Department of General Business

BLW 537 - LEGAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS

College of Business, Stephen F. Austin State University

Note: This "standard" course syllabus is only a guide. Actual requirements for a particular course and section of this course are described in the course section syllabus, which should be obtained from the course instructor at the beginning of the respective semester. Requirements listed herein are subject to change without notice.

Course: BLW 537 - Legal and Social Environment of Business

Catalog Description:

The legal, social and political basis for government regulation of business activity; the patterns of government regulation in such areas as anti-trust, securities marketing, consumer protection and environmental protection.

Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Interpret the constitutional justification for regulation of business by government and describe the power and limitations upon such regulatory bodies.

2. Characterize the mechanism for regulation - administrative agencies and administrative law.

3. Evaluate the fundamentals of government regulation of competition (anti-trust); securities issuance, marketing, and trading; employment; consumer protection; and exporting and importing.

4. Assess the government regulation and protection for the environment and for intellectual property.

5. Determine the impact of the American legal, economic and political systems on business activities.

6. Compare the American business environment with the business environments of Europe and Japan.

7. Analyze the position of U.S. business in the global market and predict future trends that may influence the American business environment.

8. Describe the demographics of the American population.

9. Describe social forces that have shaped and are shaping American society.

10. Evaluate the ethical standards assumed by various U.S. businesses and formulate an appropriate code of ethics for business conduct.

Topics/Components:

I. The United States and the world

II. American constitutional, political, and economic history

III. Population of the United States

A. Immigration

B. Demographics

IV. The United States Constitution

V. The United States political and economic system

VI. The mechanism for regulation of business

A. Administrative agencies

B. Administrative law

VII. Anti-trust law

VIII. Securities regulation and corporate governance

IX. Employment law and regulation

X. Consumer protection

XI. Export and import regulation

XII. Intellectual property

XIII. Environmental regulation

XIV. Business ethics

XV. Future trends

Textbook:

Evans, D.A. (1993). Legal and Social Environment of American Business. 2nd. Nacogdoches: SFA Bookstore.

Evaluation:

There are two mid-term examinations required. The questions are essay-type, generally dealing with reasons for the existence of regulatory policies, the effects of existing policies on business operations, and possible changes in existing policies and the potential effect thereof. Also required is a research paper on a topic relevant to the subject-matter of the course, and an oral presentation to the class on the subject-matter of the paper. Each mid-term accounts for 25% of the final grade, as does the paper and the presentation.

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