Foundations of Business Thought—BUS1050

Professor: Sandomir
Semester: Spring 2023
Office: SFEBB 4101
Office Hours: M/W 7am to 8:45am; T/Th 1:15pm to 2:45pm
Office Phone: (801)581-6829
E-Mail: mktas@business.utah.edu
alan.sandomir@eccles.edu

Assigned Reading:
Foundations of Business Thought: Boardman, Sandomir, Sondak-- Amended 9th edition only

Lectures and Readings:  Lectures are brisk and readings are challenging.  Plan on being
keenly attentive to both. More important than this—plan on really reading. Your failure to read
assignments will be painfully obvious if I call upon you in session—even more obvious when
challenged by exams.

Syllabus: This syllabus is, at best, a guideline. Often, we find ourselves engaged in a reading
or discussion which demands more time.  It seems best, for most students, to take the extra
time needed and this, invariably, takes us off our schedule. Still, we will do our best to remain
true to the course schedule.

Class: This class is multidisciplinary, bridging the liberal arts to the business sciences. It will
tether us as often to philosophy and literature as it does to business and economics.  Trust that
the range of disciplines covered is intentional; and that it will make sense as you advance in the
course.

Class Notes: You will find useful slides on CANVAS.

Study Guides: You will find help on CANVAS. There are eight quizzes You can anticipate a
study guide for the first seven quizzes, however, there will be no study guide for the final quiz.
By that time, you will have enough familiarity with how to read and study that we can try just one
quiz without the guide.

Announcements/ZOOM Sessions: You will find both on CANVAS. ZOOM sessions—only if

necessary.

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Purpose:

1.To provide an intellectual basis for understanding the world of commerce--as it exists--
through the reading and discussion of classic texts which span nearly three millennia. 

2. To elucidate the basic disciplines of commerce designated as follows:

a) Marketing;
b) Accounting;
c) Finance;
d) Management; and
e) Production

Exam/Quiz Weights: 

Incentive 10% (equivalent to a grade of “A”)

Quiz #1:  10%
Quiz #2:  10%
Quiz #3: 10%
Quiz #4: 10%
Quiz #5 10%
Quiz #6 10%
Quiz #7 10%
Quiz #8__20%

TOTAL 100%

--Quizzes are multiple choice and/or True/False

Grades: Quiz curves will be available on CANVAS—in the “Announcements.”

Structure:  The first half (or so) of the course is strictly multidisciplinary with an emphasis on
the philosophical antecedents of commerce.  The second half (or so) of the course is sectioned
into five modules including:
 
1) Marketing;
2) Accounting;
3) Finance;
4) Management; and
5) Production

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Attendance: There are consequences to poor attendance.

Communication: Please do not use CANVAS to communicate with me--direct all email to my
office address: mktas@business.utah.edu or alan.sandomir@eccles.utah.edu

Teaching Assistant: Our Teaching Assistant for this class is Emily Zhang:
emily.zhang@utah.edu

Schedule:

1/09: Introduction to Foundations of Business Thought

History: Scarcity Theory and Dialectic Theory

History: Berger and Luckman and Karl Mannheim
History: Williams Survey and Ten Values in Capitalist Society

1/11: Modes of Capitalism

Foreword p. 1
Introduction: A Written Word is the Choicest of Relics pp .2-4
From: The Second Treatise of Civil Government—Of Property: Locke
From: The Journal of Christopher Columbus pp. 20-26

1/16: Martin Luther King Day

1/18: Modes of Capitalism--

From: Faust, Part Two: Goethe pp. 51-61

1/23: Modes of Capitalism

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From Walden: Thoreau pp.62-73

1/25: Business, Wealth, and Economic Society

Introduction: Don’t Know Much About History pp.76-82

The Republic: Plato pp. 83-86
The Politics: Aristotle pp. 87-90

1/26: QUIZ ONE—posted 6am, Thursday 1/26 to 12am, Sunday 1/29. Time Allowance: one
hour

1/30: Business, Wealth, and Economic Society

From: The Economic Principles of Confucius: Chen Huan-Chang pp.91-93

From: The Wealth of Nations: Smith pp. 94-97

2/01: Business, Wealth, and Society—

Fable of the Bees: Mandeville pp. 101-107

2/2: QUIZ TWO—posted 6am, Thursday 9/15 at 6am to 12am, Sunday 9/18. Time
Allowance: one hour

2/06: Business, Wealth, and Society—

Wealth: Emerson pp. 109-121

2/08: Business, Wealth, and Society

Acres of Diamonds: Conwell pp.126-127

From: Capital Production: Marx pp. 134-136

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2/13: Faith and Business—

From: Religion and the Rise of Capitalism: Tawney pp. 137-145 (covered on Q-4)

2/15: Faith and Business—

From: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism: Weber pp. 146-152
From: The Acquisitive Society pp. 153-156

2/16: QUIZ THREE—posted 6am, Thursday 2/16 to 12am, Sunday 2/19. Time Allowance:
one hour

2/20: President’s Day

2/22: Corporate Social Responsibility—

From: The Gospel of Wealth: Carnegie pp. 157-162

The Personal Relation in Industry: Rockefeller, Jr. pp. 165-170

2/27: Corporate Social Responsibility

The Social Responsibility of Business: Friedman pp. 171-174

From: Atlas Shrugged: Rand pp. 128-131

2/28: QUIZ FOUR—posted 6am, Tuesday 2/28 to 12am, Friday 3/02. Time Allowance: one
hour

3/01: Marketing—

Introduction to Marketing: You Are Who You Think You Are pp.178-182

3/05 to 3/12: Spring Brea

3/13: Marketing

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From: De Officiis (On Obligation): Cicero pp.178-182

3/15: Marketing—

From: Summa Theologica—Of Cheating, which is Committed in Buying and Selling: Aquinas
pp. 197-202
Origin of the Species: Darwin pp. 205-208

3/20: Marketing—

From: Theory of the Leisure Class: Veblen pp. 210-220

3/22: Marketing—

From: The Dependence Effect: Galbraith pp. 228-231

3/23: QUIZ FIVE—posted 6am, Thursday 3/23 to 12am, Sunday 3/26. Time Allowance: one
hour

3/27: Accounting—

Introduction to Accounting: When You Add, You Subtract pp. 232-234

Bio-Video of Pacioli

3/29: Accounting

From: Ancient Double-Entry Bookkeeping (The Treatise): Pacioli pp. 240-250

The Eternal Storehouse: Saikaku pp. 252-254
From: The Complete English Tradesman: Defoe pp. 255-259

3/30: QUIZ SIX—posted 6am, Thursday 3/30 to 12 am, Sunday 4/02. Time Allowance: one
hour.

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4/03: Finance—

Introduction pp.262-265
From: The Code of Maimonides

4/05: Finance—

From: Summa Theologica—Of the Sin of Usury: Aquinas pp. 276-281

From: Poor Richard’s Almanac--Necessary Hints and The Way to Wealth: Franklin pp. 282-28

4/10: Finance

From: A Principle of Political Economy—Of Profits: John Stuart Mill pp. 290-207

4/12: Management—

Introduction to Management: The Art of Getting Things Done Through People pp. 310-313
From: The Gospel of Wealth--The Labor Question: Carnegie pp. 323-327

4/13: QUIZ SEVEN—posted 6am, Thursday 4/13 to 12am, Sunday 4/16. Time Allowance:
One hour

4/17: Management—

From: The Acquisitive Society--The Condition of Efficiency: Tawney pp. 332-338

From: Lady Chatterly’s Lover: Lawrence pp. 339-342

4/19: Production

Introduction to Production: Take This Job and Love It pp. 354-357

From: The Works of Alexander Hamilton--Manufactures: Hamilton pp. 365-369
From: Notes on the State of Virginia--Manufactures: Jefferson p. 370
From: Democracy in America--An Aristocracy of Manufactures: Tocqueville pp. 371-372

4/24: Production
From: My Life and Work: Ford pp. 385-389

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4/27: FINAL QUIZ (20% of your grade)—posted 6am, Thursday 4/27 to Sunday at
midnight. No Study Guide for this one. This quiz will cover Management and Production.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:

 Lectures are conducted at a challenging pace; come to class prepared for this.
 Readings are challenging, so refer to your dictionaries as often as is necessary.
 Read all introductions—they contain helpful ideas for exams and quizzes
 Answer the questions at the end of readings—Your professor will not collect responses,
however doing this will help with comprehension.
 Answer all the study questions provided.
 All Quizzes and Examinations will be online (CANVAS)
 Speak with or email your professor if you have difficulties with English as a first
language.
 If you experience reading or comprehension difficulties of any kind, please visit with your
professor.
 Despite any difficulties with language, this class may require that you write an essay in
place of a quiz. You must write complete sentences (unless there is a reason to use a
summary format) that are structured correctly (relative to grammar and syntax).
 Throughout the class, your professor will recommend ancillary readings. You will not be
held accountable for any of these readings, but they may be of interest to you.
 The class schedule may not be kept with complete exactitude. There are any number of
things that might require some flexibility.
 If English is not your first language such that it affects your reading comprehension,
contact the professor.