Strategic management of organizations, including analysis of industries, firm resources and capabilities and corporate strategy. Strategy formulation, implementation and strategic decision-making. Firm and industry life cycles and change. Analysis of organizational design and structure including differentiation and integration.

This course helps students develop the ability to effectively negotiate in a competitive business environment. It focuses on negotiation skill building in the areas of individual conflict management, team management, performance appraisal, corporate impression management and inter-organizational project management. The course will be taught largely through in-class simulations to provide opportunities for experiential learning. The simulations will also allow students to develop a personal style of negotiation by discovering what works best for them in different situations.

This course focuses on the management of technology-based innovation. Topics include the impact of new technologies on industries, dominant designs, incremental and transformative innovations, and the life-cycle of products. The course will examine the organization of highly innovative firms, and the relationship of core competencies to both innovation and rigidity. Cases and field studies are used to address the relationship of innovation to management practices such as leadership, competitive strategic planning and teamwork. Students perform an innovation audit of an area firm.

In “Business Writing: Writing for Leadership,” students will sharpen their writing skills markedly, whatever their entry level. They’ll develop styles that are pitch-perfect for the varied situations that face managers and CEOs. Finally, they’ll learn to think strategically about each communication challenge, be it routine or a watershed event. Grammatical structure, word choice, and punctuation will be reviewed to eliminate embarrassing flaws. By the end of this class, most students have learned how to say the same thing, better, with a third fewer words.

Matching supply with demand is a primary challenge for a firm: excess supply is too costly, inadequate supply irritates customers. Matching supply to demand is easiest when a firm has a flexible supply process, but flexibility is generally expensive.

This course will focus on effective strategies for leading and managing companies. CEOs and business leaders are scheduled to speak in class and share their experiences in leadership. The course will include strategies and tools applicable for managers at all organizational levels.