Applied Management Principles

This course examines entrepreneurship with a focus on the start-up process for high-growth new ventures. In this context, the unique challenges of starting a firm and managing growth are considered and juxtaposed with running a more established firm. A framework will be presented and participants can start applying it to their own innovative ideas.

This course provides an overview of concepts and tools required to make value-maximizing decisions. Financial management concerns itself with two fundamental questions that every firm faces: which projects should the firm undertake and how should the firm obtain the funds necessary to undertake them? The finance function within a firm seeks to answer these questions such that the value of the firm is maximized. You will learn key financial metrics and ratios, principles of financial markets, capital investment metrics and decisions, and sources of capital.

The AMP program offers additional instruction in small workshop settings exclusively for working professionals. Professionals benefit from two bookend sessions, one at the beginning of the program and one at the end. In the pre-session prior to the first class, business professionals will meet to discuss the objectives of the program and help participants develop their own personal goals and expectations. At the end of the program, groups will again gather to discuss an implementation plan to ensure learning transfers to the workplace.

Marketing decisions must be centered on customers and their perceptions of value and benefits. This applies to any organization, whether we’re talking about financial services, consumer products, industrial markets, or nonprofit enterprises. Since strategic marketing decisions have a long-term impact and are costly to change once implemented, it is crucial to understand the keys to a successful marketing strategy and its implementation. This course will focus on:

• Analysis of key marketing concepts, focusing on the core concept of delivering superior value to customers
• Analysis and understanding of critical marketing assets (e.g., brands, loyal customers)
• Understanding implementation tools for marketing strategies (e.g., product and pricing strategies) and enhancing problem-solving and decision-making abilities in these areas
• Acquire basic skills in analytical approaches to strategic marketing issues

This course will give you a practical introduction to negotiation concepts and tools. Through a combination of methods including cases, role plays, discussions and lectures, you will improve your ability to negotiate deals and solve problems in everyday work and non-work situations. This course provides an opportunity to develop skills in negotiations and an increased awareness and sensitivity to the challenges of managing relationships.

Strategic management focuses on the "big picture" questions of business: What determines total corporate performance of an entire business enterprise? Why do some companies succeed, while other companies fail? And what — if anything — can managers do about it? You will also address more focused questions: How can a company anticipate how its competitors will respond to its strategy? Which industries/markets offer the best opportunities for sustained profitability, and why? How can a company build and sustain a competitive advantage?

In addition to firm-level strategy, the course will cover corporate strategy, where firms need to analyze whether or not entering in a new industry is a value-enhancing decision. What are the associated tradeoffs between market entries in the form of strategic partnerships versus M&As versus in-house activities?