Management
All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted.
2 credits
This course is an introduction to the accounting process, its underlying concepts, and the techniques of preparing and analyzing financial statements. Students are introduced to issues in accounting for assets, liabilities and stockholders’ equity, and issues in revenue and expense recognition. The course demonstrates the role of accounting information for users outside the firm, and the application of accounting numbers in financial analyses and market decisions. Where appropriate, emphasis is given to technology-oriented firms.
ACC 514. Business Analysis for Technological Managers
4 credits
This course provides an understanding of the concepts and tools of business analysis. One major focus emphasizes how accounting information aids the planning, control, decision making and evaluation of the firm's operations, through product costing techniques, budgetary planning, control and evaluation of operations using accounting information, and analysis of how accounting information can advance a firm's goals and strategies. This course also provides an introduction to the strategic role of financial management, analysis of company performance, the impact of major corporate decisions, the relationship among major stakeholders of the firm and cash management. (Prerequisites: ACC 501, FIN 502, FIN 508, MKT 506 and OIE 505 or equivalent content, or consent of instructor).
BUS 515. Legal and Ethical Context of Technological Organizations
2 credits
This course introduces students to U.S. and International law, examining the structure, function and development of the areas of law most important to the conduct of business. Heavy emphasis is given to approaches to ethical analysis for decision-making. Students will gain a sound understanding both of the basic areas of law (torts, contracts, property and constitutional law) and of the analytical principles that govern the application of law generally. The course will also touch on the areas of intellectual property law, business formation and organization, international business law, securities regulation, cyber law and e-commerce, antitrust law, employment law and environmental law. The course focuses on practical considerations and makes extensive use of case studies. In addition to analyzing the legal mandates that restrict and guide the conduct of business, the course discusses and debates ethical considerations that often confront managers.
BUS 516. Graduate Qualifying Project In Management (GQP)
4 credits
This course integrates management theory and practice, and incorporates a number of skills and tools acquired in the M.B.A. curriculum. The medium is a major project, often for an external sponsor, which is completed individually or in teams. In addition to a written report, the project will be formally presented to members of the department, outside sponsors and other interested parties. (Prerequisites: All foundation and core courses or equivalent content, or consent of instructor.)
The internship is an elective-credit option designed to provide an opportunity to put into practice the principles that have been studied in previous courses. Internships will be tailored to the specific interests of the student. Each internship must be carried out in cooperation with a sponsoring organization, generally from off campus, and must be approved and advised by a WPI faculty member in the Department of Management. Internships may be proposed by the student or by an off-campus sponsor. The internship must include proposal, design and documentation phases. Following the internship, the student will prepare a report describing his or her internship activities and will make a presentation before a committee including the Faculty Advisor and a representative from the sponsoring organization. Students are limited to one 3-credit, semesterlength internship experience. The internship may not be completed at the student’s place of employment. (Prerequisite: Completion of the required component of the individual student’s graduate management degree program.)
Directed in-depth independent study or seminar program following one or more of the core areas of management. Independent study can focus on a major problem in manufacturing, information systems, health systems, energy, government, etc. Each student must have a designated faculty advisor who must approve the subject and methodology in advance. Before registering for independent study, students should contact the director of graduate management programs.
BUS 599. Thesis
6 to 9 credits
Research study at the master's level.
ETR 592. New Venture Management and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship has been defined as the “pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently held.” This course is intended to introduce students to a new way of thinking (the pursuit of opportunity) and a new set of economic relationships (without regard to resources currently held) through its requirement that they plan and launch a new e-commerce venture. Topics will include opportunity recognition and evaluation, new venture teams, the business plan, venture finance and resource requirements, and harvesting the venture.
ETR 594. Technology Commercialization Project
This course requires the student to analyze and develop an implementation proposal for actual technology commercialization projects. The students will work as multidisciplinary teams and, using a variety of tools, prepare commercial feasibility investigations; financial analysis scenarios; resource schedules; and assessments, recommendations, and justification of best pathways to market. Emphasis will be placed on realistic opportunities that might stem from the student's own ideas, review of the WPI intellectual property portfolio, local angel capital projects, and others. Prerequisite: ETR 593
ETR 595. Entrepreneurial Selling: From Theory to Practice
Selling is a major part of our business and professional lives. This is especially important for those who are launching new ventures. Business propositions need to be presented to (and need to be sold to) potential investors, employees, colleagues, and certainly potential employers. Later there is a need to sell products or services to customers. Common to all is a sales process and organization model that can be developed that is focused on meeting customer and other stakeholder needs through effective selling disciplines.
This course offers an introduction to some of the theories, tools, and practices of business. The audience is non-business students, especially those in engineering and science, who want to learn the basics in preparation for more advanced work in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. Emphasis will be placed on organizations and leadership, entrepreneurial finance, and marketing, but other aspects of business operations and strategy will be addressed, as well. Prerequisite: None. Restrictions: May not be taken for credit by students in any graduate management/ business program.
ETR 593. Technology Commercialization: Theory, Strategy and Practice.
In the modern world of global competition the ability to utilize technological innovation is increasingly important. This course will examine the sources of new technology, the tools to evaluate new technologies, the process of intellectual property transfer, and the eventual positioning of the resultant products and services in the commercial market. Its purpose is to improve the probability of success of this discipline in both existing organizational models and early stage ventures. Specific cases studies of successful technology commercialization processes will be used to supplement the course materials. Prerequisite: ETR 591 or instructor consent.
2 credits
This course introduces students to the foundations of modern finance. The student is expected to gain an understanding of the time value of money, basic security valuation, investment criteria, capital market history, portfolio theory, and exchange rate risk. These topics are taught using a problem-oriented approach with an emphasis on conceptual understanding and the acquisition of the appropriate analytical and quantitative skills. (Prerequisites: ACC 501 or equivalent content, and a knowledge of college algebra and basic statistics.)
FIN 508. Economics of the Firm
2 credits
This course covers the basic concepts of supply and demand. Various forms of business organization (e.g., corporations, partnerships) are discussed. Attention is paid to both consumer behavior (e.g., uti System Design And Development lity theory) and firm behavior (including production theory and cost analysis). Alternative market structures, including output markets (e.g., competition, monopoly) and inputs (e.g., labor, capital) are addressed. Additional topics include the government regulation of markets (e.g., antitrust laws), international trade, and public and merit goods.
FIN 509. Domestic and Global Economic Environment of Business
2 credits
This course addresses the role of government in the economy, including concepts of income redistribution, taxation and stabilization. The fundamentals of aggregate demand and supply are also discussed. Topics include the concept and measurement of aggregate output and input (e.g., Gross Domestic Product [GDP]); Keynesian and post-Keynesian income determination analysis; fiscal policy (including government deficits and the public debt); monetary policy, the role of the Federal Reserve, and the banking system; economic growth; international trade and exchange rate determination.
MIS 507. Management Information Systems
2 credits
This course focuses on information technology and management. Topics covered are information technology and organizations, information technology and individuals (privacy, ethics, job security, job changes), information technology and information security, information technology within the organization (technology introduction and implementation), business process engineering and information technology between organizations (electronic data interchange and electronic commerce).
MIS 571. Database Applications Development
Business applications are increasingly centered on databases and the delivery of high-quality data throughout the organization. This course introduces students to the theory and practice of computer-based data management. It focuses on the design of database applications that will meet the needs of an organization and its managers. The course also covers data security, data integrity, data quality, and backup and recovery procedures. Students will be exposed to commercially available database management systems, such as MS/Access and Oracle. As a project during the course, students will design and implement a small database that meets the needs of some real-world business data application. The project report will include recommendations for ensuring security, integrity, and quality of the data.
MIS 573. System Design and Development
This course introduces students to the concepts and principles of systems analysis and design. It covers all aspects of the systems development life cycle from project identification through project planning and management, requirements identification and specification, process and data modeling, system architecture and security, interface design, and implementation and change management. Object-oriented analysis techniques are introduced. Students will learn to use an upper level CASE (computer-aided software engineering) tool, which will be employed in completing a real-world systems analysis and design project. (Prerequisite: MIS 571 and MIS 577 or equivalent content, or consent of the instructor.)
Companies have been replacing their legacy systems with enterprise systems designed to connect the entire organization, including suppliers and customers, in a web-enabled computing environment that provides information to all participants as needed. This course explores the managerial and technical challenges in implementing enterprise systems and managing an organization with such an interdependent, connected system. From a technological view, students will use a commercially available enterprise system to build an understanding of the functional capabilities of such systems. From a managerial view, students will use business cases to develop an understanding of the process of implementing and using enterprise systems effectively in organizations. (Prerequisite: MIS 571 and MIS 577, or equivalent content, or OIE 513, or consent of the instructor.)
This course presents the specific concepts, techniques and tools for managing projects effectively. The role of the project manager as team leader is examined, together with important techniques for controlling cost, schedules and performance parameters. Lectures, case studies and projects are combined to develop skills needed by project managers in today’s environment.
MIS 578. Telecommunications Management
This course provides students with the technical and managerial background for developing and managing an organization's telecommunications infrastructure. On the technical side, it covers the fundamentals of data transmission, local area networks, local internetworking and enterprise internetworking, and security. Coverage includes data communications and computer networking; local area communications topics such as cabling, and local area network hardware and software; and topics involved in wide area networking, such as circuit and packet switching, and multiplexing. On the managerial side, this course focuses on understanding the industry players and key organizations, and the telecommunications investment decisions in a business environment. Coverage includes issues in the national and international legal and regulatory environments for telecommunications services.
Note: credit will not be given for a previously taken MG 572 and the new MIS 578.
MIS 579. E-Business Applications
The course presents a survey of consumer and business-to-business electronic commerce models, systems, and technical solutions in the national and global contexts connecting individuals, businesses, governments, and other organizations to each other. It provides an introduction to e-business strategy and the development and architecture of e-business solutions and their technical components that focuses on the linkage between organizational strategy and networked information techniques. The course will cover how businesses and consumers use the Internet to exchange information and initiate transactions. Both theoretical concepts and practical skills with appropriate development tools will be addressed within the scope of the class. Students will develop a business plan and put that plan into action through development of an e-business website using commercially available development tools. Other hands-on projects and assignments are included. (Prerequisite: MIS 571 and MIS 577 or equivalent content, or consent of the instructor.)
Note: credit will not be given for a previously taken MG 572 and the new MIS 579.
MIS 581. Information Technology Policy and Strategy
Fast-paced changes in technology require successful IS managers to quickly understand, adapt, and apply technology when appropriate. They must recognize the implications new technologies have on their employees and the organization as a whole. In particular, they must appreciate the internal (e.g., political and organizational culture) and external (e.g., laws, global concerns, and cultural issues) environments that these changes occur within and plan accordingly. This course focuses on the core IS capabilities that IS managers must consider when managing technology within their organization: business and IT vision, design of IT architecture, and IT service delivery. This course will build on the knowledge and skills gained from previous MIS courses. (Prerequisites: MIS507 or equivalent content, or consent of instructor.)
MIS 582. Information Security Management
This course will introduce CERT-CC’s five-step process for the management of information security, and is aimed at teaching managers how to create a solid enterprise-wide information security practice. This course is aimed at any student interested in gaining a managerial-level understanding of information security and practice. Readings, demos, lectures, case studies and real world events will be discussed with the intent of bridging theory with practice, law and ethics. The course is broken up into six sections: introduction to information security and architecture, hardening and security, preparation for an attack, detection of the attack, incident response, and security improvement. Additional topics covered include an overview of computer crimes, information warfare, cyber terrorism and protection of critical infrastructures. Upon completion of this course, the student will have an in-depth understanding of the steps required to build and maintain an information security department, and the depth of technical understanding to be able to communicate effectively with information security teams.
MKT 506. Principles of Marketing
2 credits
This course provides the background by which managers may understand consumer and industrial decision-making. Topics covered include segmentation and target marketing, market research, competitor analysis and marketing information systems. Additional discussion focuses on the development of a marketing plan and positioning of the product. Attention is also paid to product management, new product development, promotion, price and distribution. Both national and global aspects of these issues are discussed.
MKT 512. Creating and Implementing Strategy in Technological Organizations
This course focuses on understanding the market and the importance of market research, customer needs, competitor analysis, business environment and forecasting. The development of ethical and effective strategy is discussed, including exploiting and developing the core competencies of the organization. Promoting and developing interfunctional and international communication and cooperation are addressed. Special attention is paid to the integration of emerging technologies. Other areas covered include assessment analysis, including controlling quality and tracking customer response. (Prerequisite: MKT 506 or equivalent content, or consent of the instructor.)
MKT 563. Marketing of Emerging Technologies
This course focuses on the new product development process in high-tech corporations, from idea generation through launch. Topics include: understanding customer responses to innovation, engaging customers in the innovation process, developing the marketing mix for new products (product features and benefits, pricing, channel selection, communications), new product introduction timing and competitive positioning. Particular emphasis is placed on how new products can be used to generate firm growth and renewal in a dynamic environment, and on the challenges of incorporating emerging technologies in new products. (Prerequisite: MKT 506 or equivalent content, or consent of the instructor.)
MKT 564. Global Technology Marketing
Extending technology to global markets requires an understanding of consumer behavior in different cultures, and effective management of risk and overseas infrastructures. This course addresses the issues associated with technology application in new markets and includes the following topics: consumer behavior differences in international markets and the implications for the marketing mix, cultural differences that affect business practices in new markets, managing exchange rate fluctuation, factors that affect manufacturing and research location, the impact of local government on marketing decision making, and the use of strategic alliances to acquire expertise and manage risk in global market development. Knowledge of marketing management is assumed. This course is offered by special arrangement only, based on expressed student interest.
MKT 566. Marketing and Electronic Commerce
This course discusses the tools and techniques being used today to harness the vast marketing potential of the Internet. It examines various Web-based business models for effectively and efficiently using the net as a strategic marketing tool for new products, market research, direct and indirect distribution channels, and marketing communications. The course considers both business-to- consumer and business-to-business applications, and explores the major opportunities, limitations and issues of profiting from the Internet.
MKT 567. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)
This course provides students with an understanding of the role of integrated marketing communications in the overall marketing program and its contribution to marketing strategy. The tools of marketing communications include advertising, sales promotion, publicity, personal selling, public relations, trade shows, direct, and online marketing. Understanding the concepts and processes that organizations use in developing effective and synergistic marketing communications is useful for managers across functional disciplines. This course will also consider ethical issues of IMC.
MKT 568. Data Mining Business Applications
This course provides students with the key concepts and tools to turn raw data into useful business intelligence. A broad spectrum of business situations will be considered for which the tools of classical statistics and modern data mining have proven their usefulness. Problems considered will include such standard marketing research activities as customer segmentation and customer preference as well as more recent issues in credit scoring, churn management and fraud detection. Roughly half the class time will be devoted to discussions on business situations, data mining techniques, their application and their usage. The remaining time will comprise an applications laboratory in which these concepts and techniques are used and interpreted to solve realistic business problems. Some knowledge of basic marketing principles and basic data analysis is assumed.
OBC 503. Organizational Behavior
2 credits
This course introduces concepts, theories and current research in the effective management of organizations. Topics include the basics of systems thinking, as well as team and group dynamics. The role of perception and motivation in the behavior of the individual is addressed. Cases, workshops and readings are integrated in a cohesive approach to management problems.
OBC 511. Interpersonal and Leadership Skills for Technological Managers
This course considers effective interpersonal and leadership behaviors in technological organizations. Course material focuses on understanding, changing and improving our behaviors and those of others by examining our own practices and analyzing examples of leadership behaviors. The course also considers interpersonal and leadership behaviors in relation to teams, cultural diversity, and ethics in organizations. Assignments may include personal experiments, case analyses, individual and group projects and/or presentations. (Prerequisite: OBC 503 or equivalent content, or consent of instructor.)
OBC 531. Managing Organizational Change
This course focuses on the design and implementation of organizational change. The course will look at organizations from a variety of theoretical perspectives and consider the implications for change from each perspective. Students will engage in and discuss case studies, simulations, and experiential exercises to explore the subject.
This course focuses on improving the student’s understanding of the negotiation process and effectiveness as a negotiator. Emphasizes issues related to negotiating within and on behalf of organizations, the role of third parties, the sources of power within negotiation, and the impact of gender, culture and other differences. Conducted in workshop format, combining theory and practice.
OBC 535. Managing Creativity in Knowledge Intensive Organizations
This course considers creativity in its broadest sense from designing new products and processes to creating our own role and identity as managers and leaders in knowledge-intensive organizations. In this course we will look actively at our own creative process and how we might more fully realize our creative potential. At the same time we will build a conceptual understanding of creating, creativity, and knowledge based in the philosophic, academic, and practitioner literatures. We will critically apply this conceptual understanding to organizational examples of managing creativity in support of practical action.
OIE 504. Operations Management
2 credits
This course provides students with a broad conceptual framework for evaluating operations management practices and understanding the major decisions made in operations and the connections of operations decisions to other functions. Concepts, techniques, and management tools related to the four major decision responsibilities of operations management, namely process, quality, capacity, and inventory, are studied and discussed.
OIE 505. Quantitative Methods
2 credits
This course provides the background by which a modern manager may understand and apply quantitative methods. Topics covered include descriptive state, probability theory, measures of dispersion and hypothesis testing, and confidence descriptions. Additional discussion focuses on correlation and regression analysis, as well as analysis of variance and time series mathematics as applied to business analysis.
OIE 513. Designing Processes for Technological Organizations
This course introduces students to the critical role of processes in modern technological organizations. This course addresses organizational, technical and ethical issues related to designing, analyzing and reengineering business processes. Techniques and tools for process design are covered. Key global processes such as customer service, order fulfillment, and goods/services creation and distribution processes and their enabling information technology are studied in detail. (Prerequisites: MIS 507, OBC 503 and OIE 504 or equivalent content, or consent of instructor.)
OIE 541. Operations Risk Management
Operations risk management deals with decision making under uncertainty. It is interdisciplinary, drawing upon management science and managerial decision-making, along with material from negotiation and cognitive psychology. Classic methods from decision analysis are first covered and then applied, from the perspective of business process improvement, to a broad set of applications in operations risk management and design including: quality assurance, supply chains, information security, fire protection engineering, environmental management, projects and new products. A course project is required (and chosen by the student according to his/her interest) to develop skills in integrating subjective and objective information in modeling and evaluating risk. (An introductory understanding of statistics is assumed.)
OIE 544. Supply Chain Analysis and Design
This course studies the decisions and strategies in designing and managing supply chains. Concepts, techniques, and frameworks for better supply chain performance are discussed, and how e-commerce enables companies to be more efficient and flexible in their internal and external operations are explored. The major content of the course is divided into three modules: supply chain integration, supply chain decisions, and supply chain management and control tools. A variety of instructional tools including lectures, case discussions, guest speakers, games, videos, and group projects and presentations are employed. (Prerequisites: OIE 504, or equivalent content, or consent of instructor.)
OIE 546. Managing Technological Innovation
This course studies successful innovations and how firms must enhance their ability to develop and introduce new products and processes. The course will discuss a practical model of the dynamics of industrial innovation. Cases and examples will be discussed for products in which cost and product performance are commanding factors. The important interface among R&D/ manufacturing/marketing is discussed. International technology transfer and joint venture issues are also considered.
OIE 548. Productivity Management
This highly interactive course focuses on evaluating and measuring productivity in both manufacturing and service environments, and on selecting, planning, and implementing measures to maximize it. Overall strategies as well as specific techniques are studied. The course examines key productivity drivers such as new and historical approaches to management, employee motivation/ reward systems, the role of technology as both a production environments, business process reengineering, the role of communications, the impact of capital spending, and cutting edge thinking on operations structuring and execution.
OIE 552. Modeling and Optimizing Processes
This course is designed to provide students with a variety of quantitative tools and techniques useful in modeling, evaluating and optimizing operation processes. Students are oriented toward the creation and use of spreadsheet models to support decision-making in industry and business.
OIE 553. Global Purchasing and Logistics
This course aims to develop an in-depth understanding of the decisions and challenges related to the design and implementation of a firm's purchasing strategy within a context of an integrated, global supply chain. Topics centering on operational purchasing, strategic sourcing, and strategic cost management will be covered. The global logistics systems that support the purchasing process will be analyzed, and the commonly used techniques for designing and evaluating an effective logistics network will be studied.
OIE 554. Global Operations Strategy
This course focuses on operations strategy from a global perspective. Topics such as strategy of logistics and decisions to outsource are examined. As an example, the strategic issues concerned with firms that are doing R&D in the United States, circuit board assembly in Ireland and final assembly in Singapore. Cases, textbooks and recent articles relating to the topic are all used. Term paper based on actual cases is required.
OIE 555. Lean Process Design
Lean thinking has transformed the way that organizational processes are designed and operated, using a systematic approach that eliminates waste by creating flow dictated by customer pull. In this course we explore the lean concepts of value, flow, demand-pull, and perfection in global, multistage processes. The tactics that are used to translate these general principles into practice, such as creating manufacturing cells, are also discussed. The design process is complicated because in reality not all wastes can be eliminated. To learn effective design, students will practice applying lean ideas in case studies and simulations, exploring how variability affects process dynamics and combining this knowledge with analysis of process data.
OIE 557. Service Operations Management
Successful management of service organizations often differs from that of manufacturing organizations. Service business efficiency is sometimes difficult to evaluate because it is often hard to determine the efficient amount of resources required to produce service outputs. This course introduces students to the available techniques used to evaluate operating efficiency and effectiveness in the service sector. The course covers key service business principles. Students gain an understanding of how to successfully manage service operations through a series of case studies on various service industries and covering applications in yield management, inventory control, waiting time management, project management, site selection, performance evaluation and scoring systems. The course assumes some familiarity with basic probability and statistics through regression. This course is offered by special arrangement only, based on expressed student interest.
OIE 558. Designing and Managing Six-Sigma Processes
This course teaches Six-Sigma as an organizational quality system and a set of statistical tools that have helped the world's leading companies save millions of dollars and improve customer satisfaction. This course is organized in three parts: part one covers the essentials of Six-Sigma, including fundamental concepts, the advantages of Six-Sigma over Total Quality Management, and a five-phase model for building a Six-Sigma organization; part two of the course covers the Six-Sigma training, including technical topics such as capability and experimental design as well as how to train "Black Belts" and other key roles; part three describes the major activities of the Six- Sigma Roadmap, from identifying core processes to executing improvement projects to sustaining Six-Sigma gains.