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General information

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Jesus Ezequiel Martínez Marín

Trimester: First term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Patricia Crespo Sogas

Teaching languages

The material can be in Catalan, Spanish or English

Skills

Specific skills

  • Demostrar capacitat per comunicar de manera fluida en llengua espanyola, catalana i anglesa de forma oral i escrita en l'entorn de la logística i els negocis marítims

  • Interpret the economic, financial and accounting status of a company or business unit to take appropriate measures in its management

  • Identify the basic economic concepts, as well as the microeconomic and macroeconomic functioning of the markets

Description

The subject of Introduction to Business Management is a first contact with the world of business management and studies the role of the company and entrepreneurs in society.

It allows to understand the main economic and social indicators to evaluate the operation of the company, to then focus on the basic principles of business management: management, organization, planning and control.

The classroom (physical or virtual) is a safe space, free of sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory attitudes, either towards students or teachers. We trust that together we can create a safe space where we can make mistakes and learn without having to suffer the prejudices of others.

Learning outcomes

  • Evaluate economically and socially the operation of a company
  • Evaluate the organization of a company
  • Evaluate the managerial function
  • Know how to use forecasting and business planning tools
  • Know how to establish management control mechanisms

Working methodology

Theoretical sessions

 

 

 

MD1. Master class: Expository class sessions based on the teacher's explanation attended by all students enrolled in the subject.

MD4. Video capsules: Resource in video format, which includes contents or demonstrations of the thematic axes of the subjects. These capsules are integrated into the structure of the subject and serve students to review as many times as necessary the ideas or proposals that the teacher needs to highlight in their classes.

 Guided learning

 

 

MD5. Seminars: Face-to-face format in small work groups (between 14 and 40). These are sessions linked to the face-to-face sessions of the subject that allow to offer a practical perspective of the subject and in which the participation of the student is key.

 MD7. Case study: Dynamics that starts from the study of a case, which serves to contextualize the student in a specific situation, the teacher can propose different activities, both individually and in groups, among their students.

 Autonomous learning 

MD9. Solving exercises and problems: Non-contact activity dedicated to the resolution of practical exercises based on the data provided by the teacher.

 

 

 

Contents

Topic 1: The company and its administration

1.1. Concept of business and administration

1.2. Types of companies

1.3. Current challenges for business administration

1.4. Economic assessment of the operation of the company

1.4.1. Productivity

1.4.2. Profitability

1.4.3. The deadlock

Topic 2: Business planning

2.1. The forecast and the analysis of the environment

2.2. Concept of planning: Different levels of planning

2.3. Types of plans

            2.3.1. Permanent plans

            2.3.2. Temporary plans

Topic 3: Control in the company

3.1. Information systems for control

3.2. The control process

            3.2.1. Critical variables and management indicators

            3.2.2. The record of results

            3.3.3. The analysis of deviations

            3.3.4. Corrective actions

Topic 4: The organization of the company

4.1. Definition and design of the organizational structure

4.2 The parts of the organization

4.3. The organizational chart: horizontal and vertical design

4.4. Coordination mechanisms

Topic 5: The management of the company

5.1. Principles, functions and reality of managerial work

5.2. Variables that condition the direction function

5.2.1. The motivation of workers

5.2.2. Leadership styles

Item 6. Brief summary of new trends in management and organization

 

 

Learning activities

The following training activities will be carried out:

1. Team work

2. Seminars

3. Theoretical sessions

4. Personal study

Evaluation system

The final mark of the subject will be conformed by the weighting of marks of different activities of continuous evaluation, which will be raised during the course, plus the final exam:

CONTINUOUS EVALUATION (60% of the grade)

  • Practical cases carried out through teamwork (20% of the mark)

There will be 4 practical cases, each of which will have a weight of 5%, which will involve the following team activities:

  1. Previous work of reading the case and individual answer of previous questions
  2. Discussion of the case in class between the different teams
  3. Preparation by each team of a report on the case
  • Work on a topic, to choose from, on new business administration challenges (15% of the mark)

This work will involve carrying out a series of team activities that will be detailed during the subject.

  • Taking a partial exam (25% of the grade)

FINAL EXAM (40% of the mark)

The final exam will consist of different theoretical and practical questions. A minimum score of 5 points out of 10 must be obtained in the final exam: this exam will consist of different assessment parts and a minimum score of 4 must be obtained in each of these parts and that the average mark of the marks of the different parts is at least 5 points.

Recovery test

  • The grade for the continuous assessment will be saved and cannot be retrieved. Only the final exam can be retaken.
  • To recover the mark of the final exam, students who are in the following situations may take the resit test:
    1. If the average of the final exam is passed but less than 4 has been obtained in any of the parts, the part or parts with less than 4 must be recovered.
    2. If the average of the final exam is suspended, all parts below 5 points must be recovered. 
  • As in the ordinary assessment, the final mark remaining from the final examination after recovery must be at least 5 points to pass. 
  • A student who has not taken the first exam can NOT take the retake.

 

 

Bibliography

Basic

ROBBINS, SP and COULTER, MC (2014): Administration. Ed. Pearson. Mexico. 12th edition

GIL ESTALLO, MA, GINER DE LA FUENTE, F (2013), How to create and run a company. Madrid. Ed. Esic. 9th edition.

Chip Conley (2017). PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow Revised and Updated. 2nd Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc

Complementary

https://hbr.org/2018/08/3-kinds-of-jobs-that-will-thrive-as-automation-advances

https://singularityhub.com/2016/05/17/a-big-shift-is-coming-and-it-could-uber-ize-entire-industries/