Master of Business Administration

Businesses and non-governmental organizations today are evolving rapidly from a focus solely on their financial bottom line to a higher level of environmental and social responsibility and action – where profitability intersects with the common good to build thriving organizations and communities. This course provides a foundational understanding of the mutual importance of people, planet, and profit in creating and leading successful, sustainable organizations – referred to as the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach. Students will apply their knowledge to analyze and evaluate TBL frameworks, formulate the business case for sustainable approaches to organizational development and growth, and illustrate the benefits and competitive advantages that result from TBL thinking.

This course introduces leadership theory and managerial roles to plan, organize, implement, monitor, and evaluate organizational change efforts. Strategic communication plays a critical role in the change-management process, and students will examine best practices in organizational leadership and change management. The course thus introduces leadership theory and some best practices of change leadership such as to scan, focus, align, mobilize, and inspire. The course will focus on several key areas such as: why leaders need to guide staff through periods of change and help transform organizational culture, why formal and informal leadership behaviors are needed at many levels of an organization, and why multiple intelligences are needed not only to manage and lead change, but also to predict and address resistance, anxiety, and the forces of inertia that can sabotage even small change efforts.

Human Resource Management deals with a wide range of activities by which organizations (both profit and nonprofit) acquire, maintain, and utilize their workforces.  Adopting the perspective of a general manager, students will examine a number of key human resource “levers” or processes contributing to the development of an effective work system, including investing in people (training and development), measurement and incentives (compensation), and tapping potential employees (recruitment and selection) to better understand the complexities of managing people in organizations.

This course explores the role of ethics in organizational management and the inherent dilemmas facing leaders in private, public or nonprofit organizations.  Students will examine various strategies, approaches and models of reasoning about ethical issues and how to explore how personal values and positional power impact decision-making.  

This course explores marketing and communication strategies as an essential business component within an organization. Students will develop both an intellectual and hands-on understanding and appreciation of essential marketing and communication concepts, and how those concepts can be applied to the growth, development, and long-term success of an organization.

Marketing and communication strategies, models, and tactics will be addressed through the lens of branding, the classic “Four Ps” of marketing (Product, Price, Place (distribution), and Promotion), messaging, integrated marketing communication, and tactical application.

This course provides insights on accounting concepts related to both financial and managerial accounting. Introduction to the study of accounting dealing with the preparation and analysis of the balance sheet, income statement, and related accounting records will also be covered. An extension of traditional managerial accounting to the emerging measurement systems of sustainability accounting is made with investigations of Sustainability Accounting Standards, the Global Reporting Initiative, and best practices in managing and measuring in a triple bottom line context will also be covered.

This course is designed to focus on four major elements of global economic activities, covering trade, foreign investment, the balance of payment, and debt specifically.  Within each of these elements, we will first analyze the foundational undertakings of the world since World War II and then unify the information as it relates to a central theme: how to achieve a higher level of global sustainability. As such, this course aims to harness students’ comprehension of economic “globalization” and its impact on sustainable development in regards to environment, social responsibility, and economic influence. The curriculum will also highlight the different dimensions and linkages among developed, newly-developed, and under-developed nations, as well as between wealth and poverty and the potential to grow.

The course content aims to offer students a realistic interpretation of the current global sustainability approach that most large multinational corporations employ. In doing so, we will explore different policy initiatives to make trade and investment more socially and environmentally responsible. This course can be taken as an introductory course to “global economics” and “corporate responsibility/accountability.” 

Every organization must successfully address opportunity, challenge, and change, or wither. Usually, there is no shortage of ideas and passionate perspectives. How does an organization adapt and evolve, develop forward-looking futures for itself, and decide its best course of action? Strategy, innovation, and resilience constitute the “how” and are the bedrock of a vibrant, sustainable organization. Students will study current and emerging theories of organizational strategy, innovation, and resilience. Drawing on content from this and previous courses, students will apply, evaluate, and develop approaches to leading practical strategic thinking and execution and fostering innovation and resilience, including the integration of environmental, human, and financial sustainability in businesses and NGOs. Readings and resources will lean strongly toward what working practitioners require and find most useful in their work.