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Business and Entrepreneurship

Vak
2011-2012

Admission requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course. This course is a prerequisite for all other courses of the entrepreneurship minor.

Description

This course is a challenging introduction to business studies. Along with the writing of a business plan of a new and innovative business idea, students learn about the peculiarities of the business world, how corporations function, how goal setting and planning increase the opportunities for success, how businesses are run and also about entrepreneurial attitude and skills. There is a special focus on sustainable or social responsible business.

Course objectives

 Understand how businesses function.
 Apply planning skills in a business setting.
 Understand and apply basic management skills.
 Understand and apply some basics on marketing and strategy.
 Understand and apply basic corporate financial issues.
 Be able to integrate mainstream corporate objectives with sustainability or social responsibility.

Timetable

Please see the LUC website: www.lucthehague.nl

Mode of instruction

The writing of a plan for an innovative business is the central educational tool of this course, that is done as a group assignment. During the classes in week 1 groups are formed. Each week thereafter separate parts of the business plan are submitted. The group receives feedback on all parts of the plan, verbally in class, or if necessary in writing. In week 7 an integrated plan is submitted and the plans are presented to the whole group. Each class starts with a lecture that contains an explanation of the course material. The remainder of the class is used for case discussions, feedback on the business plans in a workshop style of teaching. The presentations of the plans are done, as if a potential financier has to be convinced by the new entrepreneurs. An important issue, that ties all topics together, is corporate social responsibility. A reflective approach on businesses is applied. Next to practical issues, scientific studies on corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship are discussed and analysed.

Assessment method

Assessment will be performed in five stages – submissions of the first three group assignments are on a pass/fail basis (feedback is given to improve the assignments), stage four is the integration of the first three assignments (group assignment) into a plan and stage 5 is a final exam (individual, closed book).

  1. From idea to innovative plan: assessed through Idea, planning, Feasibility study (10% of final grade): Week 2
  2. Strategic planning skills (management): assessed through Strategy, Marketing plan and SWOT (10% of final grade): Week 3
  3. Understanding of the finances of a business plan: assessed in Financial plan (10% of final grade): Week 4
  4. Integration of the previously submitted assignments (which also includes executive summary, management plan and production plan, if needed): assessed in Business plan, 5.000 words (30% of final grade): Week 7
  5. Synthesizing knowledge and skills: assessed in Exam (40% of final grade): Week 8

Blackboard

This course is supported by a BlackBoard site

Reading list

  • Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, Understanding Business, 8th edition, International Student Edition, McGraw Hill, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-07-110136-3. – Articles on Blackboard

Registration

This course is only open for LUC The Hague students.

Contact information

René Orij [r.p.ory@law.leidenuniv.nl]

Weekly Overview

Week 1: Introduction and Entrepreneurship and starting a business, Prologue and The Business Plan. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Week 2: Business management, Chapters 7 and 8.
Week 3: Marketing and Strategy. Chapters 13, 14, 15 and 16
Week 4: Managing Financial Resources, Chapters 17 and 18
Week 5: Corporate Responsibility, Chapter 4, articles from Blackboard.
Week 6: Entrepreneurship, articles from Blackboard.
Week 7: Presentations of the plans

Preparation for first session

Please read before the start of the first class: Prologue, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6