BUS 491: Special Topics in Business Master Syllabus
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Course Website: Canvas
Course Description
Stakeholders of a business include its shareholders, employees, customers, community/society, supply chain, and the planet. Each can have a direct impact on the success of a business and each can be impacted positively or negatively depending on how a business act. Those businesses that define their purpose to be stakeholder value creation may make different choices in pursuit of different goals than do businesses who define their purpose as shareholder value creation. This multidisciplinary course, open to students across the University, will support student development of an advanced and critical understanding of the key stakeholders in a business. This course brings together concepts from finance, human resource management, marketing strategy, supply chain management, sociology, public, and environmental science to address the complex relationships and mutual dependencies of these six key stakeholders.
Students will gain in-depth understanding of the unified and sometimes diverse values and perspectives that each stakeholder brings to a business through an exploration of expectations that various stakeholders place on businesses to impact financial returns, dividend payout policy, employee compensation, sustainable business practices, positive societal impacts, and restoring the health of the planet will be explored. Through structured learning activities - case studies, guest lectures from tri-sector leaders (business, non-profit, public), mini class projects around each stakeholder with sponsoring organizations, class discussions, written assessments, and oral presentations - students will examine and evaluate how different stakeholders can negotiate collective solutions to problems facing business and society. We will review and evaluate some current tools and metrics to measure stakeholder value creation and explore new metrics to measure impacts and rewards that make business a win-win proposition for all stakeholders.
Course Learning Objectives
- Develop advanced insights and nuanced understanding of different perspectives on the relationship between business and its various stakeholders over time and their impact on business practices today
- Learn to integrate interdisciplinary materials from multiple business and non-business disciplines to develop frameworks for understanding, articulating, and quantifying various aspects of stakeholders’ equity
- Evaluate the dynamic relationship among business, society, and the environment and the implications for all stakeholders
- Assess opportunities and challenges businesses face in creating value and equity for all stakeholders through social responsibility, ethical behaviors, diversity and inclusion, and sustainability frameworks and sound environmental stewardship.
- Explore current tools and techniques used for B-Corp, ESG, and CSR types of measurements and designations
- Apply and evaluate values, principles, frameworks, and measurements to assess positive impacts of business in the world; identify gaps; and develop creative recommendations to fill those gaps.
School of Business Undergraduate Program Learning Goals
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of the social, global, ethical, and legal contexts of business and will be able to reflect on the role of the individual in business.
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to apply knowledge of professional skills necessary for success in business including effective business writing.
- Our students will demonstrate technical and analytic skills appropriate for success in business.
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of and the ability to apply knowledge of core business disciplines including accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and operations management.
- Our students will demonstrate knowledge and skills appropriate for specialization in their majors.
- Our students will demonstrate an understanding of how research in the business disciplines contributes to knowledge and how such research is conducted.
Methods of Instructions
- Selective reading of book chapters, research articles, HBR case analysis
- The class will involve a number of guest lecturers from industry, non-profit foundations and economists/public policy experts to share their own perspectives on current business norms and societal priorities related to the purpose of business and how to navigate the challenges
- Students will work in groups and work with sponsoring organizations to identify areas to explore and formulate potential solutions
- Assignments will include (1) a personal statement on current issues facing business and which issue the student cares about the most and why, (2) a case analyses and short reports, and (3) group mini-assignments, and (4) a final report on sample Index and class presentations, etc.
Methods of Student Evaluation
Grades are determined by students’ class participation, a personal statement on stakeholders’ equity, several short case analyses, a mini class project done in groups around the stakeholder value creation with sponsoring organizations and a second mini project done in groups around the stakeholder value index for a select company of their choice (from various industrial sectors – energy, high tech, consumer goods, banking and retail). The group projects will include a team charter and peer review at the end of the semester. A final class presentation will be required for the stakeholder value index group project.
Required Materials
Not textbook required but several cases and notes from HBR package as well as reading assigned articles, research papers and your own research will comprise all the materials that will be utilized in this course.
- HBR Case Pack: TBD (soon) – Cases and Simulation
Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. - Links to assigned articles are embedded in the syllabus for the day when such readings are assigned. I will put a PDF in Bb for ease of access, if available
- If interested, you can get a copy of “Capitalists, ARISE!” a seminal book on Stakeholder Capitalism by Peter Georgescu, former Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam for your personal reference.
Assignments
| Points | |
|---|---|
| Personal Statement — “What and where businesses can do better?” | 10 |
| Participation (e.g. in-class activities, discussions, attendance) | 15 |
| Assignments | |
|
5 |
|
15 |
|
20 |
|
25 |
|
10 |
| Total | 100 |
Grading Scale
| Highest | Lowest | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 100.00 | 93.00 | A |
| 92.99 | 90.00 | A- |
| 89.99 | 87.00 | B+ |
| 86.99 | 83.00 | B |
| 82.99 | 80.00 | B- |
| 79.99 | 77.00 | C+ |
| 76.99 | 70.00 | C |
| 69.99 | 67.00 | D+ |
| 66.99 | 60.00 | D |
| 59.99 | 0.00 | F |
Assignment Description
Personal Statement — “What and where businesses can do better?” (10 points, Due 2/15).
This short 4-page essay is your response to what you believe about purpose of a corporation and your assessment of their contribution to society and to the world. What are the positive things they bring to individuals, society and the world? Why questions are being raised about their impact – financially, economically, socially and environmentally? What issues do you care about? What values or beliefs define your perspective on businesses? What is your role in reshaping businesses?
Do not attempt to answer all of these questions directly. Rather, carefully reflect on what businesses/corporation means to you and write an articulate, thoughtful, high-level response with a clear thesis statement and organizational structure and data/article/reference for your thesis. Your response will be evaluated on: 1) depth and quality of insight; 2) organization (introduction with attention getting device, thesis, and preview of points; effective closing); 3) grammar and syntax (free from error); 4) creativity and originality of thought. Use 12” font and double space. Use heading and sub-heading as appropriate.
Participation (In-Class Discussions, Simulation Activities, Peer Engagement) (15 points)
The quality of our classroom community and your grade depend on your participation. Please come to every class session prepared to contribute to a vibrant discussion. This means completing readings and assignments on time, actively using materials from readings, attending class regularly with enthusiasm to discuss course materials, and listening attentively in class.
Membership in this community also entails representing the School of Business well during your off-campus work and your consulting project. Unexcused absences will adversely affect your final grade. An absence is excused when due to serious illness, religious observance, participation in University activities at the request of University authorities, or compelling circumstances beyond your control. To claim an excused absence, you must provide a signed letter by a person in a position to make an authoritative determination as to the validity of the cause of the absence within three calendar days of your return from that absence. In cases where you know you will be missing class, please let me know as soon as possible. You are responsible for all announcements, assignments, materials and date changes covered or made in class while you are absent.
Case Assignment (15 points – Due 3/22)
during the early part of the semester you will prepare a short case writeups. Such writeup will be 5 pages long and will address questions be assigned after the case has been discussed in class. (Use Situation>Complication>Recommendation framework)
Major Assignments: Group Project Assignment (60 points)
This semester students will work on live projects from local communities, including GMU college units and initiatives that are either underway or being challenged to explore innovative ways to advance those initiatives and or build new initiative using existing platform and activities.
Your Class Project will be evaluated on: 1) depth and quality of insight; 2) organization (introduction with attention getting device, thesis, and preview of points; effective closing); 3) grammar and syntax (free from error); 4) creativity and originality of thought; 5) thorough integration of the articles AND at least two concepts from our course readings.
- Team Charter (5 points—Due 3/23): Each team should construct a working “contract” that addresses the following criteria: values that the group holds (e.g. contributions of all members are important), the criteria you will use to evaluate one another (e.g., attend meetings regularly and on time, contribute meaningfully to group discussions), how you will handle conflict (e.g. what will you do if a group member doesn’t come to a meeting or doesn’t do an assignment part of work?), and how you define a successful collaboration and project.
- Mini Group Project on Stakeholder Value Creation – Chose one Stakeholder (15 points, due 4/13)
- Group Project on Stakeholder Value Index – Choose a c (25 points, due 5/10)
- Final Presentation on Index Project (10 points, due 5/10)
A more detailed assignment description and guidelines will be discussed and provided in Canvas as needed.
School of Business Standards of Behavior
The mission of the School of Business at George Mason University is to create and deliver high- quality educational programs and research. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who participate in these educational programs contribute to the well-being of society. High-quality educational programs require an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning. Students, program participants, faculty, staff, and alumni accept these principles when they join the School of Business community. In doing so, they agree to abide by the following standards of behavior:
- Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others
- Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community
- Accountability for personal behavior
Integrity is an essential ingredient of a successful learning community. Ethical standards of behavior help promote a safe and productive community environment, and ensure every member the opportunity to pursue excellence. School of Business can and should be a living model of these behavioral standards. To this end, community members have a personal responsibility to integrate these standards into every aspect of their experience at the School of Business. Through our personal commitment to these Community Standards of Behavior, we can create an environment in which all can achieve their full potential.
Honor Code and Academic Honesty
By choosing to take this course, you agree to uphold the George Mason University Honor Code. Please refer to the Academic Standards website for further details. In your work on all written assignments, keep in mind that you may not present as your own the words, work, or the opinions of someone else without proper acknowledgement. You also may not borrow the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of material, or the pattern of thought of someone else without proper acknowledgement. No grade is important enough to justify academic misconduct. If you feel unusual pressure or anxiety about your grade in this course, please let me know. George Mason University provides a range of services to help with test anxiety, writing and study skills, personal issues, and other concerns. Please note: Faculty are obligated, without exception, to submit any Honor Code violations or suspected violations to the Honor Committee.
UG-Non Freshman Students (including transfer students)
| Type of Violation | First Offense | Second Offense | Third Offense |
|
Plagiarism
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An F in the class; referral to Writing Center; and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion | An F in the class and at least one semester suspension, and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion. | An F in the class and expulsion. |
|
Cheating
|
An F in the class; and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion An F in the class; and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion, and at least one semester suspension |
An F in the class, Academic Integrity Seminar completion; and at least one semester suspension or expulsion, and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion. | An F in the class and expulsion. |
| Lying (e.g., providing fraudulent excuse documents, falsifying data) | An F in the class; and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion, and at least one semester suspension | An F in the class and at least one semester suspension (and relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion) or expulsion. | An F in the class and expulsion. |
| Egregious Violation (e.g., stealing an exam; submitting coursework from another class as original work across multiple courses; lying to an employer about academic performance, false identification or posing as another, in person or online) | An F in the class, relevant Academic Integrity seminar/training completion; and at least one year suspension | An F in the class and expulsion. | An F in the class and expulsion. |
Note: The School of Business reserves the right to initiate termination proceedings for any student found guilty of an Honor Code violation by the Office of Academic Integrity
Writing Guidelines
All writing assignments should be formatted as follows, unless otherwise specified: double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. To cite and reference professional or academic sources, please use APA, Chicago, or MLA style. Specific instructions for in-text citations and referencing are found at The Purdue Owl website.
Policy for Late and Missing Assignments
You are responsible for completing individual and group assignments on time (defined as turning in all assignments in person at the beginning of class or via email and/or Blackboard by the date and time requested). Assignments submitted late will lose one letter grade for each day they are past due, including Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Due dates are clearly indicated throughout the syllabus. Reports, presentations, and examinations may only be made up if you demonstrate that failure to attend class and/or complete required assignments was due to an excused absence. (See section above on participation and attendance). In-class activities may not be made up for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Electronic Devices
The use of electronic devices is only allowed during class sessions when specifically requested.
Office Hours
Please come visit me during office hours or speak with me at any time about questions, concerns, or interesting ideas!
Email Policy
In compliance with George Mason’s policies, I will correspond electronically with students only through their George Mason University assigned email accounts. Please check your email account regularly for updates and important announcements.
Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence
George Mason University is committed to a campus that is free of sexual misconduct and incidents of interpersonal violence in order to promote community well-being and student success. All incidents of sexual misconduct will be reported to the University Title IX Coordinator (703) 993-8730.
Privacy
Student privacy is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and is an essential aspect of any course.
Inclement Weather and Campus Emergencies
Information regarding weather-related changes in the University’s schedule (e.g., closing or late opening) will be provided on the Mason website and MasonAlert. Sign up for Mason Alert and learn about emergency procedures.
Campus Resources
The Writing Center
The Writing Center provides peer-to-peer writing support. Writers at all levels benefit from sharing their work with a helpful and knowledgeable peer tutor or consultant. To schedule an appointment, please visit The Writing Center website, call (703) 993-1200, or stop by Robinson Hall, Room 114A. Schedule appointments in advance; the center books up quickly.
Accessibility and Accommodations
If you need academic accommodations for special needs, please contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (703) 993-2474 and inform the instructor of any special needs as soon as you have your paperwork. Note that accommodations are not retroactive.
Library Resources
Should you need assistance with library resources, please contact Business and Economics Liaison Librarian Jo Ann J. Henson, MLIS: jhenson3@gmu.edu.
Career Services in the School of Business
Career Services, located in Suite 038 in Enterprise Hall (lower level), offers walk-in appointments Monday and Tuesday from 2:00–4:00 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 10:00 a.m.–noon. You can also call (703) 993-2140 or email mycareer@gmu.edu.
School of Business Calendar
University Career Services
Counseling Services
George Mason University’s Counseling and Psychological Services can provide assistance if you find yourself overwhelmed by life, want training in academic or life skills, or just need to talk to a professional counselor. For more information, call (703) 993- 2380, stop by SUB I, Rm 3129.
***TENTATIVE COURSE SYLLABUS/SCHEDULE***
This schedule is subject to change. Pls check Canvas for the latest syllabus.
HBR Case Pack
| Week | Topics/Activities | Due Today in Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1/25 (Wk#1) |
Stakeholder Theory of Business
|
Check out the following links: |
| 2/1 (Wk#2) |
Shareholder vs. Stakeholders in current business world
|
Assign – Personal statement: what and where businesses can do better? |
| 2/8 (Wk#3) | Economic argument of Capital and Labor (Shareholder vs. employee) (Source of Capital vs. Profit) |
|
| 2/15 (Wk#4) | Legal challenges to Stakeholder Equity (Purpose and Meaning) |
Readings Due Today in Class:
|
| 2/22 (Wk#5) | Employees as Stakeholder |
|
| 3/1 (Wk#6) | Customers as Stakeholders |
|
| 3/8 (Wk#7) | Suppliers/Supply Chain as Stakeholders |
|
| 3/15 (Wk#8) Spring Recess |
NO CLASS | NO CLASS |
| 3/22 (Wk#9) | Community/Society as a Stakeholder |
|
| 3/29 (Wk#10) | Planet Earth/Environment as a stakeholder |
|
| 4/5 (Wk#11) |
Stakeholder Value framework vs. Shareholder primacy
|
|
| 4/12 (Wk#12) |
Stakeholder returns vs. Shareholder dividends/control
|
|
| 4/19 (Wk#13) |
Stakeholder Value Index – individual stakeholders value/reward metrics
|
|
| 4/26 (Wk#14) |
Current state of Stakeholder Indices – third party data providers
|
|
| 5/3 (Wk#15) |
Stakeholder Value Index – Composite Framework
New research areas? |
|
| 5/10 (Wk#16) | FINAL PRESENTATION |
|
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