Cell phones must be switched off when you are in the classroom. Anyone who attempts to send or receive text messages in class will be asked to leave immediately. Lap-top computer use will be monitored to ensure other students are not distracted. The use of lap-tops is discouraged because of extensive evidence that students who use lap-tops in class have much lower scores in exams than do students who do not use laptops. If you wish to use a laptop you must sit next to the aisle towards the front of the classroom. With up to 62 students in each section, it is important to respect others by arriving on time if possible, and limiting disruptions in class.

Details of the Course

Note that the sequence of coverage of topics, and the actual coverage of specific topics may not be the same for these 2 sections of COMM 101 and other sections of the class. COMM 101 (04) and (06) may be different from other sections in a number of subtle ways. The exam coverage might be slightly different and the assignments and exams might be different.

Click on the links below to read the original course outline distributed in the first week of class, and to read the current schedule of classes in the event that changes have been made

Original Course Outline (Web-based version)


Original Course Outline (Word document file)   This is the best one to print off if you want a print copy!

Revised Class Schedule

Guide to SWOT analysis. This Guide is written in such a way as to illustrate how to integrate the referencing of citations and quotations from these sources into a paper.

Guide to Referencing

Details of assignment #1 are no longer here

Details of assignment #2 are available here

Frequently asked questions regarding assignment #2 are available here

Marks for assignment #1 for section (04) are posted here

Marks for assignment #1 for section (06) are posted here

Marks for the midterm exam for section (04) are posted here

Marks for the midterm exam for section (06) are posted here

A copy of the mid-term exam with the correct answers shown in bold is posted here

Marks for assignment #2 for section (04) are posted here

Marks for assignment #2 for section (06) are posted here

Section (04) of Comm 101 is being taught in ESB room 03, a room that supports the use of name cards for each students. I will be distributing name card placeholders for you to use to display your name when in that classroom. In order to print off your name, please use this Word  template, and replace the name of the politician shown there with the name that you would like me to use for you in class. You may have to reduce the font size in order to fit your name on to the two lines. Once you have printed off your name on that page, just fold the page in two, and insert it into the placeholder.

The textbook that will be used in this course is The Future of Business, 3rd Edition By N. Althouse,  S. Rose, L. Allan, L. J. Gitman, and C. McDaniel , ISBN-0-17-650140-1, 2011 , Published by Nelson

Click on the link below to access the valuable study aids in the Student Centre web site provided by the publishers of The Future of Business 3rd Edition.

The Future of Business: Link to Student Resources Centre

If you are thinking of purchasing a used copy of the 2nd Canadian Edition of The Future of Business, then you should first read the warnings provided at this link.

Course Overhead Presentations

In this section there will be a list of class dates. Beside each date will be a link to the PowerPoint presentation(s) to be given in class on that particular date. Just click on the link to call up a particular presentation.

If you want to see the presentation exactly as it was given in class, then click "View Show" in the "Slide Show" menu. Once in the slide show presentation you can advance the presentation by either clicking the mouse button, or by using the enter or forward arrow keys. To go backwards, press the backward arrow key.

If you wish to print off handouts from a particular presentation, click "Print" in the File menu. When the print window comes up, look for the section marked "Print What?" and click "Handouts". To the right of that box you can now select the number of handouts to be printed per page. I recommend that you choose 6 slides per page so as to minimise the number of pages printed. Note that some presentations may not print very well on a black ink-only printer, so you are advised to use the "Print Preview" option first to see what the output would look like without first wasting paper. You could try setting the "Colour/Grayscale" box at the bottom left of the Print window to either "Grayscale" or "Black & White" to see if the output becomes clearer when you look at it via the "Print Preview" option.

The links will be posted below as the lectures are created by the instructor. What  will be shown in class on a particular day may differ from what will be shown below before the class takes place. After the class has taken place the PowerPoint presentations posted below will reflect the actual classroom presentation. Do not print off the materials a long time in advance of the actual class session, as they may be changed right up until the start of class!

1   W/Th Jan 4/5            Introduction

2   M/Tu Jan 9/10          Lecture on Product-Market Positioning

3   W/Th Jan 11/12        Chapter 1 – Understanding Evolving Economic Systems and Competition

                                       Lecture on SWOT Analysis

4   M/Tu Jan 16/17        Chapter 2 – The Global Marketplace and Governments' Roles 

5   W/Th Jan 18/19        Chapter 2 (continued) Governments in Canada

The theory of comparative advantage in international trade is quite counter-intuitive, and hence it is difficult to grasp at first sight. I recommend that you visit the following web site in order to read through a simple example that illustrates the logic of comparative advantage in international trade. Click here to read a simple explanation of  David Ricardo's Theory of Comparative Advantage. Don't get put off by trying to understand it the first time through. If you are able to understand the results in Table 2 by the second time you read it through, then you will have done ok.
Anyone who is interested in a deeper understanding of comparative advantage might wish to click here to read more

6  M/Tu Jan 23/24       Chapter 3 – Social Trends, Social Responsibility and Making Ethical Decisions in Business

7  W/Th Jan 25/26       Lecture on Ethical Decision-Making

8   M/Tu Jan 30/31      Lecture on Ethical Decision-Making (continued) 

9   W/Th Feb 1/2          Chapter 4 - Using Technology to Manage Information and for Business Success

                                     Assignment #1 DUE

10  M/Tu Feb 6/7         Chapter 5 – Forms of Business Ownership

11  W/Th Feb 8/9         Chapter 6 – Entrepreneurship and Small Business

12  M/Tu Feb 13/14     Chapter 7 – Management and Leadership in Today's Organizations

                                     Lecture on Strategy and Structure

13  W/Th Feb 15/16     Chapter 8 – Designing Organizational Structures

       Feb 20-23             Mid-term break

14  M/Tu Feb 27/28    TBA

15  W/Th Feb 29/Mar1          Midterm Exam, based on Chapters 1 to 8 and related class materials  

16  M/Tu Mar 5/6       Chapter 9 – Motivating Employees

17  W/Th Mar 7/8       Chapter 10 –Managing Human Resources and Labour Relations

18  M/Tu Mar 12/13   Chapter 11 – Achieving World-Class Operations Management

19  W/Th Mar 14/15    Chapter 12 – Understanding the Customer

20  M/Tu Mar 19/20    Chapter 13 – Creating Marketing Strategies

                                     Assignment #2 DUE

21  W/Th Mar 21/22    Chapter 13 – Creating Marketing Strategies (continued)

22  M/Tu Mar 26/27    Chapter 14 – Using Financial Information and Accounting

                                    Lecture on Understanding Financial Reports

23  W/Th Mar 28/29   Chapter 15 – Understanding Money, Financial Institutions, and the Securities Markets   

24  M/Tu Apr 2/3        Chapter 16 – Managing the Firm's Finances

25 W/Th Apr 4/5         How to give a presentation plus Powerpoint presentation
         
Students in the class

Click here to view a list of the students registered in Section (04) of the class

Click here to view a list of the students registered in Section (06) of the class