MBA 701: Individual Drivers of Behavior

3 credits
The focus of this course is on developing the student’s skills to observe and affect individual behavior. The central tenets of the course are to gain the skills necessary to objectively observe individual behavior and to recognize the personal and emergent influencers that drive such behavior. Emphasis is also placed upon gaining the competencies necessary to see/project the implications of behavior on an organization’s effectiveness.

MBA 703: Macro Economics and Trade

3 credits
This course develops a framework to analyze the external economic environment and to understand the major factors that cause macroeconomic change. The effects of monetary, fiscal and trade policies in the U.S. will be examined with an awareness of the interdependency between world economies. Specifically, trade policies of import/export nations, gains from trade, as well as trade negotiations/agreements will be explored. Emphasis is also placed on free trade and common market areas, exchange rate impacts, primary commodities and market instability, current trade issues, economic growth and comparative economic systems.

MBA 707: Public Policy and the Legal Environment

2 credits
The focus of this course will be the study of both the short-term and long-term economic consequences of public policies as they relate to individuals and organizations associated with the retail automotive industry. Particular attention will be paid to the development of regulatory bodies, understanding economic consequences of public policies as well as the legal environment and implications associated. In addition, focus will be directed toward the basic principles of involving the retail automotive industry emphasizing contracts and sales, as well as period after sales, bailments, negotiable instruments, agency, partnerships, corporations, insurance, and real estate.

MBA 715: Advanced Sales and Marketing

2 credits
The focus of this course is to achieve a sustainable marketing differentiation by managing the sales and marketing function within the organization. Areas of investigation include internal and external assessment; customer needs; market segmentation; setting marketing objectives; and managing the marketing mix (product, place, price and promotion) as it pertains to the retail automotive industry.

MBA 731: Group Drivers of Behavior

3 credits
The focus of this course builds upon the knowledge and skills developed in MBA 811. The student explores the organizational influencers of behavior. The course employs a conceptual framework to integrate these into the mix of personal and emergent influencers that can drive the behavior of individual members of a firm. Central to the course is the acquisition of the leadership and management skills necessary to affect individual behavior to improve organizational performance.

MBA 716: Micro and Managerial Economics

3 credits
This course focuses on microeconomic concepts relevant to managerial decision-making in the business firm; the strategic interaction of business firms in industries; the purchasing and consumption behavior of individual consumers and consumers as a group; and the influence of public policy on market outcomes. Development of a fluency with the language of economics and a strong economic intuition with topics including demand and supply analysis, consumer demand theory, forecasting, productions and cost analysis, market structure, risk analysis and regulatory theory. Additionally, attention is paid to how micro theory and practice influence management decisions.

MBA 723: Managerial Finance

3 credits
The focus of this course is to review tools, concepts, and techniques concerning financial management and control, and introduces the student to the concept of value-based management. Specific topics include financial analysis of operations, cost accounting, time value of money, capital budgeting and structure, working capital management, long-term financing, and financial forecasting.

MBA 730: Line of Business Strategy and Marketing

3 credits
The primary focus of this course is on achieving sustainable strategic differentiation at the line-of-business level. This requires the simultaneous evaluation and management of the organization’s internal (processes, structures, resources) and external (competitors, suppliers, other stakeholders) environment in an effort to satisfy the selected primary customer needs of the line-of-business strategy. The secondary focus of this module is on achieving sustainable marketing differentiation by managing the marketing function within the organization. Areas to be investigated include: internal and external assessment, customer needs, market segmentation, setting marketing objectives, and managing the marketing mix (product, place, price, and promotion).

MBA 720: Advanced Dealership Operations

2 credits
This course provides students with a broad conceptual framework for evaluating operations management practices and understanding the major decisions involved in the automotive dealership planning process. Concepts, techniques, and management tools related to the four major decision responsibilities of operations management including dealership process, quality, capacity, and inventory, are studied and discussed. Emphasis is placed on developing the skills to identify problems, evaluate alternative actions and to justify and defend decisions and recommendations in order to find and fix problems across the dealership as an entity. Specific topics covered include: a problem solving framework, decision criteria, root cause analysis, relevant costs, and process analysis. Specific operations and logistics techniques covered include: classical statistics, decision theory, regression, and simulation.

MBA 717: Introduction to Capstone Project Research

2 credits
An introduction to the capstone project required of the program of study, students will explore, identify and submit sample project proposals regarding a relevant and timely issue with respect to their firm.  Students will be exposed to various academic and professional research vehicles and will produce a written action proposal that succinctly and effectively: 1) Describes the problem, 2) Describes the costs and limitations imposed by this problem, 3) Describes why this problem exists and remains unresolved, 4) Describes the course of action required to effectively resolve this problem, 5) Demonstrates the cost (and/or resources required) to fix the problem, 6) Demonstrates the benefits to be gained by solving the problem, 7) Outlines the goals of the change program, 8) Describes the change program necessary to resolve the problem.

MBA 733: Corporate Financial Management

3 credits
The focus of this course is on the application of financial skills, analytical and conceptual, essential for managerial decision-making, including valuing business strategies. Overall emphasis is on Value Based Management. Specific topic areas include financial forecasting, cost of capital, capital budgeting, mergers and acquisitions, and valuation, including international financial valuation.

MBA 735: Corporate Strategy

3 credits
Building on line-of-business strategy, this course develops the student’s ability to anticipate, evaluate, and respond to stakeholders expectations within a corporate strategy perspective. This requires that the student develop the ability to simultaneously evaluate and manage the organization’s internal and external environment. Corporate strategy tasks include: articulating vision, determining shareholder expectations, choosing lines of business in which to operate, establishing boundaries, identifying capabilities and core competencies, acquiring and allocating resources, and managing inter-line of business activity fits and activities, thus building sustainable growth, and increasing shareholder value.

MBA 741: Change Management

3 credits
The focus of this course is to serve as the capstone management and behavior course, which focuses on developing the skills to effectively design, staff, and operate a global organization, from the perspective of the general manager.  Emphasis is also placed on developing the ability to analyze the ethical implications and tradeoffs of managerial decisions.  Human resource management issues are also explored.  In addition, attendtion is paid to how organizations adjust to change and remain resilient, power and effect leadership, building and leading global teams, managing cultural diversity, building trust and communication, as well as organizational resource allocation.

MBA 761: Integrative Management

3 credits
The focus of this course is on the development of the student’s ability to synthesize, integrate, and implement concepts and skills across the spectrum of managerial and leadership roles and responsibilities. The uniqueness of this course is the expectation that the student will implement the skills ascertained from all previous modules. The focus will help students identify, prioritize, and analyze comprehensive business issues found in complex, integrative case studies. Emphasis will be placed upon the leader’s ability to implement and take action in relation to recommendations identified in cases studies. Additionally, issues pertaining to organizational design, change management, and the long-term sustainability of the firm will be explored. Finally, through individualized consultation, each student will receive guidance on the implementation of the skills acquired in the program to their work environment.

MBA 773: Capstone Project

4 credits
Students will build on the introductory skill sets obtained through MBA 717 in their effort to find and fix a critical managerial or business problem that exists, unresolved, in their current organization. The problem must be one that is inter-functional in nature, and extend beyond the student's immediate horizontal and vertical responsibility. This course is an individualized tutorial between a student and a designated faculty member. The capstone project must be approved by a supervisor two levels above that which the student reports to as well as a DeVos Graduate School faculty advisor. The final project must demonstrate a minimum EBIT benefit of $75,000 and should be designed into the project scope.