B A 250 Problems of Small Business (3): Analysis of problems of the small firm, particularly for the student who wishes to venture into business. Prerequisite: 3 credits in economics.
Overview
The world economy is ever-changing and evolving. In recent years this has been reflected in the resurgence of the entrepreneur and the small business as important economic leaders. It is the small business entrepreneur who is increasingly pushing the development of new opportunities for countries struggling to reach economic stability.
In the United States, the larger businesses and corporations have been downsizing and restructuring to meet the changing global competition and technological advances. At the same time the percentage of the labor force working for small businesses continues to increase. It is the risk-taking small business entrepreneur who is offering our workforce the job opportunities and challenges sought by those entering the job market and by those leaving the larger corporations. As the Eastern European and Asian countries have been released from state control there has been a surge of growth in small businesses. The growth of entrepreneurship beyond the United States is trending upward.
This course is designed to give you a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing the small business entrepreneur. The creation and management of any small business requires a broad understanding of business administration curriculum. The topics covered will provide you with the theory and practical application of knowledge needed to meet the challenges and risks facing any small business owner/manager.
Although early on we’ll examine many of the reasons why small businesses fail, the rest of the course will provide you with the knowledge and information needed to avoid many of the potential pitfalls awaiting new entrepreneurs.
Lesson Outline and Requirements
There are 13 lessons plus a proctored mid-course exam and a final exam. Please note that the introductory lesson (Getting Started) will enable you to practice using Angel, our course learning management system. The lesson components include:
Reading Assignment--The pages of the text to be read before completing the lesson.
Learning Objectives--These are short statements of what you should expect to learn in completing the lesson.
Key Terms--Key concepts and terms will be identified and briefly explained for most lessons.
Commentary--Important aspects of the reading assignment and other relevant information will be included. This online commentary is similar to the lecture component in a resident course.
Lesson Assignment--The lesson assignments will consist of a variety of questions, cases, problems, and an interview (for Lesson 4) that you will need to complete and submit to your instructor for evaluation and grading.
Exams and Quizzes--There are 7 non-graded quizzes and two proctored exams required for successful completion of this course. Please read the section on grading for further explanation.
Interview--One of your lesson assignments (Lesson 4) will ask you to interview a small-business owner and submit a review (approximately 1,200-1,800 words) of the session. Please look at Lesson 4 ahead of time so you will have an idea of what's coming up.
Course Objectives
By the time you complete this course, you should have learned about the following:
- understand the importance of small business;
- explore the characteristics of the entrepreneur;
- be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of small businesses;
- understand the importance of strategic thinking and of developing good planning skills and practices;
- learn how to prepare a comprehensive business plan;
- obtain the accounting and financial tools and skills necessary to monitor and control any business;
- discuss the special importance of the marketing function and its role;
- explore the day-to-day operational elements required of any small business;
- understand how and why human resources are the most important resource for any business;
- explore the legal and regulatory issues facing every small business owner/manager;
- examine how this variety of topics, issues, and knowledge come together as a base of knowledge upon which the small business owner must draw.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select My Account.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Arranging a Proctor
- Contact a person who meets the qualifications and ask him or her to proctor your exam.
- Student Services must approve your proctor before any exams can be taken. Please see instructions for securing a suitable proctor. While many proctors will serve on a voluntary basis, you are responsible for paying any expenses incurred in retaining a proctor.
- You must submit your proctor for approval or schedule your exams at a testing center using our online proctored exam portal. You will need to enter your proctor's contact information and submit proctor verification documentation. If you have any questions about using the procted exam portal, please visit the how-to guide. Note: If your proctor has been previously approved by the World Campus during a prior course within two years, you do not need to obtain verification. World Campus retains proctor information on file for two years.
- If your proctor does not meet the required specifications, Student Services will notify you within 5 to 7 business days.
- Students registered with Student Disability Resources who are receiving exam accommodations are responsible for providing their letter of accommodation to both faculty/instructors and exam proctors prior to scheduling exams.
- If you are a graduating senior requesting a final exam, please see additional information about early deadlines for course completion and exam scheduling.
- Contact Student Services if you cannot take a scheduled exam.
- Unless you have received permission to take your exam at an alternative time, your proctor will only allow you to take the exam during dates specified in your course.
Study Procedures
For each lesson you should:
Read and study the textbook assignments.
Read the learning objectives, review the key terms, and read the online commentary.
Review the lesson assignment.
Prepare the lesson assignment and submit your work to your instructor for grading via the Web site.
Refer to the commentary and text material as necessary to complete your assignment. Read this material carefully. It is important to get a complete overview of the reading material before responding to the assignment.
Your answers to the assignments should be in discussion form, except for problems. Brief answers may not fully relate your understanding of the material. Be thorough but do not fill pages with irrelevant discussion. Your written assignments are your primary contact with the instructor. Write your responses in an organized, clear, and complete manner. Use examples from your own experiences; do not copy directly from the online commentary or the text.
- Contact a person who meets the qualifications and ask him or her to proctor your exam.
- Student Services must approve your proctor before any exams can be taken. Please see instructions for securing a suitable proctor. While many proctors will serve on a voluntary basis, you are responsible for paying any expenses incurred in retaining a proctor.
- You must submit your proctor for approval or schedule your exams at a testing center using our online proctored exam portal. You will need to enter your proctor's contact information and submit proctor verification documentation. If you have any questions about using the procted exam portal, please visit the how-to guide. Note: If your proctor has been previously approved by the World Campus during a prior course within two years, you do not need to obtain verification. World Campus retains proctor information on file for two years.
- If your proctor does not meet the required specifications, Student Services will notify you within 5 to 7 business days.
- Students registered with Student Disability Resources who are receiving exam accommodations are responsible for providing their letter of accommodation to both faculty/instructors and exam proctors prior to scheduling exams.
- If you are a graduating senior requesting a final exam, please see additional information about early deadlines for course completion and exam scheduling.
- Contact Student Services if you cannot take a scheduled exam.
- Unless you have received permission to take your exam at an alternative time, your proctor will only allow you to take the exam during dates specified in your course.
Course Schedule
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Grading
Several lessons have non-graded quizzes while others have graded assignments. You will be required to submit these quizzes to your instructor online even though you will not be graded on them. You will receive feedback after you submit each quiz. There are also two proctored exams required. The mid-course exam will cover the material studied in Lessons 1 through 7. The final exam will cover Lessons 9 through 14 and is not comprehensive. The exams will consist of short essay questions in a format consistent with those that you answered in your lesson assignments. The questions will be drawn from your online commentary as well as the course text.
Your course grade will be determined as follows:
Average Lesson Assignment grade -- 50%
Mid-Course Examination -- 25%
Final Examination -- 25%
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.