BUSINESS MANEGMENT

SPRING 2016 PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Your 100 point writing project will be due either in the Management Department office or in my mailbox just outside it by no later than 6:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016. You may also turn the paper in during class on Monday, May 2 if desired.

You will be preparing a paper that is four (4) pages long (standard double-spaced, normal one-inch margins). You should also do a separate “Works Cited” page of the research materials you consulted to prepare your paper – any citation form is acceptable.

As I shared in class, I want you to write about your choice of two (2) of the following five (5) significant figures in business and/or investing: Peter Drucker, Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Harvey Mackay, or Charlie Munger. You do not have to evenly divide your paper between the two businessmen that you select as long as you adequately provide the information requested on each person. Each person is fascinating in their own different way, but perhaps one of them will prove especially interesting to you.

For both individuals that you select, please do the following:

1. Provide a brief biographical sketch of the person, describing some basic facts about him and summarizing his professional accomplishments or significance. You should not cite Wikipedia as a primary source but it can often be a good introduction to the person’s contributions and thought leadership.

2. Read at least one article, interview, or profile about the person, or view at least one speech by, or interview, of each person, describing the topics covered and at least three (3) insights you learned.

Tom Peters, Jim Collins, and Harvey Mackay each have their own personal website with numerous resources. The Drucker Institute is the equivalent for the late Mr. Drucker. Charlie Munger does not maintain a personal website but there are over half a million results for him on Google. You can find multiple speeches, presentations, and interviews of each of these men on YouTube.

In grading your papers, I will be looking for thoughtful analysis, creativity, sound reasoning, as well as the technical aspects of proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

As a practical matter, I highly recommend that you don’t just use one of the first few resources you find during an Internet search or perusal of the person’s website. Dig a little deeper – there’s no shortage of material because they are all prominent business authorities even if you were not previously acquainted with them. When multiple people cite the same source, it is more difficult to stand out and correspondingly more likely that someone else will do a better job than you in discussing the material. Each of these men has great wisdom to offer, so please enjoy the process and try to find something of particular value to your own life journey and career plans.