MKTG 435



BADM 561

Electronic Commerce for Managers

Section 001, 3.0 Credit Hours

College of Business Administration

Winthrop University

Fall 2009



______________________________________________________________________________

Contact:

Instructor: Dr. Cara Peters

Office: Thurmond 427

Phone: 803-323-4280

E-mail: petersc@winthrop.edu

Hours:

Class hours: T 6:30-9:15pm

Office hours: T and Th 8:45-9:30am & 10:45am-12:30pm; T 1:45pm-3:15pm & 5pm-6:30pm

Note: Even if I am not in the office, I am completely available for you almost anytime. I will be happy to meet with you by appointment. Please email me for a time. You can also reach me at my home number if you have an emergency, 704-701-2838.

Prerequisite: Management 341 - Introduction to Management Information Systems

Course Requirements/Required Text: Laudon, Kenneth C. and Carol G. Traver (200), E-commerce: Business, Technology, and Society, 5th ed., Prentice Hall.

Course Objectives:

The course materials and activities are selected and designed to help you to:

1) understand the role of marketing and management theory and practice in the context of electronic commerce;

2) evaluate marketing and management decisions related to technology and especially the Internet;

3) build upon and integrate the principles of marketing and management information systems;

4) reinforce and improve upon your web page design and database construction skills; and

5) improve upon your analytical, problem solving, creative design, writing, and public speaking skills.

Note on Course Structure: Recent research indicates the critical skills most employers are looking for in college graduates are (in order of importance):

1. Interpersonal skills

2. Communication skills

3. Critical thinking skills

4. Ethical behavior skills

5. Team or group skills

6. Computer/Technology skills

These skills are integrated into this course utilizing a non-traditional format. This class will not be a traditional lecture-style class. This class is a journey of discovery with the professor and students both owning and contributing to the discovery process. I view the course as a journey and it is my job to guide and encourage you toward a positive outcome. Thus, this class primarily involves student-led discussions and guest speakers on current material and a significant number of developmental projects and exercises.

Grading System:

Topical Presentation & Project 30%

Homework assignments 40%

Business case project 30%

Scale:

|90.00%-100% |A |

|80.00%-89.99% |B |

|70.00%-79.99% |C |

|60.00%-69.99% |D |

|Below 60.00% |F |

Grades will be based on the above scale. I do not use plus/minus. Also, note that Winthrop University policy does not allow faculty members to provide grade information over the telephone or via email. Please do not call or email requesting grade information. Your final grades will be turned in according to the University’s schedule and will be available to you shortly afterward.

Topical Presentation/Project:

Early in the semester, you will be placed on teams with approximately three members to give a topical presentation and present related project materials. This presentation will consist of 3 parts.

-For part 1, your team will identify a chapter from the textbook to present in class during the semester. Your presentation will not cover everything in the chapter, but should review the key theories/topics in the chapter (especially those that are new and relevant to business practice). Furthermore, you should supplement the theories/topics with a couple of examples from current business practice, such as example websites or YouTube videos. The presentation should be visually pleasing, coherent, and clear. All slides and materials should be free of typographical errors. Professional dress is expected. Part 1 of the presentation should be approximately 30 minutes long (i.e., 35-40 slides in length).

-For part 2, you will supplement your presentation by providing a current popular press article to the class (such as Business Week or Wall Street Journal, etc.), give them 10 minutes to read it, and then discuss/explain how it relates to the topics/theories you just presented.

-For part 3, you will develop either an a) interactive learning exercise (such as a skit, completing a survey or puzzle related to the topic, or small group exercise, etc.) that illustrates what you discussed from the book or b) a homework exercise related to the chapter that the class members can then complete and bring to class the following week. The exercise or homework should be approximately 1 page in length and of moderate level of difficulty. The exercise/homework should take no more than 30 minutes to complete.

On the day of your presentation, you will need to hand in a hard copy of your slides to your instructor, copies of your article for all class members and the professor, and a copy of your interactive learning exercise/homework. Remember, this project is worth 30% of your grade in the class so you should devote a significant amount of time to this presentation and the accompanying materials.

Note on teamwork: Your team will be given a grade for the presentation. In order to receive maximum points for this grading component, you must demonstrate that you did everything possible to ensure that the team presentation was a success. Grades will be adjusted for those individual team members who do not contribute equally to the quantity and quality of the work produced. This includes, but is not limited to: Meeting the deadlines for producing the required materials: Everyone will be involved in equally producing all of the required materials. Attending all team meetings: It is mandatory that everyone be present at all team meetings.

Each team member should complete one third of the total work required for the project. You will grade your partner’s performance on his/her part of the project. Your evaluation will significantly impact the final grade that each student receives. If you have a problem working with your partner during the semester (because he/she does little or is uncooperative), please let the instructor know right away.

Homework Exercises:

After each chapter presentation, there will be either an in-class exercise or out-of-class homework assigned. For each of these exercises and homework assignments, you will receive credit for effective completion. Your overall grade on the homework will be based on the average grades you have earned for each of these exercises throughout the semester. There will be approximately twelve exercises, and you may drop your three lowest exercise/homework grades.

Please note, if you miss class and therefore miss an in-class exercise, there is no way to make up this assignment. (It will be assigned a grade of zero.) Furthermore, if you miss class, you are responsible for contacting the presenting team to get a copy of the out of class homework. The professor is not responsible for distributing homework assignments if you miss class. All homework exercises are due the following week that they are assigned.

Business Case Project:

The end of semester project in this class consists of a team paper and presentation. For the project, you are to find a business and interview the owner (or someone who works in the IS department if it is a large organization) about how they conduct e-commerce.

A. First, you must identify the business and clear your choice with your professor (each person must have a unique business).

B. Second, create a list of at least ten interview questions for the business owner. For example, you could ask about their current business model and if they conduct any ecommerce? What do they do for marketing? Do they have a website? If not, why not? Do they wish they had one? Do their competitors have one? Do their customers ever ask about their non-existent site?

Another example, if they do have a site, what does it do? What are some neat features of the site or what do they like about the site? Is it merely advertising or can someone buy/sell on it? Did they design it themselves or pay a web designer? Who was the web designer? How long did it take to get it up and running? Are they satisfied with the site? Does it attract new customers? How many hits do they get on the site? Have they tested it for usability? How does the site compare to its competitors?

C. Audiotape the interview and turn it in with the questions and answers typed up (this is a verbatim transcript of the interview and word-for-word answers from the business owner). Please note: one word answers are not acceptable for the interview. Treat this interview like a conversation in which you probe for in-depth answers and rich information on e-commerce. Write a two page paper summarizing the interview, where you highlight key e-commerce activities of the firm (or explain why they don’t have e-commerce and if they should).

D. Create a twenty-minute presentation in which you profile the business (what, where, when, why, the product, pricing strategies, distribution, advertising, etc.), the owner (who), and their e-commerce activities (or lack thereof). Hard copies of the interview questions, transcript, the two-page paper, and PowerPoint presentation are to be handed into the professor on the night that your team presents to the class.

Graduate Work:

In addition to the normal class projects, there is a graduate level project that is also required in this class. For this project, you are to find a current e-commerce book written for practitioners. You are to read this book and write a paper summarizing its key points and discussing how it relates to the activities taking place at your company. Please clear your choice of book with the instructor during the first two weeks of class. The instructor can make recommendations if you have difficulty finding an acceptable text. Further details on this project will be discussed in class. Moreover, presentation of the graduate-level project will take place during the final exam time.

Attendance Policy:

Note that your student catalog states that you are expected to attend class and are responsible for the academic consequences of absence. Furthermore, you are responsible for all requirements of the course regardless of absence. The catalog states: “If your absences total more than 25% in any course, you will receive a grade of N, F or U, whichever is appropriate; if your enrollment in the course continues after the date for withdrawal, with an automatic N, and your level of achievement is equivalent to a D or better, a grade of N will be assigned; otherwise, a grade of F will be assigned.”

For this course, 25% equals 3 absences. Beyond 3 absences, an automatic grade of F will be assigned. Be aware of your absences because this policy will be enforced.

Please DO NOT schedule trips, work, or interviews that will conflict with the final exam period assigned by Winthrop. Winthrop University policies require all students to attend their final exam periods.

Student Code of Conduct:

As noted in Winthrop University’s Student Code of Conduct: “Responsibility for good conduct rests with students as adult individuals.” The policy on student academic misconduct is outline in the Student Conduct Code Academic misconduct Policy in the Student Handbook online at .

Please note that students are expected to be familiar with the University policy on academic dishonesty which is readily available in the Winthrop University Catalog. Any infringement of the academic dishonesty policy is a serious concern and will be dealt with accordingly by this instructor. Such infringement may result in the student being assigned a grade of "F" for the course, or more severe action may be taken. Such infringement will also be reported to the Office of the Vice President for Student Life as outlined in the University Policy.

Students with Disabilities Policy:

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 803-323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your Professor Notification Form, please tell me so that I am aware of your accommodations prior to the first exam.

Assessment:

Please note that there are assessment requirements for this course. The homework assignments and business case assignments will be assessed for the INFD program. This data will be used to address the ecommerce goals for the major.

Course Schedule and Syllabus Change Policy:

Any necessary deviations from the syllabus or course schedule will be announced in class. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to contact a fellow student to learn of changes or to obtain notes for any material covered during a class you miss.

Tentative Course Schedule

|Date |Topic |Readings/Activities |

|8/25 |Course Introduction |Dot Con Film, Groups Assigned |

|9/1 |Introduction to E-commerce |Ch 1, Case Discussion |

|9/8 |E-commerce Business Models |Ch 2, Website Comparison Homework |

|9/15 |Internet and Web |Ch 3, Speaker 3D |

|9/22 |Building an E-commerce Site |Ch 4, List of Interview Questions, Identify |

| | |Company |

|9/29 |Security & Payment |Ch 5, Contact Company & Conduct Interview |

|10/6 |Marketing Concepts |Ch 6, Speaker Stewart Consulting |

|10/13 |Online Marketing Communication |Ch 7, Interview Transcripts |

|10/20 |Fall Break (Note: 10/23 drop deadline) | |

|10/27 |Ethical/Social/Political Issues |Ch 8, Speaker Accessible Computing |

|11/3 |Online Retailing |Ch 9, Paper for Business Case |

|11/10 |Content & Media Online |Ch 10, Speaker Burns Chevrolet |

|11/17 |Social Networks, Auctions, Portals |Ch 11, |

| |Supply Chain Management |Ch 12 |

|11/24 |Business Case Presentations |Projects Due |

|12/1 |Business Case Presentations |Projects Due |

|12/11 |Final Exam – Graduate Student Presentations (6:30pm) |Papers Due |

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