BMGT 353: Retail Management Retail Management (3). This is an overview of the dynamic field of retailing to familiarize students with retailing management concepts, including consumer behavior, Web shopping, and service issues. Retail management is continuously changing to meet the needs of a highly competitive global marketplace. Discussions include the exciting new trends which influence strategic retail decision making and have a major impact on all aspects of business today. The Internet has had a significant influence on retailing in the past three years. Players in the field are changing the way retail market reaches and services customers.

Required Text:
Retail Management: A Strategic Approach, 8th Edition.  Berman & Evans. Prentice Hall.

Course Objectives:
1.  To provide students with an understanding of the basic concepts of 
     retail management.
2.  To introduce students to the most recent trends and issues in retailing,
     specifically those related to the World Wide Web, E-commerce, and
     Service Marketing.
3.  To provide students with sufficient background so that he/she will be
     able to identify and explain the important concepts and vocabulary in
     retail management - in business management.
4.  To familiarize students with the scope and complexity of a manager's
     responsibilities.
5.  To introduce students to the nature of the retail market, specifically
     competition and consumers.

Course Requirements:
BMGT 353 DE Requirements: Students must have Internet/Web access to participate in this section of BMGT 353. Students must read and follow the DE Requirements to participate in this course.

Learning and Participation: Learning means being involved, participating, and enjoying the class. Participation is the degree to which a student makes a responsible effort to communicate and makes a commitment to the class and contributes to combined efforts. For participation the instructor is interested in quality as well as quantity.

Participation: Class participation - is required. It is the UMUC-Maryland in Europe DE Program Policy that students must participate, that is, read and respond to their e-mail three (3) or more times a week, during the first three weeks of the class. The policy of this Instructor is as follows: students must participate in the Distance Education discussions by reading, responding to their e-mail, and completing (sending) assignments on the dates due. Also, the Instructor will advise students, who are not participating as required, to withdraw at four (4) weeks into the term if a student is risking a grade of Fn. Distance Education Participation is directly related to the educational benefit received when on-line discussions, cases, and class assignments are used in the virtual classroom. It is also a prime indicator of a student's interest and motivation. Losses resulting from lack of communication and participation are impossible to make up and almost always result in lower test scores and final grades.

Text Readings: The DE course will include Lectures, discussion / participation, and Web assignments. Discussion (participation) questions are designed to reinforce the assigned text, to present additional material and real-world examples. Students are expected to participate by posting their comments to the Conferences in WebTycho and by sending Web assignments directly to the Instructor by e-mail.

Lectures: When available, students may want to download Lectures and Daily News to use as guides. The Instructor recommends maintaining the numbered Lectures as notes on student computers or by printing and keeping in a hardcover binder. Lectures and other messages are numbered and posted in WebTycho.

Team Work/Working together: Communication and cooperation among students is encouraged, but must be acknowledged and credit given to all team members. Although most assignments will be restricted to individual work, for some assignments students may prefer to work together in cyber-space. Learn to think like a manager: think strategically, consider the impossible, and learn to work together as a strong team for greater efficiency.

Exams: The Mid-Term Exam and Final Exam will be take-home. They will be based on the text readings and related to the Web assignments. Exams may consist of short answer type, short essay questions or a case discussion assignment similar to those in the text and on the Web. At the text Web there are on-line tests under each chapter. Students should take advantage of these tools as much as possible to prepare for the exams. A make-up exam is given only for emergencies or illness that can not be avoided and must be verified in writing by a credible source. The instructor reserves the right to decide who is a credible source and if the emergency is warranted and that decision is final.

Exercises/Assignments: Assignments can be found in WebTycho and in the Schedule. Details will be distributed to students during the first week of the course. Assignments should be received by the instructor on the due date. Some assignments will be on the Internet, using real world experience.

Academic Integrity Statement:
Academic dishonesty is failure to maintain academic integrity. It includes, but is not limited to, obtaining or giving aid on an examination, having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination, doing work for another student, and plagiarism. Academic dishonesty can result in severe academic penalty, including failure in the course and/or dismissal from the institution.

Plagiarism: First incident: a zero on the assignment, no make-up. Second incident (by the same person): F(a) for the class.

Grading:   A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: <60