assignment introduction to business

Instructors
Institutions
Teaching Strategies
Higher Ed Trends
Academic Leadership
Affordability
Product Updates

Teaching Introduction to Business with Mini-Projects

Article Summary

Mini-projects are quick, low-stakes assignments that help bolster student understanding
When supplemented by MindTap activities and textbook readings, mini-projects help students relate course material to real-world applications
Mini-projects can build student confidence in speaking, engaging with others and presenting in class

Dr . Elizabeth Cameron is a Professor of Law, Cybersecurity & Management at Alma College

Teaching Introduction to Business provides a unique opportunity to inspire students to study Business and kickstart their careers. Actively engaging students in class discussion can excite them about the course topics, improve assessment scores, increase Business majors and improve retention .

One way to do this is by using mini-projects. Mini-projects are quick, low stakes and engaging exercises that help students apply course material in a memorable way. The key is to not overcomplicate the exercises or make them too time consuming.

Professors can use a bonus point incentive to grade these or mark them as engagement points. I assign mini-projects frequently and don’t award points because students love them so much that they willingly do them. These projects are also scalable for larger classes and can be done in breakout rooms with the most interesting ideas being shared with the entire class.

As an instructor, I have found the “Why Does it Matter to Me?” and “Learn It” assignments in MindTap to be a great prelude to mini-projects. The “Why Does it Matter to Me?” assignments help students better understand why the content matters in real life. Then, when the professor links the pre-learning to a mini-project, it cements this knowledge. The “Learn It” sections are also great ways for students to learn terms, definitions and elements. All of this advance learning application in MindTap helps improve the value of mini-projects and results in higher assessment scores.

Below are some of the mini-projects with MindTap that have been successful in my Introduction to Business class. For these activities, I reference chapters in my Foundations of Business , 6th Edition text. All of these mini-projects can be done face-to-face or online with modifications.

1. What Motivates You?

This goal of this mini-project is to have students link motivation theories to real-life application.

Before Class : Have students read chapter 10 on motivating employees, complete MindTap assignment(s) and come prepared to share one item that motivates them.

During Class : Ask students to identify one strategy to motivate employees when money is not an option. This is fun because you will see students build on each other’s comments, whether in the classroom or online. As a follow up activity, ask students, “How would you motivate your classmates?” If you assign group work like I do, this helps your students encourage one another.

2. Stranded at Sea & The Key to Effective Decision-Making

This project focuses on building critical thinking and identifying a problem or opportunity in the decision-making process. I actually led this assignment on Microsoft Teams and it worked just as well as in person.

Before Class : Have students read assigned chapter 6 on management and complete the corresponding activities.

During Class : Go over the steps in the decision-making process then ask students to comment on which step they think is the most difficult. They will have a variety of answers, with few students saying it is hard to identify the problem or opportunity (as not everything is a problem).

Next comes the fun part. Tell an outrageous stranded at sea fact pattern using numbers based on the size of your class, such as:

“The students in the class are traveling by ship to Portugal for a business conference and a sudden storm erupts. The ship sinks into the ocean and the only survivors are the students in the class — all others have perished. Your professor is not with you and is unlikely to immediately look for you. No remains of the ship are visible. You see that four of the students are hurt, and six students have no life jackets.”

Then, have students sit on the floor and “tread water.” Ask, “What is your problem or opportunity?” Students will start with food, sharks, water, injured classmates, etc., which are all symptoms of a greater problem or opportunity. A student usually spots an island. If they don’t, you can interject with this fact.

Once students are on the island, ask the question again: “What is your problem or opportunity?” Students will suggest getting food, starting a fire, helping the injured, etc. Then ask, “Are your problems over once you reach the island?” Typically, at least one student will say no, and that the problem or opportunity is “How will we function? Who will lead and how will we survive?” If the problem or opportunity is misdiagnosed, more people will perish.

Whether online or in-person, make sure to have students “tread water” to put them in a real frame of mind. Also, make sure to embellish the facts each semester as this exercise becomes legendary.

After this exercise, students will have learned a valuable lesson that correctly diagnosing the problem or opportunity is key to effective decision making.

3. Product Classifications

This project helps students better understand the product classifications and how marketing tactics change for each classification.

Before Class : Have students read the content on consumer product classifications in chapter 12, complete MindTap assignments and come to class to class prepared to talk about a product they purchased and its classification (i.e., convenience product, shopping product, specialty product, etc.). I give an example of a unique woven beach mat I purchased while in Hawaii.

During Class : Students will bring a variety of examples such as food, clothing, sports equipment or technology. What is very helpful about this assignment is that students often misclassify these goods. They correct themselves and revise their classifications as they hear their classmates’ examples.

In person, students give answers in a round robin fashion. When teaching online, I allow students to give verbal answers or post in the chat. Students enjoy this activity because they like talking about what they purchase and why. They leave with a solid understanding of product classifications and how businesses market products differently.

4. Shark Tank Analysis

This project lets students pull together information from all chapters in the book and apply it to a real-life entrepreneurial venture. I discuss the assignment on the first day of class and have it submitted in the last few weeks of the course.

Before Class : Have students select an episode of Shark Tank and focus on one entrepreneur’s pitch. Students then write a one-page reflection on issues, concerns, recommendations and other connections to the course with little repetition of the facts.

During Class : Each student gives a five-minute presentation that demonstrates how their business learning applies to that entrepreneur’s pitch. Students also provide business recommendations to the entrepreneur. For online courses, you can use Bongo within MindTap to have students record a video presentation.

It’s amazing how students notice the topics that were covered in the course. I was also very surprised by which Shark Tank episodes interest students and how fun these class discussions are. For example, “ Squatty Potty ” was more engaging and hilarious than expected. If you have many sections or a large class, consider putting students into teams for this project.

5. Vacations and Hotel Stays

This mini-project aligns with the chapter on marketing and market segmentation. This is a new concept for most students and not always easy to understand.

Before Class : Have students read chapter 11 on building customer relations, complete MindTap assignments and think about a vacation they took, jotting down where they lodged and why.

During Class : Do a market segmentation mapping on the physical or virtual whiteboard with all the places students have stayed. Student answers typically include cheaper hotels (i.e., Super 8) mid-range (i.e., Holiday Inn) above mid-range (i.e., Sheraton) and some real high end (i.e., Ritz-Carlton). For online classes, expect the chat feature to blow up as students really engage with this activity.

After this exercise, students will better understand target markets and the ways that businesses segment the market to target a service or product to a specific group of people.

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

This project aligns with the “building customer relationships through effective marketing” marketing chapter and sub-topic. The exercise blends discussion on effective CRM, best management practices, marketing follow-up and effective business communication.

Before Class : Have students read chapter 11 on building customer relationships, complete MindTap assignments and think about a business that they continue to frequent because of great customer relationship management. Or, have them consider a business that has lost their patronage and why.

During Class : I put students into groups to discuss, then have them share their most interesting CRM story with the class. When time permits, I let all students share their stories.

After listening to their classmates’ stories on effective and ineffective CRM, students have a better understanding of the importance of a solid CRM plan.

Final Thoughts on Teaching Introduction to Business

Mini-projects are fun for discussion, but they also build student confidence in speaking, engaging with others and presenting in class. As an unintended benefit, these mini-projects also improve attendance, college retention and class friendships.

Every professor can benefit by letting students do more of the discussion. I believe learning goes full circle, and that professors learn as much from our students as they do from us. And above all, students learn a lot from each other. Share the floor, and you will find students more engaged and more excited about the material and your course.

For more teaching resources, check out this post on promoting student collaboration virtually and in person.

Banner image of several portraits of peoples' faces

BUS101: Introduction to Business

Course introduction.

Time: 62 hours
College Credit Recommended ($25 Proctor Fee) -->
Free Certificate

Course Syllabus

First, read the course syllabus. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me". Click Unit 1 to read its introduction and learning outcomes. You will then see the learning materials and instructions on how to use them.

Unit 1: The Context of Business

This unit covers the basic concepts that give context to a business. We explore economic and historical information governments use to make decisions, which provides a foundation for future decision-making. You will learn about productivity, the business cycle, the impact of business on society, economic trends and policies, and elements of global business. We will examine the financial meltdown of 2008, including the government bailout of AIG and General Motors, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which provide teachable moments in economic policy and business cycles.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 15 hours.

Unit 2: Entrepreneurship and Legal Forms of Business

In this unit, we explore various forms of ownership (sole proprietorship, partnerships, and corporations) that affect how businesses are taxed, how profits are distributed, and what regulations must be followed. The form of ownership you choose corresponds to the growth, taxation, and future of your company. We also examine some techniques business owners use to analyze profitability. We review the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, how small businesses impact the economy, and the role of the Small Business Administration in the United States.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 10 hours.

Unit 3: Marketing

Marketing encompasses more than simple advertising and selling. It describes the activity businesses engage in to create, communicate, deliver, and exchange their products to their customers, clients, partners, and society. Business owners not only aim to provide customers with the goods and services they want and need, but they also need to convince them to make a purchase and come back for more. It involves the product, price, distribution, and promotion in the form of advertisements, publicity, public relations, and sales promotion. We will explore e-commerce, e-business, and the use of social media marketing.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 9 hours.

Unit 4: Accounting, Finance, and Banking

Every day, business owners make financial decisions that will affect every phase of the business operation, such as payroll, cash flow, and projecting future growth. A thorough understanding of accounting and financial management allows business owners to find the best sources and use of funds. For example, you can derive an accurate measure of the health of your business from the income statement, balance sheets, and financial ratios. We investigate financing options, how to analyze credit, and the time value of money. We also examine how banks, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank, affect the ability of businesses to obtain financing.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 12 hours.

Unit 5: Management

The management practices that a business adopts will inform how well it can achieve its goals and respond to changes in the workplace. For-profit and nonprofit companies achieve their goals through the four steps of management: planning, organizing, controlling, and leading. Technical, conceptual, and interpersonal skills are essential to the management process. It also involves using human, financial, and informational resources. In this unit, we explore how successful business management requires teamwork, communication, creating a clear corporate mission and culture, following good business ethics, and committing to social responsibility.

Completing this unit should take you approximately 16 hours.

Study Guide

This study guide will help you get ready for the final exam. It discusses the key topics in each unit, walks through the learning outcomes, and lists important vocabulary. It is not meant to replace the course materials!

Course Feedback Survey

Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses. I f you come across any urgent problems, email [email protected].

Certificate Final Exam

Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt. Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate .

Saylor Direct Credit

Take this exam if you want to earn college credit for this course . This course is eligible for college credit through Saylor Academy's Saylor Direct Credit Program .

The Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam requires a proctoring fee of $5 . To pass this course and earn a Credly Badge and official transcript , you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on the Saylor Direct Credit Final Exam. Your grade for this exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again a maximum of 3 times , with a 14-day waiting period between each attempt.

We are partnering with SmarterProctoring to help make the proctoring fee more affordable. We will be recording you, your screen, and the audio in your room during the exam. This is an automated proctoring service, but no decisions are automated; recordings are only viewed by our staff with the purpose of making sure it is you taking the exam and verifying any questions about exam integrity. We understand that there are challenges with learning at home - we won't invalidate your exam just because your child ran into the room!

Requirements:

Desktop Computer
Chrome (v74+)
Webcam + Microphone
1mbps+ Internet Connection

Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a Credly Badge and can request an official transcript .

Saylor Direct Credit Exam

This exam is part of the Saylor Direct College Credit program. Before attempting this exam, review the Saylor Direct Credit page for complete requirements.

Essential exam information:

You must take this exam with our automated proctor. If you cannot, please contact us to request an override.
The automated proctoring session will cost $5 .
This is a closed-book, closed-notes exam (see allowed resources below).
You will have two (2) hours to complete this exam.
You have up to 3 attempts, but you must wait 14 days between consecutive attempts of this exam.
The passing grade is 70% or higher.
This exam consists of 48 multiple-choice questions.

Some details about taking your exam:

Exam questions are distributed across multiple pages.
Exam questions will have several plausible options; be sure to pick the answer that best satisfies each part of the question.
Your answers are saved each time you move to another page within the exam.
You can answer the questions in any order.
You can go directly to any question by clicking its number in the navigation panel.
You can flag a question to remind yourself to return to it later.
You will receive your grade as soon as you submit your answers.

Allowed resources:

Gather these resources before you start your exam.

Blank paper

What should I do before my exam?

Gather these before you start your exam:
A photo I.D. to show before your exam.
A credit card to pay the automated proctoring fee.
(optional) Blank paper and pencil.
(optional) A glass of water.
Make sure your work area is well-lit and your face is visible.
We will be recording your screen, so close any extra tabs!
Disconnect any extra monitors attached to your computer.
You will have up to two (2) hours to complete your exam. Try to make sure you won't be interrupted during that time!
You will require at least 1mbps of internet bandwidth. Ask others sharing your connection not to stream during your exam.
Take a deep breath; you got this!

Introduction to Business

(12 reviews)

Lawrence J. Gitman

Carl McDaniel

Monique Reece

Linda Koffel

Bethann Talsma

James C. Hyatt

ISBN 13: 9781947172555

Publisher: OpenStax

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Melissa Polen, Instructor, Rogue Community College on 8/23/23

This textbook covers a lot of material, which is great for an introductory course! I do wish there was more information on the various sections within a business plan though. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This textbook covers a lot of material, which is great for an introductory course! I do wish there was more information on the various sections within a business plan though.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

After reviewing the errata list, I have found that many of the reported errors were correct. Additionally, after reviewing the textbook myself, I found the information to be accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

While this textbook was written in 2018, it was last updated in 2023. The content presented seems up-to-date, providing students with real-world examples that are relevant to their coursework. I think there will always be room for updates, especially around management and including information from the past few years of the pandemic.

Clarity rating: 5

All content is clearly written.

Consistency rating: 5

The layout of the chapters are clear and easy-to-understand. The various tables and figures throughout each chapter are extremely helpful to visualize the information.

Modularity rating: 5

I found this textbook very easy to work with!

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

When reviewing the table of contents, I found the topics to be a logical order.

Interface rating: 5

I have had no issues with viewing this book online in a variety of formats.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No issues to report.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I believe the textbook was well diversified throughout. I think this is another area that will continue to evolve as it is updated.

I have really enjoyed this textbook and looking forward to using other textbooks from OpenStax.

Reviewed by Zachary Ward, Assistant Professor of Health Administration, University of Southern Indiana on 4/18/22

This book does a fantastic job of covering every possible aspect of business (from finance to labor management, to technology, and so forth) in a very concise and succinct way. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book does a fantastic job of covering every possible aspect of business (from finance to labor management, to technology, and so forth) in a very concise and succinct way.

To my knowledge, this text does not contain any gross errors. The authors do a great job or presenting content in a way that appears to be free of bias.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text serves as an introductory text for business. With that said, there’s not too many areas, as far as foundational principles are concerned, that become “out of date”. However, the structure of the book is such that updating areas would be easy to implement.

Each chapter contains a “key terms” section where terms from each chapter are defined. Further, this text is written in a way that flows well and is easily understandable to the lay person.

Each chapter in the text follows the same basic outline. There is an introduction that sets the stage for the major concept(s) that will be discussed in the chapter. Additionally, each chapter opens with learning outcomes listed.

Each chapter is divided into smaller sections, which makes the chapters more reader and learner friendly. The online version of the text is designed in a way that each module in the chapter is on one page, which ends needless scrolling for information. Further, the study guide that’s available for each chapter is very useful, too.

There is an obvious flow within the text. The first chapter lays out the principles of business. From there, the text progresses from ethics to marketplace to structure to strategies to finance.

I have not found any interface issues in the online version of the text (which is what I prefer to use).

From my use of the text, I have not found any gross errors from a grammar perspective.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

In my reading/review/use of this text, I have not encountered any cases where there was an issue of the text being insensitive or offensive in any way.

Reviewed by Mark Elton, Senior Instructor of Marketing, Western Oregon University on 3/7/22

Intro to business is a survey course and quickly covers a multitude of topics; breadth not depth is the main goal. This book does a good job of briefly touching on the salient points. read more

Intro to business is a survey course and quickly covers a multitude of topics; breadth not depth is the main goal. This book does a good job of briefly touching on the salient points.

I have used the book for multiple terms now and have not found any major errors in the information presented.

The general concepts of business don't change very much over time. The case studies and examples are constantly changing. There is always the next big thing as well. The textbook does a good job of keeping the information basic and evergreen. I ask the students to provide more up to date examples and talk about the latest trends.

Very straight forward. Easy to read and digest.

Each chapter is the same with an opening story that illustrates some major ideas of the chapters and allows the instructor to refer back to it throughout the discussion.

Each chapter is a new theme or aspect of business and can be presented independently, skipped or expanded upon.

The flow has worked well for me.

Interface rating: 3

I prefer a printed textbook. I don't like the PDF

Not really sure if there are no errors or not. I didn't see any and grammar and usage errors usually jump of the page.

I did not find the text to be insensitive or offensive in any way.

This book has served me well.

Reviewed by Doreen Lawrence, Adjunct Professor, Cape Cod Community College on 6/26/21

This text does an excellent job covering the basic concepts of an Introduction to Business course. The features of the text are especially relevant with up-to-date examples of what’s happening in today’s organizations, ethical issues to make students think, and critical thinking questions for lively discussions. Each chapter begins with Learning Outcomes, and ends with a review of the Learning Outcomes.

The text is accurate, with no errors found.

The text is up-to-date, with highly relevant materials. The text provides students with several features to help with the understanding of course materials. There are several features, and one of them is, Ethics in Practice, which is especially relevant in an introduction to business course. There is another section on Expanding Around the Globe, which helps students understand our global economy, and the reliance we have on one another around the world. There are several other features that add richness to the course. These examples should be updated on a regular basis to remain current.

The clarity of the text is clear, concise, and well suited for early college use. Students will learn new terminology throughout each chapter, with definitions and a glossary at the end of each chapter.

Pages are laid out in an easy-to-read manner.

You do not have to follow the order of the text. Chapters can be presented in a different sequence. The chapters are sectioned and summarized, for ease of modular use.

The text follows a logical approach in the order of topics, similar to other Introduction to Business textbooks.

There were no interface issues. Navigating from one page to another, or from one chapter to the glossary was done with ease. The photos used were clear and relevant; however, I feel there could have been more photos used.

No grammatical errors were found.

The text was culturally appropriate with no biases.

The text gives professors information, tips, case studies, in-text videos, ethics activities, and other experiential activities needed for an interesting, informative and lively course. The materials were enough to keep my 3-hour class fully engaged with various activities that tied into the concepts for each chapter. The students enjoyed using the text because of the easy-to-read layout, the easy online navigation, and most of all students appreciated the fact that the text was free. Students were given detailed instructions on how to download the text. Professors were given Guided Lecture Notes; Instructor Manual; Test Bank; Video Guide; and Power Points for each chapter. If I had to change one thing, it would be the content of the Power Points. Most of the power points had Concept Check discussion questions. I would have liked to see more information about the concepts covered, along with illustrations. The authors did state that their power points was a starting point for instructors to build their lectures. Overall, I successfully used this text in the past, and plan on using it again next semester.

Reviewed by Jon-Michael Kowertz, Adjunct Professor, Portland Community College on 6/14/21

For an “Intro” book, all and all very through and comprehensive book covering the basic fundamentals of the business world. read more

For an “Intro” book, all and all very through and comprehensive book covering the basic fundamentals of the business world.

I did not find any errors in the chapters that I scanned.

The challenge with any books, especially business books with the need and importance to include relevant and real-life examples and case studies. Unfortunately, all of those stories are short-lived and perishable until the next big story makes them obsolete and stall.

Basic use of business language, vocabulary and terminology is used throughout and builds upon each, reinforces importance for future business classes as to be expected from an Intro to Business book for first year and second year students with little to no business background.

The chapter’s content is laid out with consistency throughout the book, following the same and similar format: Introduction, Concept Checks, Catching the Entrepreneurial Spirit, Managing Change, Key Terms and End of Chapter exercise and resources.

Modularity rating: 4

It does not appear that the book is set-up using a modular approach or using sections to breakdown the 17 chapters in 4-5 broad sections or modules. Consider using a common modular format that include Business Basics, Marketing, Operations and Finance.

The books organization and structure flows nicely with little changes will be required for my four modular-approach to implement into a 10 week term.

The book’s interface is a little clumsy using the PDF reader. I like some of the other publisher’s reading platforms. I do like the highlighting feature and would prefer a snippet tool. I should probably download Acrobat Pro DC to get more robust features of the book’s interface.

I’m not an English major or editing expert lol but nothing jumped out at me as being grammatically incorrect.

The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It should make use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Great question, this is always going to be a sensitive concern. As with most books there will always be shortcoming is providing meaningful cultural relevance.

A little text heavy without many pictures. Or pictures of people (with smiles lol), especially BIPOC. Loved the graphics. I've always liked helpings students make the connection between business and personal life. Especially, valuable to students not on a business degree pathway. Here’s my chapter notes for general feedback as part of my book review: 1 Understanding Economic Systems and Business Great, simple and well round presentation in economics and banking. 2 Making Ethical Decisions and Managing a Socially Responsible Business Complicated topic of ethics. Very relevant to incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Would be nice to include more information on “Benefit Company”. 3 Competing in the Global Marketplace I’d like to see more discussion and exercise on foreign exchange rates. Students have a tough time understanding and applying this LO, which I consider fundamentally important in global trade. Even some simple examples of tourist shopping aboard would help 4 Forms of Business Ownership Nice overview of the different business structures available. Would be nice to add “Not-for-Profits” organizations to compare and contrast other business types. 5 Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing Your Own Business One of my favorite chapters in the book. This chapter both transcends and reinforces other learning objectives throughout the book. 6 Management and Leadership in Today's Organizations Could expand more about the difference between manager vs leaders. Reinforce the importance of honing leadership skills and the value in the workplace because employers want to hire leaders. 7 Designing Organizational Structures It will be interesting if the ”COVID fallout” continues to support work from home or if employers demand telework employees to return to the office. Organizational structures will continue to change. 8 Managing Human Resources and Labor Relations I like highlighting the importance of Managing Workplace Diversity. Consider comparing employee vs contractor rules and regulations as part of the gig economy. Could also update based on the work from home mandates related to COVID closures, etc. Other issues to highlight gender pay gaps, Family Medical Leave (FML), Personal Time Off (PTO), and Minimum wage mandates. 10 Achieving World-Class Operations Management While mentioned on the following page could consider adding Six Sigma graph. Consider using some examples of the COVID related shortages from panic buying. Just-in-time inventory has weaknesses from unexpected buying surges as we have seen over the last 18 months. 12 Distributing and Promoting Products and Services Chapter 12 are the most popular to the sales and marketing students. I would recommend using the term “consumer persona” as a tool for market segmentation summarized in the chapter. To help be consistent with the “4 P’s of Marketing” make the connection with the previous chapter’s LO. “Promotion and Distribution (aka ‘Place’)”. 13 Using Technology to Manage Information Big time chapter and students have an overwhelming interest in starting a web-based business endeavor. I would like to see more emphasis on online privacy as people are not aware of how technology and social media platforms uses cookies, etc to track and sell consumer behavior. Big shift to record online sales transactions as a result of COVID. 15 Understanding Money and Financial Institutions “Financing Small Business Activities” could revisit product lifecycle to align sales with appropriate funding options. Meaning early phase startups are usually not strong candidates for traditional bank loans. Definitely include/expand crowdfunding/crowdsourcing for startups. 16 Understanding Financial Management and Securities Markets Great job presenting a complicated topic of investing. Consider expanding and diving deeper on the subject of IPO’s. 17 Your Career in Business Love this chapter, I do not cover this chapter but do have an individual assignment for a resume and LinkedIn profile.

Reviewed by Julie Stewart, Associate Professor, Community College of Aurora on 5/29/21

This text provides an excellent overview of business with a comprehensive index. The book clearly outlines resources and further readings for continued study of a particular topic. The text did not expand on franchising as a business design but... read more

The content is accurate and represents main topics associated with an introduction to business course. The topics are broad in breadth and provide real-world examples of hte content for relatability.

The book provides relevant examples and content relating to the overall business world. More content related to virtual business activities could be included. The arrangement of the text would allow for easy updating and additional content in these areas to be added. One of the best elements of this text was the

The book used effective language that was appropriate for higher education learners. The terminology was well described and there were activities within each chapter as a resource for students to further work with the language. This book provided an introduction to business law which was much more comprehensive than the current text I use.

Consistency rating: 4

The segments that existed within each chapter were consistent. There could have been more chapters that included career opportunities in the particular content area component to help students explore potential avenues for work. The terminology was consistent throughout the text and was easily referenced for students to go back and review earlier definitions and contextual utilizations.

The modules were well organized and made sense. The headings were appropriately placed and color was used to indicated additional readings, activities, or reflective materials. The sub-units could easily be rearranged, if necessary for presentation by the instructor. The text provided comprehensive content without being arduous and overwhelming.

The organization was well thought out and aligned with the design of an introduction to business course well. There was little need to skip around during the semester which can cause students confusion.

The graphs and navigation were easily used and free of errors. There were clear explanations of the images and charts that expanded on the content being presented. Navigating this text was very user-friendly and straightforward.

There were few grammatical and spelling errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The cultural relevance of the imagery in the text lacked diversity. The photos represented many women but very few people of color. The examples throughout the text showed examples of successful individuals as white males.

There was a section in each chapter that discussed cases and problems that provided great topic starters for a class session. These could be expanded for more comprehensive assignment work but were great for low-stakes assignments and ice breakers.

Reviewed by MARCUS LACHER, Instructor, Minnesota State Community and Technical College on 3/27/21, updated 6/1/21

Very professionally-constructed textbook. On-par or greater than commercially-produced books from the major publishers. Very relevant for the pre-pandemic business world. read more

Very professionally-constructed textbook. On-par or greater than commercially-produced books from the major publishers. Very relevant for the pre-pandemic business world.

I have utilized the text for two courses, and I cannot recall finding any technical errors with the book.

Many recent business stories are used as examples in teaching fundamental concepts. This really increases the relevancy and integrity of the text. The authors do not shy away from trendy subjects, products or people. For example, a lot of references to Elon Musk, China, Google, etc.

Clarity rating: 4

Each chapter has a glossary of key terms and a summary of learning outcomes. A few of the end-of-chapter activities could be more explicit. The associated instructor materials also lack detail in this area.

Very formal and consistent framework.

Hard to get more modular than seventeen chapters and an appendix! I moved chapter 14 behind chapters 15 and 16, but this was not a "no-brainer" adjustment. The chapter lengths were long-enough to be comprehensive without being too long.

Well-organized. I liked the final chapter that focused on business careers. Would potential consider teaching topic this Week 1.

The text and associated instructor materials are of very high quality appearance. The images, and videos are excellent. As with most texts, a few hyperlinks no longer work, but that is a teachable moment for students as well!

Multiple authors and contributors have created a high-quality text with a common voice.

Did not notice any offensive or insensitive content, but this topic could be an area of additional content or an appendix given recent cultural events in the U.S. and abroad. The "cancel culture" impact is real, and businesses and their employees need to learn about potential ramifications of their words and actions.

Really liked this book, as well as the instructor materials that suggested appropriate video links. I would like to see more end-of-chapter activities with more in-depth assessment prompts. There are plenty of open-ended, critical thinking prompts, but more structured activities would be welcome too.

Additional content on the impact of the pandemic on business and society would make a great chapter/appendix as well!

Reviewed by Crystal Ringer, Adjunct Professor, Trine University on 3/2/21

This textbook appropriately touches upon all areas of business necessary in giving students a broad overview of how businesses operate. I appreciate that it goes one level beyond the business core of human resources, marketing, financial... read more

The topics presented are up-to-date and relevant. The author takes an unbiased look at business from every angle.

I appreciate the use of modern, real-world examples to give students a more in-depth understanding of these business topics, which are otherwise abstract and intangible.

Some of these business concepts are hefty and more in-depth than one would expect for an introductory book, but they are covered in great detail and at length so that students can process the information by looking at graphs, charts, and examples in addition to just reading the definition of concepts.

All of the information presented appears to be consistent with what I've found in other sources and as is understood by today's business community.

Though there are large blocks of text at times, the author does place graphics, charts, and other visuals to help add diversity in the reading.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Though there are a wide range of topics covered, each chapter is broken down into sub-topics to help students locate material as well as learn the concepts in a thorough manner. My only suggestion would be to offer the financial and accounting chapters earlier in the text book because they are topics often seen as intimidating to students, and students may have anxiety over covering those topics near the end of the book. However, instructors can choose to have students learn the topics in any order, and even omit sections not deemed as vital as others.

Images and displays looked appropriate. Visual aids added to the learning experience and did not distract from the subjects being presented.

There were no grammatical errors that I found.

This text is not culturally insensitive. I would even encourage the use of recent social or political examples to show how they are impacting the business realm (i.e. COVID-19).

I have already used this book once for my Business Concepts class and recommend its use for other faculty wishing to find a comprehensive business text books for students.

Reviewed by Sherri (Sharon) LaRue, Associate Professor, University of Alaska Anchorage on 11/9/20, updated 1/10/21

It's very in-depth. Sometimes I feel like it might be more in-depth than an introductory text. I teach a class that is supposed to be for non-business majors, and I think some more general information might be better. For all that though, I didn't find real information on some basic concepts, like SWOT analysis or the Five Forces Model. I supplemented with other material, but I think that would give some context to some of the discussions.

Everything I have double-checked has been very accurate.

I think it's very up to date. Some of the other books I looked at were using very old concepts, and this seems quite contemporary. The examples of current business leaders are great and they offer diverse points of view.

Some of the information on economics was potentially confusing, as it went more in-depth than I would imagine an introductory business text to go. I am rearranging some of the chapters to make some common concepts, like control and financial measures, be presented closer together.

Yes, I think it uses the correct and current phraseology you would expect to see as students transition to jobs.

I very much like the way the book is designed. It's definitely small, workable sections, with the exception of one chapter which covers planning, control and decision-making, which could have been at least a couple of smaller chapters.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

I did change the chapters around, but that might just be my personal preference. I tried to group the chapters by how they worked internally and externally, but as I said this might be just the way that makes sense to me.

Interface rating: 4

Some of the charts we a little too wordy. I would prefer a cleaner chart with less words. I like what the charts are showing us, but I think they could be cleaner and easier to visualize.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

The book's grammar and editing are fine.

I think they do a good job with this. They are careful to represent different points of view and show a broad background in their examples.

Reviewed by Laura Boehme, Faculty, part-time, Central Oregon Community College on 6/25/20

The text covers the broad spectrum of relevant business topics in a thorough yet digestible manner. The level of detail, and numbering systems for each chapter is sufficient for students to gain necessary exposure, understanding, and practice on key business competencies. The additional student and instructor resources make this book an even more beneficial learning tool.

The text accurately covers the topics as well as providing current case studies, critical thinking exercises, and vignettes with practical examples of the concepts to be learned. Additionally, the businesses referenced in the text are recent, enhancing the learner’s ability to cross-check and validate information and business practices. The marketing section is slightly different than other business books as it presents the “Five Ps” (versus Four Ps) but the fifth P – people – is a relevant and helpful addition.

The text content is recent and relevant to current business practices and concepts at this time. The nature of business, both globally and nationally, changes often, so the text will likely need to be reviewed and updated about every two years to ensure both accuracy and relevance in order to keep student’s engaged. Perhaps an emphasis on politics/social changes and business impacts could be better integrated into the textbook.

The text is written in clear, succinct chapters. The chapters are not too long and the table of contents is well-organized to help the learner easily navigate and access each chapter and related resources. The ability to search the book is also very helpful. Each chapter has a section for key terms, learning outcomes, and activities – all contributing to the clarity and usefulness of the materials presented.

The text and organization of each chapter are consistent, lending to the usability of the content and resources. Each chapter has a concept check, allowing the learner to reflect on key business questions and topics. The order of chapters effectively establishes a solid business foundation for the student and helps set a reliable pattern for what to expect.

The text and resources allow a solid curriculum design of a syllabus and/or course with modularized content aligned with learning outcomes. Additionally, the student can quickly go to each chapter and pick out the fundamental business concepts, supported by student resources. One does not need to use every chapter or every sub-chapter to provide students with an introduction to business. Very flexible in this area.

The topics are presented in a highly structured and “scaffolded” manner, meaning, one area can build on another. There is flexibility to use topics out of order, but one would want to be careful to ensure students have some solid foundations like economic systems, forms of business ownership, entrepreneurship, and marketing.

The interface and navigation are done exceptionally well for this text. User-friendly, easy table of contents to follow, chapter consistency, and helpful search options. All make for a great user experience.

No grammatical errors were noticed or found that interrupted learning or flow.

The text is culturally respectful. The examples and pictures are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Perhaps a few more pictures could be added into the sections of management/leadership and your career in business to emphasize individuals, teams and inclusivity. One area where the book excels is threading the concepts of ethics and social responsibility throughout the chapters. There is a dedicated chapter on these topics as well.

I used this book to create an online course. The students found the book to be easy to read, easy to use, and relevant to their learning. The extra instructor and student resources provided assessments, exams, case studies, and other practical helps to build a full course that was learner-centered and based on business learning outcomes. I highly recommend the book for its comprehensiveness, suitability to business concepts, and attention to what matters most in the business world and in the classroom (or online).

Reviewed by Kathryn Archard, Senior Lecturer, Writing Program Director, University of Massachusetts Boston on 5/27/20

The 17 chapters cover the quintessential subject matter areas for business. read more

The 17 chapters cover the quintessential subject matter areas for business.

The content, written by academic researchers, provides clear up-to-date information. A variety of perspectives are included.

The examples and case studies used are relevant to today's business concerns. Real world companies and business products are examined. The "Hot Links" add additional relevant resources.

The textbook is written in accessible language and highly appropriate for an introductory first year class in business.

The textbook uses a consistent and clear format. The terminology and framework are appropriate for an introductory level course.

The textbook modularity is good. The index takes a while to load but clearly identifies the topic links in every chapter.

The topics covered are organized in a clear, developmentally appropriate sequence.

The interface appears easily and clearly in most browsers.

The textbook is well written.

The subject matter covered in each chapter is extremely relevant for today's business student. An inclusive and varied amount of examples and exercises are provided in each chapter.

Seventeen chapters are quite extensive. I would condense chapters 15 & 16 into one chapter and omit chapter 17.

Reviewed by Jordan Mays, Adjunct Instructor, Oakland City University on 1/22/19

As a textbook targeted at an introductory course in business, the Introduction to Business - 2018 textbook provides a practical overview of various aspects of business over the course of 17 chapters. In addition, this textbook provides key terms (with definitions) at the end of each chapter, which is easier for students to access than looking at one large glossary at the end of a textbook.

The information in the textbook was accurate and reviewed my a large number of professionals as referenced at the beginning of the textbook. The information utilized a fact presenting format that steers clear of unbiased content.

As this book was created in 2018, the content is very much up to date and figures references are from 2017 or newer. Interestingly, the first time I opened the book it appeared to have an update as well which demonstrates the accuracy of the textbook and how the material is being periodically updated.

The introduction to business - 2018 textbook introduces students to key terminology and jargon that will be continually referenced in future business courses. Some of these terms may be new to students with little exposure prior to the introduction to business course, but the text does a good job of addressing these areas to prevent most issues.

This textbook is consistent in the way that the book is created from beginning to end. The creation of each chapter and section are very well planned and executed.

Additional reading components of this textbook enhance the topics covered by introducing real world examples and applications. These areas are separated by a shaded background which adds to the layout and creates a smooth flow from section to section.

The topics of this course cover many areas of business. In many ways it is up to the instructor to possibly see the organization of the textbook as either good or in need of improvement. Each concept is focused on its own chapter, so clearly assigning the chapters that are requested in a particular order can assist in the organization of the material. The last chapter of this textbook is perfect for summarizing the importance of an introduction to business course as it addresses the student's future career in a business field.

Every image, chart, graph, etc. had no issues working on either the web version of the PDF version of this textbook. I do find it an advantage that the book is available in a PDF which allows students to download the content and review it offline, anywhere.

No grammatical errors were noticeable to me as I reviewed this textbook.

Every chapter in this textbook contained additional ethics assignments that help incorporate diversity and different dilemmas that businesses have faced over the years. These assignments along with examples in the textbook help to create a more inclusive learning experience for students.

The Introduction to Business - 2018 textbook offers many different options for additional study, research, questions, etc. at the end of each chapter. These options make it ideal for instructors that are not sure about utilizing an open textbook, as the quantity and quality of the assignments helps instructors customize the course textbook to fit their individual needs.

Chapter 1: Understanding Economic Systems and Business
Chapter 2: Making Ethical Decisions and Managing a Socially Responsible Business
Chapter 3: Competing in the Global Marketplace
Chapter 4: Forms of Business Ownership
Chapter 5: Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing Your Own Business
Chapter 6: Management and Leadership in Today's Organizations
Chapter 7: Designing Organizational Structures
Chapter 8: Managing Human Resources and Labor Relations
Chapter 9: Motivating Employees
Chapter 10: Achieving World-Class Operations Management
Chapter 11: Creating Products and Pricing Strategies to Meet Customers' Needs
Chapter 12: Distributing and Promoting Products and Services
Chapter 13: Using Technology to Manage Information
Chapter 14: Using Financial Information and Accounting
Chapter 15: Understanding Money and Financial Institutions
Chapter 16: Understanding Financial Management and Securities Markets
Chapter 17: Your Career in Business

Ancillary Material

About the book.

Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond.

About the Contributors

Lawrence J. Gitman, San Diego State University

Carl McDaniel, University of Texas

Amit Shah, Frostburg State University

Linda Koffel, Houston Community College

Bethann Talsma, Davenport University and Grand Rapids Community College

James C. Hyatt, University of The Cumberlands

Contribute to this Page

1.1 The Nature of Business

How do businesses and not-for-profit organizations help create our standard of living?

Take a moment to think about the many different types of businesses you come into contact with on a typical day. As you drive to class, you may stop at a gas station that is part of a major national oil company and grab lunch from a fast food chain such as Taco Bell or McDonald’s or the neighborhood pizza place. Need more cash? You can do your banking on a smartphone or other device via mobile apps. You don’t even have to visit the store anymore: online shopping brings the stores to you, offering everything from clothes to food, furniture, and concert tickets.

A business is an organization that strives for a profit by providing goods and services desired by its customers. Businesses meet the needs of consumers by providing medical care, autos, and countless other goods and services. Goods are tangible items manufactured by businesses, such as laptops. Services are intangible offerings of businesses that can’t be held, touched, or stored. Physicians, lawyers, hairstylists, car washes, and airlines all provide services. Businesses also serve other organizations, such as hospitals, retailers, and governments, by providing machinery, goods for resale, computers, and thousands of other items.

Thus, businesses create the goods and services that are the basis of our standard of living. The standard of living of any country is measured by the output of goods and services people can buy with the money they have. The United States has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Although several countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, have higher average wages than the United States, their standards of living aren’t higher, because prices are so much higher. As a result, the same amount of money buys less in those countries. For example, in the United States, we can buy an Extra Value Meal at McDonald’s for less than $5, while in another country, a similar meal might cost as much as $10.

Businesses play a key role in determining our quality of life by providing jobs and goods and services to society. Quality of life refers to the general level of human happiness based on such things as life expectancy, educational standards, health, sanitation, and leisure time. Building a high quality of life is a combined effort of businesses, government, and not-for-profit organizations. In 2017, Vienna, Austria, ranked highest in quality of life, followed by Zurich, Switzerland; Auckland, New Zealand; and Munich, Germany. It may come as a surprise that not one of the world’s top cities is in the United States: seven of the top 10 locations are in western Europe, two are in Australia/New Zealand, and one is in Canada. At the other end of the scale, Baghdad, Iraq, is the city scoring the lowest on the annual survey. 1 Creating a quality of life is not without risks, however. Risk is the potential to lose time and money or otherwise not be able to accomplish an organization’s goals. Without enough blood donors, for example, the American Red Cross faces the risk of not meeting the demand for blood by victims of disaster. Businesses such as Microsoft face the risk of falling short of their revenue and profit goals. Revenue is the money a company receives by providing services or selling goods to customers. Costs are expenses for rent, salaries, supplies, transportation, and many other items that a company incurs from creating and selling goods and services. For example, some of the costs incurred by Microsoft in developing its software include expenses for salaries, facilities, and advertising. If Microsoft has money left over after it pays all costs, it has a profit . A company whose costs are greater than revenues shows a loss.

When a company such as Microsoft uses its resources intelligently, it can often increase sales, hold costs down, and earn a profit. Not all companies earn profits, but that is the risk of being in business. In U.S. business today, there is generally a direct relationship between risks and profit: the greater the risks, the greater the potential for profit (or loss). Companies that take too conservative a stance may lose out to more nimble competitors who react quickly to the changing business environment.

Take Sony , for example. The Japanese electronics giant, once a leader with its Walkman music player and Trinitron televisions, steadily lost ground—and profits—over the past two decades to other companies by not embracing new technologies such as the digital music format and flat-panel TV screens. Sony misjudged what the market wanted and stayed with proprietary technologies rather than create cross-platform options for consumers. Apple , at the time an upstart in personal music devices, quickly grabbed the lion’s share of the digital music market with its iPods and iTunes music streaming service. By 2016, Sony restructured its business portfolio and has experienced substantial success with its PlayStation 4 gaming console and original gaming content. 2

Not-for-Profit Organizations

Not all organizations strive to make a profit. A not-for-profit organization is an organization that exists to achieve some goal other than the usual business goal of profit. Charities such as Habitat for Humanity , the United Way , the American Cancer Society , and the World Wildlife Fund are not-for-profit organizations, as are most hospitals, zoos, arts organizations, civic groups, and religious organizations. Over the last 20 years, the number of nonprofit organizations—and the employees and volunteers who work for them—has increased considerably. Government is our largest and most pervasive not-for-profit group. In addition, more than 1.5 million nongovernmental not-for-profit entities operate in the United States today and contribute more than $900 billion annually to the U.S. economy. 3

Like their for-profit counterparts, these groups set goals and require resources to meet those goals. However, their goals are not focused on profits. For example, a not-for-profit organization’s goal might be feeding the poor, preserving the environment, increasing attendance at the ballet, or preventing drunk driving. Not-for-profit organizations do not compete directly with one another in the same manner as, for example, Ford and Honda , but they do compete for talented employees, people’s limited volunteer time, and donations.

The boundaries that formerly separated not-for-profit and for-profit organizations have blurred, leading to a greater exchange of ideas between the sectors. As discussed in detail in the ethics chapter, for-profit businesses are now addressing social issues. Successful not-for-profits apply business principles to operate more effectively. Not-for-profit managers are concerned with the same concepts as their colleagues in for-profit companies: developing strategy, budgeting carefully, measuring performance, encouraging innovation, improving productivity, demonstrating accountability, and fostering an ethical workplace environment.

In addition to pursuing a museum’s artistic goals, for example, top executives manage the administrative and business side of the organization: human resources, finance, and legal concerns. Ticket revenues cover a fraction of the museum’s operating costs, so the director spends a great deal of time seeking major donations and memberships. Today’s museum boards of directors include both art patrons and business executives who want to see sound fiscal decision-making in a not-for-profit setting. Therefore, a museum director must walk a fine line between the institution’s artistic mission and financial policies. According to a survey by The Economist , over the next several years, major art museums will be looking for new directors, as more than a third of the current ones are approaching retirement. 4

Factors of Production: The Building Blocks of Business

To provide goods and services, regardless of whether they operate in the for-profit or not-for-profit sector, organizations require inputs in the form of resources called factors of production . Four traditional factors of production are common to all productive activity: natural resources , labor (human resources) , capital , and entrepreneurship . Many experts now include knowledge as a fifth factor, acknowledging its key role in business success. By using the factors of production efficiently, a company can produce more goods and services with the same resources.

Commodities that are useful inputs in their natural state are known as natural resources. They include farmland, forests, mineral and oil deposits, and water. Sometimes natural resources are simply called land, although, as you can see, the term means more than just land. Companies use natural resources in different ways. International Paper Company uses wood pulp to make paper, and Pacific Gas & Electric Company may use water, oil, or coal to produce electricity. Today urban sprawl, pollution, and limited resources have raised questions about resource use. Conservationists, environmentalists, and government bodies are proposing laws to require land-use planning and resource conservation.

Labor, or human resources, refers to the economic contributions of people working with their minds and muscles. This input includes the talents of everyone—from a restaurant cook to a nuclear physicist—who performs the many tasks of manufacturing and selling goods and services.

The tools, machinery, equipment, and buildings used to produce goods and services and get them to the consumer are known as capital . Sometimes the term capital is also used to mean the money that buys machinery, factories, and other production and distribution facilities. However, because money itself produces nothing, it is not one of the basic inputs. Instead, it is a means of acquiring the inputs. Therefore, in this context, capital does not include money.

Entrepreneurs are the people who combine the inputs of natural resources, labor, and capital to produce goods or services with the intention of making a profit or accomplishing a not-for-profit goal. These people make the decisions that set the course for their businesses; they create products and production processes or develop services. Because they are not guaranteed a profit in return for their time and effort, they must be risk-takers. Of course, if their companies succeed, the rewards may be great.

Today, many individuals want to start their own businesses. They are attracted by the opportunity to be their own boss and reap the financial rewards of a successful firm. Many start their first business from their dorm rooms, such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook , or while living at home, so their cost is almost zero. Entrepreneurs include people such as Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates , who was named the richest person in the world in 2017, as well as Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page . 5 Many thousands of individuals have started companies that, while remaining small, make a major contribution to the U.S. economy.

Catching the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Stickergiant embraces change.

Entrepreneurs typically are not afraid to take risks or change the way they do business if it means there is a better path to success. John Fischer of Longmont, Colorado, fits the profile.

The drawn-out U.S. presidential election in 2000 between Bush and Gore inspired Fischer to create a bumper sticker that claimed, “He’s Not My President,” which became a top seller. As a result of this venture, Fischer started an online retail sticker store, which he viewed as possibly the “ Amazon of Stickers.” Designing and making stickers in his basement, Fischer’s start-up would eventually become a multimillion-dollar company, recognized in 2017 by Forbes as one of its top 25 small businesses.

The StickerGiant online store was successful, supplying everything from sports stickers to ones commemorating rock and roll bands and breweries. By 2011, the business was going strong; however, the entrepreneur decided to do away with the retail store, instead focusing the business on custom orders, which became StickerGiant ’s main product.

As the company became more successful and added more employees, Fischer once again looked to make some changes. In 2012 he decided to introduce a concept called open-book management, in which he shares the company’s financials with employees at a weekly meeting. Other topics discussed at the meeting include customer comments and feedback, employee concerns, and colleague appreciation for one another. Fischer believes sharing information about the company’s performance (good or bad) not only allows employees to feel part of the operation, but also empowers them to embrace change or suggest ideas that could help the business expand and flourish.

Innovation is also visible in the technology StickerGiant uses to create miles and miles of custom stickers (nearly 800 miles of stickers in 2016). The manufacturing process involves digital printing and laser-finishing equipment. Fischer says only five other companies worldwide have the laser-finishing equipment StickerGiant uses as part of its operations. Because of the investment in this high-tech equipment, the company can make custom stickers in large quantities overnight and ship them to customers the next day.

This small business continues to evolve with an entrepreneur at the helm who is not afraid of making changes or having fun. In 2016, StickerGiant put together Saul the Sticker Ball, a Guinness World Records winner that weighed in at a whopping 232 pounds. Fischer and his employees created Saul when they collected more than 170,000 stickers that had been lying around the office and decided to put them to good use. With $10 million in annual sales and nearly 40 employees, StickerGiant continues to be a successful endeavor for John Fischer and his employees almost two decades after Fischer created his first sticker.

How does being a risk-taker help Fischer in his business activities?
If you were a small business owner, would you consider sharing the company’s financial data with employees? Explain your reasoning.

Sources: “All About StickerGiant,” https://www.stickergiant.com, accessed May 29, 2017; Bo Burlingham, “Forbes Small Giants 2017: America’s Best Small Companies,” Forbes, http://www.forbes.com, May 9, 2017; Karsten Strauss, “Making Money and Breaking Records in the Sticker Business,” Forbes, http://www.forbes.com, January 26, 2016; Emilie Rusch, “StickerGiant Does Big Business in Tiny Town of Hygiene,” Denver Post, April 19, 2016, http://www.denverpost.com; Eric Peterson, “StickerGiant,” Company Week, https://companyweek.com, September 5, 2016.

A number of outstanding managers and noted academics are beginning to emphasize a fifth factor of production—knowledge. Knowledge refers to the combined talents and skills of the workforce and has become a primary driver of economic growth. Today’s competitive environment places a premium on knowledge and learning over physical resources. Recent statistics suggest that the number of U.S. knowledge workers has doubled over the last 30 years, with an estimated 2 million knowledge job openings annually. Despite the fact that many “routine” jobs have been replaced by automation over the last decade or outsourced to other countries, technology has actually created more jobs that require knowledge and cognitive skills. 6

Concept Check

Explain the concepts of revenue, costs, and profit.
What are the five factors of production?
What is the role of an entrepreneur in society?

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction

Authors: Lawrence J. Gitman, Carl McDaniel, Amit Shah, Monique Reece, Linda Koffel, Bethann Talsma, James C. Hyatt
Publisher/website: OpenStax
Book title: Introduction to Business
Publication date: Sep 19, 2018
Location: Houston, Texas
Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction
Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-1-the-nature-of-business

© Apr 5, 2023 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.

Select a product below:

Connect Math Hosted by ALEKS C
My Bookshelf (eBook Access) C

Professional
International
Sign In
There are currently no items in your shopping cart.
News & Insights
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Social Responsibility
About
Get Support

Get Support

My Account Details

Introduction to Business

Need  help finding the right product for YOU and YOUR students? Take our Find Your Fit Quiz here.

We have something for everyone!  Take our short quiz to help you identify which of our 5 Introduction to Business products best fits your preferences and teaching style.

Understanding Business, 13th Edition

Understanding Business: The Core, 3rd Edition

Business Foundations: A Changing World, 13th Edition

M: Business, 7th Edition

Connect Master: Introduction to Business

Author Blogs

Create an ultra-current and relevant course with content that is updated multiple times each month! These author blogs provide a variety of business topics and skills impacting industry decisions today. Use these to drive engagement in your next lecture and support career readiness. Subscribe to receive updates right to your inbox.

The Value of (Your) Data
The Science of Timing and Strategic Procrastination
401(k) vs. Roth IRA
Unlocking Extraordinary Results: The Power of Focus
Mentorship as a Tool for Student Success

Google Cloud Attacks Money Laundering with AI
FTC Sues Amazon for Deceptive Tactics
Meta Gets Creative to Encourage Compliance
The McDonald’s Hamburglar Makes a Comeback
How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Money Business

These actor-portrayed videos depict real-life situations where a manager is faced with a dilemma that needs to be analyzed based on management concepts. These videos enable students to see how managers in realistic situations deal with employees and complex issues. Students will use their critical thinking skills to apply, analyze, and evaluate these managerial challenges, while learning from the manager’s mistakes. Each video includes follow-up multiple-choice questions that are assignable and auto-gradable.

Brief, contemporary, and engaging videos offer dynamic, student-centered introductions, illustrations, and animations to guide students through challenging concepts. Ideal for before class as an introduction, during class to launch or clarify a topic, or after class for formative assessment.

Bring concepts to life with assignable live-action videos! These cases feature real-world scenarios and firms. Our video cases are complete with auto-graded, thought-provoking questions. All designed to challenge students’ ability to apply business concepts to everyday situations, real products and companies helping develop their workplace readiness skills!

These exercises help students make the connect between theory and application through matching, ranking, or group activities.

Help students improve their conceptual understanding and written communication skills with McGraw Hill Connect’s Writing Assignments. Integrate writing skill development into your course with ease and help your students gain the critical writing skills they need for success now and beyond. Assign, monitor, mark, and provide feedback all in one place.

Best Practices

Hear from instructors and educators on classroom best practices that can help you and your students improve performance.

Make course prep easier with the Connect Get Started Kit and much more.

Stop being tech-support for students and use these resources to start a new term hassle free.

Stay on your path to success with tools to manage your reports, due dates, and more.

McGraw Hill Business Program: Supercharge your students’ readiness

McGraw Hill’s Business Program exists to supercharge your students’ readiness, through their college experience and for their careers. As the market leader, McGraw Hill will help your students stay engaged and motivated while acquiring the quantitative and soft skills they need to succeed—from analytics to communication.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

4 Introduction to Business Strategy

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this chapter is to:

1) Give you a basic understanding of strategic management.

2) Introduce you to how a firm’s strategic planning process ties the planning, execution, and monitoring of the steps necessary for an organization to meet its goals and objectives.

What is Strategy?

An Internet search for the definition of strategy yields almost three billion hits. Which is correct? Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor respected for his work on strategy wrote “Strategy is the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities” (Porter, 1996, pg.1). Porter (1980), in a more succinct manner, stated that competitive strategy was the blueprint for how a business would compete in the marketplace, including its goals and objectives, In other words, strategy is the schematic, the framework for how an organization will operate. An organization’s strategy guides every aspect of how the firm conducts business. Marketing plans, sales processes, capital investments, expansion strategies, even the hiring of new employees are guided by the organization’s strategy. This is true whether you work for a non-profit, a family owned business, a public corporation, or a multinational operating in several countries.

Strategy is Challenging

Strategy can be complicated and confusing. Far too many people running all sorts of organizations confuse strategy with operations. According to Porter (1996), many leaders tend to confuse operational effectiveness with strategy. Operational effectiveness (i.e., becoming more efficient), quality control, outsourcing certain activities, lean management, Six Sigma, or any management tool utilized to become a better, more efficient operation is not strategy. All these are activities that can be copied by competitors. Every organization wants to become more efficient and most will seek out industry best practices to emulate. Strategy is not about being the best company or the most efficient operation. Strategy is about being different. Strategy is about choosing a different set of activities that deliver a unique mix of value (Porter, 1996). Think of a family member or friend who works for a company and ask yourself “why would a consumer spend their hard-earned money on your friend or family member’s product or service when they have a choice?” Another reason strategy is so difficult for so many is that they confuse strategy with objectives. A sales department leader may state that their strategy next year is to grow sales by 10%. Their marketing counterpart may remark that their strategy is to introduce two new products next fiscal year. Or, your CFO could state that “our financial strategy next year is to increase operational profit by 5%.” These are not strategies; they are objectives. Objectives flow from the organization’s strategic direction.

A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Proctor & Gamble, maintains that an additional reason why so many fail when it comes to strategy is that people don’t like to make hard choices. There are consequences when we make choices so it’s easier to focus on things you know, like operations, or simply do what you’ve always done. However, Lafley maintains that strategy is about making five difficult choices:

What is your winning aspiration? Rather than define the organization’s mission and vision statements as a fuzzy, abstract picture of the future, translate the abstract into a more clearly delineated winning aspiration.
Where will you play? Which market? Which segment? Which customers? No organization can be all things to all customers. This is one of the most challenging decisions an organization must face. Too many firms fail to make the tough choices about where they have a clear competitive advantage and end up squandering precious resources in markets that fail to deliver adequate results.
How will I win? When thinking about how you will win, go back to the question “why would a consumer spend their hard-earned money on my product when they have a choice?” What makes your product or service unique? Why would a customer prefer your product over another? The answer is your competitive advantage. According to Porter (1996), competitive advantage is what makes a firm’s product or service preferable to a customer’s other options.
What capabilities must be in place? Successful organizations have what are referred to as core competencies. Core competencies are the strengths and capabilities that enable an organization to tie its where-to-play and how-to-win decisions together and differentiate its products or services from its competitors. Core capabilities and competencies will vary from company to company depending on the industry in which they compete and the products or services they offer. Innovation, for example, is one of Apple’s core competencies. Product choice, price, and service are hallmarks of Amazon’s core competencies. Google’s online search engine has enabled the company to distance itself from its competitors with this dominant core competency.
What management systems are required? To support an organization’s strategic direction, the entire operation must be aligned with the strategy. Production must be able to meet projected sales. Marketing plans must coordinate with product launches and new sales campaigns. Customer service operations must align with sales and financial goals. The right measurements to evaluate the results and take corrective action, if necessary, must be in place. In other words, strategic management is a system-wide process that involves, and ties, the entire operation together (Lafley, Martin, & Riel, 2013).

McKinsey consultants Bradley and Dawson (2013) summed it up well by noting that strategy is about the need to diagnose. Where are you today? What is your view of the future and what are your options to create value? Finally, you’ve got to select a strategy among your different alternatives.

A Brief History of Strategy

The concept of strategy can be traced to its roots in military history. The term “strategy” comes from the Greek word stratego which means “a general.” Military leaders since the dawn of time plotted moves to defeat their enemy, so, the thought of strategy as the planning and execution of tactics used in military campaigns evolved over time. For our purposes, the concept of business strategy began to develop in earnest in the 1950s and 60s as firms began to think about budgets and financial objectives beyond their current fiscal year. Ansoff’s (1965) book Corporate Strategy is considered by many to be among the first publications that spelled out a model of strategic planning from which decisions and directions could be determined. Chief among Ansoff’s concept of strategic thinking was the idea of gap analysis: where are you today, where do you wish to be, and what steps and tasks will take you there? Thoughts we are familiar with today but were unique at the time. In subsequent decades, strategic management thinkers including Peter Drucker who developed the concept of management by objective (MBO), Michael Porter with his contributions on how to compete, Henry Mintzberg who challenged the concept of strategic planning because so many plans failed to deliver, and Peter Senge with his approach to systems thinking added considerable weight to the need for not just strategic thinking but for strategic management.

The Strategic Planning Process

Wayne Gretzky is considered to be among the all-time great hockey players. Gretzky stated that much of his success while on the ice was because he skated to where the hockey puck was going to be, not where it had been. That simple analogy captures the goal of the strategic planning process. Long-term sustainable success is not necessarily where you are today; it is where you want to be in the future. The strategic planning process is the tool organizations use to plot their course toward a brighter future. Just as there are numerous definitions of strategy, there are several iterations about what the strategic planning process should look like. Downs (2017) noted that today organizations could choose from a number of strategic planning processes. These choices vary from a basic strategic planning model, the issue-based model, the alignment model, the scenario model, and the organic planning model. All this means is that there is no perfect system. The strategic planning process model presented below is based on the concepts of strategic thinkers including Porter (1980), Drucker (2008), and Bossidy and Charan (2002).

Let’s review each of the steps necessary to develop a high-quality strategic plan:

Vision, mission, and values : These are the foundations of a strategic plan. A company’s vision statement envisions the future by creating a mental image of the desired future position of the organization, where it wants to be. The firm’s mission statement is more about “how” the vision will be achieved. Values are the core principles that guide the company. Let’s use Google as an example. Google’s vision is “to provide access to the world’s information in one click.” Their mission statement is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” (Thompson, 2019). According to Brooks (2018) Google has ten corporate values among which are 1) follow the user and all else will follow; 2) it’s best to do one thing really, really, well; democracy on the web works; you can be serious without a suit; and great just isn’t good enough. Clearly defined values help guide a company and attract people who share those values and fit with the company’s culture.
o PESTEL analysis: PESTEL is an acronym for the process of examining the macro external forces that could impact an organization. Elements of a PESTEL analysis include: P – What political factors might affect the company? E – The economic factors that could impact the economy and the firm’s performance. S – What social factors or trends might be of importance to the organization? T – Are there technological factors that could affect the industry, the market in which it competes, or even an individual organization? E – Environmental factors such as geographic location, pollution, recycling, renewable energy, air and water pollution, and climate change which might affect the firm. L – Legal factors play an ever-increasing role in a company’s operations and must be reviewed to assess both short and long-term impact.
o Porter’s (1980) Five Factor model is a tool used to analyze the market potential of varying industries. It examines five perspectives critical to a firm’s success within that industry: the power of suppliers, power of buyers, power of substitutes, the threat of new market entrants, all of which point to the intensity of the competition.
o Competitive benchmarking is the part of the external process that entails a steely-eyed look at how your firm’s products or services stack up against your main competitors.
o From the external analysis, a firm’s opportunities and threats are identified.
o The value chain analysis examines the firm’s primary and secondary activities. Primary activities are actions that add value directly to the company’s product or service offerings. These include sales and marketing, customer service, inbound and outbound logistics and its internal operations. Secondary activities are support functions necessary to support direct activities and include the organizations human resource practices, procurement processes, finance, and its technology.
o The resource based analysis is a tool used to review a firm’s internal resources to determine if they can be capitalized on to achieve a competitive advantage. Those resources must be tested to determine if they are valuable, rare, non-imitable, and non-substitutable. Only those resources that fulfill all four criteria can meet the benchmark as a source of competitive advantage. A firm’s resources can be both tangible and intangible, and these are the building blocks of the organization’s capabilities.
o The outcome of the internal analysis will result in identifying the firm’s strengths and weaknesses.
SWOT Analysis: The SWOT analysis is a procedural method of looking at how an organization’s internal strengths and external opportunities can be utilized to accomplish its goals and objectives while seeking to minimize its internal weaknesses and external threats. The firm’s strengths and weaknesses (factors within the control of the organization) were identified through its internal analysis while its opportunities and threats (factors out of the organization’s direct control) were determined through the external analysis. The essential objective of conducting a SWOT analysis is to understand and evaluate all the factors involved in the operation of the enterprise. It is a critical step in the strategic management process. The SWOT matrix allows the firm to visualize its internal capabilities and external market factors.

SWOT Matrix

Once the SWOT matrix is complete and in prioritized order, the organization’s leaders should consider the following questions:

How can the firm’s internal strengths be utilized to take advantage of an external opportunity?
These moves are considered strengths based offensive choices upon which the firm can choose to capitalize.
How can the firm reduce or eliminate an internal weakness to minimize an external threat?
These moves are considered defensive based choices the firm might choose to exercise.
1) Once a firm determines its generic strategy based on its SWOT analysis outcome, it must select a narrower, more focused approach to the market in which it plays. Pearce (1982) identified 12 grand strategic options from which a firm could choose. Three of these grand strategies are widely popular and used around the globe. They include the concentration strategy which is when the firm strives to grow the use of its products or services in its present markets; market development which is when the business seeks to sell products it currently manufacturers in new markets; and product development which is when it moves to create new products for its current markets.
2) Once the organization selects a grand strategy, the next step is to develop goals and objectives. A critical element when establishing goals and objectives is to ensure that each has a specific metric so performance to goal can be measured. The acronym SMART refers to the five elements of a goal to make it actionable. The goal must be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. In other words, it can be accurately measured. If a goal or objective cannot be measured, it cannot be managed.
Execution: According to Doniger (2019), just 10% of senior-level executives from global organizations stated that their organization managed to accomplish their complete list of strategic initiatives. Others estimate strategic initiative failure rates that range from 50% upward. Bossidy and Chran (2002) maintain that while faulty strategy is often to blame, more often than not, it is a failure to execute. An Economist Intelligence Unit Report (“why good strategies fail,” 2013), sponsored by the Project Management Institute, stated that strategy implementation is perhaps even more important than the strategy itself. Winston Churchill, the famous British Prime Minister who led Great Britain through the ravages of World War II noted that “however beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

Think of strategy as an organization’s GPS. When using your car’s GPS, you know where you are, and you enter the location to where you are headed. In a moment, the GPS plots the course and gives you driving options, the number of miles to travel, and estimated arrival time. When a business or an organization develops its strategy, it follows the strategic planning process that starts with where you are and ends with where you want to be in the future. While the strategic planning process takes longer and is more labor intensive than setting your automobiles GPS, the outcome is the same. Successfully executed, a strategic plan helps you arrive safely, on time, and with minimal hassle. Strategy is vital to an organization because it provides clear direction along with measurable goals.

Critical Thinking Questions

Explain why strategy is so difficult and challenging

Why is strategy so important to the long-term success of a business?

Think of a business with which you are unfamiliar. Which of the generic strategies do you think they should pursue?

How to Answer the Critical Thinking Questions

For each of these answers you should provide three elements.

General Answer. Give a general response to what the question is asking, or make your argument to what the question is asking.
Outside Resource. Provide a quotation from a source outside of this textbook. This can be an academic article, news story, or popular press. This should be something that supports your argument. Use the sandwich technique explained below and cite your source in APA in text and then a list of full text citations at the end of the homework assignment of all three sources used.
Personal Story. Provide a personal story that illustrates the point as well. This should be a personal experience you had, and not a hypothetical. Talk about a time from your personal, professional, family, or school life. Use the sandwich technique for this as well, which is explained below.

Use the sandwich technique:

For the outside resource and the personal story you should use the sandwich technique. Good writing is not just about how to include these materials, but about how to make them flow into what you are saying and really support your argument. The sandwich technique allows us to do that. It goes like this:

Step 1: Provide a sentence that sets up your outside resource by answering who, what, when, or where this source is referring to.

Step 2: Provide the quoted material or story.

Step 3: Tell the reader why this is relevant to the argument you are making.

Ansoff, I. (1965). Corporate Strategy. In S. Crainer (Ed.). The Ultimate Business Library (pp. 174). West Sussex, UK: Capstone Publishing.

Bossidy, L., & Charan, R. (2002). Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. New York: Crown Business

Bradley, C., & Dawson, A. (2013). The art of strategy. McKinsey & Company Quarterly . Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-art-of-strategy

Brooks, R. (2018). Workplace spotlight: What Google gets right about company culture. Peakton. Retrieved from https://peakon.com/us/blog/workplace-culture/google-company-culture/

Doniger, S. (2019). Most of your organization’s strategic initiatives fail . Medium.com . retrieved from https://medium.com/@sdoniger/most-of-your-organizations-strategic-initiatives-fail-b167922bf594

Downs, B. (2017). The 5 strategic planning models all executives should know. BBG (Business Benefits Group. Retrieved from https://www.bbgbroker.com/strategic-planning-models/

Drucker, P. F. (2008 ) Management – Revised Edition . New York: Collins Business.

Lafley, A.G., Martin, R., & Riel, J. (2013). A playbook for strategy. Rotman Magazine , 5-9. Retrieved from ttps://matthewemay.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Play2Win-Roger1.pdf

Pearce II, J.A. (1982). Selecting among alternative grand strategies. California Management Review . (24) 3, pp. 23-31.

Porter, M.E. (1980). Competitive Strategy. New York: Free Press.

Porter, M.E. (1996). What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, November, December, 1996. Retrieved from file:///F:/Articles/HBRs%20Must%20Reads%20on%20Strategy.pdf

Thompson, A. (2019). Google’s mission statement and vision statement (an analysis). Panmore Institute. Retrieved from http://panmore.com/google-vision-statement-mission-statement

Why good strategies fail. Lessons for the C-suite. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/learning/thought-leadership/why-good-strategies-fail-report.pdf?v=14e7a7f5-ac4c-4331-b1cf-be9e26a30d18

The Four Functions of Management Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Robert Lloyd and Dr. Wayne Aho is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

How To Write A Solid Assignment Introduction

By: Derek Jansen | December 2017

I’ll kick off this post by making a bold assertion:

The introduction chapter of your assignment is the single most important section in your entire assignment.

Yip. Not the analysis chapter. Not the recommendations chapter. The introduction chapter. Yip, that short 200/300/400-word chapter that so many students rush through to get to the meatier chapters. Why do I say this? There are a few reasons:

It creates the first impression.

Apart from the executive summary (which some assignments don’t have), the introduction creates the very first impression on your marker. It sets the tone in terms of the quality of the assignment.

It introduces your industry.

You might have decades of experience in your industry – but your marker won’t. This means that the simplest concepts can be misunderstood (and thereby cost you marks) if not explained right at the beginning of your assignment. A good introduction lays the foundation so that the marker can understand your upcoming arguments.

It defines and justifies your topic.

The introduction, if developed correctly, clearly outlines what the assignment will be about (and what it won’t) and why that’s important (i.e. a justification). In other words, it makes it clear what the focus of the assignment will be about, and why that is worth investigating. This clarity and justification of the topic are essential to earning good marks and keeping you focused on the purpose of the assignment.

It clarifies your approach.

Beyond the what and why, a good introduction also briefly explains how you’ll approach the research, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. This lays a clear roadmap both for the marker and for yourself. For the marker, this improves the readability and digestibility of the document (which is essential for earning marks). And for you, this big-picture view of the approach keeps you from digressing into a useless analysis.

In short, a good introduction lays a solid foundation and a clear direction for the rest of your assignment. Hopefully, you’re convinced…

The 5 essential ingredients.

In this post, I’ll outline the key components of a strong introduction chapter/section. But first, I want to discuss the structure.

Some assignment briefs will provide a proposed structure which combines the introduction and analysis chapters. I always encourage my clients to split this up into two chapters, as it provides a clearer, more logical structure. You’ll see why once I discuss the core components.

#1 – The Four Ws

A logical starting point is to assume the marker knows nothing about your business . Make sure you cover the basics:

Who – what is the name of the business? If its multiple words, you should take the opportunity to introduce an acronym here. Then, stick to the acronym throughout the rest of the assignment. It’s also good practice to provide a list of acronyms in the appendix.
What – explain what the business does, in simple English. Avoid industry jargon and explain the basic operating model of the business.
Where – explain where the business operates from and where its customers operate. If you have multiple offices and serve multiple markets, a visual representation can save you some words.
When – mention the age of the business, and how many staff it employs. You can also note the ownership structure (private company, listed entity, JV, etc).

If you’re only going to focus on one country/branch/department, make mention of this now. Also, be sure to justify why you’re focusing on that (for example, due to limited access to data).

If done right, you will have now painted a very clear (but concise) picture of the organisation for the marker. The next step is to discuss the context that the business operates in.

#2 – A brief discussion of the context.

Now that you’ve introduced the business, you need to move towards identifying the key issue(s) that will form the focus of the assignment. To do this, you need to lay a context, which will then lead to the issue(s). This will vary between assignments, and could be something like:

The entry of new competitors resulting in reduced market share (STR, SM)
A merger leading to a culture clash and poor performance (MP)
A corporate scandal resulting in reputation damage (R&R)
Changing regulation leading to the opening of a new potential country market (IB)

In other words, you need to present a (brief) story of how the key issue(s) or opportunity has arisen – X has lead to Y, which caused Z.

#3 – Identification of the key issue and research question(s).

With the context set, you need to clearly state what the key issue(s) or opportunity is, and why this is worth investigating (for example, due to the financial impact if left unresolved). This is pretty straightforward, but it is a critical step often missed by students, and results in the marker questioning the quality of the entire assignment.

With the key issue identified, its time to lay out your research question(s). In other words, state in question format, what question(s) your assignment will seek to answer.

For example:

“What has changed in Organisation X’s competitive context, and how should it best respond to ensure sustainable competitive advantage?”
“Should Organisation X internationalise to Country Y?”
“What segments exist within Industry X and which segment should Organisation Y target?”
“Which digital business model should Organisation X adopt?”

By stating your research question(s) up front, you are providing a very clear, focused direction for your assignment, thereby reducing your risk of getting distracted by the shiny objects that will invariably pop up along the way. You are stating clearly what you will and won’t focus on, and ring-fencing the assignment to a manageable breadth. This is critically important for earning marks, as it allows you to go deep into a highly relevant set of theories and develop meaningful insights, rather than superficially fluttering with numerous less-relevant ones.

What’s critically important is that you achieve alignment between the context, the issue(s) and the research question(s). They should all flow in a logical fashion, as shown below.

If you achieve this alignment, you have a rock-solid foundation for your assignment, and your marker will be crystal clear regarding your direction, and why you chose that direction.

#4 – A brief outline of your theoretical approach.

Now that you’ve made it clear what your assignment is aiming to achieve (i.e. what research question(s) it wants to answer), it is very good practice to briefly mention:

How you will approach the analysis.
What key theory you will draw on.

In other words, you should give the marker an indication of how you approached the analysis, and on what theoretical basis. For example:

“The report begins by briefly looking at the organisation’s broader strategy, as well as values using Schwartz’s model (1994). It then reviews stakeholders using Mitchell et al.’s framework (1997) and identifies a key group with which reputation needs to be managed to achieve strategic alignment. It then analyses antecedents, reputation, and outcomes of the said group using Money et al.’s (2012) RELATE framework. This is followed by proposed strategic actions.”

As you can see, this excerpt clearly outlines how the analysis was approached, and what key theory was used in the relevant sections. This gives the marker a big-picture view of the assignment, which aids the digestibility of the document.

#5 – A brief outline of your fieldwork.

Now that you’ve communicated the approach, structure and underpinning theory, it’s best practice to make a quick mention of your fieldwork. Yes, you’re typically supposed to collect some primary data (for example, undertake some semi-structured interviews or a survey), as well as secondary data (for example, review industry reports, company data, etc), for your assignments – especially in Stage 2 and 3 of the program.

In this final section, you should very briefly outline what you did in this respect so that the marker can rest assured that your assignment is not an opinion piece. A quality assignment draws on multiple data sources to make well-informed, data-backed arguments. Show that you’ve done this, and be sure to refer the reader to the appendices for evidence of this work (for example, interview transcripts, survey results, etc.).

Lastly, make mention of your relationship with the business, and your broad responsibilities. Remember to keep this in third-person language. For example:

“The author is employed as the [INSERT YOUR TITLE] and is responsible for X, Y and Z.”

Let’s recap.

In this article, I’ve hopefully convinced you of the critical importance of writing a strong introduction chapter. I’ve also presented 5 essential ingredients that you should bake into your intro in every assignment. By incorporating these ingredients (ideally, in this order), you will set the foundation for a strong assignment.

To recap the 5 essentials:

A (plain language) explanation of the organisation.
A brief discussion of the context.
Identification of the key issue and research question(s).
A brief outline of your theoretical approach.
A brief outline of your fieldwork and your professional position.

You Might Also Like:

Dissertation introduction writing: 7 mistakes

Informative and easy to apply advice…tx D

You’re welcome, Rishen 🙂

It is a very useful and understandable explanation of writing a research paper. Thank you so much for the sharing free such a useful example.

Yours sincerely Tara

This is really good, thank you.

Thanks for the feedback, Paul. Best of luck with your Henley MBA.

Very useful guide for the MBA. You mention that it’s good practice to use a range of sources to support arguments. If an assignment task isn’t that strategic (e.g. reviewing a process for a particular team within the business), can the assignment be supported purely by ‘fieldwork’ and models/theory? Thank you.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Print Friendly

Introduction to Business

Introduction to project management, presentation on mobile phone, real gdp and nominal gdp, government as a stakeholder, china is thinking about building kilometer-long spaceships, which household tasks are you ready to take on and avoid – an open speech, sample invitation letter for death anniversary, raising a series a in a market of mixed messages, differences between fixed cost and variable cost, magnesium carbonate, latest post, mid-ocean ridge (mor), harnessing hydrogen at the genesis of life, ngc 5728’s faint characteristics are exposed, astronomers discover the oldest black hole ever observed, atomic hydrogen welding, variable-frequency transformer (vft).

Let's start a new assignment project together, Get Exclusive Free Assistance Now!

Need Help? Call Us :

Assignment Writing Service
Assignment Editing Service
Assignment Masters
Assignment Provider
Buy Assignment Online
Do My Assignment
Assignment Writers
College Assignment Help
Essay Writing Service
Online Essay Help
Do My Essay
Write My Essay
Essay Assignment Help
Essay Writer
Essay Typer
College Essay Help
Essay Editor
Types Of Essays
Expository Essays
Types Of Expository Essays
Narrative Essays
Narrative Essay Examples
Narrative Essay Hooks
Narrative Essay Childhood Memory
Descriptive Essay About An Event
Types Of Essays In Ielts
Application Essay
Argumentative Essay
Essay Writing
Essay Types
Paper Writing Service
Research Paper Help
Term Paper Help
Write My paper
Paper Editor
Research Proposal Help
Thesis Writing Help
Thesis Statement Help
Homework Help
Do My Homework
Statistics Homework Help
Physics Homework Help
Word Problem Solver
Accounting Homework Help
Math Homework Help
Solve my Math Problem
College Homework Help
Online Tutoring Service
Algebra Homework Help
CPM Homework Help
Homework Answers
Lab Report Help
Pestel Analysis Help
Business Report Help
Book Review Help
Book Report Help
University Assignment Help
Capstone Project Help
Resume Writing Services
Annotated Bibliography
Ghostwriter
Personal Statement Help
Speech Writer
Proofreading
computation assignment help
dbms assignment help
microprocessor assignment help
oracle assignment help
pascal assignment help
perl assignment help
ruby assignment help
sql assignment help
uml assignment help
web designing assignment help
epidemiology assignment help
nursing assignment help
pharmacology assignment help
psychology assignment help
brand management assignment help
construction management assignment help
customer relationship management
healthcare management assignment help
mba assignment help
myob assignment help
recruitment assignment help
strategy analysis assignment help
pricing strategy assignment help
business analytics assignment help
business communication assignment help
e commerce assignment help
international finance assignment help
quantitative analysis assignment help
engineering mathematics assignment help
civil engineering assignment help
transportation assignment
electronics assignment help
geotechnical engineering assignment help
telecommunication assignment help
biomedical engineering assignment help
mechanical engineering assignment help
system analysis and design assignment help
rationalism assignment help
religion assignment help
physics assignment help
biology assignment help
botany assignment help
bioinformatics assignment help
eviews assignment help
linear programming assignment help
minitab assignment help
probability assignment help
spss assignment help
stata assignment help
android assignment help
c programing assignment help
c sharp assignment help
c plus plus assignment help
fortran assignment help
haskell assignment help
html assignment help
java assignment help
python programming assignment help
sap assignment help
web programming assignment help
Taxation Law Aassignment Help
Constitutional Law Assignment help
contract law assignment help
civil law assignment help
company law assignment help
property law assignment help
international law assignment help
human rights law assignment help
agriculture assignment help
anthropology assignment help
childcare assignment help
english assignment help
fashion assignment help
music assignment help
How It Works
Uncategorized

How Do You Write An Introduction to An Assignment? (With Examples of Assignment Introduction)

Whether you’re in school or college, you can’t avoid academic writing. It’s essential to write assignments to complete your course and graduate from it successfully. As a student, you must have discussed your assignments and academic writing projects with your friends, seniors, and mentors. Most assignments aim to gauge students’ knowledge about the subject and how well they express themselves while solving a problem or presenting their ideas and opinions.

Writing an assignment introduction paves the way of how a reader or a teacher perceives an entire assignment and can be considered a face of an assignment. Our assignment help experts are here to offer you the best tips on how to write an assignment introduction.

How to introduce an assignment?

As they say – well begun is half done. Our assignment writers agree and believe in this adage. Countless times, you must have skipped a video because you didn’t find its first 5 seconds interesting or catchy enough to hold your attention. Or you must have chosen to watch a movie because you liked its trailer. Similarly, an introduction is a bait for your readers to read your assignment, report, essay, or dissertation with interest. It’s the first impression you will cast on your professors.

GoAssignmentHelp assignment assistance experts who handle hundreds of ‘ do my assignment ’ requests every month share that most students find it difficult to write an introductory paragraph that is clear and concise. Here, we will simplify the process of writing an introduction for the given assignment for you.

A good introduction to an assignment example is always one that gives a clear idea to the readers about what your assignment topic is or what are you going to talk about in the rest of the copy. An old trick is to talk about general ideas about the topic and narrow down your discussion to the specific problem or aspect of the topic you are going to discuss.

An introduction is a guide to your assignment. It should include:

Some background about the assignment topic, and
An outline of opinions and arguments you are going to present.

An assignment introduction example or two can perhaps give you a better idea of what needs to be done.

Contact our experts for a powerful introduction to your assignment!

Different Elements of the Introduction of an Assignment

Before we delve into introduction assignment examples, you must understand elements that constitute a good introduction to an assignment:

Importance of an assignment topic or the purpose of essay writing or dissertation writing,
Keywords from the essay topic or assignment question to show how well you have understood the writing task,
What is the proper definition of the assignment topic or the key terms it contains – and what can readers expect from the written piece,
Student’s reason for writing on the topic. You may get some hints on it from what your teacher mentions on the assignment list or what he/she shares in the class about it,
A quick bird-eye’s view of your approach on the assignment topic,
Key points of your discussion that you will elaborate in the body of the paper,
Quick discussion on previous studies, articles, news, or other works on the topic, and
What are some of the limitations of the topic?

You don’t have to include everything in an introduction – just enough to make your reader or teacher curious about the topic. The following example of introduction for assignment starts with a central issue, goes on to add some background, and then, presents the argument the assignment writer elaborated further in the essay. It ends with a smooth transition statement meant to transport the reader to the next part of the essay.

write introduction for an assignment- GoAssignmentHelp

How to write an introduction for a report?

When you are stuck with how to start a writing assignment, writing an introduction can solve most of your problems. Different types of assignments have different types of introductory paragraphs. The student introduction assignment example mentioned above is suitable for an essay. Now, we will see an example of an assignment introduction for a report.

write introduction for a report GoAssignmentHelp

Note that this kind of assignment introduction contains:

A Background: A quick mention of previous studies and articles on the topic gives your teachers a perspective on what is already known about the topic, key issues that need to be addressed, and what you are going to discuss in your report.
An Objective or a Thesis Statement: A hypothesis or a thesis statement is based on earlier findings and previous works on the topic. It provides a structure to your report. Check how the assignment writing service expert has mentioned the purpose of the study and a quick outline of the entailing discussion in one statement – right after the background.
Importance of the Study: If you’ve not already highlighted the importance of the study yet, you may include a few more lines to mention the gaps in the topic research and how your paper is going to bridge those gaps.

Consult our assignment writers for fresh ideas and introduction samples for any type of assignment!

How to write an introduction for a thesis or a dissertation?

Most students come across a dissertation or a thesis writing task in their Master’s or Ph.D. degree course. A few need to write a dissertation in their Bachelor’s degree programs. But since they are new to dissertation writing, they wonder how to write an introduction for an assignment that is much longer than a normal essay writing task they have encountered yet. The truth is that writing an introduction for a dissertation is not much different from writing an introduction for an essay or a report (depending on the nature of your dissertation topic).

You can use the points mentioned above to learn how to write a good assignment introduction longer than a paragraph. The ideal length for a dissertation introduction is 5-7% of the total length of your research paper. Most Master’s dissertations are around 15,000 to 50,000 words long – depending on the subject area. Hence, their introductions can have anywhere between 750 and 2,500 words.

We provide affordable writing services for students who find it difficult to paraphrase their ideas succinctly in an introduction. Besides the general introduction, we also help students write an introduction for each chapter, which will help you include more references throughout your research paper. It will also help research paper writers to remind their readers of the purpose of the dissertation again and to retain their interest.

You must also read : Tips and Examples of The Conclusion Section of Assignments

Tips of Top-Rated Experts on How to Start an Assignment

Our essay writers advise students on how to write a good introduction for an assignment all the time. Besides what’s mentioned above, they also advise students to:

make their introduction eye-catching,
build up curiosity,
outline the arguments, and
maintain suspense.

Experts warn that merely stating the assignment question in other words or trying to state everything in the introduction like a summary of a story is not a good idea at all. You must follow the word limit suggested by your instructor for the assignment introduction and maintain a sharp, focused approach while penning the intro.

Need help with how to start an assignment introduction?

Introduction matters! Whether it’s a superstar or an assignment, the introduction is a key to his/its popularity. GoAssignmentHelp is a leading online assignment help service that brings you the best and most experienced assignment writers from the major cities of Canada, such as Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Winnipeg, and more. You can seek help from them for writing the best introduction for your homework , essays , dissertations , thesis , and research papers .

Looking for an assignment introduction sample? Ask our experts!

0 responses on "How Do You Write An Introduction to An Assignment? (With Examples of Assignment Introduction)"

Leave a message cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Securing Higher Grades is no more expensive!

We can help you boost your grades at best price., get exclusive 20% off.

[email protected] | (+1)617-933-5480

187 Wolf Road, Albany, New York, 12205, USA

100% Secure Payment

We offer assignment writing services in :

Los Angeles

Disclaimer: Any material such as academic assignments, essays, articles, term and research papers, dissertations, coursework, case studies, PowerPoint presentations, reviews, etc. is solely for referential purposes. We do not encourage plagiarism in any form. We trust that our clients will use the provided material purely as a reference point in their own writing efforts.

Tap to Chat

Get instant assignment help

Course Resources

Assignments.

The assignments in this course are openly licensed, and are available as-is, or can be modified to suit your students’ needs. Selected answer keys are available to faculty who adopt Waymaker, OHM, or Candela courses with paid support from Lumen Learning. This approach helps us protect the academic integrity of these materials by ensuring they are shared only with authorized and institution-affiliated faculty and staff.

If you import this course into your learning management system (Blackboard, Canvas, etc.), the assignments will automatically be loaded into the assignment tool.

Sun City Boards Assignments and Discussions

Half of the written assignments and discussions are based on a case study, whose focus is a fictional high-end surfboard company, Sun City Boards, which is also highlighted in the Why It Matters and Putting it Together in Module 3: Planning and Mission. Many of these assignments take the form of asking students to give Tom, the company’s inexperienced owner, advice about how he can run his business more effectively. The Sun City Boards assignments create a common framework for applying knowledge and skills developed through the course, encouraging students to demonstrate mastery of the content through real-world tasks and work products.

Alternate Assignments and Discussions

The other half of the written assignments and discussions use a variety of approaches, depending on the subject and learning outcome being assessed; many ask students to go beyond course content to form connections between research topics and what they’ve learned in class.

Using Assignments

We recommend assigning one discussion OR one assignment per chapter, rather than all of them. Some instructors prefer to stick with the Sun City Boards theme throughout the course; others like to use some of the alternates along the way. You can view any assignments or discussions below or throughout the course.

You can view them below or throughout the course:

Rubric for Assignments

There is also a sample rubric to assist you in grading. Instructors may modify these guidelines or use their own.

Open Pedagogy Assignments

Open Pedagogy Assignments are assignments in which students use their agency and creativity to create knowledge artifacts that can support their own learning, their classmates’ learning, and the learning of students around the world. (See this peer-reviewed article for more details.) All of the assignments can be created with a cell phone camera or any video recording device, Google or Word documents, and your learning management system.

Discussions

The following discussion assignments will also be preloaded (into the discussion-board tool) in your learning management system if you import the course. They can be used as is, modified, or removed. You can view them below or throughout the course.

Rubric for Discussion Posts

Contribute.

Improve this page Learn More

This discussion invites conversation on race, which might require additional monitoring and involvement from instructors. This blog post from the Choices Program at Brown University contains links to helpful resources to facilitate talking about race in the classroom: "Approaching Race in the Classroom, Actively" ↵
Assignments. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
Pencil Cup. Authored by : IconfactoryTeam. Provided by : Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/term/pencil-cup/628840/ . License : CC BY: Attribution

IMAGES

Introduction bm
Introduction to Business 1-Stu Docu
Introduction
Sample Assignment: An Introduction to Entrepreneurship by Adam Jackson
Best Business Assignment Sample Online in Australia with Experts
Business Management Assignment Sample Online

VIDEO

Introduction to Business Economics
ch 1 introduction
Introduction business class second partial diegoandrediaz
DIGITAL MARKETING PROJECT FILE #assignment #businessideas #businessproject #digitalmarketing (A+)
Components Of Business Plan General Introduction , Business Venture
SAIT First Assignment Introduction to Business

COMMENTS

Assignments
Half of the written assignments and discussions (32 in total) are based on a case study, whose focus is a fictional dog-treats business called "Salty Pawz." Many of these assignments take the form of asking students to give Wanda, the company's inexperienced owner, advice about how she can run her business more effectively.
Ch. 1 Introduction
Introduction; 1.1 The Nature of Business; 1.2 Understanding the Business Environment; 1.3 How Business and Economics Work; 1.4 Macroeconomics: The Big Picture; 1.5 Achieving Macroeconomic Goals; 1.6 Microeconomics: Zeroing in on Businesses and Consumers; 1.7 Competing in a Free Market; 1.8 Trends in the Business Environment and Competition; Key Terms; Summary of Learning Outcomes
Teaching Introduction to Business with Mini-Projects
Teaching Introduction to Business provides a unique opportunity to inspire students to study Business and kickstart their careers. ... Have students read chapter 11 on building customer relationships, complete MindTap assignments and think about a business that they continue to frequent because of great customer relationship management. Or ...
BUS101: Introduction to Business
BUS101: Introduction to Business. Learn new skills or earn credit towards a degree at your own pace with no deadlines, using free courses from Saylor Academy. Join the 1,839,519 students that started their journey with us. We're committed to removing barriers to education and helping you build essential skills to advance your career goals.
Introduction to Business
Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which ...
1.1 The Nature of Business
Our mission is to improve educational access and learning for everyone. OpenStax is part of Rice University, which is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. Give today and help us reach more students. Help. OpenStax. This free textbook is an OpenStax resource written to increase student access to high-quality, peer-reviewed learning materials.
Explore Introduction To Business Course Products
These highly interactive, assignable exercises boost engagement and provide a safe space to apply concepts learned to real-world, course-specific problems. Each ABA involves the application of multiple concepts, providing the ability to synthesize information and use critical-thinking skills to solve realistic scenarios. Learn more.
Introduction to Business Strategy
The acronym SMART refers to the five elements of a goal to make it actionable. The goal must be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. In other words, it can be accurately measured. If a goal or objective cannot be measured, it cannot be managed.
Introduction to Business: Homework Help Resource
Course Summary. We can help you through your tough business class homework assignments with this Introduction to Business: Homework Help Resource. Check out the video lessons that correspond to ...
BUS 100
BUS Week 3 Assignment - Why Withing's Body Scale might be right for you when trying to lose weight. 1 page 2022/2023 100% (5) 2022/2023 100% (5) Save. ... Introduction to Business (BUS 100) 8 days ago. What type of decision-making style was most likely used by Zoom founder and CEO, Eric Yuan, and other Zoom senior executives to increase Zoom ...
Assignment 5S
Introduction To Business (BUS 100) 56 Documents. Students shared 56 documents in this course. University Delaware County Community College. Academic year: 2021/2022. ... The Business Cycle Assignment; Related documents. Creating Graphs Assignment; Assignment 5R - These are some notes that you can use.
How To Write A Solid Assignment Introduction
A brief discussion of the context. Identification of the key issue and research question (s). A brief outline of your theoretical approach. A brief outline of your fieldwork and your professional position. In this post, I'll outline the 5 key components of a strong introduction chapter/section in a mark-earning Henley MBA assignment.
Introduction to Business
Introduction to Business. This Lecture is designed to introduce the students to the basic activities of business enterprises. The objectives of business, responsibilities, forms of ownerships, different functional areas of business are all to be covered. This Lecture is designed to introduce the students to the basic activities of business ...
Introduction to Business
ABDM1183 - TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ASSIGNMENT. Mandatory assignments 100% (1) Business tutorial 1 lecture note. Lecture notes None. PepsiCo Target Market and Marketing Mix. Mandatory assignments 100% (4) Business Group Assignement Y1S1. Mandatory assignments None. Business assignment - good luck.
How Do You Write An Introduction to An Assignment? (With Examples of
A good introduction to an assignment example is always one that gives a clear idea to the readers about what your assignment topic is or what are you going to talk about in the rest of the copy. An old trick is to talk about general ideas about the topic and narrow down your discussion to the specific problem or aspect of the topic you are ...
Assignments
Module 1: Introduction to Management. Assignment: Evaluating Sun City Boards. Assignment: Primary Functions of Management. Module 2: History of Management. Assignment: Sun City Boards' Management Style. Assignment: History of Management. Module 3: Planning and Mission. Assignment: Creating a Plan for Sun City Boards.
CW1 Individual Assignment
faculty of accountancy, finance and business abdm1183 introduction to business individual written assignment [dbu] name student id tey li lin 21wbd. name of lecturer : mr fong loo ming name of tutor : mr wong eng da tutorial group : group 5 date of submission : 2/9/ appendix 4 plagiarism statement - individual assignment table of contents ...
Studocu
301 Moved Permanently. openresty

Teaching Introduction to Business with Mini-Projects

Article Summary

1. What Motivates You?

2. Stranded at Sea & The Key to Effective Decision-Making

3. Product Classifications

4. Shark Tank Analysis

5. Vacations and Hotel Stays

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Final Thoughts on Teaching Introduction to Business

Related articles

BUS101: Introduction to Business

Course Syllabus

Unit 1: The Context of Business

Unit 2: Entrepreneurship and Legal Forms of Business

Unit 3: Marketing

Unit 4: Accounting, Finance, and Banking

Unit 5: Management

Study Guide

Course Feedback Survey

Certificate Final Exam

Saylor Direct Credit

Saylor Direct Credit Exam

Essential exam information:

Some details about taking your exam:

Allowed resources:

What should I do before my exam?

Introduction to Business

Formats Available

Table of Contents

Ancillary Material

About the Contributors

Contribute to this Page

1.1 The Nature of Business

Not-for-Profit Organizations

Factors of Production: The Building Blocks of Business

Catching the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Concept Check

Get Support

Introduction to Business

Need help finding the right product for YOU and YOUR students? Take our Find Your Fit Quiz here.

Understanding Business, 13th Edition

Understanding Business: The Core, 3rd Edition

Business Foundations: A Changing World, 13th Edition

M: Business, 7th Edition

Connect Master: Introduction to Business

Author Blogs

Best Practices

McGraw Hill Business Program: Supercharge your students’ readiness

4 Introduction to Business Strategy

Critical Thinking Questions

Share This Book

How To Write A Solid Assignment Introduction

The 5 essential ingredients.

#1 – The Four Ws

#2 – A brief discussion of the context.

#3 – Identification of the key issue and research question(s).

#4 – A brief outline of your theoretical approach.

#5 – A brief outline of your fieldwork.

Let’s recap.

You Might Also Like:

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Introduction to Business

How Do You Write An Introduction to An Assignment? (With Examples of Assignment Introduction)

How to introduce an assignment?

Different Elements of the Introduction of an Assignment

How to write an introduction for a report?

How to write an introduction for a thesis or a dissertation?

Tips of Top-Rated Experts on How to Start an Assignment

Need help with how to start an assignment introduction?

0 responses on "How Do You Write An Introduction to An Assignment? (With Examples of Assignment Introduction)"

Recent Posts

Securing Higher Grades is no more expensive!

100% Secure Payment

Tap to Chat

Course Resources

Sun City Boards Assignments and Discussions

Alternate Assignments and Discussions

Using Assignments

Rubric for Assignments

Open Pedagogy Assignments

Need  help finding the right product for YOU and YOUR students? Take our Find Your Fit Quiz here.