Department of Management, Marketing, and International Business

MGT 464 - ENTREPRENEURIAL FIELD ANALYSIS

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.

Catalog Description: Student teams drawing from basic concepts developed in class and lectures, act as consultants to entrepreneurial firms facing problems associated with growth or the pursuit of opportunity.

Prerequisites: Junior standing and completion of MGT 370, MKT 351, ACC 231 and CSC 121.

Current Textbooks: Field Casework, by Lisa K. Gundry and Aaron A. Buckho, Sage, 1996. Supplemental Texts not required.

Course Overview and Objectives: The textbook that shall be used is listed above. However, a very good book on consulting to small firms is Greenfield, W. M., Successful Management Consulting: Building a Practice with Smaller Company Clients, 1987, Prentice-Hall, which is recommended to be used as supplemental reading.

Management consulting represents one of the largest industries in the world, with over $200 billion in annual revenue; and represents an exciting, and has consistently proven to be one of the most sought after, career opportunity for MBA students. This course offers an opportunity for real world experience in consulting and in learning about managing small firms. It aims to familiarize students with the consultancy industry by introducing them to the fundamentals of management consulting, both from an academic and from a practical perspective.

You will learn a variety of skills - project management, consulting, selling, applied research, etc. - by conducting a problem-solving or opportunity-realizing project for a small business client under the auspices of the Department of Management, Marketing, and International Business and the College of Business.  The focus of the course is on a team-based written and oral report given and presented to the client.

Specific learning objectives for the class include:

1. Gaining an understanding of the consulting process and to develop a logical and systematic process for identifying the problems and opportunities confronting small entrepreneurial firms.
2. Learning how to effectively critique the operations of business and develop the ability to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the enterprise in order to make an impact on the business and its ability to achieve sustainable growth.
3. Develop your capacity to think strategically about a small business in a complex and changing environment.
4. Integrate knowledge and skills from previous coursework and business experience to add value to the emerging enterprise and deliver a final consulting project.
5. To think and act entrepreneurially!

Please note that this is not a normal traditional course. It is recommended for highly motivated, strong students only. It is largely an independent study and requires an ability and desire for self-direction. It also requires the ability to be a fully contributing member of a team, with the willingness to meet with your team-mate and client at times agreeable to all parties. Good writing skills are also a prerequisite for this course.

Evaluation:
Test on Field Casework   10%                                                 
Presentations on challenges and lessons learned: 15%
Reports to clients: (oral 30%; written 45%): 75.0%
Reports are graded on the basis of their professionalism and value added for the client.

Course Coordinator:  Dr. Philip E. Stetz

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