COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Code & Title: ADMN 2167 Business Decision Making

Course Term: S24
Class Location: Online
Class Times:
Course Instructor: Dr. Abhijeet Singh
Course Author:
Office & Location:

Email: abhijeets@nipissingu.ca
Office Hours: Reach out via email to set up a call.
Credits: 3

ADMN 2167 BUSINESS DECISION MAKING

COURSE CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

In this course, business decision making will be examined in the context of the main functional
areas of business-accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, operations, information
systems and general management. Classes and assignments will feature group discussions, case
studies and the Internet. There will be an emphasis on working in teams, preparing formal
presentations, learning how to plan and submit professional reports, and analyzing business
situations from a multi-functional perspective. Throughout the course, software and other
computer-based resources will be used to enhance the student's work and learning.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course uses the Socratic method of teaching wherein students discover lessons learned as
they solve various business problems. Many of the lessons to be learned will result in the student
acquiring analytical tools they can use in future careers to solve real world problems. Students
will be expected to acquire functional use of these tools to complete the course. Other lessons
learned will expose students to a wide variety of industry settings and issues that business
practitioners commonly face.

To help further illustrate how this will work, if you think of a traditional lecture-based, one-way
delivery of course materials where the professor acts as the ‘sage on the stage’, within this
course, the role of the delivery professor is very much more as ‘the guide on the side’ as you
learn by solving business problems. The bulk of learning will take place as you absorb the
business case problem in front of you and as you try to answer the questions being raised that
will guide you toward a viable real-world business solution. Please take note that answering the
guiding questions is not the end goal of this exercise, the real-world recommendations and action
plans are the deliverables that count. You should also expect to learn from members for your
group as you bounce ideas off each other to try to solve the issues at hand. In short, this course
uses learn-by-doing as an approach to help students understand and use the analytical tools that
will be presented.

Here are the ‘guide’ type of activities that will be delivered to you,

1. The course pack of selected cases that present students with a dilemma to solve has been
developed for you. To access it go to the course text description.
2. Part of the course pack includes how-to instructions to use the various tools. (e.g. how to
solve business cases, create a cash flow, design a service, etc.). This course pack is
typically available in both and e-version and hard copy. Hard copy takes longer to obtain
to accommodate printing and shipping but offers other advantages. Past experience
indicates some students regret not opting for the print version because they have left it
too late to order.
3. For each case, a series of questions are included in the module that will help direct some
of your thoughts towards a viable business solution.
4. During the week you are working on the case, the professor will be offering two sessions
when can count on prompt replies to email queries (---insert your preferred times here---).
In addition, on (---insert your preferred times here---), the professor will be available for
virtual office hours and you can choose to attend by joining the video sessions of these
office hours through Blackboard Collaborate. Alternatively, students can join the session
and use the Chat feature to initiate discussions. During this time, conversations may be
one-on-one or in a group depending upon levels of interest in participation. (Note: These
virtual office sessions will be recorded so that other students can access them at a later
time. If you have a problem with being part of a recorded session then please take
advantage of the one-on-one email-based contact method).
5. To conclude the case, the professor be posting answers if any important calculations have
been required to solve the case and will be posting key lessons learned from the business
situation.
In this way your knowledge of tools and business issues will build throughout the course as long
as you do the work necessary to engage in the problem-solving process. If you don’t engage,
then the likelihood of adding to your business problem-solving toolkit is limited. In short,
similarly to the in-class delivery of this course, you are being handed the responsibility for much
of your learning.

METHOD OF STUDY:

With these supports in place, your weekly process will typically look like this:

1. Read the individual preparation materials as assigned in this course schedule and outlined
in the learning modules. Typically, this will include how-to instructions and/or theoretical
readings, a video or PowerPoint presentation for some modules and the assigned
exercises or case.
2. Using the case method and the posted questions, work towards viable recommendations
and action plans for the case problem presented.
3. Get together with your group and propose your solutions. Intra-group discussion should
be focused on how to improve the solutions.
4. Post your solutions or questions or answers to other student’s questions on the course
discussion board for that week.
5. Use the email and virtual office sessions as ways of dealing with any challenging issues.
6. To wrap up the week’s work, review the postings summarizing lessons learned.

This is what a typical week might look like for you,

• Days 1 and 2 – Do readings, prepare case individually.

• Days 2-4 – Meet with group.
• Through the week – Post questions/solutions to course discussion boards
• Take advantage of quick email response times
• Take advantage of Virtual Office Hours through Blackboard Collaborate video session.
• Day 7 – Review lessons learned posting and any important results from mechanical
calculation activities (e.g. cash flows, decision-tree analysis, etc.,)

COURSE FIT WITHIN BUSINESS DEGREE

This course is intended to build on and integrate the business concepts introduced in prerequisite
courses while helping the student get comfortable with the process of using analytical tools to
support management decision making. Cases are used as the primary teaching tool to help
students practice the application of business concepts and to help students get comfortable with
taking and advocating a position on true-to-life business decisions.
COURSE PREREQUISITES
ACCT 1107, ORGS 1136 and MKTG 1126

COURSE ANTIREQUISITES

ADMN 1167, ADMN 3056, ECON 2006, ECON3056

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

The textbook used for this course is:

EVALUATION
%
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE
FINAL GRADE

Contributions to learning by others

(pass/fail discussion boards) - Modules 20%
2 to 11 (2% each)
Mid-term Exam #1 – Multiple Choice,
10%
Computer Graded
Mid-term Exam #2 – Case Based 20%
Final Exam – Case Based 25%
Formal Group Report – Case Based 25%
FINAL GRADE TOTAL 100%

CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING BY OTHERS (20%)

The Socratic method relies upon discussion to reveal lessons learned. Each week there will be a
class-wide discussion board which will be made available to which all students will be expected
to contribute. As engagement by students is a prerequisite for contributing to learning and their
own learning, a minimum of 3 posts per week are required to be considered for these marks. The
professor will review these posts looking for engagement. The type of posts that indicate student
engagement with the material can include;

• proposed solutions to the posted questions

• analysis of information pertaining to the case
• discussion of information pertaining to the case
• proposing of proposed alternative solutions
• chosen recommendations and action plans.
• asking of questions to other participants to help resolve case issues.
• helping other students understand analysis.
• offering real world examples where the concepts being discussed are being used.
• other examples where it is obvious the student is engaged in the process of learning about
when and how to use the tools being discussed.

MULTIPLE-CHOICE EXAM – MID-TERM #1 (10%)

This first exam will test the content that has been developed during modules 1-5 and is in the
form of an open book timed multiple choice exam conducted using the Respondus Lockdown
browser tool.

CASE EXAMS – MID-TERM #2 (20%), FINAL EXAM (25%)

For both the mid-term and final a case and question will be posted on Blackboard along with
specifications on word limits, formatting etc. Typically, questions are intended to reflect a
traditional business decision-making environment and as a result are quite open and do not
provide a lot of direction. Here’s an example:

“Acting as , do whatever analysis and make whatever recommendations

you deem to be appropriate”.

The exams are open-book and four days are allowed for students to submit their responses. The
responses are to be submitted through the Safe Assign anti-plagiarism tool on Blackboard to help
us assure the academic integrity of the testing. More details will follow as we get closer to the
exam dates.
 GROUP REPORT (25%)

This is a similar process to the individual case exams, however only one report is submitted for
the group. The report is due two weeks after the assignment is posted and is to be accompanied
by individual peer evaluations as detailed in section 3.6.

GROUP REPORT – CONTRIBUTIONS TO LEARNING BY OTHERS PORTION

Half of your mark for the formal group report will be weighted by evaluations of your
contribution to the group’s work by each of the other members of your group. Forms for these
peer evaluations will be available from the course Blackboard.

These confidential peer evaluations are to be submitted with the final report. The combination of
these peer evaluations will be used to calculate an average individual contribution for each group
member. This contribution assessment will then be used to finalize the individual student’s grade
on the report. An example follows of how your final report marks could be affected by this
provision.

Example
Inputs
Group report grade =32/40 = 80%
Averaged peer evaluations, Student A-80%, Student B-120%, Student C-100%, Student
D-100%

Grade calculations on Group Report Activity

Student A grade = 32*.5+32*.5*.8 = 28.8/40 = 72%
Student B grade = 32*.5+32*.5*1.2 = 35.2/40= 88%
Students C and D = 32*.5+32*.5*1.0 = 32/40 = 80%

STUDY GROUPS
Students will be randomly assigned to study groups of 3,4 or 5 members. Managing within these
group settings is an excellent opportunity for students to practice their people skills. Study
groups are encouraged to meet every week to ensure quality case preparation. In addition, these
study groups will be responsible to submit a formal group report on an assigned case.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
READINGS, EXERCISES, CASES WEEKLY ADDITIONAL
MODULE MODULE TOPIC & CONTENT
FROM COURSE PACK INFORMATION POSTS

1 Module 1: Introduction & • Understanding the Review Syllabus

Course Setup Case Method (p. 5)
• Syllabus • Performing a Case Arrange Contacts of
• Welcome video Study Groups
Analysis (p. 9)
• Case method • Using Common Tools
summary sheet
for Case Analysis (p.
(video)
19)
• Instructions for
accessing study
groups
2 Module 2: Understanding • Introductory Note on
Accounting Statements Financial Statements
• Why we do (p.37)
accounting ppt/video • Lisa’s Waterbed
• Accounting/finance Emporium (p.79)
exercises

3 Module 3: Managing People • Prepare The Garden Groups broken by

4 Module 4: Analyzing
Historical Accounting
Statements
• Ratios
• PowerPoint
• Ratios Exercises
5 Module 5: Credit Decisions
Mid-term #1
Depot (p.279) timeline, motivation,
• Managing people in structure, action
organization (p.247) choice
• Introductory Note on
Financial Management
(p.81)
• Gardiner Wholesalers Groups breakdown
(A) (p.155) into SD Taylor, cash,
• Break even and ratios
contribution analysis Elegance cash, ratios
(p.175) Compare and choose
what to do
Respondus,
Managing people,
historical
 accounting, ratios,
contribution analysis
6 Module 6: Projecting Future • Preparation of
Financials projected statements
• Projected Statements (p.137)
PPT • Exercises Libby –
page 55 of statements
readings
7 Module 7: Credit Decisions; • Gardiner Wholesalers I/S sd taylor, b/s sd
Types of Financing (B) (p. 165) taylor, 4c’s analysis
• 4 C’s Choice
• Types of Financing I/S elegance, B/S
PPT elegance, 4 c’s,
choice
8 Module 8: Marketing • MacKenzie and Marr Break to
• Case Video - see Guitars (p.233) Segmentation,
module message, medium,
• Approaching financials, choice
marketing problems
ppt.
9 Module 9: Credit Decision • GE Capital (p.167) Break to cash flow,
ratios, i/s, bs, 4c’s,
choice

Mid-Term #2 • Mid-term rubric and Posted Monday,

exam results by October 26, noon,
student ID due Thursday
• Individual graded October 29, noon.
exams returned by
email
10 Module 10: Services • Service Blueprinting Break to existing
Management (p.189) service blueprint c/w
• Service Blueprinting • Metropolitan College capacities, improved
PPT/Video (p.219) process w capacities,
cost/benefit analysis
choice
Group Project Group project
assigned via Bboard
One submission per
group and individual
peer evals from each
student. Due
 Sunday, December
6, 6 pm
11 Module 11 • Decision trees page Posted Monday,
289 A student’s December 7, noon,
dilemma: Rent or Buy due Thursday
p 311 Page 303 – December 10. noon.
Decision Tools to
keep you on the right
path
• Final exam

INSTRUCTOR BIO
TBA - Please include the Instructor’s name, contact email, and a brief biography.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

The University takes a very serious view of such offenses against academic honesty such as
plagiarism, cheating and impersonation. Penalties for dealing with such offenses will be strictly
enforced. The complete policy on Academic Dishonesty can be found in the Policies section of
the Academic Calendar. The Academic Dishonesty section of the Academic Calendar can be
found at the following

URL: http://www.nipissingu.ca/calendar/regulations/academic/pages/student-appeals-and-
petitions.aspx - dishonesty

NOTICE ABOUT UNIVERSITY LEVEL WRITING

Consistent with our school’s mission to ensure our graduates are effective communicators,
written project reports must exhibit university-level writing. Reports that contain substantial
incorrect grammar and spelling will not be graded. Students should contact the professor in the
event that their assignment has not been graded for this reason.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY NOTICE

All materials developed for this course, including, but not limited to, lectures, lecture notes and
slides, assignments, examinations and syllabi, are the intellectual property of the course
instructor. Posting, providing, sharing or selling unauthorized audio, video, or textual material
violates an instructor’s intellectual property rights, the Canadian Copyright Act, and may violate
the rights and privacy of others in the classroom. Failure to follow these instructions is in
contravention of the university’s Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Participation in
this course constitutes an agreement by all parties to respect the intellectual property and privacy
of others during and after their association with Nipissing University.

AGREEMENT

Note: Please read this document carefully as it contains a description of your rights and
responsibilities as they relate to the operation of the course. It will be assumed throughout the
term that you are familiar with and have agreed to all terms and conditions contained within this
document

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