Entrepreneurship & SMEs – MGT641

Instructor Name Ahmed Fouad

ahmed.fouad@eslsca.edu.eg
University Email /Ahmed-fouad@outlook.com
contact 01033055053
01223660556
Course Duration /
Semester
Lectures Online
Classroom /
Campus
Room No.

Prerequisite

 Course Description

Taking a practical, hands-on approach to entrepreneurship, this course explores the tools and
critical-thinking skills needed for small business success. It analyses the determinants of how to
successfully launch and manage a business. By dissecting case studies, examining successes and
failures in the context of the market, and observing the tactics used by today’s most successful
small business ventures, students can develop the skills that will give them a unique advantage in a
hotly competitive environment.

 Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

1. Understand the foundations of entrepreneurship

2. Design a competitive Business Model and build/implement a Strategic Plan
3. Understand the different forms of Business ownerships
4. Build and properly implement a Marketing Plan
5. Understand the HR and financial aspects related to entrepreneurship
6. Explain the differences among creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship
7. Explain why and how a small business must create a competitive advantage in the
market

pg. 1
 Required Course Materials
1. Reference Textbooks: The following Main textbook is required for this course.

-Norman M. Scarborough, Essentials of Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Textbook
Management, 9th Ed., Pearson International Edition, 2019

2. University portal, course coordinator email, announcements, homework assignments, and

lecture notes. Check it frequently for updates. I will also periodically post new articles, links or
research papers pertinent to our class discussions to the University portal.

 Teaching Methods
Lectures & Seminars x
Research & reporting x
Projects x
Group Work x
Case Study x
Presentations x

 Assessment Strategy & Grade Distribution

The assessment has been designed to test the achievement of the course’s learning outcomes and
it requires students to think critically and apply the knowledge gained during the course.
Accordingly, the course is assessed by the following components:
Course Requirement Points
Attendance 10 Points
Assessment (1) –Individual assignment 10 Points
Assessment (2)-Group project 20 Points
Midterm Exam 30 Points
Final Exam (4) 30 Points
Total Points 100 points
Important Note:
Below is the detailed guidance for the required assessment items:
1. Assessment (1) – Individual assignment (10 Points):
Research Paper to related topics
2. Assessment (2) Group assignments (20 Points):
Business Plan project delivery
3. Assessment (3) Midterm Exam or Individual / Group Project (30 Points):
Essay Questions and/or Case studies
4. Final Exam (30 Points):
Essay Questions and/or Case studies

pg. 2
 ESLSCA University Grading Scheme
Letter
GPA Percent Description Remarks
Grade
A 4.0 90-100 Superior performance
A- 3.7 85-89 Great performance
B+ 3.3 80-84 Just above good performance
B 3.0 75-79 Good performance
B- 2.7 70-74 Just below good performance
C+ 2.3 65-69 Fair performance
C 2.0 60-64 Acceptable performance
F 0.0 0-59 Failure

 Class Policies
1. Attendance and Participation:
- Attendance and participation are very important in creating a class environment that is both
interesting and meaningful to the professor and to the student. You should attend class
regularly and be on time. Be prepared to ask and answer questions. Therefore, you cannot
make up for a missed class by simply reading the lecture notes later. Attendance is mandatory.
- If you are unable to attend class due to illness or family emergency, you are expected to notify
me by email in advance and the student support officer. Unexcused absences will negatively
affect your grades. You are expected to be thoroughly prepared at each class meeting (e.g.,
required readings). To reinforce this expectation, I will often randomly select a class member to
comment on an issue.
- Class participation is a principal component of all coursework in the program. Course grades
reflect the quality of students’ academic performance as a whole, which normally includes
regular participation in the total class experience and are evaluated accordingly.

2. Classroom Conduct:
- Punctuality: Lateness is disrespectful and disruptive. Chronic lateness will not be tolerated.
Please be punctual for class and for your group meetings.
- Cellphones and Electronic Devices
Cellphones are not permitted in class, please turn off your cellphones in class.

pg. 3
 3. Academic Honesty & Plagiarism:
- All university, college, and department policies on academic honesty will be strictly enforced.
The usual consequences of academic dishonesty are failure of the course and referral of the
case to the dean of the management department for additional disciplinary action.
- The prevalence of group work is consistent with the principle that much of your education here
will come from each other, and I encourage you to discuss all cases and other materials with
your group prior to coverage in class. Group work accounts for a great part of your final grade. If
your name is one the final product (e.g., case write-up or project report), you must have put
significant effort into the preparation process. Individuals will not receive credit for group work
in which they have not participated, and may receive a lower grade if their contribution is
clearly below expectations. Such procedure is initiated by the group members who explain the
issue to me in writing (email or letter, signed by a majority of group members). I will make the
final decision after consulting all group members.
- Students shall avoid all forms of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to:

A. Plagiarism:
“Plagiarism is defined as the submission or presentation of work in any form that is not a
student’s own, without acknowledgement of the sources.”
To avoid plagiarism, you must credit the sources used when writing as essay, research
paper, or other assignment in accordance with the appropriate style manual or format
required in your course. Specific approaches to appropriate citation are found in writing
style guides, such as Kate Turabian’s a Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and
Dissertations, 6th Edition or The Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association, (APA) 6th Edition.

B. Collusion:
When specifically prohibited in advance by the instructor, collaborating with another person
in the preparation of notes, themes, reports or other written work offered for credit.

C. Cheating on an examination or quiz:

Giving or receiving information or using prepared material on an examination or quiz.

D. Falsification of data:
Manufacturing data, falsification of information, including providing false or misleading
information, or selective use of data to support a particular conclusion or to avoid
conducting actual research.

pg. 4
 Overview of Course Schedule

Assignments and/or Learning

Week Topics
outcome
The Foundations of Entrepreneurship
Introduction to the ecosystem
1
Creation of a business idea

Creativity and Innovation: Keys to Entrepreneurial

Success Ideation Process / Developing the
2
mind map

Conducting a Feasibility Analysis and Designing a

Business Model Illustrating business Model/
3
Prototype

Crafting a Business Plan and Building a Solid Strategic

Plan Competitive advantage Building
4
Business plan components

Forms of Business Ownership

Buying an Existing Business
5 Choosing a legal form
Franchising and the Entrepreneur

Building a Powerful Bootstrap Marketing Plan

Building a bootstrap marketing
6
plan

E-Commerce and the Entrepreneur

Position your startup in the
7
market space / E commerce

Pricing and Credit Strategies

Creating a Successful Financial Plan Adapting your pricing tactics to
8
Ventures Capital and Angel Investors your financial model

Choosing the Right Location and Layout

Criteria of external and internal
9
allocation

Global Aspects of Entrepreneurship

Building a New Venture Team and Planning for the Going global
10
Next Generation / Business Ethics HR model

pg. 5
 Important Note:
- Calendar is subject to change at the professor’s
discretion.
- All changes will be discussed in advance of the day affected.

pg. 6
  Evaluation Rubric 1 for Individual / Group Project
The following rubric will be used in assessing the quality of individual / Group assignment:
Individual  Group Project 
Excellent “A” Good “B” Fair “C” Unacceptable “D”
Credit “F”
(90-100) (80-89) (70-79) (60-69)
Content Categories (<59)
Substantially exceeds Exceeds Meets Does not meet
Unacceptable
expectations expectations expectations expectations

Paper lacks flow from

Applies unit Applies unit material Does not apply the unit point to point, order of
Applies unit material
1. Development material with some with gaps in
with logical order of principles and material ideas is not clear, and
logical order of information.
Ideas, with no gaps in as called for in the case gaps in information are
ideas, with minimal
information. study present. Structure lacks
gaps in information
organization.
Completely addresses Sustainability
the concepts, theories addresses issues
Major themes
and material issues covered in unit and
mentioned in the
covered in unit and called for in the Addresses some of Does not address the
2. Adherence to the issues covered in assignment instructions
called for in the assignment relevant issues posed by
assignment have not been met and
assignment instructions, and is unit and called for in the case study.
the assignment are not supported by
Scope – 60%

instructions, and is supported by text

instructions literature.
supported by text and/or other
and/or other literature. literature.

3. Quality of Best and most You fail to make any

Important points Some important Applicable points are not
presented applicable points are important points and
are presented while points are presented and paper is
presented while analyze the material
content unnecessary addressed, but not full of unnecessary
unnecessary content is presented in the unit
content is left out. fully covered. content.
left out. and case study.

You make your

point, but could You made some You fail to make your
Points are not logical
Points are logical and present more points, but they point, and do not use
4. Logic of and are not supported
well-supported by logically. Points are were not logically the concepts, theories
arguments by evidence and
evidence and research. supported by related to the case and material presented
research.
evidence and itself. in the unit.
research.
Demonstrates critical Case study lacks
thinking about the Demonstrates
some critical
topic and the student’s critical thinking thinking about the Case study lacks critical No critical thinking
own impressions and about the topic and topic and the thinking about the topic about the topic and the
the student’s own
Originality – 20%

interpretations of student’s own and the student’s own student’s own

research. The research impressions and impressions and impressions and impressions and
is not merely interpretations of
1. Interpretation interpretations of interpretations of interpretations of
presented, but is research. The
and application research. The research. The research research. The research
interpreted and applied research is
research presented is not interpreted and is not interpreted and
to overall themes. presented could be could be better applied to overall applied to overall
better interpreted
interpreted and themes. themes.
and applied to
applied to overall
overall themes.
themes.

 Evaluation Rubric 2 for Individual / Group Presentation

pg. 7
 The following rubric will be used in assessing the
quality of individual / Group presentation:
Individual  Group Presentation 

Professional, no Professional, some

Revision Revision
Content Categories editing or revision light editing may be
Suggested Required Revision Required
required useful

Proper editing of
1. APA Format Follows APA format Follows APA
references and APA Follows APA format Does not follow APA
about 50% of the format less than
style, no editing or with few errors. format.
time. 50% of the time.
revision required.
Presentation – 10%

Overlooked
Overlooked errors several errors in Many errors in both
Proper sentence
Few or no errors but in sentence spelling, mechanics and
2. Grammar and structure, punctuation,
sentence structure structure, punctuation, sentence structure,
Mechanics and spelling, no editing
could be improved. punctuation, and and/or sentence extremely poorly
or revision required.
spelling. structure showing written.
carelessness.

Various themes and

50% of the themes
concepts throughout Various themes and
and concepts Themes and
the paper are concepts throughout
Integration – 10%

throughout the concepts are not

integrated and the paper are Themes and
paper are integrated and
1. Synthesis incorporated to form integrated and concepts do not
integrated and incorporated to
even stronger support incorporated to form support the thesis.
incorporated to support the
for the thesis. Concepts strong support for the Concepts are poorly
support the thesis. thesis. Concepts
are not presented thesis. Concepts, presented.
50 % of concepts are not presented
independently of one overall, are presented
are presented as a as a whole.
another, but as part of as a whole.
whole.
a whole.

pg. 8