Description
During this detailed information regarding huntingdon college school of business and professional studies.
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 1
Huntingdon College
School of Business and Professional Studies
COURSE NUMBER: MGMT333
COURSE NAME: Entrepreneurship
Summer 2014, Session III, Center Point
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: Dr. Lakami Baker
CONTACT INFORMATION: [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces the concept of entrepreneurship as component of contemporary
business practice. Pathways from concept to operation and beyond are explored,
including the fundamentals and management of creativity, innovation, and risk. Tools
such as market and feasibility analysis are examined. Viability analysis, including
development of a business model and plan are explored and practiced. Management
and leveraging of funding and staffing resources and the effective management of
growth as elements of success are pursued, specifically through case analyses and
completion of a team project. Financial, legal, and governmental issues of particular to
concern to the entrepreneurial firm are discussed. Upon completion of the course, the
student will be able to understand the strategies and fundamental elements of building a
viable entrepreneurial business, more specifically outlined below.
PREREQUISITE: MGMT312
TEXT REQUIRED: Barringer, Bruce R. and Ireland, R. Duane, Entrepreneurship:
Successfully Launching New Ventures,4
th
ed. Pearson/Prentice Hall, (see Huntingdon
College booklist for edition and ISBN)
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Students will understand the nature of the entrepreneurial spirit and what
motivates the creation of new business ventures
• Students will gain working knowledge of the tools and techniques for evaluating
and predicting venture feasibility
• Students will develop a basic understanding of the team management issues
faced by the entrepreneur and the venture team, and how to leverage the team’s
collective skills as a component of its success strategy
• Students will learn fundamental concepts of the ethical and legal considerations
faced by the entrepreneur
• Students will learn ways to effectively manage creativity and innovation, and to
develop proper strategies to manage the growth of the business
• Students will gain critical perspective in entrepreneurship through case study and
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 2
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING CRITERIA:
Grading Elements Percentage:
Short answer quiz scores: 20%
Class Case Analysis Assignments: 25%
Case Study Team Project: 40%
Class Participation/Interaction 15%
Total Points 100%
GRADE POINT EQUIVALENTS - Describe the point range for each letter grade.
A =90-100
B =80-89
C =70-79
D =60-69
F =59-below
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Absences and Tardiness – All students are required to attend the first session.
Those who do not attend the first session will be automatically dropped from the course.
Students with more than one absence will receive an "F" for the course. Since this class
meets only five times, missing a single class meeting is equivalent to missing three
weeks of a regular term. If you cannot attend a class you must let the instructor know via
email as soon as possible. In case of absences you are responsible for obtaining all
handouts and assignments. Tardiness may result in a deduction in your class
participation grade. Excessive tardiness may count as an absence.
Participation – Participation is not the same as attendance. Participation requires
students to come to class prepared to actively participate, which makes the classroom
experience more meaningful. However, participation is not just speaking out in class.
The contributions made by the student should be related to the course content and
meaningful to the class discussion.
Late Assignments – No shows fail the assignment. It is expected that the students
fulfill their assignments on the date they are scheduled to do so. Students with illness or
other problems that prevent them from attending class on the day a presentation or
written assignment (including a test and/or exam) is due must contact their instructors
PRIOR to the deadline via Huntingdon College email with supporting documentation to
request an extension or a make-up. In most cases, missed assignments are logistically
difficult to make-up while maintaining the integrity of the module. In rare cases, approval
to make-up an assignment may be granted at the discretion of the faculty member based
on the seriousness of the circumstance and on the supporting evidence provided by the
student. Contacting a fellow class member does not substitute for contacting the
instructor.
Accommodation of Special Needs- Huntingdon College makes every reasonable
accommodation for disabilities that have been processed and approved through our
Disability Services Committee in accord with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In order to request disability-related services at
Huntingdon College, students must self-identify to the Disabilities Intake Coordinator,
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 3
Camilla Irvin, and provide appropriate and up-to-date documentation to verify their
disability or special needs. After the accommodations have been approved by the
Disability Services Committee, the 504 Coordinator, Dr. Lisa Olenik, will notify your
professor(s) of the committee’s decision. If you have any questions regarding
reasonable accommodation or need to request disability-related services, please contact
Disability Services at (334) 833-4432 or e-mail at [email protected].
Academic Honesty – Plagiarism is literary theft. Failure to cite the author of any
language or of any ideas which are not your own creation is plagiarism. This includes
any text you might paraphrase, as well. Anyone is capable of searching the Internet or
any printed media; your research paper is intended to broaden your knowledge,
stimulate your creativity, and make you think, analyze, and learn. It is not consistent
with the College Honor Code, nor with scholarly expectations to submit work which is not
the product of your own thinking and research. Severe penalties will result upon the
submission of any work found to be plagiarized, including potential failure of the entire
course. It is easy and simple to properly cite all sources used in your paper. Take no
risks – cite your sources.
Huntingdon College Library: As an ADCP student you have access to the full-range of
electronic resources provided by the Library of Huntingdon College. Your first step upon
enrollment at Huntingdon should be to register for a library account. You can do this by
going to the Library’s web site athttp://library.huntingdon.edu/ and under “ADCP
Services” complete the “Library Card Application” form and submit it. You will receive
shortly your personal library account information, which will then allow you to access a
variety of resources including databases. Should you ever have a problem accessing the
Library’ electronic resources, please contact the Library (specifically, Systems Librarian
Brenda Kerwin at [email protected] ).*
* Among the Library’s electronic resources, you will find a number of databases specific
to the area of business administration and its allied fields of study (e.g. databases within
/EbscoHost/, /Gale/, and /ProQuest/, as well as /Oxford Journals/). You will also find
databases that support your core courses in such fields as English, history,
communications, the arts, and the sciences. You may be familiar with the AVL (the
/Alabama Virtual Library/) and have your own AVL card. As a student at Huntingdon
College, you no longer need to maintain your own AVL card, if you access the AVL
through our web site. Simply click on “Campus &Library” rather than “Home Access”
within the AVL. A few other mentions: /Countess/ is the name of the Library’s online
catalogue and among its holdings you will find electronic books. If you want to know
what full-text electronic journals are available to you through the Library’s databases,
you can use the /Serials Solutions/ link on our web site. You can limit your search by
discipline (such as “Business & Economic”). If you use Google for any of your research,
we greatly encourage you to use /Google Scholar/ and /Google Books/. These features
of Google will direct you to resources appropriate for academic research.*
First Night Assignment – See assignments due for week 1.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Week 1 – The Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Barringer text, chapters 1, 2 and 3
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 4
Discussion Topics
• What, exactly, is an entrepreneur and how would you recognize one?
• What is the role of entrepreneurial firms in the economy?
• How does the entrepreneur develop an idea into a business venture?
• How does the entrepreneur assess the feasibility of a venture proposal?
Assignments Due:
1. Case - Savvy Entrepreneurial FIRM, Page 14
2. Case 1.1 -
3. Case 3.2
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 2 – Anal yzing, Modeling, and Implementing the Venture Idea
Barringer text, chapters 4, 5 and 6
Discussion Topics
• How does the entrepreneur survey the competitive landscape?
• How does the business model emerge from the feasibility assessments?
• How does the entrepreneur build a winning venture team?
Assignments Due:
1. Case 5.1
2. Case 6.1
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 3 – Viability, Law, Ethics, Business Plans & Financing
Barringer text, chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10
Discussion Topics
• How does the entrepreneur and venture team develop, produce, and present a
compelling business plan?
• What diagnostics and metrics are used to measure and predict the financial
health of the venture?
• What is the financial management issues facing the entrepreneur?
• How does the entrepreneur use this data to create a comprehensive feasibility
study, including an analysis of cash management and the assessment of
applicable financial ratios needed to substantiate its business plan?
• What sources exist for raising the funds needed to finance the venture and
sustain its initial operation? How does the entrepreneur determine the
reasonableness and fit of a financial offer to the needs of the venture?
• How does the entrepreneur manage the legal and ethical issues pertinent to
creating a successful venture?
Assignments Due:
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 5
1. Case 8.1
2. Case 10.2
3. You be the VC – 8.2
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 4 – Marketing, Intellectual Property, and Growth Issues
Barringer text, chapters 11, 12, and 13
Discussion Topics
• How does the entrepreneur develop and exploit a winning marketing strategy?
• How does the entrepreneur captivate and capture the market? Perception:
Understanding branding and brand management.
• How does the entrepreneur protect intellectual property?
• How does the entrepreneur manage growth as a benefit instead of a threat to the
• venture’s viability?
Assignments Due:
1. Case 12.1
2. Case 12.2
3. You be the VC – 11.1
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 5 – Growth Strategies and Franchising
Barringer text, chapters 14 and 15
Discussion Topics
• What are some of the proven growth strategies the entrepreneur can employ?
• What is franchising? How does the entrepreneur know if it is a viable option for
growth management? How does the venture embark on a franchising model?
Assignments Due:
1. Case 14.1
2. You be the VC 14.2
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Textbook Case Anal ysi s
Each class session in the syllabus includes at least one case from the text material
covered listed under assignments due. At the end of the case presentation, a short list
of discussion questions appears. You are to answer these questions briefly yet
cogently. Guidelines for submission of written work appear elsewhere in this syllabus.
You are to follow those guidelines.
Entrepreneurial Business Case Study Team Project
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 6
This is a team term paper and presentation assignment, in which you will have the
opportunity to write and present your own case study of what you consider to be a
successful (or even unsuccessful) entrepreneur and their (ad)ventures. The team is
encouraged to find a local entrepreneur and use the business as the foundation for the
case study. The Case Study Team Project will comprise 40% of the grade for the
course.
The project is designed to put you in the entrepreneurial role, to provide you with a lab
experience through which you will apply what you are learning in concert with your
experience, creativity and innovation, so as to experience as many facets of the
entrepreneurial journey as possible. This is a take-charge and run-with-it assignment.
Much of your grade and that of your team will depend upon how well you embrace the
entrepreneurial notion and how you translate that into action through (managerial)
teamwork.
Your case study should address the following four topics:
1. Describe the basic story of the venture and the entrepreneur(s) who made it
happen. Your narrative should include the entrepreneur's background, the factors
creating the opportunity, the obstacles faced, the means adopted to establish
competitive advantage, significant financial and other milestones, and so on.
2. Evaluate the strategies employed and the results obtained. What really made the
venture a success or what did the entrepreneur do wrong? By what criteria was
the venture successful? Where did it fall short? What did you find particularly
admirable or insightful about the entrepreneur's actions? How could they have
been improved upon?
3. Reflect upon the broad ideas illustrated by the specific story. What general
principles or rules of thumb from our class did the story of this venture reinforce
in your mind, lead you to modify, or cause you to reject? What did you learn that
will influence your career?
4. What do you perceive as important characteristics of entrepreneurs? Evaluate
your entrepreneur(s) against these criteria.
These basic components of your paper need not, however, be of equal length.
Depending on the company or entrepreneur that you choose, it may be more appropriate
to concentrate more on certain aspects of the story. Your objective should be to tell a
story which is both informative and interesting.
You may pick any company or entrepreneur to study -- one where you can arrange at
least some contact with the founder is recommended but not required. Moreover, pick an
industry which interests you and choose an entrepreneur who can provide a good role
model for you. The instructor may assist the team in the search. Because much is to be
learned from failed enterprises, feel free to focus on a venture that did not meet its lofty
expectations. Also, at the instructor’s discretion, the entrepreneurial firm for the team to
study may be chosen by the instructor, instead of by the team.
Your grade for this project will be determined by the following components:
Written Report (30% of credit)
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 7
Your report should not exceed 5 single-spaced pages (about 3000 words). You
should submit all versions of your report at the beginning of Session 5.
Oral Presentation (60% of credit)
Teams will lead a 30-minute discussion in Session 5. Teams should be prepared
to share the key insights in the term paper and what they believe are the key
characteristics of entrepreneurs. If your presentation will require longer than 30
minutes, permission of the instructor will be required.
Status Report (5% of credit)
Submit a one-page summary to the instructor of your progress to date at Session
2, and an updated version of your status report at Session 3. You should have
picked your company or entrepreneur and have already started gathering
information as quickly after Session 1 as possible so that you have the material
needed for the Session 2 progress report. Summarize the information that you
have, and identify the questions which still need to be answered. Create a plan
(including timetables) for the remaining work you will do between until the end of
the term. Due to the accelerated nature of this course, you will need to
communicate as a team, outside of class, with intensity and frequency
throughout this project
Following Directions (5% of credit)
In addition to following the directions for the assignment itself, this portion of your
grade will include your participation in reviewing other groups' work during the
presentation and the timely submission of your work.
All written work, including all documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint’s, and any other
digitally-created work, must be submitted according to the Guidelines for Submission of
Work found in this syllabus. In addition, for the team project only, the team will present a
polished and well-constructed document, including all components of the team’s work.
The team will devise the construct of the document. It should be bound and made
presentable as though it would be published in your firm for executive review. The
percentage of your team score for this document (30%) will be significantly affected by
the degree of professionalism displayed in your document.
Assignment Deadlines:
Session 1: Form Term Project Groups
Session 2: Status Reports
Session 3: Updated Status Reports
Before Session 5: Presentation Dress Rehearsal
Session 5: Final Presentations in Class; Project Reports due.
Project Guidelines
You should consider the following guidelines when preparing your case study:
1. Write about a venture where you can make a credible case in which either
the entrepreneur has earned a reasonable return on time and money
invested or the venture has not lived up to expectations. Do not write about
recently launched ventures that merely show promise.
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 8
2. Focus on the critical milestones and decisions in narrating the history of the
venture, noting these do not always occur in the first year of the start-up.
3. Integrate material from this course into your presentation. The goal should be
to bring a depth of analysis to your classmates as quickly as possible. By
using concepts and themes from class, you can leverage that learning, as
well as demonstrate your own depth of understanding.
4. Make your descriptions and analyses precise and factual. Specific data about
costs, market shares, time to market, and so on will enrich your work. You
may, in fact, consider much of your paper to be sort of a business plan written
with the benefit of hindsight. In other words, what do the numbers tell us?
5. Avoid clichés, business buzzwords and jargon. Focus on the surprises. For
example, unless there is a compelling reason to do so, do not mention that
the entrepreneur found great intrinsic satisfaction in launching the venture
and had always wanted to be in control of his or her own destiny. But a
finding that the protagonist had no desire to be an entrepreneur or got bored
with the venture may be very noteworthy!
6. In reflecting upon the lessons learned (or rejected, or modified), compare the
venture you studied with the cases we discussed in class and other ventures
you are familiar with; discuss circumstances under which the lessons
wouldn't apply.
7. Interviewing the entrepreneur at length will greatly enrich your learning.
Entrepreneurs however may not easily give you the time that you wish.
Therefore, unless there is sufficient published material to write an adequate
paper form, think carefully about the question of access to your subject.
8. For greater efficiency, conduct your interviews over the phone or pick local
ventures.
9. Your goal should be to write a case study which is both informative and
interesting. Consider the themes discussed in class and the many styles of
case studies which you have read. Be creative and have fun!
10. Share these instructions with the entrepreneurs you interview (if applicable).
11. The class will be divided into at least two project teams; more teams may be
feasible depending upon class size.
12. The project (presentation and paper) will account for 40% of your grade.
Although grades will be assigned per team, it will be obvious if any team
member is not putting in an adequate amount of support to the final
deliverable, and it will detract from your team’s score. Your team’s score will
figure as your own in the calculation of your course grade. Each of you has a
vested interest in making your project the best it can be.
13. Do not include confidential information in the body of the paper; your work will
be shared with your classmates. Put any data that you or the entrepreneur
wishes to keep private in a separate appendix. You should also indicate
whether the protagonists wish to have their names disguised. If applicable,
please try to give the entrepreneurs you interview an opportunity to comment
on at least the descriptive or narrative segments. You may also invite your
entrepreneurs to be present and to optionally participate in your presentation,
so long as their role in the presentation is germane to the thrust of your
presentation and their involvement serves to catalyze your presentation in
some meaningful way.
doc_925775939.pdf
During this detailed information regarding huntingdon college school of business and professional studies.
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 1
Huntingdon College
School of Business and Professional Studies
COURSE NUMBER: MGMT333
COURSE NAME: Entrepreneurship
Summer 2014, Session III, Center Point
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: Dr. Lakami Baker
CONTACT INFORMATION: [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces the concept of entrepreneurship as component of contemporary
business practice. Pathways from concept to operation and beyond are explored,
including the fundamentals and management of creativity, innovation, and risk. Tools
such as market and feasibility analysis are examined. Viability analysis, including
development of a business model and plan are explored and practiced. Management
and leveraging of funding and staffing resources and the effective management of
growth as elements of success are pursued, specifically through case analyses and
completion of a team project. Financial, legal, and governmental issues of particular to
concern to the entrepreneurial firm are discussed. Upon completion of the course, the
student will be able to understand the strategies and fundamental elements of building a
viable entrepreneurial business, more specifically outlined below.
PREREQUISITE: MGMT312
TEXT REQUIRED: Barringer, Bruce R. and Ireland, R. Duane, Entrepreneurship:
Successfully Launching New Ventures,4
th
ed. Pearson/Prentice Hall, (see Huntingdon
College booklist for edition and ISBN)
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Students will understand the nature of the entrepreneurial spirit and what
motivates the creation of new business ventures
• Students will gain working knowledge of the tools and techniques for evaluating
and predicting venture feasibility
• Students will develop a basic understanding of the team management issues
faced by the entrepreneur and the venture team, and how to leverage the team’s
collective skills as a component of its success strategy
• Students will learn fundamental concepts of the ethical and legal considerations
faced by the entrepreneur
• Students will learn ways to effectively manage creativity and innovation, and to
develop proper strategies to manage the growth of the business
• Students will gain critical perspective in entrepreneurship through case study and
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 2
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING CRITERIA:
Grading Elements Percentage:
Short answer quiz scores: 20%
Class Case Analysis Assignments: 25%
Case Study Team Project: 40%
Class Participation/Interaction 15%
Total Points 100%
GRADE POINT EQUIVALENTS - Describe the point range for each letter grade.
A =90-100
B =80-89
C =70-79
D =60-69
F =59-below
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Absences and Tardiness – All students are required to attend the first session.
Those who do not attend the first session will be automatically dropped from the course.
Students with more than one absence will receive an "F" for the course. Since this class
meets only five times, missing a single class meeting is equivalent to missing three
weeks of a regular term. If you cannot attend a class you must let the instructor know via
email as soon as possible. In case of absences you are responsible for obtaining all
handouts and assignments. Tardiness may result in a deduction in your class
participation grade. Excessive tardiness may count as an absence.
Participation – Participation is not the same as attendance. Participation requires
students to come to class prepared to actively participate, which makes the classroom
experience more meaningful. However, participation is not just speaking out in class.
The contributions made by the student should be related to the course content and
meaningful to the class discussion.
Late Assignments – No shows fail the assignment. It is expected that the students
fulfill their assignments on the date they are scheduled to do so. Students with illness or
other problems that prevent them from attending class on the day a presentation or
written assignment (including a test and/or exam) is due must contact their instructors
PRIOR to the deadline via Huntingdon College email with supporting documentation to
request an extension or a make-up. In most cases, missed assignments are logistically
difficult to make-up while maintaining the integrity of the module. In rare cases, approval
to make-up an assignment may be granted at the discretion of the faculty member based
on the seriousness of the circumstance and on the supporting evidence provided by the
student. Contacting a fellow class member does not substitute for contacting the
instructor.
Accommodation of Special Needs- Huntingdon College makes every reasonable
accommodation for disabilities that have been processed and approved through our
Disability Services Committee in accord with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In order to request disability-related services at
Huntingdon College, students must self-identify to the Disabilities Intake Coordinator,
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 3
Camilla Irvin, and provide appropriate and up-to-date documentation to verify their
disability or special needs. After the accommodations have been approved by the
Disability Services Committee, the 504 Coordinator, Dr. Lisa Olenik, will notify your
professor(s) of the committee’s decision. If you have any questions regarding
reasonable accommodation or need to request disability-related services, please contact
Disability Services at (334) 833-4432 or e-mail at [email protected].
Academic Honesty – Plagiarism is literary theft. Failure to cite the author of any
language or of any ideas which are not your own creation is plagiarism. This includes
any text you might paraphrase, as well. Anyone is capable of searching the Internet or
any printed media; your research paper is intended to broaden your knowledge,
stimulate your creativity, and make you think, analyze, and learn. It is not consistent
with the College Honor Code, nor with scholarly expectations to submit work which is not
the product of your own thinking and research. Severe penalties will result upon the
submission of any work found to be plagiarized, including potential failure of the entire
course. It is easy and simple to properly cite all sources used in your paper. Take no
risks – cite your sources.
Huntingdon College Library: As an ADCP student you have access to the full-range of
electronic resources provided by the Library of Huntingdon College. Your first step upon
enrollment at Huntingdon should be to register for a library account. You can do this by
going to the Library’s web site athttp://library.huntingdon.edu/ and under “ADCP
Services” complete the “Library Card Application” form and submit it. You will receive
shortly your personal library account information, which will then allow you to access a
variety of resources including databases. Should you ever have a problem accessing the
Library’ electronic resources, please contact the Library (specifically, Systems Librarian
Brenda Kerwin at [email protected] ).*
* Among the Library’s electronic resources, you will find a number of databases specific
to the area of business administration and its allied fields of study (e.g. databases within
/EbscoHost/, /Gale/, and /ProQuest/, as well as /Oxford Journals/). You will also find
databases that support your core courses in such fields as English, history,
communications, the arts, and the sciences. You may be familiar with the AVL (the
/Alabama Virtual Library/) and have your own AVL card. As a student at Huntingdon
College, you no longer need to maintain your own AVL card, if you access the AVL
through our web site. Simply click on “Campus &Library” rather than “Home Access”
within the AVL. A few other mentions: /Countess/ is the name of the Library’s online
catalogue and among its holdings you will find electronic books. If you want to know
what full-text electronic journals are available to you through the Library’s databases,
you can use the /Serials Solutions/ link on our web site. You can limit your search by
discipline (such as “Business & Economic”). If you use Google for any of your research,
we greatly encourage you to use /Google Scholar/ and /Google Books/. These features
of Google will direct you to resources appropriate for academic research.*
First Night Assignment – See assignments due for week 1.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Week 1 – The Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Barringer text, chapters 1, 2 and 3
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 4
Discussion Topics
• What, exactly, is an entrepreneur and how would you recognize one?
• What is the role of entrepreneurial firms in the economy?
• How does the entrepreneur develop an idea into a business venture?
• How does the entrepreneur assess the feasibility of a venture proposal?
Assignments Due:
1. Case - Savvy Entrepreneurial FIRM, Page 14
2. Case 1.1 -
3. Case 3.2
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 2 – Anal yzing, Modeling, and Implementing the Venture Idea
Barringer text, chapters 4, 5 and 6
Discussion Topics
• How does the entrepreneur survey the competitive landscape?
• How does the business model emerge from the feasibility assessments?
• How does the entrepreneur build a winning venture team?
Assignments Due:
1. Case 5.1
2. Case 6.1
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 3 – Viability, Law, Ethics, Business Plans & Financing
Barringer text, chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10
Discussion Topics
• How does the entrepreneur and venture team develop, produce, and present a
compelling business plan?
• What diagnostics and metrics are used to measure and predict the financial
health of the venture?
• What is the financial management issues facing the entrepreneur?
• How does the entrepreneur use this data to create a comprehensive feasibility
study, including an analysis of cash management and the assessment of
applicable financial ratios needed to substantiate its business plan?
• What sources exist for raising the funds needed to finance the venture and
sustain its initial operation? How does the entrepreneur determine the
reasonableness and fit of a financial offer to the needs of the venture?
• How does the entrepreneur manage the legal and ethical issues pertinent to
creating a successful venture?
Assignments Due:
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 5
1. Case 8.1
2. Case 10.2
3. You be the VC – 8.2
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 4 – Marketing, Intellectual Property, and Growth Issues
Barringer text, chapters 11, 12, and 13
Discussion Topics
• How does the entrepreneur develop and exploit a winning marketing strategy?
• How does the entrepreneur captivate and capture the market? Perception:
Understanding branding and brand management.
• How does the entrepreneur protect intellectual property?
• How does the entrepreneur manage growth as a benefit instead of a threat to the
• venture’s viability?
Assignments Due:
1. Case 12.1
2. Case 12.2
3. You be the VC – 11.1
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Week 5 – Growth Strategies and Franchising
Barringer text, chapters 14 and 15
Discussion Topics
• What are some of the proven growth strategies the entrepreneur can employ?
• What is franchising? How does the entrepreneur know if it is a viable option for
growth management? How does the venture embark on a franchising model?
Assignments Due:
1. Case 14.1
2. You be the VC 14.2
There will be a short quiz at end of class.
Textbook Case Anal ysi s
Each class session in the syllabus includes at least one case from the text material
covered listed under assignments due. At the end of the case presentation, a short list
of discussion questions appears. You are to answer these questions briefly yet
cogently. Guidelines for submission of written work appear elsewhere in this syllabus.
You are to follow those guidelines.
Entrepreneurial Business Case Study Team Project
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 6
This is a team term paper and presentation assignment, in which you will have the
opportunity to write and present your own case study of what you consider to be a
successful (or even unsuccessful) entrepreneur and their (ad)ventures. The team is
encouraged to find a local entrepreneur and use the business as the foundation for the
case study. The Case Study Team Project will comprise 40% of the grade for the
course.
The project is designed to put you in the entrepreneurial role, to provide you with a lab
experience through which you will apply what you are learning in concert with your
experience, creativity and innovation, so as to experience as many facets of the
entrepreneurial journey as possible. This is a take-charge and run-with-it assignment.
Much of your grade and that of your team will depend upon how well you embrace the
entrepreneurial notion and how you translate that into action through (managerial)
teamwork.
Your case study should address the following four topics:
1. Describe the basic story of the venture and the entrepreneur(s) who made it
happen. Your narrative should include the entrepreneur's background, the factors
creating the opportunity, the obstacles faced, the means adopted to establish
competitive advantage, significant financial and other milestones, and so on.
2. Evaluate the strategies employed and the results obtained. What really made the
venture a success or what did the entrepreneur do wrong? By what criteria was
the venture successful? Where did it fall short? What did you find particularly
admirable or insightful about the entrepreneur's actions? How could they have
been improved upon?
3. Reflect upon the broad ideas illustrated by the specific story. What general
principles or rules of thumb from our class did the story of this venture reinforce
in your mind, lead you to modify, or cause you to reject? What did you learn that
will influence your career?
4. What do you perceive as important characteristics of entrepreneurs? Evaluate
your entrepreneur(s) against these criteria.
These basic components of your paper need not, however, be of equal length.
Depending on the company or entrepreneur that you choose, it may be more appropriate
to concentrate more on certain aspects of the story. Your objective should be to tell a
story which is both informative and interesting.
You may pick any company or entrepreneur to study -- one where you can arrange at
least some contact with the founder is recommended but not required. Moreover, pick an
industry which interests you and choose an entrepreneur who can provide a good role
model for you. The instructor may assist the team in the search. Because much is to be
learned from failed enterprises, feel free to focus on a venture that did not meet its lofty
expectations. Also, at the instructor’s discretion, the entrepreneurial firm for the team to
study may be chosen by the instructor, instead of by the team.
Your grade for this project will be determined by the following components:
Written Report (30% of credit)
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 7
Your report should not exceed 5 single-spaced pages (about 3000 words). You
should submit all versions of your report at the beginning of Session 5.
Oral Presentation (60% of credit)
Teams will lead a 30-minute discussion in Session 5. Teams should be prepared
to share the key insights in the term paper and what they believe are the key
characteristics of entrepreneurs. If your presentation will require longer than 30
minutes, permission of the instructor will be required.
Status Report (5% of credit)
Submit a one-page summary to the instructor of your progress to date at Session
2, and an updated version of your status report at Session 3. You should have
picked your company or entrepreneur and have already started gathering
information as quickly after Session 1 as possible so that you have the material
needed for the Session 2 progress report. Summarize the information that you
have, and identify the questions which still need to be answered. Create a plan
(including timetables) for the remaining work you will do between until the end of
the term. Due to the accelerated nature of this course, you will need to
communicate as a team, outside of class, with intensity and frequency
throughout this project
Following Directions (5% of credit)
In addition to following the directions for the assignment itself, this portion of your
grade will include your participation in reviewing other groups' work during the
presentation and the timely submission of your work.
All written work, including all documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint’s, and any other
digitally-created work, must be submitted according to the Guidelines for Submission of
Work found in this syllabus. In addition, for the team project only, the team will present a
polished and well-constructed document, including all components of the team’s work.
The team will devise the construct of the document. It should be bound and made
presentable as though it would be published in your firm for executive review. The
percentage of your team score for this document (30%) will be significantly affected by
the degree of professionalism displayed in your document.
Assignment Deadlines:
Session 1: Form Term Project Groups
Session 2: Status Reports
Session 3: Updated Status Reports
Before Session 5: Presentation Dress Rehearsal
Session 5: Final Presentations in Class; Project Reports due.
Project Guidelines
You should consider the following guidelines when preparing your case study:
1. Write about a venture where you can make a credible case in which either
the entrepreneur has earned a reasonable return on time and money
invested or the venture has not lived up to expectations. Do not write about
recently launched ventures that merely show promise.
MGMT333 Entrepreneurship 8
2. Focus on the critical milestones and decisions in narrating the history of the
venture, noting these do not always occur in the first year of the start-up.
3. Integrate material from this course into your presentation. The goal should be
to bring a depth of analysis to your classmates as quickly as possible. By
using concepts and themes from class, you can leverage that learning, as
well as demonstrate your own depth of understanding.
4. Make your descriptions and analyses precise and factual. Specific data about
costs, market shares, time to market, and so on will enrich your work. You
may, in fact, consider much of your paper to be sort of a business plan written
with the benefit of hindsight. In other words, what do the numbers tell us?
5. Avoid clichés, business buzzwords and jargon. Focus on the surprises. For
example, unless there is a compelling reason to do so, do not mention that
the entrepreneur found great intrinsic satisfaction in launching the venture
and had always wanted to be in control of his or her own destiny. But a
finding that the protagonist had no desire to be an entrepreneur or got bored
with the venture may be very noteworthy!
6. In reflecting upon the lessons learned (or rejected, or modified), compare the
venture you studied with the cases we discussed in class and other ventures
you are familiar with; discuss circumstances under which the lessons
wouldn't apply.
7. Interviewing the entrepreneur at length will greatly enrich your learning.
Entrepreneurs however may not easily give you the time that you wish.
Therefore, unless there is sufficient published material to write an adequate
paper form, think carefully about the question of access to your subject.
8. For greater efficiency, conduct your interviews over the phone or pick local
ventures.
9. Your goal should be to write a case study which is both informative and
interesting. Consider the themes discussed in class and the many styles of
case studies which you have read. Be creative and have fun!
10. Share these instructions with the entrepreneurs you interview (if applicable).
11. The class will be divided into at least two project teams; more teams may be
feasible depending upon class size.
12. The project (presentation and paper) will account for 40% of your grade.
Although grades will be assigned per team, it will be obvious if any team
member is not putting in an adequate amount of support to the final
deliverable, and it will detract from your team’s score. Your team’s score will
figure as your own in the calculation of your course grade. Each of you has a
vested interest in making your project the best it can be.
13. Do not include confidential information in the body of the paper; your work will
be shared with your classmates. Put any data that you or the entrepreneur
wishes to keep private in a separate appendix. You should also indicate
whether the protagonists wish to have their names disguised. If applicable,
please try to give the entrepreneurs you interview an opportunity to comment
on at least the descriptive or narrative segments. You may also invite your
entrepreneurs to be present and to optionally participate in your presentation,
so long as their role in the presentation is germane to the thrust of your
presentation and their involvement serves to catalyze your presentation in
some meaningful way.
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