Business Administration

This course introduces the theory and practice of consumer studies. In terms of theory, the course focuses on economic, psychological, sociological, communication, and marketing theories to develop an understanding of consumers. Concepts such as information processing, attitude formation, framing, group norms, conflicts, motivations, emotions, goals, income, wealth, social practices, and culture are studied. In terms of practice, the course reviews four different approaches to consumer studies. All theories can be analyzed with at least four different approaches: marketing, communication, sociology, and economics. During a group assignment students analyze a self-chosen problem concerning a consumer situation with the four approaches to examine how and why consumers behave the way they do, and to provide an answer to the raised research problem.

This is a special studies course involving an internship with a corporate, public, governmental, or private organization, arranged with the Study Center Director of Liaison Officer. Specific internships vary each term and are described on a special study project form for each student. A substantial paper or series of reports is required. Units vary depending on the contact hours and method of assessment. Graded P/NP only.

Global Intercultural Management explores different aspects of intercultural management, including teams, leadership, Human Resource Management, values, culture, and negotiations. The units are designed to develop student's abilities to compare and analyze the reasons for fundamental differences, in intercultural management and governance practices that exist amongst key organizations and societies around the world. Studies focus on comparative analysis of combinations of cultures (societies and public and private governance) across Nations, corporations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs). These fundamental understandings are essential to successfully shaping policies and decisions for executives and managers in a much globalized world. Students are challenged to explore and explain intercultural issues that influence and impact global management. Students have the opportunity to develop a deeper knowledge about how culture shapes management practices in international organizations. Academic inquiry is explored through the examination of the following units: The Global Challenge Unit; Culture and Intercultural Management Unit; Organizational Culture –Global Interaction Unit; Values and Culture: Impact and Influence Unit; Intercultural Communication and Cultural Competence Unit; Leadership Foundation and Styles– Effective Multicultural Teams Unit; International Management – HR Strategies Unit; Role of the Global Manager.

This course provides an introduction to the basic theories for understanding consumer behavior. Unlike in traditional business management courses, students dig deeper into fundamental psychological theories that shed invaluable light on how consumers make choices. Using a variety of methods, students explore the entire consumer experience from seeking information, evaluating it, and using it to make strategic decisions. Students learn how this information can be used to form attitudes and influence behavior. Using real-world case studies, students have the tools to apply the course content to real-world business scenarios.

In today's information-driven economy, firms increasingly rely on data pertaining to markets, products, and consumer behavior to inform strategic decision-making in areas such as pricing, advertising, and customer targeting. When correctly used, these data serve as critical inputs for developing effective marketing strategies. This course equips students with the analytical tools and methodological frameworks necessary to leverage such data for strategic marketing applications. The emphasis is on secondary data, i.e., data generated from actual consumer behavior or firm-level decisions. Examples include aggregate market-level data (e.g., car sales statistics), disaggregate panel data (e.g., household grocery purchases), and individual-level digital traces (e.g., online clickstream data). In contrast, primary data, which are collected through surveys or conjoint studies specifically for a particular research purpose, are covered in the Marketing Research class. Prerequisites: background knowledge on statistics, economics, and econometrics, as well as data analysis and relevant coding skills.