Office Hours

Required Texts

Management, Dessler

Other readings, as assigned

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Course Conduct

I will conduct the course on about the same level as an introductory course in management would be conducted at the MBA level. Mostly that means that I assume that you have read the assigned material on the day it is due. It also means that I will depend on your involvement in the learning process.

If you are in this course you are on the "downhill" side of your study here at Albion. That means that there isn't any later left to learn (re-learn) basic business concepts. If you are unsure about something, ask!

Management theory and practices can either be fun to learn or they can nightmarish. The difference is generally due to the level of commitment that the instructor and the class exhibit. Most of you will come to the class with a common-sense idea of what mangement is. What I will do is help you refine that common sense, ground it in theory, and apply it to some more or less practical situations.

The body of accepted management knowledge is always changing. Accordingly, current news and events will be a big part of the class. Use The Wall Street Journal and any other medium as resources for things to bring to class. Be aware!

I will be using some Active Learning and Collaborative Learning techniques in the class. Some are experimental. I appreciate all comments about class exercises so that I can improve the plan for the course.

Financial Skills, Computer Skills

Much of managment involves evaluating the results of management decisions in financial terms. I want to make the class accessable to anyone with an interest in management, so I will attempt to keep from focusing inordinately on finance and accounting. However, if you feel your skills in those areas are incomplete, now is the time to make up the difference.

When we work in groups you will find that everyone will bring a different bit of expertise to the group. If you are lacking in one area, try to improve in that area by learning from the other members.

Tests

We will probably have three essay (maybe with some multiple choice) tests. You will be allowed to use any course materials you have collected, including the text, for the essay questions. Some tests, with a critique of student answers and some suggested answers are on reserve in the library.

Other Evaluation

There will be several short papers on topics to be selected later. It is possible that there will also be short quizzes and other short projects. I expect that the "other" part of your grade will consist of about 20% of the total grade..

Stay organized and be sure to retain all handouts.

Course Grading

The course grade will be a composite of individual performance on two essay tests, special projects and group activity. The best test score will carry the most weight of the two test scores. The special projects, papers and group activities will account for about 20% of the grade. 

I will probably assigned some small portion of the course grade to participation. It won't be much, but it coulddefinitely make the difference between say, a 3.7 and a 4.0.