Investing and participating in business activities is one of the areas receiving much attention from individuals and organizations in equal measures. It is no wonder that institutions teaching business courses have really increased, and the courses are being taught at different levels. With such an understanding, it is important that an individual assesses the course outline at the desired institution of study so as to ensure that the course taken is relevant to contemporary business setting. This can be done in line with the Kant’ theory which analyses practical matters from theoretical issues (Lancs, 1). Kant’s theory does not focus on the outcome, but on the process leading to the outcome. He argues that this process must be morally correct. To support these, he argued that some good results might be derived from evil conspiracies. He therefore argued that the means justify the end. For this reason, it is important to look at the procedure of making a good business executive to determine whether it complies with the theory. This essay uses such a model to look at various courses that I will be taking in my business course.
Courses with Practical Goals
After a careful review of my outline, I have realized that there are various courses with very practical objectives. One of them is communication English I. according to Blair (1), communication is the process through which one becomes understood, or receives a message intended for him. In a way, communication enables the individual to have control over the flow of information. Through this course, I realize that I can learn a lot which makes me efficient at communicating. At the end of the course, I can have enough skills to communicate with whoever it is that I interact with, whether clients or business associates. From the outline, this is the aim of the course. It is in measurable not theoretical terms. At the end of it all, I can be either a good communicator or not, depending on my ability to grasp the content. In line with this, Business Communication II is also another very practical course. The idea behind this course is to expand what has already been learnt under Communication English. Once this is understood, it has to be applied in business. That is the point at which practicality is seen. The course requires quite a lot to master, as it involves the incorporation of all the skills learnt into real life situations. Zidle (1) explains that it requires quite some skills to master this technique which is very vital in the business setting. Among the tips given as to being an effective communicator include listening more and talking less, which makes the other party feel appreciated. Avoiding mind reading and pushing gives the other party a chance to express self. For effective communication, it is wise to avoid judging the messenger by their looks, as this can lead to a distortion of the message (Blair, 1). The skills to be understood are a threefold. There are the oral skills which make up presentation skills, written skills which are good at reporting and non-verbal skills which include body language (Sydney University, 1). This shows that communication is a practical skill that is directly applied in life situations.
Computer software is another of my courses that is very practical. It is widely accepted that technology is the stronghold of modern day business. This is because all the activities at the workplace have been heavily computerized. It is also a requirement in every job placement that individuals seeking to get placements have to master computer skills. Silvern (1) posits that there are various advantages associated with mastery of the computer skills. These include but are not limited to continuous and smooth business operations. It also boosts the confidence of employees thereby improving their productivity. Besides, it makes the operations faster and reduces the bulkiness of work that could have been done manually. From this explanation, it can be seen that the course on computer software actually has practical outcomes. It is not meant to gain just cognitive understanding but practical application as well.
Organization Behavior cannot be left out of the list of practical courses. Cornell University (1) defines organization behavior as a study aimed at understanding individuals within an organization. It encompasses understanding the behaviors of the people in the context of a workplace setting. The course is also interdisciplinary, employing different aspects of communication, management, sociology and psychology. The Harvard School of Business (1) echoes the same idea. It further explains that the behavior of people in such settings is not static but keeps changing depending on the situations. With such an understanding, it can be seen that the course is meant for future application. It prepares the student to deal with real business settings where there are different individuals.
The last course highlighted in this section is the Business Law and Ethics. It is worth noting that business law is the base on which social corporate responsibility is founded. Unless an individual has a good understanding of the laws affecting business transactions, there is no way that such a person can participate in making decisions that affect the running of the business. Saylor (2) notes that law is defined in a simple manner as the tool used to protect one party from another. In a business setting, this implies the customer and the seller or company and another company. Basically, it involves the interests of two people which brings them together and facilitates a transaction to take place. Law comes in to ensure that everyone’s interests are taken care of and no one takes advantage of the other.
The practicality of this course comes in such a manner that it aims at making the learner well aware to the laws and regulations applying in every transaction. These help to ensure peaceful business activities. It also affects how an individual, in his business pursuits, interacts with the environment and other people. If these laws were not in place, then everyone would pursue his selfish interests. At the end of the day, there would be conflicts due to clash of interests. Law helps to prevent such incidences. It is therefore quite a practical course, and a crucial one at that.
Courses Helping in Making of Responsible Decisions
Every action taking place at the contemporary workplace is governed by a decision that has been made. Therefore, when taking a course in business management, it is always important to recognize the courses that equip the individual with abilities to make decisions. One of such courses is management. It is important at this point to understand that management is different from leadership. Leadership is just a matter of delegating already set roles and overseeing their implementation. However, management involves creating a balance between the resources and the way they are used. It involves planning and making strategic plans. Leadership is just a part of management (Reh, 1). Management calls for the ability to motivate employees rather than putting them under pressure to perform. In close reference to the Management course, there is the Managing Business course. This comes in as a complement rather than a supplement to the Management course. Business management involves the application of skills learnt under management into the business world. Therefore, individuals who have been through these two courses are in apposition to make decisions which move the company in the right direction. Such individuals not only have the mandate to make the decisions, but they also have the relevant knowledge needed in making such decisions. Reh (2) observes that such people are not just concerned with the quality of work done, but also the quality of the work. As such, these two courses are a real asset to a business. When the enterprise has many individuals possessing such skills and qualifications, then it is bound to tap much from the pool of resourcefulness in such people.
Business involves money and how it changes hands. It involves exchange of goods and services for money or other goods and services. This is the aspect of economics, which is one of the tenets of business. From this perspective, it can be seen that economics, both macro and micro-economics are essential in making decisions in a business entity. Macro-economics and Micro-economics, as business courses, are important for anyone wishing to venture into business world.
According to Manhattan Review (1), economics is a form of social science aiming at understanding the nature of economies. It further posits that anyone wishing to get a place in a managerial position in a business entity ought to have learnt an aspect of economics, whether at the basic or advanced level. This is because the course is relevant in observing the trends in the business world and predicting the future changes. This, therefore, helps the business executive in making sound decisions.
Micro-economics focuses on the agents dealt with at the individual and organizational level. It focuses on the supply-demand dynamics, showing the relationship between demand and supply. It involves standard decision making models, consumer and producer behaviors and their equilibrium, and welfare. Macro-economics, on the other hand, takes a broader perspective. It observes business from the top to the bottom. It looks at the GDP of a country then trickles down to the living standards of individuals and the choices of larger groups. From this explanation, it is clear that economics is a course that helps individuals to make wise business decisions.
Philosophy also helps in making of business decisions. This course is quite complex, and at times controversial. However, it cannot be denied that an individual, having gone through such a course, tends to look at matters from another angle different from one who has not. Such an individual has a higher likelihood to identify a flaw in a business idea that could easily pass the attention of others. Lancs (3) explains this concept by noting that philosophers tend to go beyond the superficial understanding. They dig deeper into a subject. This is probably why philosophers tend to criticize most life’s issues. However, it cannot be denied that having a business executive with a philosophical mind is always an asset to an organization.
Values Taught in the Classes
After going through the course outline, I realized that there are values strongly advocated for. Courtesy is one of these values. This is seen through the emphasis give to the issue, with two of the courses dealing with communication. The reason behind this emphasis comes from a reasonable grounding. Business involves having interactions with people of different walks of life. Learning how to deal with them is important. Being keen, observative and attentive are also called for. This is seen through the various business courses described. They all aim at helping the individual become equipped in two things: identifying a business opportunity or a problem in a business idea and two, making use of the opportunity and in case of a problem, come up with an amicable solution. These characteristics do not come easy. They need a well trained and a sharp mind. This is one of the reasons why business courses are taught so as to equip business executives with these skills.
Each of these skills has a considerable contribution to the success of a business executive. Being keen ensures that the individual is not by-passed by any development in the business world. This makes the individual quite an asset. On the other hand, an observative person is highly unlikely to make some simple, often referred to as ‘silly’ mistakes since he knows exactly what needs to be done and at what time. This aspect also helps in the decision making process. Lastly, attentiveness is a highly priced value. It infers that an individual is dynamic and ready to learn. It can help in acquisition of new skills.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, this essay has looked at the various courses taught in a business course. This has been done with intent to identify the courses that have a practical approach. From the discussion, it has emerged that communication, computer software, organizational behavior and business law are some of the courses with practical approaches. Other courses are aimed at capacity building where they build the ability of the learner to make proper business decisions. These have been identified as management, economics and philosophical courses. These shape the individuals mind in a business oriented manner so the individual becomes an asset in a business setting. Lastly, it has analyzed the various values taught throughout the courses. Such values as integrity and courtesy are of immense value when dealing with clients. For general business operations, values such as being observative and having an eye for opportunities are identified. From the above discussion, it is agreeable that taking a business training course is important in contemporary business settings.
Works Cited
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Cornell University. Organizational Behavior: Introduction. 2012. Web, 12th Feb 2012, http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/research/subjectguides/organizationalbehavior.html
Harvard Business School. Organizational Behavior. 2012. Web, 13th Feb 2012, http://www.hbs.edu/units/ob/
Lanc. Kant’s Theory of Ethics. 2011. Web, 13th Feb 2012, http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/philosophy/courses/100/100kant.htm
Manhattan Review. Macro and Micro-Economics. Web, 12th Feb 2012, http://www.manhattanreview.com/macro-micro-economics/
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Saylor. Business Law and Ethics. 2012. Web, 12th Feb 2012, http://www.saylor.org/courses/bus205/
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Sydney University. Communication Skills. 2011. Web, 13th Feb 2012, http://sydney.edu.au/science/uniserve_science/projects/skills/jantrial/communication/communication.htm
Zidle, Marcia. How to Improve Your Communication Skills. 2012. Web, 13th Feb 2012, http://managementhelp.org/communicationsskills/index.htm
