General Business (GBUS)

John Delery
Management Department Chair
402 Business Building
479-575-4007

General Business is the broadest major in Walton College. It is offered by the Department of Management, which also offers a major in management. This online program provides the student exposure to all facets of the business process. Maximum flexibility is retained by the student. At the same time, careful use of general and junior/senior business electives allows the student to concentrate additional coursework in one or more selected functional areas.

The Walton College Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a major in General Business is intended to provide students the opportunity to enroll in a four-year degree program online.  In addition, the online degree affords students who have completed an Associate's Degree in Business or those who are near completion of their business degree, the option to complete a B.S.B.A. with a major in General Business.

Courses

MGMT 21003. Managing People and Organizations. 3 Hours.

Study of the process of acquiring and managing Human Capital, focusing on the organizational behavior, legal, economic, and technical issues concerned with business decisions about acquiring, motivating, and retaining employees; emphasis given to the development, implementation, and assessment of policies and practices consistent with legal, social, human, and environmental dynamics. Prerequisite: Non-business students: (DASC 10003 or GNEG 11101) each with a grade of C or better. Pre- or corequisite: Walton College Students: BUSI 11101. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

MGMT 210H3. Honors Managing People and Organizations. 3 Hours.

Study of the process of acquiring and managing Human Capital, focusing on the organizational behavior, legal, economic, and technical issues concerned with business decisions about acquiring, motivating, and retaining employees; emphasis given to the development, implementation, and assessment of policies and practices consistent with legal, social, human, and environmental dynamics. Corequisite: Walton College students: MATH 20503 or MATH 24004 and honors standing. Prerequisite: Non-business students: BUSI 10303, ACCT 20103 and (ECON 21003 or ECON 22003), all with a grade of C or better and honors standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

MGMT 24203. Social Issues, Diversity and Ethics in a Global Business Environment. 3 Hours.

Ethics, diversity, and culture are significant issues organizations must address within their workforces as they strive for success in a global business environment. Organizations that understand these factors will be better positioned to attract and retain talent, ensure employee and firm success, and foster continued positive contributions to society. In this course, students will explore how organizations can embrace and address critical social issues directly and ethically. Students will leave the course with an enhanced understanding of the incredible diversity of employees in terms of personal characteristics, culture, and beliefs, and with an increased awareness of important tools for enhancing employee and organizational success in today's business climate. Prerequisite: BUSI 11101 with a grade of C or better will only apply to business majors; there are no prerequisites for non-business majors. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 35303. Alternative Dispute Resolution. 3 Hours.

This immersion into the divergent forms of conflict/dispute resolution will expose students to the dynamics of one of the leading disciplines in the workplace and society as a whole. Students will be presented with a comprehensive analysis of divergent aspects of conflict resolution strategies such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, neutral fact finding, settlement conferences, summary trials, conciliation and facilitation. Confrontational negotiating styles and illustrations will be contrasted with topical strategies such as mutual gains. Prerequisite: Junior standing. (Typically offered: Irregular)

MGMT 35603. Management Concepts and Organizational Behavior. 3 Hours.

Business students may not receive credit for this course. Course introduces students to fundamental concepts of management practice with particular emphasis on managing human behavior in organizations. Addresses the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling functions performed by managers as these functions relate to managing human resources. Provides survey of critical management concepts; enables students to develop analytical and problem solving skills through case studies and experimental exercises. Students may not receive credit for both MGMT 35603 and MGMT 21003. Walton College majors are not eligible to register for the course. No degree credit for Walton College majors. (Typically offered: Irregular)

MGMT 36503. Creating and Leading a Diverse Workforce. 3 Hours.

Study of the process of creating and leading a diverse workforce, focusing on the knowledge and skills necessary for creating a culture that embraces and makes diversity work; examines the many dimensions of diversity with emphasis on understanding the range of cultural behaviors and expectations, cultural communication, and building diverse work teams. Special attention will be given to developing talent management competencies, such as recruiting, coaching, mentoring, career development, and evaluating and measuring the effects of diversity initiatives. Prerequisite: Junior standing. (Typically offered: Irregular)

MGMT 41003. Special Topics in Management. 3 Hours.

Explores trends, concepts, and important developments in management as they impact on organizational performance. Topics are selected by the Management Department faculty for each semester the course is offered. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for degree credit.

MGMT 42403. Ethics and Corporate Responsibility. 3 Hours.

A comprehensive and critical examination of traditional and current ethical theories and approaches that guide business decision-making, ethical issues that affect business decisions, and ethics related to the various business disciplines. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 42503. Leadership. 3 Hours.

This course offers a foundation for understanding and evaluating organizational leadership. It is designed to assist students in developing frameworks for understanding and enacting leadership. This course examines topics such as the nature and foundation of the leader-follower relationship, models that explain effective leadership, and the interface of leadership with gender, ethics, and culture. Prerequisite: MGMT 21003 or MGMT 35603. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 42603. Organizational Change and Development. 3 Hours.

This course will develop diagnostic and intervention skills that can be applied to identifying and overcoming problems of morale and productivity in organizations. A variety of behavioral methods will be covered. Prerequisite: MGMT 21003 or MGMT 35603. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 42703. Leading Groups and Teams. 3 Hours.

This course focuses on applying theory and principles of leadership, groups, and teams to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively lead and work in teams. It is designed to help students develop confidence as team leaders by focusing on (1) improving team leadership skills related to factors such as communication, decision-making, and conflict management, and (2) self-reflection of their own personalities, skills, and experiences as important and relevant predictors of their effectiveness as team leaders. Pre- or Corequisite: MGMT 42503. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 4500V. Independent Study. 1-3 Hour.

Permits students on individual basis to explore selected topics in management. (Typically offered: Irregular) May be repeated for up to 3 hours of degree credit.

MGMT 46303. Faith, Spirituality, and the Workplace. 3 Hours.

An in-depth and interactive survey of faith and spirituality in the workplace. Provides students with a foundational knowledge of various faith traditions and forms of spirituality, including non-theist perspectives. Highlights the interconnections between faith traditions. Encourages exploration and identification of personal value systems and their origins. Develops skills that enable meaningful interaction with individuals from diverse faith and spiritual backgrounds. Examines the growing body of academic research on faith and spirituality in the workplace. Studies the management challenges and opportunities inherent in developing faith-friendly workplaces. Examines the different ways modern organizations are approaching faith and spirituality in the workplace. Offers perspectives from, and provides the opportunity to engage with, multiple religious, spiritual, and business leaders. Prerequisite: Junior Standing. (Typically offered: Irregular)

MGMT 49403. Talent Acquisition and Management. 3 Hours.

In-depth study of theoretical, legal, methodological, and substantive issues related to selection, performance appraisal, and development of employees. Students participate in individual and group projects designed to provide theoretical and practical skills related to staffing. Prerequisite: BUSI 10303. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 49503. Organizational Rewards and Compensation. 3 Hours.

Develops an understanding of reward systems theory and its application to the design of compensation systems. Provides theoretical and legal background and practical applications for the use of reward systems in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees. Prerequisite: BUSI 10303. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 49603. People Analytics. 3 Hours.

There is a growing demand for data-based decision making in organizations, and Human Resources is no exception. In this course, students will gain an appreciation for the ways in which people data can be used to make more effective Human Resources decisions. Students will gain experience manipulating a data set, performing basic analyses, interpreting results, and make data-driven recommendations, while learning how people analytics fit into advancing larger organizational goals. Distilling and communicating results using visual media is also emphasized. Prerequisite: BUSI 10303. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)

MGMT 49803. Talent Development. 3 Hours.

A comprehensive approach to developing talent demonstrates an organization's commitment to its employees and facilitates the organization's ability to meet strategic goals. This course focuses on applying the theories and principles of coaching, mentoring, training, and development to cultivate the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively develop talent. It is designed to provide an understanding of how coaching, mentoring, training, and development can be performed in a variety of situations and to demonstrate the relevance of these functions for effective leadership. Key relational and communication skills essential for talent development are emphasized. Prerequisite: MGMT 21003 or MGMT 35603. (Typically offered: Fall and Spring)