Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society
Catherine Corson, Committee Chair
Rick Feldman, Entrepreneurship Coordinator
Dominique Rampton, Academic Department Coordinator
115 Skinner Hall
413-538-2432
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/academics/find-your-program/entrepreneurship-organizations-and-society
Overview and Contact Information
Every one of us must ask what can I do and what we can we do as a community to frame the vexing problems of our time, find collaborators and together explore and discover solutions.
The interdisciplinary minor in Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society (EOS) offers students a knowledge framework and practical competencies to make a positive contribution to communities, locally and globally.
Envisioning socially impactful action requires an understanding of problems from multiple perspectives, of difference along multiple axes, of the dynamics of organizations, and of individual and collective agency in social context. And advancing solutions demands creative thinking, resilience and risk-taking, collaboration with multiple stakeholders, and command of basic business practices.
In EOS, students learn to develop such understandings and competencies through engagement in four subject areas, applied learning experiences, and connections with practitioners in the field. The four areas within the EOS curriculum are:
- Entrepreneurship: Being an entrepreneur in today's rapidly changing world requires the ability to apply critical, analytical and creative thinking to the global and local problems at hand, process large amounts of information from a range of knowledge areas, work in teams, assess financial resource requirements and feasibility, and communicate effectively. In courses in this area, students start to develop these capabilities.
- Organizations and Power: Organizations are central structures of society. Nonprofits, public institutions, and private businesses are all shaped by the particular histories, legal traditions, and relationships of power in different societies. To function well in organizations and leverage them to affect social needs, students need to understand the roles of different types of organizations, hierarchies of power, regulatory frameworks, social impacts, and ethical decision-making in organizational structures. Courses in this area provide students with such understandings.
- Structures of Inequality: To effect positive change, students need to understand the structures of inequality underlying many of the problems they aim to address. In this area's courses, students learn how systemic forces shape inequality along different axes (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and nationality), and how individual, collective and government actions interact with these dynamics in pursuit of greater social justice.
- Financial Analysis: Assessing, accessing and effectively employing resources to address social needs are important elements of entrepreneurship. In courses in this area, students learn and gain practice in understanding, analyzing and using financial resource information and processes.
Students minoring in EOS choose one approved course from each of the four areas, with one course at the 300 level. We strongly encourage students to integrate their course work with applied learning experiences and to interact with practitioners in their field. Student should select a coherent set of courses and applied learning experiences that fit their specific interests and aspirations. We urge students to seek advice from the member of the EOS committee who best matches their interest.
See Also:
Faculty
This area of study is administered by an interdisciplinary committee:
Katherine Aidala, Kennedy-Schelkunoff Professor of Physics; Director of the Fimbel Maker & Innovation Lab
Catherine Corson, Miller Worley Professor of Environmental Studies, Teaching Fall Only
Tian Hui Ng, Orchestra Director; Professor of Music
Becky Packard, Mary E. Woolley Professor of Psychology and Education
Michael Robinson, Professor of Economics
Eleanor Townsley, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Sociology; Director of Nexus
Lucas Wilson, Professor of Economics and Critical Race and Political Economy on the Ford Foundation
Ali Aslam, Associate Professor of Politics
Rick Feldman, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Organizations and Society; Entrepreneurship Coordinator
Laura Sizer, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Teaching Fall Only
Requirements for the Minor
A minimum of 16 credits:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One course in Area One: Entrepreneurship 1 | 4 | |
| One course in Area Two: Organizations and Power 1 | 4 | |
| One course in Area Three: Structures of Inequality 1 | 4 | |
| One course in Area Four: Financial Analysis 1 | 4 | |
| Of the four courses, one must be at the 300 level 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 16 | |
- 1
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A full list of the approved courses for each required area within the minor appears at the end of the Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society Courses section.
EOS Course Offerings
EOS-231 Global Entrepreneurship
Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4
We will explore and discuss the policies, procedures, demands, related data (costs, investment levels, success rates, etc.) and impacts of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity in a variety of countries and at the global level, making use of reports, case studies, data centers and organizations. Expect to explore comparisons such as: who are entrepreneurs? who tends to be successful? which governments, societies and economic systems are most supportive? which are least supportive? what are the varieties of entrepreneurial activity? has entrepreneurial activity had economic and social impacts?
Applies to requirement(s): Social Sciences
R. Feldman
Prereq: ECON-110.
EOS-241 Business Organizations, Management, and Finance
Fall. Credits: 4
This course provides an introduction to business and organizational economics and analytics and to broad business organization topics. Solutions to business and organization challenges necessarily include technological, social, environmental, and political components, as well as financial and market components. Profitability, sustainability, and success are not so easily achieved by simple marginal pricing models. We want to learn more about this greatly expanded view of managerial decision-making through a socio-economic lens. This is not a matter of ideology; it is a very practical approach because that is now how businesses operate and function. Using this approach --- models, cases, analysis, problem-solving --- will also strengthen students' capacity for business analytics and consulting.
Applies to requirement(s): Meets No Distribution Requirement
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
R. Feldman
Prereq: ECON-110 or SOCI-123 and any EOS course.
Advisory: Students who have taken ECON-249ME or ECON-349AM managerial economics courses should not take this course.
EOS-249 Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Business
Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4
This course uses the traditional approaches of moral philosophy to explore ethical challenges and obligations faced by individuals, businesses, and organizations in an increasingly complex global environment. Through consideration of philosophical theories and particular cases we explore issues such as the social roles and ethical obligations of businesses or organizations; rights and responsibilities of workers, managers, and owners; ethics in sales and marketing; and ethics in a global business environment.
Crosslisted as: PHIL-260EB
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
Other Attribute(s): Writing-Intensive
L. Sizer
Notes: This course is strongly recommended for students interested in participating in the International Business Ethics Case Competition.
EOS-253 Social Entrepreneurship and Impact
Fall. Credits: 4
In this course, students will learn more about opportunity recognition and assessment by being engaged in addressing major global problems as they are manifested locally or regionally. Students will work in teams to identify how these global issues appear locally (each team will select a locality) and how various populations are affected, will learn to assess the issue and situation from those stakeholders' perspectives, will explore and evaluate opportunities to create a project, action, business, social enterprise or organization that positively creates some solution to these problems and delivers a clear benefit to others.
Applies to requirement(s): Meets No Distribution Requirement
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
R. Feldman
Prereq: Any social science course and any EOS course.
Advisory: Students who have taken EOS-210, EOS-229, or EOS-239 should not take this course.
EOS-295 Independent Study
Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 4
The department
Instructor permission required.
EOS-295P Independent Study with Practicum
Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 4
The department
Instructor permission required.
EOS-299AR Topic: 'Ethics and Artificial Intelligence'
Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4
Artificially intelligent technologies are prominent features of modern life -- as are ethical concerns about their programming and use. In this class we will use the tools of philosophy to explore and critically evaluate ethical issues raised by current and future AI technologies. Topics may include issues of privacy and transparency in online data collection, concerns about social justice in the use of algorithms in areas like hiring and criminal justice, and the goals of developing general versus special purpose AI. We will also look at ethics for AI: the nature of AI 'minds,' the possibility of creating more ethical AI systems, and when and if AIs themselves might deserve moral rights.
Crosslisted as: PHIL-260AR, DATA-225AR
Applies to requirement(s): Humanities
L. Sizer
EOS-299LA Topic: 'Leadership in the Liberal Arts'
Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4
What makes a great leader? Can we identify who should be a leader? Are leaders born or made? How does an education in the liberal arts prepare someone to become a leader? Through reading a mix of the Great Books of Western Civilization (e.g., Homer, Plato, Shakespeare) and contemporary classics in leadership studies, we will explore these and other related questions.
Applies to requirement(s): Social Sciences
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive
J. Hartley
EOS-299ND Topic: 'Individuals and Organizations'
Not Scheduled for This Year. Credits: 4
This course focuses on individual and small-group behavior in the organizational setting. The class will focus on: (1) understanding human behavior in an organizational context; (2) understanding of oneself as an individual contributor and/or leader within an organization, and ways to contribute to organizational change; (3) intergroup communication and conflict management; and (4) diversity and organizational climate.
Crosslisted as: PSYCH-212
Applies to requirement(s): Social Sciences
B. Packard
Restrictions: Course limited to sophomores, juniors and seniors
EOS-310 Social Entrepreneurship Capstone
Spring. Credits: 4
Project-based learning course: students bring ideas, projects, and plans to develop toward implementation. Learn about organization startup in social and environmental context. Students engage in class discussions and attend short lectures and, working individually or in teams, develop projects to an implementation stage. Results include having a well-designed solution that delivers real benefit to identified stakeholder(s).
Applies to requirement(s): Meets No Distribution Requirement
Other Attribute(s): Community-Based Learning, Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
R. Feldman
Restrictions: This course is open to juniors and seniors
Instructor permission required.
Prereq: 4 credits in EOS.
Advisory: During advising week, students should email Professor Feldman with a request and brief explanation as to why they are interested.
EOS-341 Advanced Managerial Economics
Spring. Credits: 4
This course will use an intensive case-study approach mixed with lectures, readings, and discussions. The focus is investigating the economics of management and enterprise (firms, organizations) decision-making in local/regional, national, and global settings, the intersections of economic considerations with social and political considerations, and the frameworks and tools for analyzing the behaviors and decisions of various enterprises. Class participation in the discussions is essential. Students will also develop and provide presentations of case analyses.
Applies to requirement(s): Social Sciences
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive, Writing-Intensive
R. Feldman
Prereq: ECON-110 plus at least one other upper-level Economics or EOS/Entrepreneurship course.
EOS-349MV Topic: 'Motivation'
Fall. Credits: 4
In this course we will examine multiple theories of motivation and their relevance across a range of organizational settings (including corporations, special programs, and schools or colleges). How do we spark interest in a new subject or inspire people to undertake a challenging project? How do we sustain persistence in ourselves and others? This course is relevant for students interested in motivation, whether for attainment (such as within in human resources, talent development, or management) or for learning (whether for students, teachers, or leaders). Because motivation is closely linked to learning and achievement, in addition to well-being and purpose, we will also consider these topics and more.
Crosslisted as: PSYCH-337MV
Applies to requirement(s): Social Sciences
Other Attribute(s): Speaking-Intensive
B. Packard
Restrictions: This course is open to juniors and seniors
Prereq: 8 credits in Psychology or Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society (EOS).
EOS-349NQ Topic: 'Organizations and Inequality'
Fall. Credits: 4
In Organizations and Inequality, we analyze how organizations create, reproduce, and also potentially challenge social inequalities. Drawing on different organizational perspectives, students will engage the challenges of ethical action in a complex world marked by competing rationalities and deep inequalities. Students will also research an organization of which they are a member and develop their own case study.
Crosslisted as: SOCI-316NQ
Applies to requirement(s): Social Sciences
E. Townsley
Prereq: SOCI-123 and 4 additional credits in Sociology.
EOS-395 Independent Study
Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 8
The department
Instructor permission required.
Courses Counting toward the Minor in Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society
A student minoring in EOS must take one course from each subject area, with at least one course at the 300 level.
Area One: Entrepreneurship
Being an entrepreneur in today’s rapidly changing world requires the ability to apply critical, analytical and creative thinking to the global and local problems at hand, process large amounts of information from a range of knowledge areas, work in teams, assess financial resource requirements and feasibility, and communicate effectively. In these courses, students start to develop these capabilities.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship, Orgs & Soc | ||
| EOS-231 | Global Entrepreneurship | 4 |
| EOS-253 | Social Entrepreneurship and Impact | 4 |
| EOS-310 | Social Entrepreneurship Capstone | 4 |
| EOS-349MV | Topic: 'Motivation' | 4 |
Area Two: Organizations and Power
Organizations are central structures of society. Nonprofits, public institutions, and private businesses are all shaped by the particular histories, legal traditions, and relationships of power in different societies. To function well in organizations and leverage them to affect social needs, students need to understand the roles of different types of organizations, hierarchies of power, regulatory frameworks, social impacts, and ethical decision-making in organizational structures. These courses provide students with such understandings.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Asian Studies | ||
| ASIAN-318 | Business and Intercultural Communication In Chinese Society | 4 |
| Economics | ||
| ECON-307 | Seminar in Industrial Organization | 4 |
| ECON-349DV | Advanced Topics in Economics: 'Development Economics: A Closer Look in Africa' | 4 |
| Educational Studies | ||
| EDUST-339EP | Seminar in Educational Studies: 'Educational Policy' | 4 |
| Entrepreneurship, Orgs & Soc | ||
| EOS-249 | Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Business | 4 |
| EOS-299AR | Topic: 'Ethics and Artificial Intelligence' | 4 |
| EOS-299LA | Topic: 'Leadership in the Liberal Arts' | 4 |
| EOS-299ND | Topic: 'Individuals and Organizations' | 4 |
| EOS-349NQ | Topic: 'Organizations and Inequality' | 4 |
| History | ||
| HIST-357 | History of British Capitalism | 4 |
| Philosophy | ||
| PHIL-260AR | Topics in Applied Philosophy: 'Ethics and Artificial Intelligence' | 4 |
| PHIL-260EB | Topics in Applied Philosophy: 'Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Business' | 4 |
| Politics | ||
| POLIT-248GR | Topics in Politics: 'Grassroots Democracy' | 4 |
| Psychology | ||
| PSYCH-212 | Individuals and Organizations | 4 |
| Sociology | ||
| SOCI-316NQ | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Organizations and Inequality' | 4 |
| SOCI-316RM | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Consumer Culture: Race in the Marketplace' | 4 |
| SOCI-316SY | Special Topics in Sociology: 'The Business of Culture: Marketing & Selling Symbolic Goods' | 4 |
Area Three: Structures of Inequality
To effect positive change, students need to understand the structures of inequality underlying many of the problems they aim to address. In these courses, students learn how systemic forces shape inequality along different axes (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and nationality), and how individual, collective and government actions interact with these dynamics in pursuit of greater social justice.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Dance | ||
| DANCE-272FD | Dance and Culture: 'Funk Styles' | 4 |
| DANCE-272HP | Dance and Culture: Hip Hop | 4 |
| Economics | ||
| ECON-213 | Economic Development | 4 |
| ECON-306 | Political Economy of Inequality | 4 |
| ECON-349DV | Advanced Topics in Economics: 'Development Economics: A Closer Look in Africa' | 4 |
| ECON-349EC | Advanced Topics in Economics: 'Analysis of Empire of Cotton' | 4 |
| Environmental Studies | ||
| ENVST-210 | Political Ecology | 4 |
| Geography | ||
| GEOG-208 | Global Movements: Migrations, Refugees and Diasporas | 4 |
| GEOG-223 | Development Geography | 4 |
| History | ||
| HIST-208 | The Consumer Revolution: A History of Shopping | 4 |
| HIST-357 | History of British Capitalism | 4 |
| Politics | ||
| POLIT-252 | Urban Politics | 4 |
| POLIT-267 | The Politics of Finance and Financial Crises | 4 |
| POLIT-277 | Dislocation: Class and Politics in the U.S. | 4 |
| POLIT-355 | Race and Housing | 4 |
| POLIT-387PE | Advanced Topics in Politics: 'The 1%' | 4 |
| Sociology | ||
| SOCI-239 | How Capitalism Works: Social Class, Power, and Ideology | 4 |
| SOCI-316DG | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Sociology of Development and Globalization' | 4 |
| SOCI-316FN | Special Topics in Sociology: 'Finance, Globalization, and Inequality' | 4 |
| Spanish | ||
| SPAN-350MG | Advanced Studies in Concepts and Practices of Power: 'Spanish Migrations' | 4 |
Area Four: Financial Analysis
Assessing, accessing and effectively employing resources to address social needs are important elements of entrepreneurship. In these courses students learn and gain practice in understanding, analyzing and using financial resource information and processes.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | ||
| ECON-215 | Economics of Corporate Finance | 4 |
| ECON-218 | International Economics | 4 |
| ECON-270 | Accounting | 4 |
| Entrepreneurship, Orgs & Soc | ||
| EOS-241 | Business Organizations, Management, and Finance | 4 |
| EOS-341 | Advanced Managerial Economics | 4 |
