Business Administration

This course offers a practical study of spreadsheet tools for the automation of tasks and data lifecycle management. Topics include: an introduction to the use of spreadsheets; structure of a spreadsheet-- book, sheets, and cells; working with cells and sheets; formula and references; tables and pivot tables; data visualization.

This course provides students with an analytical qualitative foundation for developing a business strategy for an organization based on tools within the area of strategic management, and draws on different theories of economic value creation. The course begins by covering central terms, concepts, and definitions in the area of strategy such as the mission, vision, and strategy of an organization, and then looks into different ways in which a strategy can be developed. In connection to this, behavioralism is discussed along with the idea of bounded rationality. This is followed by a discussion on how the environment of a company can be mapped and analyzed and how Porters Five Forces framework builds on the neoclassical theory and the structure of conduct performance paradigm. The course determines competitive advantages and how economic value is created through the internal resources, activities, and competencies of the firm. Furthermore, tools for mapping and analyzing the political and cultural context of the company are presented in connection to principal/agent theory and behavioralistic theory. After this, corporate strategies, business/competitive strategies, international strategies, growth strategies, and strategies on innovation are discussed. The different roles for the patterning company and the size of the corporation are covered drawing on transaction cost theory. When looking at the competitive strategies of the company, the course discusses the importance of long-term commitment and game theory. Furthermore, it is concerned with entrepreneurship, innovation, and internationalization. Finally, it looks at how to evaluate different strategies concerning their suitability, acceptability, and feasibility. The last section of the course looks at how companies can implement their strategies through organizational and management design and manage strategic change. Again, the course returns to the ideas of bounded rationality and the management of stakeholders introduced within behavioral theory.

In today's global, rapidly changing knowledge-based economy, learning and experimenting with employable skills is one of the smartest investments that one can make for their future career. This course encourages students to develop key employability skills that will stand them in good stead for a future career. The course puts the student right in the center of their own learning and engagement with an array of developmental activities designed to develop themselves and their future careers. Students find opportunities to practice skills such as leadership, creativity, design thinking, and problem solving relevant to the needs of graduate employers. The course also involves the development of practical employable skills including preparing a CV, writing a cover letter, and preparing for job interviews. This course draws from an interdisciplinary perspective to understand career success, self-marketing, and personal branding. It builds on foundational concepts and skills in career development from across disciplines, including psychology, business, design thinking, entrepreneurship, and employability. It is designed as a learning environment that focuses on the development of knowledge and skills for students interested in distinctive career success. Students have intensive brainstorming sessions, professional development workshops, and training programs to develop and apply professional skills for their careers in the 21st century.

This course covers important theories and conceptual models for analyzing and understanding organizations in order to design effective structures and cultures that allow them to create value, survive, develop, and thrive. It investigates how employees do not always act in a rational and consistent manner: whether as a new employee, a middle manager, or a top-level executive, the ability to understand, explain, and predict human behavior in organizations is a valuable skill. The course studies a wide range of organizational situations and examples and connects them to organizational theories and effective management methods. It bridges theory and practice through organizational analysis by exploring a series of successful and unsuccessful examples. Students learn to apply different theoretical perspectives to provide situational analysis and plausible solutions. Rather than providing a singular model of an effective organization that can be applied universally, the course explores the factors and conditions within and outside an organization that can be controlled to provide the best fit with the dynamic environment and thereby create the greatest opportunity for success. The imperative for organizational learning, continuous adaptation, and change based on new developments is emphasized.

After defining the contexts of the retail sector, the course focuses on the strategic and operational choices related to the configuration and management of distribution channels, and the management of retail companies analyzed with a dynamic-evolutional perspective, and through the completion of a project on distribution innovation. The course is divided into three parts. (1) The key elements of a distribution channel (such as protagonists and flows) as well as its main economic functions are described. The retailers’ key management practices and their offer development process are discussed. (2) Focus on channel management, pointing out the main choices regarding: channel design, multichannel management, and trade marketing. (3) Analysis of the historical evolution of distribution channels and its stages by adopting an international perspective, and insights on emerging trends. These include current innovations in retailing, in particular e-tailing and retail branding. This is a graduate level course only available to graduate students.

This course is part of the LM degree program and is intrended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by concsnt of the instructor. The course provides an overview of the different approaches and institutions available to identify the rules governing banking, financial, and insurance relationships, given the existence of relevant differences in national legal systems. In this regard, it provides an overview of the following topics: the regulation of financial conglomerates; the multi-level and multi-source model of the regulatory framework; the fundamentals of corporate governance and corporate compliance in financial institutions; special characteristics of the banking and insurance sectors in the light of systemic risk; the new regulation of the insurance market according to the Solvency II directive; the effects and characteristics of the 2007-08 global financial crisis; banking and insurance contracts; basic notions of Risk Management and Compliance; the single European market and third countries; supervision at national level and supervision of cross-border activities; insurance intermediaries; policyholder protection; and international insurance programs. Some insights on data protection and privacy in commercial disputes is provided, as well as on Fintech, Insurtech, smart contracts, and blockchain.

This course introduces the basic concepts, business models, management theory, and application practice of e-commerce. The course is divided into the following four parts: e-commerce foundation and development trends; e-commerce model and technical analysis; e-commerce planning and management; e-commerce creativity and practical training.

Social Entrepreneurship describes the discovery of opportunities to create social impact. How can companies create greater social change through social entrepreneurship? This class examines innovative responses to social needs, the role of private companies, for-profit and not-for-profit, and the challenges associated, with a specific application to education. The course analyzes theoretical issues such as defining the social good and assessing the role of market forces, philanthropy, and government. The course utilizes practical issues such as organization level growth, funding strategies, and creating an organizational mission. The course applies the theories and paradigms of social entrepreneurship to education.