Undergraduate Program Course Syllabus:

US285.OL1 – Invisible Women: An Exploration of Female

Entrepreneurship

Fall 2010 Semester

Course Description

This course introduces students to the psychological, sociological and economic

dimensions of entrepreneurship as they review extant research on female entrepreneurs.
Each student will research and write a mini-business case that emphasizes psychological,
sociological or economic challenges experienced by a specific female entrepreneur.

Teaching Methods

A combination of readings, writing assignments, discussion forums, research and peer

critiques will be required during the course. The teaching methods used by the instructor
may include discussion forums, assignments, information technology, videos, and readings.

Course Objectives

• To provide an opportunity for students to explore connections between discrete

disciplinary ideas by exposing students to psychological, sociological and economic
dimensions of entrepreneurship.
• To provide an opportunity for students to develop analytically and intellectually by
researching and writing mini-business cases that compare and contrast extant research
on female entrepreneurship with experiences of a particular female entrepreneur.
• To provide an opportunity for students to develop collaborative relationships with
fellow students through peer reviews of student submitted writing samples.

PREREQUISITES:

There are no prerequisites for this course. However, EN101 is strongly recommended.

Course Text
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Brush, C.G., Carter, N.M., Gatewood, E. & Greene, P.G. (2004). Clearing the Hurdles:
Women Building High-Growth Businesses. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall.
Contact Information

Office telephone = (215) 517 - 2494

email = washingm@arcadia.edu

Office = Brubaker 315

School Cancellation Information: KYW – Day#338, Eve#2338

Email and Blackboard

We will be using Arcadia e-mail and Blackboard. Please make certain that your account is
active and accessible. Please also check e-mail and Blackboard routinely for
announcements, course information, etc.

Competency Assessment

You will have several opportunities to demonstrate your competence in this course. The
following briefly describes the graded assignments required for completion of the course:

Reflection papers: Students will write two 250 word reflection papers on female
entrepreneurship.

Mini-business case segments and final mini-business case: Scholars suggest that the
inclusion of more profiles and histories of female entrepreneurs might generate a more
balanced perspective of entrepreneurship and may inspire career aspirations of case
readers. Students will research and write a mini-business case that features a prominent
female entrepreneur and her business. In order to encourage effective management of
course workload, the mini-business case will initially be written in two segments that will
each be subjected to peer review and feedback. The two segments will subsequently be
combined into one cohesive business case.

Discussion Forums: Each week students will actively discuss questions related to course
concepts by responding directly to each course-related discussion forum question and to
one another’s responses. Student responses will be graded based on content and
frequency.

With respect to content, the first post should thoroughly address the discussion forum
question (or sub-questions) in at least 50 words and must be stated in the student’s own
words. The student may supplement his/her own words with quotes from an external
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source or via a link to a website. (Please be careful to properly cite all quoted or
paraphrased material).

The additional postings should consist of thoughtful, substantive responses to postings

made by at least two other classmates.

Regarding frequency and timing, each student is required to enter at least three posts
during each weekly discussion forum. The first post must occur no later than 11:59pm on
Wednesday and the third post must occur before 11:59pm on Saturday.

Peer critiques: During Weeks 4 and 5, each of you will participate in three-phase peer
critiques of your classmates’ drafts of the Background and Core segments of their mini-
business cases in place of “traditional” discussion forums for those weeks. For both weeks,
you will be placed into groups to conduct at least two of the three phases of the peer
critique process.

Each phase of the peer critique process will be graded on quality and timing.

With respect to quality:

The feedback that you share with your classmates about their drafts will be graded based
on thoroughness and clarity as well as its balance of praise and criticism.

With respect to timing:

Phase I of the peer critique process must be completed by 11:59pm Wednesday (unless a
peer submits his/her draft after Wednesday). Phases II and III of the peer critique process
should be completed by 11:59pm Saturday (last day of the week).

Grade Components and Final Grade Calculation

Graded Item Points Percent of Total

Discussion Forums (5) 270 32.1%
Peer critiques (Weeks 4 & 5 108 12.9%
Discussion Forums)
Reflection essays (2) 60 7.1%
Internet/video assignments 108 12.9%
(6)
Background section (second 84 10%
draft)
Core section (second draft) 84 10%
Mini-business case (final 126 15%
version)
Total points 840 100%
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Final Grade Calculation

A 94-100% C 77-79%
+
A- 90-93% C 74-76%
B+ 87-89% C- 70-73%
B 84-86% D 67-69%
+
B- 80-83% D 64-66%
D- 60-63%
F 0 – 59%

Course Schedule

Week Reading Assignment(s) Video or Internet Writing Assignments

Assignment(s)
Chapters 1 & 2
Week 1: Chapters 4 & 5 Library instruction 250 word reflective essay;
Sept 5 – (video) Discussion Forum(s)
Sept 11

Week 2: Chapter 6; Business Library research 250 word reflective essay;

Sept 12 case writing (Internet) Discussion Forum(s)
– Sept 18 requirements; Peer
critique requirements

Week 3: Chapters 8 & 9 Library research First draft of Background

Sept 19 (Internet) segment;
– Sept 25 Discussion Forum(s)

Week 4: First draft of Library research First draft of Core segment;

Sept 26 Background segment (Internet) Discussion Forum(s)
– Oct 2 submitted by peers

Week 5: First draft of Core Library research Second draft of

Oct 3 – segment submitted by (Internet) Background segment;
Oct 9 peers Discussion Forum(s)

Week 6: Recent articles on Library research Draft of entire mini

Oct 10 – female (Internet) business case; Discussion
Oct 16 entrepreneurship Forum(s)
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Week Reading Assignment(s) Video or Internet Writing Assignments

Assignment(s)
Week 7: Short profiles of female Library research Final mini business case;
Oct 17 – entrepreneurs (Internet) Discussion Forum(s)
Oct 23

Week Objectives

Week 1: To expose students to summaries of extant research on motives for female

Sept 5 – entrepreneurship
Sept 11 To expose students to summaries of extant research on human capital and
female entrepreneurship
To introduce students to online sources for conducting research on a small
business and its owner/entrepreneur

Week 2: To expose students to summaries of extant research on financial

Sept 12 knowledge and female entrepreneurship
– Sept 18 To introduce business case writing to students
To introduce peer critique process to students
To provide an opportunity for students to develop/refine their information
literacy skills through research process

Week 3: To expose students to summaries of extant research on social capital,

Sept 19 social networks and female entrepreneurship
– Sept 25 To provide an opportunity for students to develop/refine their information
literacy skills through research
To provide an opportunity for students to develop/refine their writing skills
by crafting a first draft of the Background section of their mini business case

Week 4: To provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills by

Sept 26 conducting critiques of their peers’ writing samples
– Oct 2 To provide an opportunity for students to develop/refine their information
literacy skills by researching psychological, sociological or economic
challenges that a particular female entrepreneur faced as she grew her
business
To provide an opportunity for students to develop/refine their writing skills
by crafting a draft of the Core section of their mini business case

Week 5: To provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills by

Oct 3 – conducting critiques of their peers’ writing samples
Oct 9 To provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills by revising
the draft of the Background section of their mini business case
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Week Objectives
Week 6: To provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills by revising
Oct 10 – the draft of the Core section, writing a first draft of the Introduction section
Oct 16 and integrating them with the Background section into a draft of the entire
mini business case

Week 7: To provide an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills

Oct 17 –
Oct 23
In the event that you have difficulty completing any of the assignments for this course,
please contact me immediately. My email address and telephone number are listed above
on this syllabus.

Class Policies

Editorial Format for Written Papers:

All written assignments are to follow the APA writing style guidelines for grammar, spelling,
and punctuation. Please refer to the citing sources that are available through the Business
‘room’ on the Landman Library’s website. You may access the Landman Library’s website
through our my.arcadia.edu portal.

Late Assignments:

Late submissions of graded assignments will incur a five percentage point grade reduction
for each 24 hour period past the due date. Submissions received more than 72 hours after
the due date will receive a score of zero for the assignment.

Code of Academic Responsibility:

Each student accepts the responsibility of maintaining high standards of integrity in his/her
academic performance. It is the responsibility of all students to uphold the code through
the procedures set forth by the University as outlined in the Student Handbook.
Please refer to your student handbook for all university regulations.

A very important standard of integrity in the academic setting involves the

avoidance of plagiarism. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, plagiarize
means “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own” (Merriam-
Webster Online Dictionary, 2009). It is expected that all unoriginal ideas or exact
quotations will be properly cited via in-text and end-of-text citations formatted in
accordance with the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Words or ideas that
require citations include all hardcopy or electronic publications and all verbal or visual
communication. Plagiarism is a serious issue that could lead to failure in this course and
expulsion from Arcadia University.