Syllabus+MGT486-586

**Management 486/586-001, Small Business Consulting, Fall 2011** **Bidgood 17** **8:00 am - 9:45 am, Tuesday and Thursday**
 * Syllabus **


 * Instructor **
 * Craig E. Armstrong, Ph.D.**

Department of Management and Marketing

 * 155 Alston Hall, 205-348-8919**
 * carmstro@cba.ua.edu**
 * For course communications: SBCfall2011@gmail.com**
 * Office Hours: Wednesday 1pm – 4 pm or by appointment**


 * Texts **


 * Nelson & Economy, **//Consulting for Dummies//**, Hungry Minds / IDG Publishing.
 * Tyson & Shell, **//Small Business for Dummies//**, 3rd Edition, Wiley Publishing.
 * Course wiki: http://profcraigarmstrong.wikispaces.com (click on Small Business Consulting)


 * Prerequisites **
 * MyBama doesn’t say.**


 * Course Description and Learning Outcomes **

This Small Business Consulting course provides an opportunity for students to integrate and use the theories and business disciplines learned throughout the curriculum. Students work with a small business firm to research/solve a defined need/problem. Additionally students learn and apply first-hand in a real world environment, the following: framework and methodology for business problem solving and strategizing; business planning, use and limitations of research resources; consulting skills; format and content of business consulting reports; and role and responsibilities of various regional, national and international business support organizations.

Students work hands-on providing consulting assistance to a small firm to address the firm’s strategic needs under supervision of the professor. For those students choosing to develop their own business plan, the word “client” throughout this syllabus refers both to working on their own project and getting the assistance of appropriate outside parties that will contribute directly to their success in writing the plan as well as eventual operation of the business. Problem definition and analysis is done within the context of a methodological framework developed and monitored by the team and client. Team projects will include one or more of the following: marketing analysis and/or feasibility analyses for new or existing products/services; financial analysis of one or more aspects of the company; analysis of and recommendations for improvements for company information systems; assessment of human resource systems; assessment and review of company’s operations from a management.

After defining the problem and establishing goals and objectives with the client, the team develops a methodology that can be accomplished within the time frame of the semester. An **//industry analysis//** is mandatory and serves as an overall framework for the project. Students conduct necessary research, meet with client as required by the problem, collect data, perform necessary analyses, and formulate recommendations and conclusions. The project is presented as a **//written report//** that is developed in sections throughout the semester and defended orally by the student team in a formal presentation to the client and professor during the last week of the course. Class members are updated throughout the semester and discussions held on various aspects of the cases that are significant.

There will be a large volume of work and intense learning. We will fully utilize the textbooks and the course wiki. Be prepared to work both inside and outside of the classroom.

=Specific learning outcomes= As a result of taking this course, students will understand how to:

Learning Goals

The learning goals of the course are as follows:


 * To integrate and utilize the various theoretical principles learned in the academic process to solve a real world, small business problem
 * To develop, refine and apply a methodology to solve a specific small business problem
 * To learn about (or review) and apply the resources, tools and techniques available for conducting industry research
 * To learn about (or review) and apply the framework for a business plan, marketing, financial and management analyses of a small to medium sized firm
 * To appreciate and understand the role of management consulting in organizations and tools consultants use
 * To learn basic consulting principles and practices and apply them while assisting client.
 * To learn how to write a consulting report and presentation and develop both for client
 * To improve the skills of decision making and problem solving in the context of small sized business complexities.
 * To learn to prioritize and change methodology where required when solving “live” small business problems
 * To introduce students to SBDC services

TOPIC OUTLINE
The class is structured around class lecture/discussion as well as individual meetings between professor and teams and meetings with the client and outside/campus experts. The following outlines the topics within each category and the suggested amount of time to spend on each.

Class Lecture/Discussion
Percent of Time: 45%--60%

Class Lecture and discussion consists of two elements: learning new principles for application in the course and discussing individual project status, successes and difficulties for class input and learning.

During Class Lecture, the following topics are covered

2. Role of Management Consulting in the world of business. 3. Consulting principles and practices 4. Business plan
 * 1) 1. Conducting research for business projects including methodology, research resources, and other resources available,
 * 1) 5. Typical difficulties faced by small businesses
 * 2) 6. Integrating theories and concepts learned in business courses into the real world setting

Discussion of individual project status consists of the following:


 * 1) 1. Students present oral reports **two times** during the semester (mid-term and end)
 * 2) 2. Class discussion is initiated focusing on successes and difficulties, tools available for problem solving, similarities and differences among the cases and analysis of reasons why, and methodological approaches coupled with the teams’ perspectives of their experience consulting with the client.

Individual Meetings between Professor and Teams
Percent of Time: 10%

The individual teams meet with the professor every two weeks to discuss specific project progress in detail. During the initial meeting the project and methodology are reviewed. In subsequent meetings, the professor provides feedback on additional resources, processes, and adjustments to methodology that should be employed by the team. Any difficulties with the client or among the team members are discussed and solutions suggested.

Students develop the final report in sections, which are discussed in the meetings. The initial report contains the introduction, history, objectives and methodology. The mid-term Report contains the data findings and analysis, integrated with the Initial Report. The final report consists of the Final Draft, which is due three weeks prior to the semester end and the final report. Students also write five (two-three page minimum) journals, reflecting on their experiences with their project.

Discussion meetings focus on progress to date; research and data collected and analyzed, problem areas, upcoming plans. The methodology should be the basis for progress measurement.


 * Project Research:**

Percent of Time: 30%--40%

The team is encouraged to interact with the client **//or appropriate resources//** frequently.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
To help the student achieve the objectives of the course, the following are responsibilities of the students:


 * To integrate concepts and theories learned in previous business and other courses with those of this course to perform the objectives of the course
 * To read the assigned material found in the book(s), periodicals, and electronic sources as suggested in the course outline, periodic references by professor and student initiated research.
 * To perform research relevant to the project by reading relevant articles and publications found in on-line and periodical research supplemented by primary research if necessary.
 * To act professionally when dealing with client, taking responsibility for scheduling and keeping appointments, communicating effectively on a minimum of a bi-weekly basis, and presenting a professional demeanor at all times
 * To act professionally when dealing with team members and fulfilling all roles agreed upon by the team
 * To ascertain the client’s objectives and design an appropriate methodology to meet the goals of the course and the client
 * To analyze the research performed for the project and generate solid recommendations
 * To attend class sessions and appointments with professor and client
 * To produce a final report presenting background and client’s business status, problem objectives, methodology, presentation and analysis of research, recommendations and conclusion with accompanying presentation for the client and class

Report Contents
It is very helpful for students to develop the report continuously throughout the semester. The Initial Report contains the history of the company, objectives to be accomplished by the team and methodology. The methodology projects the detailed work plan including details of resources and research approaches which will be utilized, team division of labor, and milestones for achieving the plan. The Mid-term report, due at the mid-term is a written report detailing research accomplishments and data analysis to date. The Final draft, due near the end of the semester contains the entire report. Sections added from the Mid-term report include refinement of the data and analysis, recommendations and conclusions. The final report, due to the client a few days before the final presentation, contains updated information and corrections recommended by the professor.

The professor provides detailed comments to students after each report.

EVALUATION
Evaluation considers the quality of the final report [70%], presentation [20%] and relationship with the client and among team members [10%]. The professor’s evaluation of the final report employs the following criteria to determine the grading:


 * The methodology employed and utilization of available research materials, 40%
 * Integration of business theories and principles into the analysis, 25%
 * Quality of data and analysis of data, 25%
 * Professional, business format,10%.

Evaluation of the presentation considers the quality of the oral presentation, participation by all team members, use of PowerPoint slides/transparencies (requirement) and style.

Evaluation of the relations between client and team members involves an assessment of communication of the team with the client. The professor can typically evaluate this through the bi-weekly meetings. For students working with a small business, the professor should fax, e-mail or mail an evaluation form to the client to evaluate students’ performance, commitment and contributions to assess the project status at the mid-term. A follow-up phone-call to the client can also be helpful. The client also provides feedback at the final presentation. The professor can usually evaluate team relations through the individual meetings by asking each team member what their contribution is and asking the team pertinent questions. A peer evaluation form will be administered at mid-semester and at the end of the semester asking team members to rate one another’s participation and their assessment of their relations with the client.


 * Assignments and Grading **

** 100% ** This is the main part of the course. I’ve described this above.
 * 1) Consulting project (**2** phases and reports)…………………….…..…………..50%
 * 2) Exam…………………….…..………………………………………………..30%
 * 3) Homework/In-class assignments….…………………………………………__..20%__
 * 1.Consulting project (50%) **

2.Exam (30% of grade)
We will have one exam that covers working on teams, consulting skills, and small business issues.

3. Class Participation and Attendance (?% of grade)
Every student is expected to attend class. I won’t officially count participation and attendance as a fixed percentage of your grade, but you should consider this the **“X Factor”** of your grade that I’ll use if your final grade is perilously stuck between two different grades. The classroom lectures and discussions are an integral part of the course and necessary for your full understanding of the subject. You are expected to read all assigned material prior to class. Additional reading assignments will be distributed in class or through the course website. Preparation of all assigned readings and cases will enable you to be an active participant in classroom discussions and increase your comprehension and ability to think strategically. We will end most lectures with an ungraded “practice quiz” to help reinforce in-class learning. I will use these quizzes to assess how well you have prepared for each lecture and to take attendance. If you miss a class you will miss out on the opportunity to see what types of questions I might ask on an exam as well as the discussion of the day’s topic.

I keep a count of absences throughout the semester to help determine your class participation grade. If you know that you are going to miss a particular class, you must notify me //before// class that you will not be there. You can do this by sending me an e-mail at sbcfall2011@gmail.com or by leaving me a voice message (x8-8919). An unexcused absence from class counts as one missed class; an excused absence counts as half of a missed class.

4. Homework and In-Class Assignments (20% of grade)
I will offer **ten** homework assignments throughout the semester (worth 2 points each). You are expected to give your best effort to complete the assignments and to turn them in at the beginning of class on the day I assign them to be due. //I will not accept late homework assignments//. You are welcome to do your homework on your own, but I encourage you to do homework assignments in groups so that you can help each other learn outside the classroom. **Five** of these assignments are the individual experiential learning diaries you submit over the course of your team project.

Your final grade will be determined by your overall accumulation of points (out of a possible 100) in each of the above criteria.
 * Final Grade **

|||| **Graduate Students**
 * **Undergraduate Students** ||
 * **A** || ≥ 90 || **A+** || ≥ 97 || **B+** || ≥ 87 || **C+** || ≥77 || **D+** || ≥ 67 ||
 * **B** || ≥ 80 || **A** || ≥ 93 || **B** || ≥ 83 || **C** || ≥73 || **D** || ≥ 63 ||
 * **C** || ≥ 70 || **A-** || ≥ 90 || **B-** || ≥ 80 || **C-** || ≥ 70 || **D-** || ≥ 60 ||

Disability access statement
To request disability accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 348-4285. I can offer you accommodations related to disabilities **//only after//** you have contacted and made arrangements with the Office of Disability Services.

Schedule
August 30 – September 2 Working in teams

September 7 – September 9 Working in teams

September 14 – September 16 Consulting skills

September 21 – September 23 Consulting skills

September 25 – September 27

Form teams
Small business issues Opportunities and markets

First individual diaries due (Friday, Sep 27)
October 1 – October 3 Small business issues Cash flows and inventories
 * Second individual diaries due (Friday, Oct 4)**

October 8 – October 10 Small business issues Hiring, managing, and succession

Part I of Team Project Report Due (October 11)
October 12 – October 14 Small business issues The business plan

October 19 – October 21 Review for Exam, October 19

Exam, October 21
October 26 – October 28 Review of Exam, October 26 Fall Break, October 28

November 1 – November 3 Small business issues

Third individual diaries due (Friday, Nov 4)
November 8 – November 10 Small business issues – Out of class assignments
 * Third individual diaries due (Friday, Nov 11)**

November 15 – November 17 Small business issues

Fourth individual diaries due (Wednesday, Nov 18)
November 22 – November 24 Small business issues, Thanksgiving

November 29 – December 2 Small business issues

Fifth and final individual diaries due (Friday, Dec 3)
December 7 – December 9