INTRODUCTION

This web site contains the general instructions and lessons for BMT 110 -- Introduction to Management.

There are no prerequisites for this class, but not open to College of Business majors.

The objective of this course is to give you a basic understanding of what makes an effective manager and an effective organization. The course focuses on the important functions of different levels of management and their role in organizational effectiveness.

  REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Daft, Richard L., and Dorothy Marcic, Understanding Management, 5th ed., Thomson South-Western, 2006 (softbound).

This text is particularly well-suited to the aims of this course. The text is fairly simple to read, and you should readily comprehend most of it. Each chapter is prefaced with chapter learning objectives, and a brief case study appears at the beginning and end of the chapter. The two case studies allow you to practice your analytical skills on real-world management problems. The text's illustrations and charts/graphs are numerous and well-done; each chapter concludes with a summary and a well-rounded list of thought-provoking discussion questions.

In keeping with the structure of this course as it is taught in the classroom, we will cover all 15 chapters of the text.

 

  LESSON ASSIGNMENTS

Each lesson in the course has two or three "parts"-each part corresponds to one chapter in the text. For each chapter, you will find learning objectives, a reading assignment from the text, and a brief instructor commentary to help you focus your study. For some chapters, some exercises from the text will be suggested for self-study. Although you will not submit the answers for these, do not ignore them. They are good practice for both the lesson writing assignments and the midcourse case study.

At the end of each part, there is a Writing Assignment. The purpose of these assignments is to enable you to demonstrate your comprehension of the material in the chapter as well as your ability to use the concepts in actual business-world situations. The assignment consists of three parts:

1. multiple-choice questions related to the major concepts in the chapter;
2. an “ethical dilemma” problem for which you must choose a response and defend your choice;
3. a “Case for Critical Analysis,” which requires you to respond to three questions about a "real-world" case.

When you have completed all the parts of a lesson, you will submit all the writing assignment activities to your instructor for evaluation and grading.

Suggested Study Plan

First:		Read the Chapter Review in the text. It will provide you with a general idea of the chapter's focus and introduce you to the specific topics covered.
Second:		Read the chapter to familiarize yourself with the major topics and concepts. You are not trying to obtain a thorough understanding of the topics at this time, just get a general overview.
Third:		Read the key terms and definitions.
Fourth:		Read the chapter again, this time more carefully. Note illustrations, tables, figures, and graphs and relate them to the concepts discussed in the chapter.
Fifth:		Use practice exercises and self-study activities to check your understanding.
Sixth:		Complete the questions and problems for the submitted writing assignment.

By following this strategy, you should be able to efficiently meet the requirements for the course, as well as to improve your understanding of the concepts and issues involved in managing organizations. I hope that this plan will also serve as a useful tool in any course that you study.