BSB108 Week 1 – Unit Orientation & Business Environment Foundations

Context & Session Logistics

• When & Where
  • Tuesday, 2–3 pm (Brisbane time) in Garden Point Campus, room Z-411.
  • Simultaneous live-stream; recording available via Echo360.
  • Echo feed has “sudden-death” cut-off between the 49th–50th minute ⇒ Lou will upload a short “finisher” video if content is truncated.
• Lecturer / Unit-Coordinator
  • Dr Lou (prefers the informal “Lou”).
  • Applied economist; School of Economics & Finance.
  • Extensive experience teaching first-year and Masters-level Economics in New York & Australia.
  • Happy to chat on campus (coffee at Merlo’s welcomed) or by email.
• House Rules ("The Lou Show")
  • No live questions during lectures (equity for face-to-face & online cohorts).
    • Queries ⇒ email Lou (details in Canvas) or raise in tutorials.
  • Professional behaviour: phones silent, no side conversations; leave quietly if you need to talk.
  • Lectures are recorded—catch up responsibly.
• Acknowledgement of Country
  • QUT stands on Turrbal & Yugara land—always places of teaching, research & learning.
    Emphasis: we honour this line by working hard on our own teaching, research & learning this semester.

Unit Purpose – “Business Environment”

• Formal definition offered: “the external exogenous environment that firms operate within.”
• Simple restatement: the broad macro-environment shaping economy & society.
  • Firms pursue profit; individuals pursue utility/happiness.
  • Both operate inside forces largely beyond direct control.
• Examples of macro forces we personally cannot steer but must understand:
  • Climate change policy
  • Geopolitical shocks / global affairs
  • Demographic shift toward an ageing population ⇒ tax base & labour-market implications.
• Metaphor: “bucket of noodles.”
  Each noodle = one macro factor; the unit’s job is to pull individual noodles out, inspect them, then reconnect them to the others so we see the whole tangle.

Content Map – Four Over-Arching Modules

Sequencing aligns directly with assessment tasks; e.g., international content is not examinable until Module 4.

Weekly Learning Rhythm ("What a Good Week Looks Like")

1. Lecture (50 min)
   • Signpost overview; hyperlinks embedded in slides = pre-vetted best sources.
2. “Drilling-Down” PDF (independent study)
   • Guided readings & mini-tasks that build context for Assessment 1.
   • Complete progressively (5 PDFs before Assessment 1) – do not binge in Week 6.
3. Tutorial (Face-to-Face or Online, 35–40 students) Structure: • Talking Heads (where we are) • Activity block (apply lecture & drill-down content) • Assessment Prep (start writing in class) • Q&A Forum (use it—show draft bullet-points, get rapid feedback).
   • Expectations: phones away; online students – cameras & mics on; no “black squares.”
4. Review Quiz (Formative)
   • Low-stakes, auto-marked; acts as engagement proxy.
   • Data from last semester: \text{∆Mark} \approx 4 \times (\text{quizzes completed})\%.
     Completing all 5 pre-A1 quizzes correlated with +20\% assessment uplift; skipping all led to higher fail risk.
5. Draft Assessment Section (“Frame Your Thinking”)
   • Each module contains explicit bullet list → treat as mandatory, not “pick-and-mix.”
   • Bring drafts/questions to next tutorial.

Canvas Navigation & Key Dates

• Course Syllabus tab = master timeline (lectures, tutorials, assessment, breaks).
• Public Holidays (tutorials move online/recorded):
  • Wed 13 Aug (Week 4)
  • Mon 6 Oct (Week 11)
• Mid-semester break: Week 9 (2nd-semester schedules are “late-break”).

Assessment Overview (Individual – No Place to Hide!)

• Individual work only – no group marks, no free-riding.
• Historical data: \approx 30\% fail rate on Assessment 1 (usually students who postpone work).
• Reports are client-commissioned: you write for a professional audience, support claims with reputable data, cite correctly, present concise insights.
• Both reports revolve around a Focus Sector (details in Lou’s “finisher” vid).
  You must analyse macro forces through the lens of that sector.
• Word limit feels tight; learning outcome = distil breadth into tight professional prose.

Support & Contacts

• Lou (Unit Coordinator / Lecturer): academic content, conceptual clarification.
  Email via Canvas; informal “Lou” fine.
• Dr Samantha Sam (Unit Administrator): timetable, enrolment, technical or logistical queries.
  Central inbox: \text{bsb108@qut.edu.au}.
  "Love Sam – she keeps the ship afloat."
• Tutorial Staff: primary coaches for assessment writing; engage weekly.

Ethical, Professional & Real-World Connections

• Equity policy in lecture delivery mirrors inclusive teaching values.
• Macro topics (ageing, climate, AI) framed as ethical, societal & business dilemmas (e.g., geriatric prisoners needing mobility aids that double as weapons).
• Acknowledgement of Country tied to concrete action—quality teaching/learning as lived respect.

Practical Success Checklist

✓ Attend/stream lecture live when possible – finishers not guaranteed.
✓ Complete drill-downs before tutorial.
✓ Engage actively in tutorial; use final Q&A to test draft ideas.
✓ Do every weekly quiz (5 min each ⇒ statistically +20 % marks).
✓ Draft each assessment section as the module closes; cross-check with “Frame Your Thinking” bullet list.
✓ Cite Lou’s hyperlinked sources first—already vetted for quality.
✓ Monitor Canvas syllabus for holidays & online tutorial swaps.
✓ Respect house rules—silence phone, no talking, videos on.
✓ Remember: breadth ≫ depth; consistent weekly effort beats last-minute cram.

Key Numerical Facts & Formulas (LaTeX)

• Historical fail rate Assessment 1: 30\%.
• Quizzes effect: \text{Mark uplift} \approx 4 \times \text{(quizzes completed)} marks.
  • All 5 pre-A1 quizzes ⇒ \approx 20\% higher score.
• Each report length: 2 500\ \text{words}.
• Weighting: 50\% + 50\% = 100\% (no exam, no group component).

“It’s my show; I do the talking.
If you need to chat, leave and watch the recording later.” – Lou 2025