Department of BusinessSyllabusConceptual Foundations of Business (MG 315) Ed YounkinsFall, 2007 Office: NTTC G16MW 10:00 Classroom: NTTC G20AOffice Hours: MWF 8:00-9:00amMWF 11:00-11:30amT 5:30-6:30pmEmail: [email protected] OVERVIEW Conceptual Foundations embraces the major ideas and institutions that make up an important part ofthe environment within which business transactions take place. The ideas are those philosophical conceptswhich have helped to shape business and society. The institutions include not only business institutions butalso those legal and political institutions which have a major bearing on business. This course emphasizes the contemporary role of business in society and, in particular, theinterrelationships between American business, government, labor, consumers, and the public. Students areencouraged to develop and apply critical thinking in order to gain a greater understanding of theseinterrelationships and an appreciation of the complex problems and unresolved issues facing business andsociety. This course emphasizes lectures with some class discussions. Reading material for the course isdrawn from theoretical and empirical literature in a variety of disciplines including: economics, philosophy,law, history, political science, theology, the social sciences (sociology, psychology, and anthropology), etc.The readings, in turn, provide a "bank" of fundamental ideas and basic concepts which underpin the privatesector of the American economy and which focus on various manifestations of our business society.REQUIRED TEXTSEdward W. Younkins, Capitalism and Commerce: Conceptual Foundations of Free EnterpriseAyn Rand, Atlas ShruggedCLASS FORMAT Classes will generally be conducted using a lecture/discussion format. The chapters in the text will beused to focus discussion on important topics. Class participation is an essential part of the learningexperience in this course. Students should be ready to answer questions that arise in class concerning theassigned topics and to discuss any assigned cases, readings, and questions. Students will present and discussthe chapters from Atlas Shrugged.DROP POLICYThe drop policy is in accordance with College procedures. The responsibility for completing all thenecessary steps rests with the student.ATTENDANCEAttendance is not required except for those on AP who will be limited to 6 absences. However, non-attendance can adversely affect the student's participation grade. Students should realize that classroompresentations often add to the material in the assigned readings and that the student will be held responsiblefor all such material. Non-attendance is therefore at the student's own risk.WRITING POLICY:It is assumed that any student enrolling in this course is able to adequately express himself or herself inEnglish, both orally and in writing. The student should refer to the Department of Business andTechnology’s website for the writing criteria. Confused, garbled, grammatically incorrect writing orspeaking will result in lower grades.GRADINGThe course grade will be determined on the basis of total points earned during the Fall Semester. Thefollowing is how the points will be allocated. 3 tests 90% Participation and Presentations 10% TOTAL 100 %Date Chapter(s)Aug. 27 CC: Preface & Introduction29 CC Chs 1-3 Individual Rights, Individuals and Communities, Civil Society31 AS: Chs I-1-3Sept. 5 CC: Chs 4-6 The Common Good, The State, Personal Flourishing and Happiness 7 AS: Chs I-4-610 CC: Chs 7-9 Private Property, Contract, Work12 CC: Chs 10-12 The Labor Union, The Corporation, Business14 AS: Ch I-7-917 CC: Chs 13-15 Entrepreneurship, Technology, Justice19 CC: Chs 15-17 Justice, Law, Corporate Governance21 AS: Ch I-10; Chs II 1 & 224 Test No. 1 on CC: Chs 1-1726 CC: Ch 18 Collectivist Thinkers28 AS: Chs II-3-5Oct. 1 CC: Ch 18 Collectivist Thinkers 3 CC: Ch 18 Collectivist Thinkers 5 AS: Chs II-6-8 8 CC: Ch 19 Cultural Relativism10 CC: Ch 19 Cultural Relativism12 AS: Chs II-9-10; AS: Chs III-no.117 CC: Ch 20 Communitarianism19 AS: Ch III-2-422 CC: Ch 21 Environmentalism24 CC: Ch 21 Environmentalism26 AS: Ch III-5-629 CC: Ch 22 Public Education31 CC: Ch 22 Public EducationNov. 2 AS: Chs III-7-8 5 CC: Ch 23 Taxation 7 CC: Ch 24 Protectionism 9 AS: Chs III-9-1012 CC: Ch 25 Antitrust Laws14 CC: Ch 26 Government Regulation16 CC: Ch 27 Inflation and Money19 CC: Ch 28 Conceptual Foundations Revisited26 CC: Ch 29 The Future28 Test No. 2 on CC: Chs 18-2930 AS LectureDec. 3 AS LectureDec. 5 AS Lecture 7 AS Lecture10 AS LectureScheduled Day Test No. 3 on