Dr. Patrice Flynn's Helpful Business Publication

Kandace Fernandez

Let us zoom out a bit and consider what we all need to understand about business. In case you have not noticed, our presidential election had much to do with the economy, and the country has elected to put itself in the hands of a business owner.  

Regardless of your field of study a general understanding of business has become a necessity to understanding the world we live in.   

Even if you see yourself heading towards a career in government or non-profit you will partake and interact within the business sector. So much so that Forbes rang in the year 2020 with an article called, What Your Business Should Know About Generation Z.  

The article provided business experts with foundational knowledge about this generation: the way it functions, the motivations, characteristics, potential and general profile.  

With today’s black box algorithms and intuitive AI-powered marketing data you can be certain that businesses have invested heavily in understanding you. Thanks to a new tool contrived from an inside source, it’s your turn.   

Dear Mounties, I could argue that there is a cheat code to understand the system that drives our economy and therefore our nation. This is something that will be a required reading for some classes here at the Mount.  

Tuesday, March 25, was the release date of a new textbook entitled What Everyone Should Know About Business: A Primer. The author, our very own Dr. Patrice Flynn has leveraged her wealth of business savvy and her proven teaching prowess to craft a digestible text that equips students to understand the foundational elements of business in the globalizing world we live in.   

Business is a broad topic with many subsectors. This can make the subject a daunting one. But like any other wilderness, it can be successfully navigated. And if the average business fundamental book is a map, then Flynn has graciously provided Mount students with a GPS guide.

It provides the route from exactly where you are. With feedback from over 2,000 undergraduate students and a conversational flow, readers can begin their journey to understanding the force that moves our economy (and economies around the world) through practical examples and clarified concepts.  

Flynn notes her intention behind the book is that “[she] want[s] readers to understand how business is conducted- plain and simple- and to determine on their own accord which functional areas most interest them.”  

As a current senior here at the Mount, I can attest to the fact that many textbooks can be rented, as their value lies mostly in providing knowledge within a systemic format that allows students to learn key theories on a particular topic cohesively.  

Most textbooks will remain closed or on a bookshelf once we graduate. Flynn’s work is one of the exceptions. Students can rely on the text to get them through BUS 250: Introduction to Business & Decision Making but also for other pivotal moments such as choosing a field of study or a career path.