Shaping leaders, driving results.

Marketers are increasingly concerned with managing customers as well as  managing products. Advances in information technology have allowed companies to build extensive databases containing detailed information on individual  customers  including demographics, purchasing behavior, financial information and more. This course is built around the concept of the customer life cycle  including customer  acquisition, development and retention. This course emphasizes information technology considerations and analytical approaches to extract useful information  from extensive databases of customer level  information. This course will cover issues, topics, tools, and terminology  associated with database marketing, customer  relationship marketing and customer data management. Issues include costs, implementation, and privacy  concerns. Topics, tools, and terminology include lifetime value, share of  wallet, market basket analysis, RFM  (reach/frequency/monetary) analyses, cross-selling analysis, decile analysis, attrition models, and personalization systems. The course will involve hands-on  analysis of actual customer databases using a combination of analytical tools and software including Excel, SPSS (a  leading statistical software package), AnswerTree  and Clementine (two of SPSS's  'data mining' packages). The course is appropriate for those interested in learning more about how customer relationship management is really 'done' and  for those who want an introduction to some of the latest techniques and software  used to extract useful business information from large customer databases.

The content of the course is organized into two principal modules: (1) pricing strategy and fundamentals and (2) pricing tactics and implementation. Each module contains a mix of case studies and lecture/discussions.

1. Pricing Strategy and Fundamentals. The first module of the course covers the fundamental analytical tools, theories, and conceptual frameworks needed for price strategy formulation. Basic principles from marketing and micro-economics will be briefly reviewed and extended. The module provides an in-depth treatment of the role of price in the firm’s value proposition to the customer and the determination of customer response to price. Topics include the assessment of customer value in use, survey methods (e.g., conjoint analysis) and secondary-data based methods (e.g., regression analysis) for estimating price sensitivity. The module concludes with an in-depth treatment of the role of competition in pricing strategy formulation. Topics include price gaps, competitive price response, and price wars.

2. Pricing Tactics, Customization, and Auctions/Bidding. The second module of the course covers pricing tactics, opportunities for achieving price customization, and the handling of auctions and competitive bidding. Our focus shifts from setting the overall price level to making customer-specific or segment-specific pricing decisions. Topics include price promotions, price negotiations, reference prices, price customization and bundling, and auctions.

 This course develops the foundations for financial decisions in a global economic environment. It concentrates on four areas: Markets, Tools, Corporations, and  Investment. We will analyze the functioning of international  financial markets and institutions. We will then address the management of foreign exchange exposure in international corporations. Next we will consider  the valuation of international investments and the opportunities for  international corporations in global debt and  equity financing, e.g. in emerging markets. Finally we will focus on the benefits of global  diversification in investment strategies.

Topics Covered
Global Financial Markets and Institutions
Foreign Exchange Management
Financial  Management in International Corporations
International Investment Strategies

This course is restricted to 2nd year MBAs only. For the 2007 Spring term, the course will be taught by James W. Harris, President and CEO of the Seneca Financial Group, Inc.

This course will examine the elements involved in establishing successful business turnarounds. The course will be limited to 35 students. To be eligible for the course, students must have demonstrated above average skills in accounting and finance.

The course will focus on the actual problems posed in turning around a business in financial distress. The goal of the course is to provide students with a strong sense of what constitutes a turnaround and to differentiate between successful turnarounds and those that will likely lead to further restructurings.

Each class will focus on specific aspects of assessing the problems giving rise to financial distress and identifying possible solutions to the problems. Case studies and outside readings will be used in teaching the course. Active class participation will be used extensively in developing solutions posed in the case materials. Depending upon the progress made by the students, there may be opportunities for guest speakers to present real world examples of successful turnarounds.

Topics Covered:

 Topics to be covered in the course will include the following:

    * Gaining control of and managing cash flow effectively in a distressed situation
    * Assessing sources of financial distress
    * Assessing management skills needed to turn around a company
    * Analyzing viability and developing revenue forecasts
    * Identifying the key constituencies for implementing a turnaround
    * Developing a consensus among the constituencies
    * Implementing remedial programs
    * Developing remedial actions
    * Valuation techniques for distressed companies

The course requires intensive case preparation and analysis by all students. Students are required to be well-prepared for all cases, including substantial background analysis and research before every class. On average, it is expected that each hour of class time will entail 3 hours of pre-class work by all students. Students should be prepared to articulate their views and defend and justify their recommendations in each class.

Environmental and social issues have been treated historically as peripheral concerns to business. Before the 1970s into the 1980s, both social responsibility and environmental  management were primarily framed by managers as  unavoidable added costs driven primarily by public demands or regulation. During the 1980s and 1990s, more  companies began to assume philanthropic postures  where they felt compelled to  do good deeds that in some way gave back to the natural environment or the community.

As we move into the 21st century, however, leading firms are recognizing that  competitive strategy and social contribution are not  mutually exclusive. Instead of approaching social and environmental issues as costly luxuries, those companies are now embedding environmental and social strategy into the competitive strategy of the firm to drive long- and short-term performance.

Unlike the competition, sustainable enterprises capitalize simultaneously on economic, social, and environmental opportunities in the marketplace. Knowledge about economic realities, environmental trends and social issues are integrated  proactively into core business processes, systems, and strategies. The result is that for a growing number of companies, competitive advantage becomes rooted evenly  in the development and expansion of new capabilities that include reducing risks and costs through pollution prevention, improving reputation and operations through  state holder dialogue, innovating and repositioning for the future through the design for eco-effectiveness, and delivering long-term growth and leadership through a compelling vision of sustainability.

This course explores the nature of the "triple bottom  line" where firms perform  simultaneously on financial, social, and environmental dimensions. As such, it also serves as the core introductory course for the MBA Concentration in Sustainable  Enterprise. Through a  combination of cases, readings, lectures, videos, and simulations, class  sessions will engage students in discussions aimed at developing  and applying  new strategic models, tools, and frameworks that incorporate these dimensions in a competitive manner.

The general objective of this course is to improve your skills in all aspects of negotiation including how to

    * prepare for negotiations,
    * initially propose settlements,
    * predict and influence others' flexibility,
    * use integrative (win-win) and distributive (win-lose) tactics,
    * enhance your own and lessen others' perceived bargaining power,
    * determine when and how to close or terminate negotiations, and
    * find, or design, win-win agreements, when possible.

Required assignments include a quiz, group presentation, and debate-- all of which allow students to demonstrate their knowledge regarding how to apply the negotiation concepts discussed.

Consulting Capstone will simulate the life-cycle of a consulting assignment to solve a  strategic business problem drawn from leading business publications.  A proposal  will be developed and presented.  The proposed work plan will be executed including  research on financial data for the Client Company, original market  research, simulated client interviews, diagnosis and prioritization of client issues, development  and evaluation of alternative recommendations. The project  will culminate in individual presentation of an Executive Summary presentation  of recommendations to industry experts.

Pre-requisite:  Open to first and  second year students who have completed BA 255A, or approval of instructor.

Special Skills:  Student will be required to use specialized Excel spreadsheet models  for the evaluation of market size, market share, and  business economic problems.

Real business problems require an understanding of both financial and human  factors.  This course  explores the techniques for solving multi-disciplinary strategic business problems used by top management consulting firms.  Background on the  consulting  industry will be provided, but the emphasis is on frameworks for problem solving  useful for future consultants or future general managers.  Several problem cases  will be addressed as simulated consulting assignments.  These assignments will be drawn from current articles in leading business publications.

Students will work in teams to analyze simulated data on the clients.