative
exercise requiring the demonstration of understanding of the foundations of
entrepreneurship, location and utilization of resources and processes required to
start a new business, and clear, concise written and oral communication skills.
VI. Course Content and Outline Class Hours
A. Foundations of Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy
1. Entrepreneurship in the United States 3
(US Objectives 2, 4)
a. Changes in industry structures
b. Organizational strategies and the practice of downsizing
c. Societal change: The end of jobs?
d. Impact on individuals, the economy, society, and larger firms
e. The nature and competitive advantages of small businesses
g. Changes in U.S. markets
g. Emerging markets
2. Entrepreneurship in a Rapidly Changing and Increasing Global Economy 8
(US Objectives 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
a. History of globalization
b. The World is Flat: A Brief history of the 21
st
Century
i. 10 social, economic, and technological forces that flattened the
world
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ii. Convergence of social, economic, and technological forces of
change: The Flat World on steroids
iii. Untouchables jobs in the Flat World
iv. The quiet crisis: Gaps the US must overcome
c. Free trade, outsourcing, and off-shoring
i. America and free trade: Is Ricardo’s free-trade theory of
comparative advantage still right?
ii. Technology and education equilibrium, and wage arbitration
iii. Maturation of outsourcing from goods trading to digitized
technical and medical service delivery
iv. The other side of outsourcing: Impacts of westernization
d. The entrepreneurial imperative
i. Entrepreneurship as United States central comparative advantage
ii. The entrepreneurial American: Entrepreneurship as our cultural
history
iii. The entrepreneur: Everyone’s burden in the economy
iv. Entrepreneurs are from Venus, managers are from Mars: The
emerging codependency between start-ups and big firms
v. Exporting entrepreneurship: A plan for worldwide peace and
prosperity
vi. The new world of entrepreneurial capitalism
3. Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneur 6
(US Objectives 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9)
a. What are entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process?
b. Personal characteristics of successful entrepreneurs
c. Comparing student’s career interests and personality style with those
of small business owners
i. Career: Strong Career Interest Inventory
ii. Personality: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
d. Common myths about entrepreneurs
e. Changing demographics of entrepreneurs
i. Women-owned and minority-owned businesses
f. Advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship
g. Social entrepreneurship
h. The ten deadly mistakes of entrepreneurship
B. From Ideas to Reality
(US Objectives 1, 2, 3)
1. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship 7
a. Creativity and the impact of individual differences on creative results
b. Assessing one’s creative talents using the Breakthrough Creativity Profile
based on J unganian theory
c. Using individual creative talents to improve team results
d. Sources of ideas: Inside-out approach
i. Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship
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ii. The creative process, creative thinking, and barriers to creativity
e. Sources of ideas: Outside-in approach
i. Identifying and recognizing opportunities
ii. Making the most of marketplace opportunities
2. New and Existing Business Feasibility and Paths to Entrepreneurship 6
a. Potential Paths to Entrepreneurship
i. Buying an Existing Business
ii. Franchising and Other Alternatives
iii. Home-Based Businesses
iv. Family Businesses
v. Global Businesses
b. Feasibility Analysis
i. Product/Service Analysis and Feasibility
ii. Market Analysis and Feasibility
iii. Price/Profitability Analysis and Feasibility
iv. Financial Needs Analysis and Feasibility
C. Integrating the Foundations of Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy;
Developing, Writing, and Presenting a Business Plan
(US Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
1. Developing and Writing a Business Plan 12
a. Concept Development and Statement
b. Product/Service Plan
i. Market Research
c. Marketing Plan
i. Market Analysis
ii. Pricing
iii. Market Penetration
d. Management and Organizational Plan
i. Legal Entities / Government Regulations
ii. Management Team and Infrastructure
iii. Intellectual Property / Contracts and Leases
e. Financial Plan
i. Budgeting
ii. Financial Statements
iii. Financial Ratios
iv. Cash Needs and Sources
f. Operating Plan
i. Operating and Control Systems
ii. The Entrepreneur and Community
g. Growth Plan
h. Executive Summary
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2. Professionally Presenting a Business Plan 3
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Total Class Hours 45
VII. Textbook(s) and Course Materials
A. Primary Textbook:
1. Planning and Growing a Business Venture Textbook, Venture Planning
Workbook & Business Mentor CD-ROM. Kansas City, MO: Ewing Marion
Kaufmann Foundation, 2005. ISBN: 0-944303-41-2.
B. Secondary Resources Required Purchase:
2. Freidman, Thomas L., (2007). The world is flat: A brief history of the 21
st
Century (Release 3.0). New York: Picador. ISBN: 0-312-42507-4.
3. Schramm, Carl J ., (2006). The Entrepreneurial Imperative. New York:
HarperCollins. ISBN: 0-06-084163-X.
C. Primary Instructional Resources:
1. Barringer, B. R., & Ireland, R. D. (2008). Entrepreneurship: Successfully
launching new ventures. (2
nd
ed.). New J ersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
2. Baumol, W. J ., Litan, R. E., & Schramm, C. J . (2007). Good capitalism, bad
capitalism, and the economics of growth and prosperity. New Haven, CT:
Yale University Press.
3. Briggs, P., & Myers, K. (1998). Myers-Briggs type indicator Form M
[Booklet]. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
4. Cran, W. (Producer). (2003). Commanding heights: The battle for the world
economy [DVD]. Boston: InVision Productions Limited.
5. Edwards, P., Economy, P., & Edwards, S. (2003). Why aren’t you your own
boss: Leaping over the obstacles that stand between you and your dream.
New York: PRIMA.
6. Hammer, A. L. (1997). Strong and MBTI Entrepreneur Report. Palo Alto,
CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
7. Harmon, L. W., Hanson, J . C., Borgen, F. H., & Hammer, A. L. (1994).
Strong Interest Inventory: Applications and technical guide. Palo Alto, CA:
Consulting Psychologists Press.
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8. Lambing, P. A., & Kuehl, C. R. (2007). Entrepreneurship (4
th
ed.). New
J ersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
9. Levesque, L. C. (2003). The breakthrough creativity profile. Pennsylvania:
HRDQ.
10. McNeil, R., & Leher, J . (Producers). (2007). Explaining Globalization
[DVD]. Washington DC: McNeil/Lehrer Productions.
11. Myers, I. B., McCauley, M.H., Quenk, N.L., & Hammer, A.(1998). MBTI
Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
12. Planning and Growing a Business Venture Instructor Manual. Kansas City,
MO: Ewing Marion Kaufmann Foundation, 2005.
13. Rose, Charlie. (Producer). (2006). Charlie Rose – An hour with Thomas L.
Friedman (June 2, 2004) [DVD]. New York: Charlie Rose, Inc.
14. Rose, Charlie. (Producer). (2006). Charlie Rose – An hour with Thomas L.
Friedman (April 5, 2005) [DVD]. New York: Charlie Rose, Inc.
15. Rose, Charlie. (Producer). (2006). Charlie Rose – An hour with Thomas L.
Friedman (August 16, 2007) [DVD]. New York: Charlie Rose, Inc.
16. Sun, T. (2007). Survival tactics. Connecticut: Praeger.
17. Zimmerer, T. W., & Scarborough, N. M., (2008). Essentials of
entrepreneurship and small business management. (5
th
ed.). New J ersey:
Pearson Prentice Hall.
VIII. Basis for Student Evaluation:
A. Class Preparation and Reflection:
Responses to Socratic questions covering readings and viewings (15) 20%
Entrepreneurship J ournal – weekly reflection (15)
C. Feasibility analysis, research projects and field/classroom activities (7) 25%
B. Quizzes and Exams (6) 25%
D. Business Plan – written and oral presentation (1) 30%
IX. J ustification for Inclusion in the University Studies Program
A. Objective 1: Demonstrate the ability to locate and gather information.
Emphasis: Significant
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Content: Students are involved in locating and gathering information throughout
this course. They are required to carry out research and locate information for
completion of assignments and projects, preparation for class discussions using
readings from texts and video viewings, World Wide Web, and scholarly journals.
Locations of these materials and information concerning access to computer labs
across campus are shared in class.
Teaching Strategies: Two primary instructional methods are used to encourage
students to locate and gather information. A variety of Socratic questions provide
students an opportunity to think critically and motivates students to read and view
material to prepare for class discussions, assignments, and the business plan
project. These include questions for clarification, questions that probe
assumptions, questions that probe reasons, questions about viewpoints and
perspectives, questions that probe implications and consequences, and questions
about questions. Students are asked to answer such questions as writing
assignment prior to instructor led lecture/discussions. Therefore, when students
read and view material to prepare for class they are searching for information to
answer important questions and are given the opportunity to discuss them during
class lectures. The instructor also acts as a facilitator during the completion of a
feasibility analysis and business plan projects, directing students to locate and
gather information to complete the various phases of both projects, which require
considerable research.
Instructor’s presentations and material are based on a wide array of sources which
the students become familiar. These include three books used as texts that provide
students the specific information needed for an interdisciplinary course of this
nature including two contemporary discourses of globalization and
entrepreneurship, and a leading text for business plan development that includes
an interactive CD-ROM. A wide variety of complimentary resources are utilized
including contemporary readings and videos from popular discourses on the
subject and a variety of web-based resources. Students are directed to available
resource material and encouraged to critically evaluate them.
Student Assignments: Three primary assignments are used to meet this objective.
1) Students are assigned Socratic questions before each lecture/discussion and
asked to locate and gather information necessary to answer the questions. They
are also given quizzes after lecture/discussion. 2) Students are required to write an
individual or group feasibility plan on a concept or idea of their choosing that
includes significant market research and financial forecasting. 3) Students are
required to write an individual or group business plan on a concept or idea of their
choosing that provides a very concrete/tangible integrative exercise requiring the
demonstration of understanding of the foundations of entrepreneurship, location
and utilization of resources and processes required to start a new business, and
clear, concise written and oral communication skills.
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Several secondary assignments are also used to meet this objective. These include
locating and gathering information to build personal characteristic and skill
profiles of successful entrepreneurs including minorities and females, a self-
assessment of entrepreneurship preparedness including three professional
assessments of career interests, personality style, and creative talents, and
research related to creation of new ideas and business opportunities.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students are evaluated on the thoroughness
and accuracy of their research and contemplation. During completion of Socratic
questioning exercises, small research projects and class activities, the feasibility
analysis, and the business plan, students are expected to transcend a mere
regurgitation of facts and to blend the data they collect into a broad based view of
entrepreneurship. The Socratic Method is used to elicit inquiry of certain facts and
new knowledge, and contemplation of new concepts. To that end, written
responses are evaluated using a combination of objective and subjective
measures. The method is used to motivate students to explore new material.
Therefore, the subjective evaluation component is based solely on the students’
efforts to explore and understand the material.
B. Objective 2: Demonstrate capabilities for critical thinking, reasoning and
analyzing.
Emphasis: Significant
Content: This course demonstrates how the brief history of globalization in the
21
st
Century and recent significant social, political, economic and technological
events have converged to level the global economic playing field. The course
focuses upon the importance of entrepreneurship for individuals, organizations,
and societies in an increasingly global economy. It challenges students to consider
entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process as an essential comparative
advantage for personal and economic success in the future. From this, students
can posit hypotheses regarding the behavior of key variables and interaction
among them, and perhaps adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and begin immersing
themselves in entrepreneurial thinking by creating a business plan for a concept of
their choosing.
The course also focuses upon the abundance of decisions and preparation
essential for development of durable business ventures. Students have an
opportunity to consider the impacts of rapidly changing domestic and global
social, political, economic, and technological trends on new business
development. Likewise, students have the opportunity to consider personal
preparation and professional development required of successful entrepreneurs.
Teaching Strategies: The nature of instruction and the course context fosters the
student’s ability to recognize, consider, and intelligently discuss many integrated
factors that affect economic opportunity, business success, and personal
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prosperity. Instruction and class activities are directly related to the development
of analytical understanding of the role innovation and business creation plays in
the increasingly global economy and the personal impact of America’s future
economic success or failure in the future.
Student Assignments: A variety of opportunities are provided to develop the
student’s ability to think critically, analyze, and reason. Three primary
assignments are used to meet this objective. 1) Students are required to write in a
journal each week providing them an opportunity to reflect on observations,
generalize abstract concepts through conclusions or outcomes, and actively
experiment with strategies or what to do next. The journal is an important
pedagogical tool that follows exploration and application of new concepts and
ideas and provides students an opportunity to carefully consider the importance of
previous learning. 2) Students are required to write an individual or group
feasibility plan on a concept or idea of their choosing that includes significant
market research and financial forecasting. The feasibility plan forces an
entrepreneur to consider every facet of a business opportunity in order to
objectively evaluate its potential. This is one of the most important aspects of the
entrepreneurial process and involves considerable critical analysis. 3) Students
develop a comprehensive business plan on a concept of their choosing that
provides opportunities for continual critical thinking, analysis, and reasoning in a
creative context. A business plan is a series of small strategic plans that provide a
road map for new business creation. At every step students critically consider
alternatives that impact the quality of their plan and the eventual success of their
business. Students find considerable intrinsic motivation from the ownership of
their idea or creation.
Secondary assignments also are used to meet this objective. These include critical
consideration of three video case studies covering topics included in the discovery
and discussion of the global economy in which individuals or student groups are
required to react to a series of provocative questions related to each video, and a
self-assessment of entrepreneurial activity, characteristics, skill, and creative
talents.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students are evaluated on the quality of their
critical thinking, reasoning, and analytical skills as demonstrated in the journal,
business plan, and responses to video cases studies and other assignments.
C. Objective 3: Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Emphasis: Significant
Content: Written and oral communication skills are indispensable components of
this course as they are in entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurial process, the
process of developing a new business that annually includes 1 person in 25 in the
United States, is made up of various research and development activities, each
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requiring written and oral communication. Likewise, the content of this course
provides students continual opportunity to fashion these skills.
Teaching Strategies: The nature of instruction and the course context fosters the
student’s ability to accurately and professionally articulate facts, share ideas, and
compose or present arguments. Given the importance of communication to the
entrepreneurial process, the instructor promotes quality oral and written
communication in every aspect of the course. The instructor models such
communication and chooses instructional materials that further model these
aspects.
Student Assignments: Students are provided ample opportunities to hone written
and oral communication skills including written responses to Socratic questions
related to readings and viewings before lecture/discussions. The instructor
invokes effective questioning strategies during lecture/discussions to provide
students opportunities to orally present their responses and argue positions. A
weekly journal provides an opportunity for written communication that includes
emotional reaction and summation of information. No less than 10 small projects
and assignments including video cases studies, small research projects, and
classroom activities include written and/or verbal communication elements.
Finally, the feasibility plan and comprehensive business plan, significant
evaluation components of this course, provides students an opportunity to
demonstrate effective oral and written communication, including creation or a
professional business presentation.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students are evaluated on their accurate and
effective written and oral communication on all assignments in class. Rubrics and
checklists are provided for all assignments and include emphasis and articulation
of effective written and oral communication.
D. Objective 4: Demonstrate an understanding of human experiences and the ability
to relate them to the present.
Emphasis: Some
Content: Students study political, social, technological, and economic events that
took place just before the beginning of the 21
st
Century that converged to have a
dramatic impact on development of the increasingly global economy. The
instructor recreates an image of business-life and the opportunities and challenges
facing entrepreneurs in the United States before: wide scale international free
trade policy; the Eastern economies of China, India, and the former Soviet Union
were open; and the development of a global communication platform that
emerged from world-wide fiber optic networks built from unprecedented
investment in technology companies, development of Internet and World Wide
Web protocols and the web browser, and personal computer application software
that increased personal productivity. These events created the opportunity for
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individuals and organizations to collaborate and deliver services and products
from anywhere to anyone in the world.
Human experiences and transformed business practices resulting from these
developments were dramatically different relative to the society one inhabits.
Information technology workers in India experienced unprecedented opportunity
while factory workers in Midwest United States struggled to find employment.
Teaching Strategies: The instructor conveys to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and research assignments the
importance of recent historical events that have significantly contributed to the
development of today’s global economic system. The global economy and the
recent events leading to its rapid development provide a critical foundation for
students to consider the importance of entrepreneurship to individuals and
economies around the globe. Knowledge of these recent events and resulting
competitive global business climate is essential for future entrepreneurs.
Student Assignments: Students are required to complete various readings and
view videos and compilations of video clips to answer Socratic questions required
for class preparation and completion of several assignments. For instance,
students view a documentary illustrating the impact of the recently developed
global communication platform on the lives of people in Bangalore, India.
Another assignment used to meet this objective requires students to profile and
interview a local entrepreneur and ask them questions about their experiences
during these changing times.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of human experiences and relate them to the present based on
the accuracy of answers and effort made to complete written exercises to prepare
for class lecture/discussions. Evaluation of the entrepreneur profile and interview
project emphasizes the student’s ability to document the interviewee’s
background and experiences. Evaluation of the business plan project includes
required elements demonstrating understanding of the impact recent events have
had on the increasingly global economy.
E. Objective 5: Demonstrate an understanding of various cultures and their inter-
relationships.
Emphasis: Some
Content: Students have a unique opportunity to collaborate directly with others
interested in entrepreneurship from several foreign countries. Students also
discuss the concept of an entrepreneurship culture and factors affecting the level
of entrepreneurial activity in a variety of communities, regions, and countries
around the world.
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The Harrison College of Business has been selected to join a worldwide network
of business schools embedding entrepreneurial culture and connecting
entrepreneurship students. The concept referred to as Start-Up Café was invented
by two university faculty in Switzerland and is being adopted by a number of
members of the Network of International Business Schools. Because of the
reputation of quality international programs in the Harrison College of Business,
Southeast Missouri State University was invited to become the first Start-Up Café
site in the United States.
The concept of Start-Up Café is of a virtual and physical space that provides
resources, support, and collaborative opportunities for entrepreneurs. The virtual
space, a web portal with a variety of communication technologies and web
resources, provides an opportunity for students to access local, regional, national,
and global entrepreneurship information and to collaborate with budding
entrepreneurs throughout the world. Students join a secure social network and use
Internet technology to conduct voice and video conferences with their
counterparts in United Kingdom, Helsinki, Denmark, South Africa, France, and
Switzerland. The Start-up Café network is expected to grow considerably in other
foreign countries as well as the United States in the future.
The physical Start-Up Café space is intended to provide a gathering place for
students interested in entrepreneurship to meet, have a cup of coffee, and discuss
entrepreneurship while socializing. Hence, the originators used the term café in
the name. The physical space will be located in the Harrison College of Business
and includes attractive signage and literature about entrepreneurship and
computer kiosks to access the web portal and collaborate with students from other
international Start-Up Cafés. The prominent physical presence of the café benefits
campus-wide efforts to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and an entrepreneurship
culture.
Considerable governmental emphasis and promotion of entrepreneurship is taking
place around the world. Entrepreneurship, the start-up of new business ventures,
is essential to long-term economic success, especially in an increasingly
competitive global economy. While many new ventures fail others transform
economies. Therefore, much effort is being made to build a culture of
entrepreneurship in communities, organizations, universities, and states
throughout the United States and around the world. Recent studies have attempted
to explain the variation in entrepreneurial activities from one city to another, one
region to another, or one country to another. Findings suggested that as a culture
of entrepreneurship is embedded, it typically spreads leading to continued
personal and economic growth.
Students study the inter-relationships between personal or economic success and
the development of an entrepreneurship culture in the United States as a
sustaining comparative advantage in the 21
st
Century.
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Teaching Strategies: The instructor conveys to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and assignments the
importance of understanding cultures throughout the global economy and the
concept of an entrepreneurship culture. These concepts are contextualized as
imperatives for future personal and economic success in the United States.
Students have the opportunity to collaborate with their counterparts from
universities in several countries to exchange information about the impact of
culture factors on entrepreneurship, and present cogent arguments for or against
the importance of the entrepreneurship culture concept based upon their
understanding of recent changes in the competitive and increasingly global
economy.
Student Assignments: Two assignments are used to meet this objective. 1)
Students join the Start-Up Café social network and make contact with a student or
students from a foreign country to exchange information about their interest in
entrepreneurship and gain knowledge of unique characteristics and culture of the
foreign country. Students prepare a written report and present an oral report to
class of their findings and observations. Students are encouraged to maintain the
relationship with their international counterparts throughout the course and
beyond. 2) Students also provide written responses to Socratic questions
regarding readings and videos discussing entrepreneurship culture intended to
prepare students for lecture/discussions.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of various cultures and their interrelationships based on the
quality of their written reports documenting the Start-Up Café collaboration
activity and their written answers to Socratic questions related to readings and
viewings before lecture/discussions. Evaluation of the business plan project
includes required elements demonstrating, and the integration of these factors into
the business plan project. Evaluation of the business plan project includes
required elements demonstrating understanding of the interrelationships of
various cultures in the increasingly global economy.
F. Objective 6: Demonstrate the ability to integrate the breadth and diversity of
knowledge and experience.
Emphasis: Significant
Content: There is limited consensus about the definition of entrepreneurship,
although the concept is almost as old as the formal discipline of economics.
Eighteenth century French economist Richard Cantillon first defined the
entrepreneur as the “agent who buys means of production at certain prices in
order to combine them” into a new product (Schumpter, 1951). Entrepreneurship,
like many concepts or disciplines derived from economics is interrelated with
other social science disciplines including sociology, psychology, and political
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science. For instance, research findings indicate that successful entrepreneurs
exhibit common personal characteristics, like personality traits, and practice
common behaviors, like hard work and persistence. Furthermore, the development
of societies has been greatly advanced by technology and information technology
has been a driving catalyst in the creation of a truly global economy. Course
content emphasizes the integration of the breadth and diversity of
knowledge/experiences encountered in the development of entrepreneurship and
entrepreneurs.
This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to apply inner
disciplinary knowledge from the business disciplines of economics, marketing,
management, and finance. Development of a business plan is an essential
requirement of any new venture and incorporates broad and applied understanding
of these business disciplines.
This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to apply cross
disciplinary knowledge to the study of entrepreneurship. The Ewing Kauffman
Foundation, our nation’s preeminent advocate for entrepreneurship purports that
entrepreneurship is one of the most important aspects of our economy and
students understand that. Students know they have to build a wide range of
interdisciplinary skills that give them maximum flexibility and preparation for the
future. Entrepreneurship is one such skill. Students from all disciplines, whether
they are interested in starting a new business or improving their value to other
organizations, want to learn how to recognize opportunity, locate and gather
resources to exploit that opportunity, be innovative, create durable solutions, take
risks, and reap the rewards of their efforts. This course provides students that
opportunity. Students in fine arts can learn how to start a new theatre company,
education students can learn how to start magnet schools, and so through the
humanities, the social sciences, and various professional schools (Kauffman,
2005).
Teaching Strategies: Assigned readings and viewings stresses the integration of
economics, sociology, political science, psychology, and technology in the
development of entrepreneurship as an increasingly critical imperative to personal
and economic success in the 21
st
Century global economy.
Student Assignments: Assignments intended to meet this objective are largely
focused on preparing students for lecture/discussions in class and providing a
foundation for the development and presentation of a comprehensive business
plan.
Evaluation of Student Performance. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of the integration of previous understanding of economics,
sociology, political science, psychology, and technology consistent with those
evaluations from objectives 1, 2, and 3.
16
G. Objective 7: Demonstrate the ability to make informed, intelligent value
decisions.
Emphasis: Some
Content: The richness of the dilemmas facing an entrepreneur may be best
illustrated in a discussion of social entrepreneurship. J ohanna and Ignasi posited
that a study of social entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to challenge and
rethink central business and economic concepts and assumptions. Discussions of
social entrepreneurship may stress not-for-profit businesses, socially responsible
business practices, and business as a means to alleviate social problems. The
principal distinguishing feature of social entrepreneurship is that the emphasis lies
on social value creation, rather than earned income (although it may achieve this
as well).
Globalization and the increasingly global economy provide other opportunities for
students to explore value judgments. For instance, many Indian citizens have
benefited greatly from economic expansion resulting from outsourcing of
information technology services around the world and are excited to enjoy a life
style previously reserved for Western economies, while other Indians point out
the rapid decay of tradition and culture some characterize as the reduction of
citizens to mere consumers.
Teaching Strategies: The instructor convey to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and assignments the veracity
of challenging ethical/moral decisions facing entrepreneurs including the
opportunity to start non-profit ventures, practice business responsibly, and using
earned income to alleviate social problems.
Student Assignments: Students are provided assignments to allow them to identify
ethical/moral considerations faced by entrepreneurs. Two primary assignments
are used to meet this object. 1) Students prepare written responses to Socratic
questions regarding readings and videos discussing social entrepreneurship and
the impacts of globalization to prepare students for lecture/discussions. 2)
Students complete a video case study looking at the impact of the rapid economic
growth taking place in India including written responses to questions probing
ethical/moral issues.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of ethical/moral issues facing entrepreneurs and the process
by which value decisions are reached based on the accuracy of answers and effort
made to complete written exercises to prepare for class lecture/discussions.
Evaluation of the business plan project includes required elements demonstrating
an understanding of social entrepreneurship and the ability to make informed,
intelligent value decisions.
17
H. Objective 8: Demonstrate the ability to make informed, sensitive aesthetic
responses.
Emphasis: Some
Content: Critical to the entrepreneur is the skill of identifying and recognizing
market opportunity. Many ideas are not opportunities because they fail to be
attractive, timely, durable products/services that fill a consumer need. Consumer
needs or perceived needs are biased by aesthetic value judgment. Therefore,
successful products/services provide aesthetic value by for example producing
pleasure, conveying meaning, expressing values or beliefs central to culture or
tradition, bringing about social or political change, providing the capacity to
produce desired emotions, or producing non-emotional responses such as a
feeling of autonomy. Individual value judgments are influenced by economic,
social, political, and technological factors related to consumer choices. Students
study the concept of aesthetic judgment as an emotional decision based on a set of
values in the context of consumer behavior and choices.
Teaching Strategies: The primary teaching strategy used to meet this objective is
problem-based inquiry. In addition, the instructor conveys to students through
reading and viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and the following
project assignment the importance of aesthetic judgment and related
interdisciplinary influences on the development of new products and services.
Student Assignments: Students are asked to identify through every-day
observation 2 cool ideas. The instructor provides various strategies for students to
begin the practice of looking for opportunities as they begin the assignment.
Students are placed in groups and asked to identify the best cool idea represented
in their group based on meeting the guidelines of a true market opportunity versus
just another idea. Among the criterion are identification of possible aesthetic
value and the origin of the value judgment. Student groups orally present their
solutions to class including the basis of their decisions.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of aesthetic judgment and value by critically analyzing and
identifying the impact of aesthetic judgment on the market opportunity and
feasibility of an idea or concept of their choosing. Evaluation of the project is
based on the student’s ability to identify the potential impact of aesthetic
judgment on the product/service development.
I. Objective 9: Demonstrate the ability to function responsibly in one's natural,
social and political environment.
Emphasis: Some
18
Content: Businesses are increasingly expected to accept social and environmental
responsibility. Discussion of social entrepreneurship as previously described in
Objective 7 provides students an understanding of their responsibilities as
members of society. As a foundation of entrepreneurship, study of globalization
and the increasingly global economy also previously described in Objectives 2, 4,
and 5 provide adequate opportunities for students to critically consider and
analyze their responsibilities as entrepreneurs in a global society.
Teaching Strategies: The instructor conveys to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and various assignments
previously outlined in Objectives 2, 4, 5 and 7 the importance of individuals
participating in the development of a public policy that promote efficient use of
natural resources, the health of the environment, and in socially responsible
business practices.
Student Assignments: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate understanding
of their responsibilities as a member of society through a variety of assignments
previously described in Objectives 2, 4, 5, and 7.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their ability function responsibly as members of society by inclusion of required
elements of social responsibility in responses to previously described assignments
in Objectives 2, 4, 5, and 7.
X. Background
A. The instructor has a strong educational background with an advanced academic
degree in business, workforce development, or related field and good working knowledge
of 1) the foundations of entrepreneurship including the rapidly changing and increasingly
global economy, 2) assessment of personal characteristics of successful entrepreneurs
including personality type, career interests, and creativity talent, 3) identification and
recognition of durable business opportunity, 4) new and existing business feasibility
analysis, 5) various paths to entrepreneurship.
B. The instructor has entrepreneurial experience and experience writing and
evaluating comprehensive business plans.
C. The instructor has an understanding and ability to integrate entrepreneurship with
economic, political, social, and behavioral systems as identified in the University Studies
program at Southeast Missouri State University.
XI. Class Size: As per University Studies guidelines, the optimal class size for a 300-level
University Studies course is 20.
doc_478145138.pdf
Within this brief illustration around entrepreneurship a flat world imperative.
1
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
COURSE SYLLABUS
Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems Course Number IU305
Title of Course: Entrepreneurship: A Flat World Imperative New Spring 2008
I. Descriptions and Credit Hours of Course:
Catalog Course Description: An exploration of innovation, opportunity, and new business
creation as economic and personal imperatives for success in the global economy. (3)
University Studies Handbook Course Description: This course provides a dynamic,
practical, hands-on study of the nature and importance of entrepreneurship in the
increasingly global economy and encourages students to immerse themselves in the
vision, research, and planning aspects of a new business.
Students probe, question, and evaluate the personal, social, and economic importance of
entrepreneurship in the global economy as they acquire the knowledge, skills, and
strategies critical for successful start-up and new business creation. Students consider
critical foundational topics related to entrepreneurship including assessment of personal
style, creative talents, and career interests compared to those of successful entrepreneurs,
strategies used to create innovative ideas, methods used to evaluate durable market
opportunities. Students also experience all aspects of planning a new business including
considering various entry paths to entrepreneurship, researching the feasibility of a new
business, and developing a business plan.
II. Interdisciplinary Nature of the Course: Students explore from the perspective of the
entrepreneur, economic, political, social, and technological factors that have converged to
create an increasingly competitive integrated global economic playing field. Students
assess the impact of significant recent events on individuals, entrepreneurs, and
corporations including: the fall of the Berlin Wall and resulting expansion of previously
closed Eastern economies; the creation of a global communication platform derived from
considerable advances in information technology leading to increased personal and
organizational productivity, creation of a global fiber optic communication platform
resulting from unprecedented investment in information technology companies during the
90s, and standardization of information sharing protocols; and changes in personal and
business behaviors intended to create comparative advantage including outsourcing, off-
shoring, and open-sourcing. These and other global forces of change provide a
framework from which students consider opportunities to create new ideas, products, and
business ventures at a time when more people around the world are able to collaborate to
deliver and consume more products and services than even before. Students critically
consider the importance of the entrepreneurial process as an imperative for personal,
regional, and national competitiveness in the global economy.
2
Entrepreneurs come from all walks of life and durable business opportunities are created
by individuals from all academic disciplines. This course is designed to provide students
studying any discipline within the university the opportunity to (1) integrate previous
knowledge into a broad understanding of how domestic and global political, social,
economic, and technological trends relate to challenges and opportunities for personal,
local, regional, and national economic success, (2) assess ines personal characteristics
compared to those of successful entrepreneurs, (3) create new ideas and recognize
profitable and durable entrepreneurial opportunities, (4) analyze whether an idea for
starting a new business will turn into a profitable business, (5) create a business plan
around a chosen concept, (6) develop critical thinking skills, (7) and enhance research,
writing and oral presentation skills.
III. Prerequisite(s): Completion of lower division University Studies requirements in
behavioral, economic, political, and social systems
IV. Purposes or Objectives of the Course:
Students:
A. Assess the nature of entrepreneurship in the United States of America and
examine the importance of the entrepreneurial process in maintaining and
enhancing personal, regional, and national competiveness in a rapidly changing
and increasingly integrated global economy. (US Objectives 2, 4)
B. Consider the brief history of globalization in the 21
st
Century; evaluate recent
significant social, political, economic and technological events that converged and
leveled the global economic playing field; and critically appraise entrepreneurship
as an essential comparative advantage for personal and economic success in the
global economy. (US Objectives 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
C. Examine the entrepreneurial process and personal characteristics of successful
entrepreneurs, compare student’s personality preference, creative talents, and
career interests with those of small business owners. (US Objectives 1, 2, 4, 5, 6,
9)
D. Identify how successful entrepreneurs craft, discover, and differentiate profitable
and durable ideas; better understand creativity and the impact of individual
differences on creative results, and practice using ones creative talents for results;
research, recognize, and assess business opportunities; analyze the feasibility of a
new business; and determine optimal paths to entrepreneurship. (US Objectives
1, 2, 3)
E. Associate the nature and interdependence of entrepreneurship with other
disciplines, especially economics, political science, and information technology.
(US Objectives 3, 4, 6)
3
F. Integrate knowledge of domestic and global political, social, economic, and
technological trends with gathering and utilizing the resources and processes
necessary to launch a new business, and the skills to formulate and communicate
an integrated business plan. (US Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
V. Expectations of students:
A. Students are expected to attend class regularly, prepare for class by responding to
Socratic questions covering required readings and viewings, and be prepared for
and participate in field and classroom activities and discussions.
B. Students are required to reflect on and think critically about weekly readings,
viewings, activities, and discussions in a written journal.
C. Students are required to provide evidence of understanding course material and
the integration of concepts during the completion of exams and quizzes, class
discussions and activities, and written research projects including a feasibility
analysis.
D. Students are required to develop an individual or group business plan on a
concept or idea of their choosing that provides a very concrete/tangible integrative
exercise requiring the demonstration of understanding of the foundations of
entrepreneurship, location and utilization of resources and processes required to
start a new business, and clear, concise written and oral communication skills.
VI. Course Content and Outline Class Hours
A. Foundations of Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy
1. Entrepreneurship in the United States 3
(US Objectives 2, 4)
a. Changes in industry structures
b. Organizational strategies and the practice of downsizing
c. Societal change: The end of jobs?
d. Impact on individuals, the economy, society, and larger firms
e. The nature and competitive advantages of small businesses
g. Changes in U.S. markets
g. Emerging markets
2. Entrepreneurship in a Rapidly Changing and Increasing Global Economy 8
(US Objectives 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
a. History of globalization
b. The World is Flat: A Brief history of the 21
st
Century
i. 10 social, economic, and technological forces that flattened the
world
4
ii. Convergence of social, economic, and technological forces of
change: The Flat World on steroids
iii. Untouchables jobs in the Flat World
iv. The quiet crisis: Gaps the US must overcome
c. Free trade, outsourcing, and off-shoring
i. America and free trade: Is Ricardo’s free-trade theory of
comparative advantage still right?
ii. Technology and education equilibrium, and wage arbitration
iii. Maturation of outsourcing from goods trading to digitized
technical and medical service delivery
iv. The other side of outsourcing: Impacts of westernization
d. The entrepreneurial imperative
i. Entrepreneurship as United States central comparative advantage
ii. The entrepreneurial American: Entrepreneurship as our cultural
history
iii. The entrepreneur: Everyone’s burden in the economy
iv. Entrepreneurs are from Venus, managers are from Mars: The
emerging codependency between start-ups and big firms
v. Exporting entrepreneurship: A plan for worldwide peace and
prosperity
vi. The new world of entrepreneurial capitalism
3. Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneur 6
(US Objectives 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9)
a. What are entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process?
b. Personal characteristics of successful entrepreneurs
c. Comparing student’s career interests and personality style with those
of small business owners
i. Career: Strong Career Interest Inventory
ii. Personality: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
d. Common myths about entrepreneurs
e. Changing demographics of entrepreneurs
i. Women-owned and minority-owned businesses
f. Advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship
g. Social entrepreneurship
h. The ten deadly mistakes of entrepreneurship
B. From Ideas to Reality
(US Objectives 1, 2, 3)
1. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship 7
a. Creativity and the impact of individual differences on creative results
b. Assessing one’s creative talents using the Breakthrough Creativity Profile
based on J unganian theory
c. Using individual creative talents to improve team results
d. Sources of ideas: Inside-out approach
i. Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship
5
ii. The creative process, creative thinking, and barriers to creativity
e. Sources of ideas: Outside-in approach
i. Identifying and recognizing opportunities
ii. Making the most of marketplace opportunities
2. New and Existing Business Feasibility and Paths to Entrepreneurship 6
a. Potential Paths to Entrepreneurship
i. Buying an Existing Business
ii. Franchising and Other Alternatives
iii. Home-Based Businesses
iv. Family Businesses
v. Global Businesses
b. Feasibility Analysis
i. Product/Service Analysis and Feasibility
ii. Market Analysis and Feasibility
iii. Price/Profitability Analysis and Feasibility
iv. Financial Needs Analysis and Feasibility
C. Integrating the Foundations of Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy;
Developing, Writing, and Presenting a Business Plan
(US Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
1. Developing and Writing a Business Plan 12
a. Concept Development and Statement
b. Product/Service Plan
i. Market Research
c. Marketing Plan
i. Market Analysis
ii. Pricing
iii. Market Penetration
d. Management and Organizational Plan
i. Legal Entities / Government Regulations
ii. Management Team and Infrastructure
iii. Intellectual Property / Contracts and Leases
e. Financial Plan
i. Budgeting
ii. Financial Statements
iii. Financial Ratios
iv. Cash Needs and Sources
f. Operating Plan
i. Operating and Control Systems
ii. The Entrepreneur and Community
g. Growth Plan
h. Executive Summary
6
2. Professionally Presenting a Business Plan 3
__
Total Class Hours 45
VII. Textbook(s) and Course Materials
A. Primary Textbook:
1. Planning and Growing a Business Venture Textbook, Venture Planning
Workbook & Business Mentor CD-ROM. Kansas City, MO: Ewing Marion
Kaufmann Foundation, 2005. ISBN: 0-944303-41-2.
B. Secondary Resources Required Purchase:
2. Freidman, Thomas L., (2007). The world is flat: A brief history of the 21
st
Century (Release 3.0). New York: Picador. ISBN: 0-312-42507-4.
3. Schramm, Carl J ., (2006). The Entrepreneurial Imperative. New York:
HarperCollins. ISBN: 0-06-084163-X.
C. Primary Instructional Resources:
1. Barringer, B. R., & Ireland, R. D. (2008). Entrepreneurship: Successfully
launching new ventures. (2
nd
ed.). New J ersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
2. Baumol, W. J ., Litan, R. E., & Schramm, C. J . (2007). Good capitalism, bad
capitalism, and the economics of growth and prosperity. New Haven, CT:
Yale University Press.
3. Briggs, P., & Myers, K. (1998). Myers-Briggs type indicator Form M
[Booklet]. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
4. Cran, W. (Producer). (2003). Commanding heights: The battle for the world
economy [DVD]. Boston: InVision Productions Limited.
5. Edwards, P., Economy, P., & Edwards, S. (2003). Why aren’t you your own
boss: Leaping over the obstacles that stand between you and your dream.
New York: PRIMA.
6. Hammer, A. L. (1997). Strong and MBTI Entrepreneur Report. Palo Alto,
CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
7. Harmon, L. W., Hanson, J . C., Borgen, F. H., & Hammer, A. L. (1994).
Strong Interest Inventory: Applications and technical guide. Palo Alto, CA:
Consulting Psychologists Press.
7
8. Lambing, P. A., & Kuehl, C. R. (2007). Entrepreneurship (4
th
ed.). New
J ersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
9. Levesque, L. C. (2003). The breakthrough creativity profile. Pennsylvania:
HRDQ.
10. McNeil, R., & Leher, J . (Producers). (2007). Explaining Globalization
[DVD]. Washington DC: McNeil/Lehrer Productions.
11. Myers, I. B., McCauley, M.H., Quenk, N.L., & Hammer, A.(1998). MBTI
Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
12. Planning and Growing a Business Venture Instructor Manual. Kansas City,
MO: Ewing Marion Kaufmann Foundation, 2005.
13. Rose, Charlie. (Producer). (2006). Charlie Rose – An hour with Thomas L.
Friedman (June 2, 2004) [DVD]. New York: Charlie Rose, Inc.
14. Rose, Charlie. (Producer). (2006). Charlie Rose – An hour with Thomas L.
Friedman (April 5, 2005) [DVD]. New York: Charlie Rose, Inc.
15. Rose, Charlie. (Producer). (2006). Charlie Rose – An hour with Thomas L.
Friedman (August 16, 2007) [DVD]. New York: Charlie Rose, Inc.
16. Sun, T. (2007). Survival tactics. Connecticut: Praeger.
17. Zimmerer, T. W., & Scarborough, N. M., (2008). Essentials of
entrepreneurship and small business management. (5
th
ed.). New J ersey:
Pearson Prentice Hall.
VIII. Basis for Student Evaluation:
A. Class Preparation and Reflection:
Responses to Socratic questions covering readings and viewings (15) 20%
Entrepreneurship J ournal – weekly reflection (15)
C. Feasibility analysis, research projects and field/classroom activities (7) 25%
B. Quizzes and Exams (6) 25%
D. Business Plan – written and oral presentation (1) 30%
IX. J ustification for Inclusion in the University Studies Program
A. Objective 1: Demonstrate the ability to locate and gather information.
Emphasis: Significant
8
Content: Students are involved in locating and gathering information throughout
this course. They are required to carry out research and locate information for
completion of assignments and projects, preparation for class discussions using
readings from texts and video viewings, World Wide Web, and scholarly journals.
Locations of these materials and information concerning access to computer labs
across campus are shared in class.
Teaching Strategies: Two primary instructional methods are used to encourage
students to locate and gather information. A variety of Socratic questions provide
students an opportunity to think critically and motivates students to read and view
material to prepare for class discussions, assignments, and the business plan
project. These include questions for clarification, questions that probe
assumptions, questions that probe reasons, questions about viewpoints and
perspectives, questions that probe implications and consequences, and questions
about questions. Students are asked to answer such questions as writing
assignment prior to instructor led lecture/discussions. Therefore, when students
read and view material to prepare for class they are searching for information to
answer important questions and are given the opportunity to discuss them during
class lectures. The instructor also acts as a facilitator during the completion of a
feasibility analysis and business plan projects, directing students to locate and
gather information to complete the various phases of both projects, which require
considerable research.
Instructor’s presentations and material are based on a wide array of sources which
the students become familiar. These include three books used as texts that provide
students the specific information needed for an interdisciplinary course of this
nature including two contemporary discourses of globalization and
entrepreneurship, and a leading text for business plan development that includes
an interactive CD-ROM. A wide variety of complimentary resources are utilized
including contemporary readings and videos from popular discourses on the
subject and a variety of web-based resources. Students are directed to available
resource material and encouraged to critically evaluate them.
Student Assignments: Three primary assignments are used to meet this objective.
1) Students are assigned Socratic questions before each lecture/discussion and
asked to locate and gather information necessary to answer the questions. They
are also given quizzes after lecture/discussion. 2) Students are required to write an
individual or group feasibility plan on a concept or idea of their choosing that
includes significant market research and financial forecasting. 3) Students are
required to write an individual or group business plan on a concept or idea of their
choosing that provides a very concrete/tangible integrative exercise requiring the
demonstration of understanding of the foundations of entrepreneurship, location
and utilization of resources and processes required to start a new business, and
clear, concise written and oral communication skills.
9
Several secondary assignments are also used to meet this objective. These include
locating and gathering information to build personal characteristic and skill
profiles of successful entrepreneurs including minorities and females, a self-
assessment of entrepreneurship preparedness including three professional
assessments of career interests, personality style, and creative talents, and
research related to creation of new ideas and business opportunities.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students are evaluated on the thoroughness
and accuracy of their research and contemplation. During completion of Socratic
questioning exercises, small research projects and class activities, the feasibility
analysis, and the business plan, students are expected to transcend a mere
regurgitation of facts and to blend the data they collect into a broad based view of
entrepreneurship. The Socratic Method is used to elicit inquiry of certain facts and
new knowledge, and contemplation of new concepts. To that end, written
responses are evaluated using a combination of objective and subjective
measures. The method is used to motivate students to explore new material.
Therefore, the subjective evaluation component is based solely on the students’
efforts to explore and understand the material.
B. Objective 2: Demonstrate capabilities for critical thinking, reasoning and
analyzing.
Emphasis: Significant
Content: This course demonstrates how the brief history of globalization in the
21
st
Century and recent significant social, political, economic and technological
events have converged to level the global economic playing field. The course
focuses upon the importance of entrepreneurship for individuals, organizations,
and societies in an increasingly global economy. It challenges students to consider
entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process as an essential comparative
advantage for personal and economic success in the future. From this, students
can posit hypotheses regarding the behavior of key variables and interaction
among them, and perhaps adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and begin immersing
themselves in entrepreneurial thinking by creating a business plan for a concept of
their choosing.
The course also focuses upon the abundance of decisions and preparation
essential for development of durable business ventures. Students have an
opportunity to consider the impacts of rapidly changing domestic and global
social, political, economic, and technological trends on new business
development. Likewise, students have the opportunity to consider personal
preparation and professional development required of successful entrepreneurs.
Teaching Strategies: The nature of instruction and the course context fosters the
student’s ability to recognize, consider, and intelligently discuss many integrated
factors that affect economic opportunity, business success, and personal
10
prosperity. Instruction and class activities are directly related to the development
of analytical understanding of the role innovation and business creation plays in
the increasingly global economy and the personal impact of America’s future
economic success or failure in the future.
Student Assignments: A variety of opportunities are provided to develop the
student’s ability to think critically, analyze, and reason. Three primary
assignments are used to meet this objective. 1) Students are required to write in a
journal each week providing them an opportunity to reflect on observations,
generalize abstract concepts through conclusions or outcomes, and actively
experiment with strategies or what to do next. The journal is an important
pedagogical tool that follows exploration and application of new concepts and
ideas and provides students an opportunity to carefully consider the importance of
previous learning. 2) Students are required to write an individual or group
feasibility plan on a concept or idea of their choosing that includes significant
market research and financial forecasting. The feasibility plan forces an
entrepreneur to consider every facet of a business opportunity in order to
objectively evaluate its potential. This is one of the most important aspects of the
entrepreneurial process and involves considerable critical analysis. 3) Students
develop a comprehensive business plan on a concept of their choosing that
provides opportunities for continual critical thinking, analysis, and reasoning in a
creative context. A business plan is a series of small strategic plans that provide a
road map for new business creation. At every step students critically consider
alternatives that impact the quality of their plan and the eventual success of their
business. Students find considerable intrinsic motivation from the ownership of
their idea or creation.
Secondary assignments also are used to meet this objective. These include critical
consideration of three video case studies covering topics included in the discovery
and discussion of the global economy in which individuals or student groups are
required to react to a series of provocative questions related to each video, and a
self-assessment of entrepreneurial activity, characteristics, skill, and creative
talents.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students are evaluated on the quality of their
critical thinking, reasoning, and analytical skills as demonstrated in the journal,
business plan, and responses to video cases studies and other assignments.
C. Objective 3: Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Emphasis: Significant
Content: Written and oral communication skills are indispensable components of
this course as they are in entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurial process, the
process of developing a new business that annually includes 1 person in 25 in the
United States, is made up of various research and development activities, each
11
requiring written and oral communication. Likewise, the content of this course
provides students continual opportunity to fashion these skills.
Teaching Strategies: The nature of instruction and the course context fosters the
student’s ability to accurately and professionally articulate facts, share ideas, and
compose or present arguments. Given the importance of communication to the
entrepreneurial process, the instructor promotes quality oral and written
communication in every aspect of the course. The instructor models such
communication and chooses instructional materials that further model these
aspects.
Student Assignments: Students are provided ample opportunities to hone written
and oral communication skills including written responses to Socratic questions
related to readings and viewings before lecture/discussions. The instructor
invokes effective questioning strategies during lecture/discussions to provide
students opportunities to orally present their responses and argue positions. A
weekly journal provides an opportunity for written communication that includes
emotional reaction and summation of information. No less than 10 small projects
and assignments including video cases studies, small research projects, and
classroom activities include written and/or verbal communication elements.
Finally, the feasibility plan and comprehensive business plan, significant
evaluation components of this course, provides students an opportunity to
demonstrate effective oral and written communication, including creation or a
professional business presentation.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students are evaluated on their accurate and
effective written and oral communication on all assignments in class. Rubrics and
checklists are provided for all assignments and include emphasis and articulation
of effective written and oral communication.
D. Objective 4: Demonstrate an understanding of human experiences and the ability
to relate them to the present.
Emphasis: Some
Content: Students study political, social, technological, and economic events that
took place just before the beginning of the 21
st
Century that converged to have a
dramatic impact on development of the increasingly global economy. The
instructor recreates an image of business-life and the opportunities and challenges
facing entrepreneurs in the United States before: wide scale international free
trade policy; the Eastern economies of China, India, and the former Soviet Union
were open; and the development of a global communication platform that
emerged from world-wide fiber optic networks built from unprecedented
investment in technology companies, development of Internet and World Wide
Web protocols and the web browser, and personal computer application software
that increased personal productivity. These events created the opportunity for
12
individuals and organizations to collaborate and deliver services and products
from anywhere to anyone in the world.
Human experiences and transformed business practices resulting from these
developments were dramatically different relative to the society one inhabits.
Information technology workers in India experienced unprecedented opportunity
while factory workers in Midwest United States struggled to find employment.
Teaching Strategies: The instructor conveys to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and research assignments the
importance of recent historical events that have significantly contributed to the
development of today’s global economic system. The global economy and the
recent events leading to its rapid development provide a critical foundation for
students to consider the importance of entrepreneurship to individuals and
economies around the globe. Knowledge of these recent events and resulting
competitive global business climate is essential for future entrepreneurs.
Student Assignments: Students are required to complete various readings and
view videos and compilations of video clips to answer Socratic questions required
for class preparation and completion of several assignments. For instance,
students view a documentary illustrating the impact of the recently developed
global communication platform on the lives of people in Bangalore, India.
Another assignment used to meet this objective requires students to profile and
interview a local entrepreneur and ask them questions about their experiences
during these changing times.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of human experiences and relate them to the present based on
the accuracy of answers and effort made to complete written exercises to prepare
for class lecture/discussions. Evaluation of the entrepreneur profile and interview
project emphasizes the student’s ability to document the interviewee’s
background and experiences. Evaluation of the business plan project includes
required elements demonstrating understanding of the impact recent events have
had on the increasingly global economy.
E. Objective 5: Demonstrate an understanding of various cultures and their inter-
relationships.
Emphasis: Some
Content: Students have a unique opportunity to collaborate directly with others
interested in entrepreneurship from several foreign countries. Students also
discuss the concept of an entrepreneurship culture and factors affecting the level
of entrepreneurial activity in a variety of communities, regions, and countries
around the world.
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The Harrison College of Business has been selected to join a worldwide network
of business schools embedding entrepreneurial culture and connecting
entrepreneurship students. The concept referred to as Start-Up Café was invented
by two university faculty in Switzerland and is being adopted by a number of
members of the Network of International Business Schools. Because of the
reputation of quality international programs in the Harrison College of Business,
Southeast Missouri State University was invited to become the first Start-Up Café
site in the United States.
The concept of Start-Up Café is of a virtual and physical space that provides
resources, support, and collaborative opportunities for entrepreneurs. The virtual
space, a web portal with a variety of communication technologies and web
resources, provides an opportunity for students to access local, regional, national,
and global entrepreneurship information and to collaborate with budding
entrepreneurs throughout the world. Students join a secure social network and use
Internet technology to conduct voice and video conferences with their
counterparts in United Kingdom, Helsinki, Denmark, South Africa, France, and
Switzerland. The Start-up Café network is expected to grow considerably in other
foreign countries as well as the United States in the future.
The physical Start-Up Café space is intended to provide a gathering place for
students interested in entrepreneurship to meet, have a cup of coffee, and discuss
entrepreneurship while socializing. Hence, the originators used the term café in
the name. The physical space will be located in the Harrison College of Business
and includes attractive signage and literature about entrepreneurship and
computer kiosks to access the web portal and collaborate with students from other
international Start-Up Cafés. The prominent physical presence of the café benefits
campus-wide efforts to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and an entrepreneurship
culture.
Considerable governmental emphasis and promotion of entrepreneurship is taking
place around the world. Entrepreneurship, the start-up of new business ventures,
is essential to long-term economic success, especially in an increasingly
competitive global economy. While many new ventures fail others transform
economies. Therefore, much effort is being made to build a culture of
entrepreneurship in communities, organizations, universities, and states
throughout the United States and around the world. Recent studies have attempted
to explain the variation in entrepreneurial activities from one city to another, one
region to another, or one country to another. Findings suggested that as a culture
of entrepreneurship is embedded, it typically spreads leading to continued
personal and economic growth.
Students study the inter-relationships between personal or economic success and
the development of an entrepreneurship culture in the United States as a
sustaining comparative advantage in the 21
st
Century.
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Teaching Strategies: The instructor conveys to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and assignments the
importance of understanding cultures throughout the global economy and the
concept of an entrepreneurship culture. These concepts are contextualized as
imperatives for future personal and economic success in the United States.
Students have the opportunity to collaborate with their counterparts from
universities in several countries to exchange information about the impact of
culture factors on entrepreneurship, and present cogent arguments for or against
the importance of the entrepreneurship culture concept based upon their
understanding of recent changes in the competitive and increasingly global
economy.
Student Assignments: Two assignments are used to meet this objective. 1)
Students join the Start-Up Café social network and make contact with a student or
students from a foreign country to exchange information about their interest in
entrepreneurship and gain knowledge of unique characteristics and culture of the
foreign country. Students prepare a written report and present an oral report to
class of their findings and observations. Students are encouraged to maintain the
relationship with their international counterparts throughout the course and
beyond. 2) Students also provide written responses to Socratic questions
regarding readings and videos discussing entrepreneurship culture intended to
prepare students for lecture/discussions.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of various cultures and their interrelationships based on the
quality of their written reports documenting the Start-Up Café collaboration
activity and their written answers to Socratic questions related to readings and
viewings before lecture/discussions. Evaluation of the business plan project
includes required elements demonstrating, and the integration of these factors into
the business plan project. Evaluation of the business plan project includes
required elements demonstrating understanding of the interrelationships of
various cultures in the increasingly global economy.
F. Objective 6: Demonstrate the ability to integrate the breadth and diversity of
knowledge and experience.
Emphasis: Significant
Content: There is limited consensus about the definition of entrepreneurship,
although the concept is almost as old as the formal discipline of economics.
Eighteenth century French economist Richard Cantillon first defined the
entrepreneur as the “agent who buys means of production at certain prices in
order to combine them” into a new product (Schumpter, 1951). Entrepreneurship,
like many concepts or disciplines derived from economics is interrelated with
other social science disciplines including sociology, psychology, and political
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science. For instance, research findings indicate that successful entrepreneurs
exhibit common personal characteristics, like personality traits, and practice
common behaviors, like hard work and persistence. Furthermore, the development
of societies has been greatly advanced by technology and information technology
has been a driving catalyst in the creation of a truly global economy. Course
content emphasizes the integration of the breadth and diversity of
knowledge/experiences encountered in the development of entrepreneurship and
entrepreneurs.
This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to apply inner
disciplinary knowledge from the business disciplines of economics, marketing,
management, and finance. Development of a business plan is an essential
requirement of any new venture and incorporates broad and applied understanding
of these business disciplines.
This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to apply cross
disciplinary knowledge to the study of entrepreneurship. The Ewing Kauffman
Foundation, our nation’s preeminent advocate for entrepreneurship purports that
entrepreneurship is one of the most important aspects of our economy and
students understand that. Students know they have to build a wide range of
interdisciplinary skills that give them maximum flexibility and preparation for the
future. Entrepreneurship is one such skill. Students from all disciplines, whether
they are interested in starting a new business or improving their value to other
organizations, want to learn how to recognize opportunity, locate and gather
resources to exploit that opportunity, be innovative, create durable solutions, take
risks, and reap the rewards of their efforts. This course provides students that
opportunity. Students in fine arts can learn how to start a new theatre company,
education students can learn how to start magnet schools, and so through the
humanities, the social sciences, and various professional schools (Kauffman,
2005).
Teaching Strategies: Assigned readings and viewings stresses the integration of
economics, sociology, political science, psychology, and technology in the
development of entrepreneurship as an increasingly critical imperative to personal
and economic success in the 21
st
Century global economy.
Student Assignments: Assignments intended to meet this objective are largely
focused on preparing students for lecture/discussions in class and providing a
foundation for the development and presentation of a comprehensive business
plan.
Evaluation of Student Performance. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of the integration of previous understanding of economics,
sociology, political science, psychology, and technology consistent with those
evaluations from objectives 1, 2, and 3.
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G. Objective 7: Demonstrate the ability to make informed, intelligent value
decisions.
Emphasis: Some
Content: The richness of the dilemmas facing an entrepreneur may be best
illustrated in a discussion of social entrepreneurship. J ohanna and Ignasi posited
that a study of social entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to challenge and
rethink central business and economic concepts and assumptions. Discussions of
social entrepreneurship may stress not-for-profit businesses, socially responsible
business practices, and business as a means to alleviate social problems. The
principal distinguishing feature of social entrepreneurship is that the emphasis lies
on social value creation, rather than earned income (although it may achieve this
as well).
Globalization and the increasingly global economy provide other opportunities for
students to explore value judgments. For instance, many Indian citizens have
benefited greatly from economic expansion resulting from outsourcing of
information technology services around the world and are excited to enjoy a life
style previously reserved for Western economies, while other Indians point out
the rapid decay of tradition and culture some characterize as the reduction of
citizens to mere consumers.
Teaching Strategies: The instructor convey to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and assignments the veracity
of challenging ethical/moral decisions facing entrepreneurs including the
opportunity to start non-profit ventures, practice business responsibly, and using
earned income to alleviate social problems.
Student Assignments: Students are provided assignments to allow them to identify
ethical/moral considerations faced by entrepreneurs. Two primary assignments
are used to meet this object. 1) Students prepare written responses to Socratic
questions regarding readings and videos discussing social entrepreneurship and
the impacts of globalization to prepare students for lecture/discussions. 2)
Students complete a video case study looking at the impact of the rapid economic
growth taking place in India including written responses to questions probing
ethical/moral issues.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of ethical/moral issues facing entrepreneurs and the process
by which value decisions are reached based on the accuracy of answers and effort
made to complete written exercises to prepare for class lecture/discussions.
Evaluation of the business plan project includes required elements demonstrating
an understanding of social entrepreneurship and the ability to make informed,
intelligent value decisions.
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H. Objective 8: Demonstrate the ability to make informed, sensitive aesthetic
responses.
Emphasis: Some
Content: Critical to the entrepreneur is the skill of identifying and recognizing
market opportunity. Many ideas are not opportunities because they fail to be
attractive, timely, durable products/services that fill a consumer need. Consumer
needs or perceived needs are biased by aesthetic value judgment. Therefore,
successful products/services provide aesthetic value by for example producing
pleasure, conveying meaning, expressing values or beliefs central to culture or
tradition, bringing about social or political change, providing the capacity to
produce desired emotions, or producing non-emotional responses such as a
feeling of autonomy. Individual value judgments are influenced by economic,
social, political, and technological factors related to consumer choices. Students
study the concept of aesthetic judgment as an emotional decision based on a set of
values in the context of consumer behavior and choices.
Teaching Strategies: The primary teaching strategy used to meet this objective is
problem-based inquiry. In addition, the instructor conveys to students through
reading and viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and the following
project assignment the importance of aesthetic judgment and related
interdisciplinary influences on the development of new products and services.
Student Assignments: Students are asked to identify through every-day
observation 2 cool ideas. The instructor provides various strategies for students to
begin the practice of looking for opportunities as they begin the assignment.
Students are placed in groups and asked to identify the best cool idea represented
in their group based on meeting the guidelines of a true market opportunity versus
just another idea. Among the criterion are identification of possible aesthetic
value and the origin of the value judgment. Student groups orally present their
solutions to class including the basis of their decisions.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their understanding of aesthetic judgment and value by critically analyzing and
identifying the impact of aesthetic judgment on the market opportunity and
feasibility of an idea or concept of their choosing. Evaluation of the project is
based on the student’s ability to identify the potential impact of aesthetic
judgment on the product/service development.
I. Objective 9: Demonstrate the ability to function responsibly in one's natural,
social and political environment.
Emphasis: Some
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Content: Businesses are increasingly expected to accept social and environmental
responsibility. Discussion of social entrepreneurship as previously described in
Objective 7 provides students an understanding of their responsibilities as
members of society. As a foundation of entrepreneurship, study of globalization
and the increasingly global economy also previously described in Objectives 2, 4,
and 5 provide adequate opportunities for students to critically consider and
analyze their responsibilities as entrepreneurs in a global society.
Teaching Strategies: The instructor conveys to students through reading and
viewing assignments, resulting lecture/discussions, and various assignments
previously outlined in Objectives 2, 4, 5 and 7 the importance of individuals
participating in the development of a public policy that promote efficient use of
natural resources, the health of the environment, and in socially responsible
business practices.
Student Assignments: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate understanding
of their responsibilities as a member of society through a variety of assignments
previously described in Objectives 2, 4, 5, and 7.
Evaluation of Student Performance: Students have an opportunity to demonstrate
their ability function responsibly as members of society by inclusion of required
elements of social responsibility in responses to previously described assignments
in Objectives 2, 4, 5, and 7.
X. Background
A. The instructor has a strong educational background with an advanced academic
degree in business, workforce development, or related field and good working knowledge
of 1) the foundations of entrepreneurship including the rapidly changing and increasingly
global economy, 2) assessment of personal characteristics of successful entrepreneurs
including personality type, career interests, and creativity talent, 3) identification and
recognition of durable business opportunity, 4) new and existing business feasibility
analysis, 5) various paths to entrepreneurship.
B. The instructor has entrepreneurial experience and experience writing and
evaluating comprehensive business plans.
C. The instructor has an understanding and ability to integrate entrepreneurship with
economic, political, social, and behavioral systems as identified in the University Studies
program at Southeast Missouri State University.
XI. Class Size: As per University Studies guidelines, the optimal class size for a 300-level
University Studies course is 20.
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