New Fall 2007 Syllabus

 

MGS 8590 Field Study in Entrepreneurship

MGS 4590 Entrepreneurship Field Study

Fall 2007

 

Tuesday 1:00 pm - 3:30pm, Aderhold Learning Center 312, August 22 & August 29

 

Instructor: Dr. Greg Henley

         H. J. Russell, Sr. International Center for Entrepreneurship

         Department of Managerial Sciences, Robinson College of Business

         Georgia State University

         P.O. Box 4014

         Atlanta, GA 30302-4014

 

Office & contact numbers:

         Room 1017, Robinson College of Business Building;

         35 Broad Street;

         Telephone: 404-413-7542

         Fax: 404-413-7571

         E-mail: ghenley@gsu.edu

 

Office hours: 1:00pm to 3:30pm Tuesdays.

Course Web Page: www.robinson.gsu.edu/rec once there, click “Field Study.”

Prerequisites: Consent of the instructor to take the course.

Catalog Description: These courses immerse graduate and undergraduate students in the planning and execution of complex entrepreneurial activities in a small existing or start-up business. Activities involve new business formation, new product planning and introduction, organization direction setting and control, and management of growth or turnaround. While students are under the general supervision of the faculty, they are expected to display responsible independent action and to interact frequently with a business founder, owner, or chief executive. The course may be repeated once for credit.

Academic Honesty: Please consult the "Policy on Academic Honesty" in Section 409 of the Faculty Handbook on the GSU web site. It notes that intellectual and academic integrity are required of all students. The Policy specifically prohibits (1) submissions for credit that are not the result of your own work efforts, (2) plagiarism, (3) cheating on exams, (4) unauthorized collaboration, (5) submission of false information, and (6) unauthorized submission of the same work for credit multiple times. Penalties for violations may be severe. Please read the policy for definitions and additional information.

Course Objectives

Students should be able by the end of the semester to:

1.   Assume the role of an entrepreneur in a small or new venture.

2.   Evaluate the benefits and costs of starting and operating a business.

3.   Act responsibly and productively in a business setting where the work demands are ambiguous and changing.

4.   Negotiate feasible and clear objectives for an entrepreneurial initiative in a small or new venture.

5.   Achieve business objectives, or explain clearly why they were not achieved.

 

Learning Entrepreneurship by Experiencing It

         The syllabus serves as a guide, but changes may be necessary. The course emphasizes learning-by-experience in an entrepreneurial setting. All students enrolled in the course will work with an entrepreneur on a specific issue of importance to the entrepreneur's business. Graduate students will work on more complex activities than undergraduate students. There are two required class meetings and other optional meetings. Almost all of your time for this course will be spent away from school, and it is required that you spend at least 8 to 10 hours per week every week of the semester on work for this course. The course requires considerable independent decision-making. Therefore, if you run into problems and need help, you are expected to let someone know.

         If you run into problems, you'll find your instructor encouraging you to discuss them with your host company contact, even if that person is part of your problem. It's good practice for any work situation. However, if you (or the host contact) want to communicate with me confidentially, I will honor that. Please recognize that little can be changed without clear and open communication.

 

Grades

 

         The grading reflects emphasis on learning by doing. There will be no examinations. Your course grade will be determined by the degree to which you immerse yourself in the experience. Students who make a B or better in the course will receive a $1,000 award. These scholarships are made possible by fees paid by the host companies, by the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and by the GSU Society of Entrepreneurs. All these generous sources of funding for your awards want to encourage people to become successful, self-employed entrepreneurs.

 Grading Scale

A	93-100	C+	78-80
A-	91-92	C	73-77
B+	89-90	C-	68-72
B	83-88	D	60-67
B-	81-82	F	<60

  

         Your course grade will be composed of the following items, weighted as shown. Be sure you understand what you must do to perform well. The expected grade for completing these assignments is a B. To earn an A, A-, or B+ you should demonstrate insight, the ability to integrate and analyze knowledge, and the exercise of good judgment, both in terms of your own learning and in your actions at your host company.  

 

1.      Objectives (10% of your course grade)

         By 5pm, September 11 please e-mail to me a statement of clear, specific, and achievable objectives for your field study. Aim to achieve them by December 4 (or slightly earlier). These objectives, of course, will vary greatly from business to business. If you are working with other students in the same business, you may have team objectives. At least one of your objectives should briefly describe the final report you expect to submit by December 4 (see item 4 below). You should obtain concurrence on your objectives from the contact person at your host company. Your final objectives must have your instructor's approval.

         I strongly suggest that you e-mail to me a draft of your objectives before September 4 so I can provide feedback to you and your host before you settle on the final objectives. I rarely object to the general direction a student and host want to go, but I've often helped define, focus, and prioritize objectives. You must prioritize your objectives by clearly showing which ones are most and least important to achieve. You must set periodic milestones throughout the semester that permit you, your host, and me to see whether you are making adequate progress as the semester progresses. My experience is that students in this course sometimes set objectives that turn out to be more than they can handle. While it's hard for me to judge that, I'll try to help you avoid such problems.

         In smaller businesses, such as your host company, circumstances can change rapidly and unexpectedly. If such changes preclude you from achieving your original objectives, or if changes indicate that alternative objectives should take precedence, then you are expected to let me know about these events and to make thoughtful and responsible changes to your objectives and activities. Such actions will be reflected in your grade on item 2 just below.

        You should send your objectives to me as a document attached to an email. Attached documents MUST be named <yournamehere> objectives.doc. For example, my objective document would be called Henleyobjective.doc. Also, inside the document, your full name, the company name, Objectives and the date should be on the top of the document. This is not a guideline - it is a RULE to ensure your e-mails do not get accidentally deletedyou're your documents do not become mixed up with others.

 

2.      Work at the host company (40% of your course grade)

        You are required, for purposes of this course, to work at least 8 hours per week with your host company, and 10 hours per week would be better. I ask you to account for that time in your journal (see item 3 below), and I will ask the contact person at your host company for periodic feedback about you during the semester. You are strongly advised to spend as much of your 8-10 hours as possible at the business location or with the contact person/entrepreneur. In addition, you must NOT make that 8-10 hours per week an average which varies wildly from week to week. Following both pieces of advice will help you learn more from your experience.

         This part of your grade will be determined by (1) your attendance and attention to your work, (2) the feedback I receive about you from the host company contact, and (3) my judgment of the quality of your work, the effort you've made, and the amount you've learned from the experience. Through journal entries, e-mails, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings, please keep me informed of your problems, progress, and achievements throughout the semester. Effective communication from you is key to my understanding the work you have done. Any problems you might have can be resolved if you work hard and communicate clearly and often with me and your host.

         You may find that you and your host company want you to spend additional time, beyond the required 8 to 10 hours per week. If so, we encourage you to do so, if you can. If you do, we suggest that you work out compensation with for the extra time with your host company. Please let me know if you do plan to work for additional compensation.

 

3.      Your journal (15% of your course grade)

         On the dates indicated in the Schedule (below), please e-mail to me a journal entry briefly describing:

         (1) what work you did for your host company,

         (2) when you worked (dates & hours),

         (3) how your work advanced your ability to achieve your objectives,

         (4) how your work contributed value to the business,

         (5) what problems you encountered and your efforts or ideas for resolving them,

         (6) what lessons you learned about entrepreneurship, and

(7) any additional comments you’d like to add since the last journal entry (e.g., excited about what you are doing, confused, frustrated, and overworked, alone, over your head, ready to start your own business).

         It is very important that you respond on time and to items (1) through (7) in each journal entry. In each entry enumerate your response to each of the seven topics. In other words, type 1. and then answer the question 1. Then type 2., then answer question 2. And so on. This is not a guideline - it is a RULE to ensure you include all the information required. Aim for 200 to 300 words, but if you have much to say, more is okay. I'll provide periodic feedback to you during the semester about the quality of your journal and your work.

        You may submit each journal entry as an e-mail or an attachment to an email. The "Subject" of your e-mail must clearly say "<yournamehere> Journal <#>. For example, the subject of my first journal entry would be "Henley Journal 1". Attached documents must have a similar label. Also, inside the document, your full name, the journal number and the date should be on the top of the document. This is not a guideline - it is a RULE that ensures your e-mails do not get accidentally deleted and your documents do not become mixed up with others.

 

4.      Final output (25% of your course grade)

         All Final Output submission must include two main components, as outlined in the next two paragraphs.

         By December 4, you must submit to me and to the contact person at your host company the final output defined by your objectives, which will vary from student to student. For example, if your primary objective is to create a web page, the web page itself may be your primary output. Or you may produce a business plan, a marketing plan, or a document showing the results of research you have completed for your company. For efforts like that, a professionally composed document will be your final report. In case you work on operational/managerial reporting systems without a single specific output, your output may constitute a sample of the reports you have created. The form and format of your final output will require some negotiation on your part with your host and with me.

5.      General Lessons (10% of your course grade)

         In addition, by December 4, you must submit 3 to 5 typed pages describing the general lessons you have learned from this experience about yourself and your ability to be a successful entrepreneur. Some of this may repeat parts of your journal entries, but this document should also analyze what you have learned over the course of the whole semester.

         As with the journals and objectives, clearly name the documents you submit, starting with your family name. Avoid excessively long document names, as some email programs truncate long names.

 MGS4590/MGS8590

Fall 2007 Schedule

• Week 1: Aug 21 Introduction to course, instructor, and students. Review syllabus. Confirm company assignments. Distribute agreements. Specify responsibilities of students, host companies, and instructor. Discussion of what to expect.
  
  
• Week 2: Aug 28 Collect signed agreements and checks. Update placements. Discussion of organizing your work. Discussion on maximizing your entrepreneurial context.
  
  
• Week 3: Sept 4 First journal entry e-mailed by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 4: Sept 11 Statement of objectives due (e-mailed) by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 5: Sept 18 Second journal entry e-mailed by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 7: Oct 2 Third journal entry e-mailed by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 8: Oct 9 Optional class meeting to discuss your experience so far. Mid-term evaluations will from host company contacts will be requested about this time.
  
  
• Week 9: Oct 16 Fourth journal entry e-mailed by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 11: Oct 30 Fifth journal entry e-mailed by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 13: Nov 13 Sixth journal entry e-mailed by 5pm.
  
  
• Week 16 : Dec 4 Final Output due by 5pm.
  
  
• December 7 End-of-term evaluations due from host companies.