The following list shows the chapter-level topics and assignments for the course. To see all of the course pages, visit the Table of Contents.

Chapter 1: Role of Business

• What Is Business?
• For-Profit vs. Nonprofit Businesses
• Factors of Production
• Functional Areas
• Stakeholders
• External Forces
• Discussion: The Stakeholders of Salty Pawz
• Discussion: External Factors = Internal Pressure
• Assignment: What Does a Business Look Like?
• Assignment: What Is Killing Our Business?

Chapter 2: Economic Environment

• Economics
• Economic Systems
• Demand
• Supply
• Equilibrium
• The Health of the Economy
• Economic Stages
• Discussion: Supply and Demand at Salty Pawz
• Discussion: Supply and Demand in Your Life
• Assignment: Supply and Demand for Salty Pawz
• Assignment: Price Inelasticity of Demand

Chapter 3: Global Environment

• Globalization
• Measuring Global Trade
• Global Business Strategies
• Global Trade Forces
• Global Trade Agreements and Organizations
• Ethical Challenges in the Global Environment
• Discussion: Sending Salty Pawz Global
• Discussion: Made in America
• Assignment: Taking Salty Pawz to the Global Market
• Assignment: We Do It Better Here

Chapter 4: Financial Markets and System

• Money
• The Role of Banks
• Financial Markets and Business
• Discussion: Why Wanda Cares About the Federal Reserve—or Does She?
• Discussion: Do You Have Change for a $20?
• Assignment: Show Wanda the Money
• Assignment: The Most Powerful Person in the World

Chapter 5: Legal Environment

• The Meaning and Purpose of Law
• Statutory and Common Law
• Tort Law
• Intellectual Property
• Warranties
• Contracts
• Consumer Protection and Antitrust Laws
• Discussion: They Don’t Sue Dog-Treat Companies, Do They?
• Discussion: The Product-Liability Debate
• Assignment: Your Dog Treats Made Fluffy Sick!
• Assignment: Who Is Suing Whom?

Chapter 6: Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

• Ethical and Legal Behavior
• Business Ethics
• Ethical Challenges
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Discussion: It’s Not Stealing if You Pay For It, Is It?
• Discussion: Are They Simply Guidelines?
• Assignment: What They Don’t Know Won’t Hurt Me
• Assignment: Corporate Social Responsibility

Chapter 7: Business Ownership

• Choosing an Organizational Type
• Sole Proprietorships
• Partnerships
• Corporations
• Hybrid Forms of Ownership
• Franchises
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Discussion: Business Structure Does Matter
• Discussion: Entrepreneurs and Business Ownership
• Assignment: Wanda’s Business-Ownership Options
• Assignment: Franchising—an Alternative to Start-up

Chapter 8: Entrepreneurship

• Small Business
• Entrepreneurs
• Starting a Small Business
• Steps of Starting a Business
• Business Plans
• Discussion: Wanda’s Entrepreneurial Spirit
• Discussion: Am I an Entrepreneur?
• Assignment: Dear Wanda’s Mom
• Assignment: Today’s Hottest Entrepreneurs

Chapter 9: Management

• Managers
• Management Theory
• Planning
• Organizing
• Leading
• Controlling
• Discussion: How Does Wanda Manage?
• Discussion: How Great Leaders Inspire Action
• Assignment: One Owner, Many Hats
• Assignment: Are Leaders Born or Made?

Chapter 10: Motivating Employees

• The Hawthorne Effect
• Need-Based Theories
• Process-Based Theories
• Theory X, Theory Y, and Theory Z
• Strategies for Motivating Employees
• Discussion: Why Isn’t Jamie More Motivated?
• Discussion: Motivate Me!
• Assignment: Motivating with Dog Treats?
• Assignment: What’s Empowerment Got to Do with It?

Chapter 11: Teamwork and Communication

• Teams
• Team Development and Success
• Effective Communication and Barriers
• Communication Channels, Flows, and Networks
• Electronic Communication
• Discussion: What You Heard Was Not What I Meant
• Discussion: The Ultimate Cost of Poor Communication
• Assignment: Teamwork at Salty Pawz
• Assignment: Multicultural Virtual Work Teams

Chapter 12: Managing Processes

• Operations Management
• Production Processes
• Mining, Warehousing, and Sharing Data
• Production Planning
• New Technologies
• Supply Chain Management and Logistics
• Quality Assurance
• Discussion: More Than Just Baking Treats
• Discussion: How Things Are Made
• Assignment: From Kitchen Baker to Operations Manager
• Assignment: The Malcolm Baldridge Award

Chapter 13: Marketing Function

• The Role of Customers
• Segmentation and Targeting
• Marketing Mix Introduction
• Discussion: Customer Value Perception
• Discussion: Black Friday and Cyber Monday
• Assignment: Customers and Marketing at Salty Pawz
• Assignment: Hit Your Target

Chapter 14: Marketing Mix

• Product Marketing
• Pricing Strategies
• Place: Distribution Channels
• Promotion: Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC)
• Discussion: The Four Ps of the Competition
• Discussion: Marketing Mix
• Assignment: I Can See the Four Ps of Marketing
• Assignment: The Four Ps of Gourmet Dog Treats

Chapter 15: Human Resource Management

• Human Resource Management
• Human Resources and Laws
• Recruitment and Hiring
• Training, Development, and Rewards
• Termination
• HR Challenges
• Discussion: People Won’t Work for Dog Treats!
• Discussion: Are Interviews a Waste of Time?
• Assignment: Wanda’s Hiring Approach, or How to Be Sued in One Easy Lesson
• Assignment: Career Choices

Chapter 16: Accounting and Finance

• Accounting in Business
• Key Financial Statements
• The Break-Even Point
• Financial Ratios
• Ethical Practices in Accounting
• Discussion: Cooking More Than Dog Treats
• Discussion: CPAs and Financial Crisis
• Assignment: Bison Are Biting into Wanda’s Break-Even Point
• Assignment: Claire’s Cuttery