Higher education in the capital of Europe. Contact now
Excelsiorlaan 5, 1930 Zaventem, Belgium

Your route to a degree in the capital of Europe

Level 6 • Business Management

Introduction to Business

BSM 103 — Semester I

Course CodeBSM 103
TypeB
ECTS5
SemesterI

Course Description

Introduction to Business is a course that offers essential information related to the business landscape and business functions (Operations & Production, Marketing, Finance & Accounting, Human Resourced Management, IT). The course has been designed in such a way that it provides to the students the updated information on the business reality which changes very rapidly. At the same time, it provides the necessary information for more advanced courses related to the aforementioned business functions. Through real life examples and case studies, both national and international; the content of this course has been aligned with the contemporary developments in the field of business, and aims to provide the basics for the understanding of business organizations and people who operate them.

Course Objectives

Gain an understanding of the global business environment and the context in which a business operates. Learn about the different types of business, such as entrepreneurship, new ventures, and other types of ownership. Identify the four basic functions of the management process and describe the basic roles and skills managers require. Provide basic knowledge about the main business functions such as management, operations, human resources, marketing, accounting, IT, and finance.

Key Concepts

  1. Business Enivronment
  2. Business Ethics
  3. Corporate Social Responsibility
  4. Leadership
  5. Management
  6. Human Resources
  7. Finance
  8. Marketing
  9. Business structure
  10. Organizing

Course Outline

WeekTopics
1Introduction and Orientation (7 October 2025)
2Chpt. 1 The Global Business Environment pg. 28-59. Business, profit, and the external environment, economic systems, the economics of market systems, and economic indicators + READING CHAPTER Chpt. 4. Understanding the Global Context of Business pg. 128-161. Contemporary global economy. International trade. International business management. Understanding the cultural environment. Barriers to international trade (14 October 2025)
3Chpt. 2 Understanding Business Ethics and Social Responsibility pg.60-95. How individuals develop their personal codes of ethics and why ethics are important in the workplace. Show how the concept of social responsibility applies both to environmental issues and to a firm's relationship with customers, employees, and investors (21 October 2025)
4Chpt. 3 Entrepreneurship, New Ventures, and Business Ownership pg. 96-127. Starting and operating a new business. Start-up's and corporations (28 October 2025)
5QUIZ #1 (4 November 2025)
6Chpt. 5 Managing the Business pg. 162-193. Basic management functions. Types of manager and managerial roles and skills. Strategic management. Contingency planning and crisis management. Management and the corporate culture (11 November 2025)
7Fall Semester MIDTERM EXAMS WEEK (18 November 2025)
8Chpt. 6 Organizing the Business pg. 198-227. What Is Organizational Structure? The Building blocks of organizational structure, Establishing the Decision-Making Hierarchy, Basic Forms of Organizational Structure, Informal Organization (25 November 2025)
9Chpt. 7 Operations Management and Quality pg. 222-263. Creating value through operations. Business strategy as the driver of operations. Operations planning, scheduling, and control. Quality improvement and total quality management. Adding value through supply chains (1-5 December 2025)
10Chpt. 9 Leadership and Decision Making pg. 305-331 The nature of Leadership; Early theories of Leadership; Situational Theories of Leadership; The changing nature of Leadership; Leadership, Management, and decision making (9 December 2025)
11QUIZ #2 (16 December 2024)
12Chpt. 10 Human Resource Management and Labor Relations pg. 326-363 The strategic importance of HR, staffing, compensation and benefits, developing the workforce + READING CHAPTER Chpt. 8 Employee Behavior and Motivation 264-297 (6 January 2026)
13Chpt. 14 Information Technology (IT) for Business 469-501 (13 January 2026)
14Revision (20 January 2026)

Learning Outcomes

  1. Discuss business ideas and findings clearly, both in writing and orally, to diverse audiences.
  2. Demonstrate the ability to assess both internal and external business environments, identifying key factors that impact organizational decision-making.
  3. Describe and compare various types of business organizations, such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and franchises.
  4. Identify entrepreneurial opportunities, recognize the challenges of starting a business, and evaluate the resources required for launching a new venture.
  5. Develop the ability to define and explain core business concepts, including management, operations, human resources, marketing, accounting, and finance.
  6. Gain knowledge of management functions—planning, organizing, leading, and controlling—and apply them to real-life business scenarios.
  7. Outline fundamental marketing concepts and develop basic marketing strategies for products or services.
  8. Understand financial statements, including balance sheets and income statements, and apply basic financial analysis to assess business performance.
  9. Understand business ethics and social responsibility and analyze how companies address these areas in their strategies and operations.
  10. Explore the global aspects of business, understanding how international trade, cultural differences, and global markets influence business operations.
Assessment
MethodQty% Each
Homework00
Midterm Exam(s)140
Project00
Quiz27.5
Final Exam145
Attendance0
Other00
Textbooks

Business Essentials, Global Edition, 13th edition, Published by Pearson (July 29, 2024) © 2024, Ronald J. Ebert University of Missouri-Columbia, Ricky W. Griffin Texas A&M University https://www.pearson.com/en-gb/subject-catalog/p/business-essentials-global-edition/P200000007141/9781292742083

Back to pathway curriculum

Ready to start your

Questions about admission? [email protected]
Scroll