Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society
Katherine Aidala, Committee Co-chair
Rick Feldman, Entrepreneurship Coordinator and Committee Co-chair
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 while also attending to ethical, environmental, and social impact concerns. 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, On Leave 2025-2026
Becky Packard, Mary E. Woolley Professor of Psychology and Education
Audrey Lee St. John, Professor of Computer Science
Eleanor Townsley, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Sociology; Director of Nexus
Lynda Pickbourn, Associate Professor of Gender Studies
Rick Feldman, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship, Organizations and Society; Entrepreneurship Coordinator
Laura Sizer, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy
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 | |
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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-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
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
Fall. 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
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
Prereq: Any social science course and any Entrepreneurship, Organizations, and Society (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
Restrictions: Contact instructor for independent study declaration form and signatures.
Instructor permission required.
EOS-295P Independent Study with Practicum
Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 4
Restrictions: Contact instructor for independent study declaration form and signatures.
Instructor permission required.
EOS-299AR Topic: 'Ethics and Artificial Intelligence'
Spring. 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
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
EOS-299ND Topic: 'Individuals and Organizations'
Spring. 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
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
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
Prereq: ECON-110 plus at least one other upper-level Economics or EOS/Entrepreneurship course.
EOS-349MV Topic: 'Motivation'
Not Scheduled for This Year. 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
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'
Not Scheduled for This Year. 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
Prereq: SOCI-123 and 4 additional credits in Sociology.
EOS-395 Independent Study
Fall and Spring. Credits: 1 - 8
Restrictions: Contact instructor for independent study declaration form and signatures.
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-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 and 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 |
| ENVST-223 | Development Geography | 4 |
| Geography | ||
| GEOG-208 | Global Movements: Migrations, Refugees and Diasporas | 4 |
| Gender Studies | ||
| GNDST-333EC | Advanced Seminar: 'Gender Inequality and Economic Development: Challenges, Contradictions, and Contestations' | 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 |
| 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 |
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 |
