Course Outlines
Fall 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
Please follow the hyperlink on "Course Numbers" to navigate within the document. Please click on the
corresponding "Course Title" for more information on prerequisites.
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.
Course Numbers Course Title
Com 100 Understanding World-Class Organization (Credit will be granted for only one of 100, 290, 390)
Com 202 Financial Accounting I (Credit will be granted for only one of 202, 315)
Com 220 Organizational Behaviour
Com 240* Management Finance
Com 250 Fundamentals of Marketing
Com 302 Legal Environment of Business (Credit will be granted for only one of 302, 402)
Com 303* Intermediate Business Topics: Topics To Be Announced
Com 400* Strategic Management
Com 402* Legal Issues: Management (Credit will be granted for only one of 402, 302)
Com 410* Leadership Strategies
Com 426* Management Accounting II
Com 435* Corporate Relations and Responsibilities
Com 450 Special Topics :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)
International Business
Specialization
Please note that all four of the following courses must be taken together to complete the
International Business Specialization: IB 415, IB 416, IB 417, and Com 400 concurrently.
NOTE: IB 415, IB 416, and IB 417 CANNOT be taken on their own. COM 400 is the only course that
can taken as individual stand-alone courses.
IB 415* Cross-National management
IB 416* International Marketing
IB 417* International Finance
COM 400 Strategic Management
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
COM100
Understanding World-Class Organizations Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST)
Monday/Thursday 10am-1120am
Location
Building: David Turpin A120
Instructor:
MarkColgate
Office hours: 1-2pm Thursdays on zoom. Details below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://uvic.zoom.us/j/5923297313
Email: colgate@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university
stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with
the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Mark Colgate is a professor in service excellence and coaching at the Gustavson School of
Business, University of Victoria. In the not-too-distant past Mark spent 3 years as the General
Manager of Customer Satisfaction at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the 10th
largest bank in
the world. Mark’s background is in marketing, customer experience management and coaching
and he has taught theses topics in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland and China where he
was a regular professor at the China European Business School in Shanghai - the leading
business school in China.
His scholarly publications can be found in journals such as Sloan Management Review, Journal
of the Academy of Marketing Science, and the Journal of Service Research. He has also
consulted for many companies such as TELUS, WEX, City of Richmond, Vancouver Whitecaps,
Whistler Blackcomb, Kiwi Experience Tourism Bus Company, BC Government, and Toyota
Financial Services. He also likes tasty cheese and running (to lessen the impact of the cheese).
Texts and Resources:
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 link to the readings are posted on Brightspace.
However, there is a very good ebook Introduction to Business, by Gitman, Lawrence J et al.
(2018) is posted online for your use.
Course Objectives and Description:
Designed to ensure students learn all of the components of expertly run organizations. Topics
covered include understanding the organizational context, strategy, leadership, accounting and
finance, employee motivation, operations, customer and market focus and what effective
results look like. Case studies of organizations are used to bring the course to life.
Course Format:
A blend of in-person classes, zoom classes, polling, guest speakers, amusing cats, mini case
studies, and break-out group exercises will be employed.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with
others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment
in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will
be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will
take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities,
age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility,
to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will
also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can
be a better ally.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual
or Group
Type
(Exam,
Assignment,
Quiz, Other)
Due Date Weight
/ %of
grade
Description
COM 100: Term
Assignment
Individual AI Assignment Dec 2nd 15% Individual Assignment
COM 100: Term
Assignment
Individual Research
Assignment
October 16th 15% Individual Assignment
COM 100 Midterm #1 Individual Test Nov 2nd 10% Midterm 1 - Quiz (multiple
guess)
COM 100: Midterm #2 Individual Test Nov 20th 15% Midterm 2 – Accounting test
COM 100: Polling Individual Polling (Ongoing dates
throughout
semester)
10% Participation – participation
through zoom polling – 2%
when you got 2 or more
questions correct out of 4
questions (best 5 from 6)
COM 100: Final exam Individual Exam Mid Dec 35% Final Examination in
December – 3 essay
questions
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:
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty of 2%
for each day an assignment is late.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work
that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT) to
complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Use of
AI tools, including ChatGPT is allowed in this course for students who wish to use them. To be consistent
with our scholarly values, students must cite any AI-generated material that informed their work and use
quotation marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should
indicate how AI tools informed their process and the final product, including how you validated any AIgenerated
citations, which may be invented by the AI. Assignment guidelines will provide additional
guidance as to how these tools might be part of your process for each assessment this semester
and how to provide transparency about their use in your work.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class will
ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and professional
success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning
environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates'
insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the course. Attendance is a critical
component of everyone’s academic success.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their
instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic
obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are expected to reach
out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course assessment deadline or
soon after).
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 exam to pass the course. In the case that you do not attain
a passing grade in any such 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 Academic Director and may be
subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with the
following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without proper
citation
• 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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
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:
TOPIC Type
(In class,
online, test
etc.
Due Date Description
COM 100: Welcome! In class
Thursday
7th Sept
Introduction: Integrated Business Framework and
Entrepreneurship
COM 100:
Entrepreneurship
In class Monday
11th Sept
Entrepreneurship - Reading: Beating the Odds When You
Launch a New Venture
COM 100:
Entrepreneurship
Guest
Speaker:
Zoom Class
and zoom quiz
1
Thursday
14th Sept
Jeff Mallett on entrepreneurship
COM 100: External
Environment
In class Monday
18th Sept
External Environment: The Five Forces
Reading: The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy Michael
E. Porter, Harvard Business Review
COM 100: Leadership In class Thursday
21st Sept
Leadership: Level 5 leaders
Watch the Founder movie
COM 100: Leadership Zoom class
and zoom quiz
2
Monday
25th Sept
Leadership: Level 5 leaders
Diversity and Inclusion Revolution
COM 100: Leadership In class Thursday
28th Sept
Leadership: Level 5 leaders
Reading: What Makes a Leader? Daniel Goleman, Harvard
Business Review
COM 100 Truth and
Reconciliation
Day
Monday 2nd
October
No Class
COM 100: Strategy In class Thursday
5th Oct
Strategy: Diagnosis, Choice, Execution
Reading: Good Versus Bad Strategy
COM 100 Off:
Thanksgiving
Bash
Monday
9th Oct
No class
COM 100: Strategy In class Thursday
12th Oct
Guest speaker – Hannes Blum
COM 100: Marketing Zoom Class
and zoom quiz
3
Monday
16th Oct
Strategy: Diagnosis, Choice, Execution
Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? David J. Collis, Michael G.
Rukstad, Harvard Business Review
COM 100: Guest
Speaker
In class: Guest
Speaker
Thursday
19th Oct
AI, Customer and Market Focus: Creating Value with
Customers
Reading: Marketing Malpractice
COM 100: Marketing Zoom Class
and zoom quiz
4
Monday
23rd Oct
AI, Customer and Market Focus: Creating Value with
Customers
Reading: Ultimate Marketing Machine
COM 100: Marketing In class Thursday
26th Oct
AI, Customer and Market Focus: Creating Value with
Customers
Case: Kiwi Experience
COM 100: Accounting In class Monday
30th Oct
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management:
Accounting
Resources: All materials on Brightspace
COM 100: Readfor
class
Mid-term 1 Thursday
2nd Nov
Online test
COM 100: Readfor
class
Zoom Class
and zoom quiz
4
Monday 6th
Nov
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management:
Accounting
Resources: All materials on Brightspace
COM 100: Accounting In class Thursday
9th Nov
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management:
Accounting
Resources: All materials on Brightspace
COM 100: Readfor
class
Reading Break Monday
13th Nov
No Class
COM 100: Readfor
class
In class Thursday
and 16thand
Friday 17th
Nov
Optional accounting tutorials
COM 100: Readfor
class
Online test Monday
20th Nov
Midterm 2 - accounting test
COM 100: Readfor
class
In class Thursday
23rd Nov
Human Resource Focus: Motivating Your People
Reading: Daniel Pink Video – MAP
COM 100: Read for
class
Zoom Class
and Zoom
quiz 6
Monday
27th Nov
Human Resource Focus: Motivating Your People
Reading: Google Best Teams
COM 100: Readfor
class
In Class Thursday
30th Nov
Process Management: Increasing Productivity and Quality
COM 100: Readfor
class
In Class Monday 4th
Dec
Process Management: Increasing Productivity and Quality
Final exam prep
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.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
COM 202
Financial Accounting I Fall 2023 Course Outline
WAITLISTED STUDENTS: To keep your spot, you must attend classes and prepare the
materials for each class. Use the free two-week trial version of the textbook (see below).
Course hours (PST) A01 Mondays and Thursdays, 11:30-12:50 pm, CRN 10651
A02 Mondays and Thursdays, 2:30-3:50 pm, CRN 10652
Location A01 David Turpin Building (DTB) A102
A02 Clearihue Building (CLE) A127
Instructor: Chris Graham, MBA, CPA, CGA (see link below for my bio)
https://www.uvic.ca/gustavson/faculty/faculty/faculty/current/grahamc.php
Office: Business and Economics Building (BEC) 258
Office hours: (drop-in) Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 pm, Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 pm, or by appointment (due to
the difficulty of “showing” accounting problems and solutions via Zoom, I
generally recommend in-person appointments).
Email: grahamc@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Hi, my name is Chris Graham and I’ve been with the Gustavson School of Business since 2003.
I’ve taught a number of different courses (Accounting, Finance, Strategy, and Economics) at a
variety of levels (Business Minor, BCom, and MBA). As a designated accountant (Chartered
Professional Accountant-CPA BC) I am passionate about teaching accounting. Accounting is an
essential component of running and understanding any business. So whether you go further in
accounting or you just want to know the basics, this course is a great introduction.
For some students, accounting is an easy subject. For others it can be challenging. This is, in part,
due to the fact that for many of us, it’s a new way of looking at financial numbers and how to
organize them. It’s important to keep up with the readings and get in touch with me for help if/when
you need it.
I’m looking forward meeting you and your classmates.
Texts and Resources:
Required: e-text (or loose-leaf text). While WileyPLUS is not required for COM 202; it
accompanies the e-text and can be used as an additional study aid. New textbooks should include
WileyPLUS as part of the purchase price. N.B. a previous edition is not suitable – the questions
and accounting information/standards have changed
Financial Accounting, Tools for Business Decision-Making, 9th Cdn. Ed. with WileyPLUS,
Kimmel, Weygandt, Kieso, Trenholm, Irvine, Burnley.
- 1 -
- 2 The
text is in the form of an e-text or a loose-leaf textbook– the Wiley access code for the e-text and
access to the Wiley website for this course is available through the Uvic Bookstore
https://www.uvicbookstore.ca/text/. Look for Com 202, your section and select the e-text. You will
need to visit the Bookstore to get the loose-leaf version (which also has e-Text and WileyPLUS).
N.B. For some reason the Bookstore has our textbook listed as “optional”. It is not optional. You
will need the textbook to do the readings and the problems in order to learn accounting.
TRIAL VERSION: A free, two-week trial-version of the text and access to the WileyPLUS website is
available. See the Wiley Course Information Flyer posted in the COM 202 Brightspace website.
Calculator: A basic calculator is required for COM 202. It helps if it has a backspace correction key
(you just entered an 8 digit number and the last digit was wrong…..), and a memory, but they are
not essential. If you are planning to take COM 240 (Introduction to Finance) you might consider
buying the Texas Instruments BA II+ financial calculator available at the Bookstore.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course introduces financial accounting with an emphasis on the basic concepts, mechanics,
objectives and judgments involved in financial statements. The major challenges and problems of
financial reporting are much broader than just generating numbers. This course illustrates that
financial 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 to multi-GAAP with the adoption of IFRS (International
Financial Reporting Standards) in “accounting for public entities” as of January 1, 2011. As such,
the focus in this course will be primarily on IFRS and financial reporting for an incorporated entity.
Specific objectives include:
1. Develop the ability to recognize, create and examine basic financial statements; the statement
of comprehensive income (income statement), statement of changes in equity, statement of
financial position (balance sheet), 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 the 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. Lectures supplement
course materials to reinforce key course points and the use of problems and/or case studies will
allow application of the theory and content. Students are expected to complete all assigned
questions/work including reading the course materials, cases and/or other content posted and to be
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.
1. Read the assigned text materials for the upcoming week (see Course Schedule)
2. Before Monday’s Class go to Brightspace and download that week’s PowerPoint (PPT) slide
deck. It is in the folder for the week that you are currently preparing for.
3. In Monday’s and Thursday’s Classes we will cover the theory with examples from that
week’s assigned readings. Please read that week’s assigned readings before this class to
best participate in the class discussions and generate content questions.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be
appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take
place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each
other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please
- 3 let
me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen
and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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 technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is required for this course: Zoom Meetings (if used for office hours) and WileyPLUS
(elective component of the e-text). 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. For WileyPLUS, the privacy policy and the terms of use list the personal information
stored outside of Canada and are available at
https://www.wileyplus.com/WileyCDA/privacy_policy.html.
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.
Classroom Use of Technology:
Laptops and tablets will be allowed for use in Com 202 for the purpose of taking notes and for inclass
exercises. All other uses are distracting to your learning, the learning of others, and to the
instructor. The use of laptops or tablets for any purpose other than taking notes and completing in
class exercises is strictly prohibited. Please refrain from cell phone usage in class.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
COM 202 Individual
or Group
Type Due Date Weight
/ %of
grade
Description
COM 202Term
Assignment
Individual. Hand-in
Assignment
15% Posted on Brightspace
(Submit through
Part 1 6.2% Part 1: Sun. Oct.15 Assignments on
Brightspace)
Part 2 8.8% Part 2: Sun. Nov. 5
End of Week
(6 quizzes x 1.5
mks each)
Individual On-line Quiz On-going – Sunday
night for weeks
assigned
9% Brightspace Quizzes
Mid-term Exam Individual Exam Thurs. Oct 19 28% 80-minute exam
Final Exam Individual Exam UVic Registrar’s exam
schedule
48% 3-hour exam –
comprehensive
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.
- 4 Note
that it is required that you pass the examinations in aggregate (must achieve at least 38
marks out of the total 76 marks allocated to the exams) to pass the course. If you do not attain a
passing aggregate grade in the exams, it will result in a final course grade of Incomplete (N), with the
maximum possible percentage grade of 49.
Late/Missed Coursework or Assessments: Late penalties are outlined in the assignment
documents. Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their instructor when
facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness, accident or family affliction) which interfere with
their academic obligations. Your instructor must be advised immediately regarding any missed
assignment submissions or absences from the midterm/final exam, and acceptable documentation
(Self-Declaration Form found in the General Course Information folder in Brightspace) must be
provided to your instructor as soon as possible. All graded components for the course must be
completed and submitted or you may receive a final grade of N.
If, for some reason (e.g., illness, accident or family affliction), you are not able to complete a course
component (i.e., End-of-Week Quiz or Part 1 of the Term Assignment) where there is typically no
mechanism to “make-up” this work, you will need to inform your instructor before the due date.
You will need to complete a Self-Declaration Form (found in the General Course Information folder
in Brightspace) and provide this to your instructor. Your instructor may move the grade weight to
the Mid-term exam or the Final Exam.
If a corrupted file is uploaded to a Brightspace Assignment drop box, late penalties will be applied,
and the assignment may have a 0 grade applied. Ensure you are using the required programs to
avoid file corruption.
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:
GroupWork:
In COM 202 all of the course work is individual. Any work that is submitted (e.g., assignments,
quizzes, or exams) that is determined to be the product of group effort will receive a grade of 0%.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged
and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator
(such as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of
academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not recommended in this course. To
be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite any AI-generated material that informed
their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted AI material when
appropriate. Students should indicate how AI tools informed their process and the final product,
including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which may be invented by the AI. Please
note that AI solutions for many accounting situations do not result in great answers. In part, this
is due to the fact that most AI solutions draw on U.S. accounting standards, which do not
follow IFRS standards or rules that are used for accounting in Canada.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Gustavson School of Business. Being present in class
will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in
the course. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
- 5 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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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.
Note that it is required that you pass the examinations (must achieve at least 38 marks out of the
total 76 marks attributed to the exams) to pass the course. In the case that you do not achieve this,
it will result in a final course grade of Incomplete (N), with the maximum possible percentage grade
of 49.
“N” (incomplete) grades: All graded components must be completed or you may receive a failing
grade of N (grade point value of 0).
Please note: Students completing or planning to complete a Business Minor need 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 Undergraduate Academic
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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
- 6 •
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.
Learning Styles:
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.
Schedule Summary:
Complete term schedule is posted separately on Brightspace
Week Topic Date Description/Readings
1 Course Introduction
What isFinancial
Accounting?
Thurs., Sept. 7 (C1) Ch 1 Purpose and Use of Financial Statements
(Read the full chapter, but we will come back to
financial statements in Week 2)
Forms of Business
Organizations
Ch 11 Forms of Business Organizations pp. 11-3
to 11-6
2 The Accounting Framework Mon. Sept 11 (C2) Ch 2 A Further Look at Financial Statements pp.
2-21 to 2-27
Ch 5 Merchandising Operations pp. 5-23 to 5-28
(N.B. ONLY the Multi-Step Income Statement
will be used in this course so do not refer to the
example on page 5-22)
Ch 1 pp.1-19 to 1-20
Ch 2 pp. 2-1 to 2-13
N.B. There are posted “sample” financial
statements in the Week 2 folder, which follow the
expected formatting for assessments.
Income Statement –
Multi-Step (only)
and two basic ratios
Statement of Changes in
Equity
Statement of Financial
Position
Thurs. Sept 14 (C3)
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
COM 220
Organizational Behavior (A01 & A02)
FALL 2023
Course hours (PST)
& Location
(A01) Mon & Thurs 8:30am - 9:50 am, David Turpin Building A102
(A02) Mon & Thurs 11:30am - 12:50pm, David Turpin Building A110
Instructor: Andie (Jung Won) Lee, Ph.D.
Office: BEC 202
Office hours: By appointment (in-person or via zoom)
Email:
For all course-related questions: COM220lee@uvic.ca
This is the best way to reach me. Either the TA or I will normally answer your emails in
less than 24 hours, but expect some delay during weekends.
For other questions: jwalee@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands
and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue
to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
How do individuals’ (employees’) differences, their interactions, and shared values influence the success or failure
of organizations? This course seeks to develop your overall understanding of organizations by looking at them
through the lens of human behavior, manifested in individuals, relationships, and groups in organizations.
We will be learning some core behavioral concepts in psychology, sociology, and social psychology such as
personalities, values, motivation, conflict, and culture in an organizational context and how they impact
organizations’ performance.
Texts and Resources:
Required text: https://www.uvicbookstore.ca/
McShane, S., Steen, S., & Tasa K. (2018). Canadian Organizational Behaviour (11th ed.). Toronto, Canada:
McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Readings and cases: COM220 may make use of articles that are available free from Business Source Complete
(UVic Library). Additional class readings will be available on Brightspace, UVic Summon (Business Source
Complete), or online.
- 1 -
- 2 Course
Objectives and Description:
The course objectives are to:
● Understand how human behavior -- employee’s differences, their relationships, and their shared values --
drive decisions and actions in organizations
● Develop your competence in navigating through your current or future organizational life using the
knowledge gained in this course
● Applythe organizational behavior concepts in real-life organizational situations
Course Format:
A blend of lectures, discussions, in-class exercises, individual assignments, tests, and team assignments will be
employed.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In this class, I
intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which students from diverse
backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class
activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of
gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have
a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to
listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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 technologie(s), which stores or accesses your personal information outside Canada,
may be required for this course: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Youtube and Mentimeter. 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 and are available in the following links: Zoom, MS Teams, Youtube, Mentimeter. 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.
- 3 Evaluation
Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title
Individual
or Group
Type Due Date
Weight /
% of
grade
Description
Mid-Term Exam Individual In-Person Exam
10/19/2023
During class time 25%
In-Person Exam
Details to be announced in class
Final Exam Individual In-Person Exam TBD 35%
In-Person Exam
Details to be announced in class
Group Assignment:
(1) Report
Group
Written
Submission
11/26/2023
11:59PM
20% Students will work in groups and
present their findings with team
reports and oral presentations.
Details to be announced in class
Group Assignment:
(2) Presentation Group
Oral
Presentation
11/27 & 11/30/2023 10%
Contribution Individual Participation
Ongoingthroughout
term
5%
Attendanceand in-class
participation
Group Exercises Group
In-Class
Exercise
See class schedule 5%
Students will work in groups during
the class
Total 100%
Exams: There will be two exams in this course, a midterm and a final exam. The midterm makes up 25% and the
final exam 35% of the overall grade. The midterm exam will cover all material up to the midterm. The final exam
will cover the rest course material.
Exams might contain multiple-choice questions, true/false questions, and short answer questions. All in-class
material (e.g., readings, lecture content, discussions by fellow students in the class, videos, learning exercises
and the like) will be fair game for exams. More information about the exams will be provided in class as well as on
Brightspace site as the exam date nears.
The Mid-Term Exam will be held on October 19th
during the scheduled class time frame. Students who miss
the midterm exam without a valid excuse (such as cases of illness, accident or family affliction) will not have
an opportunity to make up this grade component. Please make every effort to take the midterm exam at the
prescribed date and time.
The Final Exam will be scheduled during the University’s designated final exam period (the exact date and
time will be announced in class and on Brightspace when scheduled by the university). As a general policy,
a make-up final exam will not be given, except in cases of illness, accident or family affliction.
Group Assignments: Details of this assignment will be announced in class and on Brightspace.
All group assignments should be electronically submitted on Brightspace. Email submissions will not be accepted
unless this has been authorized prior to the due date by the instructor. Late assignments, in the absence of a
medical or family emergency, will result in a grade penalty of 10% for each day an assignment is late.
Contribution: Contribution include, but not limited to the following:
• Class attendance (see page 5)
• In-class participation based on the following criteria
• Raising and answering questions
• Sharing ideas, insights, and feelings
• Sharing personal experiences and observations
• Sharing relevant examples from industry and practice
• Relating and synthesizing ideas of others
- 4 •
Providing constructive feedback on the learning climate and processes in the classroom
• Helping others develop their views and ideas
• Pointing out relationships to earlier discussions
Also, please note that being late, walking in and out of the classroom, or leaving early from class not only detracts
from the learning environment but will also result in poor contribution marks; in addition, such behavior may be
treated as an unexcused absence for that session.
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:
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral component to
student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team assignments. In order to receive
individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are
expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on
curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and
with civility. To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional
Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other academic
penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow this step-bystep
process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents and guides as a
basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further investigation as
needed.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work that is
presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT) to complete
coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including
ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course.
- 5 Attendance
and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class will ensure
exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and professional success. Your
positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being
present in class exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material,
leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning
experience. Being an effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the classroom
environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
In this course, your attendance may impact your Contribution scores (5%) as well as your Group Exercise scores
(5%). It is your responsibility to determine the nature of your absences (i.e., can they be excused or unexcused?)
and communicate with the instructor/TA in a timely manner.
*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 and should be emailed to COM220lee@uvic.ca in a timely manner. In case your reason for absence is
not fully covered by a self-description form, you must write an email to COM220lee@uvic.ca with an explanation
in a timely manner.
Once your unexcused absences exceed 3 sessions, you will receive 5% reduction from your final course grade
for every additional unexcused absence. In addition, if you have more than 5 unexcused absences, you may not
be permitted to write the final examination.
Additionally, in case you miss any classes that include in-class group exercises (see the schedule for exact dates),
it may also impact your group exercise scores.
• In case of excused absences, you will get the same scores as your team members. **However, your team
members may refuse to give you the same score for the reasons such as a consistent lack of team
contribution (e.g., little or no contribution to the team activities/projects). Such decisions by team members
must be communicated with and confirmed by the instructor.
• In case of unexcused absences, you will receive zero score on that particular group exercise.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their
instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic obligations. In
cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are expected to reach out to your instructor in
a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course assessment deadline or soon after).
- 6 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. Please note that “A”
grades are normally achieved by a minority of students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and may be subject
to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without proper citation
• 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.
- 8 Schedule
Summary:
The below schedule is subject to change. I strongly recommend visiting our Brightspace course site
(https://bright.uvic.ca/d2l/home/307576) for the latest schedule as well as additional class preparation materials.
Class/Session Topic Reading Remarks
Class 1
Sept. 7 COURSE INTRO
CH1 (pp. 1-26)
Sept. 11 INTRODUCTION TO OB
Class 2
Sept. 14
PERSONALITY AND VALUES
CH2
LO1 (pp. 31-36)
LO5 (pp. 48-51)Sept. 18
Class 3
Sept. 21
MOTIVATION
CH5
LO1 –LO4(pp. 114-126)
LO7 (pp. 133-138)Sept. 25 *In-class group exercise #1
Class 4
Sept. 28
POWER AND INFLUENCE I
CH10
LO1 (pp. 260-267)
LO4 (pp. 274-278)
Noclass on Oct. 2 (National Day for Truth
and Reconciliation on Sept. 30)
Oct. 5
Class 5
Oct. 12
POWER AND INFLUENCE II
MID-TERM REVIEW
CH10
LO3 (pp. 269-274) No class on Oct. 9 (Thanksgiving Holiday)
Oct. 16
Oct. 19 MIDTERM EXAM
Class 6
Oct. 23
GROUP ASSIGNMENT CHECK-IN
& WORKSHOP
Oct. 26 TEAM (GROUP) DYNAMICS
CH8
LO2 – LO4 (pp. 202-218)
Class 7
Oct. 30
PERCEIVING OURSELVES AND
OTHERS
CH3
LO1 – LO3 (pp. 58-74)
Nov. 2
SPECIAL WORKSHOP:
Foundations to Equity, Diversity, and
Inclusion.
*10:00 AM – 11:20 AM
This workshop is a part of Uvic’s 5 Days of
Action (Oct. 30 to Nov. 3)
Class 8
Nov. 6
CONFLICT
CH11
LO1& LO2(pp. 287-292)
LO4 (pp. 296-299)Nov. 9 *In-class group exercise #2
Class 9 Nov. 16 LEADERSHIP
CH12
LO1 & LO2 (pp. 316-323) No class on Nov. 13 (Reading Break)
Class 10
Nov. 20
CULTURE
FINALEXAM REVIEW
CH14
LO1– LO3 (pp. 367-378)
Nov. 23 *In-class group exercise #3
Class 11
Nov. 27
GROUP ASSIGNMENT
PRESENTATIONS
Group assignment report due on Nov. 26
Nov. 30
TBA FINAL EXAM
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 240 A01 & A02
Management Finance
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours: A01: Monday 18:00 – 20:50
A02: Mon, Thu: 10:00-11:20
Location: A01: Clearihue Building, A127
A02: David Turpin Building, A104
Instructor: Sorin Rizeanu, PhD
Office: BEC 478
Office hours: Tuesday 13:00-15:00
Telephone: 250-472-5382
Email: srizeanu@uvic.ca
Preferred contact method. Please put in email subject COM240
We acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional
territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course
changes.
- 2 Texts
and Resources:
Booth, Cleary, and Rakita, “Introduction to Corporate Finance”, Fifth Edition, Wiley ISBN
: 978-1-119-56162-0.
E-book is perfectly usable and probably the cheapest version. You can also rent it if
necessary. If you prefer the paper version, it should be available for purchase online or at
the Campus Bookstore.
https://www.wiley.com/en-ca/Introduction+to+Corporate+Finance%2C+5th+Canadian+Edition-p-
9781119561620
MS Excel:
Students are required to have and be able to use MS Excel, at least at beginner level
proficiency. In the business world, more than 60% of businesses use spreadsheets. Beyond
having all the important financial functions already integrated, Excel’s formatting tools
make your results easy to present and explain.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course serves as an introduction to corporate financial management. The primary
objective is to provide the framework, concepts, and tools for making/analyzing financial
decisions. Topics covered include discounted cash flow techniques, capital budgeting,
project evaluation, risk and return tradeoffs, diversification, and the cost of capital.
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. Problem-solving and decision-making
skills will be practiced through examples and problem assignments.
Course Format:
The course is an introduction to corporate financial management. It consists of lectures
designed to provide the framework, concepts and tools for analyzing financial decisions.
The lectures are structured as active discussions, not only presentations of information
and students are expected to actively participate.
Students are responsible for reading the assigned material, and are expected to come to
class fully prepared. Questions will be asked and discussed in class and each student is to
actively participate in these discussions. Cold calls will be made.
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
- 3 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.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual
or Group
Type Due Date
PT
Weight /
% of grade
Description
COM 240 – Pervasive
competencies
Individual Other Every class 10% Attendance, speaking,
sound judgement,
professionalism.
COM 240 – Quizzes Individual Quiz Every week 30% 10 minutes quiz, 2-3
questions
COM 240 – Final Exam Individual Exam To be
determined
40% Multiple choice exam
COM 240 – Excel Project Group
Work
Other End of Course 20% Buy/Rent Project
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.
1. Pervasive competencies (PC)
This include:
(i) Demonstrating professional skills such as sound judgment and
effective communication.
(ii) Exhibiting ethical behavior, professionalism and integrity.
Note:
(i) The grade for the PC assessment will not be released until the time
the course is completed and the final exam is marked.
2. Reading Checks Quizzes
To properly insure that students cover the material in a timely and balanced
manner, every week of classes a quiz will be taken. 10 minutes, 2-3 questions from
the previous week material.
(i) No additional time or make-up quiz will be given due to lateness or
absence.
- 4 (ii)
If the absence is excused the final examination will be assigned the
proportionate amount of additional weight.
(iii) Students absent for more than five quizzes may be denied
permission to write the final examination.
3. Final exam
(i) The final exam will be 2 hour long and will examine material
covered in the lectures, discussion in class and text readings and
questions.
(ii) The instructor must be advised immediately regarding absence from
the final exam.
4. Group Project
Each group of 4-5 students will submit their solution to a case study.
At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an
integral component to student learning. It is an expectation that students
contribute equitably to all team assignments. In order to receive individual
grades, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a
team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being
prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on
curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and
address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more
about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson
Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in
being removed from the program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is
your responsibility to follow this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your programspecific
team documents and guides as a basis for conversation and
feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial
meeting and further investigation as needed.
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you will be
expected 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 synchronous sessions in the course for you to complete the
online survey; you will need to use your UVic Netlink ID to access the survey, which can be done on
your laptop, tablet or mobile device. 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.
- 5 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.
At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral component to
student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team assignments. In
order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a
team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team
meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team
deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more about
student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards. Failure
to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
Attendance and Participation: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to
attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” 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.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (eg. illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course for students. To be
consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite any AI-generated material that informed their
work and use quotation marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted material when appropriate.
Students should indicate how AI tools informed their process and the final product, including how you
validated any AI-generated citations, which may be invented by the AI.
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
Grade
s
Grade
Point
Value
Description
- 6 -
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.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 •
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.
- 8 Schedule
Summary:
This is provided as a guide and is subject to revision. Changes will be announced in class and
posted on the COM 371 course site.
Week Lecture # Week of Topic Quiz #
1 1 11-Sep Intro
2 Corporate Governance
2 3 18-Sep Time Value of Money 1
4 Loans and Mortgages
3 5 25-Sep Bonds I 2
6 Bonds II
4 7 2-Oct Equity I 3
8 Equity II
5 9-Oct Thanksgiving Day
Review I 4
6 9 16-Oct Risk Return Portfolio I
10 Risk Return Portfolio II
7 11 23-Oct CAPM 5
12 Investing 101
8 13 30-Oct Calls and Puts 6
14 Calls and Puts
9 15 6-Nov New Issues - Crypto 7
16 New Issues - Crypto
10 13-Nov Reading Break
11 17 20-Nov Cap Budgeting 8
18 Cap Budgeting
12 19 27-Nov WACC 9
20 International Tax
13 4-Dec Review II 10
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.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course
changes.
COM 250 A02
Fundamentals of Marketing
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) M. W. 4:30 – 5:50 pm
Location DTBA104
Instructor: Dr. Linda Shi
Office: BEC210
Office hours: Monday: 6PM-7PM
Thursday: 1-2PM
Office Hour on Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://uvic.zoom.us/j/4487638193
Meeting ID: 448 763 8193
One tap mobile
+17789072071,,4487638193# Canada
+16475580588,,4487638193# Canada
Dial by your location
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
Meeting ID: 448 763 8193
Find your local number: https://uvic.zoom.us/u/kypuiqsxS
Email: Please catch me during or after class or office hour for a prompt
response.
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
- 1 -
- 2 -
Introduction:
Provide a personal introduction about yourself and your background. Write in the first
person if you are comfortable with this. The purpose is to welcome students to the course
and be available to students.
Required Case Pack:
Harvard Casepack available at URL: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1090627
Professor: Linda Shi
Course: COM250 Fall 2023 Fundamentals of Marketing
For subsequent access to the materials, you will need to log in at https://hbsp.harvard.edu/.
For technical assistance, please contact the Harvard Business Publishing Tech Help line at
800 545-7685 or 617-783-7600; or email techhelp@hbsp.harvard.edu. Our business hours
are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Text:
Marketing for Marketing: An Introduction 6th Edition
Author(s): Armstrong, Gary | Kotler, Philip | Trifts, Valerie | Buchwitz, Lilly
Textbook ISBN-13: 9780134470528
Please note: any other editions, including 4th
, 5th
, 7th
edition, are acceptable.
Online Text
To register for MyLab Marketing for Armstrong: Marketing: An Introduction, 7th
Ed:
Go to https://mlm.pearson.com/enrollment/shi28566.
1. Sign in with your Pearson student account or create your account. For Instructors
creating a Student account, do not use your instructor credentials.
2. Select any available access option, if asked.
o Enter a prepaid access code that came with your textbook or from the
bookstore.
o Buy instant access using a credit card or PayPal.
o Select Get temporary access without payment for 14 days.
3. Select Go to my course.
4. Select MyLab Marketing for Armstrong: Marketing: An Introduction, 7th Ed from
My Courses.
If you contact Pearson Support, give them the course ID: shi28566
Course Objectives and Description:
The class is intended to help you understand the concepts and skills of the marketing process.
You can understand the related marketing concepts and tools, form your own marketing
philosophy, and apply these to your career planning after completing this course.
You will be able to perform the following tasks after completing this course:
1. Understand marketing process;
- 3 -
2. Develop a marketing plan to introduce a new product or improve your current
marketing practice;
3. Apply the marketing process model to your future work.
Course Format:
The course format is a combination of lectures, in-class discussions, cases, team
presentations, and group project. Exam and group project are designed to help you review
the concepts learned from this course and apply them into a real business environment.
Class Preparation
In preparation for each class please complete all required assigned readings and activities,
as we will be applying, not reviewing, posted content. For each of our sessions, please
ensure that:
• You have closed unnecessary programs on your computer as you may be sharing
your screen for some activities
• You arrive early to ensure a prompt start time and give you a chance to ensure your
audio/video is working. It also gives us a chance to chat and connect.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that
diversity underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact
with others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an
environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different
perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and
online discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and
sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each
have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an
equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do better to support
your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if
you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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.
- 4 The
following educational technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information
outside Canada, is required for this course: youtube, google news and video. 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.
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 Weight Description
Class
Participation
Individual Participati
on
ongoing 10% Based on
attendance,
group work, and
in-class
contribution
Mid-term
Exam
Individual Exam/Cas
e
Oct. 18 20%
Group
Presentation
Group Case
Presentati
on
See
syllabus
case
discussio
n date
20% Students who
choose to do
group
presentations do
not need to take
mid-term exam.
Case
presentation
grade substitutes
mid-term grade
Group/Indivi
dual Project
Group/Indiv
idual
Hand-in
Assignme
nt and In-
class
presentatio
n for group
(note: If
you write
report
individuall
y, you
don’t need
to do in-
class
presentatio
n)
Nov. 27,
29 Group
Project
Presentat
ion
Dec. 6
Report
Submissi
on
30% Students who
choose Group
Project path
needs to do both
presentation and
report
submission.
If you choose to
do individual
report, you only
need to turn in
report and no
need to present
in class.
Final Exam Individual Exam TBD 40%
Total 100%
- 5 Note:
There are several time slots available for group case presentations on a volunteering
basis. The group members who contributed to case presentations don’t need to take midterm
exam as your group presentation grades substitute your mid-term exam grade (20%).
If you are interested in the group case presentation opportunities, please organize your
group of no more than five people and contact me ASAP or come to my office hour to
register for case presentation.
There will be no make up mid-term exam as group case presentation is an alternative to
mid-term exam. If you cannot attend the mid-term exam, please organize a group to present
a case in class.
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:
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an
integral component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably
to all team assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate
in their team process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute
to a team by being prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on
curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in
a timely manner and with civility. To read more about student expectations while at
Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards. Failure to meet these
expectations may result in being removed from the program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your
responsibility to follow this step-by-step process:
- 6 -
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team
documents and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately
acknowledged and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AIcontent
generator (such as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or
authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not
permitted for assignment and final report. in this course for students who wish to use them.
To be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite any AI-generated material that
informed their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted
material when appropriate. Students should indicate how AI tools informed their process and
the final product, including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which may be
invented by the AI.
Attendance and Participation: Regular attendance is an expectation for Commerce classes.
Being present in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for
your future personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to
your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key
component of your Gustavson experience. Being an effective team member requires you to
be present and engaged in the classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component
of everyone’s academic success.
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 1/3 of the
semester course (approximately 12 class hours) may not be permitted to write the final
examination.
*unexcused absences = absences without appropriate documentation (self-declaration
form). Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, no medical documentation is required. Selfdeclaration
forms can be found in the BrightSpace course site.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek
advice from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g. illness) which
interfere with their academic obligations.
Contribution and Attendance (10%): Attending class regularly demonstrates your
dedication to the course. Throughout the semester, your participation in class will be
evaluated. Typically, you will be required to answer a few questions via Zoom during each
week. Participation in class discussions will increase your contribution grade, and attendance
will be tracked.
- 7 Mid-term
Exam (20%)
A close book mid-term exam will be given to summarize the first half semester key learning
objectives. More details will be announced before the mid-term exam.
Please note make up mid-term exam will NOT be arranged because you can choose to do
case presentation which has a flexible schedule.
OPTIONAL Case Presentation (20%):
Students can organize team with no more than five people and volunteer to present the
analysis of a selected case at the start of the class in which that case is to be discussed.
Your presentation should be no more than 20 minutes in length including discussion time.
Please upload your course slides to Case Presentation Registration Section on Brightspace
before presentation and hand in your presentation slides with notes page to instructor in
class. Make sure all group members’ names and student IDs are provided on the first slide
for grading purpose.
The students present cases do NOT need to participate in the mid-term exam as your case
presentation grade substitutes your mid-term grade. If you are interested in this opportunity,
please contact me ASAP to reserve the spot.
Case Presentation Format
While each case will require a different emphasis, as a broad guideline you should include
the following topics in your presentation:
• Executive summary (1 slide)
• Key issues (1 slide)
• Situation Analysis (SWOT) (1 slide)
• Conclusions from analysis (1 slide)
• Alternative courses of action (1-2 slides)
• Discussion of alternatives (1 slide)
• Comparison of alternatives (1 slide)
• Recommendations (1 slide)
• Implementation (1 slide)
• Key learning (1 slide)
Grading
You will receive feedback from the class and your instructor on your presentation. In
grading your assignment, I will ask the following questions:
• How carefully did you define the issues? Did you capture the essence of the
case/topic?
• How thorough were your analyses?
• How relevant was your analyses to the problem at hand?
• Did you draw correct conclusions from your analyses?
• Did you systematically and thoroughly compare the alternatives?
• Were your recommendations appropriate?
• Were your implementation plans realistic?
• Did you see the bigger implications inherent in the case/topic?
- 8 For
the case presentation, please note that, unless otherwise stated (there may be exceptions
to this), you should assume that the information in the case is all that would be available to
the decision maker at the time of the decision – i.e. conducting your own online research is
unwarranted and may be distracting. For the topic presentation, please use book chapters as
your guideline and feel free to search online to include any relevant information about the
chosen company.
Group Project (30%):
Objectives
1. To conclude the course by applying the key tools and concepts you have learned.
2. To show that you have not just learned about the concepts in marketing principles,
but that you can work with them in a real-world situation.
3. To show that you can exercise sound judgment in evaluating marketing
opportunities/threats.
For the group project, you will research and analyze a brand/company and propose a new
initiative for the brand/company. The new initiatives can be entering a new market/new
customer segment, introducing a new product, or improving the brand’s current practices to
address certain issues, i.e., competitive threats. You are expected to submit a final course
project report on the last day of class. You need to make sure to propose a new initiative that
the company/brand has not yet conducted. Your report needs to add value to the
company/brand existing practices.
Report
You are expected to follow the sequence of course map to complete your report. A good
format for this would be:
Background & New Initiative
The company and its strategy
The new initiative you propose and rationale.
SWOT Analysis
Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning
4Ps analysis
Conclusions
Recommendations & Implementations of your new initiative(s)
Your grade of the final report will depend on:
• Did you exercise sound judgment in evaluating marketing opportunities/threats?
• How carefully did you define the issues/opportunities (i.e., new initiatives)? Did you
capture the essence of the situation? Does the new initiative you propose make sense?
• Did you present your story in a compelling way?
• Did you develop an appropriate segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategy?
• Did you develop an actionable and meaningful marketing mix plan?
• Did you draw reasonable conclusions from your analysis?
• Were your recommendations appropriate?
- 9 A
list of categories and brands will be provided. Each group can register a unique product
category and choose one specific brand from the chosen category. Please note you cannot
register the same category that has been chosen by the other group. The sign-up is on a first
come first serve basis.
The written assignment is due in the last week of the semester, and should be no more than
12 pages, 11 pt., 1.5 spacing with default margins. Please submit it in Microsoft Word on
Brightspace- Final Course Project Folder, using your last name and researched company as
the filename, e.g. Shi_Linda_Costco.docx. Please make sure all group members put down
names and student IDs on the cover page of your report.
Final Exam (40%): Final exam will be held at the end of the semester which will be an
overall assessment of your understanding of marketing principles.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present
in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future
personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your
classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes
you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material,
leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component
of your learning experience. Being an effective team member requires you to be present and
engaged in the classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s
academic success.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek
advice from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which
interfere with their academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment
deadline etc., you are expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably
before the exam or course assessment deadline or soon after).
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally
achieved by a minority of students.
Percentage
Range
Grad
es
Grad
e
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. Normallyachieved
by the largest number of students. These grades indicate a
- 10 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.
Note that it is required that you pass the mid-term exam or case presentation to pass the
course. In the case that you do not attain a passing grade in any such 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 Academic Director
and may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in
line with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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:
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 11 •
using work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT,
without proper citation
• 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:
Topic Type Date Description
Class
Introduction
Lecture 09/06
Wed
Syllabus
1.1 Introduction 09/11
Mon
Chap. 1: Marketing
1.2 Introduction 09/13
Wed
Chap. 1: Marketing in the
post-pandemic world
2.1 SWOT:
Marketing
Environment
Lecture 09/18
Mon
Chap. 4: Marketing
Environment
- 12 -
2.2 SWOT:
Marketing
Environment
Case 09/20
Wed
Case 1: Does Mattel's
Iconic Barbie Doll Need a
Makeover?
3.1 Consumer
Behavior
Lecture 09/25
Mon
Chap. 6: Consumer
Behavior
3.2 Consumer
Behavior
Case 09/27
Wed
Case 2: Showrooming at
Best Buy
4.1 Segmentation,
Targeting &
Positioning
Lecture 10/02
Mon
Chap. 7: Market
Segmenting, Targeting,
and Positioning
4.2 Segmentation,
Targeting &
Positioning
Case 10/04
Wed
Case 3: Graham’s
Pharmacy: Traditional
Care, Modern Solutions
10/9
Mon
No Class for
Thanksgiving
4.2 Segmentation,
Targeting &
Positioning
Lecture 10/11
Wed
Chap. 7: Market
Segmenting, Targeting,
and Positioning
5.1 Product &
Services
Lecture 10/16
Mon
Chap. 8: Products and
Services
10/18
Wed
Mid-term Exam
6 Branding Lecture 10/23
Mon
Chap. 9: Branding
10/25
Wed
GUEST LECTURE
(TBD)
Or Preparation forFinal
Project
7.1 Pricing Lecture 10/30
Mon
Chap. 10: Pricing
7.2 Pricing Case 11/1
Wed
Case 4: Nestle's Maggi:
Pricing and Repositioning
a Recalled Product
8.1 Channels Lecture 11/6
Mon
Chap. 11 & 12: Marketing
Channels & Retailing (II)
8.2 Channels &
Retailing
Case 11/8
Wed
Case 5: Amazon Go:
Venturing into
Traditional Retail
Chap. 12: Retailing and
Wholesaling
11/13
Mon
No Class for Reading
Break
11/15
Wed
No Class for Reading
Break
9.1 Communication
& Promotion
Lecture 11/20
Mon
Chap. 13: Communicating
Customer Value
- 13 -
9.2 Communication
& Promotion
Case 11/22
Wed
Case 6: East Coast
Lifestyle: Expanding A
Regional Apparel Brand
10.1 Final Group
Project
11/27
Mon
Group project in-class
presentation I
10.2 Final Group
Project
11/29
Wed
Group project in-class
presentation II
10.3 Final Group
Project
12/04
Mon.
Group project in-class
presentation III
(Note: If you write
individual report, you
don’t need to present in
class.)
Final Exam Exam TBD
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.
- 14 -segment
size, growth,
profitability
-externalenvironment
factors match (O/T)
- internal environment
factors match (S/W)
-geographic
-demographic
-psychographic
- behavioral
-large concentrated
market potential
-high demand
-lesscompetition on
market, etc.
-low barriers to entry
-potential large
competition
-price sensitive customers
- limited numberof
suppliers, etc.
objectives
strategy/policy
price points &approach
terms & conditions
-brandreputation
-financial resources
-IT capacity
-managementcapability,
etc.
1: Environmental Analysis (SWOT)
Opportunity ThreatWeakness
objectives
product concept
product strategy
service strategy
branding strategy
Strength
Segmentation
2: Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning
-small in size
-low profit margin
-new to market, no sales yet
-inexperiencedmanagement
team, etc.
objectives
channel design &dist.
system
channel relationships
logistics/ physical dist.
Product Pricing Communication Channel
objectives
key messages
communicationmix
budget
3: Marketing Mix Program
-scope
-differentiation
- competitive advantage
-positioning statement/map
Targeting
Support with Market Research and Data
Positioning
Appendix: Course Map
Marketing Principles Course Road Map
Note: please regularly check your Brightspace site and subscribe to Brightspace
Announcements for course updates and changes.
COM 302 A01
Legal Environment of Business
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours
(PST)
Mondays and Thursdays at 1.00 p.m.
Location: CLE C112
Instructor: Mark D Bridge, LL.M, J.D., Barrister and Solictor ( British Columbia,
England and Wales )
Office hours: Please request in class or by e-mail: MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca
Email: MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca
We acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional
territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
- 1 -
- 2 -
Introduction
Welcome to Legal Environment of Business. This course is very relevant to success in business.
Textbook
Contemporary Canadian Business Law, Principles and Cases, Willes, John A., Q.C., and Willes, John
H., 12th e-book edition available from bookstore. Hardcopy editions by the same author from any source
are also recommended and very good value. Please cite the 12th edition if you reference the textbook in
coursework or project work..
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 consist of class lectures and discussion on each topic supported by questions
posed to the class. It is essential that students read ahead in order to be able to follow the content and
participate in practice questions and discussions. There will be a practice quiz with a worked solution
approximately 12 October ( one week prior to the mid-term quiz provisionally scheduled for 19 October
2023 ). Evaluation dates are subject to change. Please do not make plans to be absent from the classes
scheduled before and after the provisional mid-term exam date.
Detailed chapter notes, power point slides, example handouts and other materials will be posted in advance in
Brightspace.
- 3 As
part of the participation in the course, teams of five students will be assigned a legal case to brief in
written form according to a method provided. In October 2023, according to a schedule, the cases will
be presented in class demonstrating understanding of "case brief" format used for judicial decisions. All
necessary information will be provided. No research is required or should be undertaken in the exercise.
In November, teams of seven students will argue and judge a hypothetical, legal dispute in contract and
agency. This will also take place in class, according to a schedule determined in mid-October.
Participation in other forms and by other means, such as contribution to discussion questions,
assistance to class members, et alia, will be encouraged and acknowledged. Other evaluations include
a final quiz to be scheduled in the December Exam Schedule period. As this date will not be known
until after the Reading Break, please do not make travel plans for December prior to the date being
confirmed by the University.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at the University of Victoria.
At Gustavson, we know that diversity underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our
work and interact with others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect;
an environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different
perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in- person and online
discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation,
abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture.
We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable,
diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our
classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how
I can be a better ally.
- 4 -
Evaluation
Student grades in COM 302 will be determined on the basis of performance in the following assessments.
See schedule of dates ( pp. 15-17 below ).
1. A case presentation exercise in teams of 5. Presentations involve 8-10
20% of final mark minutes spoken presentation in October (schedule to be
determined).
2. An in-person, mid-term quiz provisionally scheduled for 19 October 2023
25% of final mark
3. A contract-themed, legal dispute presentation in teams of 7 in the style of a Moot
25% of final mark in-class during the last two weeks of November 2023 (schedule to
be determined ).
4. A final examination during the December Examination Period
30% of final mark
Total: 100%
You must complete all graded components for this course unless you are excused. Failure to complete
all components will result in a grade of N.
Additionally, there is an attendance requirement. See below, page 8.
Failure to meet the attendance requirement without the written permission of the Undergraduate
Academic Director in respect of a major, extenuating circumstance will cause you to be excluded from
the final examination with the result that your final grade is N ( Incomplete, fail and GPA of 0 ).
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.
- 5 Case
Presentation Exercise
In September, students will be invited to form groups of five students either themselves or on the basis of
the instructor's random assignments. 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 the legal
decision according to the format explained. Case presentations will take place in class according to the
schedule in October 2023.
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 8-10 minutes and involve each member of the group in
a speaking role. The written case brief must be submitted to the Brightspace dropbox before the
presentation and indicate the part or parts contributed by each member.
This is a group project and each member of the group will receive the grade of the group.
Mooting Exercise - Court Simulation
Also, in September, students will be invited to form different groups of seven students themselves or on
the basis of the instructor's random assignments. Two students in each group will assume the role of
"Counsel for the Plaintiff", two students "Counsel for the Defendant", and the remaining members of the
group will be a presiding judge, a time-keeping judge and an assistant judge.
Following a method to be explained, teams of counsel within each team will prepare their respective positions
in the mooting exercise for oral presentation in class. These presentations will take place in the final two
weeks of the course in November.
Background information will be provided in mid-October. Counsel for the Plaintiff and Counsel for the
Defendant must upload to Brightspace in a designated area, a copy of their moot brief document. The
moot brief is a jointly-written brief of between 3 and 5 pages summarizing Counsels' position on the
issues. A template for use will be provided in October.
- 6 Immediately
prior to the commencement of each moot, written copy of each team’s moot brief will be
provided to opposing counsel and also provided to the judges for use during the moot presentation.
During the moot, the Judges will listen to the argument of each team of legal counsel and after having
done so deliver a judgment on the issues. The Judges should deliver an immediate oral decision.
Later, a written decision of between 3 and 5 pages will be jointly written by the judges. The written
decision need not be identical with the oral decision. When written, the judges' decision will be
uploaded to Brightspace.
The moot briefs and judges’ written 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. To assist the judges in this task, there will be a “judges’ coaching session” in
November. For all participants, full information will be provided in class to explain effective strategies
and techniques to use.
This is an individually assessed exercise.
Course Experience Survey
The Gustavson School of Business and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you
will be expected 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 course, 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.
- 7 Course
Assessment Group Work
At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral component to student
learning.
It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team assignments. In order to receive an
individual grade, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a team assignment.
Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team meetings, having respectful
discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team
conflict in a timely manner and with civility.
It is not acceptable for a team member to allow another team member to fulfill their work for them or
for a team member to appropriate the work of the other team member(s) or prevent the other(s) from
making their own contribution(s).
To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional
Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other
academic penalty.
What To Do IfThere Is A Problem In Your Group
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow this
step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents and
guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further investigation as
needed.
- 8 Attendance
and Participation
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. There is an attendance policy
that will result in exclusion from the final examination if violated ( see immediately below ).
Attendance in every class is an expectation for COM 302. Being present in class will ensure exposure to
course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and professional success. Your positive
participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being
present in class exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of
your Gustavson experience. Being an effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the
classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
Attendance Policy
This policy does not apply to absence due to illness, injury, personal affliction, family responsibilities, job
interview or similar about which you advise me via e-mail prior to the cause or as soon as you are able: <
MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca >
In particular, if you or your family are not well, please stay at home and take care of yourselves until you
recover. I will be more than happy to assist you with missed content.
This policy does apply to voluntary absences that have no justification other than personal choice to be
absent.
In cases of absence of any six scheduled class times during the term ( other than situations described above
and other than class times where an in-class team presentation does not require your presence ), you will be
denied permission and excluded from writing the final examination unless you obtain the written permission
of the Undergraduate Academic Director for a major, extenuating circumstance.
The consequence of missing the final examination is a course grade of N ( incomplete, fail and GPA 0 ).
- 9 Use
of Artificial Intelligence ( AI )
Use of AI generated content, created or obtained directly or indirectly, is
prohibited in the course.
In the United States, recent use of AI by trial lawyers who claimed not to know what it was, have resulted
in judicial admonishment ( ie public humiliation ) and citation ( ie referral ) to disciplinary bodies for
investigation and response.
Unattributed use of AI is a form of academic dishonesty for purposes of university policy. It is not permitted
to use AI, whether attributed or not, in this course.
See the explanation at points c and d, page 12, below, for instruction on proper research, citation and
attribution in a law course. Please ask for assistance if you are in any doubt. You will never be faulted for
citing and attributing ideas to original ( not artificial ) sources of law, including any law contained within
the adopted textbook for the course.
Missed Coursework, Team Work or Examinations
As explained, above, you must complete all graded components for this course unless you are
excused. Failure to complete all components will result in a grade of N.
If you face unexpected circumstances that interfere with your academic obligations or success in the
course, you must seek advice from a BCom Advisor or your instructor as soon as possible.
- 10 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.
Please note that “A” grades are usually achieved by a minority of students.
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.
- 11 “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.
University Calendar
Students are encouraged to read the regulations applicable to the course found in the University of Victoria
Calendar.
Attendance
The University of Victoria Calendar 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 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:
- 12 a.
using work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT.
b. using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and
without referencing the source of the words.
c. In law, a required reference must include the full name of the author, the full name of
the work, the year of publication, the page cited with the full text quoted within
quotation marks. If, as is not uncommon, words are omitted, then “elipses” must be
used to show the omission of the words in the original text.
d. For greater certainty, it is not sufficient to paraphrase original text and simply
insert a citation of the type “ ( Green, 2015 ) ”. Examples of correct citation will
be provided in class. If in doubt, please ask before assuming that a form of
citation acceptable in another context is sufficient in law.
e. paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
f. Duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
g. 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.
h. Copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
i. Providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
j. Impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for
the purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
k. Stealing or mutilating library materials.
l. Accessing a test or examination prior to the time and date of the sitting.
m. Changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
- 13 n.
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.
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, inter alia, individual assignments. Students are
encouraged to discuss this issue as it relates to academic integrity with their instructor to avoid
violating this policy.
For the Moot Exercise individual team members are encouraged to work with members of the
class who are on teams other than their own. This collaboration is expected and is not a violation
of academic integrity provided that the final result is the original work of the person submitting it
for evaluation and assessment.
- 14 Class
Time and Office Hours
COM 302 A01 meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 1.00 to 2.20 p.m.
Office hours are available by arrangement at a timethat is mutually convenient to you.
You are very welcome to e-mail me for direct assistance at any time. My email is
MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca
Respect
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 or the
Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by appointment toassess
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.
Somewhere in this outline is an expression meaning “something for something”. If you are the first
member of the class to locate the expression, you will win a very nice item of Gustavson “bling”. To
claim the prize, go to Brightspace and send a
class-wide e-mail to everyone in the class using the dropdown “Class List”. The subject line of the e-mail
must read “I claim the COM 302 - A01 Course Outline prize”. In the body of the e-mail, type the following
and enter the page and line number where you have located the expression meaning “something for
something”. In particular, type the following message inserting the page and line number in place of the
variable letters “X” and “Y”: “I located the winning expression in the Course Outline contest on page X at
line Y, and I claim the Gustavson prize for section A01.” In addition to sending the e-mail to the whole
class, forward your “sent” message to the course instructor at <MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca> to show
the time and day of your message. Good Luck to all. The winning class member will be the first person to
send the class-wide e-mail as time- stamped by Brightspace and the prize will be awarded in a future class.
- 15 Reading,
Topics List and Important Dates ( dates approximate ).
Dates subject to change Topics and Activities
06 September Introduction to the course. Introduction to Canadian Law: Sources of Law of
Law, Relevance to Business; Forms of Business Organisation: Types ofProperty:
Real and Personal; Protection of Intellectual Property, Text Chapter 1, online
materials and discussion.
08 September Instructions posted for 5-person Case Presentation Team Requests and 7-person
Moot Team Requests via Brightspace.
08-15 September 5-person Case Presentation Team Requests due by noon on 15 September. In
absence of a request, teams will be formed at random from the class.
11 September ( Continuing ) Introduction to Canadian Law: Sources of Law of Law, Relevance
to Business; Forms of Business Organisation: Types of Property: Real and
Personal; Protection of Intellectual Property, TextChapter 1, online materials and
discussion.
16-22 September 7-person Moot Team Requests of 7 class members due by noon on 22 September.
In absence of a request, teams will be formed at random from the class.
18 September Case Presentation information and exercise instructions will be posted to
Brightspace.
18 September Introduction to Canadian Law, as above ( continued ). Relevance of
Environmental Law; International Law as applicable to domestic and
international business; Law of Employment, Labour Law, Text Chapters 1.
Further optional reading: Chapters 19, 20, 34
and 35.
21 September Hierarchy of Law: Constitutional Law, Common Law and Statute; Judicial
Process, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Text chapters 2 and 3.
25 September Tort Law: Civil Liability compared to Criminal Liability; Intentional and
unintentional tort; Defences and vitiating circumstances, tort remedies, use and
protection using insurance, Text Chapters 4 and 5. Further optional reading
Chapter 31.
- 16 -
30 September Moot Presentation Team List and Schedule will beposted to Brightspace.
05 October Tort Law ( continued ).
09 October Thanksgiving Day - no classes
12 October Tort Law ( continued ). Torts arising in Business; Professional Negligence: Duty of
Care, Standard of Care and Causation, Text Chapters 4 and 5. Further optional reading
Chapter 6.
12 October Practice Quiz posted to Brightspace with solution
13 October Optional Mid-Term Review Class ( location and time to be confirmed )
16 October Tort Law ( continued ).
19 October Mid-term Quiz ( provisional date subject to change )
23-
26
October In Class Presentations according to team schedule on Brightspace
30 October Contract Law: Elements of Contract and Proof; Defences and vitiating circumstances;
Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 11.
02 November Contract Law ( continued ) Elements of Contract and Proof; Defences and vitiating
circumstances; Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 11.
06 November Contract Law ( continued ): Elements of Contract and Proof; Defences and vitiating
circumstances; presence or absence of quid pro quo; Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 11.
13-
15
November Reading Break - No Class
16 November Agency: Appointment and use in Contract, Text Chapter 15, Legal and
Equitable Remedies, Quantum Meruit and Promissory Estoppel, Text Chapters
8 and 14.
20-30 November Moot Exercise presentations according to team schedule on Brightspace
04 December Optional Final Exam Review Class ( location and time to be confirmed )
TBA December Final Examination ( date to be confirmed by University )
- 17 Note:
Time permitting, the importance of the following topics will be discussed
when arising but will not be examined:
Sale of Goods, Consumer Protection Law, Business Organisation: Creation,
Liability of Officers, Shareholder Limited Liability and Shareholders'
Agreements Banking, Secured Transactions, Negotiable Instruments:
Promissory Notes, Cheques and Bills of Exchange. Intellectual Property:
Creation and Enforcement, Patents, Trademarks, Copyright, Industrial Design
and Contractual protection of intellectual property.
Mark Bridge
28 August 2023
Three typographical mistakes corrected 3 September 2023
COM 303
IT Strategy & Innovation Fall 2023
Course Outline
Course hours (PST) Monday, Thursday 4:00-5:20 pm
Location Bob Wright Centre A104
Instructor: Dr. Dale Ganley
Office: BEC 442
Office hours: Thursdays on campus 1pm-3:30 pm or by arrangement over Zoom
Email: dganley@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Course Objectives and Description:
IT Strategy and Innovation focuses on how information technology (IT) is changing organizations
and the critical issues they face guiding decisions about its use. Today new structures and
strategies must co-evolve with technology to create the innovative capabilities businesses need to
compete and survive. Together these result in new business models and ultimately impact markets,
customer expectations, and entire ecosystems of businesses. We will examine these issues using
academic research, real-world insights and experiences of senior IT manages, and newly emergent
issues like cyber risk management and data personalization. Although IT is at the heart of these
changes, this course is not about technology; it is about how technology is enabling
organizational transformation to create value in today’s world.
The course objectives are to:
Understand the core issues facing IT organizations and have tools to address them
Understand how IT can deliver value
Articulate the way in which technology enables business strategy
Describe how IT can drive business improvement and competitive advantage
Texts and Resources:
Required: Textbook: IT STRATEGY & INNOVATION, Edition 5.0
by James McKeen and Heather Smith
Copyright 2022
Publisher: Prospect Press
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 Distributors:
RedShelf (ebooks and print-on-demand paperbacks) and VitalSource (ebooks). you
can follow the links on this page to one of the two distributors:
(https://www.prospectpressvt.com/textbooks/mckeen-it-strategy-innovation-5-0)
Required: Harvard Business Publishing Coursepack - IT Strategy &
Innovation (created by Dale Ganley) which includes access to three business
simulations: Cloudstrat, Power and Influence V3 and Cyber Attack! You must have access to
the simulations to complete the related course assignments.
Student price: $40.00
The direct link to get the CoursePack and access to the simulations
is: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1088956
Course Format:
This course will be based on in class activities (simulations, discussions and examples) to bring life
to the material in the textbook. Learning is an active process -- the more active you are, the more
you will learn. Therefore, the course will rely heavily on students using time outside to read and
prepare to make maximum use of in-class time – hopefully even lectures will be very interactive. In
addition, every member of the class is expected to contribute to the group's learning through
discussion and debate. All students, no matter how personable, ambitious or accomplished, should
recognize that success in this class will be very unlikely if there are any regular impediments to
conscientious preparation and attendance throughout the class.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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 technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is recommended for this course: Zoom (for office hours). I will make you aware if this list
changes. Additionally, some technologies that aren’t required but may be helpful include: Google
Docs, Youtube. 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 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
- 3 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
(begin with Course
Code)
Individual
or Group
Type
(Exam, Hand-
in
Assignment,
Presentation,
Quiz, Other)
Due Date
(m/d/yyyy
hh:mm
AM/PM) PST
Weight
/ %of
grade
Description
COM 303: Quiz 1 Individual In Class Quiz Mo
10/16/2023
15% In class test of textbook
ideas
COM 303: Quiz 2 Individual In Class Quiz Th 11/23/2023 15% In class test of textbook
ideas
COM 303: Cloudstrat Individual Simulation Th 10/2/2023 20% To be completed on own
Simulation synchronous Assignment before class. Debrief in
class.
COM 303: Change Individual Simulation Mo 15% Round 1 to be completed
Management Simulation synchronous Before and in
class
10/30/2023 before class. Round 2 and
debrief in class.
COM 303: Cyber Attack! Individual Simulation Mo 5% All in class.
Simulation
COM 303: Cyber Attack!
Reflection Paper
synchronous In-class
Individual Short
Reflection
Paper
11/27/2023
Mo 12/4/2023 10%
COM 303: Mini-case
Discussions (x3)
Individual
Cooperative
In Class
Contribution
15% 3 in class discussions, see
schedule
COM 303: Participation Individual Participation 5%
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:
- 4 There
are four types of assessment used in this course: Simulations, Quizzes, Mini-case
discussions, and short Reflection Papers/Assignments. All grades will be based on individual
work although some activities may allow groups to participate together.
The Quizzes and Reflection Papers/Assignments are individual effort only. Each Reflection
Paper/Assignment will have instructions included that outline how they will be assessed.
The Simulations will be graded based partially on the results of the simulation and partially on
additional reflection pieces– the specific grading strategy for each simulation will be described in the
instructions. The Mini-case discussions will be graded based on participation and quality of
contribution.
Individual Work: Individual work is individually graded and must represent the true effort
and output of its owner. Help in the nature of editing (especially for non-native English speakers),
group brainstorming or friendly reviewing is fine unless specifically forbidden, but any changes from
those activities must be done by the student and should not be substantively different from the
student’s solo work without help. Collaborating to the point of identical or near-identical output
is not ok.
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.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek
advice from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (eg. illness) which interfere with
their academic obligations.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is only permitted if I explicitly give permission
ahead of time in this course for students who wish to use them. To be consistent with our scholarly
values, students must cite any AI-generated material that informed their work and use quotation
marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should indicate
how AI tools informed their process and the final product, including how you validated any AIgenerated
citations, which may be invented by the AI.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class
will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the
course. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
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.
- 5 This
class is highly dependent on experiences and material that are only available in class. It
follows that the graded work in this class is closely linked to activity that will take place during class
time and cannot be made up in the event of absences. Even in the event of excused absences,
there will be limited/no opportunities to “make-up” the in-class exercises, prepared work, or
participation credit. Students can expect a buffer in the credit available to allow for a limited
number of excused absences, but must recognize that it is not bottomless.
Participation:
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course
assessment deadline or soon after).
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 6 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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
- 7 Schedule
Summary:
Topic#
/ Week
Topics Readings
Graded
Assignments or
Assessments
1
Thursday:
Cost and Value of IT
Chapters
1
2
Monday and Thursday:
Developing, Delivering and Advancing IT Strategy
Chapters
1-3
3
Monday and Thursday:
Strategies for Digital, Cloud and IT Governance and
Discussion: Global Logistics and the Maritime
Transport Ecosystem Mini Case
Chapters
4,5
• Global
Logistics and
the Maritime
Transport
Ecosystem
Mini Case
4
Monday and Thursday:
Managing IT budgets, risk and business
relationships
Chapters
6,7
5
No class Monday
Thursday: Cloud Strategy Simulation
• Cloud
Strategy
Simulation
6
No class Monday
Thursday:
Cyber Risk and IT-Business Partnerships
Chapters
8,9
7
Monday: Quiz 1 (Ch 1-9) In Class, on Paper
Thursday: Shadow IT
Chapter
10
• Quiz 1 Chapters
1-
12
8
Monday and Thursday:
Managing Change and Change Management
Chapters
11, 12
9
Monday and Thursday:
Personalization and the Employee Experience
Change Management Simulation
Chapters
13,14
• Change
Management
Simulation
- 8 -
10
Monday and Thursday:
IT’s Role in Culture, Improving the Customer
Experience, API's and A.I.
Chapters
15, 16
11
No class Monday
Thursday:
Emerging Technologies and Discussion:
Transforming IT at Global Digital Imaging Minicase
Chapters
17-18
• Transforming
IT at Global
Digital
Imaging Mini
Case
12
Monday:
Understanding IT Security
Thursday: Quiz 2 (Ch 10-18) in class, on paper
Chapters
19
• Quiz 2 Chapters
13-
21
13
Monday: Cyber Attack! Simulation in class, bring
device
and Thursday:
Developing new Talent and Coping with Technical
Debt
Chapters
20, 21
• Simulation -
Cyber
Attack! In
class
14
Monday: (Last Meeting)
Class Summary and Discussion: Introducing Agile
Development at American Attire Mini Case
• Introducing
Agile
Development
at American
Attire Mini
Case
• Cyber Attack!
Reflection
paper
• No Final Exam Scheduled
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.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for updates and course changes.
COM 400 A01
Strategic Management
Fall 2023 – Course Outline
Course hours
(PST)
Tuesday and Thursday – 11:30 am to 12:50 pm
Location: DSB C116
Instructor: Sudhir Nair, PhD
Office: BEC 431
Office hours: 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm T/ Th OR by prior appointment. Please email me and I
will work with your schedule to ensure that I meet with you.
Email: sudhirn@uvic.ca
We acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional
territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
My name is Sudhir Nair and I will be your instructor for COM 400. I want to take a minute to
introduce myself so you know a little bit about me by the time we meet in class.
I have an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. After receiving my MBA, I
started out as a banker working in Citibank, working in financial services in a variety of roles.
After that I felt like I needed to be on my own and I co-founded a company that developed
networking solutions. I then moved to another entrepreneurial venture, and started a company
that manufactures pet snacks; I know - big jumps in what I chose to do!
After having worked in industry for over 15 years, I went back to school and completed my PhD
program at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA, USA and am now an Associate
Professor of International Business and Strategy here at the Gustavson School of Business. I
have been here since 2011. I have published my research in various top Strategy, Management
and International Business journals. More recently, I have been researching the newcomer
(immigrant and refugee) space in Canada from an interdisciplinary perspective. This work has
been recognized with the Gustavson School of Business International Advisory Board’s
Community Engagement Award in 2018. I was also honoured to receive the Gustavson School
of Business Award for Teaching Excellence in 2013. On a personal level, I am married and have
2 wonderful children – all of whom provide great support as I continue on this fascinating
academic journey.
- 1 -
- 2 Texts
and Resources:
Capstone - The Business Simulation - Management Simulations Inc. (to be purchased individually
by each student online at www.capsim.com at a cost of approximately US$54)
Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R.D., & Hoskisson, R.E. Strategic Management: Competitiveness and
Globalization, 13th edition, available at the Uvic Bookstore OR from the publisher here (please
only buy the book and NOT the additional MindTap content)
Course Objectives and Description:
We have three key objectives this term in COM 400.
First, this course is designed to give you a “top-level” view of the entire organization. You will
have to consider issues that influence the competitive behavior and performance of the
organization as a whole. So far in your coursework you have primarily studied business functions
(e.g., accounting, finance, marketing) one at a time. This course will help you broaden your
perspective so that you consider business functions from the perspective of the overall
organization.
Second, we will need to learn to deal with ambiguity. Some fields present well-defined problems
with right and wrong answers. This is not true of management in general and strategic
management in particular. Strategic decision-makers generally deal with complex situations
characterized by considerable uncertainty. All of us are currently dealing with a pandemic that
has induced uncertainty that is unprecedented, at least in current times. The threat or opportunity
is rarely obvious and it’s not always clear which is which. Strategy is, fundamentally, about the
future and the future is always unknown. This course will help you develop skills and knowledge
for dealing with ambiguity and assist you in identifying and evaluating alternative courses of
action.
Third, we will learn to work in teams as most managers work as part of teams. This term, much
of your work will be done in teams. Except for tests and in-class assignments, all other work will
be done as part of a team. Learning to work productively as part of a team is a key managerial
skill that we will work to develop this term.
Course Format:
To achieve these objectives, in this class we will work on integrating two essential parts of
management: knowing and doing. The “knowing” part involves using cases, readings, and
discussions to learn the basic concepts and techniques of strategic management. The “doing”
part involves your participation in Capstone, an online business simulation program. Capstone
provides you with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience running a business. Your team
will develop overall business strategies as well as manage your company’s R&D, production, HR,
marketing, and financial operations over a simulated 8-year time span. The ultimate goal: To
have fun and learn, while managing your firm.
To prepare for class, start by reading the relevant textbook chapter (see schedule below). I will
post videos on Brightspace that will provide additional context and nuance to the textbook
material. This will be available for you to view and prepare for class. Please ensure you view the
videos prior to the class sessions. In the class sessions, we will start by quickly revisiting the text
content and then apply the material to specific mini cases or experiential exercise. Many of these
classes will involve group work. I will provide time for you to work in your teams that will allow
you to discuss the relevant issues within your group; and we will then reassemble with the entire
class, to discuss key discussion points.
NOTE: To ensure that you stay with real world organizational issues, I strongly recommend that
you engage with The Economist, Business Week, or any other similar media outlet.
- 3 Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with
others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment
in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be
appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take
place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility,
to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will
also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be
a better ally.
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 technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information
outside Canada, is required for this course: Zoom (if needed) and CAPSIM. 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 and are available at https://zoom.us/privacy
and at https://www.capsim.com/terms/#/policy. 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
(begin with Course Code)
Individual
or Group
Type
(Exam,Hand-in
Assignment,
Presentation,
Quiz, Other)
Due Date
(mm/dd/yyyy)
Weight
/ % of
grade
Description
COM 400: DAQs Individual Other Daily in class 10% Daily assignment questions (DAQ) as described
above in course outline
COM 400:Class
participation
Individual Other Daily in class
AND in group
activities
15% Involvement in class AND in teams
COM 400: Test # 1 Individual Quiz 09/28/2023 20% Test covering chapters 1 through 6
COM 400: Test # 2 Individual Quiz 10/17/2023 20% Test covering chapters 7 through 10
COM 400: Capstone
Simulation Situational
Analysis
Group Hand-in
Assignment
10/31/2023 5% Details at CAPSIM website
- 4 COM
400: Capstone
Simulation Strategic Plan
Group Hand-in
Assignment
10/31/2023 5% As described above in this course outline
COM 400: Capstone
SimulationPerformance
Group Other 11/30/2023 10% Final standing of your team in your industry (You
will lose points if you do not treat the business as
a going concern and instead selloff all/most
assets)
COM 400: Capstone
Simulation Final report to
Board
Group Hand-in
Assignment
12/07/2023 15% 20 Page Final Report to Board of Directors
(details above in this course outline)
Total 100%
There will be no final exam.
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:
Attendance and Participation: In this course participation will form 15% of your grade. Regular
attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class will
ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in
the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning experience. Being
an effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the classroom
environment.] Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success. Absence
from the class sessions will negatively impact your grade.
The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to attend all classes in which
they are enrolled.” Attending and participating in a class is an important part of the learning
process in this course. In case you do have a valid reason to miss class, please let me know in
writing (for absences occasioned for medical reasons, the required self-declaration form will be
available on Brightspace), so that your absence will not be unexplained. Students with
unexplained absences will be penalized typically by a loss of 1.5% of your total grade for each
unexcused absence.
To document an excused absence (illness, injury, or family affliction), please submit the
Gustavson self-declaration form to me. Appropriate documentation must be submitted
immediately upon your return to classes (within 24 hours).
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with
their academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you
- 5 are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or
course assessment deadline or soon after).
Daily Assignment Questions (“DAQs”): During the first part of the class, when we will be
covering the Textbook chapters, we will have assignments that are straightforward and will count
towards your class participation – you will be required to answer the “DAQ” in-class. I will provide
more details of these questions in class. This part of the course will end with two in-class exams.
Once the text chapters are completed and we are in the simulation part of the course, the daily
assignment questions will address simple general questions from the business world or
elsewhere.
CAPSIM Capstone Simulation Team Assignments:
1) Onboarding / Training– Each individual student needs to complete the onboarding / training
to get ready for the simulation. This will ensure that you are ready to be a contributing member of
your team.
2) Strategic Plan – In no more than four typed, double-spaced pages 12 point font (one plan
per team), provide details of your company’s vision and intended strategy. Your strategic plan
should include:
- the strategic objectives your company has set for itself (i.e., what is your strategy?
What markets are you going to compete in? Where are your resources going to go?)
- a description of the markets you have chosen to pursue (traditional, low end, high
end, performance, size) and how you intend to compete in each (i.e., your firm’s
business level strategies)
- a summary of how you are going to structure the functional level strategies (R&D,
production, marketing, financial, HRM) to support your firm’s strategy
3) Final Report to Board of Directors – Each team will maintain a record of its activities
including such things as strategic postures taken, assumptions employed about competitors
and the market, decisions made and the outcomes of those decisions, changes in strategy
you deemed necessary, and so on. Based on this information, each team will report on its
Capstone experiences in the form of a report to your company’s Board of Directors and
Shareholders. Your Board Report is not intended to be an academic paper. Rather it should
be a truthful document illustrating your company’s effectiveness to the Board of Directors and
your Shareholders. The report should be approximately 20 typed, double-spaced pages
12 point font (not including attachments and appendices, which should not exceed 3 pages).
At a minimum, the Board Report should include:
1) your company’s initial strategy
2) a comparison of your emergent strategies with your initial strategy
3) an evaluation of your intended and emergent strategies within the context of the
external environment’s opportunities and threats and your company’s internal
strengths and weaknesses over time
4) an analysis of your markets and competition
5) a description of the key strategic decisions you made over time; why you made
them; and how you implemented them.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged
and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator
(such as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of
academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course for
students who wish to use them. To be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite
any AI-generated material that informed their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate
indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should indicate how AI tools informed
their process and the final product, including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which
may be invented by the AI.
- 6 Group
Work:
The purpose of group work is to enhance your skill in working collaboratively. When a groupbased
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.
All members of the group will generally receive the same grade. However, an adjustment for
relative contribution can be made, at the discretion of the instructor, if the remaining members of
the group specify that one or more individuals did not participate in any meaningful way. This
discretion may result in a student receiving a much lower grade than the other group members. At
the end of the term, the group must complete an assessment which specifies what each person’s
contributions were to all group work during the class and the instructor shall take this into
consideration when assigning grades.
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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.
- 7 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:
Title Individual
or Group
Type
(Case,Example,
Reading, Other)
Due Date
(mm/dd/yyyy)
Description
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 09/07/2023 Chapter 1: Strategic Management and Strategic
Competitiveness
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 09/12/2023 Chapter 2: The External Environment
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 09/14/2023 Chapter 3: The Internal Organization
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 09/19/2023 Chapter 4: Business Level Strategy
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 09/21/2023 Chapter 5: Competitive Rivalry and Competitive
Dynamics
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 09/26/2023 Chapter 6: Corporate Level Strategy
COM 400: Read for class Individual Test 09/28/2023 Test 1 (covers Ch. 1-6)
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 10/03/2023 Chapter 7: Merger and Acquisitions Strategies
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 10/05/2023 Chapter 8: International Strategy
Complete registration for Capstone!!
COM 400: Read for class Individual Other 10/10/2023 Chapter 9: Cooperative Strategy
COM 400: Read for class Individual Other 10/12/2023 Chapter 10: Corporate Governance + Negotiation
Exercise
COM 400: Read for class Individual Reading 10/17/2023 Test 2 (covers Ch. 7-10)
- 8 COM
400: Read for class Individual Reading 10/19/2023 Introduction to CAPSIM; (Read Capstone Guide
available online); Intro to CAPSIM metrics
COM 400: Read for class Individual Other 10/22/2023 Complete all onboarding training before class!
COM 400: Read for class Individual Other 10/24/2023 Practice simulation round 1 (we will process this
in real time IN class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 10/25/2023 Upload practice simulation round 2 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 10/30/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 1 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/01/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 2(note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/06/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 3 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/08/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 4 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/20/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 5 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/22/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 6 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/27/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 7 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Preparefor
class
Group Other 11/29/2023 Upload COMPETITION round 8 (note date of
decisions for round is before class)
COM 400: Work on Final
Paper
Group Other 12/07/2023 Final reports to the Board are due by by 4 pm
(Pacific Time).
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.
Note: please regularly check your Brightspace site and subscribe to Brightspace
Announcements for course updates and changes.
COM 402 A01
Legal Issues in Management
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4.30 p.m.
Location: DSB C112
Instructor: Mark D Bridge, LL.M, J.D., Barrister and Solictor ( British Columbia, England
and Wales )
Office hours: Please request in class or by e-mail: MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca
Email: MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca
We acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional
territory the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
- 1 -
- 2 -
Introduction
Welcome to Legal Issues in Management. This course is very relevant to success in business.
Textbook
Contemporary Canadian Business Law, Principles and Cases, Willes, John A., Q.C., and Willes, John
H., 12th e-book edition available from bookstore. Hardcopy editions by the same author from any source
are also recommended and very good value. Please cite the 12th edition if you reference the textbook in
coursework or project work..
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 consist of class lectures and discussion on each topic supported by questions
posed to the class. It is essential that students read ahead in order to be able to follow the content and
participate in practice questions and discussions. There will be a practice quiz with a worked solution
approximately 12 October ( one week prior to the mid-term quiz provisionally scheduled for 19 October
2023 ). Evaluation dates are subject to change. Please do not make plans to be absent from the classes
scheduled before and after the provisional mid-term exam date.
Detailed chapter notes, power point slides, example handouts and other materials will be posted in advance in
Brightspace.
- 3 As
part of the participation in the course, teams of four students will be assigned a legal case to brief in
written form according to a method provided. In October 2023, according to a schedule, the cases will
be presented in class demonstrating understanding of "case brief" format used for judicial decisions. All
necessary information will be provided. No research is required or should be undertaken in the exercise.
In November, teams of seven students will argue and judge a hypothetical, legal dispute in contract
and agency. This will also take place in class, according to a schedule determined in mid-October.
Participation in other forms and by other means, such as contribution to discussion questions,
assistance to class members, et alia, will be encouraged and acknowledged. Other evaluations include
a final quiz to be scheduled in the December Exam Schedule period. As this date will not be known
until after the Reading Break, please do not make travel plans for December prior to the date being
confirmed by the University.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at the University of Victoria.
At Gustavson, we know that diversity underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our
work and interact with others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect;
an environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different
perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in- person and online
discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation,
abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture.
We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable,
diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our
classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how
I can be a better ally.
- 4 -
Evaluation
Student grades in COM 402 will be determined on the basis of performance in the following assessments.
See schedule of dates ( pp. 15-17 below ).
1. A case presentation exercise in teams of 4. Presentations involve 8-10
20% of final mark minutes spoken presentation in October (schedule to be determined
).
2. An in-person, mid-term quiz provisionally scheduled for 19 October 2023
25% of final mark
3. A contract-themed, legal dispute presentation in teams of 7 in the style of a Moot
25% of final mark in-class during the last two weeks of November 2023 (schedule to
be determined ).
4. A final examination during the December Examination Period
30% of final mark
Total: 100%
You must complete all graded components for this course unless you are excused. Failure to complete
all components will result in a grade of N.
Additionally, there is an attendance requirement. See below, page 8.
Failure to meet the attendance requirement without the written permission of the Undergraduate
Academic Director in respect of a major, extenuating circumstance will cause you to be excluded from
the final examination with the result that your final grade is N ( Incomplete, fail and GPA of 0 ).
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.
- 5 Case
Presentation Exercise
In September, students will be invited to form groups of four students either themselves or on the basis of
the instructor's random assignments. 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 the legal
decision according to the format explained. Case presentations will take place in class according to the
schedule in October 2023.
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 8-10 minutes and involve each member of the group in
a speaking role. The written case brief must be submitted to the Brightspace dropbox before the
presentation and indicate the part or parts contributed by each member.
This is a group project and each member of the group will receive the grade of the group.
Mooting Exercise - Court Simulation
Also, in September, students will be invited to form different groups of seven students themselves or on
the basis of the instructor's random assignments. Two students in each group will assume the role of
"Counsel for the Plaintiff", two students "Counsel for the Defendant", and the remaining members of the
group will be a presiding judge, a time-keeping judge and an assistant judge.
Following a method to be explained, teams of counsel within each team will prepare their respective positions
in the mooting exercise for oral presentation in class. These presentations will take place in the final two
weeks of the course in November.
Background information will be provided in mid-October. Counsel for the Plaintiff and Counsel for the
Defendant must upload to Brightspace in a designated area, a copy of their moot brief document. The
moot brief is a jointly-written brief of between 3 and 5 pages summarizing Counsels' position on the
issues. A template for use will be provided in October.
- 6 Immediately
prior to the commencement of each moot, written copy of each team’s moot brief will be
provided to opposing counsel and also provided to the judges for use during the moot presentation.
During the moot, the Judges will listen to the argument of each team of legal counsel and after having
done so deliver a judgment on the issues. The Judges should deliver an immediate oral decision. Later,
a written decision of between 3 and 5 pages will be jointly written by the judges. The written decision
need not be identical with the oral decision. When written, the judges' decision will be uploaded to
Brightspace.
The moot briefs and judges’ written 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. To assist the judges in this task, there will be a “judges’ coaching session” in November. For all
participants, full information will be provided in class to explain effective strategies and techniques to
use.
This is an individually assessed exercise.
Course Experience Survey
The Gustavson School of Business and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you
will be expected 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 course, 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.
- 7 Course
Assessment Group Work
At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral component to student
learning.
It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team assignments. In order to receive an
individual grade, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a team assignment.
Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team meetings, having respectful
discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team
conflict in a timely manner and with civility.
It is not acceptable for a team member to allow another team member to fulfill their work for them or
for a team member to appropriate the work of the other team member(s) or prevent the other(s) from
making their own contribution(s).
To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional
Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other
academic penalty.
What To Do IfThere Is A Problem In Your Group
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow this
step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents and
guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further investigation as
needed.
- 8 Attendance
and Participation
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. There is an attendance policy
that will result in exclusion from the final examination if violated ( see immediately below ).
Attendance in every class is an expectation for COM 402. Being present in class will ensure exposure to
course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and professional success. Your positive
participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being
present in class exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of
your Gustavson experience. Being an effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the
classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
Attendance Policy
This policy does not apply to absence due to illness, injury, personal affliction, family responsibilities, job
interview or similar about which you advise me via e-mail prior to the cause or as soon as you are able: <
MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca >
In particular, if you or your family are not well, please stay at home and take care of yourselves until you
recover. I will be more than happy to assist you with missed content.
This policy does apply to voluntary absences that have no justification other than personal choice to be
absent.
In cases of absence of any six scheduled class times during the term ( other than situations described above
and other than class times where an in-class team presentation does not require your presence ), you will be
denied permission and excluded from writing the final examination unless you obtain the written permission
of the Undergraduate Academic Director for a major, extenuating circumstance.
The consequence of missing the final examination is a course grade of N ( incomplete, fail and GPA 0 ).
- 9 Use
of Artificial Intelligence ( AI )
Use of AI generated content, created or obtained directly or indirectly, is
prohibited in the course.
In the United States, recent use of AI by trial lawyers who claimed not to know what it was, have resulted
in judicial admonishment ( ie public humiliation ) and citation ( ie referral ) to disciplinary bodies for
investigation and response.
Unattributed use of AI is a form of academic dishonesty for purposes of university policy. It is not permitted
to use AI, whether attributed or not, in this course.
See the explanation at points c and d, page 12, below, for instruction on proper research, citation and
attribution in a law course. Please ask for assistance if you are in any doubt. You will never be faulted for
citing and attributing ideas to original ( not artificial ) sources of law, including any law contained within
the adopted textbook for the course.
Missed Coursework, Team Work or Examinations
As explained, above, you must complete all graded components for this course unless you are
excused. Failure to complete all components will result in a grade of N.
If you face unexpected circumstances that interfere with your academic obligations or success in the
course, you must seek advice from a BCom Advisor or your instructor as soon as possible.
- 10 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.
Please note that “A” grades are usually achieved by a minority of students.
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.
- 11 “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.
University Calendar
Students are encouraged to read the regulations applicable to the course found in the University of Victoria
Calendar.
Attendance
The University of Victoria Calendar 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 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:
- 12 a.
using work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT.
b. using the exact words of a published or unpublished author without quotation marks and
without referencing the source of the words.
c. In law, a required reference must include the full name of the author, the full name of
the work, the year of publication, the page cited with the full text quoted within
quotation marks. If, as is not uncommon, words are omitted, then “elipses” must be
used to show the omission of the words in the original text.
d. For greater certainty, it is not sufficient to paraphrase original text and simply
insert a citation of the type “ ( Green, 2015 ) ”. Examples of correct citation will
be provided in class. If in doubt, please ask before assuming that a form of
citation acceptable in another context is sufficient in law.
e. paraphrasing a published or unpublished author without referencing the source.
f. Duplicating a table, graph or diagram, in whole or in part, without referencing the source.
g. 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.
h. Copying the answers of another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
i. Providing answers to another student in any test, examination, or take-home assignment.
j. Impersonating another student or allowing another person to impersonate oneself for
the purpose of submitting academic work or writing any test or examination.
k. Stealing or mutilating library materials.
l. Accessing a test or examination prior to the time and date of the sitting.
m. Changing the name or answer(s) on a test after that test has been graded and returned.
- 13 n.
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.
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, inter alia, individual assignments. Students are
encouraged to discuss this issue as it relates to academic integrity with their instructor to avoid
violating this policy.
For the Moot Exercise individual team members are encouraged to work with members of the
class who are on teams other than their own. This collaboration is expected and is not a violation
of academic integrity provided that the final result is the original work of the person submitting it
for evaluation and assessment.
- 14 Class
Time and Office Hours
COM 402 A01 meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4.30 to 5.50 p.m.
Office hours are available by arrangement at a timethat is mutually convenient to you.
You are very welcome to e-mail me for direct assistance at any time. My email is
MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca
Respect
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 or the
Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) as soon as possible. CAL staff are available by appointment toassess
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.
Somewhere in this outline is an expression meaning “something for something”. If you are the first
member of the class to locate the expression, you will win a very nice item of Gustavson “bling”. To
claim the prize, go to Brightspace and send a
class-wide e-mail to everyone in the class using the dropdown “Class List”. The subject line of the e-mail
must read “I claim the COM 402 - A01 Course Outline prize”. In the body of the e-mail, type the following
and enter the page and line number where you have located the expression meaning “something for
something”. In particular, type the following message inserting the page and line number in place of the
variable letters “X” and “Y”: “I located the winning expression in the Course Outline contest on page X at
line Y, and I claim the Gustavson prize for section A01.” In addition to sending the e-mail to the whole
class, forward your “sent” message to the course instructor at <MarkBridgeCommerce@uvic.ca> to show
the time and day of your message. Good Luck to all. The winning class member will be the first person to
send the class-wide e-mail as time- stamped by Brightspace and the prize will be awarded in a future class.
- 15 Reading,
Topics List and Important Dates ( dates approximate ).
Dates subject to change Topics and Activities
07 September Introduction to the course. Introduction to Canadian Law: Sources of Law of
Law, Relevance to Business; Forms of Business Organisation: Types ofProperty:
Real and Personal; Protection of Intellectual Property, Text Chapter 1, online
materials and discussion.
08 September Instructions posted for 4-person Case Presentation Team Requests and 7-person
Moot Team Requests via Brightspace.
08-15 September 4-person Case Presentation Team Requests due by noon on 15 September. In
absence of a request, teams will be formed at random from the class.
12 September ( Continuing ) Introduction to Canadian Law: Sources of Law of Law, Relevance
to Business; Forms of Business Organisation: Types of Property: Real and
Personal; Protection of Intellectual Property, TextChapter 1, online materials and
discussion.
16-22 September 7-person Moot Team Requests of 7 class members due by noon on 22 September.
In absence of a request, teams will be formed at random from the class.
18 September Case Presentation information and exercise instructions will be posted to
Brightspace.
19 September Introduction to Canadian Law, as above ( continued ). Relevance of
Environmental Law; International Law as applicable to domestic and
international business; Law of Employment, Labour Law, Text Chapters 1.
Further optional reading: Chapters 19, 20, 34
and 35.
21 September Hierarchy of Law: Constitutional Law, Common Law and Statute; Judicial
Process, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Text chapters 2 and 3.
26 September Tort Law: Civil Liability compared to Criminal Liability; Intentional and
unintentional tort; Defences and vitiating circumstances, tort remedies, use and
protection using insurance, Text Chapters 4 and 5. Further optional reading
Chapter 31.
- 16 -
30 September Moot Presentation Team List and Schedule will be posted to Brightspace.
03 October Tort Law ( continued ).
09 October Thanksgiving Day - no classes
10 October Tort Law ( continued ). Torts arising in Business; Professional Negligence: Duty
of Care, Standard of Care and Causation, Text Chapters 4 and 5. Further
optional reading Chapter 6.
12 October Practice Quiz posted to Brightspace with solution
13 October Optional Mid-Term Review Class ( location and time to be confirmed )
17 October Tort Law ( continued ).
19 October Mid-term Quiz ( provisional date subject to change )
24-26 October In Class Presentations according to team schedule on Brightspace
31 October Contract Law: Elements of Contract and Proof; Defences and vitiating
circumstances; Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 11.
02 November Contract Law ( continued ) Elements of Contract and Proof; Defences and
vitiating circumstances; Chapters 7, 8, 9 and 11.
07 November Contract Law ( continued ): Elements of Contract and Proof; Defences and
vitiating circumstances; presence or absence of quid pro quo; Chapters 7, 8, 9
and 11.
13-15 November Reading Break - No Class
16 November Agency: Appointment and use in Contract, Text Chapter 15, Legal and Equitable
Remedies, Quantum Meruit and Promissory Estoppel, Text Chapters 8 and 14.
21-30 November Moot Exercise presentations according to team schedule on Brightspace
04 December Optional Final Exam Review Class ( location and time to be confirmed
)
TBA December Final Examination ( date to be confirmed by University )
- 17 Note:
Time permitting, the importance of the following topics will be discussed when arising but will not
be examined:
Sale of Goods, Consumer Protection Law, Business Organisation: Creation, Liability of Officers,
Shareholder Limited Liability and Shareholders' Agreements Banking, Secured Transactions, Negotiable
Instruments: Promissory Notes, Cheques and Bills of Exchange. Intellectual Property: Creation and
Enforcement, Patents, Trademarks, Copyright, Industrial Design and Contractual protection of intellectual
property.
Mark Bridge
28 August 2023
Typographical mistakes corrected 3 September 2023
COM 410
Leadership Strategies Fall
2023 Course Outline
Course Time: A01: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.
Location: Room C112, David Strong Building
Instructor: Dr. Jim Swaffield
Office hours:
Telephone:
Email:
Swaffield
Virtual office hours by appointment
jimswaffield@uvic.ca
Office: BEC 439
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory
the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Hello! Welcome to COM 410 Leadership Strategies. My name is Jim Swaffield. I have
worked as a consultant and professor for the past 25 years. I also have an MBA and a
PhD in evolutionary psychology. My area of research examines how different types of
environmental stressors affect human behavior. This line of research is relevant to
consumer behavior, employee behavior, as well as management and leadership behavior.
If you are interested in learning more about my background, please see my website at
https://www.jimswaffield.com/.
I am confident that you will find this course interesting and thought provoking. I look
forward to sharing the field of leadership with you.
Dr. Jim Swaffield
Texts and Resources:
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice. SAGE. (Required)
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course
changes.
- 2 Course
Objectives and Description:
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to leadership by focusing on what it
means to be a good leader. Emphasis in the course is on the practice of leadership. The
course will examine topics such as: understanding leadership; recognizing leadership
traits; engaging people’s strengths; understanding philosophy and styles; attending to
tasks and relationships; developing leadership skills; creating a vision; establishing a
constructive climate; listening to out‐group members; handling conflict; addressing ethics
in leadership and overcoming obstacles. Students will assess their leadership traits and
skills to improve their own leadership performance.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that
diversity underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact
with others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an
environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different
perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and
online discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and
sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each
have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an
equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do better to support
your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if
you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual
or Group
Due Date Weight
1. Midterm Exam Individual Tues. Oct 24 30%
2. Personal Leadership
Portfolio
Individual Tues. Nov 28 30%
3. Final Exam Individual TBA 40%
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 (with reference to the theory taught or
the marking rubric) why you think an error has been made. 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.
- 3 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.
Personal Leadership Portfolio
After each chapter in the course textbook is a questionnaire that relates to an area of
leadership.
Each student will complete the leadership in the text throughout the semester to assist
them in assessing their potential leadership philosophy, traits, skills, and behaviors to
develop a leadership portfolio. The student will assemble a Leadership Portfolio consisting
of four parts in a word document. This document will be submitted as one assignment and
should be formatted according to the following below
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being
present in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your
future personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your
classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course.
Missed Coursework or Assessments:
Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their instructor when
facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic
obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or
course assessment deadline or soon after).
Disability Accommodations
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if
you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodation, 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.
- 4 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. Please note that “A” grades are
normally achieved by a minority of students.
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 Academic Director
and may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed
in line with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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:
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 5 •
using work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT,
without proper citation
• 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.
Course materials are copyright protected - do not distribute or post on share sites
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides/PPT slides, assessments,
course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the instructor or licensed to be used
in this course by the copyright owner. Do not share, distribute or post any materials on
course share sites or any form of social media. Doing so will be considered an instance of
academic misconduct
Generative AI (Including ChatGPT)
Any work submitted must be your own original work. Any student suspected of submitting
work that includes AI generated content may be asked for preliminary work or other
materials to evidence the student’s original and unaided authorship. The student may also
be asked to separately explain or support their work. It is acceptable to use AI for helping
to find articles.
- 6 Schedule
Summary:
Date Topic Reading
Tues.
Sept 12
1. Course Introduction
2. Trait Approach
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Tues
Sept 19
3. Skills Approach Chapter 3
Tues
Sept 26
4. Behavioral Approach Chapter 4
Tues
Oct 03
5. Situational Approach Chapter 5
Tues.
Oct 10
6. Path–Goal Theory
7. Leader–Member Exchange Theory
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Tues.
Oct 17
8. Transformational Leadership
9. Authentic Leadership
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Tues.
Oct 24
Midterm Exam
10. Servant Leadership
Tues.
Oct 31 11. Adaptive Leadership
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Tues.
Nov. 14
Reading Week – No class
Tues.
Nov 07
12. Inclusive Leadership
13. Followership
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Tues.
Nov 21
14. Gender and Leadership Chapter 14
Tues.
Nov 28
15. Leadership Ethics
16. Team Leadership
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
COM 410
Leadership Strategies Fall
2023 Course Outline
Course Time: A02: Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Location: Room C112, David Strong Building
Instructor: Dr. Jim Swaffield
Office hours:
Telephone:
Email:
Swaffield
Virtual office hours by appointment
jimswaffield@uvic.ca
Office: BEC 439
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory
the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Hello! Welcome to COM 410 Leadership Strategies. My name is Jim Swaffield. I have
worked as a consultant and professor for the past 25 years. I also have an MBA and a
PhD in evolutionary psychology. My area of research examines how different types of
environmental stressors affect human behavior. This line of research is relevant to
consumer behavior, employee behavior, as well as management and leadership behavior.
If you are interested in learning more, please see my website at https://www.jimswaffield.com/.
I am confident that you will find this course interesting and thought provoking. I look
forward to sharing the field of leadership with you.
Dr. Jim Swaffield
Texts and Resources:
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice. SAGE.
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course
changes.
- 2 Course
Objectives and Description:
This course is designed to provide a basic introduction to leadership by focusing on what it
means to be a good leader. Emphasis in the course is on the practice of leadership. The
course will examine topics such as: understanding leadership; recognizing leadership
traits; engaging people’s strengths; understanding philosophy and styles; attending to
tasks and relationships; developing leadership skills; creating a vision; establishing a
constructive climate; listening to out‐group members; handling conflict; addressing ethics
in leadership and overcoming obstacles. Students will assess their leadership traits and
skills to improve their own leadership performance.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that
diversity underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact
with others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an
environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different
perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and
online discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and
sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each
have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an
equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do better to support
your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if
you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Due Date Weight
1. Midterm Exam Tues. Oct 24th
30%
2. Personal Leadership Portfolio Thur. Nov. 30th
30%
3. Final Exam 40%
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 (with reference to the theory taught or
the marking rubric) why you think an error has been made. 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.
- 3 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.
Personal Leadership Portfolio
After each chapter in the course textbook is a questionnaire that relates to an area of
leadership.
Each student will complete the leadership in the text throughout the semester to assist
them in assessing their potential leadership philosophy, traits, skills, and behaviors to
develop a leadership portfolio. The student will assemble a Leadership Portfolio consisting
of four parts in a word document. This document will be submitted as one assignment and
should be formatted according to the following below
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being
present in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your
future personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your
classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course.
Missed Coursework or Assessments:
Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their instructor when
facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic
obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or
course assessment deadline or soon after).
Disability Accommodations
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if
you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodation, 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.
- 4 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. Please note that “A” grades are
normally achieved by a minority of students.
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 Academic Director
and may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed
in line with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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:
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 5 •
using work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT,
without proper citation
• 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.
Course materials are copyright protected - do not distribute or post on share sites
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides/PPT slides, assessments,
course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the instructor or licensed to be used
in this course by the copyright owner. Do not share, distribute or post any materials on
course share sites or any form of social media. Doing so will be considered an instance of
academic misconduct
Generative AI (Including ChatGPT)
Any work submitted must be your own original work. Any student suspected of submitting
work that includes AI generated content may be asked for preliminary work or other
materials to evidence the student’s original and unaided authorship. The student may also
be asked to separately explain or support their work. It is acceptable to use AI for helping
to find articles.
- 6 Schedule
Summary:
Date Topic Reading
Tues. Sept 12 1. Course Introduction Chapter 1
Thurs. Sept 14 2. Trait Approach Chapter 2
Tues Sept 19 3. Skills Approach Chapter 3
Thurs. Sept 21 4. Behavioral Approach Chapter 4
Tues Sept 26 5. Situational Approach Chapter 5
Thurs. Sept 28 6. Path–Goal Theory Chapter 6
Tues Oct 03 7. Leader–Member
Exchange Theory
Chapter 7
Thurs. Oct 05 8. Transformational Leadership Chapter 8
Tues. Oct 10 9. Authentic Leadership Chapter 9
Thurs. Oct 12 10. Servant Leadership Chapter 10
Tues. Oct 17 10. Servant Leadership Chapter 10
Thurs. Oct 19 11. Adaptive Leadership Chapter 11
Tues. Oct 24 Midterm Exam
Thurs. Oct 26 11. Adaptive Leadership Chapter 11
Tues. Oct 31 12. Inclusive Leadership Chapter 12
Thurs. Nov 02 12. Inclusive Leadership Chapter 12
Tues. Nov 07 13. Followership Chapter 13
Thurs. Nov 09 13. Followership Chapter 13
Tues. Nov. 14. Reading Week – No Class
Thurs. Nov 16 14. Gender and Leadership Chapter 14
Tues. Nov 21 15. Leadership Ethics Chapter 15
Thurs. Nov 23 15. Leadership Ethics Chapter 15
Thurs. Nov 28 16. Team Leadership Chapter 16
Thurs. Nov 30 Wrap-up Class
COM 426 Section A01
Management Accounting II
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (Pacific) 6:30 pm to 9:20 pm (Wednesdays)
Location DSB C122
Instructor: Jennifer Reed, MEd, CPA, CA
Office: Zoom Link
Office hours: ZOOM Hours: By appointment over ZOOM. I am also happy to meet with
students before, during or after class
Email: jereed@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
My name is Jennifer Reed and I am excited to be your instructor this term. I graduated from the
University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and after completing the Chartered
Accountancy (CA) program, I obtained my Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in 2006. I
recently completed a Master of Education degree with a focus on curriculum and instruction through
Simon Fraser University in 2020.
I currently work as a Director for CPA Canada where my team is responsible for the design and
delivery of accurate and high-quality Preparatory course and Professional Education Program
(PEP) module materials designed to prepare candidates for successful careers as CPAs in Canada.
Prior to joining CPA Canada, I worked as an audit manager with KPMG working on a variety of both
for-profit and not-for-profit audit clients. I also worked for three years as the Director of Finance for a
local municipality, and as a Director for the legacy Chartered Accountancy School of Business in
Western Canada.
My true passion is teaching, and I have taught financial accounting, audit and assurance and
management accounting to students since 2010. I recognize that some of you may be taking this
class out of interest, while others may be in attendance because of a program requirement.
Regardless of your reason for being here, I hope that you come away from this course with a better
understanding of the role that management accounting plays in the professional world.
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 Please
do not hesitate to reach out to me for any questions or clarification as we progress through
the term!
Texts and Resources:
Horngren's Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, Ninth Canadian Edition, 9th edition (Srikant
M. Datar, Madhav V. Rajan, Louis Beaubien, Steve Janz) ISBN-13: 9780136558217
Pearson myLab is not required.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course is a continuation of Commerce 316/317, which introduced management accounting. It
is designed to be transferable and satisfy the requirements of other second-level management
accounting courses and the requirements of the CPA program. It should also assist the general
manager who needs to know more about how accounting information is useful in making daily
business decisions.
Major topics covered include the terminology and objectives of management accounting, flexible
budgets, variances, variable and absorption costing models, cost allocation decisions, joint and
byproduct costing, process costing and transfer pricing. Problem-solving and decision-making skills
will be practiced through the use of problems and case studies.
As specific learning outcomes, students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
• Prepare and analyze a Cost of Goods Manufactured and related Income Statement
• Understand and apply the various types of cost definitions (fixed, variable, mixed, direct,
indirect, period, product) when constructing budgets
• Prepare flexible budgets
• Understand and compute variances
• Understand and calculate variable and absorption costing problems
• Analyze, determine, and complete cost allocations
• Understand and calculate joint and by-product costs
• Understand and calculate process costing
• Understand and compute various pricing decision models.
• Develop confidence in sharing ideas and thoughts in a safe environment to develop
critical thinking and analysis skills
Course Format:
This course will be delivered primarily in person (please refer to the Schedule Summary for any
classes that are noted as being delivered online via Zoom).
Each class will be used to review the topic content and work on problems, cases and a real-world
case study related to the topics taught.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
- 3 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 technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is required for this course: Zoom, Pearson MyLab (optional). 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 and are available at:
https://zoom.us/privacy
https://www.pearson.com/ca/en/legal/privacy-statement.html
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
(Pacific)
Weight
/ %of
grade
Description
COM 426: Quizzes Individual Hand-in
Quizzes
written in
Brightspace (5
quizzes; lowest
mark dropped)
Throughout
the term
12% These short quizzes will
be administered
throughout the course.
They will cover the current
week or prior week’s
content.
COM 426: Midterm #1 Individual Online Timed
Exam written
in person
October 18 at
6:30 pm
Pacific
30% Combined short answer
and MCQ exam to be
completed in 90 minutes
via BrightSpace
COM 426: Midterm #2 Individual Online Timed
Exam written
in person
November 22
at 6:30 pm
Pacific
30% Combined short answer
and MCQ exam to be
completed in 90 minutes
via BrightSpace
COM 426: Case Study Individual
or Group
Hand In Due Friday,
December 3
at 11:55 pm
Pacific
28% Individual or group
(maximum of 3) written
submission to be
submitted via BrightSpace
Total 100%
- 4 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: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team
assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process
to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared
for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort
into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more
about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards.
Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other
academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty
of 50% for each day an assignment is late. An assignment is considered late if it is submitted more
than 30 minutes after the stated deadline.
This penalty does not apply to midterm exams, which are not accepted late for any reason
whatsoever. If a student exceeds the time limit specified for a midterm exam beyond the 1-minute
grace period, a grade of zero will automatically be assigned.
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 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.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (eg. illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations.
- 5 Use
of Artificial Intelligence (AI): In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be
appropriately acknowledged and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an
AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or
authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. In this course, the use of AI tools including ChatGPT
is not permitted on take-home assignments or assessments.
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.
Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 6 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.
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.
- 7 Schedule
Summary:
IMPORTANT: Subject to change- refer to Brightspace weekly content
Unit Date Topics Details Details
1
Wednesday,
September 6
The
Accountant’s
Vital Role in
Decision
Making
Handout
1
2
Wednesday,
September 13
A Review of
Cost Terms and
Purposes
Handout
2
3
Wednesday,
September 20
Job Costing Handout
3
Brightspace
Quiz #1 worth
5%
Available until Sunday, September 24 at
11:55 PM (Pacific)
4
Wednesday,
September 27
Process Costing Handout
4
Brightspace
Quiz #2 worth
5%
Available until Sunday, October 1 at 11:55
PM (Pacific)
- 8 Unit
Date Topics Details Details
5
Wednesday,
October 4
Process Costing
continued
Handout
5
Spoilage, Rework, and
Scrap
6
Wednesday,
October 11
Flexible Budgets,
Variances and
Management Control
Handout
6
Brightspace Quiz #3
worth 5%
Available until Sunday, October 15 at
11:55 PM (Pacific)
7
Wednesday,
October 18
MIDTERM 1 written in
person through
Brightspace
Course start to date cumulative mid-term.
Estimated time of 90 minutes.
8
Wednesday, Flexible Budgets, Handout
October 25 Variances and 7
Management Control
continued
9
Wednesday,
November 1
Pricing Decisions Handout
8
- 9 Unit
Date Topics Details Practice
Questions
10
Wednesday,
November 8
Transfer Pricing and
Cost Allocation – Joint
Products and By-
products
Handout 9
Brightspace Quiz #4
worth 5%
Available until Sunday, November 12 at
11:55 PM (Pacific)
11
Wednesday,
November
15
Reading Break
Brightspace Quiz #5
worth 5%
Available until Sunday, November 26 at
11:55 PM (Pacific)
12
Wednesday,
November
22
MIDTERM 2written
in person through
Brightspace
Course start to date cumulative mid-term.
Estimated time of 90 minutes.
13
Wednesday,
November
29
Open class work on
case study
Case study due Upload to Brightspace dropbox by Sunday,
December 3 at 11:55 PM (Pacific)
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
COM 435
Corporate Relations and Responsibilities
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) Mondays and Wednesdays 4:30 – 5:50pm
Location Cornett B107
Instructor:
Office: BEC 208
Office hours: Mondays 3:30 – 4:00 or by appointment
Telephone: 250 217-8111
Email: hranson@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
My current role at Gustavson is to teach Business and Sustainability to Gustavson BCom and TELUS
MBA students. In addition, I research how higher education institutions teach sustainability. I am
also the Associate Director for the Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation at Gustavson. We
are the unit that supports sustainability across all the Gustavson courses, in faculty research and in
our connections with the local Victoria Community. I really like this ethics course because it allows
students to learn about business ethics in organizations. I teach both how to make ethical
decisions and how to build an ethical culture in your organization. I look forward to doing this
with you this fall.
Texts and Resources:
I have chosen the Bayers, Stanberry Ethics text (https://openstax.org/details/books/businessethics)
for this course, which is a FREE, online, open source textbook. Ethics textbooks are
generally expensive, but this text offers a thorough overview of ethics and the critical topics a
business studentshould consider. The text is American however, which is why we will justuse
portions of the book, and additional PDFs from other texts and readings are also assigned.
Everything you need for this course will be available on Brightspace. The text and readings were
chosen to offer explanation of concepts, illustration of CSR and ethical situations in business and
- 1 -
- 2 tohelp
structure the order of the course. Together the text and readings give youanexcellentset
of resources to draw on in breaking down ethical problems and making ethical decisions.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course will explore ethical decision-making and corporate social responsibility atthe personal
and firm level. Readings will offer multiple perspectives on ethical decision-making, building an
ethical culture in an organization, and the strength of strong values in a firm. The purpose and
value of corporate social responsibility activities will broaden your understanding and develop
your ability to be a responsible leader in any organization.
This course requires a previous sustainability (Com 362 within Gustavson) and / or ethics course as
a prerequisite. This allows you to build on material you already know, and for all of us to dig into
some complex ethical discussions. It also allows us to consider CSR and stakeholders in a more
sophisticated manner. You will find this course to be very practical, with tools you can apply to
many situations in your life.
I value your participation in this class and have built in activities and opportunities where you can
share your ethical experiences and your ideas for better corporate social responsibility in firms. I
have high expectations for the quality and variety of our discussions. To get the most out of our
classes we all need to be prepared. I will prepare by selecting readings that can challenge and
inform us, planning a lesson that demonstrates issues that managers grapple with and theory that
canhelp us form goodethical judgements and offer you feedback, both in class, and on exams and
assignments thatwill help youfurther develop your thinking onethics andCSR. You need to come
to class having read the assigned readings and prepared to use those as a jumping off point for in
class discussions, debates and activities. Together we will meet and even surpass the learning
objectives for this course.
Learning Objectives
This is a practical course where you will learn theory andpractice using tools tomake youbetter at
ethical decision making and understanding how to implement corporate social responsibility
initiatives.
Specifically, upon successful completion of Com 435youshould be able to:
1. Be aware of and have an increased understanding of the nature of business ethics in the
Canadian as well as a global business environment
2. Examine the ethical implications of business practices from a stakeholder perspective
3. Describe the challenges of social responsibility in a business
4. Apply ethical concepts and theories to business cases
5. Debate and defend an ethical position based on theory and precedents
6. Develop andcommunicate specificactions to building apositive ethical culture in an
organization
Course Format:
This course will be taught using readings as a starting point for lectures, group activities and
classroom discussions. As such, it is important for students to complete the readings prior to
class. In class activities will be a key way toearn participation marks, andreadings are critical to
being able to participate effectively.
- 3 Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with
others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment
inwhich students from diverse backgrounds can thrive andinwhich differentperspectives will be
appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take
place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility,
to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will
alsodomy best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be
a better ally.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
1) Personal Ethical Dilemma (Mandatory submission; pass/fail grade)
Please submitanactual ethical dilemma that you have encountered in a work or school
environment. The write-up should include two parts:
- PartA - a brief description of the situation, the central issue or dilemma, and the possible options
(clearly identify them);
- PartB - how the dilemma was resolved including any remaining issues.
Dilemmas may be selected for discussion during the course. Be prepared to acknowledge that you
were the author of the dilemma, and to discuss it in class. In order to respect privacy and the
confidentiality of others however, you are not required to identify other individuals involved, nor
any organization involved.
Dilemmas should not exceed one page, 12 pt Times New Roman font with one inch margins. The
assignment should be posted in the dropbox on the Brightspace site prior to our class on Sept. 15.
Please indicate your name and student number on the assignment.
2) Participation
Active participation in this course can take several forms:
- answering questions in class
- leading/facilitating small group work
- participating in pair and small group work
Title Individual or Due Date
Group
Weight / % of
grade
Personal Ethical Dilemma Individual
Participation Individual
Group Presentation Group
Final Project: Build an ethical Pairs
culture report
Final Exam Individual
September 15
December 6
Various
Part 1 – Sept 29
Part 2 – Oct 20
Part 3 – Nov 10
Final Draft – Dec4
TBD by Registrar’s Office
Pass/Fail
10%
25%
5%
10%
10%
10%
30%
- 4 Participation
is encouraged to both deepen your understanding of the material, as well as the
understanding of your peers. Questions andanswers thatare on topic, draw on the readings and
on previous class conversations, and are not repetitive will gain participation points.
Participation requires attending class. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class and
this will contribute to your participation grade. Students with more than three unapproved
absences from the course will receive a zero for participation in the course.
Arriving late andor leaving during class can be disruptive anddisrespectful of your colleagues. As
a result these actions will reduce your participation score for that class.
3) ClassPresentations – Group – 25%
Ethical Leadership GroupPresentation (15 minutes)
In his article Developing and Sustaining an Ethical Corporate Culture: the Core Elements, Schwartz
outlines six core ethical values that drive leader’s behaviour during ethical decisions. For this
assignment your group will choose one of the values and present an ethical leadership dilemma
that relates to a business decision. The decision could be about staff, suppliers, government
regulations or community members. You are encouraged to use Chat GPT to develop the
dilemma, and potential examples of leadership behaviour related to that value. Then, use your
critical thinking skills toapply leadership experiences youhave had, or learned about to show how
the leader addresses the situation.
Your presentation should include:
• Introduction to the team and topic
• Definition/explanation of the value on which you are presenting
• Anethical leadership dilemma related to the value in a business setting
• Explanation or demonstration of how the value relates toat least two leadership
characteristics
• Demonstration of leadership in resolving the ethical dilemma
• Summary/conclusion
Presentations shouldbe completed in powerpointand submitted to Brightspace before they are
delivered in class.
4) Final project – Plan to build a culture of ethics at an organization. This is an excellent
opportunity to make use of your work experience (co-op or other), and apply some of the key
elements of this course. The goal of this assignment is togive you experience thinking through the
purpose and scope of creating an ethical culture in an organization that participates in corporate
social responsibility, and developing tools that will help guide managers make ethical decisions.
The report will be completed in sections and handed in for review and feedback. Section 1 is
valued at 5%, Sections 2 and 3 are valued at 10% and the final report is also worth 10%. So
overall, this assignment is worth 35% of your grade in this course.
The report should include:
Part1 Due Sept. 29 – 5%
1. a summary of the organization (whatit does, the number of employees, how long it has existed,
who its main competitors are, and where it is located)
2. a description of the current status of the organization regarding its ethical behaviour: are
managers left to make decisions regarding customers and suppliers on their own, or is there a
code they should follow? Is there a whistleblower hotline? Are there any other instructions,
policies or rules in place to help guide employees? Whatlevel of trustis given tomanagers and
employees regarding ethics?
- 5 -
3. Does the company have a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative? Whatis it? How long
have they been doing this? Is the initiative aligned with its mission and values? How?
Part2 Due Oct. 20 –10%
4. Create a code of ethics for employees, board of directors and suppliers. If the organization
already has a code of ethics, look at it critically and evaluate itfor ease of use and thoroughness.
5. Consider ethics training that you would offer staff at this firm. What training is necessary for
staff to make ethical decisions andwhen/how often should itbe offered? Create a plan of courses
and workshops you would offer annually. Be sure to address the levels of the organization. For
example, the CEO and Board will need different training than the front line employees.
Part3 Due Nov. 10 – 10%
6. Design a 12 month communications plan to increase awareness of ethical decision-making and
CSR atthe firm. How often will youcommunicate? What channels will you use? Who, specifically
will you reach out to and how will you reach those people? Also address from whom the
messages will come (CEO? Managers? Human Resource department?). Perhaps most
importantly, what will you communicate? What are the key messages you want staff to know?
Complete Report Due Dec. 4 –10%
This assignment will likely require up to 10 pages. The normal 12 pt, Times New Roman (or
equivalent), one inch margins rules apply. Please hand this assignment in via the dropbox on
BrightSpace.
This assignment will likely require 7-10 pages. The normal 12 pt, Times New Roman (or
equivalent), one inchmargins rules apply. Please handthis assignmentinvia the dropbox on
Brightpace.
5) FinalExam– The Final exam will be cumulative and will testyour knowledge andunderstanding
of ethical theory and application as well as your ability to analyze a firm to develop appropriate
CSR strategies. This will be an in-person exam with the date determined by the Registrar’s Office.
General Rules for Assignments and Exams
- All assignments will be submitted through a dropbox on Brightpace. I grade electronically and
will return your assignments with feedback and a grade through Brightspace.
- All assignments are due by 11:59 pm on the date specified above. Late assignments will lose 10%
per day unless you have specific permission from me to hand the assignment in at a later date.
This firm rule is similar to expectations a business employer would have for you. Submitting your
work by a deadline demonstrates personal responsibility and respect for your colleagues who
follow the same rules.
- Infairness toall students, missed exams will be assigned a zero unless you have an excused
absence. Make-up exams will be available for students with an excused absence.
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 inquestion and that the review
may lead to a higher, lower or unchanged grade.
Course Experience Survey:
- 6 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:
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team
assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team
process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being
prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put
diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with
civility. To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson
Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the
program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If youfeel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, itis your responsibility to
follow this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss withyour whole group first and refer to your program-specificteam documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting andfurther
investigation as needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
I expect you to use AI (e.g., ChatGPT and image generation tools) in this class. In fact, one
assignmentand some in-class exercises will require it. Learning to use AI is anemerging skill, andI
believe that AI is emerging much like the calculator did. Calculators became a tool for advanced
math and likewise, AI can advance your efforts in business.
However, AI has limits and you shouldbe aware of the following:
▪ If you provide minimum-effort prompts, you will get low-quality results. You will
needto refine your prompts in order to getgood outcomes. This will take time and
effort.
▪ Don’t trust anything the AI tool says. If it gives you a number or fact, assume it is
wrong unless youeither know the answer or can check withanother source. You are
responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool. It works best for topics
you understand and where you can fact check on a company website or in news and
journal articles.
- 7 ▪
AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include an
appendix at the end of any assignment that usesAI explaining which AItoolyou
used, what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results.
Failure to do so is in violation of academic honesty policies and will result in
punishment for plagiarism.
▪ Be thoughtful about when this tool is useful. You are under no obligation to use AI.
If, you already know how to add and subtract, you don’t need a calculator to help
you. Don’t use it if it isn’t appropriate for the case or circumstance.
Please see the library guidance on how to cite Chat GPT and other AI tools:
https://libguides.uvic.ca/AI_Tools/citing_AI_text
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class
will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in
the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning experience. Being an
effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the classroom
environment.] Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
Participation requires attending class. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class and
this will contribute to your participation grade. Students with more than three unapproved
absencesfromthe course will receive a zero for participation in the course.Students with more
than five unapproved absences will not be permitted to write the final exam.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course
assessment deadline or soon after).
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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
- 8 -
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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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 work preparedby any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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 studentin 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 personto 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, withoutprior
discussions with the instructor(s) involved.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 9 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:
Date Topic Learning Outcomes Readings/Assignments
Sept6 Introduction:
Whatis Business
Ethics and
CorporateSocial
Responsibility?
1. Explainyourgoal for taking
this course
2. Discuss why ethics matters
3. DefineCorporate Social
Responsibility
1. Laasch and Conaway reading on Brightspace
Sept11-
13
Ethical
Frameworks
- Moral
responsibility
1. Identify five ethical theories
and explain how they apply to
an ethical situation.
2. Analyze ethical problems
3. Practice making an ethical
decision and defending it using
ethical theory
1. Schwartz, “The Nuts and Bolts of Determining
Ethical Responsibility” on Brightspace
Sept18-
20
Ethical
Frameworks 2
- Moralreasoning
process
- Moral theory
1. Discuss the components of
the ethical framework in the
context of a business decision
2. Practice using the framework
on a business case
1. Thinking Ethically Framework:
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-
resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-
ethically/
Sept25-
27
CorporateSocial
Responsibility
- Social
responsibility
theory
- Stakeholder
theory
1. Define stakeholders ofthe
firm
2. Explain the positions of two
major stakeholder scholars
3. Draw a stakeholder map
defining the primary – tertiary
levels of stakeholders
4. Apply stakeholder theory to a
real business situation
1. Bayers and Stanberry - Chapters 3 and 4
2. For Discussion:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/econ
omy/toyota-reaches-12-billion-settlement-to-
end-criminal-probe/2014/03/19/5738a3c4-af69-
11e3-9627-
c65021d6d572_story.html?utm_term=.31b578ad
8c7c
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/video-
shows-man-dragged-from-united-flight-had-
bloodied-face
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/congress
-uses-united-incident-to-crack-down-on-airlines-
treatment-of-passengers
Oct2
Oct4
NationalDay of
Truth and
Reconciliation
NOCLASS
- 10 -
Employers:
Creating an
ethical work
culture
1. Define culture as it
pertains toaworkplace
2. Determine elements ofan
ethical workplace
1. Schwartz. Developing and Sustaining an Ethical
Corporate Culture (see PDF on Course spaces).
2. B Resource Guide: Creating a Code of Ethics
(pdf on Brightspace):
Oct9
Oct 11
Thanksgiving
Codes ofConduct
NOCLASS
1. Evaluate acompany’sCode
of Conduct
2. DevelopaCode of Conduct
for a firm
1. McDonalds Code of Conduct (See pdf on
Brightspace)
2. Globe and Mail article on McDonalds:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-
on-business/rob-commentary/is-it-time-for-
mcdonalds-to-rethink-the-ethics-of-the-
happy-meal/article31514884/
Oct 16 -
18
Consumers:
Protection
-Consumer
protection
-Product recalls
1. Determine a firm’s
responsibility toits customers
2. Apply the ethical thinking
framework to a case
1. Karakowsky, Carroll andBuchholtz – Chapter
11 on Brightspace
2. For Discussion:
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-
areas/business-ethics/resources/the-case-of-
nutritional-foods/
Oct 23 -
25
Consumers:
Marketing
- Marketing ethics
- Pricing,quality,
labelling
1. Recognize ethical situations
in marketing
2. Design a plan to train
employees to think ethically
about decisions in the
workplace
For Discussion:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-bars-bud-
light-from-suggesting-rival-beers-contain-corn-
syrup-11558797548
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidvinjamuri/20
19/02/06/bud-lights-super-bowl-ad-corn-syrup-
ethics-and-mistaken-identity/#29b48b523a39
Oct 30 –
Nov 1
GlobalBusiness
Ethics
- Bribery
- Repressive
regimes
- Overseas
suppliers
1. Apply the stakeholder theory
concept to a case
2. Apply the Ethical Thinking
framework to a case.
2. For Discussion:
https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/good-
corporation-bad-corporation/chapter/10-
corruption-in-international-business/
Nov 6-8 Issues,Risk and
Crisis
Management
1. Examine asituationwhere an
ethical decision generates
media attention
2. Determine a course of action
in an ethical situation
3. Make recommendations to
manage similar situations inthe
future
1. For Discussion:
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-
areas/more/engineering-ethics/engineering-
ethics-cases/trimming-data/
Nov 13-
15
READING BREAK NOCLASSES
Nov 20
andNov
23
Giving Voice to
Values Exercise
1. Evaluateanethical decision
according to workplace values
2. Practicesharing yourvalues
with a supervisor
Nov 27 The moral
obligation to
Practice
Sustainability
1. Recognize sustainability asan
ethical decision
2. Assessa sustainability
problem from an ethical
perspective
Complete the reading here:
http://gadfly.igc.org/papers/futgens.htm
- 11 Nov
30 StagesofMoral
Development
1. Recognize the stages of
cognitive moral development
2. Respond to ethical decisions
made ateach stage of
development
See reading onBrightspace
Dec. 4 FinalExam
Review
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have
a disability/health consideration that may require accommodation, 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 accommodation.
The sooner you let us know your needs the quicker we can assist you in achieving your learning
goals in this course.
COM 450 A01
Business Analysis Fall 2023
Course Outline
Course hours (PST) Tuesday 6:30pm-9:20 pm
Location DSB C122
Instructor: Dr. Dale Ganley
Office: BEC 442
Office hours: Thursdays on campus 1pm-3:30 pm or by arrangement over Zoom
Email: dganley@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Course Objectives and Description:
One of the most challenging aspects in modern business is responding to new business
problems and making effective strategic, tactical and operational decisions despite
uncertainty. This course will help any student better face the unknown by teaching
structured ways to analyze business problems and create insightful solutions. Using cases
from across the business disciplines, students will build competence in selecting and using
analytical and decision-making tools. The skills in this class will be directly applicable to
careers in entrepreneurship, consulting, business analysis or project management, to
name just a few.
The course objectives are to:
Understand the role and methods of a business analyst in solving organizational
problems.
Develop a professional toolkit of models and frameworks to be applied in analytical
solutions.
Create an introductory experience for each student in a wide variety of
organizational problems that a business analyst may face.
Enhance both oral and written communication skills in formats that are typical in
consulting and business presentation environments.
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 Texts
and Resources:
Required: Harvard Business Publishing Coursepack - GSB Business Analysis (created by Dale
Ganley) from Harvard Business Publishing which includes access to three business
simulations: Judgement in a Crisis, Power and Influence V3 and Strategic Decision
Making. You must have access to the simulations to complete the related course assignments.
Student price: $45.00
The direct link to get the CoursePack and access to the simulations
is: https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1090634
Provided on Brightspace: There are other cases and readings that each individual must study at
the appropriate time during the course, but all of these materials are made available via the course
website which can be accessed online. The course schedule lists the material required for each
assignment and the dates of assignments. If the material is not already provided (i.e. it is the
basis for a timed assignment). Because I have already built some slack into the class schedule
and due dates to allow students to be flexible in terms of their weekly workflow, I will not make any
changes for individual schedules except for the most extreme situations, and no, vacations and
work conferences are not extreme.
Course Format:
This course will be based on in class activities (simulations, discussions and examples) to bring life
to the tools and techniques we will survey. Learning is an active process -- the more active you are,
the more you will learn. Therefore, the course will rely heavily on students using time outside to
read and prepare to make maximum use of in-class time – hopefully even lectures will be very
interactive. In addition, every member of the class is expected to contribute to the group's learning
through discussion and debate. All students, no matter how personable, ambitious or accomplished,
should recognize that success in this class will be very unlikely if there are any regular impediments
to conscientious preparation and attendance throughout the class.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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 technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is recommended for this course: Zoom (for office hours). I will make you aware if this list
changes. Additionally, some technologies that aren’t required but may be helpful include: Google
- 3 -
Title
(begin with Course
Code)
Individual Type
or Group (Exam, Hand-
in
Assignment,
Presentation,
Quiz, Other)
Due Date
(m/d/yyyy
hh:mm
AM/PM) PST
Weight Description
/ %of
grade
Total 100%
Docs, Youtube. 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 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:
COM 450: Portfolio Part
1
Individual Turn-in
Assignment
Sun
10/15/2023
8:00pm PST
20% Take home challenge
COM 450: Portfolio Part
2
Individual Turn-in
Assignment
Sun
11/19/2023
8:00pm PST
20% Take home challenge
Simulation: Judgement in
a Crisis
Simulation: Change
Management
Simulation: Strategic
Decision Making
Tuesday Assignments
(8x)
Individual In class
Exercise
Individual In class
Exercise
Individual In class
Exercise
Individual Ready for
class
Tu 10/7/2023 15% Complete and debrief in
class
Tu 10/31/2023 15% Practice at home, Final
and debrief in class
Tu 11/28/2023 10% Practice at home, Final
and debrief in class
10% Class Prep homework –
available for feedback in
class
Participation Individual Participation 10%
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
- 4 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:
There are four types of assessment used in this course: Simulations, Quizzes, Mini-case
discussions, and short Reflection Papers/Assignments. All grades will be based on individual
work although some activities may allow groups to participate together.
The Quizzes and Reflection Papers/Assignments are individual effort only. Each Reflection
Paper/Assignment will have instructions included that outline how they will be assessed.
The Simulations will be graded based partially on the results of the simulation and partially on
additional reflection pieces– the specific grading strategy for each simulation will be described in the
instructions. The Mini-case discussions will be graded based on participation and quality of
contribution.
Individual Work: Individual work is individually graded and must represent the true effort
and output of its owner. Help in the nature of editing (especially for non-native English speakers),
group brainstorming or friendly reviewing is fine unless specifically forbidden, but any changes from
those activities must be done by the student and should not be substantively different from the
student’s solo work without help. Collaborating to the point of identical or near-identical output
is not ok.
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.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek
advice from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (eg. illness) which interfere with
their academic obligations.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is only permitted if I explicitly give permission
ahead of time in this course for students who wish to use them. To be consistent with our scholarly
values, students must cite any AI-generated material that informed their work and use quotation
marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should indicate
how AI tools informed their process and the final product, including how you validated any AIgenerated
citations, which may be invented by the AI.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class
will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the
course. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
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
- 5 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.
This class is highly dependent on experiences and material that are only available in class. It
follows that the graded work in this class is closely linked to activity that will take place during class
time and cannot be made up in the event of absences. Even in the event of excused absences,
there will be limited/no opportunities to “make-up” the in-class exercises, prepared work, or
participation credit. Students can expect a buffer in the credit available to allow for a limited
number of excused absences, but must recognize that it is not bottomless.
Participation:
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course
assessment deadline or soon after).
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 6 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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
- 7 Schedule
Summary:
Topic#/
Week
Topics
Tuesday
Assignments
Other Graded
Assignments or
Assessments
1 No class for us. The term begins next week.
2
Introduction to Business Analysis
Project Approaches and Problem Identification
3
Scope and Situation Analysis, Key Issues
Chantale Robinson
Chantale
Robinson
4
Stakeholders, Ethical Decisions and Big Picture Outlines
Spindle Stairs
Spindle Stairs
5
CSFs, Strategic Plans, Success and Failure
Empire Globe and Susan Bond
Empire Globe
and Susan
Bond
6
Failure, Overrun, Feasibility and Root Cause Analysis
Judgment in a Crisis Simulation – In Class
• Simulation Judgment
in a
Crisis
7
Decision Analysis, Criteria and Scoring Models
Walsham
Walsham
• Portfolio Part 1
due Sunday
10/15 before
Class
8
Timelines, Milestones and Gantt Charts, Change
Management
Broadway Rose
Broadway
Rose
9 Change Management Simulation – In Class
• Simulation -
Change
Management
- 8 -
10
Risk Analysis, Heat Maps and Complete
Recommendations
Oaktree
Oaktree
11 No class this week (Reading Break)
12
2x2, Growth Share, KPIs and Balanced Scorecard
Arrow Construction
Arrow
Construction
• Portfolio Part 2
due Sunday
11/19 before
Class
13 Strategic Decision Making Simulation - in Class
• Simulation -
Strategic
Decision
Making
14 No class this week. The term is over!
Survey on
Learning
(survey on
Brightspace)
No Final Exam Scheduled
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.
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 450 A02
Digital and Social Media Marketing
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) 1:00PM – 2:20 PM every Monday/Wednesday
Location DSB C112
Instructor: Dr. Huachao (H.C.) Gao
Office: BEC 204
Office hours: In-person or through zoom; by appointment only (making an appointment
through email, Linkedin Message, or Microsoft Teams)
https://uvic.zoom.us/j/6138153264?pwd=QmFXR3RtQm9WVmxCd0NyOE9SZmduUT09
Telephone: (250) 472 5503
Email: hcgao@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Hello, I am your instructor Huachao Gao. Please feel free to call me H.C. or Prof. Gao. I have a
Ph.D. degree in Marketing. My research focuses on international marketing and cross-cultural
consumer behavior. I am teaching Marketing Principles and Management (Com 351), International
Marketing (IB 416), and Digital Marketing (COM 450) at the undergraduate level at UVIC. I would
like to welcome you to the Digital and Social Media Marketing class. This fall, we will go through the
process of doing Digital and Social Media Marketing together. I hope we will have a fun, safe, and
fruitful term together.
Texts and Resources:
Please use the this link (https://join.stukent.com/join/3BD-4E9) to buy your digital package at the
price of $129.99USD, which includes the following content:
• Digital Textbook: Larson & Draper (May 2023), Digital Marketing Essentials
• Digital Marketing Certification (it’s not part of our class, but feel free to take the exam and
get a certification yourself)
• Simulation Software: Digital Marketing Simternship (6 rounds of simulation)
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 Course
Objectives and Description:
This course will cover the following tools in digital marketing:
• Principles of web design
• Basic digital marketing analytics (i.e., Google Analytics)
• SEO (search engine optimization)
• Paid search advertising (through Google)
• Display advertising
• Email marketing
• Social media advertising
The course objectives are to:
• Understand the basic concepts & guiding principles in digital marketing
• Familiarize yourself with the digital marketing framework
• Develop the capability to identify and use the appropriate digital marketing tools to solve a
marketing problem or challenge
• Enhance the ability to use ChatGPT for marketing purposes
• Apply the knowledge in both simulation and practice
Course Format:
This class is designed to teach you not only the basic concepts involved in digital and social media
marketing, but also how to apply the knowledge using both simulations and real-world experiences.
Lectures, in-class group discussions and exercises, out-class student self-readings, simulation, and
out-class group project are designed to lead you to a better understanding of the applicability of the
discipline.
To prepare for the class, please check the course outline and the Brightspace page of the course
regularly. Reading the assigned material, attending classes regularly prepared, and completing the
simulation and group project following the timelines are some excellent tips to improve your learning
outcomes.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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
- 3 (FIPPA).
Personal information is information about an identifiable individual; for example, your name
or your email address.
The following educational technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is required for this course: Riipen and Stukent. 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 and are available at https://www.riipen.com/privacy-policy for Riipen and
https://www.stukent.com/privacy-policy/ for Stukent. 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 Weight
/ %of
grade
Description
Attendance and
Contribution
Individual Participation On-going 15%
Quizzes Individual Quiz See Schedule 15%
Digital Marketing
Simternship
Individual Online
Simulation
See Schedule 30%
Group Consulting
through Riipen
Group Group Project
Report
Dec. 8, 2023
By 11:59PM
40%
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:
Attendance and Participation (15%): The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are
expected to attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending and participating are
- 4 important
parts 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. To earn points on this item, please attend all the class
sessions, actively participate in our class discussion, raise and answer questions regularly,
etc.
Per UVic standard, students with unexcused absences* from more than 3 class sessions will
receive a grade of zero in class participation. Students with unexcused absences* from more
than 5 class sessions will not be permitted to write a final examination (*unexcused absences
= absences without appropriate documentation as per the University Calendar)
Quizzes (15%): Throughout the semester, several quizzes are designed to help you review the
contents we have just covered. Each quiz will have 10 questions, either multiple choices or
T/F. You will have 10 minutes to complete the 10 questions through Brightspace.
Simulation - Simternship (30%): To demonstrate what you have learned in the class, you will
complete the Digital Marketing Simternship simulation from the package your bought from
Stukent. Although Stukent will give you a score on the platform, you final grade on this will be
determined by your absolute performance and your relative ranking in the class against other
students. To receive good grade, please consider doing the following:
• Pay attention in the class, and use class notes as a guideline in completing the
simulation
• The simulation will start on Oct. 18. You will have until the end of the semester to
complete six rounds of simulation focusing on Google Search Ads and Display Ads to
drive traffic and revenue for a company. You should start as early as possible and try to
complete one round of simulation each week.
• Before starting a round, make sure you read all the instructions and understand the
objectives you need to achieve, the budget you need to spend, the specific activities
you should engage in, etc.
Final Group Project (40%): At the beginning of the semester, you will be assigned into different
groups to complete one group project through the online platform Riipen. Through Riipen,
you will work with a real business to help them solve some real digital marketing problems
such as an audition of their website, SEO, paid search, email marketing, or social media
advertising, etc. Make sure you arrange a meeting with contact from the business, clarify the
objectives, and design a comprehensive digital marketing strategy accordingly. Key tips in
completing the group project:
• Work closely with your teammates and the business partner
• Start as early as possible and following the timeline outlined in Riipen
• Take the project seriously as it will have direct practical implications for the business
partner
• Given different groups will work with different businesses with different digital marketing
needs, you do not have to include everything we covered in the class. Instead, focusing
on provide detailed and actionable recommendations that fit the business partner’s
unique needs. But you do have to cover at least two digital marketing tools in your final
reports
• Your final outcome should include a written report and a PowerPoint presentation
• The business partner’s scores of your team will account for 40% of your grade on this
item. The instructor’s grade will account for the other 60%
At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all
team assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their
team process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a
team by being prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity
and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely
manner and with civility. To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson,
please see the Gustavson Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may
result in being removed from the program or other academic penalty.”
- 5 What
to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility
to follow this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team
documents and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is permitted in this course for students to complete
the Simternship and the final group project, but not for the quizzes. To be consistent with our scholarly
values, students must cite any AI-generated material that informed their work and use quotation
marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should indicate
how AI tools informed their process and the final product, including how you validated any AIgenerated
citations, which may be invented by the AI. Assignment guidelines will provide additional
guidance as to how these tools might be part of your process for each assessment this semester and
how to provide transparency about their use in your work.
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
- 6 For
100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 Schedule
Summary:
Title Type Due Date Description
Course Introduction Lecture & 09/06/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Digital Marketing Lecture & 09/11/2023
Overview Discussion 1:00 PM
Web Design I Lecture & 09/13/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Web Design II Lecture & 09/18/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Analytics I Lecture & 09/20/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Analytics II Lecture & 09/25/2023 Quiz #1
Discussion 1:00 PM
On-Site SEO I Lecture & 09/27/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
10/02/2023
1:00 PM
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
On-Site SEO II Lecture & 10/04/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
10/09/2023
1:00 PM
Thanksgiving Day
Off-Site SEO Lecture & 10/11/2023 Quiz #2
Discussion 1:00 PM
Paid Search I Lecture & 10/16/2023 Simternship Round 1
Discussion 1:00 PM
Paid Search II Lecture & 10/18/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Introduction tothe
Simulation:
Simternship
Lecture &
Discussion
10/23/2023
1:00 PM
Quiz #3
Simternship Round 2
Display Advertising I Lecture & 10/25/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Display Advertising II Lecture & 10/30/2023 Quiz #4
Discussion 1:00 PM Simternship Round 3
Email Marketing I Lecture & 11/01/2023
Discussion 1:00 PM
Email Marketing II Lecture & 11/06/2023 Quiz #5
Discussion 1:00 PM Simternship Round 4
Social Media Lecture & 11/08/2023
Marketing I Discussion 1:00 PM
11/13/2023 Remembrance Day
1:00 PM Simternship Round 5
Social Media Lecture & 11/15/2023
Marketing II Discussion 1:00 PM
Social Media Lecture & 11/20/2023 Simternship Round 6
Marketing III Discussion 1:00 PM
Digital and Social
Media Marketing
Strategy
Lecture &
Discussion
11/22/2023
1:00 PM
- 8 Group
Project
Presentation
Lecture &
Discussion
11/27/2023
1:00 PM
Group Project
Presentation
Lecture &
Discussion
11/29/2023
1:00 PM
Wrap Up Lecture &
Discussion
12/04/2023
1:00 PM
Final Group Project
Due
Written Report 12/08/2023
11:59 PM
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 450 A03
Alternative forms of organizing
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) Thursdays from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Location DSB C1112
Instructor: Simon Pek
Office: BEC 476
Office hours: Thursdays from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. on all days we have classes scheduled after
Class 1, or by appointment.
Email: spek@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
I am delighted to have the opportunity to be your instructor for COM 450 this term and look forward
to meeting you. As some background about myself, my research explores how organizations and
the individuals within them embed social and environmental sustainability into their cultures,
strategies, and daily operations. In particular, I have a growing interest in workplace democracy and
alternative forms of organizing. In addition to my research and teaching, I have helped develop new
initiatives in our UVic community, including our innovative Carbon Offset Pitch Competition and the
Student Dialogue on Democratic Engagement. I also served as the Steering Committee Lead on
the 2022 Ontario Assembly on Workplace Democracy, and co-founded and serve as a member of
the board of directors of Democracy In Practice, a non-profit dedicated to democratic
experimentation, innovation, and capacity-building. In this capacity, I spoke at the Council of
Europe's World Forum for Democracy 2016, where Democracy In Practice was selected as a
finalist for the Democracy Innovation Award. I love to travel, explore the outdoors, and gain
exposure to new cultures, languages, and ways of thinking.
Texts and Resources:
There are four sources for the readings required for this course (see detailed Schedule below)
1. A Harvard Course Pack for purchase available at:
https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/1083228
• Please make sure you purchase this as soon as possible to ensure you
can access the preparation materials for our first two classes. Per
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 Harvard’s
licensing agreement, each student must purchase his or her
own Course Pack—there is no getting around it. However, I have tried my
best to make it as affordable as possible.
2. On-line resources free to you and available through direct web-links
3. Readings available via the UVic library
4. Readings posted directly to Brightspace
There is no textbook for this course, which helps reduce costs to students and allows us to
introduce you to a range of diverse and current materials.
Important Note: Always check the announcements on Brightspace for any changes to readings,
course materials or dates when preparing for class – we may update materials to incorporate
emerging issues, current developments, and useful resources suggested by students and guest
speakers.
Course Objectives and Description:
It is increasingly apparent that how our economic organizations are structured, owned, and
governed affects our ability to tackle pressing social and environmental sustainability issues like
climate change and inequality. When we study and discuss organizations, we tend to focus on a
narrow subset of organizations, particularly large corporations that are structured in a hierarchical
manner. However, in recent years we have seen a surge in interest in alternative forms of
organizing, notably cooperatives and employee-owned firms that can be structured in a more
democratic and decentralized manner. In this course, students will critically appraise these
alternatives in light of recent research and practice on organizational structure, governance, and
ownership.
Upon the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
• Recognize and understand the importance of organizational structure, governance, and
ownership to achieving both business and sustainability-related goals
• Apply various concepts and frameworks to distill and diagnose problems and opportunities
pertaining to organizational structure, governance, and ownership
• Better understand your own experiences with, and perspectives on, how organizations are
and can be structured, governed, and owned.
Course Format:
This class covers the following major themes:
• The impacts of organizational structure, governance, and ownership on organizational and
societal outcomes
• Organizational structure and design
• Organizational governance and ownership
• Alternative forms of organizing
• Strategies for scaling alternative forms of organizing
The majority of our time in class will be spent on discussions and cases to apply and collectively
make sense of key concepts.
Class Preparation
One of the biggest benefits of exploring this content in a small class is that we can draw on each
other’s diverse knowledge, experiences, and interests in approaching the course content. Ahead of
each class, ensure you are fully prepared and have completed all required assigned readings and
activities, as we will be applying, not reviewing, posted content. For each of our sessions, please
ensure that:
• You have closed unnecessary programs on your computer as you may be sharing your
screen for some activities
• You arrive early to ensure a prompt start time and give you a chance to ensure your
audio/video is working. It also gives us a chance to chat and connect.
- 3 Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individualor
Group
Type Due Date Weight / %
of grade
Description
OnlineForum
Discussions
Individual Contributions to online
forum discussions
Forum 1: September
21 – October 1
Forum 2: October 5-
15
30% Students contribute to two online
forum discussions with both their
own submission and replies to
peers’ posts
Mid-term exam Individual Hand-in assignment October 26 30% In-class midterm exam covering
course contents to date
COM 450
FinalProject
Report
Group Hand-in assignment Final document due
on December 10
30% (Re)designing your ideal
organization based on your
interests and course concepts
1-2 page initial
outline ofyour initial
ideas due by
October 31
COM 450 Final
Project
Presentation
Group Presentation November 23 and
30
10% Present your (re)design for your
ideal organization to your peers
Total 100%
If you disagree with the assessment received on a grade component, you may request, in writing,
that the work be reviewed within two – seven days of receiving your grade. You need to document
and explain 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.
Description of Evaluation Elements
Below you can find an overview of the evaluation elements. See additional details and evaluation
criteria for the Final Project in Brightspace.
Online Forum Discussions (30%)
The online forum discussions are intended to help you critically reflect on and apply course
concepts in a manner that will help you learn from your peers. During this course, you will
participate in two graded forums. In each forum, you will first develop a) an initial post based on a
specific question contained in each forum, and then b) two in-depth replies to your peers’ initial
posts to foster collaborative learning (not on your own thread). You can reply to as many posts as
you would like (e.g., to thank a peer for an insight, to follow up on a conversation thread), though I
will only grade your in-depth initial post and your two in-depth replies.
- 4 Length:
Your initial post on your own thread should be no longer than 600 words (excluding any
references). In-depth reply posts to your peers should be no longer than 300 words each (excluding
any references).
Timing: The opening and closing dates of the two forums are detailed below (all times PDT). You
will be able to see and comment on others’ initial posts after you post your own.
• Forum 1 is open from September 21 – October 1. Your initial post is due by September 26,
and your replies are due by October 1.
• Forum 2 is open from October 5 – 15. Your initial post is due by October 10, and your
replies are due by October 15.
Practicalities:
• In order to avoid losing your work, consider developing your posts first in a word document,
and then copying and pasting your post to the appropriate forum.
• It is important that you indicate any sources for the ideas in your submissions and follow-up
discussion postings. If you are using reference material outside the course readings, please
provide a full citation including author, title, date and publication (APA citation style). If you
are using reference material included in the course readings, the author, year and page
number (if quoting directly) will suffice. Your views should be backed by the literature,
reliable external sources, or by clearly articulated examples from your personal experience,
when appropriate (e.g., when assertions are made).
• Please make to complete your initial post by the deadline in order to ensure everyone has
enough material to engage with.
Evaluation: You will receive a grade from 0 - 15 [below expectations – outstanding] for each forum
based on a holistic assessment:
• Up to 7 points will be granted for meeting all the posting requirements on time, in a
professional form, and in accordance with APA guidelines.
• Up to 8 additional points will be granted based on the quality of your posts. Quality will be
assessed based on a) the rigor, clarity, and logic of your arguments; b) the extent to
which you address all facets of the topic / question; c) the extent to which you critically
engage with external research, your own experiences, and course materials to support
your posts; d) and the extent to which your posts facilitate others’ learning and critical
reflection. Note that grades of 12.5 and above are reserved for posts that meet all posting
requirements and are of exceptional quality on all dimensions, exceeding expectations.
• Please note that any text exceeding the word limits for your posts will not be graded.
Midterm (30%)
The purpose of the midterm is to ensure that you have a strong understanding of all course
concepts and materials to date. This will not only help you undertake your final team project, but will
also help you retain key ideas as you embark on your careers. All required preparation materials
and class content from our synchronous classes (slides and discussions) are eligible for inclusion in
the midterm exam.
COM 450 Team Project and Presentation (40%)
Picture yourself in one of two scenarios after graduating from the BCom program. In the first
scenario, you and your team set out to design a new organization from scratch with an eye to
helping tackle one or more of the SDGs as effectively and responsibly as possible. In the second
scenario, you and your team return to an existing organization (one or more of you should be
familiar with it) with the objective of redesigning it so that it can function as effectively and
responsibly as possible. Choose whichever scenario interests you the most. In either case, your
overall task is to (re)design your ideal organization and defend your (re)design based on how it
helps achieve what you see as its main objectives and principles.
Your Final Report will be due by December 10, 2023. You will have the opportunity to receive
feedback on a 1-2 page initial outline, which is due to me by e-mail by October 31, 2023. You will
- 5 present
your design during our final two classes, with the rest of the class being responsible for
providing their analysis, feedback, and questions.
Course Assessment:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team
assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process
to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared
for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, putting diligent effort
into team deliverables, and addressing team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read
more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional
Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other
academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class
will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the
course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning experience. Being an
effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the classroom environment
Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
I understand that there may occasionally be reasons you are unable to attend class, for example:
illness, injury or family affliction. In particular, I encourage you to stay home when you are sick, taking
care of yourself and protecting others. You may also choose to miss class for a job interview, home
responsibilities, or a host of other reasons. If, however, you miss more than 2 classes for any reason,
your will receive a 2% deduction from your final course grade for every additional class missed, unless
you complete a make-up assignment for each additional class missed. It is your responsibility to ask
me for a make-up assignment within 4 calendar days of the missed class. In addition, you will be
denied permission to be included in the submission of your final team project, if you miss more than
4 classes.
Exceptions to these attendance policies will only be considered for major extenuating circumstances,
with permission from the Undergraduate Academic Director.
- 6 Missed
Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from
their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course
assessment deadline or soon after) and append a complete self-declaration, which is available on
our Brightspace page.
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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:
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 •
using work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
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.
Schedule Summary:
The schedule below summarizes the topics, readings, assignments and preparation required. The
links for the items required for preparation are in the Text and Resources Section of this course
outline and can be found in the Brightspace module for each synchronous or asynchronous
session. The schedule is subject to change. Students should check Brightspace regularly to access
the most up-to-date reading and audio-visual materials.
Title Type Due Date Description
COM 450 Class 1
(Sept 7)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read the case Uber: The turbulent rise of “everyone’s private
driver” [Harvard Course Pack]
- 8 •
Read the article Alternative Forms of Organization and Organizing
[PDF on Brightspace]
• Watch the video Ricardo Semler: Radical wisdom for a company, a
school, a life. Link in Brightspace.
COM 450 Class 2
(Sept 14)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Watch Class 2 Video [Video on Brightspace]
• Read pages 143-166 of Organization Theory & Design [PDF on
Brightspace]
• Familiarize yourself with the Organizational Design Simulation (but
don’t begin it until class) [Harvard Course Pack]
*Make sure you have your computer handy for our class today as we will
be completing the Organizational Design Simulation together. You must
have your own copy of the simulation available via your Harvard Course
Pack.
COM 450 Class 3
(Sept 21)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read the article Sociocracy – basic concepts and principles.
Available here.
• Read the article: Beyond the Holacracy hype. Available at here.
• Read the article Sociocracy in Big Data: A case study with Hertzler
Systems. Available here.
• Read the Alice Saddy case [Harvard Course Pack]
COM 450 Forum 1 Assignment Forum 1 is open from September 21 – 31. Your initial post is due by September 26,
and your replies are due by September 31.
COM 450 Class 4
(Sept 28)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read Sections 4 and 5 of the report The state of corporate
governance in the area of sustainability risks and opportunities.
Available here.
• Read the article Sustainability in the boardroom. Available here.
• SKIM the report: ESG / sustainability governance assessment: A
roadmap to build a sustainable board by Coro Strandberg.
Available here.
COM 450 Class 5
(Oct 5)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read the case Dieselgate: Heavy fumes exhausting the
Volkswagen Group [Harvard Course Pack]
• Read the case Laureate Education [Harvard Course Pack]
COM 450 Forum 2 Assignment Forum 2 is open from October 5 – 15. Your initial post is due by October 10, and your
replies are due by October 15.
COM 450 Class 6
(Oct 12)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read the article Worker ownership American style: Pluralism,
participation and performance. [PDF on Brightspace]
• Read the report Employee Ownership in Canada Discussion Paper.
Available here.
• Watch the video Delivering a good EO culture. Available here.
• Read the case Friesens Corporation: Supporting the Local
Community through Employee Ownership. Available here.
COM 450 Class 7
(Oct 19)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read the section “2nd
principle: Democratic Member Control” of the
Guidance Notes to the Co-operative Principles. Available here.
• Read the article How Mondragon became the world’s largest co-op.
Available at this link.
• Read until the start of the section “The Seven Steps in Forming a
Co-operative” on the website Information guide on co-operatives.
Available here.
• Watch the video Stuck in the gig economy? Try platform co-ops
instead. Link in Brightspace.
COM 450 Class 8:
Midterm (Oct 26)
Assignment Midterm will be held during class on October 26.
COM 450 Class 9
(Nov 2)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read Sections 3 and 4 from the report Worker Cooperatives:
Pathways to scale. Available here.
- 9 •
Read the case study Arise Architects Co-operative from the
Conversions to Co-operatives Project. Available here.
COM 450 Class 10
(Nov 9)
Pre-class
preparation
Prior to
class
Required preparation:
• Read the article Worker and community ownership as an economic
development strategy: Innovative rebirth or tired retread of a failed
idea? [PDF on Brightspace]
• Read Section 3 of the report The cooperative growth ecosystem:
Inclusive Economic Development in Action. Available here.
• Read the article ESOP plus benefit corporation: Ownership culture
with benefit accountability. [PDF on Brightspace]
• Read the case study Cooperative Home Care Associates by Pinto.
Available here.
No class on November 16—time for you to work on your finalprojects.
COM 450 Class 11:
Presentations (Nov
23)
Assignment Required preparation:
• Come prepared to present and support your colleagues!
COM 450 Class 12:
Presentations (Nov
30)
Assignment Required preparation:
• Come prepared to present and support your colleagues!
COM 450 Final
Project
Assignment Final project due on December 10.
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.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course
changes.
COM 450 (A04)
Understanding Organizational Behavior from
an Evolutionary Perspective
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course Time: Thursday, 6:30 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.
Location: Room C122 David Strong Building
(Sept. 14th MBA room DSB C125)
Instructor: Dr. Jim Swaffield
Office hours:
Telephone:
Email:
Swaffield
Virtual office hours by appointment
jimswaffield@uvic.ca
Office: BEC 439
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory
the university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose
historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
1. Introduction:
Hello! Welcome to COM 450. My name is Jim Swaffield. I have worked as a consultant
and professor for the past 25 years. I also have an MBA and a PhD in evolutionary
psychology. My area of research examines how different types of environmental stressors
affect human behavior. This line of research is relevant to consumer behavior, employee
behavior, as well as management and leadership behavior.
If you are interested in learning more about my background, please see my website at
https://www.jimswaffield.com/.
I am confident that you will find this course interesting and thought provoking. I look
forward to sharing the fascinating field of evolutionary psychology with you.
Dr. Jim Swaffield
- 1 -
2
2. Texts and Resources:
No textbook is required for this course. Readings will be provided.
3. Course Objectives and Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of management from an
evolutionary perspective. This will include the study of how evolved biological traits and
genetics, interact with environmental conditions and shape management and employee
attitudes, motivations, and behavior within organizational settings. In addition, students
will learn about different approaches to managing behavior that is rooted in biology versus
behavior that is rooted in prior learning.
4. Course Learning Objectives:
1. To be able to identify and describe key concepts in evolutionary theory and how nature,
nurture and the interaction of nature and nurture collectively shape management and
employee behavior.
2. To be able to differentiate between proximate and ultimate causes of behavior and
which behaviors are resistant to change.
3. To develop an appreciation for how evolutionary-based behaviors are adaptive in some
environments and maladaptive in others.
4. To develop an understanding of the scientific method, and how evolutionary
psychologists who study organizational behavior make inferences about cause-and-effect
relationships.
5. To develop an understanding as to why the origins of many problematic employee
behaviors are rooted in our evolved biology.
5. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that
diversity underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact
with others. In this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an
environment in which students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different
perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and
online discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and
sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each
have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an
equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do better to support
your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond compassionately if
you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
3
6. Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual
or Group
Due Date Weight
1. Midterm Exam Individual Tues. Oct 24 30%
2. Term Paper Individual or
Groups of 2
Nov. 2nd
20%
3. Reflection Paper Individual Nov. 30th
10%
3. Final Exam Individual TBA 40%
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 (with reference to the theory taught or
the marking rubric) why you think an error has been made. 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.
7. 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.
8. Research Paper
For this assignment you will write a research paper that analyzes a dimension of
organizational behavior from an evolutionary psychology perspective.
In this paper, you should describe a specific behavior and aim to answer:
• Does an ‘ultimate’ driver of the behavior exist, or is the behavior a ‘spandrel’?
• What events or conditions trigger the behavior?
• Does the behavior continue to play an adaptive role in our modern-day work
environment or, should the behavior be considered an environmental mismatch?
• How might this behavior or trait play out in a work environment?
• Based on your research summarize the key points that managers should
understand about this behavioral trait, and whether there are any managerial
implications.
4
9. Reflection Paper
Details will be provided on September 6th
.
10. Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being
present in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your
future personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your
classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course.
11. Missed Coursework or Assessments:
Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their instructor when
facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic
obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or
course assessment deadline or soon after).
12. Disability Accommodations
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if
you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodation, 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.
13. 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. Please note that “A” grades are
normally achieved by a minority of students.
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.
5
“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 Academic Director
and may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed
in line with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
14. 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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT,
without proper citation
• 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.
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade
Range
Proportion Of
Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
6
• 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.
15. Course materials are copyright protected - do not distribute or post on share
sites
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides/PPT slides, assessments,
course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the instructor or licensed to be used
in this course by the copyright owner. Do not share, distribute or post any materials on
course share sites or any form of social media. Doing so will be considered an instance of
academic misconduct
16. Generative AI (Including ChatGPT)
Any work submitted must be your own original work. Any student suspected of submitting
work that includes AI generated content may be asked for preliminary work or other
materials to evidence the student’s original and unaided authorship. The student may also
be asked to separately explain or support their work. It is acceptable to use AI for helping
to find articles.
17. Schedule Summary:
Thurs. Sept 14
Topic: Course Introduction and An Introduction to the Theory of Evolution by Means of
Natural Selection.
Thurs. Sept 21
Topic: Evolutionary Psychology and the Search for Ultimate Drivers of Human Behavior.
Reading: 1. Evolutionary psychology: theoretical foundations for the study of organizations (PDF)
Thurs. Sept 28
Topic: Differentiating Between Proximate and Ultimate Drivers of Behavior.
Reading: What is Evolutionary Psychology? (PDF)
Thurs. Oct. 5
7
Brain Evolution: Rational vs. Emotional Reasoning and its Effect on Employee Perceptions
and Attitude Formation.
Reading: TBA
Thurs. Oct. 12
Topic: Fundamental Human Motives and their Influence on Employee Behavior
Reading: Evolution and Human Motivation: A fundamental motives framework (PDF)
Topic: The Effect of Fast and Slow Childhood Ecologies on Adult Employee Behavior.
Reading: When the Economy Falters Do People Spend or Save? Responses to Resource Scarcity
Depend on Childhood Environments (PDF)
Thurs. Oct 19: Midterm Exam
Thurs. Oct 26
Topic: Evolutionary Perspectives on Cooperation and Conflict in Organizations.
Reading: Evolutionary perspectives on intergroup prejudice: implications for promoting tolerance.
(PDF)
Thurs. Nov. 2
Topic: Evolutionary Perspectives on the Drive for Dominance, Prestige and Status Within
Organizations and the Effect on Organizational Performance.
Reading: Understanding Social Hierarchies: The Neural and Psychological Foundations of Status
Perception. (PDF)
Thurs. Nov. 9
Topic: Evolutionary Psychology and Sex Differences in Workplace Patterns and The Effect
of Stress Hormones, Testosterone and Estrogen on Employee and Management Decision
Making.
Readings: Biological Sex Differences in the Workplace.
Thurs. Nov.16
Topic: Female Intrasexual Competition and Status Signaling Within Organizations.
Reading: Reading: Intrasexual Competition Within Organizations (PDF)
Topic: Male Intrasexual Competition and Status Signaling Within Organizations.
Reading: Intrasexual Competition Within Organizations (PDF)
8
Thurs. Nov. 23
Topic: Evolutionary Theories of Leadership.
Reading: The evolutionary psychology of leadership: Theory, review, and roadmap (PDF).
Thurs. Nov. 30
Topic: Designing Evolutionarily Informed Work Environments and Their Effect on
Employee Health.
Reading: “Evolutionary Store Atmospherics” – Designing with Evolution in Mind.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
COM 450 A06
Introduction to Applied AI for Business
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) 6:30 - 9:30 Mondays
Location David Strong C112
Instructor: Rishi Behari
Office: BEC 116
Office hours: Monday 5-6 PM or as arranged
Telephone: Zoom appointment
Email: rbehari@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Hi, I am Rishi Behari, a professional coach, business consultant, educator/trainer/teacher
facilitator, and speaker. My eclectic experiences across industries include having studied at and
worked with some of the top schools, businesses, and organizations in the world. Some of my
notable accomplishments range from raising ten thousand dollars at the age of nineteen to fund my
first entrepreneurial venture, to numerous recognitions for achievements in philanthropy and
teaching in post-secondary education. I continue to appear across media as an expert on topics
including navigating careers, life design, entrepreneurship, equity diversity and inclusion, the future
of work, and the intersection of ethics and technology. Specific to this course, I helped to establish
the world’s first premier business program in artificial intelligence, and sat on the advisory board for
Canada’s first student-run AI startup incubator, and have worked with brands like Disney, the NFL,
Coke, Google, BCG, and more along the way. Some of my academic credentials include BAs in
psychology and sociology, and an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University
and IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. I also hold executive certifications in coaching and
leadership, including Coaching for High Performance and the Neuroscience of Leadership. I am
also the founder of Flowstate Coaching and Consulting and continue to work with clients around the
world across these various areas of specialization. I am looking forward to getting to know each of
you throughout the course, and to sharing mutual knowledge, and drawing from our unique
experiences, as together we explore the intersecting worlds of AI and business.
- 1 -
- 2 Texts
and Resources:
Due to the evolving nature of the subject, class discussions and relevant media and articles will
replace having a textbook in this course. See the readings identified in the course Schedule
Summary below.
Introduction to Applied AI for Business
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals understanding artificial Intelligence, with a
focus on how this technology intersects with and influences the world of business.
The course objectives are to:
• Understand the basics of how Artificial Intelligence works and is deployed in the context of our
evolving world, specific to its intersection with the world of business.
• We will apply and develop a critical analysis of how issues of sustainability and ethics relate to
the use of this technology.
• Finally, students will have the opportunity to create and propose novel business ideas that seek to
solve modern problems using artificial intelligence.
Course Format:
The format of this course will revolve around in class discussions and presentations. Expectations
are for students to arrive to class having prepared the required assignments, ready to discuss and
contribute to a mutually created learning environment.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be
appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take
place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility,
to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also
do my best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a
better ally.
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 technologies, which stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is required for this course: ChatGPT, Youtube. I will make you aware if this list changes. I
- 3 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 and are available at [INCLUDE LINKS]. 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
(begin with Course
Code)
Individual
or Group
Type
(Exam, Handin
Assignment,
Presentation,
Quiz, Other)
Due Date
(m/d/yyyy
hh:mm AM/
PM) PST
Weight /
% of
grade
Description
In-Class Participation Individual Ongoing 20
Written Reflection on
AI
Individual Hand-in
Assignment
October 30,
2023 @
6:30 PM
10
In-Class Quiz Individual Quiz October 30,
2023 @
6:30 PM
20
Class Presentation on
Current Events in AI
Group In-Class
presentation
October 16
onwards
10
AI Business Model
Pitch
Group In-Class
presentation
December
4, 2023
20
AI Business Model
Pitch
Group Hand inPitch
Deck
December
4, 2023 @
6:30 PM
20
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.
- 4 Course
Assessment:
In-Class Participation (20%)
Students will be graded based on the frequency of class attendance and the quality and
consistency of both written and in-class contributions. At the end of each class, students will have
the opportunity to share written comments with the instructor. See Attendance & Participation Policy
below.
Written Reflection on AI (10%)
Students will have ChatGPT write an essay on an area of AIs impact on business and the modern
world. Students will then write a 2 page (single spaced) critical reflection on the ChatGPT generated
essay.
• 5/10 marks on the reflection will be evaluated on the level of thoughtfulness and critical thought
applied to their analysis of the essay, including application of concepts covered in class.
• 5/10 marks will be evaluated based the thoughtfulness and quality of the chat record of up to 5
prompts that students used to generate the essay.
Quiz (20%)
Students will complete a mix of multiple choice and short answer questions for the Quiz, which will
be completed during class.
Class Presentation - Current Event in the News Regarding AI (10%)
In groups, students will present (10 min) and lead a class discussion (15 min) on an area of their
choosing related to AI in the news / current events.
• 5/10 marks will be awarded for the quality and effort put into the presentation and a thorough
exploration and presentation of the issue.
• 5/10 marks will be evaluated based on the quality of the questions posed for discussion around
the issue and a well rounded exploration of the issue while leading and facilitating a class
discussion on the topic.
AI Business Model Pitch (40%)
Students will work in teams throughout the term to solve a problem by proposing a novel business
idea that leverages the use of AI. Students will present in class and submit their pitch deck on the
last day of classes. Students will be given 15 minutes for the presentations, followed by 10 min for
follow up questions from the class and instructor.
• 10/40 marks will be awarded based on the thoroughness of the assessment of the problem to be
solved, including any relevant issues of ethics and sustainability. Students should apply tools
such as PEST and SWOT analyses, and other business frameworks in assessing the overall
business opportunity.
• 10/40 marks will be awarded based on how well the solution proposed demonstrates a solid
fundamental understanding of the use and deployment of AI, as related to the content covered
over the course.
• 10/40 marks will be assessed on the overall quality of the in-class presentation, including
presentation style and clarity, use of visuals, and ability to clearly answer questions posed by the
instructor and other students.
• 10/40 marks will be assessed on the quality and thoroughness of the Pitch Deck, which will
support the presentation and be handed in on the day of the presentations.
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team
- 5 assignments.
In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team
process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being
prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put
diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility.
To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson
Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the
program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged
and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such
as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of
academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is permitted and must be cited, including
all prompts used to generate work. To be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite
any AI-generated material that informed their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate
indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should indicate how AI tools informed their
process and the final product, including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which may be
invented by the AI.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in
class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in
the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning experience. Being an
effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the classroom environment.
Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
In this course, participation will form 20% of your course grade.
While attendance is a pre-requisite for participation, I understand that there may occasionally be
reasons you are unable to attend class, for example: illness, injury or family affliction. In particular, I
encourage you to stay home when you are sick, taking care of yourself and protecting others. You
may also choose to miss class for a job interview, home responsibilities, or a host of other reasons.
Although there is an accommodation for up to 2 absences in the term, I want to emphasize that
your presence in class positively affects your intrinsic learning, as well as that of your teammates,
and contributes greatly to the overall learning environment. Therefore, your participation grade will
be impacted if you have more than 2 absences in the term. Students missing more than 2 classes
may request a make-up assignment from me for each additional absence. It is your responsibility to
ask me for a make-up assignment within 4 calendar days of the missed class.
Exceptions to these attendance policies will only be considered for major extenuating
circumstances, with permission from the Undergraduate Academic Director.
- 6 Missed
Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course
assessment deadline or soon after).
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 project to pass the course. In the case that you do not
attain a passing grade in any such 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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line
with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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:
Title
(begin with
Course Code)
Type
(Case,
Example,
Reading,
Supplemen
tal Reading,
Other)
Due Date
(m/d/yyyy
hh:mm AM/
PM)
Description
COM 450 A06:
Read for class
Reading 09/11/2202
3
No Readings
- 8 Intro
toAI Cont’d Ethics
&
Sustainability
Readings 09/18/2023 Article: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-
matter/why-neural-net-pioneer-geoffrey-hinton-
sounding-alarm-ai
Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/
2022/08/17/ai-ethics-wants-ai-to-spur-the-un-
sustainability-development-goals-sdgs-though-
ai-might-go-the-other-way/?sh=1506f1983151
How Do Machines
Learn?
Reading 09/25/2023 Article: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-
matter/machine-learning-explained
Data Analytics & AI
*In Class
Presentations on
Current Events
Begin
Reading 1016/2023 Article: https://www.thoughtspot.com/data-
trends/ai/ai-analytics
TheFuture of
Work
Final Pitch Prep
Readings 10/23/2023 Article: https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-
research/generative-ai-and-the-future-of-work-
in-america
Article: https://designthinking.ideo.com/
#design-thinking-today
Quiz & Reflection
Due
10/30/2023 No readings - Quiz & Reflection Due
Final Project
Review & Work
Session
11/6/2023 Prepare informal presentation of final pitch
ideas
Ethics &
Sustainability in AI
Revisited
Reading 11/20/2023 https://www.unesco.org/en/artificial-intelligence/
recommendation-ethics
Course Review 11/272023
Final
Presentations
12/04/2023 No Readings
* Guest Speaker
TBD
Date TBD
* Workshop/ Work
Session
Date TBD
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.
Note: please check our Brightspace course site frequently for new updates and course changes.
ENT 100 A01/A02
Introduction to Entrepreneurship
CRN 11470 & 11471
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours: Mondays andWednesdays
A01 - 3:00 - 4:20pm
A02 - 4:30 - 5:50pm
Location: DSCB C112
Professor: Dr. Claudia Smith
Office: BEC 264
Office hours: Before/after class, or by appointment on zoom or in-person
Email: smithcg@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
I look forward to working with you this term as we explore many facets of entrepreneurship.
Whether you are joining the course because you already are an entrepreneur, know you want to be
an entrepreneur or because you are simply curious about the topic, you are in the right place. My
plan is to deliver a dynamic course experience this fall that challenges how you think about the
world around you, and one that helps you to be ready to be innovative in seeing opportunities and
solving problems. I’ve also intentionally created a course experience that helps you to meet new
people, develop teamwork skills, and challenge your tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty.
Together, we will help you develop an individualized entrepreneurial mindset. I’m excited to get
started learning together this term!
Texts and Resources:
There is no assigned textbook for this course.
Two specific readings are mandatory – the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition
Canvas. Links are provided on Brightspace.
Weekly suggested readings are also posted to Brightspace. You are free to choose what to read
but completing many readings is part of the course requirement. Plan to read at least one article
from the weekly readings list each week. You are also encouraged to find and read additional
materials on entrepreneurship and innovation that support your own interests.
- 1 -
- 2 What
you take away from ALL readings completed in this course should be woven into your final
assignment, Assignment #5. It is not possible to attain an A-level grade in this course without
augmenting your thinking and analysis with a wide variety of readings. The more readings you
integrate into your final assignment, the stronger it will be.
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 with guest speakers, 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 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 student and early entrepreneurs in Victoria and beyond.
A core principle 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 insights
from the front line – the good, the great, the bad, and the ugly.
Our course goals aim to:
□ Inspire students to the possibilities of entrepreneurship regardless of their chosen
career path
□ Develop a broad understanding of the key elements of venture startup and
innovation
□ Create a shift in mindset towards opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial
thinking
□ Familiarize students with the Business Model Canvas as an organizing tool for
turning good ideas into viable businesses
□ Expose students to the broad experiences and tacit knowledge of a variety of
entrepreneurs
□ Introduce the principals of value proposition formation and detailed development
□ Enhance persuasive communication and presentation skills
□ Foster students’ critical thinking, analytic, and synthesis skills in general, and as
specifically applied to entrepreneurship
□ Integrate students’ personal, education and career goals into coursework to build
relevance and impact
□ Increase awareness of the resources available to help nascent entrepreneurs start
new ventures.
Course Format:
Course material will be delivered through a variety of modes, including:
□ Lectures
□ Mini in-class workshops
□ Class discussions
□ Case studies
□ Panel discussions with entrepreneurs
□ Panel discussions with topic experts
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be
appreciated. Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take
- 3 place
in a manner that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age,
socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility,
to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also
do my best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a
better ally.
Educational Technology
I may 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.
Currently, we will not be using any educational technologies which store or access your personal
information outside Canada. I will let you know if this changes during the duration of our course.
Should the situation change and you are not comfortable with your personal information being
stored outside of Canada, please speak to me 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.
A variety of new AI tools are available to help learners and educators.These tools are here to stay.
We will need to learn how best to use them. There are a series of ways in which AI tools could be
effectively employed in this course and these will be discussed in class. However, work generated
by AI needs to be transparently cited as work that you did not do. For this course, if you use AI tools
to help complete an assignment, you will need to clearly indicate under sources/references in our
assignment what AI-generated material you used either directly or indirectly. Failure to clearly
indicate how and where you used/applied AI tools will put your assignments in breach of university
ethical and plagiarism guidelines that could result in failure of the assignment or course. Please see
page 5 of this outine for further AI-related guidelines. Also, please keep in mind the following:
• If you provide minimum-effort prompts, you will get low-quality results. You will need to
refine your prompts in order to get good outcomes. This will take work.
• Don’t trust anything AI tools deliver. If you are looking at AI-generated numbers or facts,
assume they’re wrong unless you either know the answer or can check with another
source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions in your assignments. AIgenerated
materials work best to augment topics you understand.
• ChatGPT and other AI tools can 'hallucinate' and manufacture fictitious citations. For
example, they use real journal names and real scholar names, and creates fake article
titles with fake publication dates and fake page numbers. You should doublecheck/triangulate
whatever citations and scholars ChatGPT and other AI tools mention.
Evaluation Elements:
The majority of assignments for ENT 100 are due later in the term, when you have learned key
concepts and can apply them. This means that you will want to be sure to plan your schedule
wisely. The term typically gets busier and busier for most students across all courses. Keep this in
mind. You can start ANY of the assignments in ENT 100 early and develop them over time as you
progress in the course. Start early and iterate during the term on drafts of your assignments. This is
a secret to success. You are unlikely to be successful trying to pull off completing an assignment in
one day or one weekend. Others have tried, my advice is that it usually does not end well.
- 4 PLAN
AHEAD to successfully complete your assignments on time to avoid penalties.
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
ENT 100 Individual
or Group
Type Due Date Weight Description
Assignment 1: Interview Individual Class Hand-in
Assignment
Sept 27, 2023
Beginning of class
10% 500 word LIMIT
Assignment 2:Class
Exercise
Group Class Hand-in
Assignment
Oct 16, 2023
Beginning of class
10% Details TBA
Assignment 3: Idea Journal Partners Class Hand-in
Assignment
Nov 1, 2023
Beginning of class
20% 8 page LIMIT
Assignment 4:Pitch-it
Video
Individual Submit to
Brightspace
Video due:
Nov 20, 2023
beginning of class
And
15% 90 second video
2 peer assessments
Assessments due:
Nov 22, 2023
beginning of class
Assignment 5: Connections
and Reflections Portfolio or
Business Model Canvas
Individual Hand-in
Assignment
unless otherwise
approved by
Claudia in
advance
Dec 4th, 2023
Beginning of class
35% Document-10 page LIMIT
Other formats to be pre-approved by
Claudia
Participation Individual In-class ongoing 10% Note that your participation grade is
EARNED through thoughtful
contributions to class discussions
and activities
Total 100%
Note: You will find detailed assignment descriptions and evaluation criteria posted to Brightspace in three
places: in the week it is assigned, in the week it is due, and under the “assignments” tab within Course Tools.
Please do not ask for a review of your graded assignment for 4 business days after receipt of your
grade. If you disagree with the assessment received on a grade component, you may request, in
writing, that the work be reviewed. You need to describe why you think that your assignment
deserves a different grade based on your work, relevant course materials, and the assignment’s
grading rubric. Note that I will review your assignment 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:
Assignments: You will find a detailed grading rubric for each assignment at the end of each
assignment description posted to Brightspace. Additional questions should be brought to my
attention either during class time, by email, or during scheduled meetings.
- 5 Group
Work:
Given the difficulties that many students encounter trying to coordinate schedules, group work has
intentionally been kept to a minimum to improve your course experience. There is, however, one
larger group assignment (Assignment 2), and a partner assignment (Assignment 3). For these
assignments, students are expected to work together safely respecting health guidelines, to
participate equally, and to share equitably in the workload. There will be no tolerance of social
loafing behaviour. As your instructor, I reserve the right to lower a student’s grade by one or more
letter grades should the student not contribute equally or equitably to all the team’s tasks related to
an assignment. If I become aware that a student’s contribution to a shared assignment has been
minimal (less than their reasonable share), I reserve the right to assign a percentage grade of 0%
on that assignment, and to drop the student’s participation grade to 0%. This reflects my
expectation that all students in ENT 100 will work together effectively and contribute in an equal or
equitable way to their joint assignments. If problems arise in your group with respect to group
dynamics or social loafing, please notify me sooner rather than later, either in person or by email.
At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral component to
student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team assignments. In
order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a
team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team
meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team
deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more about
student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards.
Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other
academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss the problem with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team
documents and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with Dr. Smith.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to the BCOM Program Director for an initial meeting and
further investigation, as needed.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency there will normally be a grade penalty
of a minimum of 5% for each day an assignment is late. If you will be handing an assignment in
late, please let Dr. Smith know in advance, when possible.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged
and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such
as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of
academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, are permitted in this course for students
who wish to use them. To be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite any AIgenerated
material that informed their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate indicators
of quoted material when appropriate. Students should also indicate how AI tools informed their
process and the final product, including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which may
be invented by the AI. If you are not sure how to correctly reference your use of AI tools for any
ENT 100 assignment, ASK! Trasparency in your process is critical to ensure that you do not breach
academic standards.
Attendance and Participation: The University of Victoria Calendar states: “Students are expected to
attend all classes in which they are enrolled.” Attending class is a critical part of the learning
process in ENT 100. This cannot be overstated for this course! Being present in class will ensure
exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your success in this course. Your positive
participation will contribute to your own and classmates’ learning, and enhance our learning
environment. Being present in class exposes you to core material not found in the readings, to your
classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the course. In
addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning experience. Being an effective team
- 6 member
requires you to be present and engaged in the classroom environment. Attendance is a
critical component of everyone’s academic success.
Core components of this course are panel discussions, and guest speakers. You cannot benefit
from the insights entrepreneurs and source experts share with us, or ask pertinent questions of
them 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.
Most 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.
Students with unexcused absences for more than 2 class sessions will have their grade reduced
by at least 5% for every 2 classes (or part thereof) missed. Unexcused absences are absences
without appropriate documentation (documentation to be completed on the self-declaration form
and provided to the course instructor). Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, no medical
documentation is required. Self-declaration forms can be found on the BCOM BrightSpace site.
Students with unexcused absences from more than 5 class sessions may not be permitted to
submit their final assignment, Assignment 5. Successful completion of Assignment 5 is required to
successfully complete this course.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have a responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (eg. illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. “Proactively” here means that, when possible, it is your responsibility to reach
out to Dr. Smith (in person or by email) if you will or have missed class, and BEFORE you miss an
assignment deadline.
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 in this course or you will
receive an incomplete grade of N (grade point value of 0).
It is required that you must submit and pass the final assignment (Assignment 5) to pass this
course. In the case that you do not attain a passing grade in this component, it will result in a
final course grade of (F) fail or (N) incomplete, with the maximum possible percentage grade of 49.
- 7 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.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses like ENT 100, we generally anticipate final grades that are
distributed in line with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses:
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
- 8 Schedule
Summary:
Recognizing the need to build in flexibility to course delivery and given the many ENT 100 guest
speakers, it is possible that our schedule may encounter changes as we work together and adjust
to feedback. Our Ent 100 Brightspace site will be kept current. If in doubt about an updated
schedule, check there.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 100
A = Monday
B = Wednesday
Type Date Description
ENT 100 Week 1
Welcome to ENT 100
See Brightspace Wednesday, Sept 6 Session Plan:
Course overview &
Entrepreneurship introduction
Introduction to Assignment #1 – Interview
Introduction to Assignment # 5 – Connections & Reflections
Portfolio/ Business Model Canvas
ENT 100 Week 2A See Brightspace Monday, Sept 11 Session Plan:
How to find Ideas
Introduction to Assignment #3 – Idea Journal
ENT 100 Week 2B See Brightspace Wednesday, Sept 13 Session Plan:
How to use creativity to help find ideas
ENT 100 Week 3A See Brightspace Monday, Sept 18 Session Plan:
Entrepreneur Guest Speaker
ENT 100 Week 3B See Brightspace Wednesday, Sept 20 Session Plan:
How to use Design Thinking to build ideas
ENT 100 Week 4A See Brightspace Monday, Sept 25 Session Plan:
How to develop Value Propositions and Product Concepts
Introduction to Assignment #4 – Pitch-it Video
ENT 100 Week 4B See Brightspace Wednesday, Sept 27 Session Plan:
How to build an Entrepreneurial Mindset &
Transaction Thinking - Part 1
Introduction to Assignment #2 – Transaction Thinking
Assignment #1 – Interview – DUE
ENT 100 Week 5A See Brightspace Monday, Oct 2 NO CLASS –
University Closed (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,
September 30th)
ENT 100 Week 5B See Brightspace Wednesday, Oct 4 Session Plan:
Entrepreneur Panel Discussion ~ Where do ideas come from
and how do they evolve?
ENT 100 Week 6A See Brightspace Monday, Oct 9 NO CLASS –
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
ENT 100 Week 6B See Brightspace Wednesday, Oct 11 Session Plan:
Workshop ~Transaction Thinking, Assignment 2
ENT 100 Week 7A See Brightspace Monday, Oct 16 Session Plan:
How to build an Entrepreneurial Mindset & Transaction
Thinking – Part 2
Assignment #2 – Transaction Thinking – DUE
ENT 100 Week 7B See Brightspace Wednesday, Oct 18 Session Plan:
Entrepreneur Guest Speaker ~ Social innovation and social
enterprise - context and considerations
- 9 ENT
100 Week 8A See Brightspace Monday, Oct 23 Session Plan:
How to make Strategic Customer Decisions
ENT 100 Week 8B See Brightspace Wednesday, Oct 25 Session Plan:
How to evaluate Value Propositions and Opportunities
READ case BEFORE class
ENT 100 Week 9A See Brightspace Monday, Oct 30 Session Plan:
How to finance your venture
ENT 100 Week 9B See Brightspace Wednesday, Nov 1 Session Plan:
Where to find internal University resources
Where to find external resources
Assignment #3 – Idea Journal – DUE
ENT 100 Week 10A See Brightspace Monday, Nov 6 Session Plan:
How to create a Business Model Canvas – the rest of the
elements – PART 1
ENT 100 Week 10B See Brightspace Wednesday, Nov 8 Session Plan:
How to create a Business Model Canvas – the rest of the
elements – PART 2
Assignment #5 – Option 2 - Optional hand-in of BMC draft 1pager
for feedback from Claudia (not graded).
ENT 100 Week 11A See Brightspace Monday, Nov 13 NO CLASS READING
BREAK
ENT 100 Week 11B See Brightspace Wednesday, Nov 15 NO CLASS READING
BREAK
ENT 100 Week 12A See Brightspace Monday, Nov 20 Session Plan:
How to build your founding team & lead and motivate first
employees
Assignment #4 – Pitch video – DUE
ENT 100 Week 12B See Brightspace Wednesday, Nov 22 Session Plan:
How to form your venture
How to set up your venture
How to protect your ideas
Assignment #4 – Pitch video assessments (2) – DUE
ENT 100 Week 13A See Brightspace Monday, Nov 27 Session Plan:
What matters to you as an entrepreneur?
ENT 100 Week 13B See Brightspace Wednesday, Nov 29 Session Plan:
Entrepreneur Panel Discussion ~ Lessons learned through
founding a venture that scaled
ENT 100 Week 14A See Brightspace Monday, Dec 4 Session Plan:
Let’s reflect & wrap-up
Assignment #5 – Connections & Reflections Portfolio or
Business Model Canvas - DUE
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.
- 10 Important
Course Add/Drop Dates:
• Last day for 100% refund of tuition fees for standard courses dropped
September 19th
, 2023
• Last day for 50% refund of tuition fees for standard courses dropped
October 10th
, 2023
• Last day for withdrawing from first term courses without penalty of failure
October 31st
, 2023
- 1 ENT
402 A01
Entrepreneurship & Small Business for the Non-specialist
Fall, 2023 Course Outline
Note: please check the Brightspace course site frequently for updates and course changes.
Course hours (PST): 6:30pm – 9:20pm Pacific
Location: David Strong Building C112 Black Ink Room
Zoom Online Classroom/Office Link: Meeting ID: 816 9409 3364/ Password: 202309
Instructor: Dr. Leslie McGeough
Office hours: Before or after class, or by appointment. Please
email me for confirmation of an appointment via
Zoom.
Telephone/Text: (250) 415 3234
Email: lmcgeough@uvic.ca
We acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen-speaking peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships
with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environments for all its members.
Introduction:
Hello everyone! Welcome to Entrepreneurship & Small Business for the Non-Specialist. Looking forward to
meeting you soon, and thanks for choosing this course. Entrepreneurship is such a fun subject to teach and
to learn. To me, the best way to learn entrepreneurship is to try it, so you’ll get to experience the thrill of
several effective start-up processes and tools, customer development research, iterative product (or service)
design and testing, and business and financial modelling. Whether you’re an entrepreneur at heart, or
looking to work in an innovative organization, this is a great course to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
Having been a two-time technology entrepreneur in my other life, I have lots of real-world experiences to
share, many of which have shaped the design of this course.
Required Text:
Title: 100 Essential Small Business Skills
Author: McGeough & Garner
Publisher/Year: GoForth Institute / 2021
Reference Materials:
Provided free of charge for UVic students, and available for download from the Brightspace course site
- 2 Additional
Readings:
Additional readings, videos and cases will be assigned throughout the course. Please refer to the Course
Schedule for detail, and to the Brightspace course site for information about and access to these additional
resources and materials.
Course Objectives and Description:
"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein, physicist.
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Evaluate entrepreneurial situations to identify good opportunities from good ideas using a
variety of decision techniques
• Apply customer development research techniques to better understand potential customers and their
needs and wants
• Construct minimum viable products (MVPs) to test conceptual solutions with potential customers
• Assess, critique and create business models for new ventures from a variety of industries
• Evaluate and recommend resources and sources of funding that are available for new venture start-
ups
• Articulate options for protecting intellection property from both the entrepreneur’s and investor’s
perspective
ENT402 is an exciting course designed to change the way you think about entrepreneurship and the way
you look at yourself and the opportunities around you. You will explore entrepreneurial opportunities and
human-centred problem-solving techniques, develop and test business ideas and models, and build a matrix
of skills and attributes that will provide a framework for entrepreneurial success – either as an independent
business owner, or as a member of an intrapreneurial team within organization. You will understand the role
entrepreneurs play in society, and the economic importance of supporting entrepreneurs. You will also walk
away with an understanding of your own willingness to venture, the skills you have that enable you to
venture, and the experience you need to gain to be successful.
This course is not limited to those who are interested to start their own business one day. Intrapreneurship
takes entrepreneurship into the corporate world. It creates a marriage between entrepreneurial creativity and
corporate discipline – it allows you to accomplish more with fewer resources, cultivate relationships, and
build your expertise. This course is founded on the belief that entrepreneurship is a way of thinking rather
than something one does, in either an independent small business or inside a corporation.
Once you achieve a solid theoretical understanding, specific venturing skills of planning for and launching a
new venture become the focus. In this course we will spend several sessions discussing ways to identify,
screen and evaluate new business ideas. One of the major dilemmas facing any entrepreneur is the
abundance of "good" ideas. The tougher part is deciding which of them is the "good" opportunity that
warrants pursuit!
Of course, evaluating “good” ideas means talking to potential customers to gain their feedback on your great
idea. You will be researching the market, learning more about the customers for your idea, and gaining
valuable insight into what it would take for these people to become real customers. Learning to conduct
consumer development research is an important part of this dynamic course.
Whether you find yourself with a new venture opportunity that requires venture capital or plan to fund a startup
with your own resources, one thing appears to be certain: creating a realistic, comprehensive Business
Model can significantly increase your chances of success. Throughout the course we will use a shared and
clear understanding of how a start-up creates, delivers and captures value by using the Business Model
Canvas (Osterwalder, 2009) which represents any company in nine boxes, depicting the details of a
company’s product, customers, channels, demand creation, revenue models, partners, resources, activities
and cost structure.
- 3 We
will also explore additional relevant topics to an investigation of entrepreneurship – how to protect
intellectual property, develop a formal written business plan for investors or lenders, estimate potential
revenue, and operate a new business venture within the context of Canadian federal government and
regulatory environments. We end the course with a review of many inspiring social entrepreneurs who are
taking innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset and applying them to help solve some of the world’s
greatest challenges.
This course provides real world, hands-on learning on what it’s like to start a company. This is a practical
class—essentially a lab, not a theory or “book” class. The goal, within the constraints of an online classroom
and a limited amount of time, is to create an entrepreneurial experience for you with all the pressures and
demands of the real world in an early-stage startup.
This course will cover the above and other related topics with discussions, reading and writing assignments,
instructor presentations, a series of stimulating entrepreneurial exercises, and a team project.
Course Format:
Section: A01 / CRN 11472 Days: Wednesdays Time: 6:30pm – 9:20pm Location: DSBC112 or
Zoom
*Please note* This class is scheduled to run W 6:30pm – 9:20pm Pacific Time. Classes are entirely on
campus, however some classes may be held online via Zoom. It is your responsibility to know what is
happening when, what you need to prepare on your own or with your team, and when to show up on campus
or online. Please subscribe to Announcements in Brightspace.
This course will be mostly on campus, however some classes may be held online. Please refer to the class
schedule so you know what’s happening when. During class sessions, you should be prepared to lead off
the discussion of any question in a significant way as well as to discuss salient issues which are not
addressed per se in the assignments. As in any class discussion, it is crucial that you are well-prepared,
listen carefully to others, and build on/critique previous comments. Clearly, you must participate in class if
you are going to share your ideas with others. There is, however, no need to participate in every class. It is
the quality of comments, not the quantity, that is germane. Occasionally, students find that it is easier to
participate effectively from the point of view of a particular person or functional area, or to take on the role of
devil's advocate or expert (if expertise is possessed) on the topic being discussed.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In this class,
I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which students from diverse
backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated. Learning materials, in-class
activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner that respects diversity in terms of
gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. We each
have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves, to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive
community. Please let me know if I can do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my
best to listen and respond compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
Educational Technology:
A variety of educational technology will be used in this online course including internet-based technologies or
web-based applications, cloud services and/or 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
- 4 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 stores or accesses your personal information outside Canada,
is required for this course: Zoom Online. You will be notified if this list changes. These technologies are
used 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. You are encouraged 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:
Assignment
#
Assignment Type Individual or
Group
Weight %
of grade
Due Date
ENT402-1 Ideation Gallery – Idea 1 Individual 0% 09/20/2023
ENT402-2 Ideation Gallery – Idea 2 Individual 15% 09/27/2023
ENT402-3 Ideation Gallery – Idea 3 Individual 20% 10/04/2023
ENT402-4 Customer Development Research Individual 30% 10/25/2023
ENT402-5 Design Sprint Presentation Team 5% 10/25/2023
ENT402-6 Financial Feasibility Report Team 10% 11/22/2023
ENT402-7 Team Project Presentation Team 20% 11/29/2023
100%
If you disagree with any grade received on an assessment 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 your work may be reviewed in its entirety,
not just the portion in question and that the review may lead to a higher, lower or unchanged grade. The final
grade obtained from the above marking scheme for the purpose of GPA calculation will be based on the
percentage-to-grade point conversion table as listed in the current Undergraduate Calendar.
Course Lecture Notes:
Unless otherwise noted, all course materials supplied to students in this course have been prepared by the
instructor and are intended for use in this course only. These materials are NOT to be re-circulated digitally,
whether by email or by uploading or copying to websites, or to others not enrolled in this course. Violation of
this policy may in some cases constitute a breach of academic integrity as defined in the UVic Calendar.
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.
- 5 Course
Assessment:
Description of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team
assignments. To receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a
team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team meetings,
having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and
address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more about student expectations while at
Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may
result in being removed from the program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow this stepby-step
process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first and refer to your program-specific team documents and guides as
a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further investigation as
needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work
that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT) to
complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Use of AI
tools, including ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Gustavson School of Business. Being present in class will
ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and professional
success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning
environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates'
insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams
is a key component of your Gustavson experience. Being an effective team member requires you to be
present and engaged in the classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s
academic success.
One missed class is fine, but more absences may result in downward adjustment of your grade. Students
with unexcused absences from 3 or more on campus or online class sessions will have their final grade
reduced by a minimum of 5%. The reasoning behind this apparently very stringent policy is that classes
demand active participation and attendance.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from their
instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic
obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are expected to reach out
to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course assessment deadline or soon
after).
- 6 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 A+ 9 Exceptional, outstanding and excellent performance. Normally achieved by
85 – 89
80 – 84
A
A-
8
7
a minority of students. These grades indicate a student who isself-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 C+ 3 Satisfactory, or minimally satisfactory. These grades indicate a satisfactory
60 – 64 C 2 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.
- 7 •
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.
Online Synchronous Session Access:
UVic Zoom online classroom access will be posted in Brightspace. Please enable Brightspace
Announcement notifications by email to receive these posts by email, or please check the Brightspace
course site regularly to view Announcements posted by your instructor.
Course Schedule Summary:
Module Title Date Type Class Description, Required Readings and
Activities
ENT402: Week 1
Course Introduction
Entrepreneurship
Overview
Wednesday,
September 6
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Introduction to entrepreneurship
What is entrepreneurship?
Where do entrepreneurial ideas come from?
Course overview, learning outcomes and
expectations
Reading Class 01 pp. 1-20
Video 10 myths of entrepreneurship
Complete
exercise
Complete: Entrepreneurship self-assessment
exercise, pp. 21-44
ENT402: Week 2
Opportunity
Recognition
Wednesday,
September 13
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Reading
Reading
Opportunity Recognition – Distinguishing a
good business opportunity from a good idea
Class 02 pp. 45-69
What makes entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial?
(Sarasvathy, 2010)
Video
Video
Marshalling resources
Ideation Gallery – Idea 1 overview
- 8 Module
Title Date Type Class Description, Required Readings and
Activities
ENT402: Week 3
Opportunity
Evaluation and
Quantification
Wednesday,
September 20
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Reading
Complete
Assignment
Opportunity Evaluation and Quantification
Class 03 pp. 80-112
Ideation Gallery – Idea 1 (0%) DUE
ENT402: Week 4
Finding Customers
Developing
Empathy
Design Thinking
Exercise
Wednesday,
September 27
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Video
Complete
Assignment
Finding Customers and Developing Empathy
Developing customers
Ideation Gallery – Idea 2 (15%) DUE
ENT402: Week 5
Creating Value
Wednesday,
October 4
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Reading
Creating Value: Creating a value proposition
Value proposition canvas explained
MVP Design and Survey Testing
Class 04 pp. 127-159
Customer development research assignment
overview
Prepare for
class
Prepare: one value proposition canvas for one
idea
Complete
assignment
Ideation Gallery – Idea 3 (20%) DUE
ENT402: Week 6
Business Model
Canvas
MVP Design Lab
Survey Pre-testing
Wednesday,
October 11
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Video
Video
Prepare for
class
Business Model Canvas
MVP/prototype testing
MVP Experiment Canvas
Prepare: one business model canvas for one
idea
Prepare: your MVP experiment canvas
Prepare: your customer survey
ENT402: Week 7
Lean Start-up
Principles
Wednesday,
October 18
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Reading
Video
Video
Lean Start-up Movement
Class 05 pp. 179 – 194
Lean start-up movement
Overview of build-measure-learn cycle
ENT402: Week 8
Design Sprint
Wednesday,
October 25
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Design Sprint
Team project and presentation assignment
overview
- 9 Module
Title Date Type Class Description, Required Readings and
Activities
Complete
assignment
Team design sprint to select team project and
idea iteration and team presentation
Customer Development Research (30%)
DUE
Design Sprint Presentation (5%) in class
ENT402: Week 9
Financial Feasibility
Funding and
Financing
Wednesday,
November 1
6:30pm – 8:00pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Reading
Reading
Financial Feasibility
Class 06 pp. 201 – 230
Class 12 pp. 455 – 476
ENT402: Week 10
Field Testing and
Validation
Wednesday,
November 8
6:30pm – 9:30pm
Zoom Online
Classroom as per
posted schedule
Video
Video
Video
Testing and Validation
No assigned readings
Forms of Business Organization
Elements of a formal business plan
Key elements of successful business plans
ENT402: Week 11 Wednesday,
November 15
Reading Days
No class
scheduled this
week
Continue work on team project and
presentation
ENT402: Week 12
Small Business
Law
Writing a Formal
Business Plan
Social
Entrepreneurship,
Innovation
Collaboration and
New Business
Locations
Course Wrap up
and Reflections
Wednesday,
November 22
6:30pm – 9:20pm
UVic Campus –
Required
Attendance
Reading
Reading
Reading
Reading
Video
Video
Video
Video
Law, business plans, social entrepreneurship,
innovation and collaboration, and new
business locations.
Class 09 – pp. 341 – 356
Class 11 – pp. 415 – 442
Class 15 – pp. 575 - 592
Appendices – pp. 599 – 679
Legal side of small business: IP Protection
Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Collaboration – New Business Spaces and
Places
Financial Feasibility Report (10%) DUE
ENT402: Week 13
Presentations
Wednesday,
November 29
6:30pm – 9:20pm
Zoom Online
Classroom
Presentation
Schedule will be
posted Team Project Presentations (20%) DUE
- 10 Students
with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. 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.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for updates and course changes.
IB 301 A01
International Environment of Business
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 1-2:20 pm
Location: ELL 061
Instructor: M. Carmen Galang
Office hours: By appointment (email to set up meeting)
Email: cgalang@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university
stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with
the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
My full name is Maria Carmen Galang, but I go by Carmen as my first (given) name. I have been at UVic
for 29 years now, and this is my first academic job since I obtained my PhD from the University of Illinois.
My country of birth is the Philippines, and I am a dual Canadian-US citizen. I am married to an Irish,
whose father came from Germany. We enjoy sharing stories from our cultural backgrounds and learning
more about cultures: how it affects how we see the world and why we feel and behave the way we do.
Texts and Resources:
• THE GLOBAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BALANCE by Janet Morrison,
6th edition, 2023.
• A coursepack available for purchase at the UVic bookstore, containing the case “Society’s Voice
Against Unilever Mercury Contamination in Kodaikanal”
• Other materials (such as other readings, additional cases, assignment instructions, powerpoints) will
be posted on Brightspace as needed.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course focuses on the environment of business, namely the socio-cultural, political, legal,
technological, ecological, and economic aspects that affect business decisions related to its strategy and
operations, and ultimately performance. These aspects of the environment differ across countries, and
pose opportunities and threats to both local and foreign businesses. Understanding how these aspects
differ and how they affect business enables firms to make more appropriate decisions that lead to better
organizational performance that matters to its various stakeholders such as investors, employees,
customers, the public in general, and governments. Key current developments and issues in the business
environment will also be examined. The course also provides opportunities to experience working in a
group of diverse members much like what the workplace is, and to exchange views with others on a
- 2 variety
of topics, and in the process, broaden one’s perspectives that is of value in successfully managing
the international business environment.
Course Format:
The course will use a combination of lectures, cases, in-class discussions, readings, assignments, inclass
exercises/activities and videos to enhance student learning, through asynchronous and
synchronous delivery. Asynchronous components include required readings accompanied by quizzes,
videos and assignments, all accessible through Brightspace. These can be done at a time that is
convenient to you; however, take note of the submission deadlines (see Requirements for Graded Work
below). Synchronous components include meeting in-person twice a week, during which will be a
combination of lectures, general class discussions, break-out group discussions and activities.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In this
class, let us create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which students from
diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated. Learning
materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner that
respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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.
Educational Technology:
I use a variety of educational technology in this course which may include 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.
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.
Course Experience Survey:
The BCom Program and its instructors value your feedback. As with all of our courses, you will be
expected to complete a confidential on-line 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.
- 3 To
complete the CES, you will need to use your UVic Netlink ID to access the survey, which can be done
on your laptop, tablet or mobile device. 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 elements and schedule:
EVALUATION ELEMENTS Weight (%) Due Dates/Times
Quizzes (7) 15 See Schedule below
Assignments (6) 25 See Schedule below
Class Participation 15
Team Project
• Team charter (deduction of 5% from team
project grade if no submission)
• Oral presentation (10%)
• Written report (20%)
30
• Team charter: 5 pm Oct. 16 (Mon.)
• Oral presentations: Nov. 23, 27,
30, Dec. 4
• Written report: 5 pm Dec. 5 (Fri.)
Individual Final Paper 15 5 pm Dec. 12 (Fri.)
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 Assessment:
The following are descriptions of evaluation standards for evaluation elements.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work
that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as ChatGPT)
to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Use
of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course for students who wish to use them.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice from
their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their academic
obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are expected to reach
out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course assessment deadline or
soon after).
Quizzes (15%)
There are seven (7) quizzes. Unless indicated, all quizzes are based on the required reading(s) and
videos. All quizzes are to be done on-line at a time convenient to you, but must be completed no later
than 1 pm the day before the relevant class. In addition, completion of each quiz has a time limit of 15
minutes.
Class Preparation Assignments (25%)
To help you better engage during class, there are six (6) assignments that need to be submitted. All
assignments are individual, independent work. Please note that collaboration on class assignments is
only permitted with my permission and then only to the extent that I stipulate.
- 4 Specific
instructions for each assignment will be posted on Brightspace as needed. Submit assignments
through Brightspace by 5 pm the day before the relevant class.
Assignments that show care, thought, insight and effort in completion will be awarded more than one
point (up to a maximum of 5 points). This means both content and presentation (such as grammar,
spelling). Keep your submissions short: no more than 3 pages (excluding any cover page, references,
graphs, diagrams, tables), single line spacing, at least 10 points font size – deductions may be made for
not adhering to these format requirements.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency, submissions after the deadline will have a
50% deduction from the awarded points; submissions after the class starts will not be accepted.
Class Participation (15%)
While attendance is a pre-requisite for participation, I understand that there may occasionally be reasons
you are unable to attend class, for example: illness, injury or family affliction. In particular, I encourage
you to stay home when you are sick, taking care of yourself and protecting others. You may also choose
to miss class for a job interview, home responsibilities, or a host of other reasons.
Although there is an accommodation for up to four (4) absences in the term, I want to emphasize that
your presence in class positively affects your intrinsic learning, as well as that of your teammates, and
contributes greatly to the overall learning environment. Therefore, your participation grade will be
impacted if you have more than four (4) absences in the term. Students missing more than four (4) may
request a make-up assignment from me for each additional absence. It is your responsibility to ask me for
a make-up assignment within 4 calendar days of the missed class.
Exceptions to these attendance policies will only be considered for major extenuating circumstances, with
permission from the Undergraduate Academic Director.
Class participation is an effective means of understanding the concepts, principles and processes
covered in the course. There are many opportunities to actively participate, such as (1) contribution
during general class and break-out group discussions; (2) oral report to the whole class of break-out
group discussions, and (4) written submission of in-class activities.
Participation includes answering questions, raising points, sharing insights that contribute to a better
understanding of the required readings or better awareness of the implications and issues involved;
asking thought-provoking questions; sharing personal experiences to illustrate concepts and principles;
sharing current news items from your reading of periodicals relevant to the topic being discussed. To
actively participate requires coming to class prepared (having read all required reading assignments for
the class, as well as exercise or case materials that need preparation, and having watched assigned
videos). Please note that you may be called upon during class to answer questions, share your thoughts
and experiences, or report on your break-out group discussions.
From time to time, there may be in-class exercises that will require submissions at the end of or during
class. Only submissions in class will be accepted as part of class participation, as they are a product of
participating during the class. Submissions in-class are normally done by e-mail; no submissions after the
class has ended will be accepted.
Team Project: Assessing Country Attractiveness (30%)
At the Gustavson School of Business, team projects and assignments are an integral component to
student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team assignments. In order
to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process to produce a team
assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared for team meetings,
having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and
address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more about student expectations while
at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may
result in being removed from the program or other academic penalty.
- 5 What
to do if there is a problem in your team:
Address the problem early in the process of working in your team. If you feel there is a problem with the
way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents and
guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to BCom Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
Please note Gustavson’s standard of professional behavior when it comes to group activities (Standards
of Professional Behavior):
• Credit work to all members of the group, especially when using the work for other purposes (e.g.,
when submitting a group report to a potential employer as a sample of your writing ability, you
should cite the names of the other students who worked on the paper).
• It is unprofessional to let one or two members of the group do most of the work when the final
grade or reward will be shared by the entire group as it circumvents the learning process. The
group should attempt to resolve any misallocation of workload early in the process, and if
difficulties persist, should seek advice from the professor or instructor as soon as possible.
• Collaboration on class assignments is only permitted with the instructor's permission and then
only to the extent stipulated by the instructor. Be sure you understand the acceptable level of
collaboration in each of your courses.
• We should each be a responsible and professional part of the group. This means delivering on
work commitments, being prepared and on-time for meetings, and carrying an equitable workload
share.
• We all deserve respect, consideration and common courtesy as members of the Gustavson
School of Business. Deal with anger, tension and personality conflicts in constructive ways.
Rude, insulting or disrespectful language or actions is neither professional nor appropriate.
• If group members reveal anything about themselves in confidence to other group members, and
do not wish this information to be divulged outside the group, this should be respected. This
would also apply to any confidential information about a third party or organization (e.g., a
previous employer) that a member may divulge for group work purposes only.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency, submission of the team’s written report after
the deadline will be given a 5% deduction from the assigned percentage grade; submissions 24 hours
after the deadline will no longer be accepted, and your team will receive a grade of 0 for the written
report. Appropriate documentation of the medical or family emergency must be submitted.
More detailed information about the IB 301 team project is posted as a separate document on
Brightspace in the Course Outline & Instructor section. The focus of the team project is assessing the
attractiveness of the general business environment of a country that your team has chosen. Country
selection is on a first-come, first-served basis; a sign-up sheet will be posted on my office door starting at
5 pm on Oct. 16 (Mon.).
The team project is an opportunity to apply class concepts and to learn more about a country. As
important, the team project is an opportunity to experience working in a group of diverse members much
like what the workplace is, but also to develop skills in doing research (such as finding relevant and valid
information or data; analyzing/interpreting the information or data according to the purpose or objective of
the project), writing a succinct report, and doing an oral presentation.
You will be assigned to groups of 4-5 members, ensuring as much diversity as possible among group
members. Groupings will be announced during the Oct. 12 class, so please be present at this class as
groups will begin working then. Being present when the group first meets is an important ingredient to
better group results. 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. However, adjustments may be made for relative contribution through peer evaluation.
Each team member must rate the participation of their teammates. Rate each teammate on the following
statement: “This team member did their fair share of work in a timely and high quality manner.” Use the
- 6 following
rating scale: 1= Strongly Disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Neither Disagree nor Agree; 4 = Agree; 5
= Strongly Agree. Please submit through Brightspace by 5 pm on Dec. 5 (Friday) your assigned rating
for each team member. Submission of this peer evaluation will be counted towards your participation
mark.
There are three components to the team project: team charter, oral presentation and written report. Only
the written report and oral presentation are graded. However, if your team does not submit your team
charter by 5 pm on Oct. 16 (Monday), 5% will be deducted from the team project grade. Oral
presentations will be recorded; the recordings will be seen only by me (or any designated marker for the
course) for the purpose of helping to grade the oral presentation.
Oral presentations are scheduled over 4 classes: Nov. 23, 27, 30 and Dec. 4. Which date your team
makes the oral presentation will be determined by me, on the basis primarily of ensuring a wider range of
regions covered for each day. The oral presentation is worth 10%. Not all team members need to
participate in the oral presentation; who and how many are to be decided by your team. However,
participation in the oral presentation will be considered in your participation mark. The length of the oral
presentation will be announced later, as it will depend on the actual number of teams; usually oral
presentations are between 10-15 minutes with about 5 minutes for Q&A and transitions between groups. I
will cut you off if you exceed the time allocated in order to give the same amount of time for all groups.
The team’s written report is worth 20% and is due by 5 pm on Dec. 5 (Friday) after the oral
presentations. This allows your team to make adjustments to the written report if you wish.
Individual Final Paper (15%)
The individual final paper is based on the country report your team submitted, and is due by 5 pm on
Dec. 12 (Friday). This paper involves determining whether the country your team worked on is suitable
for a specific firm to enter; you will be a given a list of firms to choose from. The details of the 5-10 page
Individual Final Paper requirement will be released 5 pm on Dec. 5 (Friday) via Brightspace.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency, submissions after the deadline will be given
a 5% deduction from the assigned percentage grade; submissions 24 hours after the deadline will no
longer be accepted, and your grade for the final paper will 0. Appropriate documentation of the medical or
family emergency must be submitted.
Attendance
Regular attendance is an expectation for Gustavson classes. Being present in class will ensure exposure
to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and professional success. Your
positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment.
Being present in class exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps
clarify material, leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key
component of your Gustavson experience. Being an effective team member requires you to be present
and engaged in the classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic
success.
Let me know as soon as you can if you will be absent or have been absent due to illness, injury or family
affliction; documentation may be required (within 24 hours after return to classes). These absences will
be considered excused and will not count against your participation grade. For other reasons, it is also
highly appreciated to inform me beforehand, if you will not be attending a class, will be late for class or
will have to leave early.
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:
- 7 -
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 BCom Program Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with the
following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
Academic Integrity:
As our programs help to create business and government leaders, the 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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 8 •
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.
Schedule: Please note that schedules are subject to change – any changes will be announced
in class and through Brightspace.
DATE TOPIC
REQUIRED
All chapters refer to the textbook
Sept. 7
Thurs
Introduction
Read
• Course Outline
• Team Project Description
Sept. 11
Mon
Understanding Globalization
Read Chapter 1: The Business Enterprise in Focus
Watch video:
• Key Findings from the DHL Global Connectedness
Index 2022 Report (NYU Stern, 19 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0-mK9N4_vw
Prepare for discussion: See Brightspace for discussion
questions.
Sept. 14
Thurs
The Pandemic and the Global
Business Environment
Read Chapter 12: Worldwide Pandemic: All in it
together?
Watch videos:
• How humans are making pandemics more likely
(Vox, 2020, 7 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp5CEcIyk94
Prepare for discussion: See Brightspace for discussion
questions.
Sept. 19
Sun
• Submit Quiz 1 by 1 pm.
• Submit Assignment 1 by 5 pm.
Sept. 18
Mon
Global Business Environment
Read Chapter 2: Globalization: Time for reassessment
Assignment 1: Farmacias Similares case (posted on
Brightspace)
Sept. 22
Wed
• Submit Quiz 2 by 1 pm.
• Submit Assignment 2 by 5 pm.
- 9 DATE
TOPIC
REQUIRED
All chapters refer to the textbook
Sept. 21
Thurs
Corporate Social Responsibility
Read Chapter 11: Ethics and Social Responsibility:
What is the outlook for stakeholders?
Watch videos:
• Grameen Danone Food Project (2012, 12 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDkTDcI53hg
• Grameen Danone – The business of social
innovation (2014, 20 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDh2otLO1-k
Assignment 2: Grameen Danone case (posted on
Brightspace)
Sept. 24
Sun
• Submit Quiz 3 by 1 pm.
• Submit Assignment 3 by 5 pm.
Sept. 25
Mon
Sept. 28
Thurs
Sociocultural Environment
Read Chapter 3: Culture and Societies: Identities matter
Watch video:
The surprising workforce crisis of 2030 – and how to
start solving it now (TED Talks, 2014, 13 min.)
https://www.ted.com/talks/rainer_strack_the_workforce_
crisis_of_2030_and_how_to_start_solving_it_now?langu
age=en
Assignment 3: PIGAMU case (posted on Brightspace)
Sept. 29
Fri
• Submit your self-introduction on Brightspace by 5 pm.
Oct. 2
Mon
NO CLASS: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Oct. 5
Thurs
Assessing Country Attractiveness
Read The Process of Assessing Country Attractiveness
(excerpt from Chapter 6, The International Business
Environment by Hamilton & Webster, 2018) (posted on
Brightspace)
Watch videos:
• Why Finland and Denmark are happier than the U.S.
(CNBC, 2020, 25 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pm0Mn0-jYU
• What the Social Progress Index can reveal about
your country (2014, 15 min.)
https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_green_what_the_
social_progress_index_can_reveal_about_your_cou
ntry?language=en
Oct. 9
Mon
NO CLASS: Thanksgiving Day
Oct. 12
Thurs
Group Effectiveness
Read Forming The Team (Chapter 6, Creating Teams
with An Edge, Harvard Business Essentials, 2004)
http://ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/login?url=http://search.ebsc
ohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e076mww&AN=6
74829&site=ehostlive&scope=site&ebv=EK&ppid=Page-
-23
You will meet your assigned team for the team project
group during class – Please make sure to attend!
Oct 15
Sun
• Submit Quiz 4 by 1 pm.
• Submit Assignment 4 by 5 pm.
- 10 DATE
TOPIC
REQUIRED
All chapters refer to the textbook
Oct. 16
Mon
• Submit team charter by 5 pm.
• Post your team’s selected country, first come-first served; sign-up sheet on my
office door will be available starting 5 pm.
Oct. 16
Mon
Oct. 19
Thurs
Political Environment
Read Chapter 5: The Political Environment: Democracy
under threat
Watch videos:
• How bad is the crisis in democracy? (The
Economist, 2020, 28 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWt7naYTiik
• War in Ukraine: how has the world changed? (The
Economist, 2022, 8 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXcXVt3zaVwhtt
ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXcXVt3zaVw
Assignment 4: Society’s Voice Against Unilever
Mercury Contamination in Kodaikanal (case in
coursepack)
Oct. 22
Sun • Submit Quiz 5 by 1 pm.
Oct. 23
Mon
Oct. 26
Thurs
Legal Environment
Read Chapter 6: The Legal Environment: International
law gains strength
Prepare for discussion:
See Brightspace for the discussion questions.
Oct. 29
Sun
• Submit Quiz 6 by 1 pm.
• Submit Assignment 5 by 5 pm.
Oct.30
Mon
Nov. 2
Thurs
Technological Environment
Read Chapter 9: Technology and Innovation: Creating
sustainable solutions?
Watch videos:
• What will future jobs look like? (TED Talks, 2013, 15
min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQrbxD9_Ng
• Robots will steal your job, but that’s ok (TEDx Talks,
2012, 18 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYIfeZcXA9U
• The future of work: is your job safe (The Economist,
2019, 19 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUc5oN_ffRo
Highly recommended video:
The rise of AI (Bloomberg, 2018, 52 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk7h22mRYHQ
Assignment 5: See Brightspace for discussion
questions.
Nov. 5
Sun
• Submit Quiz 7 by 1 pm.
• Submit Assignment 6 by 5 pm.
Nov. 6
Mon
Nov. 9
Thurs
Ecological Environment
Read
• Chapter 10: Ecology and Climate Change: The clock
is ticking
• Chapter 13: Sustainability in the Balance: The
prospects
- 11 -
:
DATE TOPIC
REQUIRED
All chapters refer to the textbook
Watch videos, in this order
• Let the environment guide our development (TED
Talks, 2010, 19 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgqtrlixYR4
• Doughnut economics (RSA, 2013, 18 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqJL-cM8gb4
• The economics of kindness (Creatively United for
the Planet, 2020, the first 34 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqRif4e6ORs
Assignment 6: How did we get here and what is the
way forward? See Brightspace for questions to answer.
Nov.
13-15
READING BREAK (Monday – Wednesday)
Nov. 16
Thurs
Sustainable Development
Prepare for discussion: Revisit the Grameen Danone
case. See Brightspace for discussion questions
Nov. 20
Mon
NO CLASS: Free day to prepare for group presentations
Nov. 23,
27, 30,
Dec. 4
• Group oral presentations: date/order to be assigned
• Course Experience Survey (CES)
Dec. 5
Fri
Submit by 5 pm:
• written report for the team project
• your peer evaluation
Release of the detailed requirements for the Individual Final Paper at 5 pm.
Dec. 12
Fri • Submit Individual Final Paper by 5 pm.
Note: please check your course and program sites frequently for updates and course changes.
IB 415 A01
Cross-National Management
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours: Wednesdays, 8:30-11:20 am
Location: MAC D103
Instructor: M. Carmen Galang
Office: BEC 218
Office hours: By appointment (email to set up meeting)
Email: cgalang@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
My full name is Maria Carmen Galang, but I go by Carmen as my first (given) name. I have been at
UVic for 29 years now, and this is my first academic job since I obtained my PhD from the
University of Illinois. My country of birth is the Philippines, and I am a dual Canadian-US citizen. I
am married to an Irish, whose father came from Germany. We enjoy sharing stories from our
cultural backgrounds and learning more about cultures: how it affects how we see the world and
why we feel and behave the way we do.
Texts and Resources:
Intercultural Management: Concepts, Practices, Critical Reflection by Dirk Holtbrügge, SAGE
Publications Ltd., 2022.
A Coursepack is also available for purchase at the UVic Bookstore. Other materials (readings,
additional cases, exercise instructions, powerpoints) will be posted on Brightspace as needed, or
are available on-line through UVic libraries http://www.uvic.ca/library/.
Course Objectives and Description:
The decades after World War II have witnessed an enormous increase in the movement of goods,
services, ideas, information, and expertise across national boundaries, and a tremendous growth of
transnational organizations, including multinational corporations (MNCs) and other forms of
international alliances. The world has begun to resemble a global village. At the same time,
dramatic demographic changes in the workforce are occurring in Canada and many other countries,
both developed and developing. Tomorrow's managers, in domestic or overseas assignments, will
increasingly work with people from different countries, cultures, and ethnic groups.
This course is intended to build on your journey in international business with theoretical
perspectives, particularly focused on strengthening your knowledge and skills in managing and
- 1 -
- 2 interacting
with people from different cultural backgrounds and countries of origin, and thus
enabling you to operate effectively in our globalized environment.
Course Format:
There will be a combination of different learning activities: readings, short lectures, class exercises,
case discussions, assignments, and group work, through asynchronous and synchronous delivery.
Asynchronous components include required readings accompanied by videos and assignments.
These can be done at a time that is convenient to you; however, take note of the submission
deadlines. Synchronous components include in-person classes once a week, during which will be a
combination of lectures, general class discussions and sharing, break-out group discussions and
activities.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, let us create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which students
from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person discussions will take place in a manner that
respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can
do better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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 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.
Educational Technology:
I use a variety of educational technology in this course. 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.
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.
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.
- 3 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.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following elements and schedule:
ELEMENTS
Weight
(%) Due Dates
Assignments (6) 20% Varies (see Course Schedule below)
Class participation 10% In class
Team project
• Team charter (5%)
• Culture assimilators (15%)
20%
• Team charter: 5 pm Oct 8 (Mon.)
• Culture assimilators: 5 pm Nov. 24 (Fri.)
Midterm exam 20% Oct. 11 (Wed.)
Final exam 30% TBA (during exam period: Dec. 7-10)
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 Assessment:
Evaluation standards for each evaluation element are described below.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged
and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such
as ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of
academic dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is not permitted in this course for
students who wish to use them.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: Students have the responsibility to proactively seek advice
from their instructor when facing unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness) which interfere with their
academic obligations. In cases of missing an exam or course assessment deadline etc., you are
expected to reach out to your instructor in a timely manner (preferably before the exam or course
assessment deadline or soon after).
Class Preparation Assignments (20%): These are written submissions in preparation for class.
There are six (6) assignments. All assignments are individual, independent work. Please note that
collaboration on class assignments is only permitted with my permission and then only to the extent
that I stipulate.
Specific instructions for each assignment will be posted on Brightspace as needed. Submissions
are to be done by 12 noon the day before the relevant class through Brightspace.
Assignments that show care, thought, insight and effort in completion will be awarded more than
one point (up to a maximum of 5 points). Keep your submissions short (no more than 3 pages,
single line spacing, at least 10 points font size), no cover page.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency, submissions of assignments after the
deadline will have a 50% deduction from the awarded points; submissions after the class starts will
not be accepted.
- 4 Class
Participation (10%): While attendance is a pre-requisite for participation, I understand that
there may occasionally be reasons you are unable to attend class, for example: illness, injury or
family affliction. In particular, I encourage you to stay home when you are sick, taking care of
yourself and protecting others. You may also choose to miss class for a job interview, home
responsibilities, or a host of other reasons.
Although there is an accommodation for up to two (2) absences in the term, I want to emphasize
that your presence in class positively affects your intrinsic learning, as well as that of your
teammates, and contributes greatly to the overall learning environment. Therefore, your
participation grade will be impacted if you have more than two (2) absences in the term. Students
missing more than two (2) may request a make-up assignment from me for each additional
absence. It is your responsibility to ask me for a make-up assignment within 4 calendar days of the
missed class.
Exceptions to these attendance policies will only be considered for major extenuating
circumstances, with permission from the Undergraduate Academic Director.
Class participation is an effective means of understanding the concepts, principles and processes
covered in the course. There are two components: (1) contribution during general class discussion,
and (2) submission of in-class exercises.
1. Contribution during general class discussion includes answering questions, raising points,
sharing insights that contribute to a better understanding of the required readings or better
awareness of the implications and issues involved; asking thought-provoking questions;
sharing personal experiences to illustrate concepts and principles; sharing current news
items from your reading of business periodicals relevant to the topic being discussed;
volunteering for class activities. Needless to say, to actively participate requires coming to
class prepared (having read all required reading assignments for the class, as well as
exercise or case materials that need preparation). Please note that you may be called upon
during class to answer questions or share your thoughts and experiences.
2. From time to time, there will be in-class exercises that will require submissions at the end of
class. Only written submission in class will be accepted as part of class participation, as
they are a product of participating during the class. Submissions in-class can be done by email;
no submissions will be accepted after class has ended.
Team Project (20%): At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an
integral component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all
team assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team
process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being
prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put
diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with
civility. To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson
Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the
program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
Late Work: In the absence of a medical or family emergency, submissions of the team project
requirements after the deadline will be given a 5% deduction from the assigned percentage grade;
submissions 24 hours after the deadline will no longer be accepted, and your team will receive a
- 5 grade
of 0 for the written report. Appropriate documentation of the medical or family emergency
must be submitted.
You will be assigned to groups of 4-5, ensuring as much diversity as possible among the members.
Groupings will be announced during the Oct. 4 class. The team project requirement is described in
a separate document. The team charter is to be submitted by 5 pm on Oct. 8 (Monday) via
Brightspace. The culture assimilators (written team project) is to be submitted by 5 pm on Nov. 24
(Friday) via Brightspace.
You will have the opportunity to work on the culture assimilators created by the teams during the
Nov. 29 class. I will select the culture assimilators ensuring a good range of different situations that
will illustrate the cultural concepts covered in the course. Each team should assign the team
member to explain and address questions about the assimilator and about the countries involved
that may arise at that time.
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. However, adjustments may be made for relative contribution through peer evaluation.
Each team member must rate the participation of their teammates. Rate each teammate on the
following statement: “This team member did their fair share of work in a timely and high quality
manner.” Use the following rating scale: 1= Strongly Disagree; 2 = Disagree; 3 = Neither Disagree
nor Agree; 4 = Agree; 5 = Strongly Agree. Please submit through Brightspace by 5 pm Dec. 1
(Friday) your assigned rating for each of your team members. The ratings you assign will not be
disclosed to your team members, but team members may ask for their average rating.
Please note Gustavson’s standard of professional behavior when it comes to group activities:
Standards of Professional Behavior.
• Credit work to all members of the group, especially when using the work for other purposes
(e.g. when submitting a group report to a potential employer as a sample of your writing
ability, you should cite the names of the other students who worked on the paper).
• It is unprofessional to let one or two members of the group do most of the work when the
final grade or reward will be shared by the entire group as it circumvents the learning
process. The group should attempt to resolve any misallocation of workload early in the
process, and if difficulties persist, should seek advice from the professor or instructor as
soon as possible.
• Collaboration on class assignments is only permitted with the instructor's permission and
then only to the extent stipulated by the instructor. Be sure you understand the acceptable
level of collaboration in each of your courses.
• We should each be a responsible and professional part of the group. This means delivering
on work commitments, being prepared and on-time for meetings, and carrying an equitable
workload share.
• We all deserve respect, consideration and common courtesy as members of the Gustavson
School of Business. Deal with anger, tension and personality conflicts in constructive ways.
Rude, insulting or disrespectful language or actions is neither professional nor appropriate.
• If group members reveal anything about themselves in confidence to other group members,
and do not wish this information to be divulged outside the group, this should be respected.
This would also apply to any confidential information about a third party or organization
(e.g. a previous employer) that a member may divulge for group work purposes only.
Examinations (50%): There will be two exams, both closed-book and in-class. The midterm exam
worth 20% is administered during regular class time (Oct.11, Wed.). The final exam is cumulative,
worth 30% and is 2 hours long. Exams will utilize different formats, such as multiple choice, fill-inthe-blanks,
true-or-false, and short essay questions.
Attendance: Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being
present in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future
personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’
learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not
in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better
performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key component of your learning
- 6 experience.
Being an effective team member requires you to be present and engaged in the
classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
Students with unexcused absences for more than two (2) classes may be penalized with a course
grade reduction of 5%. Excused absences are those that are due to illness, accident or family
affliction; documentation may be required.
It is also highly appreciated to inform me beforehand, if for any reason, you will not be attending a
class, will be late for class or will have to leave early.
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 BCom Program Director
and may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line
with the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 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:
Please note that this is subject to change – any changes will be announced in class and
through Brightspace.
DATE TOPIC
REQUIRED READINGS/CASES/ASSIGNMENTS
(Chapters refer to the Holtbrügge textbook)
Sept. 6 Introduction
READ:
• Chapter 1 – Relevance of Intercultural Management
• Course Outline
• Team Project Description
Sept. 13 Intercultural Competence
READ:
• Chapter 8 – Intercultural Competence
• Global Competencies: An Introduction by Bird &
Osland, in The Blackwell Handbook of Global
Management by Lane, Maznevski, Mendenhall &
McNett, 2004, Ch. 3, pp. 57-80 (Brightspace)
PREPARE FOR DISCUSSION: Questions posted on
Brightspace.
• CASE (on-line): From Regional Star to Global
Leader by Nitin Nohria, Harvard Business Review,
January 2009, 87:1, pp. 33-36 only
Sept. 20
Culture – Definitions,
Manifestations, Delineations &
Functions
READ:
• Chapter 2 – Definitions, Manifestations,
Delineations & Functions of Culture
- 8 DATE
TOPIC
REQUIRED READINGS/CASES/ASSIGNMENTS
(Chapters refer to the Holtbrügge textbook)
• Beyond Sophisticated Stereotyping: Cultural
Sensemaking in Context by Osland & Bird,
Academy of Management Executive, 2000, 14:1,
pp. 65-77 (on-line)
Sept. 27 Cultural Frameworks
READ:
• Chapter 4 – Concepts of Culture
• Chapter 5 – Cultural Differences and Cultural
Similarities
PREPARE FOR DISCUSSION:
• CASE (Brightspace): Why is it difficult to make
friends in Denmark
Oct. 4
Multicultural Teams
Note: Assigned teams will start
working on the team project
READ:
• Chapter 9 – Intercultural Training
• Multicultural Work Groups and Teams (Chapter 8,
Cross-Cultural Management by D.C. Thomas & K.
Inkson, 2022) (Brightspace)
• Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global
Management by Distefano & Maznevski,
Organizational Dynamics, 2000, 29:1, pp. 45-63
(on-line)
• Dry-run Exercise on Culture Assimilators
(Brightspace)
Oct 8
(Mon) Submit team charter by 5 pm.
Oct 11
(Wed) MIDTERM EXAM (8:30-10:00 am)
Oct 17
(Tues) Submit Assignment 1 by noon.
Oct. 18
Intercultural Communications
and Negotiation
READ:
• Chapter 6 – Intercultural Communications and
Negotiation
Assignment 1 (Brightspace): Cross-cultural
Negotiation: Americans negotiating a contract in
China (Coursepack)
Oct 24
(Tues)
Submit Assignments 2 & 3 by noon.
Oct. 25
Intercultural Management of
Individuals and Organizations
READ:
• Chapter 7 – Intercultural Management of
Individuals, Teams, and Organizations
Assignment 2 (Brightspace): International M&A – A
German-Bulgarian-Romanian Case Study
Assignment 3 (Brightspace): Alfa i Omega
Oct 31
(Tues)
Submit Assignment 4 by noon.
Nov. 1
The Challenge of International
Assignments (Part 1)
Assignment 4 CASE (Brightspace): Bosch in
Kazakhstan
PREPARE FOR DISCUSSION:
• CASE (Brightspace): Yutaka Nakamura – A
Foreigner in His Native Land
Nov. 8
(Tues) Submit Assignment 5 by noon.
Nov. 8
The Challenge of International
Assignments (Part 2)
Assignment 5 (Brightspace): Recruitment,
selection and compensation for Bosch-Kazakhstan
- 9 DATE
TOPIC
REQUIRED READINGS/CASES/ASSIGNMENTS
(Chapters refer to the Holtbrügge textbook)
Nov. 13-15 (READING BREAK: Mon to Wed)
Nov. 21
(Tues) Submit Assignment 6 by noon
Nov. 22 Ethics and Social Responsibility
READ:
• When Ethics Collide: Managing Conflicts Across
Cultures by Buller, Kohls & Anderson,
Organizational Dynamics, 2000, 28:4, pp. 52-66
(on-line)
WATCH: “Business Meets The Doughnut”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_WPzDVpKvw
Assignment 6 CASE (Coursepack): Gap Inc’s
Ethical Procurement Practices
Nov. 24
(Fri) Submit team project (culture assimilators) by 5 pm.
Nov. 29
Team Presentation of Culture Assimilators
WRAP-UP/REVIEW: Bring your questions for the review.
Course Experience Survey
Dec. 1
(Fri) Submit evaluation of teammates by 5 pm.
FINAL EXAM (Date, time, place to be announced – Do not finalize travel plans until the date has
been finalized and confirmed.)
IB 416 A01
International Marketing
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) 8:30AM – 11:20AM every Monday
Location MAC D110
Instructor: Dr. Huachao Gao
Office: BEC 204
Office hours: In-person or through zoom; by appointment only (making an appointment
through email, Linkedin Message, or Microsoft Teams)
https://uvic.zoom.us/j/6138153264?pwd=QmFXR3RtQm9WVmxCd0NyOE9SZmduUT09
Telephone: (250) 472 5503
Email: hcgao@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
Hello, I am your instructor Huachao Gao. Please feel free to call me H.C. or Prof. Gao. I have a
Ph.D. degree in Marketing. My research focuses on international marketing and cross-cultural
consumer behavior. I am teaching Marketing Principles and Management (Com 351), International
Marketing (IB 416), and Digital Marketing (COM 450) at the undergraduate level at UVIC. I would
like to welcome you to the IB Specialization Module, specifically the International Marketing class.
This summer, we will go through the process of international marketing together. I hope we will
have a fun, safe, and fruitful summer term together with all of you.
Texts and Resources:
Required Coursepack: IB 416 International Marketing – 2023 Summer (IMPORTANT)
• Available through: https://www.iveypublishing.ca/s/ivey-
coursepack/a1R5c00000FvbjSEAR
Recommended (NOT required) Textbooks:
• Global Marketing Strategy, by Bodo B. Schlegelmilch (this ebook is available for FREE at
UVic library: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-26279-6)
• Global Marketing 10th edition, by Mark C. Green and Warren J. Keegan (this ebook is
available at https://www.vitalsource.com/en-ca/products/global-marketing-mark-c-green-
warren-j-v9780134899763)
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 Course
Objectives and Description:
This class is designed to teach you not only the basic concepts involved in international marketing,
but also how to apply the knowledge in practice and your career. Specifically, the course objectives
are to help students:
• Understand the basic global marketing process;
• Appreciate the differences and similarities of consumers from different parts of the world;
• Develop a clear picture on how global and local forces jointly shape marketing activities;
• Apply basic marketing mix into global context;
• Enhance analytical skills for case studying and learning;
• Have fun together.
Course Format:
This class is designed to teach you not only the basic concepts involved in international marketing,
but also how to apply the knowledge in your life or career. Lectures, case studies, in-class group
discussions and exercises, out-class student self-readings, and out-class group projects are
designed to lead you to a better understanding of the applicability of the discipline.
To prepare for the class, please check the course outline and the Brightspace page of the course
regularly. Reading the assigned material, completing the assigned case summary, and preparing
some questions to ask are some excellent ways to improve your leaning outcome.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
Evaluation Elements:
Students will be evaluated according to the following schedule:
Title Individual
or Group
Type Due Date Weight
/ %of
grade
Description
Participation Individual Attendance &
Contribution
Continuous 15%
Case Analysis Team See Schedule 15%
Group Project Team Presentation +
Report
07/19/2023 -
7/29/2023
30%
Final Exam Individual Exam TBD 40%
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.
- 3 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.
Participation (15%): Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program.
Being present in class will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for
your future personal and professional success. Your positive participation will contribute to
your classmates’ learning and enhance our learning environment. Being present in class
exposes you to material not in the readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify
material, leading to better performance in the course. In addition, working in teams is a key
component of your Gustavson experience. Being an effective team member requires you to
be present and engaged in the classroom environment. Attendance is a critical component
of everyone’s academic success.
In this class, we will only consider participation grade, which could not be earned without
attendance. Specifically, this part of your grade is determined by the following:
• In-class discussion and contribution: attending the synchronous class sessions; actively
participating in our class sessions by asking and answering questions as well as
discussing with fellow students.
• Online discussion forum: by completing some online tasks posted on Brightspace, you
can earn extra contribution points.
Students with unexcused absences* from more than 3 class sessions will receive a grade
of zero in class participation. Students with unexcused absences* from more than 5 class
sessions will not be permitted to write a final examination (*unexcused absences =
absences without appropriate documentation as per the University Calendar)
Case Analysis (15%): Throughout the semester, we will analyze four different cases from the
Coursepack. We will use the four cases to demonstrate how to use the knowledge in making
real-life marketing decisions. Your grade on the case analysis includes two component:
• Team case presentation (5 points): each team will choose one case to present in the
corresponding case discussion class. The team will have 15 minutes to present the
recommendations from the case analysis to the rest of the class.
• Team case summary report (10 points): your team is responsible for submitting a 2page
report for each case analysis.
IB-ModuleGroup Project – International Marketing Part (30%):
• Marketing Project Presentation (10 points): Each team will have 30-minutes to present
their key analyses and recommendations to the rest of the class. You will be graded on
both the presentation style and content;
• Marketing Project Report (20 points): Each team will have to submit a 12-page
maximum report through Brightspace before July-29.
• Tips for the group project:
o Start working on the project early and get it finished gradually throughout the
semester
o Read the guidelines and grading rubric carefully (posted on Brightspace)
o I am happy to offer my help in as many ways as possible. Please do not
hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. For all groups, I will help you
- 4 collect
and analyze International Marketing Research data. I can also read your
report and give you advices before your it is finished, so that you can be sure
you are on the right route.
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an
integral component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably
to all team assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in
their team process to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to
a team by being prepared for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on
curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a
timely manner and with civility. To read more about student expectations while at Gustavson,
please see the Gustavson Professional Standards. Failure to meet these expectations may
result in being removed from the program or other academic penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility
to follow this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team
documents and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
Final Exam (40%): The final exam (TBD) will be a case analysis at the individual level. Students
will receive the questions one-day before the exam and receive the case during the exam.
Per the requirement of Gustavson, the final exam will be a 3-hour in person one. The date
will be scheduled by the university.
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. In the absence of a medical or family
emergency, late submissions of the final exam will not be accepted.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty. Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is permitted in this course for students who wish to
use them. But the usage should be restricted in the following areas: gathering information for the final
group project, seek additional insights which will be ultimately modified by the students, check for
language issues for all assignments. Using AI to assist Final Exam or write any assignments are
prohibited. To be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite any AI-generated material
that informed their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate indicators of quoted material
when appropriate. Students should indicate how AI tools informed their process and the final product,
including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which may be invented by the AI.
- 5 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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and may be subject to change up until that point.
In Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 6 •
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:
Title Type Due Date Description
Global Marketing: Lecture; 09/11/2023 Syllabus; Brightspace posted materials
Class Introduction Discussion 8:30 AM Global Marketing Process Model;
and Overview Most basic decision in global marketing
Market Selection Lecture; 09/18/2023 PESTCLE Analysis; CAGE Analysis and GE Matrix;
Discussion 8:30 AM Entry Modes
Market Selection Case 09/25/2023 Case #1: The Espresso Lane to Global Markets
Case Discussion 8:30 AM
10/02/2023
8:30 AM
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
10/09/2023
8:30 AM
Thanksgiving Day
Global STP Lecture;
Discussion
10/16/2023
8:30 AM
Cross-Cultural Consumer Behavior
International Marketing Research
Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning in
International Market
STP Case Case 10/23/2023 Case #2: Sony Targets Laptop Consumers in
Discussion 8:30 AM China_Segment Global or Local
Global Product, Price,
and Place Strategy
Lecture;
Discussion
10/30/2023
8:30 AM
Global Product & Branding Strategies
Setting Prices on the Global Market
Global Distribution & Retailing Decisions
Product, Pricing, and Case 11/06/2023 Case #3: Pacific Western Brewing Company – Going
place Case Discussion 8:30 AM Organic
11/13/2023
8:30 AM
Remembrance Day
- 7 -
Global
Communication
Strategy
Lecture;
Discussion
11/20/2023
8:30 AM
Global Communication Strategy
Marketing Budget Allocation
Communication Case Case
Discussion
11/27/2023
8:30 AM
Case #5: Five Guys_Developing a Promotional
Strategy for the Future
Group Project
Presentation & Wrap
up
Group
Presentation
12/04/2023
8:30 AM
Final Exam Exam TBD Final Exam – Case Analysis
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.
IB 417 A01
International Finance
Fall 2023 Course Outline
Course hours (PST) Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30am-9.50am
Location DSB C112
Instructor: Dr Stuart Snaith
Office: BEC 238
Office hours: Thursday 10am-11am or by appointment
Email: ssnaith@uvic.ca
We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the
university stands and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical
relationships with the land continue to this day.
UVic is committed to promoting, providing and protecting
a supportive and safe learning and working environment for all its members.
Introduction:
I have been at the University of Victoria since 2015, and prior to that taught in the UK, where I am
originally from. Over the years I taught a lot of international finance courses and I am looking
forward to teaching you this term.
For those of you who I have taught in the 3rd year, you will know I try to foster a relaxed learning
environment, and my hope is that you will all feel comfortable to visit me in office hours if you have
a query on the content. The last thing I want is for students to struggle in silence. I am here to help.
Texts and Resources:
Cheol Eun, Bruce Resnick and Tuugi Chuluun, International Financial Management, 10th edition
ISBN10: 1264413092 | ISBN13: 9781264413096 (McGraw Hill)
e-text only: https://www.mheducation.ca/international-financial-management-ise-9781266224058-
can-group
Note – you do not need access to McGraw Hill’s “Connect” service.
Course Objectives and Description:
This course provides an introduction to international finance. It has four major objectives:
1. Provide an introduction to international financial markets.
2. Demonstrate how basic hedging tools can mitigate risk and show how their application can
benefit firms engaging in international business activities.
- 1 Note:
please check your course and program sites frequently for new updates and course changes.
- 2 -
3. Introduce approaches multinational corporations can adopt to mitigate operational risk.
4. Introduce the broad range of financing options available internationally to multinational
corporations.
Topics covered in this course include but are not limited to: spot and forward exchange
transactions; arbitrage in foreign exchange markets; international theoretical relationship between
exchange rates, prices and interest rates; international financial derivatives; economic exposure,
transaction exposure; raising of funds internationally.
As a 4th year finance course, concepts covered in previous finance courses will be incorporated.
Students are expected to have a good working knowledge of these concepts, and good quantitative
and analytical skills.
Course Format:
This course will be taught face-to-face. Most classes are in lecture format and will be accompanied
by a slide deck which will be available for you on our course delivery site, Brightspace. Some
classes include time for the instructor and/or students to solve financial problems.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic. At Gustavson, we know that diversity
underpins excellence and is the foundation on which we build our work and interact with others. In
this class, I intend to create a learning environment of mutual respect; an environment in which
students from diverse backgrounds can thrive and in which different perspectives will be appreciated.
Learning materials, in-class activities and in-person and online discussions will take place in a manner
that respects diversity in terms of gender and sexual orientation, abilities, age, socioeconomic status,
ethnicity, race, and culture. We each have a shared responsibility, to each other and ourselves,
to create and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive community. Please let me know if I can do
better to support your rights in our classroom. I will also do my best to listen and respond
compassionately if you want to share with me how I can be a better ally.
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 stores or accesses your personal information outside
Canada, is required for this course: 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 and are available at https://www.youtube.com/yt/about/policies/#community-guidelines. 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
- 3 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
(begin with Course
Code)
Individual
or Group
Type
(Exam, Hand-
in
Assignment,
Presentation,
Quiz, Other)
Due Date
(m/d/yyyy
hh:mm
AM/PM) PST
Weight
/ % of
grade
Description
IB417: Participation Individual Other 10%
IB417: Quizzes Individual Quiz See schedule 30%
IB417: Research
Presentation
Group Presentation See schedule 20%
IB417: Final Exam Individual Exam TBC 40%
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.
Note the following regarding evaluation for this course:
Quizzes
Quizzes are in person during class time using Brightspace.
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 a calculator or Excel to get the
correct answer. If you make a mistake in your calculations 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.
Research Presentation
Details of this group presentation will be provided by your instructor.
Final Exam
The final exam covers all material covered in the course. This will be an open book exam.
The final exam will be in person using Brightspace. In addition to the Brightspace quiz question
types (e.g. multiple choice, match the answer) that can be graded automatically you may also have
to answer questions that require a written response.
- 4 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:
Group Work: At the Gustavson School of Business team projects and assignments are an integral
component to student learning. It is an expectation that students contribute equitably to all team
assignments. In order to receive individual grades, individuals must participate in their team process
to produce a team assignment. Individuals are expected to contribute to a team by being prepared
for team meetings, having respectful discussions based on curiosity and inquiry, put diligent effort
into team deliverables, and address team conflict in a timely manner and with civility. To read more
about student expectations while at Gustavson, please see the Gustavson Professional Standards.
Failure to meet these expectations may result in being removed from the program or other academic
penalty.”
What to do if there is a problem in your group:
If you feel there is a problem with the way your group is functioning, it is your responsibility to follow
this step-by-step process:
1. Discuss with your whole group first, and refer to your program-specific team documents
and guides as a basis for conversation and feedback.
2. If still unresolved, then discuss with your instructor/supervisor.
3. If still unresolved, then escalate to Program Director for initial meeting and further
investigation as needed.
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.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and
work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as
ChatGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic
dishonesty.
Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT is permitted for research purposes for the group presentation for
students who wish to use them. To be consistent with our scholarly values, students must cite any
AI-generated material that informed their work and use quotation marks or other appropriate
indicators of quoted material when appropriate. Students should indicate how AI tools informed their
process and the final product, including how you validated any AI-generated citations, which may be
invented by the AI.
Use of AI tools, including ChatGPT, is forbidden for quizzes and the final exam.
Attendance and Participation:
Regular attendance is an expectation of the Bachelor of Commerce Program. Being present in class
will ensure exposure to course concepts that will prove invaluable for your future personal and
- 5 professional
success. Your positive participation will contribute to your classmates’ learning and
enhance our learning environment. Being present in class exposes you to material not in the
readings, to your classmates' insights and helps clarify material, leading to better performance in the
course. Attendance is a critical component of everyone’s academic success.
In this course, participation will form 10% of your course grade.
While attendance is a pre-requisite for participation, I understand that there may occasionally be
reasons you are unable to attend class, for example: illness, injury or family affliction. In particular, I
encourage you to stay home when you are sick, taking care of yourself and protecting others. You
may also choose to miss class for a job interview, home responsibilities, or a host of other reasons.
In this course there is an accommodation for up to 4 absences in the term, I want to emphasize that
your presence in class positively affects your intrinsic learning and contributes greatly to the overall
learning environment. Therefore, your participation grade will be impacted if you have more than 4
absences in the term. Students missing more than 4 may request a make-up assignment from me for
each additional absence. It is your responsibility to ask me for a make-up assignment within 4
calendar days of the missed class. In addition, you will be denied permission to write the final exam
if you miss more than 8 classes.
Exceptions to these attendance policies will only be considered for major extenuating circumstances,
with permission from the Undergraduate Academic Director.
Missed Coursework or Assessments: If you are absent for a graded component of this course you
must submit the “Self-Declaration for Absence from an Assessment” form to your instructor for their
consideration. A copy of this form is on your course Brightspace site. You should familiarize yourself
with this form and the declarations contained therein.
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. Please note that “A” grades are normally achieved by a minority of
students.
Percentage
Range
Grade
s
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 Academic Director and
may be subject to change up until that point.
- 6 In
Bachelor of Commerce courses, we generally anticipate final grades that are distributed in line with
the following:
For 100-, 200- and 300-level courses: For 400-level courses:
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 work prepared by any form of artificial intelligence service, such as ChatGPT, without
proper citation
• 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.
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 25-40%
B’s 30-50%
C 10-25%
D, F 0-15%
Grade Range Proportion Of Class
A’s 30-50%
B’s 25-45%
C 2-20%
D, F 0-10%
- 7 Provisional
Schedule Summary:
Please note this schedule is subject to change.
Title
(begin with Course Code)
Date Chapters
IB417: Introduction 07-Sep-23 IB417:
International Monetary System 12-Sep-23 Chapter 2
IB417: FX Market 1 14-Sep-23 Chapter 5
IB417:
IB417:
FX Market 2
Quiz 1
19-Sep-23
21-Sep-23
Chapter 5
IB417: International Parity Conditions 1 26-Sep-23 Chapter 6
IB417: International Parity Conditions 2 28-Sep-23 Chapter 6
IB417: Foreign currency derivatives: futures and options. 03-Oct-23 Chapter 7
IB417: Problem solving class 05-Oct-23
IB417:
IB417:
Quiz 2
International banking andmoney markets
10-Oct-23
12-Oct-23 Chapter 11
IB417: Interestrate swaps and Currency Swaps 17-Oct-23 Chapter 14
IB417: Quiz 3 19-Oct-23
IB417: Transaction Exposure 24-Oct-23 Chapter 8
IB417: Operating Exposure 26-Oct-23 Chapter 9
IB417: Problem solving class 31-Oct-23
IB417: Quiz 4 02-Nov-23
IB417: Raising debtand equity globally 07-Nov-23 Chapters 12 and 13
IB417: Exchange rate determination 09-Nov-23 Slides
IB417:
IB417:
NO CLASS
Project Finance
14-Nov-23
16-Nov-23 Slides
IB417: Quiz 5 21-Nov-23 IB417:
Presentations 23-Nov-23 IB417:
Presentations 28-Nov-23 IB417:
Review Class 30-Nov-23 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.