X574 Market Power Pricing (3 cr.) Price is one of the most important weapons a manager has in their strategic tool kit, yet it is often overlooked. Instead, managers tend to focus on sales volume and costs as strategic tools to enhance profitability, and not much energy is spent on optimizing pricing decisions. For example, managers routinely set prices by using historical cost-plus markup rules (X% above costs) that are outdated and have not evolved with the dynamic market characteristics. If managers were to optimize prices based on current market information, their overall profit margin would be greatly enhanced. This course is designed to give you the tools that are needed to effectively use price as a strategic tool. The course will have two components: a theory component coupled with an applied component that will give students hands-on experience quantifying pricing decisions through customized cases with data. Case applications will first cover strategic pricing decisions when competitors’ responses are not central to decision makers. Specifically, students will learn the skills essential to properly conduct optimal markup pricing, price customization, cash flow management, non-linear pricing, and product line pricing. Then we will expand our analysis to pricing strategies that account for competitors’ strategic responses. Applications will include predatory pricing, limit pricing, penetration pricing, and estimating rivals’ strategic responses using various oligopoly models.

C535  International Monetary Arrangements and Hedging  (3 cr.)The purpose of this course is to prepare the student to understand global monetary and financial phenomena.  The selected topics are chosen for their practical relevance.  We will study different monetary arrangements in the past and present, analyze the very nature of the foreign exchange market, explore forward market instruments, identify different kinds of exchange rate risk for firms, measure the exposure, determine the needs and ways how to hedge these risks.  We will analyze exchange rate and interest policies and try to understand the causes and consequences of international currency crises.

Throughout this course you are encourage to combine economic analysis with practical experience and application.  The economics material is based on the reading assignment, PowerPoint slides, and class notes.  The course will take a financial officer’s perspective.  Practical applications will come primarily through a set of case studies and exercises.

C536   Central Banking and Financial Markets (3 cr.)The Art of central banking has significantly changed over the last two decades. Particularly, central banks have improved their fine tuning of monetary policy and market signaling. In this course we will study the role and performance of central banks such as the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and a central bank from an emerging economy. We will analyze their specific setup and try to understanding the underlying reasons for existing deviations in monetary policy tools. We begin with the Federal Reserve System (the Fed). We will explore questions like: what are its primary objectives, functions, and activities? How have developments and innovations in financial markets altered central banking? What are the consequences of changes in Fed policy for the U.S. economy? What can we learn about the Fed that might help us to predict its future behavior? We then analyze the structure, the policy and the performance of the European Central Bank (ECB), and the Bank of Japan (BoJ). Finally, we will analyze the problems central banks in emerging economies face in particular, and take a look on international financial crises and the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the present international financial architecture.

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Finance

C540 Financial Management (3 cr.) Provides a working knowledge of the tools and analytical conventions used in the practice of corporate finance; establishes an understanding of the basic elements of financial theory to be used in application of analytical reasoning to business problems; and explores the interrelationship among corporate policies and decisions. Course work will include problem sets, study group preparation of executive summary memos and critiques, and use of PC spreadsheets to develop a planning model for a case focusing on funds requirement. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year One, Spring Quarter.

C541 Advanced Topics in Finance (3 cr.) Advanced study in finance. Topics can vary from year to year but often include capital structure theory, dividend policy, risk management, financial restructuring, current asset management, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and international finance. For Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year Two, Spring Quarter.

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Management

C512 Managing in a Team-Based Organization (1.5 cr.) In the search for sustained competitive advantage, firms have established "high-involvement" organizational structures and processes that draw heavily upon employee efforts, skills, and abilities to attain corporate objectives. In particular, managerial efforts have centered on the design, development, and administration of team-based initiatives. This course introduces students to key managerial practices and principles that help establish and maintain effective team-based organizations. Students learn how to manage team-based organizations designed to contribute to different types of performance objectives: cost reduction, quality improvement, new product development, mass customization, and process re-engineering. These lessons are applied to manufacturing, service, and not-for-profit organizations. Finally, the "basics" of team management are covered: to staff teams, facilitate team development, and lead teams for effective performance. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year One, Pre-Fall Intensive.

C511 Organizational Development and Change (1.5 cr.) Today’s business environment forces executives to use every tool at their disposal to create and maintain an effective and adaptable organization. A major source of effectiveness and adaptability is the way in which the company’s efforts are organized-its systems, structures, management process, rewards and strategies. The primary job of senior management today is to design, build, and operate organizations that function effectively. What this means is that the organization is in a constant state of change. Understanding the change process is vital. Knowing the roadblocks to effective change is very important. The role of the manager as a change agent becomes critical. Often the problems arise not from the change itself, but the process of making the change. Individuals resist change. It is a natural phenomenon. How and why this change manifests itself is a central issue in this course. Developing the skills to move through the change process not knowing what roadblocks one might encounter is becoming incredibly valuable.

C561 The United States in a Global Economy (3 cr.) This course takes a macroeconomist's lens to the United States economy in a global context. After taking this course, you will be better able to understand U.S. and other industrial countries' economic performances, including the terminology and theories that are used to document and explain their long-term trends and cyclical ups and downs. That is, you should be able to better understand and evaluate articles you read in business periodicals like the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, The Economist and The Financial Times. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year Two, Fall Quarter.

C562 Developing Strategic Capabilities (3 cr.) This course offers an introduction to tools for strategic management. It provides an introductory review of the complexities involved in determining long-term strategies. Rather than assessing the firm's environment in terms of broadly defined opportunities and threats, we will examine the dynamics of the competitive environment, how both the pace and direction of industry change are influenced by the resources, capabilities, and competitive interaction of rivals. The course uses discussion forums, team projects, and an interactive simulation. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year Two, Winter Quarter.

C560 Strategic Management and Business Planning (3 cr.) This course introduces students to strategic management and planning. In the course, you are asked to develop and execute a business strategy in a business simulation. In the Kelley Direct Online MBA Program, you are asked to develop a wide variety of skills and competencies in management. Developing and executing a business plan is only one of these skills. In addition, many of the skills and competencies addressed in this course will receive progressively greater refining in subsequent courses. As a result, this course should be viewed as in introduction to many issues that you will address again from different perspectives throughout the remainder of the MBA program.

C563 Integrative Capstone Course (3 cr.) Business development and venturing is the vehicle for our integrative capstone courses. Employing the tools learned and practiced throughout their program, students will work in small teams to develop business plans for new businesses, or entrepreneurial activities within larger organizations. There is also a business computer simulation that is designed to integrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities learned in the program. Readings and other course materials will be assigned by the faculty instructor. For KD OnLine M.B.A. students enrolled in Year Two, Summer Quarter.

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Marketing

C570 Strategic Marketing Management (3 cr.) An introduction to the process of creating a market-driven organization. Specific topics include marketing strategy, market research and analysis, and the development of products and services, pricing, distribution and promotion. The course employs lecture, classroom discussion through threaded discussion forums, case analysis and field research projects.

C571 Advanced Topics in Marketing (3 cr.) Teams of students apply the principles of marketing strategy by competing against one another in Markstrat, a complex, dynamic and remarkably realistic market simulation. This exercise requires students to draw on everything they have learned in previous marketing (and other) classes: Reading and interpreting marketing research; anticipating competitors’ actions; making accurate market forecasts; and making sound decision about which markets to enter, what new products to launch, and how to price, advertise and distribute your brands. In all of this, each team’s goals is to maximize the long-term profitability of its firm.

C572   Applied Marketing Research (3 cr.)The basic objective of this course is to develop the student’s understanding of marketing research as it applies to marketing decision making. The course covers principles of qualitative, experimental and survey research designs, secondary and syndicated data sources, questionnaire designing, and basic analysis. The major focus will be on the tools used to properly collect market research information. Students will also be expected to carry out a marketing research project based on these principles.

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Operations and Decision Technologies

C520 Decision Support Systems/Quantitative Analysis (3 cr.) In this course, we enhance the student's statistical and mathematical modeling skills covering the following topics: (1) probabilistic decision making, (2) regression analysis, (3) forecasting, (4) simulation with @RISK, (5) optimization modeling with the EXCEL Solver, (6) making decisions when multiple objectives are involved, and (7) using neural networks to improve forecasting. Applications from all major functional areas will be discussed. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year One, Fall Quarter.

C580 Operations Management (3 cr.) Surveys the management of operations in manufacturing and service firms. Diverse activities, such as determining the size and type of production process, purchasing the appropriate raw materials, planning and scheduling the flow of materials and the nature and content of inventories, assuring product quality, and deciding on the production hardware and how it gets used, comprise this function of the company. Managing operations well requires both strategic and tactical skills. The topics considered include process analysis, workforce issues, materials management, quality and productivity, technology, and strategic planning, together with relevant analytical techniques. The course makes considerable use of business cases. Most classes will be spent discussing the cases assigned. For each case, students will be asked to review actual company situations and apply technical and managerial skills to recommending courses of action. Most cases will be taken from manufacturing, but some will be service-oriented. Several of the cases will focus on international companies or issues. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year One, Spring Quarter.

C522 Information Technology for Managers (3 cr.) Study of information systems management issues including enterprise support applications, systems acquisition and implementation practices, facilitating end-user support and telework and e-business opportunities. Readings and case analysis and one team project. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year Two, Fall Quarter.

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Advanced Electives

C564 Global Electronic Commerce (3 cr.) Web-based course with CD-ROM access required. This course explores the meaning of "electronic commerce" and how organizations use it to conduct business more profitably. We will also examine key industries and technologies that currently shape the form that electronic commerce is taking in the U.S. Finally, we will examine cultural and societal factors that influence consumer response to electronic commerce. For KD Online M.B.A. students enrolled in Year Two, Summer Quarter.

C565 Thinking Strategically: Game Theory and Business Strategy (3 cr.) Game Theory has traditionally been a tool of economists, but its use in management situations has been growing rapidly in recent years. This trend is sure to continue. Managerial decisions are not static and cannot be made in isolation. Instead, a manager must account for the reactions of rival firms, subordinates, and superiors to directives and proposals. Game theory is a tool to use to examine these interactions.

The course extends the analysis of game theory and business strategy begun in the Managerial Economics portion of the Core. The ultimate aim of the course is to strengthen the ability to think strategically in business situations, rather than to teach facts or theories. To achieve this aim, we will iterate between theory and practice. We will use both formal case studies and real-world examples to sharpen our strategic thinking skills.

C525 Advanced Quantitative Methods (3 cr.) We will build on quantitative methods covered in C520 and cover cool functions and tricks, more solver models, and more Monte Carlo models. Grading is based on weekly homework assignments (3-5 problems) that may be done in teams of up to four people and two exams. Homework is 30 percent of the grade, and each exam is 35 percent of the grade.

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