Business News Event Analysis
At the end of the course, you are required to identify and write about one current business
news event concerning a specific organization that illustrates concepts covered in this
course (e.g., Merrill Lynch’s restructuring from 10 to 6 divisions). The event you choose to
discuss can occur any time after February 1, 2024.
Your analysis should be based on a minimum of four (4) “acceptable” sources. These
sources must be about the specific business news event and not background information
about the industry, business practices, or business issues. “Acceptable” articles can be
Management 330 – Principles of Management Online – Summer I 2024
4Steiner
from any major periodical (e.g., BusinessWeek, The Economist, Fortune) or major
newspaper (i.e., Investor’s Business Daily, New York Times, Wall Street Journal), One
source can be a blog, newsletter, or trade journal article from an expert in the field.
Sources of less than 450 words provide insufficient depth and breadth. Press releases,
which are integral to a company’s PR media campaign, lack sufficient objective analysis.
Therefore neither a short article nor a press release will be considered one of the
“acceptable” four (4) sources for this assignment.) Because you can draw on more than
four references (and I encourage you to do so), you should include them as references if
they offered additional insights.
Write-ups should have four sections: a Description of the situation, explicit Connections to
Management Concepts, Takeaways/lessons learned, and References. You should draw
upon a number of management concepts in your analysis of the event, and these concepts
should be from at least three different chapters. You should discuss at least two takeaways,
and these takeaways should go beyond the current situation/organization. You are being
asked to think about management lessons you can apply to your own professional life in the
future. References should be formatted based on APA 7 th edition guidelines.
Your work should be professionally presented. In terms of formatting, written summaries
typically are 2-3 single-spaced pages not including references (with a blank line between
paragraphs – just like this document). The font should be 12 pt Times New Roman.
Margins should be 1 inch around. Your name should appear at the top of the first page
and be right justified. The write-up should be titled based on the business event about
which you are writing. The management concepts that you draw upon should be italicized
in the Connection to Management Concepts section. All four sections should be
delineated with bold headings. You may be penalized for grammatical, spelling, and other
errors. (Note: A 3-page grading rubric and a past student paper are posted on Canvas
under Module 7. Please review these documents before writing up your analysis.)
To ensure that you select a business news event that satisfies the criteria for this
assignment, you need to write a brief paragraph about the event that you will be analyzing
and upload at least 2 relevant news articles halfway through the term no later than 11:59
PM EDT on Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Course Objectives
CO1: Describe the manager’s environment, functions, and responsibilities
CO2: Determine appropriate decision-making tools and techniques for planning and operations
CO3: Analyze ethical issues using ethical frameworks in decision-making
CO4: Assess ways that organizational structures and organizational systems impact the achievement of organizational goals
CO5: Apply motivational concepts to improve individual and team performance
CO6: Evaluate leadership styles and how they influence team dynamics and organizational effectiveness
Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Interpret management terminology
SLO2: Identify the ways that organizational systems and processes impact employee motivation and performance
SLO3: Assess interpersonal dynamics and leadership roles in a team environment
SLO4: Apply relevant management concepts to a current business event
SLO5: Develop ethical solutions to contemporary management issues
Textbook Information
Bateman, Thomas, and Robert Konopaske. (2022) M: Management. 7th Edition. New York: McGraw Hill. This textbook can either be bought as a looseleaf book or as an e-book. Make sure that your purchase includes access to McGraw Hill’s digital learning system, Connect. Digital Copy – ISBN13: 9781264209545; Print copy – ISBN13: 9781266437809. To order this textbook through the bookstore, go to the UT Campus Bookstore.
Supplemental Readings
Assignments and discussions will include events and issues that have occurred recently in the news. It is therefore important to stay current in the events of the day. The following are all excellent resources:
New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post for news of the day
Business Week, The Economist, and Fortune for in-depth reporting and special reports
