Business Administration

This course introduces main functions of governments, and explains some features of central and local governments in Japan. It course examines basic theories of public finance and the fiscal activities of governments, related to efficiency and equity criteria. It explores the issues of provision of public goods, externality, income (re)distribution, economic effects of taxation, some topics of intergovernmental fiscal relations, and some fiscal decision-makings of central and local levels. While the course mainly uses the framework of traditional public finance theory, if necessary, it introduces public choice approach.

Financial statements describe the operation and development of the enterprise in standardized business language and provide decision-making information for the capital market. This course focuses on the three major statements of the enterprise (balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement), and explains how to use financial information to conduct valuation analysis and strategic analysis of the enterprise. The course covers the fundamental analysis of enterprise financial statements, profit forecast and the method of transforming the profit forecast results into valuation, and analyzes the enterprise operation, strategy, valuation, and risk. Through this course, students master basic comprehensive financial analysis and valuation tools and evaluate enterprise value, investment projects, and select business strategies.

This course examines contemporary design thinking models to explore the balance of market desirability, technology feasibility and business viability during the formation of a business strategy and business decisions making processes.

This course explores the foundational concepts and theories of the creative industries. Lectures typically focus on theory mainly. Too often, little attention is paid to issues of business practice and administration. This course, addresses this gap and provides the student with the relevant theories, conceptual tools, and factual information necessary to gain an understanding of, and be able to engage critically with, the realities of managing, working, and progressing within the cultural and creative industries.

This course introduces students to the practice of management, to what managers do, why they do it, and ways in which they set about doing it. Different management activities and roles are explored from both a practical and theoretical perspective. Key management responsibilities such as strategic thinking, analyzing the business environment, marketing, and motivating self and others are explored alongside a real-life study. This provides opportunities for students to apply theoretical concepts to an actual business case.

This is an introductory course to the management of innovation. Core topics covered in this course include market failures faced by innovating firms, knowledge about the various definitions of innovation and innovative activities, how to search for novel ideas (inside as well as outside of the firms’ boundaries), what tools to use inside and outside of the firm to evaluate promising ideas efficiently and accurately, ways to acquire external financing in case of cash flow constraints, tools to use to increase appropriability of innovations as well as various forms to develop innovations inside and outside of the firm. In examples, cases, and an assignment students work out in practice how to assess the feasibility and desirability of innovation opportunities and how to manage innovation from the first idea to implementing an innovation plan. PREREQUISITES: Basic knowledge of management/business economics, organization, and strategy.

This course focuses on the behavior of individuals and groups in organizations. Students review core concepts and theories from the fields of management and organizational behavior that provide a lens and a framework for analyzing issues relevant to individual and group behavior in organizational contexts. Throughout the course, students discuss and critique these concepts to explore their contributions in helping us understand organizational behaviors.