Course Outlines
Spring Term
NOTE: Course outlines are for reference only.
Availability and course offerings are subject to change
every year.
Gustavson School of Business (GSB)
University of Victoria
Contact: GSBWelcome@uvic.ca
Pre-Requisites: Courses with asterisks (*) have pre-requisites. Please look at individual course outlines and carefully
review them to see if you meet the criteria. Individual course outlines have their titles hyperlinked and will take you
to the website for more information about the pre-requisites.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Courses highlighted in this color are COHORT based (meaning work and assignments are
typically team based). Attendance is MANDATORY in these courses due to the team-based nature of these
courses. There is limited space available in each section of these courses and as a result, these courses will be
assigned on a first-come, first served basis to students who meet the minimum GPA requirement (“B”) and have
taken all course pre-requisites.
Course Numbers Course Title
Com 100 Introduction to Business Decision Making (Credit only granted for one of 100, 290, 390)
Com 202 Financial Accounting I
Com 206C Business English and Communication
Com 220 Organizational Behaviour
Com 240* Management Finance
Com 250 Fundamentals of Marketing
Com 290
Introduction to Canadian Business (Credit will be granted for only one of 290, 100,
390)
Com 302 Legal Environment of Business (Credit will be granted for only one of 302, 402)
Com 316* Management Accounting (Limited space available; see important note)
Com 317* Management Accounting I
Com 322* Leading People and Organizations II (Limited space available; see important note)
Com 331*
Introduction to Management Information Systems (Limited space available; see
important note)
Com 362* Business and Sustainability (Limited space available; see important note)
Com 371* Management Finance (Limited space available; see important note)
Com 400* Strategic Management
Com 402* Legal Issues: Management (Credit will be granted for only one of 402, 302)
Com 410* Leadership Strategies
Com 450 Selected Topics in Management: Topics To Be Announced
Ent 100 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Ent 402* Entrepreneurship & Small Business for the Non-Specialist
IB 301 International Environment of Business (Not open to students registered in Com 361)
Service
Management
Specialization**
In a world that is increasingly dependent on service for growth, the Certificate in
Services Management provides students with a rich framework that will enable them
to successfully contribute to the development of service practices within an
organization. The certificate will be granted upon the successful completion of this
specialization. Please note that all four of the following courses must be taken
together to complete the Service Management Specialization: SMGT 415, SMGT
416, SMGT 417, and Com 400 concurrently.
NOTE: SMGT 415, SMGT 416, SMGT 417 CANNOT be taken on their own. COM 400
is the only course that can be taken as an individual stand-alone course.
SMGT 415** Customer Experience Management
SMGT 416** Service Operations & Quality Management
SMGT 417** Service Human Resource Management
COM 400 Strategic Management
Com 100
Introduction to Business Decision Making
Pre-requisites: None
Course Objectives and Description:
The objective of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the major functional areas of
business including entrepreneurship, leadership, strategy, human resource management, operations, financial
management, and marketing, and the environment in which they operate. In particular this course focuses on
how all of these functional areas interlink to create a systems perspective of running a great organization.
Coursespaces:
Under coursespaces you will find additional readings, assignments and class preparation tasks. I will update this
most days. Please be sure to check for changes and announcements daily.
Course Materials:
In the past we have used textbooks, but over time recognized the value in creating a set of readings that
provide both frameworks for guiding your thinking and managerially focused processes for understanding
business. The readings are posted on coursespaces.
Course Format:
A blend of lectures, videos, guest speakers, amusing cats, mini case studies, and inclass exercises will be
employed.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule
10% Participation – participation through iClickers –
1% for each vote (10/14)
(ongoing dates)
10% Midterm 15th October – Quiz (multiple choice)
15% Midterm 26th November – Quiz (accounting
questions)
25% Individual Assignment (9th November first draft
and 30th November final draft)
40% Final Examination – at some massively
inconvenient date in December
100%
Requirements for Graded Work:
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in which
they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course. Attendance
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead
to better performance in the course.
Class Participation: Evaluation will be based on involvement in class using iClickers and voting on questions in
each class.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a group-based
assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will receive the same grade.
Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution, will be specified in writing prior to
the grading of the assignment.
Grading Scale:
Graded material in this course will be marked and reported to the Registrar using percentages. The percentage
grade, the corresponding letter grade and comparative grading information will be displayed on student
transcripts (official and administrative). The following table demonstrates the equivalent letter grades:
Percentage
Range
Grades Grade
Point
Value
Description
90 – 100
85 – 89
80 – 84
A+
A
A-
9
8
7
Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance. Normally
achieved by a minority of students. These grades indicate a
student who is self-initiating, exceeds expectation and has an
insightful grasp of the subject matter.
77 – 79
73 – 76
70 – 72
B+
B
B-
6
5
4
Very good, good and solid performance. Normally achieved by the
largest number of students. These grades indicate a good grasp of
the subject matter or excellent grasp in one area balanced with
satisfactory grasp in the other area.
65 – 69
60 – 64
C+
C
3
2
Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades indicate a
satisfactory performance and knowledge of the subject matter.
50 – 59 D 1 Marginal Performance. A student receiving this grade
demonstrated a superficial grasp of the subject matter.
0-49 E Conditional supplemental
0-49 F 0 Unsatisfactory performance. Wrote final examination and
completed course requirements; no supplemental.
“N” (incomplete) grades: All graded components must be completed or you will receive a failing grade of N
(grade point value of 0).
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business has
an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases of cheating or plagiarism, and
any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate Dean, Programs. A student who violates
academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and potentially fail the course, with a letter of reprimand
placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group projects
that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
o using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without
referencing the source of these words.
o paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
o duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
o paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of another
person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal presentation)
without referencing the source.
o copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
o providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
o taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
o impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the purpose of
submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
o stealing or mutilating library materials.
o accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
o changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
o submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior discussions
with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the instructor
and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or profit from the
instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the Standards
of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
See schedule below:
Date Topic: Reading:
Thursday 7h
September
Introduction: Integrated Business Framework
Monday 11th
September
Environment: The Five Forces Reading: The Five Competitive
Forces That Shape Strategy –
Michael E. Porter, Harvard
Business Review
Thursday 14th
September
Leadership: Level 5 leaders Reading: Making of an Expert, by
K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J.
Prietula, and Edward T. Cokely,
Harvard Business Review, July
2007
Monday 18th
September
Leadership: Level 5 leaders Reading: What Makes a Leader?
Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business
Review
Thursday 21st
September
Strategy Planning: Diagnosis, Choice,
Execution
Reading: Can You Say What Your
Strategy Is? David J. Collis,
Michael G. Rukstad, Harvard
Business Review,
Monday 25th
September
Strategy Planning: Diagnosis, Choice,
Execution - continued
Thursday 28th
September
Customer and Market Focus: Creating
Value With Customers
Reading: The Ultimate Marketing
Machine, Harvard Business review
2014
Monday 2nd
October
No Class
Thursday 5th
October
Mid-Term
Monday 9th
October
Thanksgiving
Thursday 12th
October
Customer and Market Focus: Creating Value
With Customers
Case: Kiwi Experience
Monday 16th
October
Guest Speaker – Hannes Blum
Thursday 19th
October
No Class
Monday 23rd
October
Human Resource Focus: Motivating Your
People
Reading: One More Time: How Do
You Motivate Employees? Frederick
Hertzberg, Harvard Business
Review
Thursday 26th
October
Human Resource Focus: Motivating Your
People - continued
Monday 30th
October
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Management: Financials and Forecasting
Readings: on Coursespaces
Thursday 2nd
November
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Management: Financials and Forecasting
Readings: Coursespaces
Monday 6th
November
Mid-Term 2 (in-class)
Thursday 9th
November
Guest Speaker: Martin Rissley
Draft Version of Individual Assignment Due
Monday 13th
November
No Class - RB
Thursday 16th
November
No Class – RB extended
Monday 20th
November
Process Management: Increasing Productivity
and Quality
Watch: The Founder
Thursday 23rd
November
Social Psychology Meets Business Draft
Version of Individual Assignment Handed
Back
Reading: Harnessing the Science of
Persuasion, Robert Cialdini,
Harvard Business Review
Monday 27th
November
Results: What is Success in Business? Reading: Using the Balanced
Scorecard as a Strategic
Management System, Robert S.
Kaplan, David P. Norton, Harvard
Business Review
Thursday 30th
November
Final Version of Individual Assignment Due
Exam overview and wrap-up
Com 202
Financial Accounting I
Pre-requisites: None
Text:
Required: Text with WileyPlus
Financial Accounting, Tools for Business Decision Making, 7th Canadian Edition with Wiley Plus, Kimmel,
Weygandt, Kieso, Trenholm, Irvine
(ISBN: Hardcopy: 9781118885116)
For looseleaf or electronic copies of the text consult, the UVic Bookstore.
*Note:
 your textbook should include a code to access WileyPlus
 ensure you have the 7th
Canadian Edition
Course Objectives and Description:
This course is an introduction to financial accounting with emphasis on the basic concepts, mechanics,
objectives and judgments involved in using financial statements. The major challenges and problems of
financial reporting are much broader than just generating numbers. This course will illustrate that reporting
involves a great deal of judgment in order to provide the information required by the many stakeholders.
Reporting by public and private companies in Canada has undergone significant transition from Canadian GAAP
with the adoption of IFRS in the accounting for public entities.
The course objectives are to:
1. Develop the ability to recognize, create and examine basic financial statements; the statement of
comprehensive income (income statement), statement of financial position (balance sheet), statement of
changes in equity and the statement of cash flows.
2. Discuss the issues and judgments used in the identification, measurement, and communication of financial
statement information.
3. Use tools presented in the course to derive information from financial statements for use in developing
potential solutions to business issues.
4. Enhance both oral and written communication skills through class discussion of theory and practice using
problems.
Course Format:
The course consists of a combination of lectures and class discussions as well as some on-line work using
primarily WileyPlus. Lectures will be used as a supplement to reinforce key points and the use of problems and
/ or case studies will allow application of the theory and content. Students are expected to complete all
preparatory work including reading the course materials, cases and / or other content posted before each class
session and to be fully prepared for full and active participation in the class discussion. Developing an
understanding of the material requires practice and students are strongly encouraged to complete problems in
conjunction with their reading.
Participation and class attendance are important parts of the learning process in this course. Attendance
exposes you to an examination of material and to your classmates’ insights which clarify its meaning in a
manner often not covered in the reading and leads to better performance in the course. Also, there is a very
strong correlation between in-class participation and performance on the final exam. To facilitate
participation in discussions, cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices are not to be used during
class.
Requirements for Graded Work:
WileyPlus PRE Quizzes: In order to utilize class time most effectively, lectures will be condensed in order to
focus on key points and to provide additional time for discussion and practice problems. Students will be
required to read the applicable chapter in the text before attending class and to demonstrate that they have
completed this preparation by individually completing the weekly on-line WileyPlus PRE quiz by the dates
specified in the course schedule. Note that all WileyPlus PRE quizzes are due by 9:00 pm on the due date.
WileyPlus POST Exercises: Students will be required to demonstrate that they have understood the required
reading material and the points discussed during lectures for selected chapters by completing the on-line
WileyPlus POST exercises by the dates specified in the course outline. Note that all WileyPlus POST exercises
are due by 9:00 pm on the due date.
Assignment: The assignment is to be completed on an individual basis. It will be a problem that will require
students to demonstrate their knowledge of the material covered to date in the course. The date that the
assignment will be distributed to students and the date that it will be due to be handed in are specified in the
course schedule.
Midterm Exam: The midterm exam will be 90 minutes in length and may include multiple choice questions,
theory questions and specific problems. It will cover chapters 1 to 5 inclusive.
Final Exam: The final exam will be held during the regularly scheduled exam period in April. The date of the
final exam will be posted by the Registrar’s Office later in the semester. It will be 3 hours in length and may
include a combination of multiple choice questions, theory questions and specific problems. The final exam
will cover all the material studied in the course.
Active class participation and attendance are important parts of a successful learning process in this course.
As a result, the use of tablets, laptops, cell phones and other electronic devices during class is not permitted.
Attendance exposes you to material not covered in the reading, to your classmates’ insights and helps clarify
material that can lead to better performance in the course. In addition, there is a very strong correlation
between in-class participation and performance on the final exam.
Class Norms (which affect participation) include:
 Attendance (on time) in class
 Remaining in class for the entire class period
 Active participation in class discussions by adding new information (not repeating other comments),
asking and answering questions, constructive disagreement with other student’s viewpoints in an
environment of mutual respect
 Demonstrating professional skills such as sound judgment and effective communication (during
class/office hours/email)
 Exhibiting ethical behaviour, professionalism and integrity
 Discussion with the instructor, in advance, any exceptions to these norms.
No additional time, make-up prep-work, or quizzes will be given due to lateness or absence.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in which
they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course. Attendance
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead
to better performance in the course.
Com 206C
Business English and Communication
Pre-requisites: None
Texts:
There is no text for this course. Instead, readings will be provided as PDFs and links on Course Spaces. Please
be sure to check each week of the Course Spaces site to access the correct readings.
Course Objectives and Description:
Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Rudyard Kipling
Business Communications is a topic that you will continue to learn about as long as you work in a business
environment. Effective business communication will improve relations with your co-workers, your staff and
your customers. It will make you a better communicator in all parts of your life.
As an excellent communicator you will be in demand to help persuade high profile customers to use your
products, you will gain increased recognition in the workplace for your writing and presentation skills and you
will have the confidence to lead a company into relations with a North American audience.
My goal is that you become better communicators orally and in writing and develop the confidence to use your
English language skills in a professional work environment.
Specific course objectives include the following:
 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of effective business communications;
 Assess your own speaking and writing messages for clarity and content;
 Choose specific language as well as writing and speaking techniques to make communication
more successful, as you speak and write;
 Plan clear, concise and correct business documents and papers;
 Write professional quality correspondence for specific purposes;
 Give oral presentations with and without the aid of multimedia;
 Understand team skills necessary for success in completing and communicating complex work.
Course Format:
Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing. Rollo May
In this class I will share the stage with you. You will be encouraged to speak and share your thoughts and
information that you prepare for each class. The classroom will be more like a laboratory as we explore ways
of communicating and practice using different techniques to share our views.
We will start by learning communication theory, exploring various audiences and learning to write using a
specific writing process. A few weeks into the course you will realize what a supportive atmosphere we have
developed and you will look forward to case discussions, mini-presentations and other public speaking
activities.
Slides will be posted on CourseSpaces after each class. You can use these documents to review concepts in
order to complete assignments.
Course Experience Survey:The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our
courses, you will have the opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) about your
learning experience in this class. The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my
teaching, as well as to help the Program make improvements.
Time will be set aside in one of the last sessions in the course for you to complete the online survey in class;
you will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access the survey, which can be done on your laptop, tablet or
mobile device. I will remind you in advance of that class to bring your device to complete the survey. As well,
toward the end of the course, you will also receive an email inviting you to complete all of your course surveys.
If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to complete the survey if
you don’t do so in the time provided in class.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individu
al or
Team
Due Date Weight % of
grade
Class participation Individu
al
Ongoing 20%
Business Document Individu
al
Thursday, Jan
26
10%
Business Document Individu
al
Thursday, Feb
16
10%
Business Document Individu
al
Thursday,
March 9
10%
Team Presentation Team March 17 –
April 4
15%
Team
Presentation
Slidedoc
Team March 17 –
April 4
15%
Team Report Team April 4 20%
Total 100%
Requirements for Graded Work:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a group-based
assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will receive the same grade.
Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution, will be specified in writing prior to
the grading of the assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in which
they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course. Attendance
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead
to better performance in the course.
Students with unexcused absences* from more than 3 classes will have grade reduced by 5 %
*unexcused absences = absences without appropriate documentation as per the University Calendar
Com 220
Organizational Behaviour
Pre-requisites: None
Text:
Organizational Behaviour: Understanding and Managing Life at Work, 10th Edition Johns, Gary and Saks, Alan
M.
Pearson Canada, 2014,
ISBN: 978-0-13-216112-1
Be advised that an electronic version is also available. An access code card can be obtained through
the Uvic book store or access can be gained via purchase on the publisher’s website.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course is an introduction to behavioural concepts and tools that will assist the manager in both
understanding behaviour in organizations and improving organizational effectiveness. Topics include
individual motivation, perception and communication, managerial roles, schools of management
theories, group processes and team work, leadership, supervision, and introduction to organizational
structure, processes, and culture.
Course Format:
A blend of lectures, case studies/group assignments, will be employed.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual or
Group
Type Due Date Weight Description
COM220 –Test #1 Individual Test 20% Multiple choice, in class
COM220 – Test #2 Individual Test 25% Multiple choice, in class
COM220 – Class
participation exercises
Group Hand-in 15% Three or Four short in class group
assignments will comprise the
participation grade.
COM220 – Final Exam Individual Exam 40% Format TBA
Total 100%
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you will have
the opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) about your learning
experience in this class. The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my
teaching, as well as to help the Program make improvements.
Time will be set aside in one of the last sessions in the course for you to complete the online survey in
class; you will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access the survey, which can be done on your
laptop, tablet or mobile device. I will remind you in advance of that class to bring your device to
complete the survey. As well, toward the end of the course, you will also receive an email inviting
you to complete all of your course surveys. If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go
directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to complete the survey if you don’t do so in the time provided in class.
Requirements for Graded Work:
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a
group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all present members of the group
will receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative
contribution, will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in
which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course.
Attendance exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material that can lead to better performance in the course.
Grading Scale:
Graded material in this course will be marked and reported to the Registrar using percentages. The
percentage grade, the corresponding letter grade and comparative grading information will be
displayed on student transcripts (official and administrative). The following table demonstrates the
equivalent letter grades:
Percentage
Range
Grades Grade
Point
Value
Description
90 – 100
85 – 89
80 – 84
A+
A A-
9
8
7
Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance. Normally
achieved by a minority of students. These grades indicate a student
who is self-initiating, exceeds expectation and has an insightful
grasp of the subject matter.
77 – 79
73 – 76
70 – 72
B+
B
B-
6
5
4
Very good, good and solid performance. Normally achieved by the
largest number of students. These grades indicate a good grasp
of the subject matter or excellent grasp in one area balanced
with
satisfactory grasp in the other area.
“N” (incomplete) grades: All graded components must be completed or you will receive a failing grade of N
(grade point value of 0).
Final course grades are official only after they have been approved by the Program Director and may
be subject to change up until that point.
65 – 69
60 – 64
C+
C
3
2
Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades indicate a
satisfactory performance and knowledge of the subject matter.
50 – 59 D 1 Marginal Performance. A student receiving this grade demonstrated
a
superficial grasp of the subject matter.
0 - 49 N Conditional supplemental.
0 - 49 F 0 Unsatisfactory performance. Wrote final examination and completed
course requirements; no supplemental.
Com 240
Management Finance
Pre-requisites: Financial Accounting I
Texts and Resources:
1. Textbook (Required) – Stephen A. Ross, Randolph W. Westerfield, Bradford D. Jordan, Gordon S. Roberts, J.
Ari Pandes, & Thomas A. Holloway, “Fundamentals of Corporate Finance”, 10th Canadian Edition, 2019,
McGraw-Hill Education. (note: An older or different edition is not acceptable).
Digital Only, Connect: ISBN 9781260305531
Package, Print Textbook with Connect Access Code: ISBN 9781260305869
2. “Connect” access (Recommended) – “Connect” is the website that accompanies the textbook. It has
recommended exercises and study tools.
3. Financial Calculator (Highly Recommended) – A financial calculator is a tool of finance. You should become
familiar with how it functions as part of the course. You will benefit enormously from having a financial
calculator – it will greatly enhance your ability to perform tasks in class and understand the course material.
Reference will be made in class to functions on financial calculators.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course provides an introduction to financial management. You will gain exposure to the frameworks,
concepts, and tools used in financial decision-making. Topics include the role of the financial manager,
financial statement and free cash flow analysis, time value of money, discounted cash flow valuation, bond
valuation, stock valuation, net present value analysis, internal rate of return, capital investment decisions, risk
and return trade-offs, and the cost of capital.
Upon completing the course, you should be able to define basic terminology, understand the theoretical
relationships, and apply the analytical techniques covered in the course to various decision-making situations.
Problem solving and decision-making skills will be practiced through examples and assignments. You are also
expected to acquire knowledge of the Canadian institutional environments in which financial decisions are
made, and stay current on business news issues and events as they relate to management finance.
Course Format:
The course is based around in-class lectures, in-class activities, textbook and other readings, and practical,
course related exercises.
You will play a major role in the delivery of the course by means of in-class participation, class preparation and
time dedicated to working with the course material. You can create an excellent platform for learning by doing
the readings and practice exercises, and accessing the instructor.
Educational Technology:
I use a variety of educational technology in this course including internet-based technologies or web-based
applications, cloud services and social media. The use of technology is part of your engagement at the
University. Some of these learning tools may collect, use and/or disclose your personal information and store or
access that information outside of Canada.
UVic cannot require students to disclose personal information to technologies or organizations, which may store
information on servers located outside of Canada because disclosure of personal information to vendors,
systems or services storing or accessing that personal information outside of Canada is restricted by section
30.1 of BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
Act (FIPPA). Personal information is information about an identifiable individual; for example, your name or
your email address.
The following educational technology, which stores or accesses your personal information outside Canada, is
required for this course: Zoom. I will make you aware if this list changes. I use this technology to enhance your
educational experience at UVic. The personal information is required by the service. The privacy policy and the
terms of use list the personal information stored outside of Canada and are available at
https://zoom.us/privacy. I encourage you to read these documents.
If you are not comfortable with your personal information being stored outside of Canada, please speak to me
within the first week of class about using an alternative (such as using an alias or nickname). Otherwise, by
continuing in this course, you agree to the use of the educational technology in the course and the storage of
personal information outside of Canada.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will
be evaluated
according to
the following
schedule: Title
Individual or
Group
Type Due Date
(m/d/yyyy
hh:mm AM/PM)
PST
Weight / % of
grade
Description
COM 240:
Assignments (8)
in BrightSpace
(Best 7 of 8)
Individual Hand-in
Assignment
Various Dates
(as per
“Schedule”)
15% 1.875% each, 8
assignments,
marked best 7
of 8, see
description
below**
COM 240:
Midterm Exam
(80 minutes)
Individual Exam February 17,
2022
30% Chapters 1, 2,
5, 6, 7, and 8
COM 240: Final
Exam (3 hours)
Individual Exam TBA –
Registrar’s
examination
period
40% Comprehensive
exam: Chapters
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 10, 12, 13,
and 14
COM 240: Public
Company
Analysis Group
Project
Group Hand-In
Assignment
Due Friday,
March 18 at
11:59 PM
(Submitted to
dropbox in
BrightSpace)
15% See description
below***
Total 100%
If you disagree with the assessment received on a grade component, you may request, in writing, that the work
be reviewed. You need to cite why you think that it deserves a different grade, based on your work, relevant
course materials and the assignment’s grading rubric. Note that I may choose to review the work in its entirety,
not just the portion in question and that the review may lead to a higher, lower, or unchanged grade.
Assignments**
There are eight (8) assignments, each worth 1.875% of your total semester grade. Assignments are found in
BrightSpace, labelled “Graded Assignments” and are graded best 7 out of 8.
All assignments are due by the date and time specified in BrightSpace and the schedule on the last page of the
course outline. Late assignments will be given a grade of 0 – no exceptions. You will have two attempts at each
assignment with your highest grade counting toward your course grade. You must submit assignments
individually.
Public Company Analysis Group Project***
The purpose of this project is to have you perform ratio analysis with the challenge of using it in the real world.
You will complete an analysis which you will post to BrightSpace (in MS Excel).
Using the group choice activity in BrightSpace, you will form a group of 3-4 students. You must self-select into a
group by Friday, March 4, 2022 at 11:59 pm, otherwise you cannot take part in the Public Company Analysis
Group Project. Your group will be given a public company by the instructor. Each group will be given a different
company.
Later in the term, more information will be released about the project and we will walk through an overview of
the project, with example analyses, together in class.
The Public Company Analysis Group Project is due by Friday, March 18, 2022 at 11:59 pm. All parts of the
project must be submitted electronically to the BrightSpace dropbox. If the submission is 1-3 hours late, 5% will
be deducted. If the submission is 4-8 hours late, 10% will be deducted. If the response is 8-24 hours late, 20%
will be deducted. If the submission is 24-48 hours late, 30% will be deducted. Submissions more than 48 hours
late will not be accepted, and will receive 0 marks.
Groups are expected to submit their own unique project, reflecting their own work. You should be cognizant of
the University of Victoria’s policy on plagiarism (see the University Calendar and the section on “Academic
Integrity”) in all work you do.
Course Experience Survey:
The Gustavson School of Business and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you will be
asked to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) about your learning experience in this class.
The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my teaching, as well as to help the
School make improvements for students in the future.
Given the importance of your feedback, class time will be dedicated to completing the online survey. When
accessing the survey, you will need to use your UVic Netlink ID, which can be done on your laptop, tablet or
mobile device. Toward the end of the term, you will receive an email inviting you to complete all of your
course surveys. If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to complete
the survey. I will monitor the response rate and will not continue class until a 70% response rate is achieved;
the goal is to gather enough feedback so that it is representative of the course experience. Please note that
your feedback is valued and critical for helping improve this course.
Course Assessment:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a group-based
assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will receive the same grade.
Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution, will be specified in writing and
emailed to me (jsugitani@uvic.ca) by the group project due date.
Attendance and Participation: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all
classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending and participating in class discussion and activities is an important
part of the learning process in this course. Participation exposes you to material not in the readings, to your
classmates' insights, and helps clarify material that can lead to better performance in the course.
Grading Scale:
Graded material in this course will be marked and reported to the Registrar using percentages. The percentage
grade, the corresponding letter grade and comparative grading information will be displayed on student
transcripts (official and administrative). The following table demonstrates the equivalent letter grades:
Percentage
Range
Grades Grade
Point
Value
Description
90 – 100
85 – 89
80 – 84
A+
A
A-
9
8
7
Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance.
Normally achieved by a minority of students. These
grades indicate a student who is self-initiating, exceeds
expectation and has an insightful grasp of the subject
matter.
77 – 79
73 – 76
70 – 72
B+
B
B-
6
5
4
Very good, good and solid performance. Normally
achieved by the largest number of students. These
grades indicate a good grasp of the subject matter or
excellent grasp in one area balanced with satisfactory
grasp in the other area.
65 – 69
60 – 64
C+
C
3
2
Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades
indicate a satisfactory performance and knowledge of
the subject matter.
50 – 59 D 1 Marginal Performance. A student receiving this grade
demonstrated a superficial grasp of the subject matter.
0-49 E Conditional supplemental
0-49 F 0 Unsatisfactory performance. Wrote final examination
and completed course requirements; no supplemental.
“N” (incomplete) grades: All graded components must be completed or you will receive a failing grade of N
(grade point value of 0).
Please note: Students completing or planning to complete a Business minor require a minimum grade of C+ in
each of the fundamental courses: Com 202, Com 220, Com 240, Com 250 and Com 317.
Final course grades are official only after they have been approved by the Program Director and may be subject
to change up until that point.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business has
an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases of cheating or plagiarism, and
any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate Dean, Programs. A student who violates
academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and potentially fail the course, with a letter of reprimand
placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group projects
that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
• using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without referencing
the source of these words.
• paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
• duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
• paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of another
person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal presentation) without
referencing the source.
•copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
• providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
• taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
• impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the purpose of
submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
• stealing or mutilating library materials.
• accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
• changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
• submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior discussions with
the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the instructor
and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or profit from the
instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the Standards
of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
Schedule Summary:
COM 240 – A01 & A02 Type (Case,
Example, Reading,
Supplemental
Reading, Other)
Due Date (mm/dd/yyyy) Description
COM 240: Week 1 –
Jan. 10
Read and prepare for
class
Reading Reading due for class on
01/13/2022
Course Introduction
Chapter 1: Overview of
Corporate Finance
Chapter 5: Time Value of
Money
COM 240: Week 2 –
Jan. 17
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Assignment #1 due
Reading due for class on
01/17/2022 and 01/20/2022
Assignment #1 due
01/23/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 5: Time Value of
Money
Chapter 6: Discounted Cash
Flow Valuation
COM 240: Week 3 –
Jan. 24
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Assignment #2 due
Reading due for class on
01/24/2022 and 01/27/2022
Assignment #2 due
01/30/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 6: Discounted Cash
Flow Valuation
Chapter 7: Interest Rates and
Bond Valuation
COM 240: Week 4 –
Jan. 31
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Assignment #3 due
Reading due for class on
01/31/2022 and 02/03/2022
Assignment #3 due
02/06/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 7: Interest Rates and
Bond Valuation
Chapter 8: Stock Valuation
COM 240: Week 5 –
Feb. 07
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Assignment #4 due
Reading due for class on
02/07/2022 and 02/10/2022
Assignment #4 due
02/13/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 8: Stock Valuation
Chapter 2: Financial
Statements, Cash Flow, and
Taxes
COM 240: Week 6 –
Feb. 14
Read and prepare for
class, and
Prepare for Midterm –
chapters 1,2,5,6,7,
and 8
Reading, and
MIDTERM EXAM
Reading due for class on
02/14/2022
MIDTERM EXAM DURING
CLASS-TIME 02/17/2022
Chapter 2: Financial
statements, Cash Flow, and
Taxes
Midterm - All material
covered in class from
chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8
COM 240: Week 7 –
Feb. 21
N/A N/A No Class – Reading Break
COM 240: Week 8 –
Feb. 28
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
MUST register to a
group in
BrightSpace by
Friday, Mar. 4 at
11:59 PM to
participate in the
Public Company
Analysis Group
Project, and
Assignment #5 due
Reading due for class on
02/28/2022 and
03/03/2022
Group Registration due
03/04/2022 at 11:59 PM
Assignment #5 due
03/06/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 3: Working with
Financial Statements
COM 240: Week 9 –
Mar.07
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Assignment #6 due
Reading due for class on
03/07/2022 and 03/10/2022
Assignment #6 due
03/13/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 9 : Net Present Value
and Other Investment Criteria
COM 240: Week 10 –
Mar. 14
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Public Company
Analysis Group
Project due (15% of
grade), and
Assignment #7 due
Reading due for class on
03/14/2022 and 03/17/2022
Group Project due
03/18/2022 at 11:59 PM
Assignment #7 due
03/20/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 10: Making Capital
Investment Decisions
COM 240: Week 11 –
Mar. 21
Read and prepare for
class
Reading, and
Assignment # 8 due
Reading due for class on
03/21/2022 and 03/24/2022
Assignment #8 due
03/27/2022 at 11:59 PM
Chapter 12: Lessons from
Capital Market History
COM 240: Week 12 –
Mar. 28
Read and prepare for
class
Reading Reading due for class on
03/28/2022 and
03/31/2022
Chapter 13: Return, Risk, and
the Security Market Line
COM 240: Week 13 –
Apr. 04
Read and prepare for
class
Reading Reading due for class on
04/04/2022 and 4/07/2022
Chapter 14: Cost of Capital,
and
Course Wrap-Up
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a
disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or the
Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by appointment to assess
specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. The sooner you let us know your
needs the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this course.
New for 2021! The Gustavson School of Business Gill Graduate School is launching a new Master of Management
(MM). Students completing the Gustavson business minor are well positioned for this new 12-month post
graduate degree as it will leverages the skills and expertise you’ve developed in both your non-business
undergraduate program and business minor courses and build upon them. The MM program is designed to give
you tools to effectively collaborate, diagnose and address complex organizational problems that you will face as
you enter the professional workforce.
Com 250
Fundamentals of Marketing
Pre-requisites: None
Texts:
Lamb, Charles W. et al, MKTG, Third Canadian Edition, (Nelson, 2017, 978-0-17-653091-4)
You may use either the printed or e-text versions of this textbook.
Course Objectives and Description:
The course objectives are to:
 build a marketing vocabulary
 understand the process by which products/services are planned, priced, promoted
and distributed
 understand the relationship between marketing, other organizational activities,
and external stakeholders
At the end of this course you will have developed the necessary skills to analyze marketing
problems and develop solutions consistent with that analysis.
Course Format:
A blend of lectures, marketing news, case studies, exercises, assignments and group discussion
will be employed.
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses,
you will have the opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES)
about your learning experience in this class. The survey is vital to providing feedback to
me regarding the course and my teaching, as well as to help the Program make
improvements.
Time will be set aside in one of the last sessions in the course for you to complete the
online survey in class; you will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access the survey,
which can be done on your laptop, tablet or mobile device. I will remind you in advance
of that class to bring your device to complete the survey. As well, toward the end of the
course, you will also receive an email inviting you to complete all of your course surveys.
If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to
complete the survey if you don’t do so in the time provided in class.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individu
al or
Group
Type Due Date Weig
ht
Description
COM 250 – Midterm
Exam
Individu
al
Exam,
during
class time
02/08/2017 25% Covers text and material from
chapters 1-7 and, lectures, cases and
in-class discussions
COM 250 –
Chapter
Quizzes
Individu
al
Quiz See
course
schedule
15% 10 quizzes, (1.5% per quiz) ten
questions, multiple choice, relating
to textbook chapter material and
material taught in previous classes.
Completed via CourseSpaces.
COM 250 – In-class
Group Assignments
Group Hand-in
assignment
(completed
during class
time)
See
course
schedule
12% Three in class group
assignments. (4% per
assignment)
COM 250 –
Contribution
Individu
al
In-class
participat
ion
Each class 8% Based on attendance and in-class
contribution and participation
COM 250 – Final Exam Individu
al
Exam During exam
period. Date
TBA
40% Comprehensive, covers all textbook
chapters. Heavily weighted on inclass
lectures, discussions,
activities and cases.
Total 100%
Requirements for Graded Work:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively.
When a group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of
the group will receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for
relative contribution, will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend
all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning
process in this course. Attendance exposes you to material not in the readings, to your
classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead to better performance in the
course.
Students with unexcused absences from 3 class sessions will have their grade reduced by
5%, in addition students with unexcused absences from more than 5 class sessions may
not be permitted to write the final examination.
*unexcused absences = absences without appropriate documentation as per the University
Calendar.
Assignments are due on the date scheduled: As in the business world, work has to be
received on time to matter. To be fair to all the students who submit on time, if you are
late on an assignment, your grade on that assignment will be reduced by 10% for each day
it is late.
The Gustavson School of Business guidelines for written work require the use of the APA
style for citations. For help on APA style, see here:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/
Com 290
Introduction to Canadian Business
Pre-requisites: None
Texts and Resources:
Case Studies:
“HP Canada Co.: A Circular Supply Chain for Recycled Plastic” Case #: 9B21D002 Authors: Jury
Gualandris, Deishin Lee, and Cole Beattie
“A&W Canada: Serving Great Taste with Minimal Waste” Case #: W25274
Authors: Jury Gualandris, Natalie Diezyn, and Jennifer Goodman
“The Yukon Soaps Company: Indigenous Business Growth” Case #: 9B21M055 Authors: Dominic Lim and
Victor Lal
“Cheekbone Beauty - Building an Indigenous Growth Venture” Case #: W25813 Authors: Simon Parker
and Ramasastry Chandrasekhar
Please Note: There is no textbook for this course. Instead, readings will be provided as PDFs and links
on Brightspace. Please be sure to check each week on the Brightspace site to access the correct
readings.
Other Course Resources:
In addition to any materials I provide, a number of resources are available to support your learning in
ATWP135. The two you’re likely to consult most often are:
 The Centre for Academic Communication: The Centre for Academic Communication provides
free one-on-one tutoring to help students build their writing skills and proficiency in English.
The CAC also runs workshops that address common problems in academic writing. This term,
those services are available online. You can book tutoring appointments through the CAC
website.
 UVic Libraries: UVic Libraries staff members offer students help with their research, writing
papers, locating resources, and identifying people to ask for more help. The Research
Anywhere site provides access to your research needs and offers helpful tutorials. You can also
contact librarians by chat, phone and other methods.
Check out the “Student Resources” section of our Brightspace site for links to more resources (both on
campus and online).
Course Format:
This course takes its cue from the current practice of a “flipped classroom.” That is, much of the
course material, including key concepts, readings, and discussion topics, will be made available online
prior to or after class. In class, we will discuss, test out, and complicate this online material. A flipped
classroom requires that you, as students, come to the lecture hall prepared to discuss and respectfully
debate the online content. Each of you will come to the classroom with individual skills and expertise;
the work we do in class will allow each of you to learn from the others, leveraging the diversity of our
class to challenge your skills in an international environment.
This course requires a combination of in-person and online work. Whether in-class or online, all
students engaging in any aspect of this course must:
• Behave respectfully and professionally at all times, whether addressing the instructor
or fellow students;
• Engage respectfully and professionally with others’ contributions to the course
(whether online or in class);
• Use respectful language (written or oral) appropriate to a professional work
environment;
For all in-person class meetings, students must adhere to the following rules and expectations:
• Attend all in-person classes punctually;
• Sanitize hands immediately using the hand sanitizers stationed at building entrances;
• Wear a clean medical or non-medical mask indoors per UVic’s mask policy
(https://www.uvic.ca/ohse/returntocampus/masks/index.php);
• Maintain a physical distance of 6-feet from other students and the instructor at every
possible opportunity;
Please Note: You are responsible for bringing and wearing your own mask as required. If you are
wearing your mask improperly, I will ask you to adjust it; to be clear, wearing a mask properly means
covering both your mouth and nose. And if you are unwilling to wear a mask, you will either need to
drop this class section or need to commit to learning and participating remotely via our Brightspace
course site.
While most class meetings will take place in-person after the 28th of January (dependent on UVic
policy), the following components of this course will take place online exclusively:
• Weekly course readings (available via BrightSpace)
• Office hours (via Zoom)
• Hand-in assignment submission (via BrightSpace)
Educational Technology
I use a variety of educational technology in this course including internet-based technologies or webbased
applications, cloud services and social media. The use of technology is part of your engagement
at the University. Some of these learning tools may collect, use and/or disclose your personal
information and store or access that information outside of Canada.
UVic cannot require students to disclose personal information to technologies or organizations, which
may store information on servers located outside of Canada because disclosure of personal information
to vendors, systems or services storing or accessing that personal information outside of Canada is
restricted by section 30.1 of BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Personal information is information about an identifiable individual—for example, your name or your
email address.
The following educational technologies, which store or access your personal information outside
Canada, are required for this course:
• Google Docs
• YouTube
I will make you aware if this list changes. I use these technologies to enhance your educational
experience at UVic. The personal information is required by the service. The privacy policy and the
terms of use list the personal information stored outside of Canada. They are available at
https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US and
https://www.youtube.com/static?gl=CA&template=terms. I encourage you to read these documents.
If you are not comfortable with your personal information being stored outside of Canada, please speak
to me within the first week of class about using an alternative (such as using an alias or nickname).
Otherwise, by continuing in this course, you agree to the use of the educational technology in the
course and the storage of personal information outside of Canada.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual or
Group
Type Due Date
(yyyy/mm/dd
hh:mm
AM/PM)
Weight
/ % of
grade
Description
International
Comparison
Individual Hand-in
Assignment
2022/01/28
11:59 PM
(Pacific)
10%
Peer Review Individual Hand-in
Assignment
2022/02/11
11:59 PM
(Pacific)
10%
Press Release
Analysis
Individual Hand-in
Assignment
2022/02/18
11:59 PM
(Pacific)
15%
Analysis Brief
– Case Study
Group project Hand-in
Assignment
2022/03/25
11:59 PM
(Pacific)
20%
Persuasive
Pitch
Group project Public
Speaking
2022/04/08
11:59 PM
(Pacific)
20% These presentations will take
place in the final weeks of
class. You will then need to
submit your slide deck before
the deadline, here.
Writing
Portfolio
Group project Hand-in
Assignment
2022/04/15
11:59 PM
(Pacific)
15%
Participation Individual Other 10% Attendance, peer feedback, inclass
participation, mini
presentations, asynchronous
discussion contribution, etc.
Total 100%
If you disagree with the assessment received on a grade component, you may request, in writing, that
the work be reviewed. You need to cite why you think that it deserves a different grade, based on your
work, relevant course materials and the assignment’s grading rubric. Note that I may choose to review
the work in its entirety, not just the portion in question and that the review may lead to a higher,
lower or unchanged grade.
Course Experience Survey:
The Gustavson School of Business and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses,
you will be asked to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) about your learning
experience in this class. The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my
teaching, as well as to help the School make improvements for students in the future.
Given the importance of your feedback, class time will be dedicated to completing the online survey.
When accessing the survey, you will need to use your UVic Netlink ID, which can be done on your
laptop, tablet or mobile device. As well, toward the end of the term, you will receive an email inviting
you to complete all of your course surveys. If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go
directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to complete the survey.
Course Assessment:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a
group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will
receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution,
will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty of
5% for each calendar day an assignment is late.
Attendance and Participation: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to
attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending and participating—especially during an online
synchronous session—is an important part of the learning process in this course. Participation exposes
you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead
to better performance in the course.
Students with unexcused absences* from more than 2 class sessions will have their grade reduced by
5%. Every additional absence after this first offence may result in a further 5% reduction. In addition,
students with unexcused absences from more than 5 class sessions may not be permitted to write the
final examination.
To document an excused absence (illness, injury or family affliction), please submit the Gustavson selfdeclaration
form to me via email (tstuart@uvic.ca). Appropriate documentation must be submitted
immediately upon your return to classes (within 24 hours).
*unexcused absences = absences without appropriate documentation (self-declaration form). Due to
the ongoing Covid-19 situation, no medical documentation is required. Self-declaration forms can be
found in the BrightSpace course site.
Grading Scale:
Graded material in this course will be marked and reported to the Registrar using percentages. The
percentage grade, the corresponding letter grade and comparative grading information will be
displayed on student transcripts (official and administrative). The following table demonstrates the
equivalent letter grades:
Percentage
Range
Grades Grade
Point
Value
Description
90 – 100
85 – 89
80 – 84
A+
A
A-
9
8
7
Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance.
Normally achieved by a minority of students. These
grades indicate a student who is self-initiating, exceeds
expectation and has an insightful grasp of the subject
matter.
77 – 79
73 – 76
70 – 72
B+
B
B-
6
5
4
Very good, good and solid performance. Normally
achieved by the largest number of students. These
grades indicate a good grasp of the subject matter or
excellent grasp in one area balanced with satisfactory
grasp in the other area.
65 – 69
60 – 64
C+
C
3
2
Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades
indicate a satisfactory performance and knowledge of
the subject matter.
50 – 59 D 1 Marginal Performance. A student receiving this grade
demonstrated a superficial grasp of the subject matter.
0-49 E Conditional supplemental
0-49 F 0 Unsatisfactory performance. Wrote final examination
and completed course requirements; no supplemental.
“N” (incomplete) grades: All graded components must be completed or you will receive a failing grade
of N (grade point value of 0).
Final course grades are official only after they have been approved by the Program Director and may be
subject to change up until that point.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson School of
Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases of
cheating or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate Dean,
Programs. A student who violates academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and potentially
fail the course, with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
• using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without
referencing the source of these words.
• paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
• duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
• paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of
another person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal
presentation) without referencing the source.
• copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
• providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
• taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
• impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the purpose of
submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
• stealing or mutilating library materials.
• accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
• changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
• submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior
discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the
instructor and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or
profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the
Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
Schedule Summary (preliminary):
Date Module Topics
Week 1
Jan. 10
Week 2
Jan. 17 &
19
Canada’s Context • Introduction to the course
• Introduction to Canada’s current economic make-up
• Introduction to Canada’s relationship with the First
Nations
Week 3
Jan. 24 &
26
• Canada’s Boom towns and modern resource
management
Week 4
Jan. 31 &
Feb. 2
Week 5
Feb. 7 & 9
Week 6 Feb.
14 &
16
Canada’s Social
Responsibility
• The green economy and Canada’s eco-companies
• Indigenous companies and the movement for
Indigenomics
21 – 25
SPRING STUDY BREAK
Week 8
Feb. 28 &
March 2nd
Week 9
March 7 &
9
Week 10
March 14 &
16
Trade and Global
Citizenship • Immigration as an economic engine
• The history and significance of trade to Canada
• Canada’s major trade agreements
• Trade challenges and opportunities
Week 11
March 21 &
23
Week 12
March 28 &
30
Week 13
April 4 & 6
Canada as a Brand
• • Buy local and the small business emphasis
• • Canadian Content
• • National sentiment: The Hudson’s Bay and Tim
Hortons
• • Branding Canada in the global market
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a
disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me
and/or the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by
appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations. The
sooner you let us know your needs the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning goals in this
course.
Syllabus Modifications:
The course syllabus (encompassing both policies and procedures and assignments listed in the daily
class schedule) is a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary and will be announced
orally to the class and/or distributed in writing by email by the instructor.
Com 302
Legal Environment of Business
Pre-requisites: None
Course Objective:
From the University of Victoria Calendar:
"This course examines a number of legal principles that affect businesses and other organizations (e.g.
nonprofit organizations) in our society. Course topics will include the law of tort, contract, business
organizations and property. The course will focus on specialized areas such as the law of negligence,
international business transactions, employment contracts, intellectual property and fiduciary
obligations."
This course is primarily concerned with law as it affects business. While there is no self-contained law
of business, the course will examine areas of law which impact business. Principal topics include, an
introduction to the Anglo-Canadian system of law, the law of tort and negligence, including
professionals' liability, the law of contract, the law of principal and agent, the law of employment.
Within the above, we will consider the differences which result from the choice of legal form of
business, whether it be sole proprietorship, partnership or limited partnership, corporation or trust.
The respective liability of the principals of each form of business will also be considered.
Methodology:
Instruction will principally follow the lecture and case-method approach. Questions from the class and
open discussion of topics by the class are especially encouraged. Readings and cases from the textbook
should be completed in advance of class. There will be opportunities for individual and group
exercises.
Textbook:
Course Book: Contemporary Canadian Business Law Cases and Materials Willes, John A., Q.C., and Willes,
John H. (2018, Special UVic edition) available from bookstore.
Evaluation:
Student grades in Commerce 302 will be determined on the basis of performance in the following
components
1. 15 minute case presentations (groups of four students) 10 % of final mark
2. One-hour, open-book, mid-term examination 30 % of final mark
3. Mooting exercise (court simulation - groups of three students) 20 % of final mark
4. Two-hour, open-book, final examination 40 % of final mark
Total: 100%
Case Presentations:
Students must form groups of four students either themselves or on the basis of the instructor's random
assignments. The groups must be formed by the week following the last day to drop the course. Each
group will be given a trial or appeal court decision to present. Following a format which will be
explained, each group must brief the case and then present it to the whole class. Case presentations to
the class will be scheduled in class in February.
Case briefs summarise the essential elements of a case, including its procedural history (the path of
the dispute through the legal system), the relevant facts, the legal issues for resolution by the court,
the decision reached by the court and, most importantly, the reasons for decision.
In addition, groups are expected to comment upon the impact of the decision on business. By this is
meant the impact the decision is likely to have on business or industry having particular regard to the
functional areas of marketing, accounting, finance and human resources management. For example,
what will be the implication on personnel practices, marketing policies, management information
systems, financial strategies etc.?
Group case presentations should take approximately 15 minutes and involve each member of the group
in a speaking role. The typewritten case brief must be submitted to the instructor before the
presentation and indicate the part or parts contributed by each member.
Mooting Exercise - Court Simulation:
Students will form groups of three or seven students (different from the case groups) themselves or on
the basis of the instructor's random assignments. The groups will be formed before the mid-term
examination. One or two students in each group will assume the role of "Counsel for the Plaintiff", one
or two students "Counsel for the Defendant", and the remaining member of the group will be the
appellate Judge. Each member of the group will prepare its respective position in the mooting exercise
for oral presentation to the whole class. These presentations will take place between March 26 and
April 5, 2018.
Background information will be provided in mid-February. Counsel for the Plaintiff and Counsel for the
Defendant must submit to the instructor, before their oral presentation, a typewritten brief of 3-5
pages summarizing their position on the issues. Counsel must give each other and the Judge a copy of
this brief. At the oral presentation, the Judges will hear each party and deliver a decision. Following
Counsels' presentation, the Judges will deliver an oral decision, to be supported by a typewritten
decision of 3-5 pages. The Judges' written decision need not be identical with the oral decision. The
Judges' decision must be deposited into the dropbox in the Faculty of Business within the week
following the respective moot.
The Briefs and Decisions will be graded using some or all of the following criteria: quality and merit of
legal argument, creativity, organisation, clarity and appropriate citation of case or statute.
University Calendar:
Students are encouraged to read the regulations applicable to the course found in the University of
Victoria Calendar.
Attendance:
The Senate of the University states that "Students are expected to attend all lectures in each course
for which they are enrolled". Regular attendance and preparation will enhance students' contribution
and success in the course.
Assistance with your work:
If a student intends to seek help or receives help from anyone on any coursework that will be evaluated
in this course (ie help from another student, a tutor or anyone), you must get my permission in
advance to submit that work for evaluation. Failure to do so will be treated in accordance with the
university and faculty policies on plagiarism.
Academic Integrity, plagiarism and cheating:
As a program which helps to create business and government leaders, the Faculty of Business has an
obligation to ensure the highest standard of academic integrity. Instances of cheating or plagiarism will
be referred to the Chair of the B.Comm. Committee. Students who participate in any form of cheating
and/or plagiarism may be required to withdraw from the Faculty of Business.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our Faculty.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without
referencing the source of the words.
b. Duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
c. Paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of
another person, whether written or verbal (e.g., personal communication, ideas from a verbal
presentation) without referencing the source.
d. Copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
e. Providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
f. Impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the purpose of
submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
g. Stealing or mutilating library materials.
h. Reviewing a test or examination prior to the time and date set for the test or examination.
i. Changing names or answers on an assignment, test or examination after that assignment, test or
examination has been graded and returned.
j. Submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior approval
from the instructors involved.
Group Projects and Group Work
Students should be aware that group projects are subject to the same rules regarding academic
dishonesty. Because of the unique nature of group projects, all group members should exercise special
care to ensure that the group project does not violate the policy on Academic Integrity. Should a
violation occur, group members may be held jointly accountable unless the violation can be attributed
to a specified individual or individuals.
Some courses, while not requiring group projects, encourage (or at least do not prohibit) students to
together in groups before submitting individual assignments. Students are encouraged to discuss this
issue as it relates to academic integrity with their instructor to avoid violating this policy.
Provisional Reading and Topics List:
4 January Introduction to the Canadian Legal System: Text Ch. 1
8 January Introduction to the Canadian Legal System (continued): Text Ch. 1
15 January Video: Sources of Constitutional and Statute Law
18 January Introduction to the Canadian Legal System (continued): Text Ch. 1
22 January Video: Sources of Common Law
25 January Tort Law; Negligence and Professional Liability: Text: Ch. 2
29 January Tort Law; Negligence and Professional Liability (continued): Text: Ch. 2
1 February Contract: Introduction to Required Elements: Text: Ch. 3
12-16 February Reading Break (no classes)
19 February Contract: Offer and Acceptance – Practice Mock Mid-Term
TBA February Midterm Examination
26 February Case Presentations Begin - Information on Mooting Exercise
5 March Contract: Consideration, Capacity & Legality of Object: Text: Chs. 3
12 March Contract: Enforceability of Contracts: Text: Ch. 4
19 March Agency: Text: Ch. 6
26 March Mooting Exercises Begin
TBA Final Examination
Com 316
Management Accounting
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is COHORT based (meaning work and assignments are typically team based).
Attendance is MANDATORY in these courses due to the team-based nature of these courses. There is limited
space available in each section of these courses and as a result, these courses will be assigned on a first-come,
first served basis to students who meet the minimum GPA requirement (“B”) and have taken all course pre-
requisites.
Pre-requisites: Finite Math, Statistics, and Microeconomics
Texts and Resources:
Required Text and CONNECT access code
Managerial Accounting, Eleventh Canadian Edition with CONNECT, by Garrison, Libby, Webb, Noreen &
Brewer. Published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2018. ISBN-13: 9781260193770
If you chose to purchase a used copy of the text:
 It must be the 11th
edition; the 10th
edition is not acceptable.
 You will need to purchase the access code for CONNECT separately – check with the bookstore.
Rather than purchasing a hardcopy of the text, as above, you may purchase the e-book version and
access code available through the bookstore online ISBN: 9781260193749.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of management accounting. It
complements the concepts covered in COM 315 Financial Accounting, by focusing on the accounting
functions internal to the organization. Management Accounting is concerned with the analysis and
accounting for costs, management planning, controlling and decision-making. The course provides
exposure to cost behaviour, variance analysis, short-run choice decisions and budgeting, as well as
activity-based costing and activity-based management.
The course objectives include:
 Recognizing the importance of management accounting in an organization and how it is used
within the context of the other functions of the company.
 Identifying the characteristics and behaviour of costs and the decisions that influence these
costs.
 Using cost/volume/profit analysis, including calculating the break-even point and potential
profit in a given situation.
 Identifying and applying different pricing methods.
 Recognizing where to use the various cost accounting systems.
 Calculating product costs and analyzing decisions that influence these costs, and interpreting
them in a decision-making context.
 Recognizing the importance of activity-based costing in the evaluation of
organizational performance.
 Applying concepts of budgeting and cash management.
 Identifying responsibility centers and various types of transfer prices.
 Determining and interpreting divisional performance (segment reporting).
 Using the “balanced scorecard” for decision-making and discussing different
performance indicators.
Course Format:
The principle method of instruction will include discussion of any questions arising from the chapter
assigned readings on the relevant management accounting theory, combined with the analysis and
discussion of problems and case analysis to further reinforce theory and practice. Students are
expected to come to class having read the in-class work and assigned chapter readings.
Students are expected to be fully prepared for classes and active discussions, including completion of
assigned cases. Developing a full understanding of the material is enhanced by completion of all
assigned problems and students are strongly encouraged to do these, as a minimum. It may be helpful
to meet with fellow students, after having attempted the problems/cases individually, to verify
answers and work out any difficulties. Problems will be reviewed in class using a team approach to
learning.
Connect assignments will provide questions, solutions and feedback which will allow students to
practice concepts and technical aspects to aid in their learning.
The CONNECT online learning system (access code included with the text or e-book, or purchased
separately) will be used to help you assess your preparation of course topics. These questions are
important practice, so you will definitely benefit from working through them.
A URL for the Connect learning system specific to your cohort will be posted on Brightspace.
Registration in the correct section (cohort) is important, to ensure your marks are tracked correctly.
 CONNECT: The learning platform provides questions that can be done at any time. They are
designed to reinforce the chapter content. Solutions are provided and you can do them over
again with new numbers on each attempt. Please note, in addition, there are specific Connect
assignments that are for marks (see below). These have specific deadlines (see the course
schedule)
 LearnSmart CONNECT: These are primarily theory-based questions that will allow you to test
yourself on how well you have grasped the material.
.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Note: A minimum grade of C+ in COM 316 is expected in order to register for COM 426
(Management Accounting II).
Course Assessment:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a
group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will
receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution,
will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Attendance and Participation: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to
attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending and participating in an online synchronous
session is an important part of the learning process in this course. Participation exposes you to
material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead to
better performance in the course.
Students with unexcused absences from more than 2 class sessions will have their grade reduced
by 5%. Students are generally expected to have their cameras on during synchronous sessions and
during breakout room activities. Please inform the virtual classroom moderator if you are unable to
have your camera on during a synchronous session. If you do not inform the moderator during the
class, you may be considered absent.
To document an excused absence (illness, injury or family affliction), please submit the Gustavson
self-declaration form to the BCom office (bssclerk@uvic.ca). Appropriate documentation must be
submitted immediately upon your return to classes (within 24 hours).
Schedule Summary:
In addition to the exercises, problems and cases assigned for Zoom discussions, CONNECT exercises
and problems are examples of what we feel you need to do on your own, at a minimum, to ensure
that you have grasped the material. The CONNECT system provides you the opportunity to try
questions and then receive immediate feedback within the program. You can then re-try any
questions that you had difficulty with new numbers.
The above course schedule is provided as a guide to study and is subject to revision. Changes will
be announced in class and posted on Brightspace.
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a
disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me
and/or the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by
appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations.
Com 317
Management Accounting I
Pre-requisites: Financial Accounting I
Texts:
Required Text & CONNECT Access Code
Garrison, Libby, Webb, Noreen & Brewer; Managerial Accounting; Tenth Canadian Edition with
CONNECT; McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2015, ISBN-13: 978125902490-0
eBook Version ISBN 9781259066818
If you choose to purchase a used copy of the text:
 it must be the Tenth edition
 you will need to purchase the access code for CONNECT separately – please check
with the bookstore
Course Objectives and Description:
This course is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of management accounting. It
complements the concepts covered in COM 202 Financial Accounting, by focusing on the
accounting functions internal to the organization. Management Accounting is concerned with
the analysis of and accounting for costs to support management planning, controlling and
decision-making. The course provides exposure to cost behaviour, variance analysis, shortrun
choice decisions and budgeting, as well as activity-based costing and activity- based
management.
The course objectives include:
 Recognizing the importance of management accounting in an organization and
how it is used within the context of the other functions of the company.
 Identifying the characteristics and behaviour of costs and the decisions that
influence these costs.
 Using cost/volume/profit and contribution margin analysis, including calculating
the break-even point and potential profit in a given situation.
 Identifying and applying different pricing models.
 Recognizing where to use the various cost accounting systems.
 Calculating product costs and analyzing decisions that have an influence on
these costs, and interpreting them in a decision-making context.
 Recognizing the importance of activity-based costing in the
evaluation of organizational performance.
 Applying concepts of budgeting and cash management.
 Identifying responsibility centres and various types of transfer prices.
 Determining and interpreting divisional performance (segment reporting).
 Using the “balanced scorecard” for decision-making and discussing
different performance indicators.
Course Format:
The principle method of instruction will include discussion of any questions arising from
the chapter assigned readings on the relevant management accounting theory, combined
with the analysis and discussion of problems to further reinforce theory and practice.
Students are expected to come to class having read the in-class work and assigned
chapter readings.
Students are expected to be fully prepared for classes and active discussions. Developing
a full understanding of the material is enhanced by completion of all assigned problems
and students are strongly encouraged to do these, as a minimum. It may be helpful to
meet with fellow students, after having attempted the problems individually, to verify
answers and work out any difficulties. Problems will be reviewed in class using a team
approach to learning.
There is a very strong correlation between in-class participation and performance on the
final exam. To facilitate participation in discussions, cell phones, laptops and other
electronic devices are not to be used during class.
CONNECT assignments related to the assigned chapters will provide questions,
solutions and feedback which will allow students to practice concepts and technical
aspects to aid in their learning.
The CONNECT online learning system (access code included with the text or e-book, or
purchased separately) will be used to help you assess your preparation of course topics.
These questions are important practice and the content will be consideredtestable material for the
midterm and final exams, so you will definitely benefit from working through them.
A URL for the CONNECT learning system specific to your cohort will be posted on
Course Spaces. Check the tab for your section for this information. Registration in the
correct section (cohort) is important.
 CONNECT: The learning platform provides questions that can be done at any time.
They are designed to reinforce the chapter content. Solutions are provided and you
can do them over again with new numbers on each attempt.
Please note: In addition, there are specific CONNECT assignments that are assigned
for marks (see below). These have specific deadlines (see the course schedule).
 LearnSmart CONNECT: These are primarily theory-based questions that will allow you
to test yourself on how well you have grasped the material. LearnSmart provides
feedback and focuses on your individual areas of difficulty. It is highly recommended
that you use LearnSmart as a study tool.
Your instructor must be advised immediately regarding any missed assignment submission
or absence from the midterm exam, and acceptable documentation must be provided
within 7 days. No make-up assignment or exams will be provided: instead, when
appropriate, the final examination will be assigned the proportionate amount of additional
weight.
Com 322
Leading People and Organizations II
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is COHORT based (meaning work and assignments are typically team based).
Attendance is MANDATORY in these courses due to the team-based nature of these courses. There is limited
space available in each section of these courses and as a result, these courses will be assigned on a first-come,
first served basis to students who meet the minimum GPA requirement (“B”) and have taken all course pre-
requisites.
Pre-requisites: Finite Math, Statistics, and Microeconomics
Texts:
Required text:
Bock, L. (2015). Work rules!: Insights from inside Google that will transform how you live and lead.
New York: Twelve.
This book is readily available online through Amazon or Chapters. Please note that the easiest way to
get the book is to order the ebook:
http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laszlo-bock/work-rules/9781455554805/
Required readings:
LPOII will make use of Harvard Business Review articles so you may wish to secure a subscription
(C$15/month) for the duration of this course. Although the materials are available free from Business
Source Complete (UVic Library), students in the past have indicated that searching for these files is
time consuming. Please note, as confirmed by our librarian, scanned versions of the HBR articles can
be posted to Brightspace to a limit of one article per issue. When scanned versions are available, we
will post accordingly. As per university policy, please note that the server for the HBR Magazine is
outside of Canada. If you have concerns, please contact the instructors.
We recommend that you develop a practice of lifelong learning by accessing high quality business
literature on an ongoing basis. After all, the world is continually changing and your capacity to adapt
to these dynamic conditions is an asset.
Additional readings and cases:
Additional class readings will be available on Brightspace, UVic Summon (Business Source Complete),
or online. LPOII will also utilize several business cases, which are available online from Ivey for a
nominal fee. (It is expected that each student will individually purchase the business cases as the
material is copyrighted.) Please refer to the class schedule for specifics on required readings. On the
first day of class an overview of how to access the online readings will be provided. As readings are a
critical component to understanding the material it is expected that every student will read all
required articles and cases.
Please note that we may add readings to individual classes throughout the term – it is up to you to
make sure that you check Brightspace ahead of time to ensure that you’re up to date with reading
requirements.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course explores how to foster and lead organizations in which people excel. A core component is
the underlying assumption that there are many types of organizations and that organizational
excellence depends, in part, on identifying the right fit between people, organizations, and the
external environment. Leadership success in the workplace requires the right fit between leadership
skills (motivation, engagement, influence, coaching) and the needs of individuals and groups within a
given organizational context. COM 322 builds on COM 321 by examining organizations at the
organizational level – we’ll explore how to build an HRM system that is strategic and consistent, and
the factors contributing to positive organizational cultures. Personal success such as high
performance and satisfaction at work requires an alignment between individual strengths and
preferences, and the needs of the organization, and this will continue to be our focus here.
This course maintains a dual focus: 1) on your role as a leader, fostering skills and enabling contexts
where others can thrive with a specific focus on enhanced alignment of key organizational elements;
and 2) on your personal journey to discover organizational contexts where you flourish and perform
at your best.
Together, Leading People and Organizations I and II will help you answer several questions:
 Why are some organizations better to work for than others or more successful than others?
 How do we understand this, and how can you influence this?
 What makes some organizations such great places to work (and what’s a great organization for
you?)
After you finish both Leading People and Organizations II, you should be more successful at the
following:
 Working effectively in teams to gather and communicate information, both in writing and
verbally
 Identifying values and assumptions underpinning different leadership styles and organizational
cultures
 Appreciating the complexities of organizational level concepts
 Recognizing implications for doing business globally
 Integrating organizational concepts with doing business sustainably
 Understanding the choices and trade-offs made in developing HR systems within organizations
Course Format:
Leading People and Organizations II involves in-class activities, individual, and group assignments. This
course has the potential to be an important part of your development as a successful business person,
but it requires you to fully commit to the learning process.
Guidelines for Individual and Team in Class Contributions
In order to make this course a positive learning experience for both yourself as well as your peers, we
expect you to come to class with the following guidelines in mind:
 Complete readings before class and use those readings as a basis for your active
participation during in- class activities, discussions, and individual and group
assignments. Developmental, theory-based comments are valuable for moving the
discussion forward.
 Ask questions that add to your understanding of the course material as well as the
knowledge base of your classmates. Encourage your classmates to get involved.
Avoid repeating what has already been said.
 Be considerate – come to class on time and do not leave early. Do not interrupt or
engage in private conversations while others are speaking.
 Share your opinion and be prepared to reconsider it. Respect others’ rights to hold
opinions and beliefs that are different from your own, recognizing that there are many
different ways to view the material.
 Allow everyone the chance to talk. If you have much to say, try to hold back so that your
peers might have an opportunity to participate. If you are hesitant, look for
opportunities to contribute.
What You Can Expect from Us
 We are committed to make this course a valuable learning experience for you. It will
be both rewarding as well as challenging.
 We are here to help you succeed so we are available to help via email and by
appointment. For email, please include ‘COM 322’ at the beginning of your subject
headline, followed by the subject of your email. Before you send us an email, please
check the course syllabus, notes, with your classmates and on Brightspace for the
answer to your question. We will try to respond to emails in a timely manner (within
24 hours, excluding weekends). For your more detailed or complicated questions,
please arrange for an appointment.
 We will upload relevant course materials to Brightspace.
 We will give and receive feedback. Please feel free to offer constructive feedback
about your experiences with the course, to help us make it as valuable a learning
experience as possible.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Requirements for Graded Work:
1) Participation: Our classes will be interactive, relying heavily on your insights and contributions
to class discussion. Your active participation will help you better understand and extend course
concepts, as well as contributing to your classmates’ learning. Your participation will be assessed
in three different ways:
 Participation within your teams, as informed by peer ratings after each major project (the
Pecha Kucha presentation, the KPMG simulation, and the final expansion project). You will be
asked to fill out peer feedback forms, which will help us to understand the dynamics within the
team, and will also give us insight into your ability to provide candid and constructive
feedback to your team members.
 Frequency and quality of contribution to Zoom class discussions, using either voice or chat.
You will also have opportunities to do work in Breakout rooms and submit your whiteboards or
activity sheets to the instructor, and the quality of this work will also count towards your
participation grade. If you do not attend a synchronous class or miss portions of class due to
being late or leaving early, then you cannot participate in polls, breakouts, and class
discussions, and thus your participation grade will also reflect your attendance. Also, please
note that habitual lateness or early exits may be treated as an unexcused absence for that
session.
 Your contributions to the Brightspace forum, asking you to reflect on your learnings from Part
1 of the course. Note that this element will be weighted less heavily than items #1 and #2
above.
2) Weekly Quizzes: For the first half of the course, you will be completing weekly quizzes as a
way of preparing for class discussions and helping us determine where there may be confusion or
areas of the course that require more context or elaboration. These quizzes will be based on the
readings and voice- over PowerPoint slides for the coming week, and will be completed during
class time. Please see the course schedule for the exact dates of these quizzes. For the most part,
the quizzes will be on Tuesdays, but there will be a quiz on the first Thursday of the term (Jan. 14).
The quizzes will be open for the first 20 minutes of the scheduled synchronous class, and then we’ll
meet on Zoom after that.
Example: Thursday, Jan. 14
Cohort 1 Quiz from 8:30-8:50, Meet on Zoom for class from 8:50 – 9:50.
Cohort 2 Quiz from 10:00 – 10:20, Meet on Zoom for class from 10:20 – 11:20
Cohort 3 Quiz from 11:30 – 11:50, Meet on Zoom for class from 11:50 – 12:50
Cohort 4 Quiz from 3:00 – 3:20, Meet on Zoom for class from 3:20 – 4:20
Cohort 5, Quiz from 4:30 – 4:50, Meet on Zoom for class from 4:50 – 5:50
3) Team Pecha Kucha Presentations: The purpose of this project is to work with your team to
research and present to the class on a topic relevant to contemporary issues in strategic human
resource management. Each team will be asked to sign up for a particular topic (see list of topics
and due dates below), and then to synthesize a reading(s) on that topic and present it to the class
in the form of a pecha kucha presentation. Please see the assignment description in Brightspace
for more details on this assignment.
4) KPMG Simulation Team Feedback: Details to follow.
5) Weekly Submissions: Based on the readings, each team will have an opportunity to apply the
concepts to their selected capstone project company (please see below). In addition to the team’s
contribution, each team member will offer feedback on the weekly readings. Additional details will
be explained in class.
6) Final Capstone: Teams will choose a company and propose expanding its operations to another
country, where that company currently does not have any part of its value chain. You will create a
proposal for an integrated and aligned organization within the new country context using the Harvard
HRM Map and organizational design/culture/change/leadership principles. In addition to Com 322
course materials, you may want to consider components covered in your Com 361 IB class, with a
particular focus on the socio- cultural environment. Your team will have to agree on how you will
conduct your analysis, write up your findings, and present them to the class. Please be thorough, cite
your sources, and use this as an excellent opportunity to learn about leading people and
organizations in an international context. The paper proposal (written by the whole team) will be no
more than 5000 words of text. Title page, table of contents, appendices, and references will not count
towards the total word count. Please be compelling in your limited space and please use a variety of
sources for your paper: industry and government reports, company websites, WSJ, Business Week,
articles, interviews with professors or industry experts, insights from people you know or those who
know a lot about the country you have selected to pursue. It is also recommended that you access
IBIS World, Mint Global, and Business Source Complete as these are powerful databases. Please
make sure that your paper includes appropriate references. A well-chosen diagram or chart can
sometimes be very persuasive!
7) Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive and will cover material from class
lectures/discussions and required readings but in an applied context. The specifics of the exam
format will be discussed in class and we will time prior to the exam to answer your questions on
course content. If you have a passing grade throughout the term but have a failing final grade
due to your performance on the final exam, you may be eligible to write a supplemental exam.
Supplemental exams are limited to one core course per term for any student. The BCom office
will notify eligible students after all term grades for core classes have been submitted. A final
grade in the course with a passing supplemental exam result cannot exceed 59%.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a
group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will
receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution,
will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes
in which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this
course. Attendance exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and
helps clarify material that can lead to better performance in the course. Therefore, if you have
more than two unexcused absences*, you will receive a 5% reduction in your final grade for the
course. More than five unexcused absences may also mean you are not allowed to write the final
exam.
To document an excused absence (illness, injury or family affliction), please see the BCom program
office (BEC 283). Appropriate documentation must be submitted to the BCom office immediately
upon your return to classes (within 24 hours).
* Unexcused absences are absences without appropriate documentation as per the University Calendar.
Assignments are due on the date scheduled: As in the business world, work must be received on
time to matter. To be fair to all the students who submit on time, if you are late on an assignment,
your grade on that assignment will be reduced by 10% for each day it is late.
The Gustavson School of Business guidelines for written work require the use of the APA style for
citations. For help on APA style, see here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/
Com 331
Introduction to Management Information Systems
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is COHORT based (meaning work and assignments are typically team based).
Attendance is MANDATORY in these courses due to the team-based nature of these courses. There is limited
space available in each section of these courses and as a result, these courses will be assigned on a first-come,
first served basis to students who meet the minimum GPA requirement (“B”) and have taken all course pre-
requisites.
Pre-requisites: Finite Math, Statistics, and Microeconomics
Course Objectives and Description:
This course is designed to introduce you to thinking analytically about the role of information systems,
technologies and networks in modern organizations, in support of business strategy, strategic
initiatives, operations, and corporate philosophies. We will use a variety of approaches to examine
how they can be used effectively in today's connected enterprise, whether small or large, or whether
in support of general business goals or of an entrepreneurial advantage. Our focus will be the
managerial perspective on the use, design, and evaluation of information systems to complement
and enhance the expertise of technical specialists and create a holistic understanding about
technology in organizations for the 21st century.
The course objectives are to teach you to:
 Understand the role of Information Systems in modern organizations and the fundamental
individual, social, managerial, environmental and technical issues that decision makers must be
able to address.
 Think critically about technology, question its merits, consider its drawbacks and anticipate its
long term intended and unintended consequences, which is especially important in the current
vendor-driven environment.
 Develop a basic set of tools, frameworks and models for guiding questions and decisions about
Information Systems.
 Create a learning environment that will increase your comfort and familiarity with making smart
decisions about technology for your organization.
For individual learning objectives, please refer to the Class Learning Objectives.
Texts and Resources:
Throughout the course, we will combine different types of materials (see below). The content of all
class materials, such as class discussions, guest and student presentations, videos, assigned
readings, etc. is subject to examination in the midterm and final exam.
Book:
Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 16th Edition Kenneth C. Laudon, New
York University 2020 ISBN-13: 9780135192634. We only use specific chapters (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13),
which we have compiled as an ebook at Pearson for $68.18. To purchase it, create a new Pearson
account or sign in at: https://console.pearsoned.com/enrollment/zjsqa7.
Cases:
Jan prepared a Harvard Business School CoursePack with the cases for you at
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/788829 (US$30). You need to register on the website before you
can access the material.
Optional reading: Digital Marketing. Sunil Gupta, Joseph Davin (58 pages, $7.95).
Course Format:
This course will combine teaching cases, lectures, discussion, and in-class exercises, to introduce you
to the concepts and business issues facing managers as they deal with the new realities of
electronically-mediated business.
Learning is an active process - the more active you are, the more you will learn. Therefore, the course
will rely heavily on outside reading and preparation to make maximum use of in-class time. In addition,
every member of the class is expected to contribute to the group's learning through discussion, debate,
presentation, and possibly interaction with guest speakers.
Class Preparation:
MIS is a lively topic, and a course on MIS should also be lively. This means you need to be prepared and
share your thoughts with each other. You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in an
informed conversation. This requires reading, thinking about, and developing a point of view regarding
the topic assigned for that day. Reading of the material is a must, otherwise we will not be able to
discuss them in class.
To be able to focus on our conversations, please close other applications on your computer and put
your other devices (e.g., phones) away. You may also be asked to share your screen for some activities,
and might not want to share your open tabs, browser bookmarks etc. Arrive early, if possible, to ensure
a prompt start time and give you a chance to ensure your audio/video is working.
Evaluation Elements:
1. Decision Support and BI Project (Olga)
This component includes in-class activities as well as scheduled deliverables. See Project description
and instructions for details.
2. Tech Talks (Jan)
In addition to learning about information technology (IT), this course aims to help you learn about
learning about IT. That is, developing the cognitive skills to help you keep learning about new ITs as
they emerge. Time will be set aside in Jan’s first class (January 13) to discuss this deliverable,
opportunities to practice Tech Talks and feedback mechanisms in detail.
The goal of this presentation is to brief the class on a nascent information technology. In doing so,
you will need to answer two key questions: What is it? and As a general manager, why should I care?
You have (almost) complete and total discretion over which technology to present, but each topic can
only be presented once. We encourage you to be creative and broad in your thinking. In fact, a
significant portion of the evaluation will be based on how you convey enthusiasm for the technology
and its implications for markets, organizations, society and/or individuals.
The in-class, synchronous deliverable will consist of a 10-minute team presentation, followed by a 5minute
discussion. You may organize yourselves as you best see fit to make a clear, memorable, and
compelling Tech Talk, but everyone in your group needs to present. The only other rule is: NO
POWERPOINT. That’s right, you will NOT be allowed to use ANY slides, videos, images or media of any
kind, for this presentation. PowerPoint has become a regrettable crutch for many managers, and often
substitutes for content. Your challenge is to be compelling in person, using all of the personal online
communication tools you’ve developed during the Bachelor program, and to explore others. Please
keep in mind that in an online format, it is important to think about your audience and their ability
to absorb content. Sometimes, as they say, “less is more”.
This is your chance to be truly creative, and we encourage you to innovate.
You will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Technology: What are we talking about? Description and explanation 30%
Impact: Why should managers care? Depth, clarity & completeness of analysis 30%
Presentation: Group dynamics, flow and time management 20%
Moderation: Ability to manage the audience, facilitate discussion and answer questions 20%
A great Tech Talk shows excellent understanding of technology and exposition of relevant issues,
insightful and well-informed arguments, clear evidence of independent thought, good awareness of
nuances and complexities, and an engaging experience for everyone.
3. Participation and in-class exercises
The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in which they
are enrolled.” Attending and participating in an online synchronous session is an important part of the
learning process in this course. Participation exposes you to material not in the readings, to your
classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead to better performance in the course.
The quality of your class contributions will be assessed on the extent to which they facilitate collective
learning. A quality contribution reflects thoughtful, creative and incisive analysis, versus simply
reciting facts from the reading. Quality contributions help others learn, perhaps by synthesizing points
of view, redirecting a discussion that has hit an impasse, clarifying ambiguities or provoking debate.
Our classroom should be a safe environment to take risks and challenge ourselves.
Contributions include more than raising your hand - they will include main points and questions
submitted to discussions on Brightspace, participating actively in breakout rooms, presenting group
work to the class etc. Details will be discussed in week 1.
If you’re shy... we understand and respect that everyone is different, and will be more or less
comfortable speaking up in our classes. Our class is risk- and judgment-free, and it’s on us to make
sure you feel comfortable sharing your ideas, perspectives and opinions with your colleagues. Please talk
to us if you need a little extra encouragement.
Students with unexcused absences from more than 2 class sessions will have their grade reduced by
5%, in addition students with unexcused absences from more than 5 class sessions may not be permitted
to write the final examination. Students are generally expected to have their cameras on during
synchronous sessions and during breakout room activities. Please inform the virtual classroom
moderator if you are unable to have your camera on during a synchronous session. If you do not inform
the moderator during the class, you may be considered absent.
To document an excused absence (illness, injury or family affliction), please submit the Gustavson
self-declaration form to the BCom office (bssclerk@uvic.ca). Appropriate documentation must be
submitted immediately upon your return to classes (within 24 hours).
*unexcused absences = absences without appropriate documentation (self-declaration form). Due to
the ongoing Covid-19 situation, no medical documentation is required. Self-declaration forms can be
found in the BrightSpace course site.
4. Midterm
A midterm exam will assess your overall understanding of the material. It will include both multiple
choice and short answer questions.
5. Final Exam
A cumulative final exam will assess your overall understanding of the material. It will include both
multiple choice and short answer questions.
Late work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty of
5% for each day an assignment is late.
Grade review: If you disagree with the assessment received on a grade component, you may request, in
writing, that the work be reviewed. You need to explain, in detail, why you think that it deserves a
different grade, based on your work, relevant course materials and the assignment’s grading
rubric. Note that we may choose to review the work in its entirety, not just the portion in question and
that the review may lead to a higher, lower or unchanged grade.
Group work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. All team
members will receive the same grade, and are expected to participate equally in discussions, design,
and development for the deliverables. We will regularly monitor the team member’s fair and equitable
collaboration and performance including recurrent Peer Review evaluation (see sample). Each group
needs to appoint a point-person (aka “team captain”) who will act as the only liaison between the
group and the instructors.
Com 362
Business and Sustainability
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is COHORT based (meaning work and assignments are typically team based).
Attendance is MANDATORY in these courses due to the team-based nature of these courses. There is limited
space available in each section of these courses and as a result, these courses will be assigned on a first-come,
first served basis to students who meet the minimum GPA requirement (“B”) and have taken all course pre-
requisites.
Pre-requisites: Finite Math, Statistics, and Microeconomics
Texts and Resources:
We do not have a textbook for this course. We find that the materials change so often and
written text have trouble keeping up. In addition, this is a very practical course and we draw on
readings from documents (such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights) that are available on
websites and through the UVic Library.
Two benefits of this are that there is no cost to you, and that course material can be accessed
anywhere. Links to course material will be posted regularly into the course’s site on Brightspace.
Course Objectives and Description:
COM 362 is a “Research-Enriched Course” where students will actively learn from recent scholarly
work in the field of sustainability, and where they will be able to develop their own research skills by
crafting and developing their own research project about a sustainability-related topic.
Sustainability in business is both an imperative and an opportunity. It is a strategic business issue—
some say it is the strategic issue facing business in the 21st century. On the imperative side, the
business environment and competitive landscape has changed such that all companies, if they are
to meet the requirements of today’s marketplace and business environment, are well advised to
incorporate Sustainability into business strategies, product and service design, production
processes, and stakeholder relationships.
Further, at the big picture level, the inherent unsustainability of our current industrial system is
creating concerns about climate change, environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, human
health, social and environmental conflict, poverty, working conditions, among other issues. In
response to pressures from all quarters – consumer markets, corporate customers, regulatory
agencies, stakeholder activists, and the investment community – the business environment is
gradually, but clearly, shifting to favour environmentally and socially responsible products, services,
and practices. This presents various opportunities for astute businesses and entrepreneurs, but
also calls for universities and research centers to play their part in the generation of knowledge
aimed to help society to shift into more sustainable ways of production.
The purpose of this course is to educate students, and foster research, on the opportunities and
challenges of developing more sustainable business strategies and practices, and to explore the
changing role of business in society and in relation to the environment.
The course will prepare students to engage with and use concepts, tools, and frameworks commonly
used by businesses in the transition to practices that – in addition to addressing traditional financial
goals – incorporate social and environmental sustainability into their strategy and operations.
Our class covers these major themes:
 What is sustainability and why does it matter?
 Ethics and justice
 A Stakeholder View of the Organization
 Sustainable Development Goals
 Human Rights and Indigenous Rights
 Measuring Impact on Society
 Sustainable reporting
 Marketing and communication
 Business and government relations
 Social entrepreneurship
 Basics of research design, method, and writing
Upon successful completion of Com 362, students will be able to:
 Recognize and describe the social and environmental issues affecting businesses and
society today.
 Identify business organizations as embedded in social and ecological systems.
 Recognize and understand the power of business to negatively or positively affect
environmental, social, and economic well-being.
 Recognize and engage stakeholders holding multiple and often times divergent
interests.
 Apply key and cutting-edge sustainability frameworks, tools, and concepts.
 Execute their own research projects and critically assess other scholars’ research on
sustainability-related topics.
 Be aware of their own role when participating in personal and professional decisions related to
social, environmental, and economic sustainability.
Course Format:
Our teaching philosophy centres on an appreciation of diverse and contrasting viewpoints, critical
thinking, creativity, and experiential learning. We aim to expose students to a wide range of
perspectives on the link between business and sustainability; challenge them to think critically,
develop their own opinions, and be able to defend them; and enable students to apply course
principles in a variety of contexts. It is important to highlight that this is a “Research Enriched Course”,
where students will be able to explore their creative potential by using scientific methods (and rigour)
to produce knowledge in the relevant field of sustainability. More importantly, the expectation of the
research-oriented character of this course aims not only to contribute to current theoretical debates,
but to generate knowledge that has managerial implications for the way businesses are run.
The course draws on a range of learning tools: lecturing, readings, audio-visual materials, PowerPoint
slides, class discussions and exercises, individual and group assignments, web-based sources, and
illustrative cases. These are designed to fulfill the course objectives: they will familiarize you with the
social, environmental and financial challenges and opportunities faced by managers
and innovations by and for business.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Course Assessment:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a
group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will
receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution,
will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty
of 10% for each day an assignment is late.
Attendance and Participation: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to
attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending and participating in an online Synchronous
session is an important part of the learning process in this course. Participation exposes you to material
not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead to
better performance in the course.
Students with unexcused absences from more than 2 class sessions will have their grade reduced
by 5%, in addition students with unexcused absences from more than 5 class sessions may not be
permitted to write the final examination. Students are generally expected to have their cameras on
during Synchronous sessions and during breakout room activities. Please inform the virtual
classroom moderator if you are unable to have your camera on during a Synchronous session. If
you do not inform the moderator during the class, you may be considered absent.
To document an excused absence (illness, injury or family affliction), please submit the Gustavson
self-declaration form to the BCom office (bssclerk@uvic.ca). Appropriate documentation must be
submitted immediately upon your return to classes (within 24 hours).
*unexcused absences = absences without appropriate documentation (self-declaration form). Due
to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, no medical documentation is required. Self-declaration forms can
be found in the Brightspace course site.
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you
have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to
approach me and/or the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are
available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate
accommodations. The sooner you let us know your needs the quicker we can assist you in
achieving your learning goals in this course.
Com 371
Management Finance
IMPORTANT NOTE: This course is COHORT based (meaning work and assignments are typically team based).
Attendance is MANDATORY in these courses due to the team-based nature of these courses. There is limited
space available in each section of these courses and as a result, these courses will be assigned on a first-come,
first served basis to students who meet the minimum GPA requirement (“B”) and have taken all course pre-
requisites.
Pre-requisites: Finite Math, Statistics, and Microeconomics
Texts and Resources:
The required textbook for this course is Introduction to Corporate Finance, 5th Canadian Edition by
Laurence Booth, W. Sean Cleary, Ian Rakita (Wiley: Toronto, ON) ISBN: 978-1-119-56162-0
The text can be purchased or rented online at Wiley:
https://www.wiley.com/en-ca/Introduction+to+Corporate+Finance%2C+5th+Canadian+Edition-p-
9781119561620
The text can also be purchased at the Campus Bookstore. If you want, you can use a previous edition
but the section numbers may have changed. Please double check with me if you have any questions.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course provides an introduction to corporate financial management and the key decisions and
issues faced by financial officers in corporations. The course has three major objectives:
 Provide an introduction to financial markets and the sources of capital for mature firms.
 Introduce financial policies set by senior managers and show how these policies
affect a company’s ability to pursue its business strategy and achieve its
operational objectives.
 Demonstrate the analytical tools used to evaluate whether proposed business activities add
value to a company.
The goal is to ensure all students, regardless of career aspirations, gain an appreciation for the
financial issues facing companies and to equip all students with the analytical tools that are used to
address these issues.
The topics covered in this course include: time value of money; bond and equity valuation; investing;
risk, return and portfolio theory; the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and cost of capital; capital
budgeting and project evaluation using internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV);
financial statement analysis and forecasting; and working capital management.
Upon completing the course, students should be able to define basic terminology, to understand the
theoretical relationships, and to apply the analytical techniques covered in the course to various
decision- making situations. Students will develop problem-solving and decision-making skills through
practical examples and assignments. Students will also acquire knowledge of Canadian financial
markets and the institutional environment in which financial decisions are made.
We will be using Excel extensively in this course. Excel is an excellent financial tool that is an
industry standard for financial professionals. Students will be asked to solve financial problems
using Excel.
Students are encouraged to review Excel basics before the course. Within Excel, you can find
tutorials by typing “Excel for Windows training” in the bar “Tell me what you want to do…”.
Course Format:
Formally, this course is your introduction to finance. We will combine asynchronous (recorded) and
synchronous (live) components that introduce a toolbox of skills that will serve you throughout your
professional careers and personal financial lives. I hope you will find this course useful whether you
plan to pursue a career in financial services or simply want to save for many life experiences and
invest for your retirement. Understanding the language of finance and having good financial literacy
are life skills.
My teaching philosophy:
 Less is more in an online setting. Rather than rushing through the material, it is better to
build a strong foundation.
 I believe in the introduce – reinforce – master model of learning. We will introduce the
material using readings and videos, reinforce the material in our discussions, and develop
your mastery through quizzes and the final exam.
 Even though we are taking this class online, I want to hit all learnings styles. So I post my
PowerPoint slides that complement the textbook readings for visual and reading/writing
learners, I post videos on YouTube for aural learners, and we work through problems with
Q&A in class (and office hours) for kinesthetic learners.
 I firmly believe that “students don’t care what you know until they know that you care”. I
will do my best to be gentle, kind and empathetic. If I am not doing a good job, I would
appreciate an email to let me know. I encourage you to connect with me during office hours
(the final 30 minutes of each class) or by appointment on Fridays.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Course Assessment:
Group Work
The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a group-based
assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will receive the same
grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution, will be specified in
writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Late Work
In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty of 5% for
each day an assignment is late.
Attendance and Participation:
The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in which they
are enrolled.” Attending and participating in an online synchronous session is an important part of
the learning process in this course. Participation exposes you to material not in the readings, to your
classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead to better performance in the course.
Students are generally expected to have their cameras on during synchronous sessions and during
breakout room activities. Please inform the virtual classroom moderator if you are unable to have
your camera on during a synchronous session. If you do not inform the moderator during the class,
you may be considered absent.
Students with unexcused absences* from more than 2 class sessions will have their grade
reduced by 5%.
Students with unexcused absences* from more than 5 class sessions may not be permitted to
write the final examination.
Quizzes:
Students in this course will complete ten (10) quizzes worth a combined total of 50% of your final
grade. Each quiz will be worth 5% and will be made available on BrightSpace. Quizzes will be scheduled
once per week, starting in the second week of the course. The quiz each week will cover the material
assigned and covered over the previous week, unless specified otherwise. Several quizzes will cover
multiple classes.
Your weekly quiz will open Friday at 08:00 PT and must be completed by Monday at 20:00 PT. Students
will have 30 minutes to complete each quiz once the quiz is begun. At the end of 30 minutes, the quiz
will close automatically and any work will be submitted. A failure to attempt a quiz will lead to a
grade of 0% on that quiz. Your grade for the quiz and feedback will be released by Tuesday 10:00 PT.
If you experience technical difficulties, please email your instructor with an explanation of what
happened as soon as possible. Based on your circumstances, your instructor will then decide whether to
reset your quiz or not. Please allow for delays if you are emailing over the weekend.
Quizzes will consist of qualitative and quantitative questions. A question may be multiple choice,
match the answer, or some other BrightSpace format that can be graded automatically. For some
quantitative questions, you will be asked to enter the numerical answer based on the inputs given. You
will not be able to show your work. You are expected to use Excel or a financial calculator to get the
correct answer. If you make a mistake in Excel or with your financial calculator and submit the wrong
number on BrightSpace, you will get the question wrong. It is your responsibility to learn how to use
these tools effectively.
Com 400
Strategic Management
Pre-requisites:
 Financial Accounting I
 Organizational Behaviour
 Human Resources Management
 Marketing
 International Business
 Business and Sustainability
 Management Accounting
 Introduction to Management Information Systems
 Operations Management
 Management Finance
Texts:
There is NO prescribed textbook for the course. All the relevant readings will be included in the course
pack (see below). Following are some books that you may refer for additional knowledge and
understanding other than the readings and cases given in the course package.
Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., & Hoskisson, R.E. Strategic Management: Concepts: Competitiveness and
Globalization, Eleventh Edition, Cengage Learning, Stamford, 2015, ISBN-13: 978-1-285-42518-4.
Grant, R.M. Contemporary Strategy Analysis, Eighth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex, 2013, ISBN
9781119941880.
An open textbook of Strategic Management (Canadian Edition) can be found here:
https://open.bccampus.ca/find-open-textbooks/?uuid=91cdcf18-273d-44cc-8432-
865d09005fda&contributor=&keyword=&subject
Cases and Readings:
The course pack will include all reading materials for the course, which include case studies and readings.
In addition, short videos may be used in the class to illustrate or strengthen some of the conceptual ideas
discussed. COM 400 Course Pack is available at the Bookstore.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course seeks to discuss concepts and tools for designing and implementing effective competitive
strategies in the rapidly changing global business environment. Strategy is about the direction of
organizations (most often, business firms) and is aimed at understanding why some organizations succeed
while others do not. It includes those issues which are of primary concern to senior management, or to
anyone seeking reasons for the success and failure among organizations. Students are placed in the role
of key decision makers and asked to address questions related to the creation or reinforcement of
competitive advantage. Firms, if not all organizations, are in competition; competition for factor inputs,
competition for customers, and ultimately, competition for revenues that cover the costs of their chosen
manner of serving their customers. Firms have choices to make if they are to survive and thrive. Those
which are strategic include: the selection of goals, the choice of products and services to offer; the
design and configuration of policies determining how the firm positions itself to compete in productmarkets;
the choice of an appropriate level of scope and diversity; and the design of organization
structure, administrative systems and policies used to define and coordinate work. It is a basic
proposition of the strategy discipline that these choices have critical influence on the success or failure
of the enterprise, and, that they must be integrated. It is the integration (or reinforcing pattern) among
these choices that makes the set a strategy. Specifically, the course objectives are as follows:
To assist you in acquiring the skills necessary to analyze, assess, design and implement business
strategies and programs particularly those that transcend national boundaries.
To challenge you to think critically and in an integrative fashion about various facets of global
competition.
To foster an appreciation of the external forces that influence and shape the competitive advantage
of businesses.
Course Format and Pedagogy:
A combination of case discussions, and interactive lectures will constitute the key pedagogic methods.
The skills this course aims to develop are best acquired through practice and repeated exposure to real
world strategic scenarios. As the case method has been found to be the most suitable teaching method
in this regard, there will be a high emphasis on case discussions as a pedagogic device. It is expected
that all participants will read and thoroughly analyse the assigned case before coming to the class. It is
useful to hold discussions in small groups (such as your group for the group project) before coming to
class. The readings assigned along with the cases are intended to provide conceptual frameworks though
not necessarily applicable for each session and for the paired case. The case discussions generally involve
a wider range of issues than covered in the designated articles.
The case situation provides a realistic context within which one can identify the major issues facing the
firm and reason one's way through to appropriate strategic responses and recommendations for action.
All the data necessary for reaching a decision about required courses of action are presented in the case.
The data are not complete, but nor are they in a real world situation. You simply have to make the best
judgment you can on the basis of the available information. This is the reason too that cases can rarely
be 'outdated'. The specific time period (or company or product) covered in the case is often no more
than an interesting sidelight. Rather, the principles illustrated by the case are the key to learning. Since
adequate preparation is essential for the case method to be effective, it is important that you prepare
thoroughly for each class. You may be called upon to start the class or contribute to class discussions on
any day. If for some reason you have been unable to prepare adequately, please inform the professor
before class. However, I urge you to attend all classes, even if inadequately prepared. Use the discussion
questions listed under each session as a guide to case preparation. These questions will not necessarily
be discussed in class.
Requirements for Graded Work:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Individual Case Assignments: There will be three individual assignments, the weights for each of which
will be 10%. The assignments will be related to the case discussion questions assigned for each class in
the course outline. Out of the case studies assigned for sessions 2 through 10 (a total of nine), you can
submit the analyses of any three (and only three) for grading purposes. Please see the Table above for
more details on the case assignments.
Class Participation (15%): Grading of class contribution will be based on the impact you have on the
class discussion during the course. The scoring pattern for the class participation grade is indicated in
the Table above. As the case method will be the primary pedagogical tool for the course, you will be
expected to actively participate in class discussions. However, as you would be familiar by now, it is
quality rather than mere quantity that will be rewarded. Simply monopolizing 'air time' without adding
to the learning of the group will not garner credit and may even detract from it. Regular attendance
will count toward the participation grade. If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please let
me know ahead of time. Lack of preparation for the class, failure to listen, defensive behavior (e.g.
aggression or withdrawal) and so on, drain energy and distract from class goals and hence such
activities will attract even negative marks.
Group Project Report and Presentation (25%+10%):
Guidelines for the Group Project
An important part of the course is the completion of a group project. Students are asked to form
groups of 5 to complete a strategic analysis of an organization or a specific strategic problem within an
organization. The chosen organization can be a for-profit or a not-for-profit organization. One of the
key purposes of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. The project, which will
involve the strategic analysis of the chosen problem/issue, will give you the opportunity to apply the
methodologies, skills, and techniques you learn to real-world business contexts. In addition, the
project is designed to help develop skills in unearthing and evaluating business information from
multiple sources. Therefore, the group project helps in developing critical and integrative thinking.
Proposal Due: June 2, 2017
Each group should submit a brief outline (one page or less) for the project by June 2 2017 that includes
the name of the firm or firms to be studied, the research question, why it is interesting for the group
and the group’s research plan. This sheet should also be attached to the final project report to be
submitted later.
You may choose a topic from the following illustrative list. You could also choose a comparable topic in
consultation with the instructor.
A study of the strategy involved when a company has gained or lost competitive advantage
Competitive interaction and strategic moves by various selected players in a global industry
Entry strategies by multinational firms into various local markets (e.g., emerging markets such as
China)
Entry and globalization strategies of a Canadian firm competing in global markets.
Please note: Companies that have been used in the course as cases are off limits for the group
project.
Presentation: July 21, 2017
Report Due: July 28, 2017
Begin your report by presenting a one-page executive summary. Although each project will vary, there
should be segments of the paper on strategy identification, on the effectiveness of strategies observed,
and on implementable conclusions. There should be a strong attempt to link the project with course
concepts. The broad criteria for evaluation would include logical flow and integration, use of appropriate
conceptual tools, organization and clarity of writing (and presentation), clear recommendations and/or
implementable conclusions, and the research rigour and support. The maximum length permitted for the
project report is 15 double-spaced pages (excluding the title page, exhibits, and references). Please use
12-point font, with 1" margins on all sides and all pages numbered. Be sure to clearly reference your data
sources, using footnotes or end-notes. Cite web addresses in full where web-based information has been
used. In case of verbatim quotes of a sentence or more, it is usually necessary to use quotation marks
and cite page numbers. Deviations from these guidelines will be penalized.
All members of the group will generally receive the same grade. However, an adjustment for relative
contribution may be made, at the discretion of the instructor, if the remaining members of the group
state that one or more members did not participate in any meaningful way.
I will be happy to assist you in any way possible to help maximize your learning from the project and
encourage you to interact with me on your projects as often as you like.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in
which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course.
Attendance exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material that can lead to better performance in the course. As you are expected to participate in class
discussions of the case assigned for each class, lack of attendance will have an effect on your class
participation grade.
Late arrival, attending only a part of a session, etc. are disruptive to the learning environment and you
are expected to refrain from such activities.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson School of
Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases of cheating
or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate Dean, Programs.
A student who violates academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and potentially fail the
course, with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our School. Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited
to, the following:
using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without
referencing the source of these words.
paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of another
person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal presentation)
without referencing the source.
copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the purpose of
submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
stealing or mutilating library materials.
accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior discussions
with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the
instructor and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or
profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the
Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
Com 402
Legal Issues in Management
Pre-requisites:
 Financial Accounting
 Management Accounting
 Human Resource Management
 Organizational Behaviour
 Operations Management
 Marketing
 International Business
 Business and Sustainability
 Introduction to Management Information Systems
 Management Finance
Course Objective:
From the University of Victoria Calendar:
"This course examines several aspects of commercial law that are particularly relevant to those who
own, manage, or are employed by a business enterprise. Subjects that will be addressed include
common law doctrines (such as contract and negligence), legislation (such as the Employment
Standards Act and the Company Act) and other legal principles that affect business decision making in a
global environment."
This course is primarily concerned with law as it affects business. While there is no self-contained law
of business, the course will examine areas of law which impact business. Principal topics include, an
introduction to the Anglo-Canadian system of law, the law of tort and negligence, including
professionals' liability, the law of contract, the law of principal and agent, the law of employment.
Within the above, we will consider the differences which result from the choice of legal form of
business, whether it be sole proprietorship, partnership or limited partnership, corporation or trust.
The respective liability of the principals of each form of business will also be considered.
Methodology:
Instruction will principally follow the lecture and case-method approach. Questions from the class and
open discussion of topics by the class are especially encouraged. Readings and cases from the textbook
should be completed in advance of class. There will be opportunities for individual and group
exercises.
Textbook:
Contemporary Canadian Business Law, Principles and Cases, Willes, John A., Q.C., and Willes, John H.
(11th or latest edition) available from bookstore. Earlier editions from any source are also
recommended and very good value.
Evaluation:
Student grades in Commerce 402 will be determined on the basis of performance in the following
components
1. 15 minute case presentations (groups of four students) 10 % of final mark
2. One-hour, open-book, mid-term examination 30 % of final mark
3. Mooting exercise (court simulation - groups of three students) 20 % of final mark
4. Two-hour, open-book, final examination 40 % of final mark
Total: 100%
Case Presentations:
Students must form groups of four students either themselves or on the basis of the instructor's random
assignments. The groups must be formed by the week following the last day to drop the course. Each
group will be given a trial or appeal court decision to present. Following a format which will be
explained, each group must brief the case and then present it to the whole class. Case presentations to
the class will be scheduled in class in February.
Case briefs summarise the essential elements of a case, including its procedural history (the path of
the dispute through the legal system), the relevant facts, the legal issues for resolution by the court,
the decision reached by the court and, most importantly, the reasons for decision.
In addition, groups are expected to comment upon the impact of the decision on business. By this is
meant the impact the decision is likely to have on business or industry having particular regard to the
functional areas of marketing, accounting, finance and human resources management. For example,
what will be the implication on personnel practices, marketing policies, management information
systems, financial strategies etc.
Group case presentations should take approximately 10 minutes and involve each member of the group
in a speaking role. The typewritten case brief must be submitted to the instructor before the
presentation and indicate the part or parts contributed by each member.
Mooting Exercise - Court Simulation
Students will form groups of seven students (different from the case groups) themselves or on the basis
of the instructor's random assignments. The groups will be formed before the mid-term examination.
One student in each group will assume the role of "Counsel for the Plaintiff", one student "Counsel for
the Defendant", and the remaining member of the group will be the appellate Judge. Each member of
the group will prepare its respective position in the mooting exercise for oral presentation to the whole
class. These presentations will take place between March 29 and April 5, 2018.
Background information will be provided in mid-February. Counsel for the Plaintiff and Counsel for the
Defendant must submit to the instructor, before their oral presentation, a typewritten brief of 3-5
pages summarizing their position on the issues. Counsel must give each other and the Judge a copy of
this brief. At the oral presentation, the Judges will hear each party and deliver a decision. Following
Counsels' presentation, the Judges will deliver an oral decision, to be supported by a typewritten
decision of 3-5 pages. The Judges' written decision need not be identical with the oral decision. The
Judges' decision must be deposited into the dropbox in the Faculty of Business within the week
following the respective moot.
The Briefs and Decisions will be graded using some or all of the following criteria: quality and merit of
legal argument, creativity, organisation, clarity and appropriate citation of case or statute.
University Calendar:
Students are encouraged to read the regulations applicable to the course found in the University of
Victoria Calendar.
Attendance:
The Senate of the University states that "Students are expected to attend all lectures in each course
for which they are enrolled". Regular attendance and preparation will enhance students' contribution
and success in the course.
Assistance with your work:
If a student intends to seek help or receives help from anyone on any coursework that will be evaluated
in this course (ie help from another student, a tutor or anyone), you must get my permission in
advance to submit that work for evaluation. Failure to do so will be treated in accordance with the
university and faculty policies on plagiarism.
Academic Integrity, plagiarism and cheating
As a program which helps to create business and government leaders, the Faculty of Business has an
obligation to ensure the highest standard of academic integrity. Instances of cheating or plagiarism will
be referred to the Chair of the B.Comm. Committee. Students who participate in any form of cheating
and/or plagiarism may be required to withdraw from the Faculty of Business.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our Faculty.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and
without referencing the source of the words.
b. Duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
c. Paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of
another person, whether written or verbal (e.g., personal communication, ideas from a verbal
presentation) without referencing the source.
d. Copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
e. Providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
f. Impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the
purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
g. Stealing or mutilating library materials.
h. Reviewing a test or examination prior to the time and date set for the test or examination.
i. Changing names or answers on an assignment, test or examination after that assignment, test or
examination has been graded and returned.
j. Submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior
approval from the instructors involved.
Group Projects and Group Work:
Students should be aware that group projects are subject to the same rules regarding academic
dishonesty. Because of the unique nature of group projects, all group members should exercise special
care to ensure that the group project does not violate the policy on Academic Integrity. Should a
violation occur, group members may be held jointly accountable unless the violation can be attributed
to a specified individual or individuals.
Some courses, while not requiring group projects, encourage (or at least do not prohibit) students to
together in groups before submitting individual assignments. Students are encouraged to discuss this
issue as it relates to academic integrity with their instructor to avoid violating this policy.
Provisional Reading and Topics List
Week Beginning Topic
4 January Introduction to the Canadian Legal System: Text Chs. 1-3
9 January Video - Sources of Constitutional and Statute Law
11 January Introduction to the Canadian Legal System (continued): Text Chs. 1-3
16 January Video - Sources of Common Law
18 January Introduction to the Canadian Legal System (continued): Text Chs. 1-3
23 January Tort Law; Negligence and Professional Liability: Text: Chs. 4 & 5
25 January Tort Law; Negligence and Professional Liability: (continued)
30 January Contract: Offer and Acceptance: Text: Ch. 6
31 January Contract: Consideration, Capacity & Legality of Object: Text: Chs. 7-8
8 February Practice Mid-Term
12-16 February Reading Break ( no classes )
TBA February Midterm Examination
20-22 February Case Presentations Begin - Information on Mooting Exercise - Court
Simulation
27 February Contract: Assignment and Discharge: Text: Ch. 11
6 March Contract: Performance and Breach: Text: Ch. 12-13
13 March Agency: Text: Ch. 15
3 April Mooting Exercises Begin
5 April COM 402 Last Class
TBA Final Examination
Com 410
Leadership Strategies
Pre-requisite: Organizational Behaviour
Texts:
Harvard Business Review, HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Leadership, (Harvard Business School
Publishing Corporation, 2011, 978-1-4221-5797-8.)
Course Objectives and Description:
This course will provide students with an introduction to the process of leadership, and the need
for a manager to acquire leadership skills. More Specifically:
Understand the difference between management and leadership, and the
importance of mastering both processes.
Develop and identify the skills needed to lead people in an organization.
Create an awareness of what constitutes effective leadership.
Enhance both oral and written skills – both essential to the modern leader.
Understand the theoretical underpinning of transformational leadership based on
the research and writing of James Macgregor Burns, Warren Bennis and Bernard
M. Bass.
Course Format:
A variety of teaching approaches are used in this course. Several movies are shown to
demonstrate a variety of approaches by leaders in a variety of situations. These films are to be
analyzed by the students using the theoretical framework, provided by the previously mentioned
scholars. A 1500 to 2500 word analysis is required incorporating all of the movies, due one week
after the last film is shown.
Experiential exercises are conducted in the class to demonstrate some of the challenges
regularly faced by leaders. These exercises demonstrate decision making, conflict management
and communication problems typically faced by leaders in the workplace.
In order to further develop their verbal skills, students must prepare and deliver three “stump
speeches” to his or her small group. A written critique of each speech from fellow students is
reviewed by the instructor at the end of the course.
Evaluation includes a written examination, a small group project report and presentation, as well
as a participation mark. Approximately 70% of the mark is based on the individual’s performance,
and 30% on group work.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following:
Movie Reports 20%
Midterm 40%
Group Report 20%
Group Presentation 10%
Class Participation 10%
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you will
have the opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) about your
learning experience in this class. The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the
course and my teaching, as well as to help the Program make improvements.
Time will be set aside in one of the last sessions in the course for you to complete the online
survey in class; you will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access the survey, which can be
done on your laptop, tablet or mobile device. I will remind you in advance of that class to bring
your device to complete the survey. As well, toward the end of the course, you will also receive
an email inviting you to complete all of your course surveys. If you do not receive an email
invitation, you can go directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to complete the survey if you don’t do so in the
time provided in class.
Requirements for Graded Work:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When
a group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will
receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative
contribution, will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all
classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in
this course. Attendance exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights
and helps clarify material that can lead to better performance in the course.
Attendance in this course is compulsory. Students absent from more than 20% of the classes
without medical documentation may not successfully complete the course.
All written assignments are due on the last day of classes. Movie reports are due within one week
of the class in which the movie was shown.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson
School of Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All
cases of cheating or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the
Associate Dean, Programs. A student who violates academic integrity standards will fail the
assignment and potentially fail the course, with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s
record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and
group projects that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and
without referencing the source of these words.
paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of
another person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal
presentation) without referencing the source.
copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the
purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
stealing or mutilating library materials.
accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior
discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection
software program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the
instructor and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell
or profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to
the Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
Schedule:
Will be distributed on the first class of the semester.
Com 450
Selected Topics in Management
Topics vary from term to term. For your reference, past Com 450 topics included the following:
 Business Analysis
 Doing Business in India
 Infusing Sustainability into Operations
 Coaching for Higher Performance in Organizations
 Japan in the Context of Globalization
ENT 100
Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Pre-requisites: None
Texts:
There is no assigned textbook for this course.
Two readings are mandatory – the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition Canvas. Links to
these PDFs are provided on CourseSpaces and copies are available at the library.
Weekly suggested readings are also posted to CourseSpaces.
You are also encouraged to find and read additional materials on entrepreneurship and innovation that
support your own interests.
What you take away from all readings completed in this course should be woven into your final
portfolio assignment.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course will provide you with an introduction to the theory and practice of entrepreneurship and to
key principles of innovation. Through a variety of delivery methods including lectures, workshops,
interactive assignments and panel discussions, you will explore the key elements of the Business Model
Canvas – an important tool that fosters venture readiness. You will have an opportunity to hone your
skills in entrepreneurial thinking including opportunity recognition, opportunity evaluation, value
proposition development and product concept creation. You will also explore some of the key
requirements and concerns with setting up a new venture or introducing a corporate innovation,
including how to select a winning team, how to get buy-in, how to form a business, how to protect your
ideas, and how to fund it all. Emphasis will also be placed on helping you learn about resources
available to support nascent entrepreneurs in Victoria and beyond.
A core principal of this course is to bring the theory we discuss into focus by hearing and learning from
entrepreneurs who have started, grown and/or exited their ventures. Through a series of guest
speakers and panel discussions, entrepreneurs will share with us their experiences and their expertise
in entrepreneurship at the front line – the good, the great, the bad and the ugly.
The course objectives are to:
o Inspire students to the possibilities of entrepreneurship and innovation regardless of their
chosen career path
o Develop a broad understanding of the key elements of entrepreneurship and innovation
theories
o Create a shift in mindset towards opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial thinking
o Familiarize students with the Business Model Canvas as an organizing tool for turning good ideas
into viable businesses
o Expose students to the broad experiences and tacit knowledge of a number of entrepreneurs
and innovators
o Introduce the principals of value proposition formation and detailed development
o Enhance persuasive presentation skills
o Foster critical thinking, analytic and synthesis skills in general and as specifically applied to
entrepreneurship and to students’ personal, education and career goals
o Enhance understanding of the resources available to help first time entrepreneurs start new
ventures.
Course Format:
Course material will be delivered through a variety of modes, including:
o Lectures
o Mini in-class workshops
o Class discussions
o Case studies
o Panel discussions with entrepreneurs/innovators
o Panel discussions with topic experts
o Guest speakers
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
ENT 100 Individual
or Group
Type Due Date Weigh
t
Description
Assignment 1:
Interview
Individual Class Hand-in
Assignment
Sept. 28, 2017
Beginning of
class
5% 300 word LIMIT
Assignment 2:
Idea Journal
Individual Class Hand-in
Assignment
Nov. 2, 2017
Beginning of
class
25% No limit
Assignment 3:
Class Exercise
Group In-class
assignment
Oct. 16, 2017
End of class
10% Details TBA
Assignment 4:
Pitch-it Video
Individual Submit to
CourseSpaces
Video due:
Nov. 9, 2017
beginning of
class
And
Assessments
due: Nov. 16,
2017
beginning of
class
10% 90 second video
2 peer assessments
Assignment 5:
Connections
and
Reflections
Portfolio or
Business Model
Canvas
Individual Hand-in
Assignment unless
otherwise
approved by
Claudia in
advance
Nov. 30, 2017
Beginning of
class
40% Document-10 page
LIMIT
Other formats to be
pre-approved
Participation Individual In-class ongoing 10% Note that your
participation grade is
EARNED through
thoughtful
contributions to class
discussions
Note: You will find detailed assignment descriptions and evaluation criteria posted to CourseSpaces in
two places: in the top/first section below News Forum, References and Resources and under the due
date for each assignment
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you will have the
opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey (CES) about your learning experience
in this class. The survey is vital to providing feedback to me regarding the course and my teaching, as
well as to help the Program make improvements.
This course is intentionally designed so that all of the puzzle pieces do not come together until the
completion of the final assignment (Assignment 5). Thus, students are STRONGLY encouraged to wait
until the final class to complete the course experience survey. It is important that your feedback
represents your perspective after having completed all of the course. Time will be set aside on the last
day for you to complete the online survey in class; you will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access
the survey, which can be done on your laptop, tablet or mobile device. I will remind you in advance of
the class to bring your device to complete the survey. As well, towards the end of the course, you will
also receive an email inviting you to complete all of your course surveys. Please WAIT until after our
last session before completing the survey for ENT 100. If you do not receive an email invitation or
complete the survey in the class time provided, you can go directly to http://ces.uvic.ca to find it.
Requirements for Graded Work:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Assignments: You will find a detailed grading ruberic for each assignment posted to CourseSpaces in the
lead section and under the date that it is due. Additional questions should be brought to my attention.
Group Work: Given the difficulties, that many students encounter trying to coordinate schedules in first
year, group work has intentionally been kept to a minimum to improve your course experience. There
is, however, one group assignment (Assignment 3). For this assignment, students are expected to work
together, participate equally and to share equitably in the workload – there will be no tolerance for
social loafing. The instructor reserves the right to lower the student’s mark by one or more letter
grades if a student has not contributed equally to the team’s task or to the assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in
which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course.
Attendance exposes you to important material not in the readings, to opportunities to clarify key
concepts, and to your classmates' insights that can help solidify your own. Together, these can help
deliver better performance in the course.
A core component of this course is a series of panel discussions and guest speakers. You cannot benefit
from the insights these entrepreneurs and source experts will share with us or ask a pertinent question
unless you are present. In addition, you are asked to work together with your peers during class time to
effectively discuss key concepts, challenge assumptions and further understanding. A number of key
learning outcomes for this course are tied directly to in-class experiences. Your class participation
grade will be EARNED by actively and thoughtfully participating in class discussions, by engaging with
guest speakers and by contributing to workshops. Missing more than three classes without PRIOR
approval from the instructor or a medical certificate will be grounds for receiving a failing grade in
the course.
Grading Scale:
Graded material in this course will be marked and reported to the Registrar using percentages. The
percentage grade, the corresponding letter grade and comparative grading information will be
displayed on student transcripts (official and administrative). The following table demonstrates the
equivalent letter grades:
Percentage
Range
Grades Grade
Point
Value
Description
90 – 100
85 – 89
80 – 84
A+
A
A-
9
8
7
Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance. Normally
achieved by a minority of students. These grades indicate a student
who is self-initiating, exceeds expectation and has an insightful grasp
of the subject matter.
77 – 79
73 – 76
70 – 72
B+
B
B-
6
5
4
Very good, good and solid performance. Normally achieved by the
largest number of students. These grades indicate a good grasp of the
subject matter or excellent grasp in one area balanced with
satisfactory grasp in the other area.
65 – 69
60 – 64
C+
C
3
2
Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades indicate a
satisfactory performance and knowledge of the subject matter.
50 – 59 D 1 Marginal Performance. A student receiving this grade demonstrated a
superficial grasp of the subject matter.
0-49 E Conditional supplemental
0-49 F 0 Unsatisfactory performance. Wrote final examination and completed
course requirements; no supplemental.
“N” (incomplete) grades: All graded components must be completed or you will receive a failing
grade of N (grade point value of 0).
Note that it is required that you pass the final assignment (Assignment 5) to pass the course. In the
case that you do not attain a passing grade in this component, it will result in a final course grade of
Incomplete (N), with the maximum possible percentage grade of 49.
Final course grades are official only after they have been approved by the Program Director and may be
subject to change up until that point.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson School of
Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases of
cheating or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate Dean,
Programs. A student who violates academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and potentially
fail the course, with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
o using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and
without referencing the source of these words.
o paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
o duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
o paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas
of another person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a
verbal presentation) without referencing the source.
o copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
o providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
o taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
o impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the
purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
o stealing or mutilating library materials.
o accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
o changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
o submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior
discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the
instructor and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or
profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the
Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
Schedule:
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
100
A = Monday
B = Thursday
(Link to Business
Model Canvas)
Type Date Description
ENT 100 Week 1:B
Welcome to ENT 100
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Sept 7
Session Plan:
Course overview &
Entrepreneurship introduction
Introduction to Assignment #1 – Interview
Introduction to Assignment # 5 – Connections &
Reflections Portfolio/ Business Model Canvas
ENT 100 Week 2:A
Value Propositions
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Sept 11
Session Plan:
How can you find Ideas
Introduction to Assignment #2 – Idea Journal
ENT 100 Week 2:B
Value Propositions
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Sept 14
Session Plan:
Guest Speaker – Mr. Don Mattrick
ENT 100 Week 3:A
Value Propositions
Customer Segments
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Sept 18
Session Plan:
How can you use Design Thinking to build ideas
Guest speaker – Dr. David Dunne
ENT 100 Week 3:B
Value Propositions
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Sept 21
Session Plan:
How can you use creativity to find ideas
ENT 100 Week 4;A
Value Propositions
Customer Segments
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Sept 25
Session Plan:
How do you develop Value Propositions and
Product Concepts
Introduction to Assignment #4 – Pitch-it Video
ENT 100 Week 4:B
Value Propositions
Customer Segments
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Sept 28
Session Plan:
Case Study ~ Value Propositions & Product
Concepts
Assignment #1 – Interview – DUE
ENT 100 Week 5:A
Value Propositions
Customer Segments
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Oct 2
Session Plan:
How do you build an Entrepreneurial Mindset &
Transaction Thinking - Part 1
ENT 100 Week 5:B
Guest Panel
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Oct 5
Session Plan:
Panel Discussion ~ Where do ideas come from
and how do they evolve?
ENT 100 Week 6:A
Holiday Break
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Oct 9
NO CLASS – Thanksgiving Holiday
ENT 100 Week 6:B
Value Propositions
Customer Segments
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Oct 12
Session Plan:
How do you build an Entrepreneurial Mindset &
Transaction Thinking – Part 2
Introduction to Assignment #3 – Transaction
Thinking
ENT 100 Week 7:A
Value Propositions
Customer Segments
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Oct 16
Session Plan:
How do you build an Entrepreneurial Mindset &
Transaction Thinking – Part 3
Assignment #3 – Transaction Thinking - DUE
ENT 100 Week 7:B
Customer Segments
Customer
Relationships
Value Propositions
Channels
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Oct 19
Session Plan:
How do you make Strategic Customer Decisions
ENT 100 Week 8:A
All
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Oct 23
Session Plan:
Guest Speaker ~ Mr. Dean Lindal
ENT 100 Week 8:B
Customer Segments
Customer
Relationships
Value Propositions
Channels
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Oct 26
Session Plan:
How do you evaluate Value Propositions and
Opportunities
READ ‘Cupcakes’ case BEFORE class
ENT 100 Week 9:A
Key Resources
Key Activities
Key Partners
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Oct 30
Session Plan:
How do you build your founding team & lead
and motivate first employees
ENT 100 Week 9:B
Revenue Streams
Cost Structures
Key Activities
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Nov 2
Session Plan:
How do you finance your venture
Guest Speaker – Ms. Mia Maki
Assignment #2 – Idea Journal – DUE
ENT 100 Week 10:A
Guest Panel
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Nov 6
Session Plan:
Panel Discussion ~ Social innovation and social
enterprise - context and considerations
Guest speakers – Mr. Derek Juno and Mr. Paul
Latour
ENT 100 Week 10:B
Key Resources
Revenue Streams
Key Activities
Key Partners
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Nov 9
Session Plan:
Where can you find internal University
resources
Where can you find external resources
Guest speakers – Mr. Rob Bennett and Mr.
Jerome Etwaroo
Assignment #4 – Pitch It Video – DUE
ENT 100 Week 11:A
Reading Break
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Nov 13
NO CLASS – Fall Reading Break
ENT 100 Week 11:B
All
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Nov 16
Session Plan:
How do you create a Business Model and
Canvas – the rest of the elements
Assignment #4 – Pitch-It Video Assessments –
DUE
Assignment #5 – Option 2 – Optional hand-in of
BMC for feedback from Claudia (not grades) -
DUE
ENT 100 Week 12:A
Key Resources
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Nov 20
Session Plan:
How do you form your venture
Key Activities
Cost Structures
Key Partners
How do you set up your venture
How do you protect your ideas
ENT 100 Week 12:B
All
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Nov 23
Session Plan:
What matters to you as an entrepreneur?
ENT 100 Week 13:A
Guest Panel
See
CourseSpaces
Monday,
Nov 27
Session Plan:
Panel Discussion ~ Lessons learned through
serial founding
ENT 100 Week 13:B
All
See
CourseSpaces
Thursday,
Nov 30
Session Plan:
Let’s reflect & wrap-up
Assignment #5 – Connections & Reflections
Portfolio or Business Model Canvas - DUE
ENT 402
Entrepreneurship & Small Business for the Non-
Specialist
Pre-requisites:
 Organizational Behaviour
 Marketing
Texts:
Required readings are posted on CourseSpaces. There is no assigned textbook for
this course. However, I would like to suggest (but not require) you to read the
following books.
 Good, W. S. (2003). Building a dream: a Canadian guide to starting a business of
your own. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
 Hisrich, R. D. (2012). International Entrepreneurship: Starting, Developing, and
Managing a Global Venture: Starting, Developing, and Managing a Global
Venture. Sage.
A few other sources for entrepreneurial thinkers include:
www.canadianbusiness.com (Canadian magazine)
www.profitguide.com (Canadian Profit Magazine)
www.fastcompany.com (U.S. magazine)
www.forbes.com (U.S. magazine)
www.fortune.com (U.S. magazine)
www.inc.com (U.S. magazine)
www.cfib.ca (Canadian Federation of Independent Business)
www.cvca.ca (Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association)
www.wec.ca (Women Entrepreneurs of Canada)
Course Objectives and Description:
ENT 402 is an exciting course that is guaranteed to change the way you think about
entrepreneurship, and the way you look at yourself and the opportunities around you.
Through a variety of delivery methods including lectures, in-class activities, interactive
assignments and discussions, you will explore the developmental stages of a firm,
particularly emphasizing on opportunity recognition and venture creation. An
important philosophy of this course is to learn from entrepreneurs who have started,
grown and/or exited their ventures through entrepreneurship stories and guest
speeches. This course is not limited to those who want to start their own business, as
entrepreneurial practice also exists inside large organizations.
After you finish the course, you should be more successful at the following:
 Applying entrepreneurship concepts and theories to better understand real-world
entrepreneurial activities.
 Analyzing entrepreneurial situations to separate good opportunities from good
ideas and developing entrepreneurial business plans by using a variety of
abilities and skills.
 Assessing an entrepreneurial business plan to determine the valuation of a new
venture from both the entrepreneur’s and investor’s perspectives.
 Starting your own enterprise or adding value to an existing organization.
Course Format:
This course involves lectures, in-class activities, class discussions, case studies, guest speakers,
individual and group assignments. If you are fully committed to the learning process, ENT 402 has the
potential to be an important part of your development as a successful entrepreneur.
In order to make this course a positive learning experience for both yourself as well as
your peers, I encourage you to come to class with the following guidelines in mind:
 Complete readings before class, and use those readings as a basis for your
active participation during in-class activities and discussions. Developmental,
theory-based comments are valuable for moving the discussion forward.
 Ask questions that add to your understanding of the course material as well as
the knowledge base of your classmates. Encourage your classmates to get
involved. Avoid repeating what has already been said.
 Be considerate – come to class on time and do not leave early. Do not interrupt
or engage in private conversations while others are speaking.
 To limit distractions for your peers and to facilitate active learning, this course
has a policy of no web/email/texting during class.
 Have an opinion and respect others’ rights to hold opinions and beliefs that are
different from your own, recognizing that there are many different ways to view
the material.
 Allow everyone the chance to talk. If you have much to say, try to hold back so
that your peers might have an opportunity to participate. If you are hesitant, look
for opportunities to contribute.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
ENT 402 Individual
or
Team
Type Due
Date
Weight
/ % of
grade
Description
Class Participation Individual Participation Ongoing 15% Based on in-class
contributions.
Entrepreneurship
Stories
Team In-class
activity
Ongoing 15% Details to be
discussed on May 2.
Draft Opportunity Pitch Individual Presentation May 30
June 1
10% Individual
presentation (3-
minutes).
Opportunity Pitch Individual/t
eam
Submit to
CourseSpaces
June 13 20% 2-page limit.
Draft Business Plan Team Submit to
CourseSpaces
July 6 NA 10-page limit.
Business Plan
Presentation
Team Presentation July 20
July 25
July 27
40% Team presentation (15
minutes + 5 minutes
Q&A).
Total 100%
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses,
you will have the opportunity to complete a confidential course experience survey
(CES) about your learning experience in this class. The survey is vital to providing
feedback to me regarding the course and my teaching, as well as to help the Program
make improvements.
Time will be set aside in one of the last sessions in the course for you to complete the
online survey in class; you will need to use your UVic NetLink ID to access the survey,
which can be done on your laptop, tablet or mobile device. I will remind you in
advance of that class to bring your device to complete the survey. As well, toward the
end of the course, you will also receive an email inviting you to complete all of your
course surveys. If you do not receive an email invitation, you can go directly to
http://ces.uvic.ca to complete the survey if you don’t do so in the time provided in
class.
Requirements for Graded Work:
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to
attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of
the learning process in this course. Attendance exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material that can lead to better
performance in the course. Unexcused absences from any class session will have a
significant impact on the class participation grade.
Class participation: Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions
by attending each class, undertaking assigned readings, offering questions, insights
and comments on the material presented and participating fully in class discussions.
Assignments: Assignments are due on the date scheduled. Any additional questions
should be brought to the attention of the instructor.
Group work: The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working
collaboratively. When a group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a
grade, all members of the group will receive the same grade. Any exception to this
policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution, will be specified in writing prior to
the grading of the assignment.
Requirements for Non-Graded Work:
The draft business plan will be required to be submitted even though there is no grade
assigned. This will allow the instructor to add value to the team’s individual plan
development process.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B.
Gustavson School of Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the
highest standards. All cases of cheating or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will
be immediately referred to the Associate Dean, Programs. A student who violates
academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and potentially fail the course,
with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic
integrity and group projects that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
 Using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation
marks and without referencing the source of these words.
 Paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
 Duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the
source.
 Paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any
other ideas of another person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal
communication, ideas from a verbal presentation) without referencing the
source.
 Copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home
assignment.
 Providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home
assignment.
 Taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
 Impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate
oneself for the purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or
examination.
 Stealing or mutilating library materials.
 Accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
 Changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and
returned.
 Submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment,
without prior discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism
detection software program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other
assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual
property of the instructor and students cannot share the materials without the
instructor’s consent and cannot sell or profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism.
Please refer to the Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson School of
Business website for details.
IB 301
International Environment of Business
Pre-requisites: None
Texts:
Coursepack is available at the UVic Bookstore. It includes:
1. Leslie Hamilton and Philip Webster, The International Business Environment 3rd Edition,
(Oxford University Press, 2016). (Second edition is acceptable).
2. Cases Pack:
• Wal Mart Stores in 2003 (Harvard Business Case 704430-PDF-ENG)
• Levendary Café: The China Challenge (Harvard Business Case 4357-PDF-ENG)
• Toys "R" Us Japan (Harvard Business Case 796077-PDF-ENG)
• SKS Microfinance (Harvard Business Case 208137-PDF-ENG)
• Life, Death, and Property Rights: The Pharmaceutical Industry Faces AIDS in Africa
(Harvard Business Case 702049-PDF-ENG)
• Caffeine with a Conscience by Mead and Wicks (Darden Business Case UVA-E-0327)
• Foxconn Technology Group (A) (Harvard Business Case 112002-PDF-ENG)
3. Additional Required Readings - Various Cases, News Articles and Notes will also be required
for the class. Links/References to these will be available on Coursespaces.
Course Objectives and Description:
Description: This course examines the global environment in which firms operate and how that
environment affects the strategies and choices of companies. We will examine how businesses are
managed across different countries, considering factors both external and internal to the company. For
example, while considering international expansion, a firm needs to take into account exchange rates,
international taxation, free trade agreements, market conditions, culture, law, politics and many other
factors which will affect it’s operations, but over which it has little control. In the context of these
external factors, a firm must then make internal decisions to devise a strategy effective for operations
in the global environment. Does the firm choose to export its products or invest in production facilities
in a new country? Should the company buy production facilities or businesses already present or build
its own? What about a joint venture with a local entrepreneur? How does local culture influence local
and international operations of the firm? Under what circumstances do different international
strategies make sense? This course will investigate these and other questions as part of an exploration
into how international corporate strategy is shaped and what are the economic factors that influence
it.
Objectives: By the end of this course you will:
• be able to analyze the external environment of an organization operating in diversified cultural and
political settings; to identify threats and opportunities, and to assess strategic risk and potential profits
resulting from international operations;
• know the most important concepts related to international business and management of a large
multinational company;
• know the basic facts about the world economy and major players shaping the global business
environment;
• have experienced both advantages and challenges of teamwork in an international setting and you
will be able to meaningfully contribute to a group effort.
Course Format:
The class will meet twice a week and will be structured around the relevant chapters of the textbook,
cases, and readings as shown in the accompanying schedule.
Requirements for Graded Work:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Assignment Due Dates: Assignment 1 should be uploaded on coursespaces at 8:00 am on the due date.
Assignments 2, 3 and 4 must be handed in before the start of the class at 4:30 pm. Any assignments
turned in late will be penalized one full letter grade (e.g., B to C) for each day it is late. Assignments
cannot be changed after this time. Assignments 2, 3 and 4 will not be accepted online. Students that
turn in only an electronic version of these assignments will be asked to also turn in a printed document
and will be penalized for a late assignment.
Group Work. The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a
group-based assignment forms part of your evaluation for a grade, all members of the group will
receive the same grade. Any exception to this policy, such as adjustments for relative contribution,
will be specified in writing prior to the grading of the assignment. Groups that feel that one or more
members have made little to no contribution to a hand-in assignment must address the issue with the
professor before the next hand-in assignment is due. The professor can, at his/her discretion, require
the group to evaluate one another’s relative contribution on the next hand-in assignment. Students
that are identified as not contributing to group projects may receive a reduced grade on the
assignment.
Attendance: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in
which they are enrolled.” Attending class is an important part of the learning process in this course.
Attendance exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material that can lead to better performance in the course.
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the Peter B. Gustavson
School of Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases
of cheating or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate
Dean, Programs. A student who violates academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and
potentially fail the course, with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s
office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
• using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and without
referencing the source of these words.
• paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
• duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
• paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of
another person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal
presentation) without referencing the source.
• copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
• providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
• taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
• impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the purpose of
submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
• stealing or mutilating library materials.
• accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
• changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
• submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior
discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the
instructor and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or
profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the
Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.
Service Management Module
SMGT 415 Customer Experience Management
SMGT 416 Service Operations and Quality Management
SMGT 417 Service Human Resource Management
Pre-requisites:
 Financial Accounting
 Management Accounting
 Human Resource Management
 Organizational Behaviour
 Operations Management
 Marketing
 International Business
 Business and Sustainability
 Introduction to Management Information Systems
 Management Finance
Course Materials:
In the past we have used textbooks, but over time recognized the value in creating a set of readings
that provide frameworks for understanding, developing and improving service systems. Professors will
provide information about accessing required readings whether through course reserves, online course
packs or other sources.
Coursespaces:
We have organized CourseSpaces to include the course schedule and a variety of other important
materials. You will find class content organized by session, week and day, including class slides,
readings, assignments, and other class materials. We will update CourseSpaces throughout the
semester. Please be sure to check for changes and announcements daily.
Course Objectives:
The Service Management Experience: After years of offering the program we are quite certain that this
specialization will change your life. We hope it is for the better! You will become more passionate
about great service and also more critical of poor service. But based on the success and continued
support of our alumni, it is clear that the program supports the development of leaders in service
design and execution because we focus on improving your ability to think holistically about service
design and improvement.
Our two main objectives are for students to:
Identify service improvement opportunities and solve problems through utilization of a holistic
service systems perspective (operations, human resources / talent management, marketing / customer
experience).
Enhance both oral and written communication skills through presentations, facilitations and papers.
Evaluation Elements:
The service management specialization is comprised of the following courses: SMGT 415, 416, and 417.
Students will receive one overall grade for the specialization (i.e. students will receive the same grade
across all three courses). Students will be evaluated according to the following parameters:
Participation 15% of grade
Service HR Case Facilitation & Paper (Group) 10% of grade
Talent Management Plan Assignment (Group) 10% of grade
Service Anthropologist Assignment (Group) 10% of grade
Integrating Service Systems (Individual) 10% of grade
Service Operations Exam (Individual) 10% of grade
Quality Assignment (Group) 10% of grade
Consulting Project (Group)
Report
Total
12.5%
12.5%
25% of grade
Total 100%
Participation: We adopt the student as co-producer model as central to the successful delivery of the
service management specialization. The only way to effectively learn the material is through a high
level of engagement and participation. To support this we allocate 15% of the total grade to
participation (i.e., 5% for each of the three courses).
Since we create the learning environment together, regular attendance and engagement in class would
maximize learning and participation grade. We would be concerned if you miss any session, since
significant amount of material will be covered in each session. Please be mindful that there are
typically only 12 sessions per course, so do not miss more than 2 sessions (25% of the semester) with
unexcused absences for a particular course. This may lead to receiving zero for your participation
grade for that course. The general expectation is that all classes will be attended except in the cases
of documented illness, accident or “family affliction.”
 Attendance, however, is not the only component of your participation grade. Therefore, you
are unlikely to receive high marks for this portion of your grade just for attending all classes.
Participation involves the following:
 Preparation effort for class including the completion of readings and assignments
 Engagement in-class discussions, etc. that adds value
 Asking questions that are topic-relevant and insightful
 Making meaningful comments that add to the learning experience
 Responding to questions of the instructor or other students
 Participating and active involvement in in-class assignments, cases, exercises etc.
 Playing a leadership role in the class
 Being an excellent team member in the eyes of your teammates in team interactions and on
team assignments/projects in areas including: attendance/preparation for team meetings,
contribution to team discussions, helping to organize team tasks, listening to others, helping
the team focus, showing initiative, completing individual assignments for the team in a timely
and high quality fashion, contributing both time and effort on the team’s behalf, as well as
helping to enhance team relationships, process and results in a manner befitting Gustavson’s
pillars
Please note that being late, walking in and out of the classroom, or leaving early from class not only
detracts from the learning environment and will result in poor participation marks but also may be
considered as an unexcused absence for that session. You are expected to actively participate in class
and not detract from the learning experience of your fellow students to receive high marks for
participation. After all, we create the learning environment together. These classes are long (170
minutes) but each will include a break about halfway through during which you can leave the class, get
food, check your phone, etc.
Group and Individual Assignments: There will be 5 assignments, one consulting project and one exam.
Most work in service organisations requires an integrated approach often accomplished through teambased
assignments. We try to balance the need to successfully work in teams with the capability to
solve problems individually. We have designed several graded reports and presentations to be
completed in groups and also have individual evaluation elements.
Late assignments submitted within 24 hours of the deadline will lose 20 percentage points from the
assignment grade. After that 24 hour window, late assignments will receive a zero. As in real life,
meeting deadlines is important to success.
Assignment requirements are described below and please see our CourseSpaces site for details on
the Consulting Project requirements.
Service Anthropologist Assignment:
More and more service managers are realizing the benefits of anthropology in their work to understand
the customer. Ethnographic narratives allow the investigator to describe and analyze the practices and
beliefs of cultures and communities. The focus is to understand the culture or community from a
participant observer perspective that takes into account the insider’s and the outsider’s perspective.
This assignment will have you work as an anthropologist to view a service firm.
The objective is to develop your observation skills and your ability to see details that make up the
design and delivery of a service experience, as well as to practice your analytical skills and the ability
to craft a report.
After you have formed a group, choose 3 service firms that have a common element. They may all be
restaurants, retail stores, banks, health care settings etc. Visit each firm individually or in pairs. Note
that different members of your group can observe the same service provider to see how your
impressions match up; but still make sure that 3 firms are viewed. Spend time (approx. one hour) in
the business just watching other customers and the service providers.
Your group should visit the business at different times and on different days so you can make
comparisons about the traffic levels and customer demographics. The text of the paper should be
around 7 pages, with additional pages for tables, figures and other graphics, references and the field
notes in the appendix.
Specifics as to what observations should be made and questions you should answer will be listed in a
more detailed document on CourseSpaces. The assignment is due June 7.
Integrating Service Systems Assignment:
This individual assignment examines the challenges firms face when they attempt to grow their
business by integrating new services into an existing service system. Introducing additional services can
be especially difficult if the new service requires a substantially different design than the original
service. The project is based in large part on a framework that Steve Tax developed with a colleague
from research they conducted in the area of service design and growth.
Read the article, “Designing and Implementing New Services: The Challenges of Integrating Service
Systems” (will be posted on CourseSpaces). This article examines the issues involved in introducing a
new service into an existing offering. It provides a process for identifying the extent of differences
(people, process, physical environment) for each of the services and the risk with trying to integrate
them.
Based on the above article, students will select an existing service provider (provide an introduction
and background of the current service model). If you wish, you can use an organization where you have
worked or are currently working. Provide a brief overview of the existing service. Identify and briefly
describe a new service you would like to introduce into that service system (describe the new service
offering). If you are not intimately familiar with the service, you will need to interview someone who
has the requisite knowledge.
Using the concepts from Tables 1, 2 & 3 in the article, identify and discuss the differences (extent of
change) and (cross impact issues) resulting from integrating the two systems. Provide managerial
recommendations regarding the viability and key success factors associated with introducing the new
service.
The assignment should be approximately 6-8 pages of text and several tables and figures. A more
detailed description of the assignment will be posted on CourseSpaces. The assignment is due one
week after our last class.
Service HR Case Facilitation and Paper:
Case studies are a great way to learn by applying tools and frameworks from class to real situations. As
such, each group will be responsible for writing up one case study analysis in response to posted
questions and facilitating the associated case discussion for one of six cases that are scheduled
throughout the semester.
Keep in mind that facilitating is more than just presenting – it entails sharing your perspective, actively
listening and building a rich discussion of case content by getting the audience involved through
discussion or activities, etc. – all in an effort to maximize learning. The paper itself is a maximum of
seven single-spaced pages (plus any additional exhibits) which fosters the creation of a cogent and
efficient write-up – a critical skill in getting your points across in a powerful and efficient manner. In
terms of logistics, this paper should be handed in to me at the beginning of the class you are
facilitating.
For your case analysis, you should apply what you’ve learned in class along with the readings that are
pertinent to the case especially the readings just prior to the class you are facilitating. In your paper
you should answer each component of each question and remember: The focus needs to be on your
insights in answering the case questions posed not on what actually happened to the organization
subsequent to the case. The cases provide us with context but the questions are more focused on tool
and framework application.
As part of your facilitation, you should start by providing some brief case background information. The
case background should be brief because the most important outcome is that you facilitate a rich
discussion with the class around your group’s case questions and other interesting topics from the case
that your group finds important to discuss. In short, the questions posed to you for the case are the
minimum of what should be discussed with the class. (Just as in real life, making your own unique,
insightful contributions in real time discussion are critical to adding value and thinking of creative ways
to get the class involved will enliven and enrich the conversation). Case presentation/facilitations by
your team should last about 40 minutes in total. You should also print off your slides and provide a
copy to the instructor at the beginning of the class you are facilitating.
Participation by audience members in case discussions/activities is also very important as these
discussions represent an excellent opportunity to showcase your preparation and analysis – even though
you are not formally ‘on stage’. So please be prepared and engaged in these real-life situations as they
will help you in your career when you face similar types of scenarios down the road.
Talent Management Plan Assignment:
Substantial time in the Service HR course is dedicated to the discussion of talent management, that is,
the acquisition, development, engagement, and retention of talent critical to achieving an
organization’s strategy. This is a very important issue for managers and organizational leaders due to
the ‘war for talent’ for employees who best fit an organization’s culture and goals, especially as global
competition intensifies, technology changes and service expectations increase.
Consequently, for this assignment, you will choose an organization and determine a critical role (e.g.,
‘A’ position) for the organization to execute its strategy and you will describe the ‘as is’ (e.g. current)
and ‘to be’ (e.g., your proposed approach) to talent alignment, acquisition, development, engagement
and retention – with the emphasis on the ‘to be’. You will need to decide which tools/frameworks from
the course will best aid talent alignment and management. Because this is a talent management plan,
you should also prioritize the order in which you would implement your chosen tools/frameworks.
(Every organization has time and cost constraints making prioritization of improvement initiatives key).
In making your choice of organization, you should choose a service organization at least one of you on
the team is familiar with, interested in working for, or one you simply wish to learn more about. Feel
free to choose a service organization you find compelling while recognizing that the value of your
research on the organization will directly affect the insightfulness of your recommendations!!!
The Talent Management Plan is a group assignment and should be no more than 5 single-spaced pages
of text with additional pages available for exhibits. You are encouraged to use specific frameworks,
models or diagrams that help you to better articulate and illustrate your plan and you are expected to
cite models, readings, interviews and other sources of data as appropriate, making this another great
opportunity to learn by doing and to reinforce course content. In terms of the final submission, you
should provide me with a hardcopy of your plan at the beginning of class on July 17.
NOTE: I’m also happy to review one draft of your Talent Management Plan and to provide you feedback
though this is entirely optional. As with past students, this approach will likely increase your learning
by getting feedback prior to final submission.
Quality Assignment on Lean Practices:
Lean practices revolutionized how we manufacture products. While it is considered to be a
manufacturing originated quality improvement system, it has been successfully adopted by many
service organizations from hospitality to healthcare, or from finance to transportation. Knowing these
lean practices and being able to apply them to service operations will be a valuable tool for you.
The objective of this assignment is to help you learn more about the application of lean practices and
total quality management in service operations. Since these quality practices are frequently applied in
fast-food restaurants, I am asking you to observe one of these restaurants. If possible, I highly
encourage you to interview at least one of its managers to get more insights. During the latter part of
the semester, more information will be provided about this assignment.
Service Operations Exam: The Service Operations In-Class Exam makes up 10% of the overall grade.
Since operations management is a math extensive portion of the specialization, a midterm exam is an
effective way to unsure your learning. Further, it offers students an opportunity to apply and integrate
course topics from only the operations section of the specialization. More information about the exam
will be provided in class as the exam date nears. As a general policy, a make-up exam will not be
given, except in documented cases of illness, accident or “family affliction.” In addition, work is
individual for the exam and all students are expected to pursue the highest standards of academic
integrity.
Laptop And Other Electronic Devices Use In Class:
This is a seminar class, in which your active participation makes all the difference to the success of the
course. As a result, the use of laptops, cell phones, i-Pads, Blackberrys, PDAs, or any other device
which has access to the Internet is normally not permitted during class unless directed by the
instructor (BCOM program policy is that such devices are only allowed by the instructor’s permission).
Complaints from students and past experience in this type of course format have demonstrated that
such use is distracting and detracts from the class environment. If you have a documented learning
disability or physical condition that requires computer support during class, please come talk to us and
together we will work out an appropriate accommodation for you. Thank you in advance for your
cooperation with this policy!
Academic Integrity:
School of Business has an obligation to ensure academic integrity is of the highest standards. All cases
of cheating or plagiarism, and any variations thereof, will be immediately referred to the Associate
Dean, Programs. A student who violates academic integrity standards will fail the assignment and
potentially fail the course, with a letter of reprimand placed in the student’s record in the Registrar’s
office.
Students are expected to carefully review the following points discussing academic integrity and group
projects that have been adopted by our School.
Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:
 using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and
without referencing the source of these words.
 paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
 duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
 paraphrasing the conceptual framework, research design, interpretation, or any other ideas of
another person, whether written or verbal (e.g. personal communication, ideas from a verbal
presentation) without referencing the source.
 copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
 providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
 taking any unauthorized materials (crib notes) into an examination or term test.
 impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for the
purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
 stealing or mutilating library materials.
 accessing a test prior to the time and date of the sitting.
 changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
 submitting the same paper or portions thereof for more than one assignment, without prior
discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Students should be aware that all instructors reserve the right to use any plagiarism detection software
program(s) to detect plagiarism for essays, term papers and other assignments.
The course materials used in this course (electronic and paper) are the intellectual property of the
instructor and students cannot share the materials without the instructor’s consent and cannot sell or
profit from the instructor’s intellectual property.
Students should be aware of the expectations surrounding their professionalism. Please refer to the
Standards of Professional Behavior on the Gustavson website for details.