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Introduction to Business

Don’t let gaps in your know-how slow you down. Master the business fundamentals, sharpen your skills, and own the game like a professional. 

(INTRO-BUS.AS1) / ISBN : 978-1-64459-734-7
Lessons
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About This Course

This introduction to business course covers everything from economics and ethics to global trade, entrepreneurship, and financial management…we focus on giving you the real-world knowledge to thrive.

Dive into core concepts like customer satisfaction, corporate responsibility, and competitive strategy. Learn how economic systems shape markets, what it takes to lead a team, and how to price products for success.

From small-business ownership to multinational corporations, you’ll explore operations management, HR strategies, and legal environments. 

Skills You’ll Get

  • Economic systems  
  • Corporate social responsibility  
  • Global trade    
  • Entrepreneurship 
  • Sole proprietorships  
  • Partnerships &Franchising  
  • Mergers & acquisitions  
  • Organizational structure  
  • Human resources  
  • Supply chain efficiency  
  • Product planning & development
  • Pricing strategies  
  • Market segmentation  
  • Advertising & sales promotion
  • Retail & distribution  
  • E-commerce  
  • Financial accounting  
  • Securities markets  
  • Risk management  
  • Business law  
Download Course Outline

1

Preface

2

Understanding Economic Systems and Business

  • Introduction
  • The Nature of Business
  • Understanding the Business Environment
  • How Business and Economics Work
  • Macroeconomics: The Big Picture
  • Achieving Macroeconomic Goals
  • Microeconomics: Zeroing in on Businesses and Consumers
  • Competing in a Free Market
  • Trends in the Business Environment and Competition
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
3

Making Ethical Decisions and Managing a Socially Responsible Business

  • Introduction
  • Understanding Business Ethics
  • How Organizations Influence Ethical Conduct
  • Managing a Socially Responsible Business
  • Responsibilities to Stakeholders
  • Trends in Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
4

Competing in the Global Marketplace

  • Introduction
  • Global Trade in the United States
  • Why Nations Trade
  • Barriers to Trade
  • Fostering Global Trade
  • International Economic Communities
  • Participating in the Global Marketplace
  • Threats and Opportunities in the Global Marketplace
  • The Impact of Multinational Corporations
  • Trends in Global Competition
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
5

Forms of Business Ownership

  • Introduction
  • Going It Alone: Sole Proprietorships
  • Partnerships: Sharing the Load
  • Corporations: Limiting Your Liability
  • Specialized Forms of Business Organization
  • Franchising: A Popular Trend
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Trends in Business Ownership
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
6

Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing Your Own Business

  • Introduction
  • Entrepreneurship Today
  • Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs
  • Small Business: Driving America's Growth
  • Ready, Set, Start Your Own Business
  • Managing a Small Business
  • Small Business, Large Impact
  • The Small Business Administration
  • Trends in Entrepreneurship and Small-Business Ownership
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
7

Management and Leadership in Today's Organizations

  • Introduction
  • The Role of Management
  • Planning
  • Organizing
  • Leading, Guiding, and Motivating Others
  • Controlling
  • Managerial Roles
  • Managerial Skills
  • Trends in Management and Leadership
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
8

Designing Organizational Structures

  • Introduction
  • Building Organizational Structures
  • Contemporary Structures
  • Using Teams to Enhance Motivation and Performance
  • Authority—Establishing Organizational Relationships
  • Degree of Centralization
  • Organizational Design Considerations
  • The Informal Organization
  • Trends in Organizational Structure
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
9

Managing Human Resources and Labor Relations

  • Introduction
  • Achieving High Performance through Human Resources Management
  • Employee Recruitment
  • Employee Selection
  • Employee Training and Development
  • Performance Planning and Evaluation
  • Employee Compensation and Benefits
  • The Labor Relations Process
  • Managing Grievances and Conflicts
  • Legal Environment of Human Resources and Labor Relations
  • Trends in Human Resource Management and Labor Relations
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
10

  Motivating Employees

  • Introduction
  • Early Theories of Motivation
  • The Hawthorne Studies
  • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
  • McGregor's Theories X and Y
  • Herzberg's Motivator-Hygiene Theory
  • Contemporary Views on Motivation
  • From Motivation Theory to Application
  • Trends in Employee Motivation
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
11

Achieving World-Class Operations Management

  • Introduction
  • Production and Operations Management—An Overview
  • The Production Process: How Do We Make It?
  • Location, Location, Location: Where Do We Make It?
  • Pulling It Together: Resource Planning
  • Production and Operations Control
  • Looking for a Better Way: Improving Production and Operations
  • Transforming the Factory Floor with Technology
  • Trends in Production and Operations Management
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
12

Creating Products and Pricing Strategies to Meet Customers' Needs

  • Introduction
  • The Marketing Concept
  • Creating a Marketing Strategy
  • Developing a Marketing Mix
  • Buyer Behavior
  • Market Segmentation
  • What Is a Product?
  • Creating Products That Deliver Value
  • The Product Life Cycle
  • Pricing Strategies and Future Trends
  • Trends in Developing Products and Pricing
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
13

Distributing and Promoting Products and Services

  • Introduction
  • The Nature and Functions of Distribution (Place)
  • Wholesaling
  • The Competitive World of Retailing
  • Using Supply Chain Management to Increase Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction
  • Promotion Strategy
  • The Huge Impact of Advertising
  • The Importance of Personal Selling
  • Sales Promotion
  • Public Relations Helps Build Goodwill
  • Trends in Social Media
  • Trends in E-Commerce
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
14

Using Technology to Manage Information

  • Introduction
  • Transforming Businesses through Information
  • Linking Up: Computer Networks
  • Management Information Systems
  • Technology Management and Planning
  • Protecting Computers and Information
  • Trends in Information Technology
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
15

Using Financial Information and Accounting

  • Introduction
  • Accounting: More than Numbers
  • The Accounting Profession
  • Basic Accounting Procedures
  • The Balance Sheet
  • The Income Statement
  • The Statement of Cash Flows
  • Analyzing Financial Statements
  • Trends in Accounting
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
16

Understanding Money and Financial Institutions

  • Introduction
  • Show Me the Money
  • The Federal Reserve System
  • U.S. Financial Institutions
  • Insuring Bank Deposits
  • International Banking
  • Trends in Financial Institutions
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
17

Understanding Financial Management and Securities Markets

  • Introduction
  • The Role of Finance and the Financial Manager
  • How Organizations Use Funds
  • Obtaining Short-Term Financing
  • Raising Long-Term Financing
  • Equity Financing
  • Securities Markets
  • Buying and Selling at Securities Exchanges
  • Trends in Financial Management and Securities Markets
  • Summary of Learning Outcomes
  • Preparing for Tomorrow's Workplace Skills
  • Ethics Activity
  • Working the Net
  • Critical Thinking Case
  • Hot Links Address Book
18

Your Career in Business

  • Introduction
  • Learn the Basics of Business
  • Developing Interpersonal Skills Is Key to Your Success
  • Make Your Future Happen: Learn to Plan
  • Going to College Is an Opportunity of a Lifetime—Never Drop Out
  • Get Your Career Off on the Right Track
  • Self-Test Scoring Guidelines
A

Appendix A Understanding the Legal and Tax Environment

  • Understanding the Legal Environment
  • Contract Law
  • Understanding the Tax Environment of Business

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An introduction to business online course covers the fundamentals of business operations, including economics, ethics, marketing, finance, and management. It provides a broad understanding of how businesses function, compete, and adapt in today’s global market.

  • Identify a viable business idea.
  • Conduct market research.
  • Create a business plan.
  • Secure funding (loans, investors, or bootstrapping).
  • Choose a legal structure (sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation).
  • Register your business and obtain licenses.
  • Build a brand and launch your product/service.

  

  • Develop a clear strategy and business model.
  • Understand your target market deeply.
  • Manage finances efficiently (cash flow, budgeting).
  • Build a strong team and delegate effectively.
  • Adapt to industry trends and technology.
  • Prioritize customer satisfaction and retention.
  • Maintain ethical practices and corporate responsibility.
  • Continuously learn and improve (courses, mentors, networking).

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