Student Services

Managers need new skills to enable them to manage effectively in what is increasingly a global economy. They need a deeper understanding of cultural differences and how these differences may influence communications with foreign employers, employees, customers, suppliers or partners. They need a better understanding of the economic and political mechanics of the world business system. They need to learn how to find out more about potential opportunities and threats that lie outside the United States. This course is designed to address these needs.

This course is built around two core learning tracks. The first is extended analyses of case studies, which identifies ethical problems, diagnoses import, and develops strategic programs to address them. The second learning track uses short pieces of fiction to explore issues of ethical character, leadership, and organizational responsibility. Each student keeps an ethics journal over the course of the semester to reflect on ethical issues, both inside and outside the classroom. In addition, small student groups are formed to write case studies focusing on a business ethics problem.

This course is designed for students who aspire to become a chief executive officer. The unique role, responsibilities, and requirements of the CEO will be explored. Students will benchmark CEO best practices through exposure to leading chief officers, study the paths to and preparation for the top job, and develop a personal career strategy to increase their chances of becoming a CEO.

Examination of the Japanese, Chinese, and other East Asian business systems. Looks at how the business systems relate to broader social, economic, and political contexts. Compares the different systems with each other and with that of the United States. Inquires into the reasons for the past successes and recent problems of these systems.

This course is an advanced strategy course that explores the determinants of successful corporate strategy. In Strategy Issues and Applications you were exposed to the basic frameworks for developing successful competitive or business unit level strategy. Corporate strategy takes you to the next level and provides the frameworks you need to be able to be successful in multiple businesses. At its core corporate strategy constitutes any and all decisions that change the core business model of a firm. Examples are vertical integration, new but related product lines, entering new markets with existing products and entering new or existing markets with unrelated products. The fundamental premise of the course is that successful corporate strategy is rooted in competitive advantage arising from capabilities residing at the business unit level. Starting from analyzing business level strategies of very simple firms, the course successively builds frameworks towards more complicated business level strategies. Next, the course develops frameworks to discuss corporate strategy based around the concept of core competencies and market entry strategies. Finally, the course develops the concepts that are useful in greenfield entries, alliances and acquisitions as part of an overall corporate strategy.

Students will learn to match consulting methodologies with client needs and employ a step by step strategy development process applied to actual companies which are semester-long clients of the class. Accelerated career strategies in the consultancy business are featured as well as tactics for getting hired in the first place. The course views consultancy as a role rather than career and conceptualizes consultancy as a process of optimizing an organization's value creation potential and competitive advantage. Students should be able to apply the concepts regardless of career choice. Exposure to senior practicing consultants is featured.

This course introduces methods of industry and competitive analysis. Industry structure and firm competitive behavior are studied with a view to develop business strategies for securing and preserving competitive advantage. Emphasis is placed on understanding industry dynamics and the processes by which industries undergo change and evolution. Emphasis is also placed on firms' capabilities and core competencies and their capacity to implement major strategic changes in their industries. Readings and cases are the principal pedagogical tools utilized in this course. Students are required to analyze an industry of their choice in small project teams and present their analyses in class.

This course introduces the principal tools of strategy implementation, namely the design of organization structures, the use of formal planning and control systems, and the design of measurement and reward systems. The importance of organizational context (small vs. large, for profit vs. not-for-profit, manufacturing vs. service, etc.) and the need to tailor systems to the context of the organization are emphasized. New and emergent organizational forms and their role in strategy development and implementation are reviewed. Cases and readings are the principal pedagogical methods utilized. Students work in small project teams, study the operation and effectiveness of systems for strategic control in organizations, and present the results of their analysis in class presentations.