Graduate School of Business

ACCT 210. Financial Accounting. 4 Units.

In general terms, financial accounting is the measurement of economic activity for decision-making. Financial statements are a key product of this measurement process and an important component of firms' financial reporting activities. In the past few years, financial accounting came to the forefront of the national consciousness as the stock market continued to decline amid faltering investor confidence. The crisis of confidence began with the revelation of accounting irregularities at some of the United States largest companies. However, the implications extended well beyond the effects of individual accounting or company failures: investors seemed to lose confidence in the integrity of the financial system as a whole. The capital markets, whose relative efficiency is based largely on the timely dissemination of relevant and reliable financial information, were at risk. Clearly, the importance of understanding accounting has never been so salient. The objective of this course is not to train you to become an accountant but rather to help you develop into an informed user of financial statement information. While financial statement users face a wide variety of decisions, they are often interested in understanding the implications of financial statement information for the future cash flows and earnings potential of a firm. We will focus on understanding the mapping between underlying economic events and financial statements, and on understanding how this mapping affects inferences about future profitability. Because annual reports are somewhat formidable, we will spend time familiarizing ourselves with how firms present the information for various accounts in the financial statements, including the footnotes. We also will discuss the role of the various institutions involved in the reporting process. By understanding the environment in which financial reporting takes place you will be in a better position to evaluate critically the disclosures made by firms in published financial statements. The following learning objectives will be emphasized: (1) familiarity with the transactions businesses engage in, (2) fluency in accounting terminology, (3) understanding the structure that maps transactions into accounting numbers, (4) understanding the rationale for various accounting methods, and (5) awareness of the judgment involved and the discretion allowed in choosing accounting methods, making estimates, and disclosing information in financial statements.

ACCT 212. Managerial Accounting: Base. 3 Units.

Managerial accounting refers to the preparation and use of information for internal planning, control, coordination, and performance evaluation purposes. This orientation contrasts with financial accounting where the focus is on accounting disclosures for parties external to the firm. The majority of the course covers the vocabulary and mechanics of cost accounting, issues involved in the design of an internal accounting system, and the role of accounting in decisions concerning resource allocation and performance measurement. Included in this are discussions of capacity costs, inter-departmental allocations, and activity-based management in manufacturing and service environments. We will pay particular attention to the trade-offs embedded in the choice of internal accounting systems, as well as ways in which to attenuate the problems created by these trade-offs. The second part of the course examines the process of evaluating the performance of individuals, business units and firms. We will study the optimal choice of performance metrics for incentive purposes and the rationale behind the balanced scorecard, as well as the importance of designing appropriate transfer prices for intrafirm transactions.

ACCT 213. Financial Accounting - Accelerated. 4 Units.

This course develops students' ability to read, understand, and use corporate financial statements. The course is oriented toward the user of financial accounting data (rather than the preparer) and emphasizes the reconstruction and interpretation of economic events from published accounting reports. The course is geared toward students with some familiarity in dealing with financial statement information and allows for deeper coverage and discussion in class.

ACCT 215. Managerial Accounting: Accelerated. 3 Units.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and tools of managerial accounting. The first part of the course demonstrates how management can rely on internal accounting information to measure and manage the profitability of individual products and customers. As part of that analysis, we examine alternative costing methods and illustrate how the resulting cost information can be used for decision making. The second part of the course focuses on the role of the internal accounting system in evaluating managerial performance and in coordinating the activities among business units within the firm. Our focus here will be on performance metrics that enable effective decentralization by aligning the objectives of individual business units with the overall corporate goals.

ACCT 219. Sloan: Accounting. 4 Units.

A characteristic of business is the extensive use of accounting data. The financial accounting course has the general objective of developing students' understanding of the nature, scope, and limitations of accounting information. To achieve this objective the course attempts to: (1) develop students' understanding of the conceptual accounting framework, including the objectives of financial reporting, and (2) develop students' ability to understand and critically evaluate the financial disclosures made by corporations. An issue of particular interest will be the managerial incentive aspects of accounting information and disclosures.

ACCT 311. Global Financial Reporting. 4 Units.

This course is designed to enhance students' understanding of current financial reporting issues through a detailed analysis and comparison of U.S. and International Financial Reporting Standards. The course will cover the development of accounting standards, implementation of these standards, and how to interpret output from these standards. The course highlights intermediate and advanced financial reporting topics including fair value accounting, asset securitization, consolidation including special purpose entities, foreign currency translation, derivatives and hedging, leases, revenue recognition, pensions, and equity compensation. The course also focuses on evaluating emerging financial reporting issues such as proposed financial reporting standards put forth by U.S. or international standard setting bodies. This course should help students better understand the environment governing global financial reporting and how firms develop financial statement information within this environment.

ACCT 313. Accounting-Based Valuation. 4 Units.

This course is structured to develop students' ability to interpret and use financial accounting information in equity valuation contexts. The perspective taken is that of an outsider relying on publicly available financial information for investment purposes, and builds heavily on the residual income framework for equity valuation. The first half of the course covers financial statement analysis-based tools for assessing a firm's current financial performance and economic condition, including traditional ratio analysis. The second half of the course introduces the accounting-based valuation framework, and develops the link between financial statement analysis, forecasting and valuation. This portion of the course focuses on techniques for forecasting specific income statement and balance sheet items, the creation of pro-forma financial statements, and the implementation of several accounting-based valuation models. The capstone to the course is the completion of a comprehensive equity valuation project. In addition to learning basic financial statement analysis tools and accounting-based valuation theory, students benefits from applying these tools and theories in the context of weekly cases and the final project. The course is structured for students to gain a deeper understanding of the economic pressures behind the analysis and valuation process by drawing upon and synthesizing concepts from microeconomics, corporate finance, corporate strategy, statistics and accounting. The course will be of value to those students who, as either senior managers or outsiders, anticipate making investment or credit decisions at least partially based on financial statement information.

ACCT 317. Managerial Accounting: Performance Measurement, Compensation, and Governance. 3 Units.

The course will examine the academic and professional controversies surrounding corporate governance and executive compensation. A basic framework will be developed to integrate the many important dimensions of corporate governance in the U.S. and international settings. The institutional features of corporate governance and executive compensation will be documented using the professional business and legal literatures. In addition, the scientific research in accounting, economics, finance, and organizational behavior will be used to provide insights into the measurement and consequences of observed corporate governance and executive compensation choices. After successfully finishing the course, a student should be able to (i) understand the debates about appropriate choices for corporate governance and executive compensation and (ii) critically evaluate the implications of academic and professional research studies on these controversial issues.

ACCT 332. Mergers and Acquisitions: Accounting, Regulatory, and Governance Issues. 4 Units.

This course covers various financial and economic issues related to mergers and acquisitions. For example, we review the financial reporting implications of business combinations (e.g., consolidation, the "acquisition" method), and income tax treatments of M&A transactions (e.g., taxable vs. non-taxable deals). We also examine corporate governance issues related to firms' decision to acquire or be acquired, the M&A regulatory environment (e.g., anti-trust), and other factors that can potentially shape the structure of M&A transactions. In covering these and other related issues, we will discuss both the theory and practice of mergers and acquisitions. To provide some specific context we will analyze specific M&A deals (e.g., the mergers of HP/Compaq, UpJohn/Pharmacia, and AOL/Time Warner; Oracle's hostlie takeover of PeopleSoft; and many more). In discussing these cases, we will examine the situation faced by the company, the issues surrounding the transaction, including the financial reporting implications, and focus on the managerial incentives and the judgment applied. We will also discuss some of the important strategies that underlay a successful negotiation. We will also review some of the related literatures in accounting, economic, and finance, to gain broader perspectives and insights into the financial issues associated with M&A transactions. Class time comprises mini lectures that introduce some of the more technical concepts, case discussions, and guest speakers who will offer additional perspectives on the subject matters. The course is co-taught by Ron Kasznik (GSB) and Safra Catz (Oracle Corporation). Ms. Catz is President of Oracle and a member of its Board of Directors. She has led Oracle through more than 50 acquisitions in recent years (including PeopleSoft, Siebel, BEA, and Sun Microsystems). Prior to joining Oracle in 1999, Ms. Catz was Managing Director at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, a global investment bank (now part of CSFB). Ms. Catz also serves on the board of directors for HSBC Holdings plc since 2008.

ACCT 340. Alphanomics: Informational Arbitrage in Equity Markets. 4 Units.

This is an advanced elective course on the economics of active investing in equity markets. The 2012-13 version of this class will be offered in two parts: A 4-credit class for the Fall quarter (ACCT340), and a 2-credit class for the Spring quarter (ACCT541). If you sign up for the Fall class, your spot on the Spring roster will be automatically reserved. However, you will still have the option at the end of the Fall quarter to opt out of the 2-credit Spring class. The Fall course (ACCT340) is designed as a "start-up kit for an equity hedge fund." In the Fall quarter, we will cover some of the foundational skills needed to build and manage a portfolio of public stocks. There is no final exam. However, there will be a number of individual cases and a final group project. 25% of the grade will be based on class participation, and 75% will be based on cases and projects. Towards the end of Fall, student who choose to continue onto the Spring course (ACCT541) will form teams (of 4 to 6 each) and submit a proposal for a hedge fund product. Once their proposal is approved, each team will be given a $1 million paper portfolio. Students then manage this portfolio for the rest of the school year (their trades and portfolio statistics are automatically tracked). Students enrolled in the Spring (ACCT541) will reconvene in the second half of the quarter for a series of class lectures/talks as well as team presentations, summarizing their experience. The ACCT541 portion of the course will require each student group to make a class presentation, as well as turn in a written report. A separate grade will be assigned for ACCT541. 25% of this grade will be based on class participation, and 75% will be based on the presentations and reports. The overall goal of this course is to improve student skills in assessing the relative attractiveness of individual companies, as well as in managing portfolio risk according to pre-specified targets. This is a hands-on course with an emphasis on experiential learning. Students will make extensive use of analytical tools in the new "Real-time Analytics and Investment Lab" (High-speed R.A.I.L.) facility in the Bass Center. As part of this course, students will design stock screens, conduct back-tests, do detailed company analyses, execute (virtual) trades, and manage portfolio risk. Because it is an advanced elective, students taking this class are expected to be well versed in core economic, accounting, and finance skills. Material covered in a second Financial Modeling course, as well as in Accounting 312 (Evaluating Financial Statement Information) and Accounting 313 (Accounting-based Valuation) will come in handy. However, none of these courses are required.

ACCT 354. Analysis and Valuation for Event-Driven Investing. 3 Units.

This Bass seminar is designed to develop students' ability to interpret and use financial accounting information in credit and equity valuation contexts. The course will focus on valuing the securities of companies undergoing significant changes as a result of litigation, restructuring, regulatory changes, mergers, spin-offs or significant industry shifts. Throughout the course, students will (1) enrich their understanding of how alternative economic, legal, political and regulatory outcomes affect the value of various components of a company's capital structure and (2) develop their ability to apply financial statement analysis to assess the likelihood and valuation implications of the events of interest. Event-driven investing follows the life cycle of companies as they revamp their corporate structures in response to economic and regulatory environments. For example, in rising economic periods companies may undertake acquisitions or spin off divisions to enhance shareholder value. During adverse environments, bankruptcy and reorganizations often reshape the capital structure by offering opportunities to create value through the restructuring process. During economic transitions, debt and equity investors may make significantly different assessments of the quality of a company's earnings, its assets, and its likelihood to meet its debt obligations. To assess the probability of corporate events, investors must make judgments about the quality of a company's earnings and assets and understand how accounting policies may influence management's representations. Investors must also interpret how accounting policies function at various points in a firm's life cycle, influencing the quality of earnings for firms differently in different economic environments. In the first half of the course, we will develop the course framework, and apply it to illustrative cases. Companies featured in the cases include Tyco, AIG, CIT, Fannie Mae and Pharmasset and Gilead. Students will interpret information from companies' public financial disclosures to assess the likelihood of different events or outcomes. The course will also feature readings on current accounting standards, articles from the popular press, publicly available financial statement information, and guest speakers with in-depth knowledge of investing strategies vis a vis the case companies. The latter half of the course will be devoted to project work, with students working in teams to develop an event-driven investing strategy. The aim is to allow students to conduct independent research on a company, industry, economic context, or financial reporting environment of particular interest. Students will develop their investment idea, articulate their sense of the possible outcomes for the components of the firm's capital structure, and explain how they have assessed the likelihood and valuation consequences of those outcomes. At the conclusion of the course, students will present their strategies to the class and a panel of expert judges.

ACCT 518. Analysis and Valuation of Emerging Market Firms. 1 Unitss.

The course is designed to introduce students to the unique institutional, corporate governance and transparency issues facing managers and investors in emerging economies, and the impact these issues have on assessment of firm performance and value. The goal of the class is to gain an understanding of how country-level institutional forces interact with firm-level factors to shape firm value in these countries, how to interpret published financial reports in this environment to identify the source of firm-level value creation, and to use your assessment of the firm to identify the primitive sources of the firm's risks and opportunities. Topics covered will include an assessment of related party transactions, importance of political factors and social networks, governance conflicts, and the risk of expropriation. Students will be expected to: (1) make one presentation (most likely as a part of a two-to-three person group) that explores the valuation and value drivers of a specific emerging market firm and (2) attend all four classes. Grades will be on a pass/fail basis. Professor Piotroski teaches the "Accounting-based Valuation" and "Valuation in Emerging Economies" courses at the GSB.

ACCT 523. Board Governance. 2 Units.

This course is focused on helping students understand the role boards and board members play in corporate governance and the lives of businesses large and small. This case-driven course is designed to help students who plan to serve on boards as private-equity or venture investors, entrepreneurs who will need to assemble and manage boards, and executives who realize they will need to interact with and answer to boards. The course is designed to help students understand the issues boards face ? both routine and non-routine ? through the eyes of the board member. By understanding the roles and responsibilities of board members and the mechanisms though which they exercise these duties, students will come away with an understanding of how boards function effectively (and in too many cases fail to function effectively). The course will include examining boards in a variety of corporate contexts including: public and private, large and small, for-profit and not-for profit.

ACCT 541. Alphanomics II. 2 Units.

This is a 2-credit advanced elective in equity investing that will be offered in the Spring 2013 quarter. This course is open only to students that were enrolled in Alphanomics (ACCT340) in the Fall of 2012. If you complete ACCT340 in the Fall of 2012, your spot in this course will be automatically reserved. However, you still have a chance to opt out of this course at the end of the Fall 2012 quarter. The Fall (ACCT340) course is designed as a "start-up kit for an equity hedge fund". In the Fall quarter, we will cover some of the foundational skills needed to build and manage a portfolio of public stocks. Towards the end of Fall, student who choose to continue onto the Spring course (ACCT541) will form teams (of 4 to 6 each) and submit a proposal for a hedge fund product. Once their proposal is approved, each team will be given a $1 million paper portfolio. Students then manage this portfolio for the rest of the school year (their trades and portfolio statistics are automatically tracked). Students enrolled in the Spring (ACCT541) will reconvene in the second half of the quarter for a series of class lectures/talks as well as team presentations, summarizing their experience. The ACCT541 portion of the course will require each student group to make a class presentation, as well as turn in a written report. 25% of the grades will be based on class participation, and 75% will be based on the presentations and reports. The overall goal of this course is to improve student skills in assessing the relative attractiveness of individual companies, as well as in managing portfolio risk according to pre-specified targets. This is a hands-on course with an emphasis on experiential learning. Students will make extensive use of analytical tools in the new "Real-time Analytics and Investment Lab" (High-speed R.A.I.L.) facility in the Bass Center. As part of this course, students will be required to design stock screens, conduct back-tests, do detailed company analyses, execute (virtual) trades, and manage portfolio risk.

ACCT 609. Financial Reporting and Management Control. 4 Units.

This course is aimed at doctoral students in accounting and neighboring fields including economics, finance, political economics and operations management. The course seeks to provide an introduction to the role of accounting information in (i) measuring firm performance, (ii) projecting profitability and firm value for external constituents, (iii) and motivating and controlling the firm's management. The main topics covered in this course include: 1. Accrual Accounting and Profitability Measurement 2. Accounting-based Equity Valuation 3. Accounting Conservatism 4. Performance Evaluation and Managerial Incentives The primary objective of the course is to introduce students to current research paradigms on these topics and to identify promising avenues for future research. The course readings include recent theoretical and empirical papers.

ACCT 610. Seminar in Empirical Accounting Research. 3 Units.

Empirical Research on Financial Reporting: This doctoral-level course covers research on the role of accounting information in capital markets. The focus is on introducing students to key themes in empirical accounting and capital markets research, and to key research designs applied to examine information-related questions. Course topics include market efficiency, limits to arbitrage, the role of accounting in providing information to investors, anomalies, alternative sources of information, bankruptcy prediction, accounting measurement attributes, earnings management, earnings quality, and the role of accounting information in managers' investment decisions. The course is interdisciplinary in nature. The readings focus on research design, and key theories, themes and approaches from the accounting, finance, economics and psychology literature. Our overall goal is not only to review existing research, but also to identify new research opportunities.

ACCT 611. Applications of Information Economics in Management and Accounting. 4 Units.

This course develops tools from information economics to study the strategic interactions between agents inside a firm and between firm insiders and market participants. Common to these studies is that agents acquire private information that is valuable to other parties. The range of applications includes: the structure of managerial performance measures, buyer-supplier contracting arrangements, earnings management, voluntary and mandatory disclosure and financial analysts.

ACCT 612. Financial Reporting Seminar. 4 Units.

The purpose of this PhD seminar is to facilitate your conception and execution of substantive individual research in financial reporting. It provides a vehicle for supplementing and integrating your knowledge of basic research tools and methods, as well as an exposure to the dimensions of contemporary research in the field of financial reporting. The focus of the research we will discuss in this seminar is on global financial reporting. Such research encompasses studies dealing with contemporary financial reporting issues as well as research addressing issues relating to the globalization of financial reporting. Because these issues are also of concern to financial reporting standard setters, we will discuss whether and how the research we study informs standard setting debates. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.

ACCT 615. Selected Topics in Accounting Research. 3 Units.

This course examines selected topics in accounting research. The course features four faculty who will each give a focused look at a given area, introduce students to important questions in that area, key papers in the related literature, and critical aspects of the research designs applied in the area. The aim is to increase student's familiarity with current accounting research, to improve their ability to critically evaluate research and research designs, and to prepare students to conduct independent research.

ACCT 617. Managerial Incentives and Corporate Governance: Concepts and Empirical Methodology. 4 Units.

The course will consist of three set of topics. The first part of the class will examine a set of applied econometric topics that are useful in empirical accounting research. Each of these topics will be illustrated using contemporary examples from accounting, economics, and finance. The second part of the class will cover some of the basic theoretical work in moral hazard agency models and various extensions to this type of research. The final part of the course will discuss the empirical literature on corporate governance and executive compensation. The course will be taught in a seminar style and students will be required to develop a series of research projects on the topics covered in the class.

ACCT 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

ACCT 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

ACCT 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

MGTECON 200. Managerial Economics. 4 Units.

This course covers microeconomic concepts relevant to managerial decision making. Topics include: demand and supply analysis; consumer demand theory; production theory; price discrimination; perfect competition; partial equilibrium welfare analysis; externalities and public goods; risk aversion and risk sharing; hidden information and signaling; moral hazard and incentives; game theory; oligopoly; and transaction cost economics.

MGTECON 203. Managerial Economics - Accelerated. 4 Units.

MGTECON 203 is the accelerated option in microeconomics for 1st year MBA students. It will cover the usual array of topics, with an emphasis on topics more useful for students of management (although the order in which the topics are covered will be different from that in 200). No previous background in economics is required or expected, but in comparison with MGTECON 200, less time will be spent in class on basic problems. Therefore, students choosing this option should be completely comfortable with calculus and linear algebra. A good diagnostic is to read Sections 3.5 and 3.6 (pp. 57-67) in Kreps, Microeconomics for Managers. If you find this easy, 203 is a good choice. If not, 200 is the right course for you. Students with extensive background in microeconomics should take one of the Advanced Applications options; in particular, MGTECON 203 is NOT a good fit for students who have an undergraduate major in economics.

MGTECON 209. Sloan: Statistics and Economics. 4 Units.

This course will be divided into two halves. The first half of the course will provide an introduction to Statistics. We will cover the very basics (calculating means, standard deviations, etc.), then work our way up to hypothesis testing and several sessions on the basics of regression analysis. There will be a Regression Project due in the middle of the quarter and a mid-term that will cover the Statistics material. The second half of the course is an introduction to Microeconomics, focusing on microeconomic concepts relevant to managerial decision making. Topics include demand and supply, cost structure, price discrimination, perfect competition, externalities, and the basics of game theory. The final exam will cover material from the Microeconomics portion of the course. No prior Economics or Statistics background is required but students who have not had courses in this area (or not had one in a very long time) may want to brush up on math prior to the start of classes.

MGTECON 300. Growth and Stabilization in the Global Economy. 4 Units.

This course gives students the background they need to understand the broad movements in the global economy. Key topics include long-run economic growth, technological change, wage inequality, international trade, interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, and monetary policy. By the end of the course, students should be able to read and understand the discussions of economic issues in The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, or the Congressional Budget Office.

MGTECON 330. Economics of Organization. 4 Units.

This is an advanced applications economics course that applies recent innovations and high-powered tools to organization and general management. MBA1 students must have a strong background in microeconomics to take the course and should consult with their advisors. The course is appropriate for MBA2 students who have taken either MGTECON 200 or MGTECON 203. The course objective is to equip managers with an extensive set of analytical and applicable tools for handling the following topics: organization for coordination, designing incentives for moral hazard, monitoring and private information, applications to scope, scale, global management and mergers, principles for allocating decision power, managing supplier relations, downstream controls, franchising and alliances, bargaining, high order reasoning, repeated interactions and reputation, holdups and strategizing with unawareness. These topics will be covered in a combination of lectures and cases.

MGTECON 331. Political Economy of Health Care in the United States. 3 Units.

This course provides the legal, instititional, and economic background necessary to understand the financing and production of health services in the US. Potential topics include: health reform, health insurance (Medicare and Medicaid, employer-sponsored insurance, the uninsured), medical malpractice and quality regulation, pharmaceuticals, the corporate practice of medicine, regulation of fraud and abuse, and international comparisons.

MGTECON 332. Analysis of Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Health Care. 4 Units.

For graduate students. The principal evaluative techniques for health care, including utility assessment, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and decision analysis. Emphasis is on the practical application of these techniques. Group project presented at end of quarter. Guest lectures by experts from the medical school, pharmaceutical industry, health care plans, and government.

MGTECON 334. The International Economy. 4 Units.

The objective of this course is to give students an understanding of what international trade policy means for business leaders. To do this, students will have to understand the economic forces that determine the patterns and consequences of international trade. We will analyze trade policy tools used by governments (e.g., tariffs, subsidies and quotas), and examine the role of industry and politics at the domestic and global level in applying these tools. This course will combine lecture, case studies and group interaction.

MGTECON 343. The Financial Crisis. 4 Units.

This class will focus on the evolution of the financial crisis and the implications for the future of financial markets and the economy. Part of the course will concern the history of the financial crisis, from 2008-12, including policy responses. The rest will focus on current events. There will be a number of guest speakers, either live or by Skype. Last year's list included Tanya Beder, John Geanakoplos, Bob Joss, Tom Kempner, Ken Rogoff, Larry Summers, Kevin Warsh, and Nancy Zimmerman. Myron Scholes participated in about half the classes. I assume that this year there will be a similar but not identical list.

MGTECON 364. Motivation in Theory and in Practice. 3 Units.

This course focuses on one question: How do organizations motivate their key employees to provide consummate effort? By consummate effort, we mean effort above and beyond what is normal or expected, with particular emphasis on cases where the key employees are knowledge workers performing ambiguous and creative tasks. We will begin with three weeks or so of twice-weekly class sessions, at which different theories of motivation will be explored as theories and as practiced in case studies. This will include both the economic theory of incentives, but also social psychological theories of motivation and, in particular, on when and how economic forces and social psychological forces come into conflict and when and how they can be marshaled together. During this initial three-week period, students in course will organize themselves into teams of 3 to 5 students. Each team will identify a organization or related group of organizations (say, several firms inside the same niche in an industry), and during weeks 4 through 7 of the quarter, each team will investigate how the organization(s) they are studying answer the basic question. Students will be expected to relate what they find to the theoretical constructs of the early part of the quarter. During this period, each team will meet at least weekly with the instructor to review progress achieved and to plan next steps. In the final two weeks or so (depending on the number of teams), teams will present what they have learned about the organizations they are studying to their peers. Each team will make a presentation of 45 minutes to an hour. These presentations should include a full analysis of the organization(s) (any relevant history, business model and strategy, and so forth). They should then answer the basic question, giving to the greatest extent possible tangible measures and evidence for their assertions. This will be followed by a Q&A from the other members of the class, exploring what the teams have presented. Each team will be expected to prepare a written "case-let" of their findings, to be circulated to other members of the class at least three days prior to the in-class discussion. Organizations to be studied must be existing organizations. Teams will NOT be allowed to present "designs" for organizations that they are in the process of founding or that they hope to found. There must be evidence---anecdotal at least, more systematic if possible---of how well the organization's approach to motivation is working. Organizations studied should consent to be "used" in this fashion, although you will be asked to try to gain permission for the case-lets and your presentations to be used more broadly in the GSB's curriculum. The instructor will attempt to "recruit" willing organizations, from which teams can choose, although it is equally preferable if not better for teams to identify on their own the organizations they will studied. Grades will be determined as follows: 20%--class participation in the first three weeks, with emphasis on contribution to case discussions. 20%--group-assigned grade based on the written case-let 30%--group-assigned grade based on the oral (in class) presentation 20%--participation in the discussion of the presentations of other groups 10%--based on an individual "final exam," in which students will be asked to write a short report (three to five pages, double spaced, 12pt) evaluating what they learned, with emphasis on what they consider is important in answering the basic question, on the basis of the course experience. This report will be due on the last day of final exams, may be prepared off campus and emailed in. Students are free to discuss these matters with one another, but each student is expected to be the sole author of his/her "final exam." There are no formal prerequisites for this course, but students considering this course will be well prepared if they have taken a course in human resource management. This course is a Bass Seminar and is limited to enrollment of 25 students. Please note: I have a reputation for requiring a LOT of work from students. This reputation is deserved. I have every intention of enhancing my reputation in this regard, in this course, so caveat discipulus. (Unhappily, you cannot access course evaluation data on the number of hours that students report they work, so you will have to take my word for it: My courses are in the far upper tail of the distribution. You can access data on the question on "Sets High Expectations." And I urge you to read ALL the entries on me at Course Unofficial for MGTECON 200 and 203.) If you have any questions, please contact me in the first instance via email, at [email protected].

MGTECON 381. Contemporary Economic Policy. 4 Units.

Economic issues permeate all that happens in government. This topics-based course will exam a variety of historic and current issues on the political agenda where economics is central to decision making. It is taught by faculty who served at the White House in either the Clinton or George W. Bush Administration.

MGTECON 514. Markets of Information. 2 Units.

Valuable information may be distributed among people. We will study the problems associated with identifying, retrieving and aggregating this information. We will turn to the existing solutions currently offered in the market and study their scope and the potential of these recent technologies. Along the way we will gain a better understanding of the various types and dimensions of valuable information. We will study how information flows and how it initially becomes distributed. We will then analyze the strategic aspects of locating information, information transmission, reliability and elicitation. Applications covered include: social networks, entertainment and media, rating systems, expert advice, "wisdom of the crowd" tools, sales forecasting, prediction markets and more.

MGTECON 591. Management Practices in Europe, the US and Emerging Markets. 1 Unitss.

The course will review the results from a large management practices project involving Harvard, the London School of Economics, McKinsey & Company and Stanford. McKinsey & Company have developed a basic management practice evaluation tool - detailing the 18 key practices in firms - which has been used to evaluate almost 10,000 organizations in manufacturing, retail, healthcare and education across the US, Europe, Asia, Australasia and South America. These results provide a global insight into the basic management practices around monitoring, targets and talent management that firms adopt around the world, their link to performance, and the reasons for differences in these across countries. This will be supplemented with the results from more recent research with Accenture and the World Bank in India carrying out change-management interventions. Full syllabus and lectures from 2011 available here: https://www.stanford.edu/~nbloom/Course_591.zip.

MGTECON 600. Microeconomic Analysis I. 4 Units.

This course provides an introduction to the foundations of modern microeconomic theory. Topics include choice theory, with and without uncertainty, consumer and producer theory, dynamic choice and dynamic programming, social choice and efficiency, and fundamentals of general equilibrium. Students interested in this course should consult the instructor by email: [email protected].

MGTECON 601. Microeconomic Analysis II. 4 Units.

This course studies the roles of information, incentives and strategic behavior in markets. The rudiments of game theory are developed and applied to selected topics regarding auctions, bargaining, and firms' competitive strategies; information economics; and contracting and market design.

MGTECON 602. Auctions, Bargaining, and Pricing. 4 Units.

This course covers auction theory, matching, and related parts of the literature on bargaining and pricing. Key papers in the early part of the course are Myerson and Satterthwaite on bargaining, Myerson on optimal auctions, and Milgrom and Weber's classic work. We then turn to markets in which complicated preferences and constraints, limitations on the use of cash, or variations in contract details among bidders play an important role. Emphasis is on matching markets such as the National Resident Matching Program and asset auctions such as the spectrum auctions.

MGTECON 603. Econometric Methods I. 4 Units.

This is the first course in the sequence in graduate econometrics. The course covers some of the probabilistic and statistical underpinnings of econometrics, and explore in depth the large-sample properties of maximum likelihood estimators. You are assumed to have introductory probability and statistics and matrix theory, and to have exposure to basic real analysis. Topics covered in the course include random variables, distribution functions, functions of random variables, expectations, conditional probabilities and Bayes' law, convergence and limit laws, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and maximum likelihood estimation.

MGTECON 604. Econometric Methods II. 4 Units.

This course is exclusively for PhD students at the GSB. This course presents a comprehensive treatment of econometric methods used in economics, finance, marketing, and other management disciplines. Among the topics covered are: the classical linear regression analysis, linear simultaneous equations systems, panel data models, generalized method of moments, selection models, and limited dependent variable models. This course uses Matlab or similar computational software, but previous experience with such software is not a prerequisite. This course assumes working knowledge of undergraduate econometrics, basic linear algebra, basic probability theory, and statistics that are covered in MGTECON 603. Those who did not take MGTECON 603 or similar should see the instructor.

MGTECON 605. Econometric Methods III. 4 Units.

This course completes the first-year sequence in econometrics. The course develops nonlinear models in more detail, as well as methods used to estimate nonlinear models, including maximum likelihood and moment-based estimators such as GMM. The instructor will discuss both theoretical properties of these estimators and how they are used in practice. Computational challenges and issues are explored in detail. Depending on student and instructor interest, we will consider advanced topics and applications, including: semiparametric, nonparametric, and simulation estimators.

MGTECON 606. Microeconomic Theory for Non-Economist PhDs. 4 Units.

This course will be a first quarter PhD course in microeconomic theory, aimed at PhD students who do not plan to become professional economists. Relative to a course geared to economics PhDs the class will differ in two important ways. First, there will be almost no emphasis on proofs. Second, the topics covered will be broader than the standard set covered in say ECON 202.

MGTECON 608. Multiperson Decision Theory. 4 Units.

Students and faculty review and present recent research papers on basic theories and economic applications of decision theory, game theory and mechanism design. Applications include market design and analyses of incentives and strategic behavior in markets, and selected topics such as auctions, bargaining, contracting, signaling, and computation.

MGTECON 609. Applied Econometrics and Economic Research. 4 Units.

The primary objective of this course is to prepare students to evaluate and produce research in empirical microeconomics. The emphasis will be on the overall process of conducting such research: from defining a clear research question, to collecting suitable data, to selecting and executing an appropriate mode of econometric analysis. Students will be expected to read and discuss papers covering a variety of applied topics. Methodological issues will be discussed in depth wherever they arise, and especially where they are central to understanding a paper's implications, but methodology will not be the central focus of the course. Some of the topics to be covered in the course include: nonlinear pricing in imperfectly competitive markets; innovation and the diffusion of innovations; the economics of advertising; consumer information and product-market outcomes. Other topics will be selected based partly on student input.

MGTECON 610. Macroeconomics. 4 Units.

This course covers various topics in macroeconomics and is designed to expose students to macroeconomic methods, classic papers in the field, and the latest research at the frontier. The current focus is on economic growth. Using theoretical and empirical tools, we consider questions like: How do we understand long-run growth in per capita income? Why are some countries so much richer than others? Other topics include misallocation as a source of TFP differences, the direction of technical change, growth and the environment, the rise in health spending, patenting, and international trade. This course satisfies the GSB PhD macro requirement.

MGTECON 611. Open Economy Macroeconomics. 4 Units.

The goal of this course is to teach students how to use the tools of open economy macroeconomics to connect to the burgeoning literature on institutions in a way that helps them to frame interesting research questions in the area of stabilization, reform, and growth in developing countries. The growth rate of total factor productivity (TFP) plays an essential role in economic growth. In turn, two principal forces drive TFP growth: (1) changes in ideas (i.e. technological change) and (2) changes in institutions. This course will employ the tools of open economy macroeconomics to study the second of these two forces. Recent contributions in the literature focus on the impact of cross-country differences in initial institutions on long-run growth and development. Prominent examples of such institutional differences include the nature of the legal origins and property rights bequeathed to a country by its colonial masters. This is a PhD course in economics, but it is open to students from any discipline (i.e. Political Science, History, International Relations) who are willing to make the analytical investment that is necessary to understand and debate the issues in a logical, coherent, and systematic fashion.

MGTECON 614. Topics in Stabilization and Reform. 4 Units.

This course develops the essential tools of dynamic, open-economy macroeconomics for the purpose of analyzing policy changes in developing countries. The first half of the course develops the work-horse models needed to undertake an analytical study of stabilization and reform: the basic tools of dynamic optimization; dynamic models of the current account, investment, growth, and the real exchange rate; international asset pricing. The second half of the course explores analytical models of policy reform in developing countries: sovereign risk and investment, debt buybacks, moral hazard in international lending; inflation crises, balance of payments crises and stabilization; current account liberalization, capital account liberalization, and optimal sequencing of reforms; political economy of stabilization and adjustment.

MGTECON 615. Topics in Economics of Information. 3 Units.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to current research topics and open issues related to the role of information in markets and other economic mechanisms. Topics may include: information aggregation in prediction markets and other mechanisms, microstructure of financial markets, forecast testing, scoring mechanisms, information in auctions, information in e-commerce and novel marketplaces.

MGTECON 616. Topics in Game Theory. 3 Units.

This is an advanced game theory course and requires a basic background in game theory or an advanced applied game theory course. The course covers foundational topics such as type spaces, modeling reasoning and rationality, game forms, solution refinements and more. A collection of additional topics will be covered independently via problem solving assignments in workshop style meetings with student presentations.

MGTECON 620. Economics of Electronic Commerce and the Internet. 4 Units.

This course is designed to introduce students to research topics in electronic commerce and the economics of the internet. The primary audience is advanced graduate students in economics or closely related areas, but the course is also open to students from related fields such as computer science and operations provided students have completed graduate coursework in economics, game theory, and/or market design. The methodological focus is on applied economic theory models, empirical work, and field experiments. The course requires a literature review and research proposal, which will be presented to the class at the end of the term. Core topics include: economics of platform markets and multi-sided markets, with case studies including online advertising, online auctions, mobile computing, cloud computing, electronic and mobile payment systems, and media markets; markets for information; internet search, including specialized search platforms such as shopping and travel; the impact of the internet on the news media; and the impact of technological and business practice shifts on both old and new industries, including data-driven decision-making, machine learning, and increased reliance on experimentation. Other topics that may be selected according to student interest include social networks, social media, intellectual property and innovation, broader economic impacts of technological innovation, security, internet policy, the impact of the internet on education and health, privacy, and other regulatory issues surrounding the internet.

MGTECON 624. Dynamic Political Economy Theory. 4 Units.

This course is intended to be an introduction to dynamic political economy theory. We will cover research at the frontier of this field and some useful tools. Tools will be those of dynamic game theory. Topics covered will include distributive politics, dynamic bargaining, dynamic government formation, and private politics.

MGTECON 628. Reading Group in Industrial Organization. 1 Unitss.

This course meets weekly on Tuesdays at Noon. The primary purpose of the course is to read and discuss current working papers in Industrial Organization and related fields (e.g., Econometrics, Marketing, and Labor). Students are required to present either a paper or their own work once per quarter. Both students and faculty attend and present.

MGTECON 629. Microeconomics Workshop. 1 Unitss.

Each week, a different economics faculty member will discuss his or her important and /or current research. The course is an important introduction to PhD level research topics and techniques. Attendance is mandatory.

MGTECON 640. Quantitative Methods for Empirical Research. 3 Units.

This is an advanced course on quantitative methods for empirical research. Students are expected to have taken a course in linear models before. In this course I will discuss modern econometric methods for nonlinear models, including maximum likelihood and generalized method of moments. The emphasis will be on how these methods are used in sophisticated empirical work in social sciences. Special topics include discrete choice models and methods for estimating treatment effects.

MGTECON 651. Natural Resource and Energy Economics. 4 Units.

Management and provision non-renewable and renewable natural resources, with considerable attention to energy provision and use. Topics include: fisheries problems and policy; energy industry market structure, pricing, and performance; and policies to facilitate transitions from non-renewable to renewable energy.

MGTECON 652. Personnel Economics. 3 Units.

This seminar will examine applications of labor economics to business issues and firms' practices. Material will include both theoretical and empirical work, and the syllabus will range from classics in Personnel Economics to current (unpublished) research. Some of the topics to be covered include, but are not limited to, compensation practices, assignment of decision rights, organizational structure, attracting, retaining, and displacing employees, and workplace practices (such as team-based organization, profit sharing, etc.).

MGTECON 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

MGTECON 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

MGTECON 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

FINANCE 201. Managerial Finance. 4 Units.

This course covers the foundations of finance with an emphasis on applications that are vital for corporate managers. We will discuss many of the major financial decisions made by corporate managers, both within the firm and in their interactions with investors. Essential in most of these decisions is the process of valuation, which will be an important emphasis of the course. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationships between risk and return, capital structure choice, payout policy, the use and valuation of derivative securities (e.g., options and convertible securities), and risk management. This course is targeted to those students who are new to finance and for those with little quantitative background.

FINANCE 204. Managerial Finance - Accelerated. 4 Units.

This course covers the foundations of finance with an emphasis on applications that are vital for corporate managers. We will discuss many of the major financial decisions made by corporate managers, both within the firm and in their interactions with investors. Essential in most of these decisions is the process of valuation, which will be an important emphasis of the course. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationships between risk and return, capital structure choice, payout policy, the use and valuation of derivative securities (e.g., options and convertible securities), and risk management. This accelerated course is designed for those students who are relatively new to finance but who possess solid quantitative skills.

FINANCE 211. Corporate Finance: Applications, Techniques, and Models. 3 Units.

The focus of this course is to apply the fundamental ideas and tools of corporate finance to real-world corporate decisions. This course (in either its basic or accelerated format) is designed to be the second course in a standard finance sequence; that is, it is designed to be the natural follow-up to the Winter Managerial Finance course. This course will develop and extend standard tools and techniques of financial analysis, valuation, and model-building, and apply these methods to a wide range of cases. Case topics will include capital structure, valuation, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, international finance, hostile takeovers and leveraged buyouts, financial distress and bankruptcy. Students will be expected to develop detailed model-based analyses for the cases using the tools and techniques we develop in this course, and to employ their analyses to reach and defend specific recommendations for these cases.

FINANCE 214. Accelerated Corporate Finance: Applications, Techniques, and Models. 3 Units.

The focus of this course is to apply the fundamental ideas and tools of corporate finance to real-world corporate decisions. This course (in either its basic or accelerated format) is designed to be the second course in a standard finance sequence; that is, it is designed to be the natural follow-up to the Winter Managerial Finance course. This course will develop and extend standard tools and techniques of financial analysis, valuation, and model-building, and apply these methods to a wide range of cases. Case topics will include capital structure, valuation, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, international finance, hostile takeovers and leveraged buyouts, financial distress and bankruptcy. Students will be expected to develop detailed model-based analyses for the cases using the tools and techniques we develop in this course, and to employ their analyses to reach and defend specific recommendations for these cases.

FINANCE 221. Finance for Non-MBAs. 3 Units.

This course, intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates, covers the foundations of finance with applications in corporate finance and investment management. It discusses many of the major financial decisions made by managers and investors, emphasizing the process of valuation. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, risk and return, market efficiency, capital structure, and the valuation of derivative securities (e.g., options). The course also provides coverage of the major financial instruments issued by corporations including debt, equity, and convertible securities. Prerequisite: ability to use spreadsheets, knowledge of basic probability and statistics concepts, including random variables, expected value, variance, covariance, and simple estimation and regression. For registration questions about this course, please contact the Graduate School of Business at [email protected].

FINANCE 229. Sloan: Finance. 4 Units.

This course covers the foundations of corporate finance including the management of liquidity, capital structure, financial forecasting, dividend policy, financial distress, cost of capital and capital budgetinig. It discusses the major financial decisions made by corporate managers and the impact of those decisions on investors and the value of the firm. Topics include criteria for understand the valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationships between risk and return, market efficiency, and the role of derivative securities including options. The course also provides coverage of the role of financial markets in the operations of the firm.

FINANCE 310. Managerial Finance - Advanced. 4 Units.

This course covers the foundations of finance with an emphasis on applications that are vital for corporate managers. We will tackle most of the important financial decisions made by corporate managers, both within the firm and in their interactions with investors. Essential in most of these decisions is the process of valuation, which will be an important emphasis of the course. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationships between risk and return, capital structure choice, payout policy, the use and valuation of derivative securities (e.g., options and convertible securities), and risk management. This advanced course is targeted to those with a strong background in finance and (at least) solid quantitative skills.

FINANCE 319. Private Equity Investing Seminar. 4 Units.

This seminar focuses on private equity investing, including investments with control, buyouts, and minority investments at various stages in a company's life. Private equity investing activity has grown significantly over the past decade. This seminar explores selected topics in private equity investing for those MBA students who take the corequisite course FINANCE 321, Investment Management and Entrepreneurial Finance. Private equity includes both established and early stage companies. The course extends and deepens the entrepreneurial finance area for those with an interest in private equity, venture capital and principal investing, taking a global view. Utilization will be made of original case studies and lecture-discussions, building on the framework of FINANCE 321. The Seminar meets with outstanding investors. All those registered in F321.1 will also be registered in F319. See yellow Term Sheet put in MBA Boxes in early May. All those registered in F321.2 will also be registered in F329. See yellow Term Sheet.

FINANCE 320. Debt Markets. 4 Units.

This course is intended for those who plan careers that may involve debt financing for their businesses or other investments, or involve trading or investing in debt instruments and their derivatives, including money-market instruments, government bonds, repurchase agreements, interest-rate swaps, mortgage-backed securities (MBS), corporate bonds, structured credit products, and credit derivatives. We will emphasize institutional features of the markets, including trading, pricing, and hedging. There is a special focus on distressed debt. Most lectures will start with a cold-called student presentation of an un-graded short homework calculation. There will also be a series of graded homework, an in-class mid-term, and about six graded 'pop quizzes' of 10 minutes or less.

FINANCE 321. Investment Management and Entrepreneurial Finance. 3 Units.

Equity investment in companies, common stocks, early/growth stage ventures, deals, partnerships, hedge funds, or other entrepreneurial opportunities will be immediately or eventually important for most MBAs--either on the investing side or on the fund-raising financing side. This investment course discusses many practical and conceptual factors influencing the analysis and value of companies and deals, including publicly listed and private equity investments, and on success of investment approaches. The focus of this course is on quoted and private equity investments and on entrepreneurial finance. The format of the class is primarily case discussions and lecture discussions led by the professor and investors/principals who were involved in the case. This course enables MBA students to learn a broad investing skill-set and to study outstanding investors. See yellow Term Sheet put in MBA Boxes in early May.

FINANCE 322. Financial Intermediaries and Capital Markets. 4 Units.

This course focuses on financial markets, institutions, and instruments. We consider when and how firms raise capital through the life cycle, beginning with the capital-raising decisions and transactions for young firms and then discussing the decisions facing older, listed firms. We concentrate mainly on the firm's perspective while also considering the perspective of financial intermediaries. Issues to be considered in this course include the role of financial intermediaries like banks, the decision to go public, the pricing and role of investment banks in IPOs, bank debt, project finance, public debt, private placements, securitizations, convertibles, and markets for junk bonds.

FINANCE 324. Practical Corporate Finance. 4 Units.

The focus of this course is to apply the fundamental ideas of corporate finance to real-world problems. This course is a follow-up to the Fall course in Managerial Finance in which the basics of finance and valuation were covered. We will explore both how to make the acquired knowledge practical as well as to deepen our understanding of the core principles of finance. During the course we will analyze cases covering a wide range of topics such as capital structure, private equity and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeovers and leveraged buyouts, as well as bankruptcy and financial distress. These cases provide an opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and real-life situations. Students are expected to develop their own spreadsheets and provide recommendations based on their analysis of the case material. This course was formerly known as FINANCE 224. An accelerated version of this course is offered as FINANCE 331.

FINANCE 326. Derivative Securities. 4 Units.

This course is an introduction to options, futures and other derivative securities. The goal is to learn a core set of principles that underlie the pricing and use of derivatives. In particular, we will cover the valuation and use, both for risk management and for speculation, of forwards, futures, swaps, and options; the Black-Scholes option-pricing formula; delta-hedging; credit derivatives; financial risk management; and the role of derivatives in the recent financial crisis.

FINANCE 327. Financial Markets. 4 Units.

The aim of this course is to develop a thorough understanding of financial markets. We explore how investors make decisions about risk and return, how financial markets price risky assets in equilibrium, and how financial markets can sometimes malfunction. The course puts particular emphasis on the role of real-world imperfections that are absent from the standard textbook view of financial markets. For example, we explore the role of illiquidity: Why are there liquid markets for some types of assets but not for others? Why does liquidity often disappear in times of market turmoil? We will also study recent insights from behavioral finance about investor psychology and market inefficiencies. Moreover, we will look at financial innovations such as credit-default swaps, securitization, and hedge funds that play important roles in financial markets these days. We use cases to develop these topics in the context of practical decision-problems in the areas of asset allocation, risk management, and financing.

FINANCE 329. Investment Seminar. 4 Units.

"Global Principal Investing/Hedge Funds" is a seminar on selected topics in masterful investing in publicly traded and private equity/venture capital investments, with focus on the principal's point of view. We study hedge funds and mutual funds and meet with outstanding investors. The scope and context is global including emerging markets. The Seminar is taught by a founding director of one of the largest international investment funds. All those registered in F321.1 will also be registered in F319. See yellow Term Sheet put in MBA Boxes in early May. All those registered in F321.2 will also be registered in F329. See yellow Term Sheet.

FINANCE 330. Investment Management: Asset Allocation and Asset/Manager Selection. 4 Units.

This course covers strategic and tactical asset allocation in investment portfolios as well as specific asset and manager selection issues. We consider challenges that are unique to the various asset classes that comprise broad-based portfolios, including: public equities, fixed income securities, private equity (both buyout and venture capital), hedge funds, and real assets (real estate, energy, timber, and commodities). We also consider challenges that are specific to various geographies (e.g., domestic, developed international and emerging markets) across the various asset classes. The portfolio optimization framework employed considers the perspective of different types of investors that vary along such dimensions as risk preference, investment horizon, tolerance for illiquidity, tax status, social objectives, and special asset-specific relationship, information or skill advantages. More specifically, our framework considers: tradeoffs between seeking diversification to control risks, and making concentrated bets where there appears to be outsized return prospects (whether due to one-off proprietary investment opportunities or the market appearing to value certain sectors improperly); tradeoffs between passive investment (at low administrative cost and complexity) and active investment designed to produce premium returns (despite the incremental cost and complexity); distinctions between investing as principals and delegating to managers, and the importance of aligning incentives among all parties; the importance of liquidity in driving the pricing, risk and expected returns to various asset classes and the importance of identifying which parties are natural suppliers of liquidity and which the natural demanders; the importance of effective underwriting and ongoing monitoring of investment opportunities; the importance of tax considerations in the pricing and expected returns to various asset classes; and the importance of identifying which parties form the natural clienteles in each asset class. For a number of the sessions, we will invite domain experts to add spice and depth to a portion of the class discussion.

FINANCE 331. Practical Corporate Finance. 4 Units.

(Note: this course was formerly known as FIN 230) The main aim of this course is to enable students to apply the fundamental ideas of finance to problems in the area of corporate finance with all the complexities the real world entails. The course is a follow-up to the Fall Managerial Finance course where students learnt basics of valuation tecyhniques and various finance applications. We will explore both how to make all this knowledge practical as well as how to deepen our knowledge of fundamental finance ideas. The main focus of this course is on the corporate financial manager and how he/she reaches decisions as to investments, dividends and financing of all sorts. Topics include leveraged buyouts, hostile takeovers, private equity financing and venture capital, financial distress and bankruptcy, mergers and acquisitions, managing working capital. The cases will be used to motivate our discussion of how to bridge the gap between rigorous finance theory and its application to practical problems in corporate finance. The course is case-based and more advanced than FINANCE 324. "Advanced" means that we will discuss a lot of subtle qualitative issues as well as explore deeper fundamental applications of core finance ideas. The course is intensive and will require students to prepare carefully all cases, read and understand a lot of materials, and actively participate in the class discussion. The main teaching method is cold calling.
Same as: Accelerated.

FINANCE 335. Corporate Valuation, Governance and Behavior. 4 Units.

This course will develop a detailed knowledge of corporate valuation techniques, together with an understanding of the role such valuations play in a wide range of corporate financing decisions. First, the course will carefully consider different valuation techniques, the assumptions that underlie each of these methods, how they are applied in practice, how they are related to one another, and how to decide which method of valuation is appropriate for a given application. After developing these tools, they will then be applied to a wide range of corporate finance settings. Among the applications to be considered are mergers and acquisitions, international valuation, corporate governance, financial distress, agency conflicts, asymmetric information, and overvaluation. For all of these applications, this course will emphasize the central importance of valuation to understanding observed phenomena and to guiding optimal decision making, as well as the unique challenges to valuation posed by the particular application.

FINANCE 341. Modeling for Investment Management. 3 Units.

This course will combine practical and up-to-date investment theory with modeling applications. Understanding beautiful theory, without the ability to apply it, is essentially useless. Conversely, creating state-of-the-art spreadsheets that apply incorrect theory is a waste of time. Here, we try to explicitly combine theory and application. The course will be divided into 6 modules, or topics. The first day of each module will be a lecture on an investment topic. Also provided is a team modeling project on the topic. The second day of each module will be a lab. The lab day will begin with modeling concepts (tips) designed to help you use Excel to implement the module's investment topic. After the tips are provided, the remainder of the lab day is devoted to teams working on their modeling project and allowing for Q&A. On the third day of each module will be presentations and wrap-up.

FINANCE 345. History of Financial Crises. 4 Units.

Financial crises are as old as financial markets themselves. There are many similarities between historical events. The recent credit crisis, for example, is far from unique. More often than not financial crises are the result of bubbles in certain asset classes or can be linked to a specific form of financial innovation. This course gives an overview of the history of financial crises, asset price bubbles, banking collapses and debt crises. We start with the Tulip mania in 1636 and end with the recent credit and debt crises. The purpose of the course is to understand the causes of past crises and to develop a conceptual framework that ties common elements together. We will discuss the lessons that we can draw for financial markets today.

FINANCE 346. Institutional Money Management. 4 Units.

The object of this course is to study the money management industry from the perspective of the user --- an investor who wants to invest money. This course will study the main components of the money management industry: mutual funds, hedge funds, private equity funds and venture capital funds. It will also examine important users of the industry such as non profits, endowments and defined benefit pension funds. The emphasis of the course will not be on how fund managers make money, but rather on how the industry is organized, how managerial skill is assessed, how compensation is determined, and how economic rents are divided between managers and investors. The course will explore how competitive market forces interact with managerial skill and other market frictions to give rise to the observed organization of the industry.

FINANCE 350. Corporate Financial Modeling. 4 Units.

The course will take the perspective of a mid-level manager or decision-maker who is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and utilizing financial information in the context of a major transaction. The class will integrate theories presented throughout courses in the core, particularly accounting and finance. In addition to providing an important context for application of these theories, the seminar will also incorporate various methodologies that will enhance a manager's ability to develop and review financial models. Students will work on a series of cases and build models that can be used for earnings and pro-forma financial statement forecasts, valuation, the assessment of financing needs, merger analysis, and LBO evaluation. Students will also gain experience presenting financial models and critically assessing them. By the conclusion of the course, students will develop the skills to construct complex financial models and the logical frameworks to utilize them for various organizational applications.

FINANCE 351. Advanced Corporate Financial Modeling. 4 Units.

Students will engage in the development of corporate financial modeling cases and solutions. Students will also develop materials to aid others in building financial models, and serve as case leaders during lab workshops. Extensive background in financial modeling and experience with Excel is required.

FINANCE 361. Behavioral Finance. 4 Units.

This course provides an introduction to behavioral finance, a discipline which integrates insights from psychology into the study of financial decisions and markets. There will be a focus on understanding the psychological underpinnings of financial decision-making as well as the institutional frictions that may allow these psychological mechanisms to influence economic outcomes. Applications include the pricing of assets relative to fundamental value, trading strategies, managerial behavior, and household savings and investment decisions. Conceptual issues will be emphasized through a mix of case discussions and lectures, and quantitative exercises will serve to develop analytical tools for making financial choices.

FINANCE 373. Entrepreneurial Finance. 4 Units.

This course is focused on the financial decision-making process for start-up firms. The course takes a two-pronged approach: First, we analyze principles of corporate finance, valuation, control of firms, and investment decisions with an eye toward developing these concepts of corporate finance in an entrepreneurial context. Second, we use cases with firms at different stages of their life cycle from initial angel or venture capital investments through exit decisions to see the issues that arise when these principles are applied in practice. In some cases we take the viewpoint of the entrepreneur and in others the viewpoint of the investor. Entrepreneurial finance and private equity investing are intrinsically linked. As an entrepreneur, you cannot negotiate effectively without understanding the investor's motivations. Conversely, you cannot evaluate a potential investment opportunity without appreciating the entrepreneur's perspective and incentives.

FINANCE 381. Private Equity in Frontier Markets: Creating a New Investible Asset Class. 4 Units.

In 2001, Jim O'Neil of Goldman Sachs wrote a research note which underscored the importance of so-called Emerging Markets to a well-balanced investment portfolio. Still today, most investors have little or no investment exposure beyond North America, Europe, Japan and more recently India, China and Brazil. All of this is just beginning to change. The not yet fully formed investment category called frontier market private equity is emerging and within the next decade is likely to be an asset class of its own. Private equity investments are being made in southeast Asia, in MENA(Middle East/ North Africa), in sub-Saharan countries beyond South Africa and in Latin America. Even fund of funds are appearing across these markets. At the same time, investors face a world of diminished returns expectations in developed economies just as aging demographics and the need for continued growth, innovation and infrastructure renewal places increasing demands for payout. Suffice it to say, investors will be looking beyond traditional asset classes and geographies for sources of return. This new course is designed to expose you to the still emerging, not yet fully formed world of frontier market private equity. To set the context we will start by reviewing the fundamentals of economic growth and development globally. In addition we will discuss the fundamental concepts involved in constructing and evaluating the performance of a large scale investment portfolio. We will then review cases on the elements of the private equity cycle/process and specifically address the special demands of frontier markets in general. We will also focus on issues that are specific to various markets (e.g. Nigeria, Vietnam, etc.). Students taking the course will be given the opportunity to make important contributions to the knowledge base of this still very young field by working in small teams to research topics of personal and general interest, the results of which will be reported to the rest of the class.

FINANCE 385. Angel and Venture Capital Financing and Decision Making. 3 Units.

This course covers all the stages of investment in early stage high-growth companies, from the seed funding of a novel idea to venture capital rounds to a successful exit, be it an M&A or an IPO. We will concentrate on how investors and entrepreneurs make and should make important decisions at different stages. Some questions that we will discuss are: How do angels and VCs generate and process their deal flow and select companies? What are typical mistakes of entrepreneurs in raising capital and negotiating with financiers? How do VC funds operate and make decisions? How are VCs involved in business decisions such as recruiting talent and replacing CEOs? What are the important provisions of financial contracts between VCs and founders? How to value early-stage companies? The course is mostly case-based and as a part of the course we will also simulate angel group and VC partners meetings. The course is for those who want to become entrepreneurs and thus likely consumers of angel and VC financing and those who want to pursue a career in the financial services industry. No prior knowledge of the VC industry is needed.

FINANCE 562. Financial Trading Strategies. 2 Units.

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the different types of trading strategies employed by various money management institutions. These financial trading strategies are used to manage the risk and return profiles of specific portfolios. Throughout the sessions, students will be challenged to understand and explore the application and implementation of these different strategies. This course specifically focuses on the execution, mechanics, and measurement of financial trading strategies. It does not, for example, teach students "how to make money playing the market." The decision making and analytical process of investing (finding alpha strategies) is a distinct process that is somewhat removed from implementation and measurement (how to execute and evaluate your alpha strategies). The focus of the course concepts will include, but not be limited to: * Market Microstructure and Market Liquidity- VWAP, sourcing liquidity, and algorithmic strategies * Portfolio Hedging and Risk Management- portfolio insurance and delta hedging * Hedge Fund Strategies- inter-listed arbitrage, risk-arbitrage, trading volatility Trading simulations employed on the Rotman Interactive Trader and Rotman Portfolio Manager (using real market data and computer generated data) will be used extensively in this course as a way to learn and test different strategies. All classes will be held in the new "Real-time Analytics and Investment Lab" (the GSB's own Hi-speed R.A.I.L), located on the third floor of the Bass Building (B312). Students are expected to attend all sessions. Students will be graded based on their in-class trading results and two assignments. Final grades will be given on a pass/fail basis. Kevin Mak is the co-inventor of the Rotman Interactive Trader and Rotman Portfolio Manager applications. Previously, he has taught in various courses relating to financial securities, risk management, and trading at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Kevin also develops and delivers trading simulations and trading models for various financial institutions.

FINANCE 587. Private Equity - Understanding the Deal. 2 Units.

This 2-unit elective in the MBA Program is an analytical review and simulation of a private equity transaction from the viewpoint of the private equity partnership. The course looks at all aspects of a "deal" and may be of interest to five groups of students: (i) students who may be interested in working in private equity as a career; (ii) students who plan to be employed by operating companies that are owned by private equity firms; (iii) students who may invest in private equity partnerships as a limited partner; (iv) students who find private equity to be an interesting part of the financial community in general (v) students who expect to participate in corporate business development or mergers and acquisitions. The course will meet for nine classes, most for a duration of 90 minutes. One class will be a mock investment review committee presentation as a final project.

FINANCE 620. Financial Markets I. 3 Units.

This course is an introductory PhD level course in financial economics. We begin with individual choice under uncertainty, then move on to equilibrium models, the stochastic discount factor methodology, and no-arbitrage pricing. We will also address various empirical puzzles relating to asset markets, and explore the models that have been developed to try to explain them.

FINANCE 621. Financial Markets II. 4 Units.

This course continues F620 in covering some of the main concepts of asset pricing. Among the topics covered: (i) Dynamic asset pricing models in discrete and continuous time (i) Rational Expectation models and their foundations (iii) strategic trading models.

FINANCE 622. Dynamic Asset Pricing Theory. 4 Units.

This course is an introduction to multiperiod models in finance, mainly pertaining to optimal portfolio choice and asset pricing. The course begins with discrete-time models for portfolio choice and security prices, and then moves to a continuous-time setting. The topics then covered include advanced derivative pricing models, models of the term structure of interest rates, the valuation of corporate securities, portfolio choice in continuous-time settings, and general-equilibrium and over-the-counter asset pricing models. Students should have had some previous exposure to general equilibrium theory and some basic courses in investments. Strong backgrounds in calculus, linear algebra, and probability theory are recommended. Problem assignments are frequent and, for most students, demanding. Prerequisite: F620 or permission of instructor.

FINANCE 624. Corporate Finance Theory. 4 Units.

This course considers a wide range of topics in theoretical corporate finance (broadly interpreted). Topics include capital structure decisions, agency conflicts in the firm, dividend policy, security design, optimal financial contracting, the theory of the firm, the market for corporate control, and banking and financial intermediation, among others. The primary focus is on how asymmetric information, agency conflicts, strategic interactions, and incomplete contracting affect corporate financial decision-making. The course aims both to familiarize students with influential papers and current research, and to promote new research ideas in the area.

FINANCE 625. Empirical Asset Pricing. 3 Units.

This course is an introduction to empirical research in asset pricing. The focus of the course is on applications of econometric methods in asset pricing and financial markets research. We cover applications of time-series (macro) econometrics to asset pricing, but also some key issues in panel data (micro) econometrics. Topics include tests of asset pricing models, return predictability in time-series and cross-section, empirical studies of asset market imperfections, studies of individual and professional investor behavior. The aim is to familiarize students with essential econometric methods and with important empirical facts and areas of current research interest.

FINANCE 626. Advanced Corporate Finance. 3 Units.

This is a course on contemporary theoretical and empirical issues in corporate finance. Building upon the first-year courses in corporate finance theory and empirical methods in finance, we will examine issues in asset pricing applications to corporate finance, dynamic capital structure (dynamic financing decisions), financial distress, financing and investment interactions, and behavioral corporate finance. Both conceptual economic frameworks and econometric methods will be developed as needed. A requirement for this course is that students complete two written projects, one theoretical and one empirical, and at least one of these projects will be presented to the class.

FINANCE 628. Finance Pre-Seminar Reading Course. 1 Unitss.

Finance Pre-Seminar Reading.

FINANCE 630. Empirical Corporate Finance. 3 Units.

This course provides an introduction to empirical research in corporate finance, with an emphasis on the application of cross-sectional and panel data econometric techniques for causal inference. Topics include investment policy, financing decisions, firm ownership, corporate governance, managerial incentives, financial contracting, and the structure and internal organization of firms. Selected topics in behavioral finance will also be covered. The course assumes knowledge of econometrics at the level of MGTECON 603.

FINANCE 632. Empirical Dynamic Asset Pricing. 4 Units.

This course explores the interplay between dynamic asset pricing theory, statistical assumptions about sources of risk, and the choice of econometric methods for analysis of asset return data. Therefore, the lectures will be a blend of theory, econometric method, and critical review of empirical studies. Both arbitrage-free and equilibrium preference-based pricing models will be discussed, with particular emphasis given to recent developments and outstanding puzzles in the literature. The prerequisites for F632 are MGTECON 603 - 604, FINANCE 620, FINANCE 622, and FINANCE 625. In particular, I will assume familiarity with dynamic asset pricing theory, at the level of F622; and large-sample theory for least-squares, generalized method-of-moments, and maximum likelihood estimation methods. We will review these methods in the context of specific applications, but this material will not be developed in depth.

FINANCE 633. Advanced Empirical Corporate Finance. 4 Units.

This class is devoted to recent developments in the empirical corporate finance literature. Topics include: financial contracting, liquidation and renegotiation, taxation and capital structure, the role of labor markets, leveraged buyouts, executive compensation, the causes and consequences of the financial crisis, and implications of finance for the public sector. The class is very interactive. Many of the sessions will consist of student presentations about the papers from the reading list. We will also further explore empirical methods relevant for applied research in corporate finance, with a focus on identification and panel data issues.

FINANCE 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

FINANCE 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

FINANCE 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

GSBGEN 10SC. Lives of Consequence. 2 Units.

This course examines how exceptionally creative individuals from a variety of domains (including the arts, sciences, politics, technology, and society) found a sense of purpose in their lives and then successfully pursued that purpose. In the creative domain, for example, we examine the lives of filmmaker George Lucas, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, lifestyle designer Martha Stewart, and master chef Thomas Keller. In the political sphere, we examine the lives of Margaret Thatcher, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy. We also explore the work of individuals engaged in philanthropic efforts around the globe, including Melinda Gates and Paul Farmer. We complement the study of these individuals, and others, with a variety of readings from the social science literature on happiness, meaning, and creativity. Students interested in psychology, philosophy, creativity, the arts and sciences, or business should find the course particularly useful and engaging. Students, working individually and in small groups, will have a chance to apply the course concepts to their own lives, using a series of reflective writing exercises. Students will complete an independent research project on a topic or person of interest to them. They will make a presentation to the class on the basis of their research. The course is designed to be highly discussion-oriented and interactive. Students may take this course for either a letter grade or on a pass/fail basis. Letter grades for the course will be based upon the quality of the independent library research and class presentation, along with the quality and consistency of class participation. Both components (research and class participation) are equally weighted.

GSBGEN 111Q. Seminar in Entrepreneurial Communication. 3 Units.

College campuses have been the incubators for thousands of new business ventures. What makes the difference between a successful entrepreneur and an initial failure out of the gate? It's often not the quality of the idea, but rather the ability of the entrepreneurs to successfully communicate their vision to potential investors, employees, and customers. This seminar will explore successful and failed entrepreneurial communication. Students will learn the basics of persuasive oral and written communication, and then apply these principles to their own ideas.

GSBGEN 112Q. Leading Out Loud: an Exploration of Leadership Communication through an LGBT Lens. 3 Units.

Students of all sexual orientations are invited to apply for this unique new seminar looking at the distinct challenge LGBT leaders have faced in communicating effectively. Through the years, many individuals have led the struggle for gay rights and inclusion through a variety of different communication strategies and tactics; some were successful while others were not. This seminar course will explore some of the key leaders in the LGBT community and how they chose to communicate. Together we will search through a variety of film clips, transcripts, news reports, and other historical elements to see how the message, media, and moments work together. A number of guest speakers will also share their perspective on what it means to "Lead Out Loud." Heterosexual identified students as well as LGBT students are encouraged to apply; in fact, we seek to have a true diversity of opinions in the room as we explore this topic. All students will benefit from this exploration of how to communicate about controversial, sensitive, and personal subjects with greater strength and purpose.

GSBGEN 199. Curricular Practical Training for PhD Students. 3 Units.

GSB students are eligible to report on work experience that is relevant to their core studies under the direction of the Director of the PhD Program. Registration for this work must be approved by the Director of the PhD Program and is limited to students who present a project which in judgment of the Advisor may be undertaken to enhance the material learned in PhD courses. It is expected that this research be carried on by the student with a large degree of independence and the expected result is a written report, due at the end of the quarter in which the course is taken. Because this course runs through the summer, reports are due the 2nd week of October. Units earned for this course do not meet the requirements needed for graduation.

GSBGEN 202. Critical Analytical Thinking. 2 Units.

The Critical Analytical Thinking (CAT) course provides a setting for students to further develop and hone the skills needed to analyze complex issues and make forceful and well-grounded arguments. In 16-18 person sections, you will analyze, write about, and debate a set of topics that encompass the types of problems managers must confront. In doing this CAT will enhance your ability to identify critical questions when exploring challenging business issues. The emphasis will be on developing reasoned positions and making sound and compelling arguments that support those positions.

GSBGEN 203. Managing in the Global Context. 1 Unitss.

The economies of the world are ever more closely linked. Record levels of international trade and investment are achieved every year. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions are booming. The foreign exchange markets handle trillions of dollars of volume daily. Offshore provision of services has grown immensely. Host governments and non-governmental organizations operating internationally affect how companies do business far from their home bases and close to home. Nearly all businesses today are somehow connected to the world economy, and it is quite likely that the process of globalization will continue apace. To succeed as a leader in your career, you will need to be able to think systematically about the challenges and opportunities brought about by globalization. This course is designed to help you develop as a leader in this international environment. Our objectives are to help you: 1. To develop an analytic framework that you can use to understand how countries are different or similar in ways that matter to the globalization of business. 2. To understand how corporate strategies can deal with these differences and similarities, resulting in competitive advantage.

GSBGEN 208. Ethics in Management. 2 Units.

With leadership comes responsibility. This course explores the numerous ethical duties faced by managers and organizations. It combines analytical frameworks with the latest findings on human behavior to inform a wide range of ethical decisions and strategies. Readings include case studies, insights from experimental psychology and economics, and excerpts from or about major works of moral philosophy. Through online and in-class exercises, discussions, and personal reflection, you will reveal and assess your ethical intuitions, compare them with more explicit modes of ethical thought, and learn how to use ethics in business settings. A diverse set of ethical viewpoints will be considered with an emphasis on not only their implications for ethical behavior but also on the social and cognitive pitfalls that undermine the ability of business leaders to fulfill their ethical duties.

GSBGEN 239. Sloan: Executive Communication Strategies. 2 Units.

Communication is crucial to the success of all leaders, but as you climb within an organization the ability to write and speak effectively is magnified. This course will explore how individuals can develop and execute effective communication strategies for a variety of business settings. This course introduces the essentials of communication strategy and persuasion at an executive level. We will study: audience analysis, communicator credibility, message construction and delivery. Deliverables will include written documents and oral presentations and you will present both individually and in a team. You will receive continuous feedback to improve your communication effectiveness. Through this highly interactive course, you will see why ideas, data and advocacy are combined for a professional, persuasive presentation. This practical course helps students at all levels of communication mastery develop confidence in their speaking and writing through weekly presentations and assignments, lectures and discussions, guest speakers, simulated activities, and filmed feedback. This section is specifically designed with the needs of a senior leader in mind and is only open to Sloan Students. Students who elect to take this course in the fall should not also take strategic communication in the winter or spring; the courses will have sufficient overlap in concepts and assignments.

GSBGEN 259. Sloan: Ethics. 1 Unitss.

With leadership comes responsibility. This course explores the numerous ethical duties faced by managers and organizations. It combines analytical frameworks with the latest findings on human behavior to inform a wide range of ethical decisions and strategies. Readings include case studies, insights from experimental psychology and economics, and excerpts from or about major works of moral philosophy. Through online and in-class exercises, discussions, and personal reflection, you will reveal and assess your ethical intuitions, compare them with more explicit modes of ethical thought, and learn how to use ethics in business settings. A diverse set of ethical viewpoints will be considered with an emphasis on not only their implications for ethical behavior but also on the social and cognitive pitfalls that undermine the ability of business leaders to fulfill their ethical duties.

GSBGEN 299. The Core Curriculum in the Workplace. 1 Unitss.

GSB students are eligible to report on work experience that is relevant to their core studies under the direction of the Senior Associate Dean responsible for the MBA Program. Registration for this work must be approved by the Director of the MBA Program and is limited to students who present a project which, in judgment of the Advisor, may be undertaken to enhance the material learned in the first year core required courses. It is expected that this research be carried on by the student with a large degree of independence and the expected result is a written report, due at the end of the quarter in which the course is taken. Because this course runs through the summer, reports are typically due in early October. Units earned for this course do not meet the requirements needed for graduation.

GSBGEN 306. Real Estate Investment. 4 Units.

The major objective of this course is to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding of the general fundamentals of real estate investment. Various aspects of real estate are covered including economics, market analysis, finance, taxation, appraisal, investment analysis, investment vehicles, development, planning and design. Major land uses are discussed including apartments, retail, office, and industrial projects. This course is designed for both the investor and the general manager to better understand real estate as an asset class.

GSBGEN 313. Advanced Seminar on Social Entrepreneurship and Global Poverty. 3 Units.

As an "advanced" seminar, this course is designed for students with strong backgrounds or interests in social entrepreneurship as a tool for solving social problems. The learning format is based on active engagement. For most of the classes, students will be required to lead off the class discussions. The ultimate goal of this course is to make students (and the instructor) smarter about the strengths and limits of social entrepreneurship as a tool for social change. To this end, we will focus on global poverty reduction as a testing ground. During this process we will explore different theories, concepts, frameworks, and guidelines for effective social entrepreneurship to see whether, when and how these help. The course is organized into three modules. The first focuses on how social entrepreneurship fits in a broader framework of social change and social innovation. The second module provides a brief overview of issues, debates, and theories about poverty and development. The third module focuses on specific entrepreneurial interventions aimed at addressing some of the conditions that keep people poor or make them poor. This course allows us to dig into the complexities and challenges of effective social entrepreneurship. It will be taught in a discussion style. The reading will be demanding. So if you are not prepared to dig into the reading or to engage in active discussion, or if you don't feel like you bring relevant knowledge to add to the mix of discussion, this is not the course for you. It is not meant to be an introduction to social entrepreneurship. If everyone contributes, we will all emerge from the course with new perspectives and frameworks for advancing practice in this field. Only take this course if you are ready for an intellectual adventure and ready to make the investment it requires. This course will be taught by Greg Dees, his bio can be found here: https://www.caseatduke.org/about/caseteam/#greg.

GSBGEN 314. Creating High Potential Ventures in Developing Economies. 3 Units.

This course addresses the distinctive challenges and opportunities of launching high-potential new ventures in developing economies. Developing economies are attractive targets for entrepreneurs because many of these markets are just starting to move up the growth curve. They offer low-cost operating environments and can be great development laboratories for potentially disruptive innovations. They increase in attractiveness when their political institutions stabilize and they become more market-friendly. At the same time, developing economies pose serious challenges. Pioneering entrepreneurs take on significant risks to gain early mover advantages. Specifically, they will not be able to count on the same kind of supportive operating environments that we take for granted in the developed world. They often face cumbersome permit and licensing processes, poorly developed financial and labor markets, problematic import and export procedures, unreliable local supply chains, weak infrastructure, petty corruption, currency risks, and more. The course is designed to help would-be entrepreneurs better understand and be prepared for the complex issues as they pursue the opportunities and address the challenges to start, grow, and harvest or exit their ventures in these environments. The core of the course is an intense team-based exercise involving the development of a new venture proposal for a particular developing country. Interested students must come in willing to be team-players and do the work necessary to complete this exercise across the full quarter. Each team member's contributions will be assessed by fellow team members. Teams will be formed on the first day. Each team will either select or be assigned a developing economy. The teams will then identify what they think would be a high potential opportunity for innovative entrepreneurship in their assigned economy, considering its distinctive assets and challenges. If you can come to the course with an idea, a country, and a team, that is a plus. The team will outline, in a final report, how their proposed venture capitalizes on the assets and addresses the greatest challenges. While a detailed business plan will not be required, in depth analysis and recommendations for next steps will be. In effect, the team will answer the question: why do they think this new proposed venture is viable in the specific developing economy/country, and how would the group go about actually starting and growing the business? Our goal is to make this the best course of its kind in the world. Since this is the first year of the course, we particularly want to attract students who would enjoy helping further develop the course- in fact, we only want students who are willing to contribute to such enhancements. We will come with frameworks, readings, and cases, but this is an arena that begs for new approaches and material. We will be refining and developing our approaches as we go, with heavy student input. This course will relate to the work being done in the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED), under the theory that healthy entrepreneurship and innovation will improve the overall economy and (at least indirectly, if not directly) reduce poverty. Most countries that have successfully grown out of poverty did not do it by focusing only on Bottom of Pyramid (BoP) businesses, but by promoting healthy business growth overall. Helping entrepreneurs build successful new ventures in a developing economy is an essential element of an overall strategy for moving a country out of poverty. BoP businesses have tended to grow slowly, and struggle to raise capital, often be forced to pay low wages, etc. Without complementing these businesses with strong high-potential, high-growth, profit making businesses, none of these developing economies will progress economically or eliminate poverty. A prosperous business with a solid plan will help the country, the economy, and ultimately the poor. Since this is a new course for the GSB, interested students are encouraged to contact Steve Ciesinski ([email protected]) for further information. Attendance and Participation: Mandatory Prerequisite: some work experience or academic coursework in new venture formation desired, not required. Group Project: Yes Exam: No.

GSBGEN 315. Strategic Communication. 4 Units.

Business leaders have marketing strategies, expansion strategies, finance strategies, even exit strategies. Successful leaders, however, also have communication strategies. This course will explore how individuals and organizations can develop and execute effective communication strategies for a variety of business settings. This course introduces the essentials of communication strategy and persuasion: audience analysis, communicator credibility, message construction and delivery. Deliverables will include written documents and oral presentations and you will present both individually and in a team. You will receive feedback to improve your communication effectiveness. In the final team presentation, your challenge is to craft an oral presentation that will persuade your audience to accept your strategic recommendations. By doing this, you will see why ideas, data and advocacy are combined for a professional, persuasive presentation. This practical course helps students develop confidence in their speaking and writing through weekly presentations and assignments, lectures and discussions, guest speakers, simulated activities, and videotaped feedback. An important new feature of this course is that a team of external communications coaches work in concert with the professor to ensure that students get rigorous and individualized coaching and feedback. In this course you will learn to: - Create communication strategies at an individual and organizational level - Develop clearly organized and effective presentations and documents - Diagnose and expand your personal writing and oral delivery style - Adapt your delivery style to different material and audiences - Enhance oral delivery through effective visual aids Students at all levels of comfort and expertise with public speaking and business writing will benefit from this course. In the 2012-2013 academic year this course will only be offered once in the winter and once in the spring term. Waitlists have been long for this course and you're encouraged to keep that in mind as you make your super round selections.

GSBGEN 334. Family Business. 3 Units.

Family-controlled private and public companies are the dominant form of enterprise worldwide. Despite their prominence, teaching and research have traditionally focused on analyzing the widely-held model of the firm. The family business management and valuation course explores the unique challenges and opportunities faced by family firms. The course is taught by Leo Linbeck III, Lecturer since 2005 at the GSB and President and CEO of Aquinas Companies, LLC. The course balances managerial perspectives with general frameworks. The course is intended for four main audiences: (1) Students whose family owns a business. (2) Students who are considering working for a family firm. (3) Students who are interested in acquiring a private firm either directly (search funds, minority investments, etc) or indirectly (private equity, etc). (4) Students who seek to consult or provide professional services to closely held firms or their owners (wealth management solutions, management consulting, etc). The main objectives of this course are three. First, to understand the unique challenges and characteristics of family firms. Second, to provide a coherent and consistent set of tools to evaluate the most relevant decisions faced by family firms. Third, to focus on decision-making. The course uses a combination of case studies, guest speakers, and student presentations to explore the central ideas of the course.

GSBGEN 336. Energy Markets and Policy. 4 Units.

Transforming the global energy system to reduce climate change impacts, ensure security of supply, and foster economic development of the world's poorest regions depends on the ability of commercial players to deliver the needed energy at an affordable price at scale. Technological innovation is a necessary but not sufficient condition for this to occur. The complex institutional frameworks that regulate energy markets in the United States and around the world will play a major role in determining the financial viability of firms in the energy sector. In this course we survey the economic, regulatory and technological constraints facing energy enterprises of all types and consider what kinds of business models work in each setting. We study in detail how markets function for carbon (assessing the advantages and disadvantages of different policy tools and considering in particular California?s implementation of A.B. 32); electricity markets (with a focus on understanding how both retail and wholesale electricity prices are determined and how market participants hedge short-term price risk); renewable energy technologies (focusing on ways to manage intermittency and on how renewable energy businesses respond to government incentives); nuclear power (as a case study of how the regulatory process affects investment decisions); oil and natural gas (treating both conventional and unconventional resources and emphasizing the key role of risk management in an industry characterized by uncertainty and high capital requirements); transportation fuels (discussing biofuels incentives, fuel efficiency standards, and other policy tools to lower carbon intensity in the transportation sector); and energy for low-income populations, for which affordability and distribution pose special challenges. The objective of the course is to provide a robust intellectual framework for analyzing how a business can most constructively participate in any sector like energy that is heavily affected by government policy. Instructors: Frank A. Wolak, Director, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development Mark Thurber, Associate Director, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development.

GSBGEN 340. Financial Crises in the U.S. and Europe. 4 Units.

This lecture course will explore the U.S. financial crisis of 2008 and the European debt crisis of 2011-12. We will examine the causes of both crises, policies implemented during the crisis, and options for reform. This is an economic policy course rather than a pure economics course. It will focus on the practical intersection of economics, financial markets and institutions, policy, and politics. Topics we will examine include the following for the 2008 crisis: - Did a global savings glut, international savings flows, or Fed policy cause the credit bubble? - What caused the housing and mortgage bubbles? - How does a bad mortgage turn into a toxic financial asset? - Why and how did large financial institutions fail? What's the difference between a solvency crisis and a liquidity crisis? - What is Too Big To Fail? Is it real? Why was Bear Stearns bailed out but not Lehman? - Was the global financial system on the verge of meltdown in September 2008? How? Why? - What was the TARP? The TALF? The CPP? The stress tests? - What can we learn from comparing the US financial crisis with that in other major economies? - How effective were various policy tools during the crisis? - How have policies enacted and implemented since the crisis changed the outlook for the future? For the European debt crisis we will examine: - The fiscal and economic situations in various European countries; - The structures and history of the Eurozone; - Policy options to address problems in troubled European economies; - The interaction between European financial institutions and European governments; and - Options for longer-term reform of the Eurozone. There will be no exams. Students will write an individual memo and a group memo.

GSBGEN 346. Comparing Institutional Forms: Public, Private, and Nonprofit. 4 Units.

For students interested in the nonprofit sector, those in the joint Business and Education program, and for Public Policy MA students. The focus is on the missions, functions, and capabilities of nonprofit, public, and private organizations, and the managerial challenges inherent in the different sectors. Focus is on sectors with significant competition among institutional forms, including health care, social services, the arts, and education. Sources include scholarly articles, cases, and historical materials.
Same as: EDUC 377, PUBLPOL 317, SOC 377.

GSBGEN 348. The Economics of Higher Education. 4 Units.

Topics: the worth of college and graduate degrees, and the utilization of highly educated graduates; faculty labor markets, careers, and workload; costs and pricing; discounting, merit aid, and access to higher education; sponsored research; academic medical centers; and technology and productivity. Emphasis is on theoretical frameworks, policy matters, and the concept of higher education as a public good. Stratification by gender, race, and social class.

GSBGEN 349. Introduction to the Politics of Education. 4 Units.

The relationships between political and economic analysis and policy formulation in education; focus is on alternative models of the political process, the nature of interest groups, political strategies, policy efficiency, the external environment of organizations, and the implementations of policy. Applications to policy analysis, implementation, and politics of reform. (APA).

GSBGEN 350. International Internship. 1-2 Units.

GSBGEN 359. Leading Your Life. 4 Units.

This course takes conventional managerial perspectives on the "strategic leadership" of organizations and applies them to the design and management of your life. Fundamental notions of "purpose" and "vision" are translated to the personal level in the form of "dreams" and "aspirations." Basic elements of strategy such as "scope" and "competitive advantage" are applied to help you evaluate fundamental choices about how you lead your life. Constructs such as "priorities," "commitments" and "resource allocation" all have analogues in individual life - as does the core objective of performance and success. The class begins with a hard-nosed and broad-based self-assessment of the quality of your life along a variety of dimensions including relationships, career, money, spirituality and health. Based on this assessment you will develop a strategy and a set of concrete goals for enhancing the quality of your life in targeted domains. The course consists of five intensive sessions designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge- but more importantly the insight and capacity - to be more strategic (in best sense of the term) and effective in how you lead your personal and professional life - meaning actively guiding, stewarding, and driving your results to create a life that is truly exceptional. Substantively, the course draws on a variety of different traditions including existential, humanistic, and positive psychology; personal growth, adult development, and the human potential movement; as well as the practice of life and executive coaching. Central themes and learning objectives include: * The development of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-control * An understanding of the power of choice and "authoring" one's life * The essential role of dreams and aspirations * The art and discipline of knowing and speaking your truth * The challenges and self-limiting impact of negative thoughts and self-theories * Developing a stance towards oneself and others that is rooted in grace and wisdom NB: While we expect the class to be helpful and of interest to a wide range of students, it involves a substantial commitment of time and emotional and intellectual energy. It is not for the faint of heart or those who are ambivalent about introspection, feedback, or constructive confrontation.

GSBGEN 360. Sports Business Management. 4 Units.

This course will examine the diverse management challenges facing the sports industry. The course will cover issues at the league level, the team level, the athlete/agent level, and the college level. The diverse constituencies with interests in sports issues (athletes, fans, media companies, advertisers, and legislators to name a few) will be discussed. Sports issues at a global level (the IOC) and both U.S. and outside U.S. will be covered. There will be coverage of evolving business ventures related to the sports industry (such as venture backed sports companies and sports networks). A key focus is on how the sports industry is similar to and different from other industries. Key concepts underlying the course are: value creation/value sharing; revenue ecosystem; virtuous circles and vicious circles; disruptive technologies; growth facilitators and growth inhibitors; leveragable assets/inherited liabilities; and entrepreneurship/new product innovations. Over 80% of the sessions typically will include a guest co-lecturer from the sporting industry.

GSBGEN 363. Fiscal Policy. 4 Units.

Almost one of every four dollars in the American economy will be spent by the federal government this year. This course will examine how federal spending, taxes, deficits and debt affect the U.S. economy and global financial markets, and how the economy affects the federal budget. We will look inside the federal budget to understand entitlement spending, what causes it to grow so fast, how it could be reformed, and why that's so hard to do. We'll understand where the money goes -- how much goes to infrastructure, education, housing, health care, energy and the environment, parks, scientific research, national defense, and other needs. We'll look at the stimulus vs. austerity debate, both within the U.S. and between the U.S. and Europe. We'll look beyond partisan battle lines and explore various fiscal philosophies that sometimes split the political parties. We'll cover the federal budget process from developing the President's budget to enacting individual spending and tax bills, and discuss process reforms including spending and deficit reduction targets, a balanced budget amendment, and line item veto. We'll cover the major players in the budget debate and understand where the big and small budget decisions are made. We'll look at federal taxation, where the money comes from, how it affects the economy, and how it might be restructured. We'll examine the recommendations of the President's budget commission and see if we can predict what will become of its recommendations. And we'll see if we, as a class, can solve our nation's fiscal problems as Washington has so far been unable to do.

GSBGEN 370. Social Innovation Project. 2 Units.

GSBGEN 376. Work and Family. 3 Units.

This course examines the strategies that highly educated women and men use to combine work and family and the strategies that managers and policy makers can use to help others strike a balance. Topics include the tradeoffs in becoming a stay-at-home parent, the economic value of unpaid labor, the consequences of balancing two high-powered careers and children, the economics of marriage, fertility, child care, and elder care, the gendered division of labor in the home, time-management , workplace innovations, and policy initiatives. Guest speakers add their own perspectives on these issues and describe the roles their organizations play.

GSBGEN 381. Strategic Philanthropy. 3 Units.

Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Strategic Philanthropy (GSBGEN 381/ EDUC 377C) will challenge students to expand their own strategic thinking about philanthropic aspiration and action. In recent decades, philanthropy has become an industry in itself - amounting to nearly $300 billion in the year 2011. Additionally, the last decade has seen unprecedented innovation in both philanthropy and social change. This course explores the key operational and strategic distinctions between traditional philanthropic entities, such as community foundations, private foundations, and corporate foundations; and innovative models, including funding intermediaries, open-source platforms, technology-driven philanthropies, and venture philanthropy partnerships. Course work will include readings and case discussions that encourage students to analyze both domestic and global philanthropic strategies as they relate to foundation mission, grant making, evaluation, financial management, infrastructure, knowledge management, policy change, and board governance. Guest speakers will consist of high profile philanthropists, foundation presidents, social entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley business leaders creating new philanthropic models. The course will culminate in an individual project in which students will complete a business plan for a $10 million private foundation.

GSBGEN 382. Thinking Like a Lawyer. 3 Units.

Open to all non-law graduate students at the University, this course will provide non-law students an analytical framework for understanding the core concepts of the law and familiarize students with how lawyers analyze and structure their work. This course will be taught by Vice Dean Mark Kelman and Law School faculty in their areas of expertise, with one to two classes devoted to each topic. It will introduce students to some of the foundational principles of law and will review topics such as contracts, litigation, intellectual property, securities and employment law. No previous study of law or legal systems is required and there are no pre-requisites. It will be offered in the Winter 2012-13 quarter (1/8/13 - 3/13/13), with lectures twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 - 3:00 pm at the Law School. Additional mandatory TA-led discussion sections will be taught on Tuesday and Thursday - students must also attend one of these TA sessions each week. Students will indicate their availability for specific sections on forms passed out at the first lecture. Readings and assignments will be posted to Coursework; there is no textbook. Grading: The class is graded on a pass/fail basis. There will be no final exam, but completion of problem sets on various topics as well as attendance at discussion sections will be used to determine grading. All students must complete 4 problem sets. Two specific problem sets are required of all students and the other assignments can be chosen from a list of available assignments.

GSBGEN 390. Individual Research. 1-4 Units.

Need approval from sponsoring faculty member and GSB Registrar.

GSBGEN 507. Impact Investing: Strategies and Tools. 2 Units.

This course will explore how investment capital and financial tools can be applied to deliver both financial returns and impact (benefit) for our communities and environment. The class will be organized around a set of guest lectures from impact investing firms across a spectrum of investment strategies & returns expectations. Through these examples, we'll explore how impact investing is applying the basics of investing to different objectives: - arbitraging market inefficiencies - valuing and pricing risk - determining how each party in a transaction may see the value created on different scales and aligning these objectives - the role of public policy in these markets The class will emphasis applying these concepts and examples to create, in groups, your own impact investment fund or instrument.

GSBGEN 510. Taking Stock and Moving Forward. 1 Unitss.

This spring quarter elective is designed to help you prepare for a challenging, fulfilling, and meaningful future. GSBGEN 510 seeks to: 1) Provide you with the opportunity and tools to take stock of what you have learned about yourself as a person and as a leader over the last 18 months at the GSB 2) Expose you to research on personal and professional development and help you apply it 3) Encourage you to reflect on what matters most to you, personally and professionally, and begin to determine how to achieve it, and 4) Prepare you for the challenges and transition immediately ahead and, in so doing, learn how to manage life's big transitions in the future. We will address four major life and career themes: - Learning from Choices - Fulfillment and Meaning - Failure and Resilience - Transitions and Renewal This class is limited to 36 students. Each class will begin with conceptual input and an overview of that session's topic in the main classroom. Students will then be divided into three twelve-person break-out groups during the remainder of the class time. These groups are NOT T-groups, for those of you who took Interpersonal Dynamics, but rather discussion groups. Discussion will be of a reflective and personal nature. Each group will have a Group Leader who is an experienced executive coach specializing in helping people through life and career transitions.

GSBGEN 512. Funding Social Impact: Methods and Measurement. 2 Units.

Traditional philanthropy consists of outright grants to organizations to achieve the grantors' social and environmental objectives. However, the past decade has seen an increasing interest in impact investments--financial investments that seek to generate monetary returns at the same time as they further the investors' social objectives. Throughout the course, we ask: how investors can (1) measure the social impact of the organizations they invest in, and (2) assess whether their own loans or capital contributions actually make a difference in increasing the organizations' impact. We begin by reviewing the domains from which impact investing draws: grantmaking to maximize social impact and financial investing to maximize financial return. We then consider examples of impact investing, ranging from below-market equity investments and loans, to investments intended to create social value while achieving risk-adjusted market returns or better. We consider the role of impact investing at various stages, from R&D to start-ups to growing and mature enterprises. We explore these issues through case studies of impact investing both in the U.S. and developing countries. We examine how investors can identify and assess impact investments, the information, knowledge and skills needed to make impact investments, and the role of fund managers and advisors. We also consider novel impact investing vehicles, such as social impact bonds and B-corporations. Time permitting, we will also touch on the related issue of using negative screens for socially responsible investing. This course will be taught by Paul Brest, his bio can be found here: https://www.hewlett.org/about-the-william-and-flora-hewlett-foundation/foundation-staff/paul-brest.

GSBGEN 515. Essentials of Strategic Communication. 2 Units.

Successful leaders understand the power of authentic, memorable communication. This course uses the lens of oral communication and presentations, to introduce the essential elements of the strategic communication strategies that make authentic, memorable communication work. Focusing on oral communication and presentation, we introduce the essentials of communication strategy and persuasion: audience analysis, message construction, communicator credibility, and delivery. Deliverables include written documents, focusing on individual and team presentations, with students receiving continuous feedback to improve their communication effectiveness, and to sharpen their authentic leadership voice. This highly interactive, practical course, is focused on feedback to help students at all levels of communication mastery develop confidence in their speaking and writing. Course includes presentations, assignments, lectures, discussions, simulated activities, in-class feedback, and filmed feedback. In this course you will learn to: -Recognize strategically effective communication -Implement the principles of strategic communication across different platforms -Develop clearly organized and effective presentations and documents -Diagnose and expand, your personal authentic communication style Select the course format that will best meet your needs: autumn term offers a new immersive experience, in a compressed version of the course, in the winter a half-term version is offered, and in the spring the full term format is offered. All versions of the course offer the same opportunities for individual and group presentations and feedback with approximately the same amount of class time spread over two weeks (fall), five weeks (winter), or ten weeks (spring). As you make your super round selection, keep in mind that waitlists have been long for this course.

GSBGEN 516. Using Neuroscience to Influence Human Behavior. 1 Unitss.

Why is it so difficult to change human behavior? Why is it that more than 80% of individuals who sign up for fitness classes drop out within a few weeks, even a few days? Why is it that despite the dramatic increase in devices and apps that are geared for changing behaviors, people still struggle to adopt and maintain new behaviors? The issue is not about a desire to change--it is about using the right methods and techniques to bring about habit change. The primary goal of this seminar is to gain a rich understanding of changing behaviors through frameworks and concepts that are grounded in neuroscience. In this seminar, we will examine (1) ways of characterizing different domains of behavior change, each requiring different methods and techniques, (2) why methods that often work in one domain are often unsuccessful in others and (3) how companies create habits in users and how one can leverage the power of technology to bring about behavior change.

GSBGEN 520. The Frinky Science of the Human Mind. 2 Units.

The exponential growth in our understanding of the workings of the human brain has led to a rather startling and maybe embarrassing (even depressing) conclusion. While the human brain is unique among species in its ability to strategize, conceptualize, hypothesize, etc., it is now undeniable that most of our decisions, behaviors and experiences are shaped by the instinctual brain. Thus, constituting the broad goals of this seminar, it behooves us to first understand the workings of the instinctual brain and then leverage this understanding to craft solutions for real-world issues from the vantage points of the "firm" as well you as an individual, a leader and an innovator. Topics that will be covered from the firm's vantage point include crafting the customer value proposition, fostering an innovative culture and developing incentives to increase employee engagement. Topics from your vantage point include decision making, leadership skills and personal effectiveness.

GSBGEN 521. Managing Under Uncertainty. 2 Units.

Uncertainty with changing opportunity sets and adjustment costs shapes investment planning whether in financial firms, corporations or entities such as pension funds, venture capital and private equity, and, in particular, in non-traded assets or securities. We will develop an approach to understanding (1) capital allocation issues; (2) capital structure planning; (3) optimization policies with changing opportunity sets and adjustment costs; and, (4) the selection of levels of risk taking. These relate to planning for uncertainty. The following three areas relate to managerial effectiveness: (1) developing feedback mechanisms to adjust policies; (2) reporting mechanisms for management and investors to adopt policies; and, (3) compensation planning and business structure. These internal risks must be integrated with external risks such as geopolitical issues and fiscal and monetary policies in a global setting. I plan to discuss each of these topics from both a theoretical and applied perspective. I will provide selective reading on each topic and questions to provide follow on discussion during class. Students will work with me to flesh out not only the answers to these questions, but also provide additional questions and discover additional readings that are germane to expanding understanding and to following developments in each of these areas.

GSBGEN 524. Compassion and Leadership. 2 Units.

The course explores the role of compassion in the workplace, and the contribution of compassion to leadership. Topics addressed will include: Is compassion in the business world a strength, or a weakness? Are compassion and profit motives fundamentally incompatible, or can they support each other? What does compassionate leadership look like? Can compassion be trained at the individual level, and built into company policy? How does self-compassion support effective leadership and recovery from setbacks? Each class meeting will feature a guest speaker. Guests from the corporate or non-profit sectors will discuss the challenges of integrating compassion into business strategy and the work environment. Guests from the scientific field will discuss research on compassion as it relates to real-world challenges. Students will be expected to respond in writing to lectures as well as relevant readings, and actively contribute to in-class discussion. This course is offered in partnership with the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

GSBGEN 525. From Business Concept to Business Plan. 2 Units.

The creation of a business plan is a useful process for entrepreneurs to evaluate and think through a business concept. The business plan is also a standard tool to present the business to investors when seeking funding. Business plans are as important for innovators who think through new business models and their implementation in established companies. This short course will focus on the process of going from a business concept to a business plan. The course will be hands-on, and it will start from a concept accompanied by preliminary market research (this means students don't have to come up with their own business ideas). It will then go through the analysis which leads, by the end of the course, to a business plan.

GSBGEN 528. Creativity, Problem Solving, and Innovation. 2 Units.

This course is designed to expose second-year MBAs to research on creativity in problem-solving. The course has straightforward practical goals: it will explore ways in which individuals, groups, and organizations can become more creative, in useful ways. In order to do this effectively, we will study hardnosed research on problem-solving. We will not read articles entitled "The five-fold path to creativity." If there really were recipes or algorithms for reliably increasing creativity, I would certainly teach them. (Or more likely, I wouldn't need to: they would routinely be taught in the core curriculum of every MBA program.) Instead, we will study what cognitive and social scientists have discovered about novelty and effectiveness in problem-solving. Some of this work---e.g., Scott Page's examination of the value of cognitive diversity in teams---will have relatively direct action-implications. The pragmatic implications of other research---e.g., on organizational norms for resolving conflict---will be more indirect. Because the course's practical goal is easy to state but hard to achieve, some patience is required. As indicated above, we will study creativity at three levels: individuals, groups and organizations. Because there is pretty good evidence that different kinds of factors are prominent at these different levels, the course's approach is multi-disciplinary. We will read articles and books by cognitive psychologists and cognitive scientists, social psychologists, organization theorists, and perhaps historians who have studied industrial innovation. Disciplinary boundaries are irrelevant: any work that articulates a significant claim about pragmatically useful creativity and backs up that claim with a good argument is grist for our mill. Because the course focuses on creativity that makes a difference---i.e., that ultimately makes some organizational stakeholder better off---we will also study how innovations get selected. This inevitably means studying how new ideas get criticized and sometimes discarded. This process is less fun than generating new ideas, but given that brand-new ideas are usually flawed in one way or another, critical and hard-headed scrutiny of innovations is vital. Hence, we will examine psychological, political, and organizational obstacles to the effective criticism and evaluation of novel solutions, and we will also look at some ideas on how these obstacles might be reduced. Classes will be run seminar-style: they'll focus on examining the readings closely and critically. Understanding what a study does not establish is sometimes just as important as understanding what it does establish. Hence, I will expect everyone to read carefully; skimming won't cut it. This effort will probably result in a rather deep and sophisticated comprehension of the topic. Given the importance of creativity and innovation in modern organizations, that should be adequate return for hard effort.

GSBGEN 530. Learning from Experience. 1 Unitss.

It is commonly believed that experience is a great teacher. But is it? Do we always learn what we can or should from experience? Research on this question suggests that the answer is no. Often we do not learn all that experience has to teach us and often the lessons we draw from experience are the wrong ones. This seminar examines what research suggests about how managers and others learn and don¿t learn from experience. Among the questions we will consider are: (1) How does experience teach? (2) What are the impediments to learning from experience? (3) How can we learn better from our experiences? (4) How can we have better learning experiences; that is, design and structure our experience and that of others so that it produces better learning?.

GSBGEN 531. Global Trip Leadership. 2 Units.

This course is open only to leaders of the Service Learning Trips or Global Study Trips. The course will meet eight times during the first four weeks of Fall Term. In addition, the teams have the option of making use of a Master Coach just before their trip to review how they are operating as a team. There will be a 10th meeting during Winter term where the Winter Trip leaders will share their experience with the Spring Trip leaders. The purpose of this course is to help trip leaders in the planning and conducting of the trip so as to maximize the learning for the trip participants and the trip leaders as well as increasing the overall success of the trip. A range of topics will be covered including: articulating a vision for the trip, developing their team as a high performing team, making quality decision, resolving interpersonal issues (within the team and with participants), understanding how to make full use of the faculty member and dealing with the myriad of issues that are likely to arise. Class time will mainly be spent discussing and role-playing a series of short cases that have been developed around issues that have come up in past trips. These will be supplemented by short lectures to provide the conceptual underpinning. There will be a very modest reading list.

GSBGEN 532. Cleantech: Business Fundamentals and Public Policy. 2 Units.

This course examines trends in the cleantech sector related to energy and carbon emissions with an emphasis on the interaction between technological developments, economic fundamentals and regulatory policy. We develop a framework to compare the cost competitiveness of alternative energy sources including low-carbon fossil fuels, solar power and biofuels. The final part of the course will focus on issues of technology commercialization, in particular the 'Valley of Death' and the emerging role of information technology for the cleantech sector.

GSBGEN 533. Sustainability as Market Strategy. 2 Units.

The increasing social emphasis on environmental sustainability creates both dilemmas and opportunities for firms. Recognizing that sustainability means a focus on not just the environment, but also on broader issues of corporate social responsibility, we will examine the ways in which some companies are developing a "sustainability strategy." We will also consider the way in which companies are profiting from such a strategy with an eye toward understanding the conditions under which such a strategy can generate profits for firms. We will also focus on the way in which many companies are partnering with non-governmental organizations to develop business strategies that focus not only on profits, but also on the environment and social responsibility.

GSBGEN 535. Emerging Network-Based Consumer Services. 1 Unitss.

This seminar will examine the development, growth and economics of emerging networks that use technology to connect people and businesses. It will first study the role of network platforms including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and some emerging networks. In the remaining three days, each day will focus on a network theme starting with a leading company and then examining the evolution and future prospects for the broader space. At present, we contemplate the following themes: - Network utilities (e.g., Dropbox) - Interest-based networks (e.g., Pinterest, Instagram, Foodspotting, Soundcloud) - Payment networks (e.g., Square) This course contains a significant overlap with OIT 356 - Electronic Business. Students who have taken OIT 356 may not enroll in GSBGEN 535.

GSBGEN 537. The Role of Business in Sustainable Food Systems. 1 Unitss.

The food system in the United States has contributed to a number of societal and ecological problems, from increasing rates of diet- and food-related illnesses, to "food deserts" in our inner cities, to the loss of farmland to urban sprawl, to agricultural chemical runoff into our water sources, to unjust farm labor practices, to the overuse of antibiotics, to an enormous amount of food waste, to questionable animal husbandry practices, and more generally to a diminishing level of diversity among the people, plants, and animals on whom we rely for our sustenance. These problems create both dilemmas and opportunities for business. This course will focus on how some companies (both for-profit and non-profit) are working to try to repair the damaged food system in the United States. Topics include (but are not limited to): organic and biodynamic agriculture, the economic demise of the family farm, the health effects of our current system of food production and the habits it has engendered, and opportunities for entrepreneurship and new modes of food distribution. We will have several guest speakers, field trips, and cooking/food preparation workshops and demonstrations.

GSBGEN 538. Energy Policy, Markets, and Climate Change. 2 Units.

This course will consider world energy markets as well as national and international policy challenges for the energy sector, in the context of climate change and its probable impacts. Case studies, readings, and class discussions will explore the history of fossil fuel price changes and their effects on trade, the influence of subsides and tax incentives on the prospects for renewable alternative sources, and the role of governments in setting import and export policies. The class will consider such questions as: What policies are adopted when energy developments confront other land values, or are associated with human or environmental risks? What role do Public Utility Commissions play and how do international agreements influence the sector? How do new technologies for improving energy yield, building efficiency, and transportation affect use? What is the role of regulation in establishing patterns of energy use? Cases may require students to play such roles as: (1) an executive director of an environmental non-governmental organization considering approval for construction of a large solar-thermal facility in the Mojave Desert; (2) the chief executive officer of a company drilling shale deposits for natural gas developing his case for a governor; (3) a Senator evaluating her position on converting a port to permit US coal to be exported to China.

GSBGEN 542. How to Tell a Story. 1 Unitss.

"Tell me the facts and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever." Stories are all around us. Stories move us, make us feel alive, inspire us to be more than we would be otherwise. As famed screenwriting coach and author of the screenwriting bible, Story, McKee says: "Story is not only our most prolific art form, but rivals all activities - work, play, eating, exercise - for our waking hours. We tell and take in stories as much as we sleep - and even then we dream." ** Despite our love for stories, most of us leave stories to "storytellers" - fiction writers, journalists, and film makers. But we all have this skill. We simply need to hone it. The question is - how can we hone it? In this seminar, we will break down the basic elements of storytelling, elucidate the power of the verbal as well as the visual, and discuss how storytelling helps build brands and organizations. For the final project, you will create tell a 3 minute story about (a) your organization, (b) your brand, or (c) you. Thus, the goals for this class: (1) Understand what makes bad stories, okay stories, and great stories. (2) Learn how to create storyboards (3) Gain practice in crafting and telling a compelling 3 minute story about yourself. You will get feedback by filmmakers on what went well, went poorly, and how to take the story to level further. ** Robert McKee, Story, (Regan Books: 1997), p. 11.

GSBGEN 543. The Power of Stories in Business. 1 Unitss.

Stories can be a powerful tool for persuasion and leadership. Traditionally, business people persuade using only the left side of the brain, or reason. However, persuasion occurs, just as much (if not more) through emotion. By developing the right side of the brain, engagement can be better built through "uniting an idea with an emotion." ** A critical tool is storytelling. In this seminar, we will illuminate the power of story in business by revealing the key elements of storytelling, elucidate the power of the verbal as well as the visual, and discuss how storytelling helps build brands and organizations. The goal of the class will be to: (1) Understand what are the four more important stories to tell in business. (2) Learn how to create a story bank; a repository of stories that you will use as a leader. By creating powerful stories and then communicating them in your own way, you'll see how brands, careers and businesses can gain momentum. Note, this second year seminar compliments How to Tell a Story. First, we'll focus on application to build on the basic course that developed fundamentals in storytelling. Second, rather than working on just one personal story, you will be exposed to and develop four discrete stories each day, all tailored for use in business. ** "Storytelling That Moves People: A Conversation with Screenwriting Coach Robert McKee", Harvard Business Review, June 2003, p. 6.

GSBGEN 544. The Role of the Modern General Counsel. 2 Units.

The news is filled with reports of one corporate crisis after another - names like BP, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, AIG, Siemens, Toyota, and issues like backdating, bribery, antitrust violations, insider trading, procurement fraud, health and safety violations, consumer class actions and the like. And often the cry is heard - where are the lawyers? This course explores the evolution of the role of the general counsel of major American public companies and, more broadly, the expanding role of in-house counsel. These are the lawyers in the trenches, on the front lines of American businesses. Each week, we'll review another dimension of the general counsel's job. We'll consider how general counsel today play an important role on the executive team of major companies and explore the different ways in which general counsels manage large corporate legal departments and direct functional legal areas like litigation, IP, corporate and securities, M&A, environmental and employment law. We will also examine the professional responsibilities and legal obligations of the general counsel -- including the delicate and sometimes conflicting reporting relationships to the CEO and the board of directors -- and consider how an in-house legal department fits into a corporation's organizational structure and how it supports the company's operating units on a day-to-day basis. We will explore the general counsel's role in internal investigations, regulatory investigations and compliance programs, and governmental affairs. We will also consider current practices in how in-house lawyers select, collaborate with and evaluate outside counsel. The class will meet weekly and we will invite current and former general counsels to join us occasionally for our discussions. Each student will be expected to participate actively in class discussions, and will be required to complete two projects, each in collaboration with three other students and submitted as a team, presenting how the team would address a complex set of legal and business issues. The course grade will be based 1/3 on class participation and 1/3 on each of the two team projects.

GSBGEN 548. Crafting Your Life Story. 1 Unitss.

This new seminar explores how the "life stories" we tell ourselves influence the choices we make in life, including the personal and professional choices we make, the ambitions we pursue - and, ultimately, our very success. Together, we will look at the science and art of what might be called "generative autobiography" - finding the particular life story that helps you pursue a more consequential and meaningful life. In developing this idea, you will learn to identify the essential elements of a great life story. You will learn how to craft a better, more creative life story for yourself, and you'll learn also how to tell your life story more effectively to other people in order to engage them more deeply and lead them more effectively. The course will include a series of outstanding readings from psychology, philosophy and literature on how to think more creatively about the life you are living now - and the life you hope to live going forward. One distinctive feature of this new seminar will be the extensive use of materials from award-winning films to illustrate the major themes and dilemmas of telling a good life story. We will examine the lives of a number of fascinating high achievers from business, science, politics and the arts. The course also includes several exercises designed to help you craft, refine, and project your life story. The seminar will be very discussion-oriented and very engaging!.

GSBGEN 550. Issues in Leadership. 2 Units.

This seminar will explore the nature and role of leadership in organizations. We will examine such questions as (1) What is leadership? (2) Why is it important? (3) What is it that leaders actually do? (4) How do they do it? (5) How are leaders developed? (6) Why do leaders succeed or fail? (7) What about your potential for leadership and your strategy for developing it? Our primary objective in this seminar is to achieve a deeper understanding of the nature and role of leadership in organizations. Our approach will be to examine a small sample of the literature, together with the amazing story of Ernest Shackleton and his Endurance crew, and then to probe several key questions through lively class discussion. The discussion, informed by the readings and also by our collective experiences, will seek to develop some general principles and observations about leadership - particularly about how you might better develop yourself as a leader.

GSBGEN 551. Innovation and Management in Health Care Businesses. 2 Units.

The health care system accounts for over 18% of US GDP and is one of the fastest growing segments of the economy. This two unit class focuses on the interplay and tension between the main players in the health care field - providers of health care services (individual doctors, group practices, integrated health care systems), payors (insurance companies, employers, consumers, and government), patients, and innovator companies (biopharma, medical device, diagnostics, and health care IT). The course is designed for students with a broad diversity of backgrounds and interests who want to better understand the health care business and system. No prior experience in the health care or medical field is assumed or needed. The focus of the class will be primarily on the US health care system, but there will be limited discussion of non-US systems as well. The course is divided into five modules: 1. An overview of the US Health Care System and the interplay between payers, providers, and innovators 2. Provider organization models and incentive structures - The relationship between quality, cost, and access - Integrated systems and fee for service models - New IT technologies, including electronic data records, and incentives for adoption - How the delivery system structure affects technology innovators 3. Innovator business models and issues - Financing and managing new product development and portfolio management - Clinical trial management and gaining regulatory approval - Marketing, communication and sales strategies (both physician and patient communication and sales) to drive product adoption and gain third party reimbursement - Business models to drive innovation 4. New technologies, business opportunities, and business models - Molecular diagnostics - Stem cells and regenerative medicine - Consumer genomics 5. Health care system reform The class will be taught primarily from the perspective of a business person operating a company rather than that of a policy maker, academic, or investor. While there will be a few lectures to provide background and frameworks for course topics, most classes will involve a case discussion and prominent guest speakers from the health care industry. Speakers and panelists in previous years included CEOs and senior executives from Genentech, Intuitive Surgical, UnitedHealth, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Genomic Health, Practice Fusion, Safeway Health, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, and Venrock.

GSBGEN 554. Savvy: Crafting Effective Communication. 1 Unitss.

This course is designed for individuals interested in improving their communication skills. As a leader, you will spend the majority of your time communicating with others - team members, subordinates, clients, and other constituents. Right now, you probably don't spend much time thinking about the way you communicate, nor are you likely, in the corporate setting, to get honest feedback on the messages you send. Yet the quality of your communications will have a large impact on your overall effectiveness. This class will help you appreciate the nature and complexity of communication and provide guidelines for both improving your communication style and recognizing the unique styles of others. The class is based on the assumption that organizations are fundamentally political entities, and interpersonal influence through communication is a key mechanism by which things get done. Effective leaders don't simply lead by fiat - they often must influence and persuade others to go along with their ideas. In each session, we'll consider a number of well-studied tactics of interpersonal communication. For each tactic, we'll talk about why it works, when it works best, and what its limitations might be. We'll discuss how you can put these approaches to work in order to support your attempts at persuasion and how to resist them as an unwilling target of persuasion. After taking this course, you will be better able to: (1) identify strategies for crafting effective communication in the form of everyday conversation, written work, and public presentations, (2) develop techniques for building strong, long-term alliances with your colleagues, and (3) become more persuasive in advancing an agenda, acquiring resources, or eliciting compliance from others. These skills will be invaluable to you throughout your career.

GSBGEN 557. Authenticity in Markets: The Case of the Wine Industry. 1 Unitss.

Evidence has mounted that consumer care about issues of authenticity in many kinds of markets. This seminar explores the meanings of authenticity in market contexts. It emphasizes the idea that authenticity attaches as much or more to the characteristics and actions of producers than to characteristics of products. Although these issues arise in many kinds of markets, they are especially intense for food and drink. So the seminar emphasizes these contexts, especially the wine industry. In wine production we see battles over the "soul of wine," what it means for a wine to provide an authentic representation of terroir, national traditions, and so forth. Especially interesting for understanding authenticity is the recent success of biodynamic producers.

GSBGEN 561. Sports Business Financing. 2 Units.

Course examines financing and investment issues that face a diverse set of participants in the sports industry. A key theme is using general financial concepts to better structure decision making in the sports industry. Specific topics illustrate the broad set of perspectives considered: Player Payroll Financial Dynamics; Player Salary Management; Asset Appreciation Opportunities; Assessing the Value of Players (& General Managers); Investment Syndicates in Sports; Building a Startup League in Baseball; Financial Valuation of Sporting Clubs; Financial/Strategy Analysis for a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Venture; Financial/Strategy Analysis for a New Football (Gridiron) League; On-Line Sports Venture Evaluation.

GSBGEN 562. Sports Marketing. 2 Units.

This Sports Marketing course combines (a) a focus on key marketing themes (such as branding, customer attraction/retention, and celebrity power) and (b) an analysis of marketing in diverse areas of the sporting industry: the league level, the team level, the player level, the network level, the advertiser level, the sponsor level, the fan level, and the media level. The nine sessions cover the following: Corporate Sponsorship; Online Marketing; Events as Brand Building Investments; Marketing to Youth; Sports/Entertainment Nexus; Club Marketing Strategies; Brand Revitalization & Strengthening; Motor Sports Marketing; Marketing in a Web 2.0/Social Networking World.

GSBGEN 565. Political Communication: How Leaders Become Leaders. 2 Units.

Politics, perhaps like no other arena, provides a rich and dramatic laboratory for studying the art and science of influential communication. Whether it is a local school bond election or a Congressional race, a Presidential debate or a State of the Union Address, the demanding communications of politics provide insights into our own strengths and gaps as a communicator and leader. Political campaigns, by their very nature, are highly visible, oriented toward very specific objectives, and increasingly leverage a variety of new media platforms. They are often emotionally charged, and rife with conflict and drama. The principles of political communications transcend politics, and are useful guides for leaders in business, the non-profit community, as well as government. How candidates communicate vision, values, and experience, as well as how they perform in very fluid environments, not the least of which may be during a crisis, has a great deal to do with their electoral success. In its fifth year, this highly interactive course allows students to explore both theory and practice behind effective positioning and presentation. Students will analyze and evaluate both successful and unsuccessful communications strategies of political campaigns and candidates. They will explore historic examples of US Presidential debates, from Nixon/Kennedy to the present. Further they will experience the 2012 Presidential election firsthand -- with each class drawing lessons from real time events in the campaign. Students will also hone their own strategic communications skills in a final activity requiring both written and spoken communication. This is not a course in political science, American government, or in public speaking. However, the engaged student will gain insights into those areas as well. The course is taught by David Demarest, Vice President of Public Affairs for Stanford University. Demarest has broad communications experience across the public and private sector in financial services, education, and government. After serving as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative, and Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Reagan Administration, in 1988 he served as Communications Director for Vice President George H. W. Bush's successful presidential campaign. He then became a member of the White House senior staff as White House Communications Director. After leaving government in 1993, he spent the next decade leading communications for two Fortune 50 companies, before coming to Stanford in 2005.

GSBGEN 566. Real-Life Ethics. 2 Units.

GSBGEN 566 will be an elective course offered to 2nd-year MBA and Sloan students. The goal of this course is to improve students' judgment in confronting ethical situations encountered in the normal course of business activities. Classes use the Socratic method to examine ethical questions and build analytical skills. The course aims to sharpen moral reasoning and build judgment without favoring a particular position The course will be taught by Mark Leslie and Peter Levine, Lecturers, and will include additional guest lecturers in many of the specific areas. The course, which will be case-based, will involve frequent student-to-student and student-to-instructor role-playing. Cases will be drawn from a wide selection of business situations, including such topics as raising venture capital, managing major industrial customers, product introduction through major retailers, developing financial instruments, sales force management and revenue recognition, etc. This class is for two GSB credits and will be graded on a pass/fail basis. Sixty percent of the final grade will be derived from classroom performance; the remainder will be based on a final written assignment.

GSBGEN 567. SEEDing Change: Approaches and Innovations in Poverty Alleviation. 2 Units.

This Bass Seminar is an opportunity to help lay the foundation for the GSB's new initiative on poverty alleviation in developing economies, the Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (nicknamed SEED). Following an introduction to the major approaches to poverty alleviation and the role of entrepreneurial activity, the course will be a student-driven seminar. Groups of students will work on focused projects of their choosing within the confines of SEED's mission, which is to stimulate, develop, and disseminate research and innovations that enable entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders to alleviate poverty in developing economies. A particular focus will be given to exploring and assessing the different ways in which SEED can most effectively help entrepreneurs in developing countries grow and scale. Project deliverables can take a variety of forms, including business plans, proofs of concept, case studies, teaching notes, etc.

GSBGEN 568. Managing Difficult Conversations. 2 Units.

This elective 2-credit course is offered to 2nd-year, 3rd-year, and 4th-year Medical students, Residents, and Fellows, and to 2nd-year MBA students who aspire to improve their ability to deal effectively with difficult interpersonal situations. The course will be taught at Stanford Medical School by H. Irving Grousbeck, Consulting Professor of Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business, with assistance from Dr. Charles G. Prober, Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education. Teaching techniques that have been successful in helping business school students improve their ability to manage difficult conversations will be used. The course, which will be case-based, will involve frequent student-to-student and student-to-instructor role-playing in actual medical situations. Physician-experts often will be present to participate as class guests. Relevant principles of professionalism, leadership, and psychology underlie the course pedagogy. There will be seven classes held on Wednesdays beginning September 26th and concluding on November 14th. (No class October 24) Each class will begin promptly at 12:30 and end at 2:15, without a break. Due to the abbreviated nature of the class (7 sessions), students will be expected to attend all classes unless excused in advance. Class preparation will include reading of assigned cases; analysis of the cases and recommendations as to how to confront specific difficult conversations (consistent with assigned study questions); and reading of assigned background material. While optional, it is suggested that students form regular study groups. For GSB students, 50% of the final grade will depend on classroom performance; the remainder will be based on a final written assignment of no more than 6 pages. GSB students will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. The course will be ungraded for Medical School students, Residents and Fellows. All students will be expected to complete the written assignment. Class size will be limited to 35 students per the following: (1) a maximum of 15 MBA2 students and (2) a maximum of 20 2nd-year, 3rd-year and 4th-year Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows.

GSBGEN 569. Online Financial Training for Managers and Entrepreneurs in Developing Economies. 2 Units.

Growing and scaling a successful business demands familiarity and comfort with financial principles and decision-making. Yet particularly in developing countries, where the need for growth is greatest, a large fraction of the population, and entrepreneurs and managers in particular, lack this basic knowledge. The goal of this project-based seminar is for teams of students to develop education modules for teaching financial literacy to entrepreneurs in developing economies. We will partner with on the ground organizations who work directly with these entrepreneurs, and who can provide feedback on the user's needs and market validation for project teams' approaches. We will examine research on the effectiveness of credit-linked training and review some existing programs offering similar training. Students will be expected to deliver a short training video at the end of the course.

GSBGEN 571. Becoming a Leader: Managing Early Career Challenges. 2 Units.

This course is based on 60 interviews with MBA grads who have been out of the GSB for 4-10 years. These interviews identified a set of common early career challenges that young MBAs faced--and the lessons they learned from these. This 10-session course is based on these critical transitions, formative experiences, and personal conflicts that characterize the challenges young leaders face. The course objective is to help current students better understand some of the pitfalls they are likely to face as they become leaders and to avoid the career-limiting mistakes that these can bring.

GSBGEN 572. The Art of Damage Control. 2 Units.

In the Information Age, there are two kinds of leaders, institutions, and organizations: those who have been hit with a crisis and those who haven't been around very long. And of those who have confronted a crisis, the landscape has a few winners, but is crowded with losers who simply did not have what it took to survive the crisis. Crisis is a constant state of nature in our age and if you do not effectively fight back, in the modern spin cycle, you will no longer have your brand, your image, or your reputation. This course will cover the strategies, techniques, and art of damage control. The course will also explore the five fundamental elements responsible for why we live in a state of crisis: the proliferation of media outlets communicating information; the speed in which information travels; the erosion of trust from society related to the quality of information received; the capacity to selectively leverage information; and the community nature of how information is developed and shared. Building from an analysis of these elements, we will explore methods of surviving and thriving in this environment. The course will also offer detailed approaches to managing one's way through a crisis. We will provide case studies of those who failed to master the art of damage control whose mistakes endangered the survival of their company and/or their careers. We will also study cases where those in a crisis handled it deftly. By considering, analyzing, and reviewing these techniques, it is hoped the students will learn how best manage the crisis - and what it takes to survive. The course will co-taught by Chris Lehane and Bill Guttentag. Chris Lehane is one of the nation's leading political consultants with a particular expertise in damage control. He was a Special Assistant Counsel to President Bill Clinton where he was responsible for helping to manage the Clinton White House's damage control operation and later served as Vice President Al Gore's Press Secretary, and has been a top advisor to many who have run for President, Senate, Governor or other elected offices, both in the US and internationally. He consults for numerous Fortune 500 Companies, professional sports leagues and teams, Hollywood studios and high profile individuals. Bill Guttentag is a narrative and documentary film writer, producer, director who has been teaching at the GSB since 2001. He is a two-time Oscar winner, his films have played extensively in the US and internationally, and have premiered at a number of prominent film festivals inducing Sundance and Cannes. Lehane and Guttentag are the co-authors of Masters of Disaster: The 10 Commandments of Damage Control. The book will published this fall by Palgrave/Macmillan and will serve as the principal text for this course.

GSBGEN 575. Leadership and Crisis Management. 2 Units.

During this class, you will: * Challenge your basic beliefs about the nature of crisis * Learn to scan your business practices for political and social risks * Anticipate and prepare for potential crises * Explore techniques for successfully solving problems in high-pressure crisis situations characterized by complex decision environments, time-pressure, high stakes, unanticipated events, and information overload * Develop strategies for managing stakeholders, public opinion, media relations, and public officials * Integrate your crisis management approach into your overall business strategy.

GSBGEN 578. Decisions About the Future. 2 Units.

How should you decide between now and the future? This course will cover the descriptive and prescriptive theories of intertemporal choice in psychology and economics. Topics will include financial decision making, social (who should you marry?), environmental, and health. The goal of the course is to maximize the long term happiness and effectiveness of yourself and others. Grading will be based on: class participation, a decision diary (in three parts), and an exam.

GSBGEN 580. Management of Real Estate Investment Portfolios. 2 Units.

This course is intended for any student interested in a career in managing, developing, or investing in real estate. The course covers cases involving the perspectives of general partners and limited partners; the attributes of successful real property investment firms; analyses of investment portfolios and individual transactions, primarily in the private equity real estate category. Cases will be global. Objectives include: How to construct a private real estate portfolio; How to assess the risks in projects and portfolios; How to perform relative value analyses of differing investments; How to manage troubled investments (when to "hold 'em and when to fold 'em"). The course is divided into three modules with special emphasis on real estate financial analysis for transactions and portfolios. The first module will focus on portfolio construction issues and how to quantify whether the investor has been successful. The second module will focus on underwriting individual transactions and applying a relative value construct in determining the more attractive investments. The third module will focus on the management of troubled investments, including deciding when to "double down" and how to protect investments already in place.

GSBGEN 585. Social Innovation through Corporate Social Responsibility. 2 Units.

This course accepts that the (CSR) movement linking business, communities and sustainability has moved past the stage of debate. The last decade has seen an increased awareness in regard to environmental and social issues that has found its way up the corporate ladder and into company boardrooms. How companies incorporate CSR programs and strategies, however, is varied and diverse. The course will utilize reading assignments, case analysis and/or company presentations to provide an overview of CSR, the frameworks and models for developing a CSR strategy and the growing utilization of cross-sector partnerships in CSR and innovation efforts. Particular focus will be on cutting edge business strategies for squaring social and environmental responsibilities with competitive demands. The latter part of the course will examine the role of cross-sector partnerships as a critical lever. Cross-sector collaboration is increasingly desirable as a strategy for addressing many of society's problems; however, research evidence indicates that it is hardly easy. Guests will bring to life the challenges and rewards in working collaboratively to implement social change.

GSBGEN 586. Poverty, Entrepreneurship, and Development. 2 Units.

Global poverty is a problem that persists on a massive scale, and its persistence may itself be a major impediment to growth in emerging economies. Recent years have seen a blossoming interest in socially innovative approaches to alleviating poverty and stimulating economic growth in emerging economies. In this short course, we will explore different conceptualizations of the problem of global poverty, the potential role of entrepreneurship in helping to address it, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Some possible areas of focus include: * Different conceptualizations of the main drivers of persistent, extreme poverty * The challenges to entrepreneurship posed by the institutional environments of emerging economies * The appropriate role of entrepreneurship as a means of addressing the concerns of the poor * The pros and cons of different models (e.g., venture philanthropy, social enterprise, non-profit) * Ethical issues and concerns associated with different strategies In addition to reading and in-class discussion, the course will also draw on the expertise and experiences of one or more guest speakers.

GSBGEN 587. Survive and Thrive: The Art of Navigating Crucial Conversations. 2 Units.

Careers are enjoyed in the good times but truly made when challenging situations are successfully managed throughout every business cycle. Individuals who both perform well and communicate effectively in tense situations, gain the attention of senior management and are relied upon to deliver. A key to this success is the ability to successfully navigate crucial conversations. Crucial conversations are those which not only have a bearing on your firm and business but, also can also enhance or destroy your own personal reputation and credibility by poorly communicated situation analysis, facts and the mode in which you deliver information. Sometimes these conversations take place in minutes while others evolve over the course of days and weeks. Regardless, a professional's ability to read the "tea leaves" and execute a communication plan to address is vitally important to long term career success. This highly interactive course will take you through a series of business inflection points in a simulated firm where you will be expected to navigate different situations and make quick decisions both as an individual and as part of a team. Students can expect to leave this course with a heightened sense of their own gifts as communicators, a greater understanding of the research around effective communication, and specific tools and tactics to use throughout their career when faced with pivotal situations. Attendance at all six sessions is required to pass this course and participation counts for half the grade. Students will regularly give and receive feedback with their peers on their ability to apply course concepts in the simulation as it unfolds. While no prerequisite exists for this course, we expect that students seeking fundamentals of communication consider other course offerings. This course relies on students who are already reasonably comfortable communicating in high-stakes settings seeking greater mastery and nuance in their communication. Required pre-reading will provide the theoretical frameworks and case background necessary for the six-session simulation. One final reflection paper will be due within a week after the final class session. The balance of each student's grade is based on their participation and learning within the simulation and the depth and quality of their feedback to peers. This course is co-created and co-taught by JD Schramm and Steve Mellas. Schramm brings over a decade of MBA communication teaching and coaching to the course along with more than 15 years of professional experience in healthcare, financial services, and education. He founded the GSB's Mastery Initiative and co-founded LOWKeynotes. He is a sought out speaker and coach with two talks in the TED library. Mellas serves as a principal at AQR Capital in Greenwich CT where he oversees operations. Prior to joining AQR he worked for Goldman Sachs as a Managing Director in the Investment Management Division with responsibility for Asset Management Operations worldwide. Before that Mellas was with Morgan Stanley where he managed fixed income trading operations. Schramm and Mellas have teamed up on a number of highly ranked courses at NYU Stern since 2005 and hatched this latest collaboration while delivering a Mastery workshop for the GSB in January 2012.

GSBGEN 588. Crisis Management on the World Stage. 2 Units.

In this unique, one-week September Session, Condoleezza Rice, the former U.S. Secretary of State, and David Miliband, the former U.K. Foreign Secretary, will guide students through a series of international challenges that they faced together as their nation's top diplomats on either side of the Atlantic. Students will actively confront crises at the intersection of international politics and the global economy.

GSBGEN 598. Stanford-Tsinghua Exchange Program. 2 Units.

This course is open only to students participating in the Stanford-Tsinghua Exchange Program and is required of those students. Requirements include researching and reporting on companies to be visited, attending lectures in preparation for the China visit, attending lectures at Tsinghua, and carrying out and reporting on a project with one or more Tsinghua student. Offered Pass/No Pass only. 2 units. Winter quarter.

GSBGEN 635. Neuroscience for Business and Economics. 4 Units.

A growing number of scholars in business and economics are turning to neuroscience for new theoretical insights and new methodologies. This seminar will explore how findings from neuroscience can inform research in business and economics. The objectives of this course are for students to: - Gain an understanding of the basic theories of neuroscience - Gain an understanding of the basic methodologies of neuroscience, including behavioral paradigms,eye-tracking, and fMRI - Survey the key literature at the intersection of business, economics, and neuroscience - Learn how to critically reflect on and evaluate research that uses principles from neuroscience - Learn how to design experiments that utilize principles from neuroscience.

GSBGEN 641. Advanced Empirical Methods. 3 Units.

This course covers various advanced quantitative methods with applications in marketing and economics. Topics include simulation-based estimation, dynamic decision processes, and other topics relating to empirical models of demand and supply. The course stresses the conceptual understanding and application of each technique. Students will learn to apply these techniques using Matlab or an equivalent language.

GSBGEN 645. Communication Strategies for Scholars. 2 Units.

Educators must be experts in their subject matter, but also effective scholarly communicators. This course will examine the theories for effective communication in the wide range of settings that PhDs will encounter: seminars, academic conferences, job talks, and ultimately in the classroom. This course will provide PhD candidates with the opportunity to practice course principles in simulated communication settings and receive direct and filmed feedback on their performance. Students will benefit from participating in observations of GSB classes (within and beyond their discipline), readings on current education and communication theory and practice, class discussion, and visits from GSB professors. Learning Objectives: By the end of this course students will: -Understand the essentials of oral communication in scholarly settings -Understand the fundamentals of business education including syllabus development, classroom instruction, case method teaching, assessment and grading. -Understand and practice the essential elements of effective presentations - the verbal, vocal, and visual aspects of oral presentation -Articulate essential distinctions of teaching undergraduate, graduate (including MBA), and executive education students, and how to adapt their approach for these audiences -Demonstrate effectiveness as a presenter and growth in the ability to plan and present content in a variety of simulated settings from benchmark to final mock class -Apply course content to job talks, conference presentations, and other professional settings beyond the classroom -Evaluate peers and other educators on their ability to practice effective teaching and presentation delivery.

GSBGEN 646. Behavioral Decision Making. 3 Units.

This seminar examines research on the psychology of judgment and choice. Although the normative issue of how decisions should be made is relevant, the descriptive issue of how decisions are made is the main focus of the course. Topics of discussion include choice, judgment heuristics and biases, decision framing, prospect theory, mental accounting, context effects, task effects, regret, and other topics. The goal of the seminar is twofold: to foster a critical appreciation of existing knowledge in behavioral decision theory, to develop the students' skills in identifying and testing interesting research ideas, and to explore research opportunities for adding to that knowledge.

GSBGEN 652. Online Research Methods. 2 Units.

This course will cover the practicalities of running research on the internet, including: online research tools, experimental design, online process measures, subject pool selection, detecting and dealing with inattentive participants, basic programming techniques, debugging, data organization, and data cleaning. Class time and assignments will take a hands-on approach, giving you direct experience and practice. As part of the class, you will develop and run an experiment, which you can use for your own research program. Grading will be based on this project, as well as class participation and weekly assignments.

GSBGEN 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

GSBGEN 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

GSBGEN 698. Doctoral Practicum in Teaching. 1-2 Units.

Doctoral Practicum in Teaching.

GSBGEN 699. Doctoral Practicum in Research. 1-2 Units.

Doctoral Practicum in Research.

GSBGEN 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

HRMGT 280. Human Resource Management. 2 Units.

Many managers and organizations now recognize that a critical source of competitive advantage often comes not from having the most ingenious product design, the best marketing strategy, or the most state-of-the-art production technology, but rather from hiring the right kind of talent. This course seeks to train students in defining the talent brand of a firm, developing role descriptions, and various approaches to hiring talent.

HRMGT 289. Sloan: Talent Management Strategy. 4 Units.

Everyone manages people; how can it be done better? How can it be done to facilitate your overall strategy, for your company and your career? This class covers the standard topics of people management: recruitment and selection; performance evaluation; incentives and compensation; promotions; job design; training; teamwork; and layoffs and retention. Each topic is covered through case studies and then analytical models for choosing and using best practices. The class content is aimed at managers who recognize that people management is important, but who typically want to spend less time managing people and more time doing what they really enjoy.

HRMGT 302. Incentives and Productivity. 4 Units.

This course is designed to teach the student how to use economics to solve practical personnel problems that affect worker productivity. Topics include: selecting the best workers to hire, training workers, turnover, setting compensation strategically, structuring salespersons' commissions, downsizing, using promotions as an incentive mechanism, and other topics. Examples and cases will be presented to demonstrate the importance of using economic techniques to structure human resources programs. The course will appeal most to the student who expects to be a general manager or who hopes to run his or her own business. Although the human resources specialist may benefit from this course, the emphasis will be on decisions that affect personnel, but are made primarily by general managers. The class format is somewhat unusual. Most classes consist of lecture with questions, but two are class workshops. The lecture will present a theoretical development of a topic. The questions discussed during the last part of the lecture period will involve practical business application of the theory presented in lecture. This course is more technical than other human resources courses, but should be accessible to anyone who has successfully completed the economics and statistics courses in the MBA core. Every student is expected to know calculus and basic probability and statistics. Although I will not emphasize the technical aspects on the final exam, the problem sets will require some knowledge of mathematics. To ease your fears, many "poets" have taken variants of this course in the past and have done well. There will be graded team problem sets, a midterm, and a final exam.

HRMGT 512. Changing How We Manage People. 1 Unitss.

This course is designed for individuals interested in changing how people are managed-to dispel flawed assumptions about human resource strategies and develop new techniques. In the past, human resource practices rarely served as a source of innovation in organizations. Rather, when establishing guidelines, policies, and rules, most companies chose to follow the norm, which often was unsatisfying and frustrating for their employees. These same firms chose not to focus on their human resource practices as a source of competitive advantage that could be used to hire the best talent, perform at the highest level, and weather the most difficult times. More recently, new ideas about the optimal approach to managing the firm's most important asset-its human capital-have flourished. As a result, a debate has surfaced in the corporate world about the best ways to get work done-from the allocation of job tasks to the structure of financial incentives. We tackle many of these fundamental questions in this course-what is the best way to hire people, to give performance feedback, to foster collaboration-but we look at these problems through a new lens, one informed more by evidence and analysis than by tradition and intuition. This class is an exercise in collaboration: a joint effort by a practitioner and an academic who are both hopelessly optimistic about how the management of human resources can be improved. In each session, we will tackle a novel and important topic (e.g., engagement surveys?) from three distinct points of view, first describing what is currently done, then identifying alternative approaches in other firms, and finally considering what a bold and creative approach might look like. After taking this course, you will be better able to: (1) identify misconceptions that undermine the effectiveness of human resource strategies; (2) learn new insights about human motivation in the workplace and (3) design new tools that can improve the working lives of your employees. We believe this perspective will be invaluable to you throughout your career.

HRMGT 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

HRMGT 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

HRMGT 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

MKTG 240. Marketing Management. 3 Units.

The objectives of this course are to introduce students to the substantive and procedural aspects of marketing management and to sharpen skills for critical analytical thinking and effective communication. Specifically, the goals are to introduce students to marketing strategy and to the elements of marketing analysis: customer analysis, competitor analysis, and company analysis; to familiarize students with the elements of the marketing mix (product strategy, pricing, advertising and promotion, and distribution), and to enhance problem solving and decision-making abilities in these operational areas of marketing; and to provide students with a forum (both written and verbal) for presenting and defending their own recommendations, and for critically examining and discussing the recommendations of others.

MKTG 249. Sloan: Re-Imagining Marketing: The Power of Stories. 2 Units.

Marketing as both a discipline and in practice is much broader and more important than ever before in promoting products, services, and brands at the local and global levels. Since all Sloans are experienced managers who wish to enhance their organizational impact, understanding how to tell stories to further business objectives is a high level skill that is critical to their success (and to that of their organizations). The objective of this class is to provide you with perspectives on modern day marketing, and to teach you about the power of focused story telling as a call to action. As such, this 5-week course will be experiential and invites active participation by all students. Course Content: In preparation for this core class you will be assigned some reading to introduce you to core marketing principles; the first week of the class will be a review of the material. Questions to be explored include, What is the importance of marketing? How has marketing changed in the last few years? How do you define a marketing strategy? Then we will do a four-week dive into a more experiential class built around the power of story in business. Guest speakers will share the power of the stories they have created at different parts of the life cycle, which we hope will inspire you to the importance of developing your own compelling stories. You will be assigned to a 4-person group and decide what brand/project you want to work on. You will hone in on a single focused goal, figure out how to "reverse the rules" (i.e., tackle the single focused goal in a way that no one else has done, with a fresh approach) in order to grab attention, then tell a story. At the end of the five weeks, we hope that we will have been successful in helping you better understand the new marketing landscape within our hyperconnected world, and how to leverage the power of technology so that you can be confident that your story has impact and meaning.

MKTG 335. Product Launch. 3 Units.

Our focus is on the question, "When launching a product, what are the framing issues that will help determine success?" In particular, we will provide you with tools to analyze market situations and determine whether it makes sense to launch a product or engage in a marketing-related investment. The course is not designed to cover issues such as execution of a strategy (although we will touch on this a bit), but on whether to enter a market to begin with. Thus, the course is decision oriented; we want you to think about market entry decisions and how you would make them. The tools that you will be provided won't consist of equations; instead, we'll arm you with a set of questions to ask, whose answers will help you make better decisions. This course is an advanced applications marketing course. Unlike the base core course that is designed to cover every basic topic in marketing, here we focus on a number of basic questions and explore them in depth. Although we will have some lectures for background, the bulk of this endeavor will be accomplished through case discussions. In other words, we can't and won't cover everything, as this course is not designed to be comprehensive. We are going to rely on your academic background in marketing to cover the basics; here and there, it is possible that some material will be a review of what you'€™ve done before (there’s nothing wrong with a little de ja vu). Unfortunately, due to the tight schedule we will not be able to cover any of the basics that are not already included in the course material. The course includes, cases, lectures, and guest lectures.

MKTG 344. Marketing Research. 4 Units.

This course aims to help students ask interesting and relevant marketing questions, select the appropriate research methodology, and make comprehensive evaluations of the research output. The main objectives are to equip students with 1) a familiarity with marketing research frameworks and terminology, 2) an understanding of both the value and limitations of the most widely-used research techniques, and 3) sufficient hands-on experience with research tools for answering students' own marketing research questions. The course is designed to help managers to use research effectively in addressing substantive marketing problems such as: market segmentation, product targeting and positioning, forecasting market demand, designing promotional campaigns, pricing, and developing new products.

MKTG 353. Social Brands. 4 Units.

As savvy consumers are increasingly participating in brands rather than merely receiving their messages, how do leading organizations stoke conversations, co-create experiences and stories, and build engaging relationships with consumers? Moreover, how do they harness social media to build a brand, and empower employees and consumers to share these brand stories with others? Social Brands is a hands-on, project-based course that will draw brain power from the GSB, School of Engineering, and other Stanford graduate programs to collaboratively and creatively explore these questions. While we examine various inspiring examples of social brands, we will find that the rules are yet to be written. This emerging genre of social commerce and marketing is the "Wild West" and students working in mixed teams will be challenged to design and launch their own social experiments to form their own hypotheses. Assignments will push student teams to audit a brand, focus on a strategic goal, and design a social interaction that invites people on campus to participate in an extraordinary personal experience with that brand. Teams will then capture this experience in short videos and compile them into a story -- one that highlights the brand experience they orchestrated, its impact, and their key learnings. This course will integrate approaches from the d.school and marketing curriculum - including brand strategy, storytelling fundamentals, human-centered methods, rapid prototyping, and a bias toward action. This is a class for those that want to learn by doing and creating. MKTG 353 - Social Brands class website: https://www.stanford.edu/class/mktg353/.

MKTG 355. Designing Happiness. 4 Units.

We assume happiness is stable, an endpoint to achieve or goal to chase. It's not. What we think drives our happiness often doesn't. So what does? And how can knowing this help us create strong companies and brands? Understanding happiness is crucial to building successful relationships, products, and organizations. Yet recent research suggests that our definition of happiness is often confused and misguided. In this class, we explore new data on happiness, focusing on: re-thinking happiness (a happy you) designing happiness (a happy company) spreading happiness (a happy brand) Students will work together to use an iterative design-thinking approach to understand our own definitions of happiness, uncover what really makes us happy (vs. what we think makes us happy), prototype solutions/products to increase our happiness, and design happy companies and brands. The class will be data-driven, drawing on multiple methodologies both quantitative and ethnographic. Throughout the quarter, students will build a class-wide database to investigate real-world happiness data via an Designing Happiness app, and test hypotheses about what truly makes them, their teams and their customers happy. This class is recommended for students who plan to be a future entrepreneur building a strong brand, an employee who finds meaning in their work, or someone who wants to understand happiness.

MKTG 365. Marketing Analytics. 4 Units.

Firms operate in an increasingly challenging business environment, with greater competition, more informed customers and rapidly changing market trends. Simultaneously, they also have access to more information about their customers, the marketplace and their competitors than ever before. In this environment, knowing how to use this information to make optimal business decisions is a crucial competitive advantage. Firms often have access to data that they do not know how to use. The objectives of this course are to introduce students to state-of-the-art marketing analytics and to teach them how to practically apply these analytics to real-world business decisions. The following are examples of the types of questions that the course will address: How should a firm determine the prices for its products and services? What is the effect of television advertising on a brand's sales and how should advertising be optimized? What can a firm learn about its customers from online browsing behavior and how can this knowledge be used for targeted advertising and promotions? How should a firm allocate its sales force? How should a firm manage the allocation of its promotional budget in order to maximize its returns? How should the mailing of catalogs or direct mail be targeted to increase response rates? The course will use a mix of lectures, cases, homework assignments and a course project to learn the material. Students do not need to have an advanced statistical background to take this course. Familiarity with the material in an introductory marketing course and an introductory statistics course will be assumed, but necessary material will be reviewed during the course of the quarter as necessary.

MKTG 375. Consumer Behavior. 4 Units.

Contemporary approaches to marketing emphasize the importance of adopting a consumer focus, from determining consumers' wants and needs to shaping their attitudes and ensuring their loyalty. This course provides insight into consumer psychology and the means by which consumer behavior can be influenced or altered. The course has both theoretical and practical objectives in that it will: (1) explore theory and research that is relevant to understanding consumer psychology and behavior, and (2) apply these theories and findings to generate ideas for developing effective marketing techniques and tactics. By shedding light on the psychological underpinnings of consumers' thoughts, attitudes, preferences, needs, and decision-making styles, this course will help students make more insightful and effective marketing decisions. Moreover, because this course takes a broad psychological perspective, it highlights novel ideas for grabbing attention, shaping behavior, and changing people's minds both within and outside of traditional marketing contexts.

MKTG 526. Marketing Research for Entrepreneurs. 2 Units.

An entrepreneur looking to fund a new venture is very likely to be asked the following questions: 1) What is your unique value proposition? 2) What is the size of your market opportunity? 3) What is your cost of customer acquisition? 4) What is your rate of customer retention? 5) How well are you performing against your success metrics? In this two-unit course, students will work through a well-structured and disciplined process for discovering the answers to these questions. Our focus will be on market research methods that can be put into practice with the typically limited amount of resources available to entrepreneurs.

MKTG 532. Persuasion. 1 Unitss.

The aim of this course is to provide insight into the psychology of persuasion. We will hear from industry experts to discover what they believe makes for an effective persuasive appeal (e.g., a successful pitch to investors), and we will supplement those sessions with class discussions about persuasion theory and research. The goal is provide you with deep and diverse insight into persuasion strategy. Over the course of the week, we will have speakers from a number of fields - giving us a broad perspective on persuasion, what constitutes (or qualifies as) persuasion, and what makes a particular persuasive message or strategy successful.

MKTG 536. Entrepreneurial Ventures in Luxury Markets. 2 Units.

The broad goal of this Bass Seminar is to apply the key concepts covered in The Frinky Science of the Human Mind (GSBGEN 520)* for identifying and proposing new ventures in the "luxury" space. For this course, "luxury" will be viewed in a broader than usual fashion, namely creating distinctive differences to fundamentally change an otherwise mundane product category. An example of such a view will be the venture, Mr., an upscale barbershop in San Francisco, started by two GSB alums, Kumi Walker and Sean Heywood. Another example will be Voss, an upscale brand in the bottled water category. Students in this course will work in groups to identify promising opportunities in the "luxury" space early in the quarter. The groups will then hone their new venture ideas through meetings with entrepreneurs, experts in private equity, product design, etc., who will serve as guest speakers in this course. In this regard, each session will be structured to begin with a guest speaker followed by a brainstorming/ discussion session. The final deliverable will be a business plan that is put together by each group for a new venture in the "luxury" space. *Students who could not take GSBGEN 520 are strongly encouraged to attend preparatory sessions that will be scheduled in the first week of December. Such students may also contact the instructor ([email protected]) to see if they can sit in on some of the GSBGEN 520 sessions that will be relevant for this Bass Seminar.

MKTG 547. Strategic Marketing Communication - Compressed. 2 Units.

The course is designed to sharpen students' grasp of the strategic and tactical aspects of Marketing Communications that lead to competitive advantages in the marketplace. The course will begin a focus on strategy and introduce students to frameworks that address two broad goals of any firm: (1) Establish a competitive advantage by offering a superior customer value proposition and (2) Generate sustainable organic growth. The course will then segue into marketing communication tactics that will enable the firm effectively accomplish its strategic objectives. Here, the concepts and frameworks will only be applicable to traditional approaches (such as the use of television, print, and point-of-purchase promotions) but also to emergent approaches (such as the use of the internet, mobile media, etc.). Designed from the perspective of executives who are often involved in making strategic as well as tactical marketing decisions to solve contemporary business problems, this course is intended for students whose career plans include consulting and entrepreneurial ventures, apart from those thinking of careers in marketing.

MKTG 555. Designing Happiness. 2 Units.

We assume happiness is stable, an endpoint to achieve or a goal to "chase." It's not. Recent research suggests that the meaning of happiness changes every 3-4 years. Understanding happiness is crucial to building successful products, organizations and relationships. In this MBA seminar, we explore the data-driven research on happiness, revealing insights about (a) anticipating, (b) understanding, (c) visualizing, (d) spreading, (e) remembering, and (f) creating happiness. Students will work together to use an iterative design-thinking approach to understand our own current definition of happiness, uncover what really makes us happy (vs. what we think makes us happy), prototype solutions/products to increase our present happiness, and develop tools to continually understand and foster happiness as our lives change. The seminar will be data-driven, drawing on multiple methodologies including blogs (https://www.wefeelfine.org/), experiments and surveys.

MKTG 641. Behavioral Research in Marketing I. 3 Units.

This course prepares the student to do empirical behavioral research. It will cover all aspects of the research process, from hypothesis generation to experimental design to data analysis to writing up your results.

MKTG 642. Behavioral Research in Marketing II: Consumer Behavior. 3 Units.

This Ph.D. seminar provides coverage of the major research carried out in consumer research both in marketing and psychology. A vast set of topic will be covered including conscious and non-conscious consumer goals, motivations, emotions, attention and perception and consumer decision processes. The course will help students hone their ability to conceptualize, operationalize, and develop research idea and will provide a grasp of what it takes to be a successful academic in the field of consumer behavior.

MKTG 644. Quantitative Research in Marketing. 3 Units.

The goal of this seminar is to familiarize students with the quantitative marketing literature and develop the process of generating research ideas and topics. Sessions will involve a mix of: i) a discussion of papers in a particular area in quantitative marketing; and/or ii) a discussion of students' research ideas with respect to topics. The format will mix student presentations of papers with lectures by the instructor(s). When discussing papers in the literature, the focus will be on the topic and research question and not the methodological approach. When discussing research ideas, students should be able to articulate why their question is interesting, where it fits in the literature and how they would address their question.

MKTG 645. Empirical Analysis of Dynamic Decision Contexts. 3 Units.

This course will focus on empirical tools for analyzing dynamic decision contexts, wherein current actions of firms or consumers have effects on future payoffs, profits and/or competitive conduct. The course will build the relevant material generally, but our applications will be mostly focused on empirical marketing and industrial organization problems. We will have an applied focus overall, emphasizing the practical aspects of implementation, especially programming. The overall aim of the class is to help students obtain the skills to implement these methods in their research. By the end of the class, students are expected to be able to formulate a dynamic decision problem, program it in a language such as Matlab or C, and to estimate the model from data. The course starts with an overview of consumer theory and static models of consumer choice. We build on this material and introduce discrete choice markovian decision problems, and continuous markovian decision problems, and focus on building the computational toolkit for the numerical analysis of these problems. We then move on to specific applications, and discuss multi-agent dynamic equilibrium models. Finally, we discuss recently proposed advanced methods for alleviating computational burden in dynamic models.

MKTG 646. Bayesian Inference: Methods and Applications. 3 Units.

The course aims to develop a thorough understanding of Bayesian inference, with a special focus on empirical applications in marketing. The course will start with a brief theoretical foundation to Bayesian inference and will subsequently focus on empirical methods. Initial topics would include Bayesian linear regression, multivariate regression, importance sampling and its applications. Subsequently, the course will focus on Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods including the Gibbs Sampler and the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and their applications. The overall focus of the course will be on applying these methods for empirical research using a programming language such as R.

MKTG 661. Attitudes and Persuasion. 3 Units.

This course will provide an overview of recent research on attitudes and persuasion. Content will include broad coverage of the issues of major importance to attitude theory, but will focus on more recent issues and controversies that have captured the interest of researchers in the field. The class will cover research areas such as attitude change, persuasion, and resistance processes; implicit versus explicit attitudes; attitude certainty; cognitive versus affective influences; dissonance and attitudinal ambivalence; selective exposure and biased processing; metacognition; and others. Students who take this course will become familiar with research methods and major issues in attitudes research and will have a better understanding of how individuals form, maintain, and change their evaluations. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to critique existing research and formulate new research ideas.

MKTG 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

MKTG 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

MKTG 695. Directed Research. 0 Unit.

This course is designed to prepare new marketing PhD students for conducting rigorous, independent research. In this course, the student will work closely with a faculty member in collaborative research activities and will become familiar with various aspects of the research process, including developing hypotheses, designing and conducting experiments and/or analyses, and reporting results.

MKTG 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

OIT 245. Optimization and Simulation Modeling. 2 Units.

This course provides basic skills in quantitative modeling. The emphasis is on constructing abstractions of real-world processes, and using the tools of optimization, Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis to generate and interpret recommendations. A variety of applications drawn from revenue management, healthcare, finance and manufacturing are discussed. The instructional medium used is Excel, together with appropriate packages for simulation and optimization.

OIT 247. Optimization and Simulation Modeling - Accelerated. 2 Units.

The course is similar in content and emphasis to OIT 245, but is aimed at students who already have background or demonstrated aptitude for quantitative analysis, and thus are comfortable with a more rapid coverage of the topics, in more depth and breadth.

OIT 256. Electronic Business. 3 Units.

This course focuses on the intersection of strategy and information technology. It considers how you can take advantage of new technology opportunities and how they change the structure of firms, industries and value chains, with an emphasis on business issues. Classes combine lecture and case study discussions and the workload is above the GSB average.
Same as: Accelerated.

OIT 258. Incentive Mechanisms for Societal Networks. 2 Units.

In many of the challenges faced by the modern world, from overcrowded road networks to overstretched healthcare systems, large benefits for society come about from small changes by very many individuals. This course survey the problems and the cost they impose on society. It describes a series of pilot projects which aim to develop principles for inducing small changes in behavior in Societal Networks--transportation networks, wellness programs, recycling systems and, if time permits, energy grids. Students will learn how low-cost sensing and networking technology can be used for sensing individual behavior, and how incentives and social norming can be used to influence the behavior. The effectiveness of this approach in pilots conducted in Bangalore (commuting), Singapore (public transit system), Stanford (congestion and parking), and a wellness program at Accenture-USA will be discussed. Students may experience the incentive platform as participants.

OIT 262. Operations. 3 Units.

This course focuses on basic managerial issues arising in the operations of both manufacturing and service industries. The objectives of the course are to familiarize students with the problems and issues confronting operations managers and to introduce language, conceptual models, and analytical techniques that are broadly applicable in confronting such problems. The spectrum of different process types used to provide goods and services is developed and then examined through methods of process analysis and design.

OIT 265. Data and Decisions. 4 Units.

This is the base version of D&D. This course introduces the fundamental concepts and techniques for analyzing risk and formulating sound decisions in uncertain environments. Approximately half of the course focuses on probability and its application. The remainder of the course examines statistical methods for interpreting and analyzing data including sampling concepts, regression analysis, and hypothesis testing. Applications include inventory management, demand analysis, portfolio analysis, surveys and opinion polls, A/B testing, environmental contamination, online advertising and the role of analytics in business settings more generally. The course emphasizes analytical techniques and concepts that are broadly applicable to business problems.

OIT 267. Data and Decisions - Accelerated. 4 Units.

Data and Decisions - Accelerated is a first-year MBA course in probability, statistics, multiple regression analysis, and decision trees for students with strong quantitative backgrounds. Probability provides the foundation for modeling uncertainties. Statistics provides techniques for interpreting data, permitting managers to use small amounts of information to answer larger questions. Regression analysis provides a method for determining the relationship between a dependent variable and predictor variables. Decision tree analysis consists of quantitative approaches to decision making under uncertainty. Students taking this course need to be comfortable with mathematical notation, algebra, and some calculus. If you are not confident with your quantitative abilities, then you should enroll in OIT 265. Accelerated D&D will cover material covered in OIT 265 faster and in more depth. One main difference is that Accelerated D&D will cover the additional topics of advanced multiple regression analysis (e.g., correction for autocorrelation), discrete dependent variable models, and panel data. A multiple regression group project is required.

OIT 268. Making Data Relevant. 4 Units.

Data is everywhere. Firms collect it. Data on customers' preferences are collected through websites or loyalty programs or cash registers. Data on employees' traits are collected through in-house databanks or social networking sites. All of us are used to thinking about data. How can you make data relevant to doing your job? How can data analysis serve to increase your competitive advantage over that of others? This class goes beyond graphing data in bar charts or time trends. It makes you think about causal relationships. The examples we use are primarily taken from talent management, because it's easy to think about our own careers or those of our employees. But the tools covered extend to all contexts, and your project is on an idea of your choosing. The class focuses on the use of regressions to think experimentally. To take the class, you should have covered regression analysis in a former class (such as an econometrics course for economics majors) or be comfortable with learning basic math concepts quickly. You also should understand distributions of data (such as the Bell curve, or normal distribution), but this topic is not covered. There are no required proofs or derivations; you've done that as undergraduates. This is about using data: we use cases, examples, Notes written for the class, and a quiz, final exam, and several assignments in which you play with data sets to answer questions. Note that this 4-unit course, if successfully completed, counts for the Data Analysis foundations requirement.

OIT 269. Sloan: Operations. 4 Units.

This course focuses on basic managerial issues arising in the operations of both manufacturing and service industries. The objectives of the course are to familiarize students with the problems and issues confronting operations managers and to introduce language, conceptual models, and analytical techniques that are broadly applicable in confronting such problems. The spectrum of different process types used to provide goods and services is developed and then examined through methods of process analysis and design.

OIT 333. Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability. 4 Units.

This course is a Bass Seminar. Project course jointly offered by School of Engineering and Graduate School of Business. Students apply engineering and business skills to design product or service prototypes, distribution systems, and business plans for entrepreneurial ventures that meet that challenges faced by the world's poor. Topics include user empathy, appropriate technology design, rapid prototype engineering and testing, social technology entrepreneurship, business modeling, and project management. Weekly design reviews; final course presentation. Industry and adviser interaction. Limited enrollment via application; see https://extreme.stanford.edu/index.html for details.

OIT 334. Entrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability. 4 Units.

This course is a Bass Seminar. Project course jointly offered by School of Engineering and Graduate School of Business. Students apply engineering and business skills to design product or service prototypes, distribution systems, and business plans for entrepreneurial ventures that meet that challenges faced by the world's poor. Topics include user empathy, appropriate technology design, rapid prototype engineering and testing, social technology entrepreneurship, business modeling, and project management. Weekly design reviews; final course presentation. Industry and adviser interaction. Limited enrollment via application; see https://extreme.stanford.edu/index.html for details.

OIT 343. D-Lab: Design for Service Innovation. 4 Units.

Students in multidisciplinary teams work with a partner organization to design new services that address the needs of an underserved population of users. Teams identify an unmet customer needs, develop and prototype new service designs (e.g. web services, services with a product component, educational campaigns), test these services with real customers and develop an implementation plan. Fundraising strategies are also explored and tested. We will offer two sections: financial services (MW: 1:15 pm - 3:00 pm); health services (MW: 4:15 pm - 6:00 pm). The specific domains for the two sections will be announced in the fall based on the needs of partner organizations. Possible domains for financial services: financial literacy for young adults, planning for major expenses at retirement, financial services for the underserved. For health services: transition to adulthood of pediatric patients with chronic conditions, transitions to nursing care for elderly patients. See https://designforservice.stanford.edu/.

OIT 344. Design for Service Innovation. 4 Units.

Design for service innovation is an experiential course in which students work in multidisciplinary teams to design new services (including but not limited to web services) that will address the needs of an underserved population of users. Through a small number of lectures and guided exercises, but mostly in the context of specific team projects, students will learn to identify the key needs of the target population and to design services that address these needs. Our projects this year will focus on services for young adult survivors of severe childhood diseases. For the first time ever, children who have cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, major cardiac repairs, organ transplants, genetic metabolic disorders, and several forms of cancer are surviving. The first wave of these survivors is reaching young adulthood (ages 18-25). Many aspects of the young adult world are not yet user-friendly for them: applying to and then entering college, adherence to required medication and diet, prospects for marriage and parenthood, participation in high school or college sports, driving, drinking, drugs, and more. Our aspiration is to develop services to improve these young adults? options for a fulfilling and satisfying life. The course is open to graduate students from all schools and departments: business (MBA1, MBA2, PhD, Sloan), Medicine (medical students, residents, fellows and postdocs), engineering (MS and PhD), humanities, sociology, psychology, education, and law. Students can find out more about this course at: https://DesignForService.stanford.edu; GSB Winter Elective BBL Jan 10th, 12 noon - 1 pm; D-School Course Exposition Feb 3rd, time TBA. Admission into the course by application only. Applications will be available at https://DesignForService.stanford.edu on Jan 13th. Applications must be submitted by Feb 4th midnight. Students will be notified about acceptance to the course by Feb 7th . Accepted students will need to reserve their slot in the course by completing an online privacy training course. Details about online training will be provide to accepted students. The training is related to the protection of our partners' privacy. Application Deadline: Noon, Feb 4th.

OIT 356. Electronic Business. 3 Units.

This course focuses on the intersection of strategy and information technology. It considers how you can take advantage of new technology opportunities and how they change the structure of firms, industries and value chains, with an emphasis on business issues. Case studies include Salesforce.com, Apple, Google, Netflix, Linden Lab (Second Life), Amazon (The Kindle), Zappos and PayPal. Classes combine lecture and case study discussions and the workload is above the GSB average.

OIT 361. Technology Concepts for Managers. 4 Units.

Electronics, computing, networks and software applications have become an integral part of business. The course is aimed at the student who wishes to learn those electronic and computer science concepts needed to understand how computers, networks, and the software that runs them operate, but who lacks background in engineering or computer science. The premise of the course is that adequate knowledge of technology is now a prerequisite for a successful manager, but that knowledge does not have to be at the level of rigor required in the practice of engineering or computer science. This course is intended to provide a basic literacy in these areas, with an emphasis on implications for managers and organizations. A meaningful course that focuses on particular technologies is difficult because rapid changes in any technology can quickly render today's lessons obsolete. Therefore, this course will stress fundamentals and trends, rather than a snapshot of the current status of different technologies. As a result, classroom coverage of current "hot" topics in technology is subordinate to giving the technology concepts necessary for one to learn such current (and future) topics on their own. Investigation of technology will be facilitated by lectures readings and homework assignments. Students will have an opportunity to investigate and learn more about a particular technology in more depth as part of a term project. The general flow of the course will focus upon four areas approximately as follows: Part I Electronic Systems: Fundamental Electronics (2 sessions), Digital and Microelectronics (2 sessions), Computer Hardware and Systems (2 sessions), Technology Trends (1 session), Communications including wireless (2 sessions); Part II Networks: Networked Computing (1 session), the Internet (2 sessions); Part III Software: Software and software development (3 sessions), Data Base Technology (1 session); and Part IV The Web: Clients and Servers (1 session), Case study of a web site (1 session), Video/Multimedia (1 session). The course is specifically designed for students with liberal arts or soft science backgrounds who have career ambitions in high-tech or who wish to be more technically aware as managers. Students with hard science, engineering or computer science backgrounds are welcome but must avoid redirecting the class discussion into narrow or advanced material that causes dysfunction to less technical colleagues. Students may elect either to take a final exam or do a term project. Students electing to do a term project will create it as a Web page. Separate training for building a Web page will be offered.

OIT 364. Global Operations. 3 Units.

Globalization of businesses has resulted in companies having to manage global networks of suppliers, integrators, contract manufacturers, logistics service providers, distributors, and service support operators in geographically dispersed locations. The customer network is also globally distributed. This course will focus on (1) how global and international companies can overcome the geographical, cultural, and organizational barriers, and leverage the strengths of the network to create values, and (2) how these companies may use different ways to manage operations in different regions to take full advantage of the local strengths and limitations. The course will be based on cases on innovative strategies and tactics used by global and international companies.

OIT 367. Analytics from Big Data. 4 Units.

This is an advanced first-year MBA course in data-mining, machine learning, and cloud computing. The course presents real-world examples where a significant competitive advantage has been obtained through large-scale data analysis. Examples include advertising, finance, health care, revenue management, and the Internet. Students taking this course need to be comfortable with mathematical notation, algebra, calculus, probability, and statistics. Willingness to work with analytical software such as Matlab or R is required.

OIT 384. Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation. 4 Units.

This is the first quarter of a two-quarter course series (OIT 384/OIT 385). In this course, students learn how to develop comprehensive solutions (most commonly medical devices) to some of the most significant medical problems. The first quarter includes an introduction to needs finding methods, brainstorming and concept creation. Students learn strategies for understanding and interpreting clinical needs, researching literature and searching patents. Working in small entrepreneurial multidisciplinary teams, students gain exposure to clinical and scientific literature review, techniques of intellectual property analysis and feasibility, basic prototyping and market assessment. Students create, analyze and screen medical technology ideas, and select projects for future development. Final presentations at the end of the winter quarter to a panel of prominent inventors and investors in medical technology provide the impetus for further work in the spring quarter. Course format includes expert guest lecturers (Thu: 4:15 to 6:05 pm), faculty-led practical demonstrations and coaching sessions and interactive team meetings under the mentorship of Biodesign fellows (Tues: 4:15 to 6:05 pm). Projects from previous years included: prevention of hip fractures in the elderly; methods to accelerate healing after surgery; less invasive techniques for bariatric surgery; point of care diagnostics to improve emergency room efficiency; novel devices to bring specialty-type of care to primary care community doctors. More than 4,000 patients have been treated to date with technologies developed as part of this program and more than ten venture-backed companies were started by alums of the program. Students must apply and be accepted into the course. The application is available online at https://biodesign.stanford.edu/bdn/courses/bioe374.jsp.

OIT 385. Biodesign Innovation: Concept Development and Implementation. 4 Units.

Two quarter sequence (continuation of OIT385 - see OIT384 for complete description of the sequence). The second quarter focuses on how to take a conceptual solution to an important medical need forward from early concept to technology translation, development and possible commercialization. Students expand on the topics they learned in OIT384 to learn about prototyping; patent strategies; advanced planning for reimbursement and FDA approval; choosing translation and commercialization route (licensing vs. start-up); marketing, sales and distribution strategies; ethical issues including conflict of interest; fundraising approaches and cash requirements; financial modeling; essentials of writing a business or research plan; strategies for assembling a development team. Students continue to work in multidisciplinary teams to select a final concept and develop a business plan. Final presentations are made to a panel of prominent venture investors and serve the role of a VC pitch. New students (i.e. students who did not take OIT384 in the winter quarter) will need to submit an application at https://www.stanford.edu/group/biodesign/courseapplication11.html. Students who took OIT384 in the winter quarter are automatically accepted into the spring quarter.

OIT 522. Field Trips to Grassroots Innovators in Health Care: Improving Access & Outcomes for the Underserved. 2 Units.

Some of the most impressive innovations in health care are developed at hospitals and other non-profit organizations by dedicated health care professionals (drs, nurses, administrators) who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard to solve an important health care problem they face in their everyday patient encounters. Because of limited financial resources and because they often target underserved market segments, these innovations lack a validated business model and commercialization pathway. In this seminar we will gain hands-on experience of some of these grassroots innovations through field trips to a local public hospital (a candidate hospital is San Francisco General Hospital) and a non-profit product incubator (hopelab.org). We will then work in teams to identify and address the main barriers to commercialization for two specific innovations presented in these field trips: An electronic referral system to promote access to specialist care in underserved communities; A video game to promote healthy lifestyles in at-risk youth. We will learn and apply the brainstorming approach to come up with innovative solutions to overcome these barriers. On the last day we will meet key executives in both organizations to present our recommendations.

OIT 530. Advanced Modeling Seminar. 2 Units.

Modern spreadsheet and simulation software now makes it possible for general managers themselves to model complex and uncertain business situations on their personal computers. This seminar will consist of hands-on experience with advanced applications for modeling situations that include both uncertainty and discontinuous change. These situations often are called "ill-behaved" because they defeat the traditional tools of analysis covered in the Foundations Modeling courses. For example, financial spreadsheet models involving discontinuous change, such as winning an auction or unexpectedly altering a production process or marketing campaign (so-called "black swan" events), may arise in business projections, but actual models of such events are rarely, if ever, considered for optimization under uncertainty. As another example, the Operations formulas used to estimate throughput times in models involving congestion and delay often cannot be applied to systems that include unexpected service interruptions or complex routing of items (e.g., modern hospitals). The mission of this seminar is to utilize recent advances in software and the speed of modern multi-core PC's that have produced easy-to-use tools for interactively building and analyzing such models. Each day, students will build models of these more-realistic situations, using the software tools "hands-on" and working with the instructors as coaches in a laboratory setting. We will use a more advanced version of the Excel Solver add-in, called Risk Solver, which combines optimization with Monte Carlo simulation, as well as ExtendSim, a graphical tool for constructing and analyzing discrete event simulation models. Exercises will include optimization under uncertainty such as Value at Risk in financial statement projections, capacity expansion plans involving Real Options, customer service and manufacturing workflow systems, courtroom scheduling, and airport security policies. The first 2.5 sessions of the course will focus on learning and using Risk Solver to analyze risk-based spreadsheet models with an emphasis on interpreting Value at Risk and Conditional Value at Risk constraints in such models. The second 2.5 sessions will focus on learning and using ExtendSim to model operational situations in services and manufacturing, with an emphasis on dealing with congestion and delay in complex settings. Who should take this seminar? Our intended audience consists of students who: a. Want to develop a deeper appreciation for how discontinuous change, risk, and uncertainty affect decision-making in financial and operational settings, and b. Want to learn how advanced optimization and simulation software allows you to examine easily the effects of such events directly, rather than through complex and unwieldy mathematical approximations. How much computer background is necessary? We want the seminar to be illuminating, fun, and easy to master. The seminar is designed specifically for both non-technical ("poet") and technical ("quant") students who have completed the introductory concepts of optimization with Excel Solver, as covered in Foundations Modeling (either basic or advanced), and are comfortable building Excel spreadsheets. We will assume that students have no prior experience with optimization of risk-based models or with discrete event simulation software, and would like to gain that experience now in a hands-on, build-your-own-model setting. Students will use the software both for individual preparation via tutorial documents and for classroom exercises. Each session will be team-taught by Professors Moore and Patell and will be a combination of lectures, demonstration, and coaching to help you experiment with the tools.

OIT 538. Environmental Science for Managers - Accelerated. 3 Units.

This course satisfies the MBA distribution requirement in Optimization and Simulation Modeling (OSM). It is challenging but doable for students without an undergraduate degree in science or engineering; it does not assume experience in environmental science or quantitative analysis beyond admission requirements for the MBA program. Students will learn fundamental science of ecosystems, climate and energy systems, by building decision-support models for managing these systems. In so doing, students will develop widely-applicable skills in model representation in a spreadsheet, optimization, and Monte Carlo simulation. Students are strongly encouraged to take the follow-on course on renewable energy, OIT 540 Environmental Science for Managers II. For the joint MBA-MS in Environment and Resources degree, students are required to take OIT 540, and either OIT 538 or OIT 539.

OIT 539. Environmental Science for Managers - Advanced. 3 Units.

Fundamental science of ecosystems, climate and energy. Spreadsheet modeling, optimization, and Monte Carlo simulation applied to resource management and environmental policy. Similar to OIT 338, but allocates more class time to environmental/energy science and implications for management and policy, and less class time to fundamentals of modeling/optimization/simulation.

OIT 540. Environmental Science for Managers II. 1 Unitss.

This course provides an introduction to renewable sources of electricity and fuel, and is required for the joint MBA-MS in Environment and Resources degree. Students are strongly encouraged, but not required, to take OIT 538 or OIT 539 prior to taking this course.

OIT 542. Price and Revenue Optimization. 2 Units.

This is the Advanced Application option in the menu of courses that satisfy the Management Foundations requirement in Optimization and Simulation Modeling(OSM). Three core modeling topics are covered in rapid-review fashion - model representation in a spreadsheet environment, optimization theory, and stochastic models - but primary emphasis is on the application domain described immediately below. OIT 542 is a two-unit course, with nine class sessions plus a final exam. Systems for price and revenue optimization - also called yield management, dynamic pricing, or revenue management - combine the use of information technology, statistical forecasting, and mathematical optimization to make tactical decisions about pricing and product availability. A familiar example is the passenger airline industry, where a carrier may sell seats on the same flight at many different fares, with fare availability changing as time advances and uncommitted capacity declines. Over the last 30-35 years, revenue optimization practices have transformed the transportation and hospitality industries, where fixed capacity and advance reservations by customers are important structural factors. But model-based, data-driven pricing systems are increasingly common in other industries that have different structures, such as financial services and retail clothing. In this course students learn about the model structures and modelling techniques that underlie systems for price and revenue optimization. Two topics are given roughly equal emphasis: model-based tactical pricing, including customized pricing and retail markdown management; and classical revenue management, where automated logic is used for booking control (that is, to make yes-or-no decisions in response to booking requests from customers), rather than to set prices explicitly. OIT 542 is tailored to students who already have command of basic modelling techniques and wish to learn about their application in an important business context. To be specific, a prior college course on optimization modelling is assumed as background. (Typically, such courses focus on linear programming, or linear optimization, with secondary coverage of non-linear programming and discrete optimization.) Various aspects of optimization theory will be covered in quick-review format, along with the basics of spreadsheet model representation and stochastic modelling, in order to standardize terminology and establish certain conventions that facilitate grading. In exceptional cases, for students who have strong math background and high mathematical aptitude but no prior coursework on optimization, the background knowledge assumed in OIT 542 may be acquired through self-study; appropriate study materials will be suggested by the instructor upon request. The course is entirely appropriate for second-year MBA students who have completed either base or accelerated MODS in their first year. OIT 542 draws on knowledge acquired and skills developed in two other Management Foundations courses that are taken simultaneously: Data and Decisions (OIT 265) and Microeconomics (MGTECON 200 or 203). Students are required to construct and analyze at least one model for every class session.

OIT 556. Electronic Business and Commerce. 2 Units.

Beyond the hype surrounding the rise and fall of "dot-com" businesses, Information Technology has fundamentally changed the costs of transactions and communications, affecting the ways firms are internally managed and the ways they deal with customers and business partners. This course focuses on approaches to value creation using Information Technology and their application to a variety of business settings. It explores ways in which firms can use electronic business to create value, and strategies for capturing a portion of that value. The course will examine such issues as: how Information Technology affects information flows within the firm; electronic commerce – applications and pitfalls; how electronic business is likely to change traditional supply chains, logistics and payment systems; and the impact of electronic business on established industries and companies.

OIT 562. Supply Chain Management & Technology. 2 Units.

Supply chain management (SCM) deals with the management of materials, information and financial flows in a network consisting of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and customers. The coordination and integration of these flows within and across companies are critical in effective supply chain management. In this course, we introduce key concepts and new developments in information technologies (IT) for use in SCM. In particular, the advances of information technologies such as enterprise systems, the Internet, collaborative network, operational analytics and wireless technologies have a profound impact on how supply chains are structured and run. You are all challenged to think, discuss, share, and debate on the issues brought up.

OIT 571. Homeland Security: Operations, Strategy and Implementation. 2 Units.

This course is a Bass Seminar. This course covers a variety of topics in homeland security: bioterrorism (attacks with contagious agents such as smallpox or non-contagious agents such as anthrax, and attacks on the food supply), pandemic influenza, nuclear security at ports and around cities, the biometric aspects of the US-VISIT Program, the intersection of homeland security and immigration, and suicide bombings. For each of these topics, students will typically read one academic paper that focuses on the operations aspects of the problem, and one reading about the strategic aspects of the problem. For each topic, the professor will spend part of the class lecturing on the problem (including how the results of the academic paper were implemented), and a student will be assigned as a discussant (in addition to a classwide discussion).

OIT 581. Biodesign Innovation: Needs Finding and Concept Creation. 2 Units.

OIT581 is a two-unit version of the Biodesign Innovation course (OIT384). In this course, students learn how to develop comprehensive solutions (most commonly medical devices) to some of the most significant medical problems. In OIT581, students learn the basic principles of biodesign innovation: methods of validating medical needs; techniques for analyzing intellectual property; basics of regulatory (FDA) and reimbursement planning; early market analysis; design principles; brainstorming and early prototyping; university licensing. Course format includes expert guest lecturers and faculty-led practical demonstrations. Students apply the concepts learned by serving as "commercialization and marketing consultants" to multidisciplinary teams of students in the four-unit course (OIT 384). Consultants interact with their teams on a regular basis and provide a consulting report on market analysis and competitive dynamics. Projects from previous years included: prevention of hip fractures in the elderly; methods to accelerate healing after surgery; less invasive procedures to perform bariatric surgery; low cost healing devices for diabetic ulcers; point of care diagnostics to improve emergency room efficiency; novel devices to bring specialty-type of care to primary care community doctors. More than 40,000 patients have been treated to date with technologies developed as part of this program and more than ten venture-backed companies were started by alums of the program. Students must apply and be accepted into the course. The application is available online at https://www.stanford.edu/group/biodesign/courseapplication.html, and the application deadline is November 20, 2010. Students must indicate whether they are applying for the four-unit version (OIT384) or two-unit version (OIT581).

OIT 582. Biodesign Innovation, Project A. 2 Units.

Students work in multidisciplinary teams at the intersection of medicine, engineering and business to develop a comprehensive solution to an important medical need of their choice. With coaching from faculty and real-world experts, the teams identify an important medical need and through brainstorming they develop several potential conceptual approaches to solving the need and pursue initial prototyping, along with planning for regulatory and reimbursement pathways. The project culminates with a presentation to a panel of venture investors and entrepreneurs. In previous years, student teams examine needs in emergency and acute care, orthopedics, cardiovascular, wound closure etc. Concurrent registration at OIT581 is required. An application needs to be submitted online.

OIT 583. Biodesign Innovation Core, Spring. 2 Units.

Two quarter sequence (continuation of OIT581 -- see OIT 581 for a general description of the Biodesign Innovation course and OT384/385 for a description of the four unit option). The second quarter focuses on how to take a conceptual solution to an important medical need forward from early concept to technology translation, development and possible commercialization. Students expand on the topics they learned in OIT581 to learn about prototyping; patent strategies; advanced planning for reimbursement and FDA approval; choosing translation and commercialization route (licensing vs. start-up); marketing, sales and distribution strategies; ethical issues including conflict of interest; fundraising approaches and cash requirements; financial modeling; essentials of writing a business or research plan; strategies for assembling a development team. Students serve as "commercialization consultants" to a multidisciplinary team in OIT385. Students interact regularly with their team and prepare a consulting report that outlines a funding strategy and validates the financial model developed by the team. (OIT581 or OIT384 are a pre-requisite). New students (i.e. students who did not take OIT581/OIT384) in the winter quarter will need to submit an application at https://www.stanford.edu/group/biodesign/courseapplication.html by Feburary 19, 2011. In the application they should indicate whether they are applying for the 2-unit or 4-unit version. Students who took OIT581/OIT384 in the winter quarter are automatically accepted into the spring quarter and they can choose the version they want: 2 unit or 4 unit.

OIT 584. Biodesign Innovation Project, Spring. 2 Units.

Students work in multidisciplinary teams at the intersection of medicine, engineering and business to further develop and refine the solutions they identified in OIT 582. The focus this quarter is on implementation. The teams select the most promising solution from the concepts of the first term and move forward into prototyping and project planning. Teams develop specific strategies for patenting, FDA submission, commercialization and third-party reimbursement, along with funding strategies (e.g. licensing agreement or launching a start-up). The project culminates with a presentation to a panel of venture investors. OIT 583 should be taken concurrently. Permission of instructor needed if student has not taken OIT 582.

OIT 587. Global Biodesign. 1 Unitss.

Seminar examines the development and commercialization of medical technologies in the global setting focusing primarily on Europe, India and China. Faculty and guest speakers from industry and government discuss the status of the industry, as well as opportunities in and challenges to medical technology innovation unique to each geography. Topics related to development of technologies for bottom of the pyramid markets will also be addressed.

OIT 601. Fundamentals of OIT. 2 Units.

The goal of this course is to provide first-year Ph.D. students in OIT with sufficient fundamentals to subsequently take advanced research seminars. The course covers the very basics of six topics: queueing theory, inventory theory, multi-echelon inventory theory, game theory, stochastic dynamic programming and econometrics. Lectures will be given by advanced Ph.D. students in OIT.

OIT 602. Dynamic Pricing and Revenue Management I. 2 Units.

In tandem with OIT 603, this course explores the application of stochastic modeling and optimization to two closely related problem areas: (a) dynamic price selection, and (b) dynamic allocation of limited capacity to competing demands. As background, students are assumed to know stochastic process theory at the level of Statistics 217-218, microeconomics at the level of Economics 202N, and optimization theory at the level of MS&E 211, and to have some familiarity with the basic ideas of dynamic programming. Additional dynamic programming theory will be developed as needed for the applications covered. Emphasis will be on current research topics, especially in the realm of airline revenue management.

OIT 603. Dynamic Pricing and Revenue Management II. 2 Units.

In tandem with OIT 602, this course explores the application of stochastic modeling and optimization to two closely related problem areas: (a) dynamic price selection, and (b) dynamic allocation of limited capacity to competing demands. As background, students are assumed to know stochastic process theory at the level of Statistics 217-218, microeconomics at the level of Economics 202N, and optimization theory at the level of MS&E 211, and to have some familiarity with the basic ideas of dynamic programming. Additional dynamic programming theory will be developed as needed for the applications covered. Emphasis will be on current research topics, especially involving customized pricing of financial services. OIT 602 is not a prerequisite for OIT 603 but is highly recommended.

OIT 624. Theory of Inventory Management. 3 Units.

The course provides students a strong theoretical background in several fundamental aspects underlying inventory theory. Topics include deterministic inventory models (EOQ, Power-of-two policies, ELS, serial and assembly networks), the Newsvendor model, multi-period stochastic inventory theory, serial and multi-echelon models, approximation algorithms, batch ordering and lost-sales models, infinitesimal perturbation analysis, distribution-free inventory theory, models for joint pricing and inventory decisions. The course also provides an overview of relevant mathematical concepts used in inventory theory, including convexity, duality, probability theory, finite and infinite state Markov decision processes, and comparative statics.

OIT 655. Foundations of Supply Chain Management. 3 Units.

This course provides an overview of research in supply chain management (SCM). It has three parts. The first part reviews basic tools of SCM research through selected readings in economics, IT and operations research. The second part reviews the literature in SCM, covering topics such as inventory models, information sharing, information distortion, contract design, value of integration, performance measurement, risk management, and the use of markets for procurement. The last part is devoted to recent advances in SCM research.

OIT 660. Applied OIT. 4 Units.

Description is currently unavailable because of ongoing review of the OIT PhD program by OIT faculty. Description will become available when the review is completed at the end of the Summer.

OIT 663. Methods of Operations/Information Systems. 4 Units.

This course covers basic analytical tools and methods that can be used in research in operations and information systems. The emphasis is on foundations of stochastic inventory theory. Basic topics include convexity, duality, induced preference theory, and structured probability distributions. Much of the course is devoted to Markov decision processes, covering finite and infinite horizon models, proving the optimality of simple policies, bounds and computations, and myopic policies.

OIT 664. Stochastic Networks. 4 Units.

Processing network models may be used to represent service delivery systems, multi-stage manufacturing processes, or data processing networks. The first half of this two-unit course consists of lectures on performance analysis (e.g., estimating congestion and delay) for classical product-form networks and for Brownian networks. The second half consists of student presentations of recent papers on managing processing networks, typically with game-theoretic aspects. Prerequisites: Statistics 217 and 218, or consent of instructor; some prior exposure to stochastic models in general, and queueing theory in particular, is useful but not essential.

OIT 665. Seminar on Information-Based Supply Chain Management. 4 Units.

This seminar will highlight the research evolution and advances on the ssmart use of information in supply chain management. Such usage has helped companies sharing information to coordinate their supply chain and to realign their incentives. It has also helped reduce the so-called bullwhip effect. Latest information technology like RFID (radio-frequency identification) has also enabled visibility and structural changes that result in significant supply chain performance enhancements. This seminar will focus on the modeling approaches used by researchers that tried to capture the values and potentials of such applications.

OIT 672. Stochastic Control in Operations and Economics. 4 Units.

The first half of this course covers (a) the basic theory of Brownian motion, (b) Ito stochastic calculus, and (c) the rudiments of continuous-time stochastic control, all undertaken at a brisk pace, aimed at students who already know the basics or else have a strong enough math background to learn them quickly. The text for this part of the course will be Brownian Motion and Stochastic Flow Systems, by J. Michael Harrison, John Wiley and Sons, 1985. (The book is available as a scanned PDF file at https://faculty-gsb.stanford.edu/harrison/HarrisonBook.pdf.) The second half of the course will explore in depth several models arising in operations research and economic theory. MS&E 322 (Stochastic Calculus and Control) provides ideal preparation, but this course is also suitable for students who have taken Statistics 310 A, B (measure theoretic probability) and have no previous exposure to stochastic calculus or stochastic control.

OIT 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

OIT 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

OIT 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

OB 205. Managing Groups and Teams. 1 Unitss.

This course introduces you to the structures and processes that affect group performance and highlights some of the common pitfalls associated with working in teams. Topics include team culture, fostering creativity and coordination, making group decisions, and dealing with a variety of personalities. You will participate in a number of group exercises to illustrate principles of teamwork and to give you practice not only diagnosing team problems but also taking action to improve total team performance.

OB 206. Organizational Behavior. 2 Units.

This course is designed to introduce incoming students to the structures and processes that affect group performance as well as some of the common pitfalls associated with working in teams. Topics include understanding team culture, fostering creativity and coordination, making group decisions, and dealing with a variety of personalities. Students will participate in a number of group exercises designed to illustrate principles of team work and to give students practice diagnosing team problems and taking action to improve team performance.

OB 209. Leadership Laboratory. 2 Units.

In the Leadership Labs class we ask you to consider the question, "Why would someone follow YOU?" This is a course in which you consider what kind of leader you want to be, what kind of leader you are, and how to align your leadership behavior with your leadership goals. In this class you will have an opportunity to lead your squad and in doing so to discover your strengths and challenges as a leader. You will receive feedback about your approach to leadership and you will have opportunity to try out new skills and tools. Students will be placed into 6-7 person "squads" and the majority of class time will be spent in these squads. Your squad will meet to work on basic leadership challenges (e.g. managing conflict, assessing a team's progress). There will be the opportunity for a lot of feedback so you can achieve a deeper understanding of the impact of your behavior on others. The squads will do role-play cases and group exercises designed to help you think more deeply about the dynamics in your workgroup and to allow you to practice and experiment with new ways of leading. Each session will be divided into two segments, and one squad member will be the leader for each segment. MBA1 squad members will rotate through the segment leader position. Your squad will have an MBA2 Leadership Fellow assigned to it and he or she will also be present for these meetings in order to provide coaching to the leader and to the squad as whole. Over the course of the quarter your squad will also produce an outside of class project oriented toward changing lives, changing organizations, and changing the world. The project is intended to further challenge your leadership skills and lead to greater reflection about the nature of effective leadership. Your squad's project will be evaluated by your peers as well as faculty, and the teams who are evaluated most positively will have the opportunity to present to a group of alumni experts. Finally, the quarter culminates with the Executive Challenge. The Executive Challenge will be an opportunity for you to further refine your leadership skills by engaging with alumni judges in role plays that test your ability to lead effectively. The alumni will provide you feedback and evaluate your performance.

OB 219. Sloan: Organizational Design. 2 Units.

This course examines fundamental issues of general management and leadership within an organization. You will learn about setting an organization's strategic direction, aligning structure to implement strategy, and leading individuals within the firm. You will study the interplay among formal structure, routines, informal networks, and culture in shaping organizational performance.

OB 259. Sloan: High Performance Leadership. 4 Units.

This course asks the question: What does it take to build a high-performance unit? The focus is on middle and upper-middle management in contemporary complex organizations. These are organizations that have complex tasks, exist in a rapidly changing environment, and have highly skilled subordinates. The premise of the course is that traditional methods of management may produce adequate levels of performance but prevent excellence from developing. New approaches to leadership will be presented that are more likely to lead to a truly high-performing system. Time will be spent discussing the components of effective leadership, what a manager can do to build a high-performing department, and what members can do to support the leader who wants to initiate such changes. The first two classes are required. In addition to class, students will meet for 2 1/2 hours each week in a Skill Development Group to apply the course material to their own personal development. (While there is minimal overlap in content between OB 259 and OB 374 and these two classes are highly complimentary, both require Journals and an evening group. We therefore recommend against taking both classes in the same quarter for workload reasons.).

OB 278. Sloan: Organizational Behavior. 2 Units.

This course is designed to introduce incoming students to the structures and processes that affect group performance as well as some of the common pitfalls associated with working in teams. Topics include understanding team culture, fostering creativity and coordination, making group decisions, and dealing with a variety of personalities. Students will participate in a number of group exercises designed to illustrate principles of team work and to give students practice diagnosing team problems and taking action to improve team performance.

OB 289. Sloan: Negotiations. 2 Units.

This course is designed to improve students' skills in all phases of a negotiation: understanding prescriptive and descriptive negotiation theory as it applies to dyadic and multi-party settings, buyer-seller transactions and the resolution of disputes, to the development of negotiation strategy and the management of integrative and distributive aspects of the negotiation process. This course is based on a series of simulated negotiations in a variety of contexts, including one-on-one, multiparty, and team negotiations. When playing a role in a simulated conflict, you will be free to try out tactics that might feel uncomfortable in a real negotiation. You will get feedback from your classmates about how you come across. In sum, you can use this course to expand your repertoire of conflict management and negotiation skills, to hone those skills, and to become more adept in choosing strategies and tactics that are appropriate for a particular negotiation situation. This course is an intense, more compact version to the elective OB381 and is almost identical to the OB581 immersion course. Thus, students should not take either of these courses as there is considerable overlap among the three. Attendance and participation in the negotiation exercises are mandatory.

OB 322. Networks. 4 Units.

This course is designed to improve your effectiveness a manager by introducing you to both the concepts and tools that are part of the "new science of social networks" as they apply to organizations. In this course, you will develop the skills to understand social networks and recognize social capital, both offline and online, as well as be able to identify key elements of your own and others? social networks that enhance competitive capabilities. Topics to be covered include how social networks affect power and influence, leadership, innovation and the generation of novel ideas, careers, organizational change and competitive advantage. Additional topics to be covered include the increasing importance of online social networks in organizational life and the importance of social cognition and how it can be used to enhance social capital. At the conclusion of this course you will have the skills to map out social networks, diagnose features of the networks that either help or hinder the performance of individuals, groups and companies, and be able to manage important features of social networks in organizations.

OB 330. Leadership Fellows I. 4 Units.

The Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program plays an integral role in the GSB leadership curriculum by bringing together a group of talented second years to support the leadership development of the first-year class. OB330, an 8 unit two-quarter MBA2 elective course, is the academic component of this program and runs the entirety of both Autumn and Winter Quarters. Both quarters must be completed to receive any units of credit. The course is open only to those students who have applied and been accepted into the Fellows Program. Interested students apply during at the start of Winter Quarter of their first year and undergo a competitive application process, after which successful applicants are invited to take part in the program. Informational meetings are held late in Autumn Quarter and in early Winter Quarter and Fellows are selected from the first year class in mid- Winter Quarter. Knowing how to develop others is a crucial leadership competency. In this class, Fellows develop the advanced leadership skills of leading leaders and developing others through coaching and mentoring. Among the competencies developed in this class are: 1) Team Coaching Skills (e.g. facilitating a group, diagnosing group dynamics, debriefing, coaching without undermining the leader), 2) Individual Coaching Skills (e.g. effective inquiry, asking powerful questions, balancing support and challenge, providing effective feedback, holding others accountable, utilizing, valuing and connecting across differences and power differentials, using oneself in service of another's development) and 3) Personal Development Skills (e.g. self-reflection and self-awareness, leveraging strengths, stretching outside one's comfort zone.) In the Autumn Quarter Fellows are assigned to a squad of six MBA1s in Leadership Labs. Fellows guide their MBA1 squad through the learning process in the Labs and provide both individual and team coaching to their MBA1 squad members. In addition to the work with their MBA 1 squad, Fellows provide in-depth 1:1 coaching to three additional MBA1 students who are not members of their squad. This 1:1 coaching begins after Autumn midterms and continues through the end of Winter Quarter. Fellows classes meet twice a week for 105 minutes. There will be a reading list of conceptual material which will be supplemented during class with lectures and discussions. Students will have the opportunity to apply those concepts through role-playing and experiential exercises during class time as well as in their coaching and mentoring of their MBA1 coachees. Additionally, Fellows will attend weekly Leadership Labs with the first year squad to which they have been assigned and meet 1:1 with MBA1 coachees. Fellows meet regularly with five of their peers in "clinics," standing groups led by a GSB Leadership Coaches, professional executive coaches who are a staff members of the school's Center for Leadership Development and Research (CLDR). Fellows meet with their Leadership Coach and clinic approximately every other week during regular class time to discuss specific strategies for working with their first year students. Fellows also periodically meet with their Leadership Coach one-on-one to hone their skills and explore their areas for specific improvement. Note: OB374, Interpersonal Dynamics, is a PRE/CO-REQUISITE for this course; students who want to be Fellows are advised to assess whether that is a class they want to take in the spring quarter of their first year. Additionally, signing up for 1:1 coaching by a Fellow as an admit strengthens a MBA1 student's application to the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows program.

OB 331. Leadership Fellows II. 4 Units.

This course is the continuation of Leadership Fellows I, an 8-unit course that begins in Autumn Quarter. During this quarter Fellows will continue to deepen their coaching and mentoring skills, and will focus exclusively on in-depth 1:1 coaching with three MBA1 coachees (who were not members of their MBA1 squad.) Classes and clinics continue as in Autumn Quarter.

OB 333. Acting with Power. 4 Units.

The ability to function effectively within a hierarchy is a crucial determinant of managerial success, yet many people struggle with "authority issues" that make certain hierarchical roles and positions difficult for them. This course draws on the craft of acting and the science of psychology to help students learn to use themselves to develop the characters that can play these roles effectively. This class is designed specifically for students who have trouble "playing" authoritative roles: those who find it difficult to act with power, status, and authority. It will also be useful for students who find it difficult to share power and authority, which involves accepting and deferring to the power and authority of others. Participants will be asked to read, think deeply about, and share some of their own feelings about power and authority, and the origins of those feelings. They will also be asked to prepare for and present a series of in-class performances that involve playing characters with and without power, in scenes that highlight the interactions and relationships between high and low power characters. These performances will take up much of our time during class. Out-of-class assignments will include reading important works on psychology, and on the theory and practice of acting, as well as writing short essays analyzing their own and others' performances.

OB 343. Scaling Change. 4 Units.

A problem for every manager is to make 'good' behaviors spread quickly and to shrink 'undesirable' behaviors quickly. This course provides you practical frameworks to accomplish these managerial goals. We will examine issues such as scaling Idea generation, scaling knowledge sharing, scaling the adoption of ideas across firms, scaling change in global firms. We will be using a newly written series of cases for this course and also draw on guest speakers. We will be require a project that may involve design thinking - so we encourage those who have not had exposure to design thinking to apply.

OB 362. Leadership Coaching and Mentoring. 3 Units.

This two-quarter course is offered for 6 units and runs for the Winter and Spring Quarters. Both quarters must be completed to receive any units of credit. THERE IS BOTH A PREQUALIFICATION AND A PRE/CO-REQUISITE for this course. It is open to a maximum of 24 MBA2s who have passed an assessment of their potential to coach effectively, though they need not have been coached as first years. (The number of students may be increased to 36 if sufficient first-year coachees are identified.) The pre/co-requisite is OB 374-Interpersonal Dynamics. (If taken as a co-requisite, OB 374 must be taken in the winter quarter.) There will be a reading list of conceptual material which will be supplemented during class with lectures and discussions. Students will have the opportunity to apply those concepts through role-playing and exercises during class time. Each MBA2 will be assigned three MBA1s to coach. The MBA2 coaches will meet with their MBA1s five times each quarter (i.e. a total of 10 coaching sessions) in a series of semi-structured coaching activities. In addition, the MBA2 students will meet, in groups of 6, with a Master Coach for a two-hour clinic approximately every other Friday during the Winter Quarter during class time. During Spring Quarter, students will meet every Monday (only) from 3:15 to 5:00 pm (alternating between class and clinics) with two additional Friday classes to be held on Friday, April 1, and Friday, April, 15 from 3:15 to 5:00 pm. Note: Students MUST attend the first class (including waitlisted) or they will be dropped. The drop deadline for this course is Friday, January 7, at 11:59 p.m. (i.e. earlier than standard GSB add/drop deadline).

OB 363. Leadership Perspectives. 4 Units.

What does it mean to be a principled leader? What role do values play in an organization, and how do successful leaders apply their values in their daily business lives? This course examines the concept of principled leadership and the various ways that leaders try to institutionalize particular values within the organizations they lead. Equally important, it explores the difficult challenges that leaders sometimes face when trying to apply their principles in a tough, fast-paced business environment, where others may not share the same expectations. Through assigned readings, interactive lectures with visiting executives, and weekly small group discussions, students will learn how practicing leaders implement their principles, while reflecting the realities of different cultural expectations and meeting business demands. The course will provide a forum for students to learn directly from practicing leaders and to think introspectively about their own personal values, leadership styles, and long-term aspirations.

OB 368. How to Make Ideas Stick. 4 Units.

Having a good idea is not enough, we must also be able to convey our ideas in a way that people can understand and act on them. But often our messages don't persuade or persist. This course assumes that we can craft more effective messages by understanding the principles that make certain ideas stick in the natural social environment: Urban legends survive in the social marketplace without advertising dollars to support them or PR professionals to spin them. How could we make true or useful information survive as well as bogus rumors? We will use research in sociology, folklore, and psychology to analyze what kinds of ideas survive the selection process in the marketplace of ideas and to develop a set of strategic tools to craft ideas that are more likely to survive. Topics covered include crafting messages for complex information that don't exceed the capacity of human attention and memory, using emotional appeals that inspire people and motivate action, acquiring attention in a crowded environment, and gaining legitimacy for new ideas, approaches, and technologies.

OB 372. High-Performance Leadership. 4 Units.

This course asks the question: "What does it take to build high-performance?" The focus is on middle and upper-middle management in contemporary organizations that have complex tasks, exist in a rapidly changing environment, and have highly skilled subordinates. The premise of the course is that traditional methods of management may produce adequate levels of performance but prevent excellence from developing. New approaches to leadership will be presented that are more likely to lead to a truly high-performing system. Time will be spent discussing the components of effective leadership, what a manager can do to build a compelling vision, strong tea,s, and mutual influence sideways and upwards as well as with direct reports. Also, what members can do to support the leader who wants to initiate such changes. In addition to class, students will meet for 2 1/2 hours each week in a Skill Development Group to apply the course material to their own personal development. (While there is minimal overlap in content between OB 372 and OB 374 and these two classes are highly complementary, both require Journals and an evening group. We recommend against taking both classes in the same quarter for workload reasons.).

OB 374. Interpersonal Dynamics. 5 Units.

PRE-QUALIFICATION IS REQUIRED BY THE DEADLINE (APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE QUARTER BEGINS). The focus of this course is to increase one's competencies in building more effective relationships. Learning is primarily through feedback from other group members. This course is very involving and, at times, can be quite emotional. However, this course is not a substitute for therapy; we deal more with inter-personal issues than with intra-personal ones. If you are in therapy, please talk this over with your therapist and get their advice before enrolling in this course. The students are divided into three 12-person T-groups that meet the same evening of the class. It is very important to note that when you decide to take this course, you make an explicit contract to be actively involved. Attendance to the first class is required for the 1-day/week section of this class. Attendance to the first three classes is required for the 2-day/week sections of this class. Failure to attend the first class will result in an automatic drop. Students who are waitlisted must attend either a 1-day/week class or the first two classes of a 2-day/week section to secure a place in the course should space open up. It is the student's responsibility to notify respective OB 374 faculty if your attendance is aimed at fulfilling your waitlist requirement. You also need to inform the faculty member for which specific section you are waitlisted. T-group meetings for all sections will meet for 3 hours the same evening as 1-day/week class and the same evening of the first day of the 2-day/week section. The class has a weekend retreat the seventh or eighth week (check your specific section) of the course. Because of the highly interactive nature of this course, it is very important that all students attend all sessions. Missing class, class-t-group, evening T-group, or portions of the weekend will negatively influence your grade and may result in a student's grade being dropped one grade level (for each absence). Arriving late on Friday to the weekend will negatively influence your grade level- missing any more of the weekend beyond that will result in a U. Students must pre-qualify before taking this course. Qualification essays are due 10 days before the first day of the class. More information about the qualification process can be found at https://faculty-gsb2.stanford.edu/OB_374_Qualification/default.asp.

OB 377. The Paths to Power. 4 Units.

Power and influence processes are ubiquitous and important in organizations, so leaders need to be able both to understand power and to act on that knowledge. This course has three objectives: 1) increasing students' ability to diagnose and analyze power and politics in organizational situations; 2) increase students' skills in exercising power effectively; and 3) helping students come to terms with the inherent dilemmas and choices, and their own ambivalence, involved in developing and exercising influence. Topics covered include: the sources of power, including individual attributes and structural position; dealing with resistance and conflict; obtaining allies and supporters; maintaining power; how and why power is lost; living in the limelight--the price of having power; preparing oneself to obtain power; and the use of language and symbolism in exercising power. The class involves a reasonably large number of written, self-reflective assignments as well as a group project (doing a power diagnosis on an external subject) and an individual project (using the class material during the quarter to gain power in some group or organization or develop a plan for doing so). The emphasis is on both learning the material and incorporating it into one's own actions and plans.

OB 381. Conflict Management and Negotiation. 3 Units.

Conflict is unavoidable in every organization. The key question is how it will be handled: will it escalate to dysfunctional levels or will it be effectively managed? Hence, a first aim of the course is to develop your ability to analyze conflicts, to look beneath the surface rhetoric of a conflict, to isolate the important underlying interests, and to determine what sort of agreement (if any) is feasible. We'll analyze which negotiation strategies are effective in different conflicts. We'll also examine psychological and structural factors that create conflict and often pose a barrier to its resolution. But understanding how to analyze a conflict is not enough. To manage conflict effectively, you need a broad repertoire of behavioral skills. Developing these is the second aim of the course. To achieve this, negotiation exercises are used in every session. When playing a role in a simulated conflict, you will be free to try out tactics that might feel uncomfortable in a real one. You will get feedback from your classmates about how you come across. In sum, you can use this course to expand your repertoire of skills, to hone your skills, and to become more adept in choosing when to apply each skill.

OB 383. Lives of Consequence: How Individuals Discover Paths to Meaningful Engagement. 4 Units.

This Bass Seminar will examine the lives of extra-ordinary individuals who have made exceptional contributions to society, either through their impact on business, politics, science, social activism, or the arts. We will take a close look, for example, at creative individuals such as Steve Jobs, George Lucas, and Pixar's Brad Bird; political achievers such as Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Margaret Thatcher; business leaders such as Bill and Melinda Gates, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, and Starbuck's Howard Schultz (to name just a few). We will use these examples to develop useful ideas about the narrative unfolding of creative and extra-ordinary lives. In addition, using theories and evidence from the social and behavioral sciences, we will develop a conceptual framework for thinking about individuals' "paths to extra-ordinary achievement." Drawing on psychological and philosophical theory and research, we will also examine how human achievement relates to happiness and the perception of meaning in one's life. You will have a chance to work in small groups to study individuals or domains of special interest. Students will also have an opportunity to apply the framework to their own lives using a series of enjoyable reflective exercises, including writing and public speaking exercises. The seminar will be very discussion oriented and quite lively. The goal of the seminar is to change how you think about your self and your life!.

OB 385. Leading Social Change: Educational and Social Entrepreneurship. 4 Units.

(Same as OB 385) The course provides an overview of different approaches to leading change in the social sector, drawing primarily, but not exclusively, on case examples in education. While there is a substantial need for innovation and visionary leadership in sectors such as education, social entrepreneurs who want to drive change must appreciate the significant barriers and unique opportunities presented by non-market forces in these sectors. The course will equip students with an appreciation for different mechanisms of change and theories of action as well as some of the challenges of initiating and sustaining meaningful change in social sectors such as education. The course will draw on readings and case studies, and we will benefit from the wisdom of an inspirational group of guest lecturers. While the course will benefit any student concerned with making a positive impact in the world, it is particularly (although not exclusively) appropriate for students in the joint MA/MBA program as well as those who will lead social change through nonprofit consulting or entrepreneurship.
Same as: EDUC 321X.

OB 387. Women and Men in Management. 4 Units.

The objective of this course is to examine the ways in which gender impacts the work experiences of both men and women. The course focuses on the working experience of men and women in managerial and professional positions in businesses and some non-profit organizations. We will examine a wide variety of career-related gender issues including the effects of proportions of men and women in a job on the experiences of men and women, whether and how men and women's networks differ, the various causes of the gender gap in pay and promotions, and the multiple issues related to juggling the demands of work and family and how this impacts both men and women. The goal of this course is to raise awareness of the reasons for gender differences in the workplace and to suggest some ways to change these differences. This course will use a variety of teaching mechanisms including, but not limited to, business cases, scholarly articles, videos, lectures, and class discussions.

OB 388. Leadership in the Entertainment Industry. 3 Units.

The entertainment industry is one of the largest and most important industries in the world. It is an industry characterized by tremendous opportunities and great uncertainties. The industry is currently undergoing tremendous change as new technologies transform the way entertainment is produced and disseminated throughout the world. For all of these reasons, the dynamic industry creates tremendous challenges for entrepreneurial students interested in leaving an artistic or creative imprint on the world. This course is designed to help prepare students for careers in the media industries, and to explore leadership within them. The industry is truly an intersection of art and commerce, and a major portion of the course will involve bringing to the class leaders who represent key areas of the entertainment industry, both on the business and creative sides. As with any business, the entertainment industry is driven by the vision of its leaders. These leaders daily make financial and artistic decisions, and manage staff and productions with the goal of producing entertainment product meant to be seen as widely as possible, and meant to make a profit. It is hoped that through interaction with these speakers, students taking this course will gain a greater understanding of the industry and what it takes to succeed in it. Further, the students will see the potential of strong leadership and how it works to advance entertainment companies and the films and TV programming they produce. Topics to be examined include the process of project development, production, and marketing; emerging technologies and their impact on the industry; the roles studio and network executives, directors, film and television producers, writers, actors, agents, and others play in the making and distribution of film and television productions.

OB 392. Leadership Coaching and Mentoring II. 3 Units.

This course is the continuation of a 6 unit course that runs for the Winter and Spring Quarters. Classes/clinics meet 10 times in the spring. It is open to up to 24 MBA2 students who have been selected on the basis of their having passed a screening to assess their potential to coach effectively. They also need to haven taken OB 374 - Interpersonal Dynamics or will take OB 374 in the Autumn or Winter. There will be a reading list. That conceptual material will be supplemented during class time with lectures and discussions. Students will have the opportunity to apply those concepts through role-plays and exercises during class time. Each second-year student will be assigned three first-year students. The second-year coaches will meet with their coaches 5 times each quarter in a series of semi-structured coaching activities. In the spring there will be two mandatory Friday sessions, on April 1 and April 15 in addition to Monday afternoon classes.

OB 393. Leadership in Diverse Organizations. 4 Units.

How improve capacity to exercise leadership and work effectively with others within the context of culturally diverse groups and organizations. Premise is that diversity presents challenges and opportunities that pushestudents to develop leadership skills relevant across a variety of situations. What social and psychological obstacles limit people's ability to work effectively across identity-based differences? What can people do to build the relational and organizational capacity to enable these differences to be a resource for learning and effectiveness within teams and organizations? Focus is on dynamics of race and gender; attention to other dimensions of identity and difference in organizations, including sexual orientation, nationality, class, and religion.

OB 541. How to Change Things When Change is Hard. 2 Units.

This course will explore case studies and research about how to create behavior change from a position without much formal authority or power: e.g., a middle manager trying to change a failing unit of a big firm or a social entrepreneur trying to influence the behavior of a community. We'll use principles from social psychology, clinical psychology, and behavioral economics to analyze cases like the following: How a new head of the equities research department at Lehman Brothers changed his group's ranking in the Institutional Investor polls from #15 to #1 over a four year period. How Teach for America teachers take unmotivated kids in neglected schools and manage on standardized tests to gain more than two year's progress in one year of schooling. How a clever application of behavioral economics managed to triple employee savings rates.

OB 543. Scaling Change. 2 Units.

A problem for every manager is to make 'good' behaviors spread quickly and to shrink 'undesirable' behaviors quickly. This course provides you practical frameworks to accomplish these managerial goals. We will examine issues such as scaling Idea generation, scaling knowledge sharing, scaling the adoption of ideas across firms, scaling change in global firms. We will be using a newly written series of cases for this course and also draw on guest speakers.

OB 552. The Quest for Happiness: Exploring the Psychology of Human Fulfillment. 2 Units.

In this seminar, we will explore the nature of human happiness. We will examine recent theories and new evidence from psychological research indicating who among us is likely to achieve deep and enduring happiness-and why. We also will review what we know about the determinants of happiness throughout the lifespan. We will discuss how happiness is created and sustained, even in the face of adversity and tragedy. We will describe the "geography" of happiness, examining different cultural conceptions of happiness and variations in the distribution of happiness around the globe. We will also discuss some prevalent misconceptions regarding the antecedents of human happiness-why so many people, in short, stumble in their quest for happiness. We will explore how leaders can use happiness research to create more satisfying work places. To illustrate these ideas, we will examine in detail a number of fascinating individuals, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, venture capitalist Tom Perkins, Steven Spielberg, Martha Stewart, and the Nobel physicist Richard Feynman. Students will also work, either individually or in small self-selected teams, on a case study of an individual or organization they find interesting. There will also be several reflective exercises designed to probe students' self-conceptions regarding their own happiness. This seminar will be very discussion-oriented and our time will be spent engaging in lively, provocative debate of controversial ideas and evidence about happiness.

OB 568. How to Make Ideas Stick. 2 Units.

This class will explore the properties shared by ideas that stick with people and change the way they think and act. The course is based on the framework in the book Made to Stick and focuses on hands-on exercises that will teach you how to transform your messages to make them stick: How do you get attention for your idea in a crowded marketplace of ideas? How can you convey complex information quickly? How do you make a broad, abstract idea concrete and tangible enough for people to understand? How do you provide credibility for your idea without resorting to dry statistics? Although the exercises in this course are fun and generally short, students in the past have said that they do require a lot of thinking time outside of class in order to apply the course principles to a specific message. This is particularly true of the final project which involves improving the message of a specific live client (e.g., a friend with a start-up business, the recruiting materials of a former employer). This course will be especially useful for entrepreneurs who must pitch their ideas to customers, investors, and potential employees and for students in the nonprofit sector where resources for spreading ideas are often thin.

OB 571. Diversity, Dynamics, and Influence. 2 Units.

The course is based on the premise that diversity can present unique challenges and opportunities thereby compelling students to expand their sensitivity and develop a wider repertoire of skills, many of which are relevant across a variety of situations. The course is intended for students who plan to work in culturally diverse groups or organizations and will be equally relevant to those who work in the not-for-profit, public, and for-profit sectors. Through the presentation of new concepts, participation in experiential group activities, and faculty facilitated debriefing, students are expect to improve their ability to better assess group level diversity dynamics and in turn both intentionally influence and to be influenced inclusive of three fundamental differences presented by peers - values, gender, and group identity. Students will be taught how to practice 'authentic discourse' during regular faculty facilitated small task group debriefings. 'Authentic discourse' is a skill stressed in Interpersonal Dynamics (OB374).

OB 572. High Performance Leadership for Family Business Leaders. 2 Units.

This course examines the unique leadership problems faced in family businesses. What is unique is that there are two over-lapping systems; the family system and the business system. These can be congruent or at cross-purposes. For example, the latter might stress promotion on merit while the other values family ties. There also can be difference in purpose. Is the organization to maximize shareholder value or to provide employment for family members? These and other related issues impact the communication process, how decisions are made and how power is distributed. The course will be case based. The content will overlap that of OB372 so it is not advised to take both courses. Because of the shortened nature of 572, there would be minimal overlap with OB374 Interpersonal Dynamics. In addition to class, students will meet for 1 1/2 hours each week in a Skill Development Group to apply the course material to their own personal development.

OB 574. Interpersonal Dynamics at Work. 2 Units.

This course is open to students who have taken OB 374 Interpersonal Dynamics or GSBGEN 374 Interpersonal Influence and Leadership. The objectives of OB 574 is to take what was learned in the introductory Interpersonal Dynamics course further with a specific emphasis on how those approaches are applicable in a work setting. Specifically how issues of fuller self-expression/disclosure, feedback, resolution of interpersonal difficulties and building effective relationships can apply to working with peers and one's manager as well as in a team setting. The course will meet Thursdays 3:15-5:00 for five sessions starting April 2nd and running until April 30th. The T-groups will meet that evening, 7:00-9:30. In addition, there will be one all-day meeting (instead of a weekend), Saturday, April 4th running from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Attendance in all class sessions, evening meetings, and the Saturday retreat is required. Any absence will result in lowering of the grade. In addition to a modest amount of reading, students will keep an on-going self-diagnostic log. One-third of the grade will be on the log and the remaining 2/3 on the extent of participation in class, risk-taking in the group, and helping building learning conditions for self and others.

OB 581. Negotiations. 2 Units.

This course is designed to improve students' skills in all phases of a negotiation: understanding prescriptive and descriptive negotiation theory as it applies to dyadic and multiparty negotiations, to buyer-seller transactions and the resolution of disputes, to the development of negotiation strategy and to the management of integrative and distributive aspects of the negotiation process. The course is based on a series of simulated negotiations in a variety of contexts including one-on-one, multi-party, and team negotiations. When playing a role in a simulated conflict, you will be free to try out tactics that might feel uncomfortable in a real one. You will get feedback from your classmates about how you come across. You will have an opportunity to reflect on your experience in your negotiation paper. In sum, you can use this course to expand your repertoire of conflict management and negotiation skills, to hone your skills, and to become more adept in choosing when to apply each skill. This course represents a shorter, more intense version of OB 381-Conflict Management and Negotiations. Students should not take both courses, as there is considerable overlap in course content. Attendance and participation in the negotiation exercises is mandatory.

OB 582. Leading Social Change: Educational and Social Entrepreneurship. 2 Units.

The course provides an overview of different approaches to change, drawing primarily on entrepreneurial initiatives in education. The course will equip students with an appreciation for different mechanisms of change as well as some of the challenges of initiating and sustaining change in social sectors such as education. The course will draw on readings and case studies, and we will benefit from the wisdom of an inspirational group of guest lecturers. While the course will benefit any student concerned with making a positive impact, it is particularly appropriate for students in the joint MA/MBA program as well as those who will lead social change through nonprofit consulting or entrepreneurship.

OB 586. Organizational Learning. 2 Units.

This is a course about how firms learn from their experiences and the opportunities created by flawed learning. It will explore common mistakes in learning and barriers to the adoption of effective practices. Understanding learning problems will help future managers avoid common mistakes and build organizations that learn more effectively; learning is particularly important for entrepreneurs who are trying out new ideas and so must adapt correctly to feedback from the environment. But understanding common mistakes is also useful for identifying possible opportunities in markets; opportunities exist when firms make mistakes and when they fail to learn effective practices. The course will introduce concepts and findings from organization theory, psychology, decision theory, and statistics. A variety of exercises, cases, and readings will be used to illustrate barriers to learning and the opportunities they create, including the book "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis which discusses market-level mistakes in professional baseball.

OB 591. Advanced Negotiation. 1 Unitss.

This course is designed for individuals who have taken one of the basic negotiation courses (OB 381 or OB 581) and are interested in honing their negotiation and conflict management skills and expanding their knowledge about bargaining and dispute resolution. To dig deeper into the minds of negotiators, we will use analyses of in-class exercises and in-depth discussions of new and exciting research findings. Thus, we will play strategic games and negotiate in all our meetings, but we will also read and discuss theory and research on bargaining. So, if you enjoy negotiating, you will enjoy the classes. At the same time, if you enjoy analyzing human behavior and social interactions, you will like the reading and our discussions. We will start off the class by launching a week-long entrepreneurial negotiation assignment that will allow you to test your bargaining skills outside of class. Our in-class exercises and in-depth discussions will subsequently tackle critical issues in negotiation, including the role of power and norms in negotiation; cross-cultural negotiations; accountability, emotions, and information processing in negotiation; and creativity in negotiation. After taking this course, you will: (a) be better able to identify and avoid common traps in negotiation; (b) have a larger repertoire of behavioral skills to apply in various negotiations; and (c) have a deeper understanding of other people's behavior in negotiation.

OB 593. Leadership in Diverse Organizations. 2 Units.

This course is designed to help students improve their capacity to exercise leadership and work effectively with others within the context of culturally diverse groups and organizations. The course is based on the premise that diversity can present unique challenges and opportunities and thereby pushes students to develop crucial leadership skills, many of which are relevant across a variety of situations. The class will address two primary questions: 1) What social and psychological obstacles limit people's ability to work effectively across identity-based differences? 2) What can you do to create contexts that enable differences to be used as a resource for learning and effectiveness within teams and organizations? Students should be prepared to experiment with various conceptual and analytic skills inside and outside of the classroom. While the course focuses on dynamics of race and gender, there will be opportunities for students to explore a variety of other dimensions of identity and difference in organizations, including (but not limited to) sexual orientation, nationality, class, and religion. The course is intended for students who expect to work in culturally diverse groups or organizations and will be equally relevant to those who plan to work in the not-for-profit, public, and for-profit sectors. The course is cross listed in the School of Education.

OB 601. Organizational Ecology. 4 Units.

This seminar examines theoretical and methodological issues in the study of the ecology of organizations. Particular attention is given to the dynamics that characterize the interface between organizational populations and their audiences.
Same as: SOC 366A.

OB 622. Topics in Social Network Analysis: Structure and Dynamics. 3 Units.

This course provides coverage of both introductory and intermediate topics in social network analysis with a primary focus on recent developments in theory, methods and substantive applications. We will begin the course with a brief overview of introductory themes and concepts from various disciplines that have contributed to social network theory, including sociology, anthropology, social psychology, and organizations. Introductory topics to be included: centrality, cliques, structural and regular equivalence and cognitive social structures. The primary topics to be covered in this course include the application of network theory to the study of careers, competition, innovation, inequality/stratification, and recent research on IT mediated networks, as well as an examination of network formation and dynamics. The course will also provide hands-on experience applying social network methods in empirical research. Students will have an opportunity to learn some modern network analysis methods and apply them to network data using the R programming language. No prior experience with social network analysis or software is required.

OB 625. Economic Development and Economic Sociology. 4 Units.

As a field, economic sociology has had little to say about economic development. Much of this quietude stems from the latter's identification with "backward," "poor" or "developing" economies, and the former's interest in many of the advanced features of the richer economies. This state of affairs not only sets up a false dichotomy but also makes it difficult by construction to theorize or research the issue of economic decline, seemingly a necessary piece of any coherent theory of development. The (admittedly ambitious) goal of this seminar is to move toward a better theory of economic development. We will review several of the more common strands of thought on development in related literatures and then consider some alternative perspectives that might bridge this research and contemporary sociology. No guarantees are made that we will have a full-fledged theory by the end of the quarter, but with luck we will have breathed some new life into an often marginalized but critically important strain of social thought and research. The class will be a seminar based around the readings. Grading will be a combination of class participation, a take-home midterm and a final paper.

OB 630. Social Norms. 4 Units.

This course covers research and theory on the origins and function of social norms. Topics include the estimation of public opinion, the function of norms as ideals and standards of judgment, and the impact of norms on collective and individual behavior. In addition to acquainting students with the various forms and functions of social norms the course will provide students with experience in identifying and formulating tractable research questions.
Same as: PSYCH 223.

OB 635. Social Movements and Organziations. 4 Units.

This research seminar is intended for students seeking to learn more about how collective action underpins institutional change in organizations and industries, and how the success of collective action, in turn, hinges on organizational structures and processes to recruit and mobilize individuals. The purpose of this course is to provide you a roadmap for you to roam the terrain of movements and organizations, and be prepared to generate original research ideas that extend inquiry in your chosen area of research.

OB 652. Statistical Methods for Behavioral and Social Sciences. 3 Units.

For students who seek experience and advanced training in empirical research methods. Analysis of experimental data through factorial designs, randomized blocks, repeated measures; regression methods through multiple regression, model building, analysis of covariance; categorical data analysis through two-way tables. Integrated with the use of the statistical computing package R. Prerequisite: An intro stats class (Same as PSYCH 252 -- Co-taught with Ewart Thomas).

OB 670. Designing Social Research. 3 Units.

This is a course in the design of social research, with a particular emphasis on research field (i.e., non-laboratory) settings. As such, the course is a forum for discussing and developing an understanding of the different strategies social theorists employ to explain social processes, develop theories, and make these theories as believable as possible. In general, these issues will be discussed in the context of sociological research on organizations, but this will not be the exclusive focus of the course. A range of topics will be covered, for example: formulating and motivating research questions; varieties of explanation; experimental and quasi-experimental methods, including natural experiments; counterfactual models; conceptualization and measurement; sampling and case selection; qualitative and quantitative approaches. This course is particularly oriented toward developing an appreciation of the tradeoffs of different approaches. It is well suited to Ph.D. students working on qualifying papers and dissertation proposals.

OB 671. Social Psychology of Organizations. 3 Units.

This seminar focuses on social psychological theories and research relevant to organizational behavior. It reviews the current research topics in micro-organizational behavior, linking these to foundations in cognitive and social psychology and sociology. Topics include models of attribution, decision making, emotion, coordination, influence and persuasion, and the psychology of power and culture. Prerequisites: Enrollment in a PhD program, and a graduate-level social psychology course. Also listed as Sociology 361.

OB 672. Organization and Environment. 3 Units.

This seminar considers the leading sociological approaches to analyzing relations of organizations and environments, with a special emphasis on dynamics. Attention is given to theoretical formulations, research designs, and results of empirical studies. Prerequisite: Enrollment in a PhD program. Also listed as Sociology 362.

OB 673. Perspectives on the Social Psychology of Organizations. 3 Units.

This seminar focuses on topics relevant to organizational behavior, drawing primarily on social psychological and some sociological research. Topics vary from year to year. In Spring 2013 the seminar will focus on conflict and cooperation within and between groups and teams. Topics will include interdependence theory, behavioral game theory, negotiation, task and relationship conflict, social identity processes, and hierarchy in groups, among others. Prerequisites: Enrollment in a PhD Program. Cannot be audited or taken pass/fail.

OB 674. Perspectives on Organization and Environment: Social Movement Organizations and Environments. 3 Units.

This course examines the interaction between organizations and their environments. It is given every year by a different faculty member. What follows is the description of the course for the academic year 2012-13: This research seminar explores recent theory and research on social movement organizations and their environments. We'll consider the way in which organizational theories help us to explain social movement phenomena, and the way in which social movement theories help us to explain organizational phenomena.

OB 675. Micro Research Methods. 3 Units.

The purpose of this course is to develop students' skill at designing, executing, interpreting, and describing micro-organizational and social psychological research. The course will have a practical focus and will focus on questions such as how to identify and formulate a tractable research question, how to decide on an appropriate research design and strategy; how to operationalize independent and dependent variables, and how to build a research paper.

OB 676. Social and Political Process in Organizations. 4 Units.

Social psychological and sociological research at the meso, or intermediate between micro and macro, level of analysis. Topics vary from year to year, but usually include organizational routines and learning; mobility and attainment processes; gender and race inequality and discrimination; social networks; cultural perspectives on organizations, and related topics. Prerequisite: Ph.D. student.

OB 678. The Design and Process of Experimental Research. 2 Units.

This year-long course takes a hands-on approach to learning about experimental research. It will cover the entire process of experimental research from idea and hypothesis generation to study design, analysis, and publication. The topical content will be customized to the specific interests of the enrolled students, but generally will be concerned with questions about behavioral phenomena in organizational contexts.

OB 683. Models of Social Dynamics. 4 Units.

This seminar provides an introduction to several important theoretical and formal models in sociology, psychology, and organization theory. The purpose is, in part, to provide an overview of commonly used models. More important, participants will learn to read, criticize, and formulate models for their own research questions. The focus is on model development, deriving implications from models, comparing models, but also on how models can be and have been tested. Topics include models of size distributions, network evolution, contagion, group formation, conceptual structures, decision making, and learning.

OB 690. Organizations in Competition. 3 Units.

When organizations compete, why do some fail while others succeed? This is one of the defining questions of the interdisciplinary research field known as ?strategic management.? In this seminar, we will address this question from a sociological perspective. Seen from this vantage point, the field of strategic management can be understood as the study of organizations in competition. Over the past 30 years, a considerable amount of research in organizational sociology has addressed this topic, only some of which has been explicitly framed as being aimed at the field of strategic management. This course studies the central themes that have emerged from this sociological research on organizations in competition.

OB 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691, STRAMGT 691.

OB 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692, STRAMGT 692.

OB 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802, STRAMGT 802.

POLECON 230. Strategy Beyond Markets. 2 Units.

This course develops techniques and tools to use in firms' strategic interactions beyond the market environment. We'll examine firms' interactions with stakeholders, constituents, and institutions, including interest groups, legislatures, regulatory agencies, courts, international organizations, and the public. Topics covered in the class include: environmental regulation, intellectual property, antitrust, bank bailouts, health care reform, carried interest in private equity, protectionist trade policies, strategic corporate social responsibility, and beyond market strategy for start-ups. The goal is to develop integrated strategies for optimal firm performance that combine strategies within and beyond markets.

POLECON 231. Strategy Beyond Markets: Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Economies. 3 Units.

This course shares significant material with POLECON 230 and the goal of developing integrated strategies for optimal firm performance that combine elements within and beyond markets. POLECON 231 diverges from the base course to delve deeper into issues that are particularly salient for entrepreneurs in emerging and frontier markets. Using a combination of cases from developed and developing countries, we will expand the list of topics considered to include managing political risk and protecting the firm in the face of uncertain and discretionary regulatory environments. The objective is to provide a solid grounding in the techniques explored in 230, while refining skill sets and whetting appetites for investment in higher risk environments.

POLECON 232. Law and Economics for Corporate Strategy. 3 Units.

This course introduces students to the core issues of law and economics and their applications to managerial strategy. Markets and the legal environment are increasingly interrelated: issues such as antitrust, intellectual property, privacy rights, product regulation, and torts affect firms' profitability both directly through legal action and indirectly by determining the "rules of the game." Nor are companies simply reactive to legal and political forces; actions taken by managers in firms often propel issues before the public eye. For instance, electronic collection and collation of personal data has stimulated new concerns about privacy, while court decisions, new legislation, and public opinion have all played roles in determining what is acceptable. Such legal and political forces invariably necessitate changes in corporate strategy, and the effectiveness of corporate strategy often rests on managers' ability to anticipate, rather than simply react to, developments in the nonmarket environment. Cases and readings consider specific legal principles and how executives can anticipate, and take effective action with regards to, the threats and opportunities they present. The course will focus on legal doctrine within the United States, but will also consider the legal ramifications of corporate actions with regards to other nations and international law. The course also considers other important nonmarket issues, such as responding to pressure from independent interest groups and understanding how firms may influence the legislative process, though in less depth than Nonmarket Strategy. Students are expected to come to class with a thorough understanding of the both the legal issues involved and the economic considerations of the case under discussion. By the end of the course, students will have acquired a thorough understanding of the legal principles covered, as well as a strategic acuity regarding the appropriate market and nonmarket responses. Grades will be based on student's demonstration of this understanding through class participation and a final exam.

POLECON 239. Sloan: Strategy Beyond Markets. 4 Units.

This course addresses managerial issues in the social, political, legal, and ethical environments of business. Cases and readings emphasize strategies to improve the performance of companies in light of their multiple constituencies, in both international and US environments. Most core courses focus on firms' interactions with customers, suppliers, and alliance partners in the form of mutually beneficial voluntary exchange transacted in markets. In contrast, this course considers the strategic interactions of firms with comparably important constituents, organizations, and institutions beyond markets. Issues considered include those involving activist and interest groups, the media, legislatures, regulatory and antitrust agencies, and international organizations such as the WTO. In many of the class sessions, we will draw on theoretical and empirical research in political economy, a field that is particularly relevant for understanding relationships between firms and governments, because (unlike most of economics) political economy focuses on interactions that are neither voluntary nor transacted via money.

POLECON 330. Law and Economics for Corporate Strategy. 3 Units.

This is an advanced version of the GSB's class on Strategy Beyond Markets. It is intended for students who have substantive experience working with/for governments, activist groups, the media, or heavily-regulated industries, and particularly those students with previous legal experience. The class may also appropriate for students who have academic backgrounds in political science or public policy. Cases and readings consider specific legal principles (e.g., antitrust, fiduciary duty, intellectual property) and how executives can anticipate and take effective action with regards to the threats and opportunities they present. The course will focus on legal doctrine within the United States, but will also consider the legal ramifications of corporate actions with regards to other nations' legal doctrine and international law. By the end of the course, students are expected to acquire not only a thorough understanding of the legal principles covered, but also insight into the appropriate market-based and non-market-based responses.

POLECON 332. Managers and the Legal Environment. 4 Units.

To excel, managers and entrepreneurs must know how to operate successfully in the legal environment in which they must conduct business. This course addresses the legal aspects of business agreements and relationships. The course begins with an overview of the different forms of business organizations available, mergers and acquisitions, public and private offerings of securities, and the fiduciary duties of officers, directors and controlling shareholders. The course covers the US court system and the laws of contracts, torts, antitrust and intellectual property. The legal aspects of the employment relationship as they relate to the liability of corporations and managers for the acts of their employees, wrongful termination, discrimination, and sexual harassment will also be covered. Students who have a JD degree, or will receive a JD degree, from a U.S. university should not take this class. If you cannot attend a class, you must notify instructors before class.

POLECON 349. The Business World: Moral and Spiritual Inquiry through Literature. 3 Units.

This course uses novels and plays as a basis for examining the moral and spiritual aspects of business leadership and of the environment in which business is done. On the one hand literature is used as the basis for examining the character of business people, while on the other hand literature provides illumination of the cultural contexts of values and beliefs within which commercial activities take place in a global economy. The course is organized around the interplay of religious traditions and national identities. Classes are taught in a Socratic, discussion-based style, creating as much of a seminar atmosphere as possible. A two-text method is used, encouraging students to examine their own personal stories with as much care as the stories presented in the literature. This four unit course will be graded on the basis of class participation and a final paper. There will be no exam.

POLECON 530. Law and Economics for Corporate Strategy. 3 Units.

This is an advanced version of the GSB's class on Strategy Beyond Markets. It is intended for students who have substantive experience working with/for governments, activist groups, the media, or heavily-regulated industries, and particularly those students with previous legal experience. The class may also appropriate for students who have academic backgrounds in political science or public policy. Cases and readings consider specific legal principles (e.g., antitrust, fiduciary duty, intellectual property) and how executives can anticipate and take effective action with regards to the threats and opportunities they present. The course will focus on legal doctrine within the United States, but will also consider the legal ramifications of corporate actions with regards to other nations' legal doctrine and international law. By the end of the course, students are expected to acquire not only a thorough understanding of the legal principles covered, but also insight into the appropriate market-based and non-market-based responses.

POLECON 547. Intellectual Property and Its Effect on Business. 2 Units.

This course explores the impact intellectual property rights have on business decisions. We begin with a general background of intellectual property law including copyright, trademark, patent and trade secret. We will also cover quasi property rights such as database and privacy. Each of these distinct rights will be examined through a case methodology affording students an opportunity to gauge the relative strengths and weaknesses of a particular form of protection. As the value of intellectual property rises, the avenues of economic return increase. We will analyze various methods of maximizing such economic returns. Focus for this course is on the impact both technological innovation and intellectual property law have on business strategies. This is not a class designed to teach students the law of intellectual property. Rather, this course educates business decision makers on the impact intellectual property can have on the bottom line. This course employs a mixed lecture/case discussion format. We will have several sessions with lectures by visiting industry experts.

POLECON 571. The Future of Growth: Developed and Developing World. 2 Units.

The course deals with the recent (post war) sustained high growth in the developing world and its likely evolution and impact in the future. How are these kinds of growth rates possible? What accounts for the absence of growth in a part of the developing world? What are the key political ingredients? Attention will be given to the evolving global landscape surrounding this growth. What is the impact of this widening pattern of growth and are there natural brakes that may slow the process down or make it difficult for the non-G20 developing countries and their 1/3 of the world's population to start or sustain the high growth process. The class will attempt to identify and assess the impact of important global trends and challenges. Included in the latter will be governance issues. We will spend a little time on the impact of the 2008-2009 crisis, the transmission channels and lessons learned from the vantage point of developing countries.

POLECON 571. The Future of Growth: Developed and Developing World. 2 Units.

The course deals with the recent (post war) sustained high growth in the developing world and its likely evolution and impact in the future. How are these kinds of growth rates possible? What accounts for the absence of growth in a part of the developing world? What are the key political ingredients? Attention will be given to the evolving global landscape surrounding this growth. What is the impact of this widening pattern of growth and are there natural brakes that may slow the process down or make it difficult for the non-G20 developing countries and their 1/3 of the world's population to start or sustain the high growth process. The class will attempt to identify and assess the impact of important global trends and challenges. Included in the latter will be governance issues. We will spend a little time on the impact of the 2008-2009 crisis, the transmission channels and lessons learned from the vantage point of developing countries.

POLECON 584. Managing Global Political Risk. 1 Unitss.

In a globalized world, managers and investors are increasingly realizing that politics matter as much as economic fundamentals. Micro-level decisions made by local politicians in Brazil or India, national-level strategies of countries like China and Russia, and multi-national regimes, policies, and norms are all affecting global businesses in significant and often surprising ways. This course examines the full array of political risks confronting businesses today, from creeping expropriations to sudden shocks like national debt defaults and coups to emerging threats like cyber exploitation. Students will learn about impediments to assessing political risk and how to tackle them; develop strategies for managing political risk in a systematic way; and craft tools for mitigating the downside effects of political risk to business. Each session will include customized case studies and mini-simulations for students to walk in the shoes of senior managers confronting these challenges.

POLECON 670. Advanced Topics in Political Economy. 4 Units.

This is a topics class aimed at advanced students in political economy and related disciplines. It will consist of a combination of lectures and student presentations. Grading will be based on class participation and a research proposal/paper.

POLECON 676. Behavioral Political Economy. 4 Units.

This course examines organizational decision making in ways that depart from the "thin theory" of rationality in one of two respects. (1) The thin theory presumes that decision makers are fully rational, i.e., they are cognitively unconstrained. We will examine a variety of cognitive constraints and their effects on institutional behavior and policy outcomes. (2) The thin theory presumes individualistic preferences: people care only about their own payoffs. There is now substantial evidence that this assumption is sometimes inaccurate. We will study some of this literature. Much of the important work in this area has come not from political economy but from cognitive psychology and behavioral economics. Hence, we will spend between a third and a half of the quarter on micro-foundations. Throughout the course, contrasts will be drawn between models based on the thin theory of rationality and less orthodox ones. Consequently, some familiarity with theories of rational choice is desirable. Any course on game theory or normative decision theory suffices. Although the motivation for relaxing the thin theory has been largely empirical, the orientation of this course is heavily theoretical. Many of the theories that we will study are expressed as mathematical or computational models. Students are expected either to have a taste for formal reasoning or at least to tolerate it.

POLECON 680. Foundations of Political Economy. 3 Units.

This course provides an introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics considered include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria, agenda setting, interest group politics, bureaucratic behavior, and electoral competition. Also listed as Political Science 351A.

POLECON 681. Economic Analysis of Political Institutions. 4 Units.

This course extends the foundations developed in P680 by applying techniques of microeconomic analysis and game theory to the study of political behavior and institutions. The techniques include information economics, games of incomplete information, sequential bargaining theory, repeated games, and rational expectations. The applications considered include agenda formation in legislatures, government formation in parliamentary systems, the implications of legislative structure, elections and information aggregation, lobbying, electoral competition and interest groups, the control of bureaucracies, interest group competition, and collective choice rules. Also listed as Political Science 351B.

POLECON 682. Testing Models of Governmental Decision-Making. 4 Units.

This course surveys applications of formal models to several stages of decision making, primarily in the U.S. national government and with an emphasis on the legislative branch. The course begins with explicit consideration of issues in philosophy of science and introduces an analytic framework to be applied to specific research throughout remaining sessions. Substantive topics and applications covered include strategies of committees, roll call voting, policy formation, effects of special rules, congressional-presidential relations, and congressional-agency relations. Students should have taken POLECON 680 and POLECON 681. Also listed as Political Science 351C.
Same as: POLISCI 351C.

POLECON 683. Political Development Economics. 4 Units.

This course surveys emerging research in political economics as it applies to developing societies, emphasizing both theoretical and empirical approaches. Topics will include: corruption and "forensic" political economics, institutional reform and democratization, ethnicity, conflict and public goods provision, and the role of trade and financial innovations in political development. The aim of the course is to bring students to the frontier of the field and develop their own research. Graduate level proficiency in microeconomics and empirical methods will be required.

POLECON 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, STRAMGT 691.

POLECON 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, STRAMGT 692.

POLECON 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, STRAMGT 802.

STRAMGT 110Q. Making Sense of Strategy. 3 Units.

Get the strategy right, and the chance for success is great. Nowhere is this more evident than in today's world of major challenges. Strategy is at the heart of problem solving and achieving objectives, yet few people can define strategy, much less understand how to conceptualize, design, and execute effective strategies that yield the best outcomes.This course will meet once a week to focus on interesting and engaging case studies, each of which illustrates a key ingredient of strategy. Some are well-known historical events, while others are less obvious, but all have a strategic lesson to share. They are quite diverse, from the planning of a high-risk rescue in the Colorado Rockies, to a product crisis in a Fortune 50 company, to a little-known failed military mission of WWII, to a commercial airline disaster. The ability to think through challenging and varied scenarios is both instructive and mind-stretching. There will be some pre-reading on each case study and there may be a field trip for students to put their lessons into practice. The course is designed to be highly interactive; all to enable students to unravel the mystery and power of strategic thinking. Students will also have the opportunity to select and analyze a case reflecting interests of their own. This course can help students not only prepare for a career in a range of fields, but also as they meet the challenges of their current coursework. Problem-solving skills are central in every walk of life; this seminar can help students build a stronger foundation for sound decision-making.

STRAMGT 207. Strategic Leadership. 4 Units.

This course examines fundamental issues of general management and leadership within an organization. You will learn about setting an organization's strategic direction, aligning structure to implement strategy, and leading individuals within the firm. You will master concepts, frameworks, and tools to assess an industry and a firm's competitive environment, and to craft alternatives. You will study the interplay among formal structure, informal networks, and culture in shaping organizational performance. By integrating leadership theory, the lessons of practical application, and your own experience, you will develop skills and capabilities essential to leading others. And you'll gain a better understanding of your own leadership preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.

STRAMGT 209. Leadership Laboratory. 1 Unitss.

Having the opportunity to choose one's colleagues is rare in corporate life - we usually inherit them when we join an organization. More often than not, when we assume a management position in an organization, we inherit our subordinates as well. - How do we maximize the performance of the teams we become part of? - What interpersonal skills give us influence? - Which interpersonal strengths can propel us to our next promotion? - What development areas might prevent our ascension to the executive suite? In the Leadership Labs, we focus on these questions. However, rather than tackle cases where you can distance yourself in comfortable analytical discussions, we throw you into experiential exercises, testing your ability to build effective relationships, motivate others, and influence outcomes. The Leadership Labs are designed for deep self-reflection about what behaviors you choose to use, the consequences of those behaviors, and given choices, how you might be even more productive. In total, there are ten Leadership Lab Sessions--six, three-hour Interpersonal Skills Labs, and four, 90-minute Managerial Skills Labs. The Interpersonal Skills Labs sessions are comprised of short lectures and increasingly challenging simulations and role-plays facilitated by the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows. The Leadership Fellows are second-year GSB students who have participated in a rigorous training program that prepares them to facilitate the exercises and cases used in the Interpersonal Skills Labs. In the 90-minute Managerial Skills Labs we examine several common managerial challenges faced by executives. Together with Faculty, students explore these topics using four case examples, each asking students to evaluate a series of situations, develop alternatives for their resolution, and ultimately recommend and implement a course of action from the point of view of the company's owner/manager. We have selected small to midsized businesses as the context for these discussions in order to highlight the impact that key decisions and their implementation can have on the broader organization. Class preparation should include not only analysis and conclusions, but also specific recommendations on implementation. Students should come to class prepared to role play important conversations between management and other key individuals.

STRAMGT 210. Managerial Skills. 1 Unitss.

In the Managerial Skills Labs we examine several common managerial challenges faced by executives. Together with Faculty, students explore these topics using four case examples, each asking students to evaluate a series of situations, develop alternatives for their resolution, and ultimately recommend and implement a course of action from the point of view of the company's owner/manager. We have selected small to midsized businesses as the context for these discussions in order to highlight the impact that key decisions and their implementation can have on the broader organization. Class preparation should include not only analysis and conclusions, but also specific recommendations on implementation. Students should come to class prepared to role play important conversations between management and other key individuals.

STRAMGT 257. Sloan: Strategic Leadership. 2 Units.

This 9-session course focuses on situations where senior executives must execute strategic action fast because of rapidly changing environmental conditions. The focus of the course is on the approaches successful leaders use to recognize the need for strategic change early, determine which particular approach is likely to be successful, and then implement the change to its conclusion. Leaders in these situations often confront the problem that many people in the organization do not yet recognize the need for change and resist making the personal adjustments required. The course provides these leaders with tools to initiate and execute the changes required to address key strategic challenges: how to capitalize better on the position an organization occupies in its environment, how to reposition the organization relative to its competitors and how to develop and implement a plan to accomplish the required changes successfully. GSB professor Robert A. Burgelman, an active field researcher of strategic change in complex organizations, and Dr. Robert Pearl, CEO of The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, who has taken one of the largest healthcare delivery organizations in the world through a major strategic change journey, jointly teach this course.

STRAMGT 259. Sloan: Generative Leadership. 2 Units.

Generative Leadership: How to Create Innovative Ideas and Convey Them with Impact There are three major sections to this course - Design Thinking, The Improvisational Mindset, and High Performance Communication. Design Thinking Outcome: Participants learn to employ User Centered Design as promoted by the Stanford d.school. They become adept at Empathizing with the end user, practicing focused Need Finding, Defining the Problem, Ideating, Rapidly Prototyping and Adapting to Feedback. Experiences: Participants learn the Design Thinking process through a hands-on, collaborative design challenge, like redesigning the Briefcase for a specific user. The Improvisational Mindset Outcome: The participants increase their ability to respond flexibly to novel situations and to generate innovative solutions on a collaborative, creative team. The mindset is cultivated by practicing 5 key principles. Say "Yes, and". Treat Mistakes as Gifts. Inspire your Partner. Dare to be Obvious. Notice the World. Experiences: The key principles are taught through a series of immersive theater exercises derived from Johnstone, Spolin, and Ryan. Valuable readings include IMPROV WISDOM, by Patricia Ryan and journal articles on improv and brainstorming. High Performance Communication Outcome: The final segment of the class is a chance to apply the principles of User Centered Design and the Improvisational Mindset to design and deliver messages that go beyond just transmitting information - they get results. Participants successfully use a version of the Design Thinking process to rapidly develop content that is tuned to the audience's needs, and that they can deliver in a way that is agile and responsive to real time feedback Experiences Generative Leadership culminates in a group presentation designed to influence key stakeholders. To be successful, participants will have to draw on all sections of the course. AS WE SPEAK is our text.

STRAMGT 279. Sloan: Global Strategic Management. 4 Units.

This course introduces the basic concepts of strategic management, focusing on their application in a semi-globalized world, where international borders are less significant than in the past but still very important. There are texts that will be required reading, but each class will also feature a case discussion.

STRAMGT 321. Create a New Venture: From Idea to Launch I. 4 Units.

This is an integrated lab course in Entrepreneurship designed to teach students the process of creating a new viable venture from idea to launch. It is a dynamic and interactive course organized around projects undertaken by teams of 3 to 4 registered students from the Sloan and MBA programs, together with other graduate students within Stanford who bring expertise of particular relevance to the idea being pursued. This course is designed not only for students with immediate entrepreneurial aspirations, but also for any student considering starting an entrepreneurial venture at some point in his or her career. The course is a two quarter class, with admission to the class by team and idea. In the winter quarter, teams will research, craft, and morph their idea into a viable business concept. In the spring quarter they will further refine their concept and develop a strategy and plan to attract financial, human and other resources. At the end of the spring quarter, teams will present their plan to a panel of experts and potential investors to simulate the funding process. The course is taught by a serial entrepreneur and former CEO who also led and taught the predecessor course S356 "Evaluating Entrepreneurial Opportunities". The new course builds on this experience and encapsulates new and important research and findings as they relate to the process of new venture creation. The teaching method is primarily learning by doing (LBD) through a structured process and supported by relevant lectures. Learning is further enhanced through meetings with the instructor, coaching by experienced mentors and review by peers. Field research as well as prototype product development are integral to the course. Since admittance to S321/S322 is by team and the quality of their idea, team formation takes place during the autumn quarter. Informal student mixers and seminars will be held to facilitate team formation and idea generation. Each team must consist of at least 2 enrolled Sloan students and preferably 1-2 enrolled graduate students from the MBA program or other Schools to bring diversity and depth to the team. The application-selection process is described on the S321/S322 website.

STRAMGT 322. Create a New Venture: From Idea to Launch II. 4 Units.

This is an integrated lab course in Entrepreneurship designed to teach students the process of creating a new viable venture from idea to launch. It is a dynamic and interactive course organized around projects undertaken by teams of 3 to 4 registered students from the Sloan and MBA programs, together with other graduate students within Stanford who bring expertise of particular relevance to the idea being pursued. This course is designed not only for students with immediate entrepreneurial aspirations, but also for any student considering starting an entrepreneurial venture at some point in his or her career. The course is a two quarter class, with admission to the class by team and idea. In the winter quarter, teams will research, craft, and morph their idea into a viable business concept. In the spring quarter they will further refine their concept and develop a strategy and plan to attract financial, human and other resources. At the end of the spring quarter, teams will present their plan to a panel of experts and potential investors to simulate the funding process. The course is taught by a serial entrepreneur and former CEO who also led and taught the predecessor course S356 "Evaluating Entrepreneurial Opportunities". The new course builds on this experience and encapsulates new and important research and findings as they relate to the process of new venture creation. The teaching method is primarily learning by doing (LBD) through a structured process and supported by relevant lectures. Learning is further enhanced through meetings with the instructor, coaching by experienced mentors and review by peers. Field research as well as prototype product development are integral to the course. Since admittance to S321/S322 is by team and the quality of their idea, team formation takes place during the autumn quarter. Informal student mixers and seminars will be held to facilitate team formation and idea generation. Each team must consist of at least 2 enrolled Sloan students and preferably 1-2 enrolled graduate students from the MBA program or other Schools to bring diversity and depth to the team. The application-selection process is described on the S321/S322 website.

STRAMGT 341. Achieving Social Impact. 4 Units.

Social Enterprise explores a range of leading issues focused on the challenges and opportunity for impact through social entrepreneurship. Students explore a range of organizations from nonprofits, to for-profits, to hybrid forms of organization, and examine issues from a variety of different perspectives, including those of entrepreneur, CEO, funder, and board member. Designed to appeal to students who seek to take on leadership roles in social value creation throughout their careers, whether as leaders in the private, nonprofit, or government sectors, or some combination thereof. Social Enterprise focuses on innovative approaches for creating social value through a variety of social enterprises. Cases explore the unique challenges of creating and leading social enterprises, particularly those that depart from traditional approaches to social value creation. The course modules encompass the following topics: Undertaking the Social Entrepreneurship Process; Mobilizing Economic and Human Resources; Achieving Social Objectives with Commercial Vehicles; Crafting Alliances; Managing Growth; Measuring and Managing Performance; Governing for Excellence. The course utilizes case studies and readings. There will also be frequent direct interaction with dynamic social entrepreneurs who will discuss challenges that they currently face in their organizations and who will share with students their experiential wisdom. For the course paper, students will carry out field-based research in teams, analyzing a significant strategic or operational issue of a social enterprise of their choosing. This field-based applied learning component in lieu of an exam has proven to be a particular enriching for students with high impact on the organizations.

STRAMGT 348. Creating and Managing Very Early Stage Ventures. 4 Units.

The early stages of a new venture pose special challenges and issues for founders. For some entrepreneurs, the questions are basic: Should I seek to start a new business? And, How can I find an idea worth pursuing? Later, the question is: How do I evaluate whether my (our) idea is worth pursuing? To answer these questions, it is useful for founders to have an integrated framework for evaluating new business opportunities. In this class we develop such a framework and show how it can usefully compare and contrast new product or service businesses. We also consider the very first steps startups must take. These include how startups can begin to accumulate resources, as well as early legal, organizational, personnel and financial issues that must be handled. The course is largely case-based. It is supplemented with lectures and guests. The target audience is students who are thinking about forming a new venture early in their career. This class is appropriate for first or second year MBAs who have not yet taken S356, as well as other Stanford graduate students.

STRAMGT 350. Global Value Chain Strategies. 4 Units.

This course addresses how the increasingly large number of firms that use or provide outsourcing and "offshoring" can create a sustainable competitive advantage. Students who complete the course will have a framework and a set of concepts that can be used to position a firm for strategic advantage in these supply networks. Positioning in and strategic analysis of product markets is covered in a variety of courses and books. A distinguishing feature of this course is that it addresses positioning and strategic analysis for firms operating as part of a network of providers, sellers and buyers... the factor markets. The course takes a general management perspective and provides examples through cases and discussions with visitors. The major theme of the course is that these firms must carefully consider how they position themselves in both the product and factor markets.

STRAMGT 351. Building and Managing Professional Sales Organizations. 4 Units.

The focus of this class is on the challenges and key issues associated with the creation and management of a professional sales organization. Our emphasis is developing and managing the selling effort of business-to-business and business-to-consumer capital goods and services. There will be relatively little emphasis on sales technique (i.e., students should not expect a course on "How to be a Better Salesperson"). The course is organized to follow the development of the sales function from strategic inception through to execution and implementation: choosing a go-to-market model (e.g., direct sales, VARs, OEMs, hybrid models); building and structuring the sales organization (e.g., sales learning curve, organizational structure, allocating territories and quotas); and managing the sales force (e.g., hiring/firing, compensation, forecasting, culture). We will address these topics in the context of both early stage ventures and later stage enterprises.

STRAMGT 353. Entrepreneurship: Formation of New Ventures. 4 Units.

This course is offered for students who at some time may want to undertake an entrepreneurial career by pursuing opportunities leading to partial or full ownership and control of a business. The course deals with case situations from the point of view of the entrepreneur/manager rather than the passive investor. Many cases involve visitors, since the premise is that opportunity and action have large idiosyncratic components. Students must assess opportunity and action in light of the perceived capabilities of the individuals and the nature of the environments they face. The course is integrative and will allow students to apply many facets of their business school education.

STRAMGT 354. Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital. 4 Units.

Many of America's most successful entrepreneurial companies have been substantially influenced by professionally managed venture capital. This relationship is examined from both the entrepreneur's and the venture capitalist's perspective. From the point of view of the entrepreneur, the course considers how significant business opportunities are identified, planned, and built into real companies; how resources are matched with opportunity; and how, within this framework, entrepreneurs seek capital and other assistance from venture capitalists or other sources. From the point of view of the venture capitalist, the course considers how potential entrepreneurial investments are evaluated, valued, structured, and enhanced; how different venture capital strategies are deployed; and how venture capitalists raise and manage their own funds. The course includes a term-long project where students work in teams (4-5 students per team) to write a business plan for a venture of the team's choosing.

STRAMGT 355. Managing Growing Enterprises. 4 Units.

This course is offered for students who, in the near term, aspire to the management and full or partial ownership of a new or newly-acquired business. The seminar, which is limited to 40 students, has a strong implementation focus, and deals in some depth with certain selected, generic entrepreneurial issues, viewed from the perspective of the owner/manager. Broad utilization is made of case materials, background readings, visiting experts, and role playing. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the application of analytical tools to administrative practice.

STRAMGT 356. The Startup Garage: Design. 4 Units.

The Startup Garage is an experiential lab course that focuses on the design, testing and launch of a new venture. Multidisciplinary student teams work through an iterative process of understanding user needs, creating a point of view statement, ideating and prototyping new product and services and their business models, and communicating the user need, product, service and business models to end-users, partners, and investors. In the autumn quarter, teams will: identify and validate a compelling user need and develop very preliminary prototypes for a new product or service and business models. Students form teams, conduct field work and iterate on the combination of business model -- product -- market. Teams will present their first prototypes (business model - product - market) at the end of the quarter to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and faculty.

STRAMGT 359. Aligning Start-ups with their Market. 4 Units.

Most everyone associated with technology start-ups would agree that the most important initial characteristic of a successful endeavor is a compelling vision. The journey from vision to escape velocity is highly dependent on management's ability to translate that vision into a product or service that closely and economically addresses a customer's significant point of pain. Without a tight product market fit, the start-up's offering will not be able to break through the market's gravitational forces which strongly favor existing solutions, resulting in likely failure. With tight product/market fit, it is far more likely the company will achieve repeatable and growing sales success. Conventional wisdom dictates that a start-up launching a new product should focus its energy understanding what the market wants (problem) and then translating that knowledge into an optimal set of product features (solution). This is the ideal strategy if one is attacking a market that already exists. However if the start-up pursues an entirely new market or re-segments an existing market, customers are unlikely to be able to articulate the benefits and features they will need. The approaches required to pursue new or re-segmented markets are radically different from those applied to existing markets. As a result it is not relentless execution and exploitation of a well understood market that will lead to success, but discovery of a new market or segment that is in need of the product as envisioned. If done well, this process of finding the optimal product/market fit has a disproportionate impact on success. Our intention is to create a course that explores the many issues associated with optimizing product/market fit. Two group papers comprise 50% of a student's grade with class participation representing the remainder. STRAMGT 353 is recommended prior to taking this course.

STRAMGT 365. Strategic Decision Making. 4 Units.

This compressed course concerns the analysis of strategic decision-making, with an emphasis on the process of "big stakes" analysis in complex corporate settings. The first week is devoted primarily to the tools of this process and to coping with (strategic) unawareness (especially in competitive situations). The second week is devoted primarily to "learning by doing," as we apply the tools developed in the first week to real-life problems. The overall objective of the course is to develop the student's working knowledge of these techniques, so the student can fruitfully apply these techniques on his/her own. The course may be taken as a two-unit compressed course by signing up for STRAMGT 565 and participating in the first week only. Alternately, students may sign up for both weeks, by registering for STRAMGT 365. Students who sign up initially for STRAMGT 565 will be able to decide late in week 1 whether to continue into week 2 (in effect, these students will have the registration changed from 565 to 365). Note that, in the registration process, students who rank STRAMGT 365 will have a greater chance of getting a spot than students ranking STRAMGT 565. (It will not be possible to change in midstream from 365 to 565, i.e., to drop the second week). Students will be expected to do approximately 90 minutes of work outside of class each day both weeks. A group project will be the main work product in the second week. The course will be taught jointly by Carl Spetzler, Chairman, Strategic Decisions Group and Professor Yossi Feinberg.

STRAMGT 366. The Startup Garage: Testing and Launch. 4 Units.

This is the second quarter of the two-quarter series. In this quarter, student teams expand the field work they started in the fall quarter. They get out of the building to talk to potential customers, partners, distributors, and investors to test and refine their business model, product/service and market. This quarter the teams will be expected to develop and test a minimally viable product, iterate, and focus on validated lessons on: the market opportunity, user need and behavior, user interactions with the product or service, business unit economics, sale and distribution models, partnerships, value proposition, and funding strategies. Teams will interact with customers, partners, distributors, investors and mentors with the end goal of developing and delivering a funding pitch to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and faculty.

STRAMGT 367. Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation. 3 Units.

This course examines individuals and organizations that use entrepreneurial skills and approaches to develop innovative responses to social problems. Entrepreneurship has traditionally been seen as a way of creating wealth for the entrepreneur and for those who back her/his work. Social entrepreneurs employ "entrepreneurial skills," such as finding opportunities, inventing new approaches, securing and focusing resources and managing risk, in the service of creating a social value. As the intensity and complexity of social and environmental problems has grown in recent years social entrepreneurship, defined as innovative, social value creating activity that can occur within or across the nonprofit, government or business sectors, has become increasingly prominent. While virtually all enterprises, commercial and social, generate social value, fundamental to this definition is that the primary focus of social entrepreneurship is to achieve social impact above all else. We will study some of the most promising and the best-proven innovations for improving people's lives. We will also examine mature projects that are now tackling the issue of "scale", moving from local innovations to solutions that create deep systemic changes for larger numbers of economically disadvantaged individuals and communities throughout the world. This year we will focus on what are the constraints and opportunities for creating a social enterprise at scale. The process of "scale" poses tremendous challenges. Even when organizations manage to overcome the many obstacles to growth, and achieve appreciable scale, this approach is seldom sufficient to achieve significant social impact on its own. This year our course will pay particular attention to network approaches which require the mobilization of a vast array of actors and resources, but have the potential to generate rapid and sustained social impact.

STRAMGT 368. Strategic Management of Nonprofit Organizations and Social Ventures. 4 Units.

This course seeks to provide a survey of the strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of nonprofit organizations and their executive and board leaders, in the era of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. The students will also be introduced to core managerial issues uniquely defined by this sector such as development/fundraising, investment management, performance management and nonprofit finance. The course also provides an overview of the sector, including its history and economics. Cases involve a range of nonprofits, from smaller, social entrepreneurial to larger, more traditional organizations, including education, social service, environment, health care, religion, NGO's and performing arts. In exploring these issues, this course reinforces the frameworks and concepts of strategic management introduced in the core first year courses. In addition to case discussions, the course employs role plays, study group exercises and many outsider speakers.

STRAMGT 369. Social Entrepreneurship. 4 Units.

This course is about the efforts of private citizens to create effective responses to social needs and innovative solutions to social problems. History is full of examples of this kind of activity, though its character continues to evolve. Social entrepreneurs are increasingly blurring the lines between the sectors, using for-profit and hybrid forms of organization to achieve social objectives. This creates new opportunities for applying business skills in the social sector. Despite its prominence and complexity, this combination of private initiative and public purpose is not well understood. The objectives of this course are: (1) to introduce students to the concepts, practices, and challenges of social entrepreneurship in the United States and around the world; (2) to equip students with frameworks and tools that will help them be more effective in their socially entrepreneurial pursuits, and (3) to engage students in a joint learning process as a better understanding of this emerging field is developed by all in this class.

STRAMGT 371. Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation. 4 Units.

This course focuses on the strategic management of technology-based innovation in the firm. The purpose is to provide students with concepts, frameworks, and experiences that are useful for taking part in the management of innovation processes in the firm. The course examines how they can be managed effectively. Specific topics include: assessing the innovative capabilities of the firm, managing the Corporate R & D function, managing the interfaces between functional groups in the development function in the firm, understanding and managing technical entrepreneurs, building technology-based distinctive competencies and competitive advantages, technological leadership versus followership in competitive strategy, institutionalizing innovation, attracting and keeping corporate entrepreneurs.

STRAMGT 373. Strategic Thinking in Action --- in Business and Beyond. 4 Units.

The seminar's aim is to develop participants' ability to create strategically informed action plans that are imaginative, inspiring and workable in highly dynamic environments. The seminar's pedagogy involves informed debate to evaluate and hone well-researched views by the participants and instructors, as well as the writing and presentation of position papers by small groups of seminar participants on the seminar's focal theme. Andy Grove will continue to participate as co-instructor of the seminar, but at a reduced level. In the course of the seminar discussions, we aim to deepen our understanding of strategic dynamics and transformational change at the societal, industry and organizational levels of analysis. In fall 2010, the focal theme of the seminar will be "The Future Role of Silicon Valley: Prospective Strategic Analyses." Within the overarching theme, we will research four sub-themes. Domain experts for three of the sub-themes have committed to co-leading the related sessions with the instructors (see below). The four sub-themes are: 1. The role of Silicon Valley in the future of the semiconductor industry. George Cogan, Partner at Bain & Company and expert of the semiconductor industry, will co-lead this sub-theme. 2. The role of Silicon Valley in the future of the computer industry. Tien Tzuo, CEO of Zuora Inc. and expert of SaaS and cloud computing, will co-lead this sub-theme. 3. The role of Silicon Valley in the future of the automotive industry. Sven Beiker, Executive Director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford - CARS, will co-lead this sub-theme. 4. The role of Silicon Valley in the future of U.S. Employment. Andy Grove will lead this sub-theme. Two seminar sessions will be devoted to each sub-theme. The first session will be led by the instructors. It will involve discussion of reading material and data and focus on refining the key research questions for the sub-theme. The second session (4 weeks later) will be led by the student team carrying out research on that sub-theme. Seminar participants will organize into four teams, each one focused on a sub-theme. Each team will research the forces that are shaping the evolving role of Silicon Valley in relation to their sub-theme, try to assess the implications of that evolution for the future of the U.S. economy, and propose executable recommendations for strengthening Silicon Valley's future role. Each team will be expected to produce a monograph (10-15 pages) presenting and discussing its findings and recommendations, to be handed in at the end of the quarter.

STRAMGT 378. Strategic Leadership of Nonprofits. 4 Units.

Formulating, evaluating, and implementing mission and strategy. Case studies from nonprofits in social services, health care, education, and arts and culture. The interaction of strategy and mission, industry structure and evolution, strategic change, growth and replication, corporate strategy, governance, commercialization, alliances, capacity building, and leadership.
Same as: EDUC 377D.

STRAMGT 381. Leading Strategic Change in the Health Care Industry. 3 Units.

This seminar provides the opportunity for students to study the structure and dynamics of the U.S. health care industry, and some of the ways it intersects with the global health care industry. The U.S. health care industry represents over 15 percent of the nation's GDP and is rapidly changing as a result of government regulatory reform enacted in 2010. The seminar's aim is to develop participants' ability to create strategically informed action plans that are imaginative, inspiring and workable in this highly dynamic environment. The seminar's pedagogy involves informed debate to evaluate and hone well-researched views by the participants and instructors, as well as the writing and presentation of position papers by small groups of seminar participants on the key dynamics of the industry. In the course of the seminar discussions, we aim to deepen our understanding of strategic dynamics and transformational change at the societal, industry and organizational levels of analysis. After developing a complete picture of the structure of the health care industry and the strategic relationships among the key players - the strategic landscape -, the seminar will focus on how health care reform and other external forces will affect the strategic opportunities and challenges of four types of players in the strategic landscape: (1) Incumbents (e.g., pharmaceutical companies, hospital companies, insurance companies); (2) entrepreneurial startups (e.g., home monitoring, genetic testing companies, information services); (3) cross-boundary disruptors (e.g., health clinics, Wal-Mart, Cisco, Google); and (4) international health care providers (e.g. in Mexico, India, Thailand) Four student teams will be formed to focus on one of the four types of players. Each team will prepare a research paper focused on determining how their type of player can take advantage of the regulatory, technological, social, cultural and demographic changes, and who will be the likely winners and why. During the first round of discussions (sessions 2-5) all participants will take part in examining the different parts of the competitive landscape. During the second round (sessions 6-9), the different teams will present their research findings and perspectives about the strategic opportunities and threats which exist. As part of the second set of sessions, the instructors will bring in domain experts to further augment the discussion.

STRAMGT 508. Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Women. 2 Units.

There are now over a dozen courses taught on entrepreneurship at the GSB. These courses cover a wide range of topics of interest to the budding entrepreneur and venture capitalists. But what unique challenges do women face when approaching entrepreneurship? This seminar will showcase successful women entrepreneurs and the challenges they encountered in funding, communication styles, lifestyle balance, and paths to success. We will do so with mini-cases, panel discussions, readings, and some social time with experienced entrepreneurs. Men are also welcome to enroll.

STRAMGT 513. New Venture Pitch Workshop. 2 Units.

This workshop provides students with a forum through which they can develop and receive feedback on a new venture idea. Class time will be devoted to understanding how to improve the viability of a new venture idea and how to present that idea clearly to others. At the course conclusion, students will present their idea to others in the class and outside guests. The workshop can handle up to 15 ideas or teams; you may develop your own idea and pitch, or partner with other students. You must have your team formed before registering for the course. Note: students should be pitching ideas that are at an EARLY stage, ones that have not been pitched previously or are existing businesses.

STRAMGT 514. The Improvisational Entrepreneur. 1 Unitss.

Improvisational acting (i.e., improv) requires fast, flexible, and creative thinking; intense listening and effective self-presentation; and the ability to act without fear of failure. These skills are also vital for being a successful entrepreneur. In this class, you will learn techniques of improvisational acting that can transform your thinking about business and your approach to life.

STRAMGT 524. Strategy Implementation. 2 Units.

The seminar is built around five company visits to some of the most innovative firms in Silicon Valley. We visit their location, meet with mid-level managers who are encouraged to engage us in candid conversation about the challenges facing the company, and the challenges they personally face on a daily basis to implement their firm's strategy. Key questions include: What is the role, if any, of middle-managers in helping to formulate strategy? How is the strategy communicated to employees? In what circumstances do middle-managers explicitly invoke the strategy, if at all? What role do middle-managers play in strategic change? Do you distinguish financial and strategic health in your business? If so, do you quantify strategic health? How important is culture to the company's success and how do you reinforce this? What challenges have you faced in managing growth and organizational change at your company? What are the challenges to managing innovation in your company? The seminar will be particularly useful to students interested in strategy consulting or line management positions where you will participate in the strategy process, or any kind of implementation role. Each day we will spend time in class before each company visit to discuss a reading, the company background, and share reactions to the day's visit (this is an especially important aspect of the experience). In the past we have visited: Apple, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Ideo, Tesla and Yahoo!, among others. We plan to organize the same or similar visits this year.

STRAMGT 526. Managing to Outcomes in Education and Other Sectors. 2 Units.

Whether as students, taxpayers, or philanthropists, we share an interest that schools, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations effectively achieve their intended outcomes. This course asks how stakeholders and managers can assess these institutions' performance and commitment to continuous improvement. This seemingly technocratic question is often the center of political controversy, as it is today in criticisms of the student assessments required by No Child Left Behind and of "value-added" assessments of teacher performance. Ever mindful that performance management is a graveyard of good intentions, we will study the practical aspects of institutional change - including leadership, accountability, learning, and culture ?- that often account for the difference between success and failure. We start with the presumption that you can't manage what you can't measure, but managers can usually measure only proxies rather than ultimate outcomes. In addition to the inevitable slippage between the proxies and ultimate outcomes, there is a tension between using assessments for learning and improvement, on the one hand, and for accountability, incentives, and penalties, on the other. Moreover, people have incentives to "game" any performance evaluation system. We will examine the challenges of managing to outcomes in various contexts, focusing particularly on students' and teachers' performance, but also including the performance of selected government agencies (e.g., police and welfare departments), nonprofit organizations, and foundations. We will focus on the interconnections among strategic planning, performance budgeting, and performance management. We will also look at experiments with new funding vehicles that depend on measuring outcomes, such as social impact bonds, conditional cash transfers, and pay for performance schemes in healthcare and other sectors.

STRAMGT 543. Entrepreneurial Acquisition. 2 Units.

For aspiring entrepreneurs who don't have a burning idea or desire to start a company from scratch, acquiring a small business can provide a direct route to running and growing a business. This class will explore entrepreneurial acquisition (EA), including the Search Fund model. Key topics to be addressed: - Raising the money to acquire a company and building an investor group - Conducting a search for a company to buy: analyzing industries, finding resources, creating deal flow and managing relationships - Evaluating acquisition opportunities, including financial analysis - Performing due diligence - Legal considerations - Structuring and closing the deal - Assuming leadership from the seller - Early stages of operating and building the business - Economics to the entrepreneur and investors - Partnering or doing it alone.

STRAMGT 546. Small Business Strategy. 1 Unitss.

We will visit and analyze four local small businesses. (I hope we will visit all four companies but, when it makes more sense logistically, we may meet the manager at the GSB). The companies will vary from very small companies with limited growth plans (for example, last year we visited a veterinary office and a small company that makes devices elderly people use to call for help) to start-up technology companies with dreams of rapid growth (last year we visited a venture-backed greentech company and a company developing an internet healthcare portal). We will talk with the owners about a wide range of strategic issues, including: * How are they organized? * What plans do they have for new lines of business? Why? How do these fit with the current business? * How do they set prices? * What incentive systems do they use to manage various types of employees? How do they find new employees? What do they look for when they hire? * What do they see as their potential sources of competitive advantage? * Where do they see their companies in 5 years? What will it take to get there? Before each meeting, we will spend a little time going over basic background information about the company and its industry. After each meeting, we will spend time analyzing the company and its challenges, focusing on what is and is not scalable, if and how the company can insure a profitable strategy going forward, and what strategic changes the company should consider now and as it grows. Students will be responsible for helping gather background information before the visits. They will be expected to participate in the visits and the discussions before and after the visits. Finally, if time allows, students will make a short presentation on the final day of the class about the strategy of a small business (either one they have worked for, one that they are familiar with, or even just one that they have read about.) This class is the result of a book project that the instructor is currently working on about small business strategy. He (along with two co-authors) has been visiting small businesses all over the United States (specializing in remote locations and, as luck would have it, extreme weather conditions.) This class brings his small business road trip to Silicon Valley.

STRAMGT 552. Venture Capital: Financing and Valuation. 1 Unitss.

This offers an overview of the fundamental principles relevant to angel and venture capital investments and is useful to future entrepreneurs who will be consumers of VC industry, future VC professionals, and angel investors. We will cover financing arrangements, decision-making processes, valuation, negotiations, and exit opportunities. We will use a number of real-life case studies and some protagonists are expected to come.

STRAMGT 554. Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital. 2 Units.

This new course, STRAMGT 554, is a two unit version of the popular course, STRAMGT 354: Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital. Many of America's most successful entrepreneurial companies have been substantially influenced and supported by professionally managed venture capital funds. This relationship is examined from both the entrepreneur's and the venture capitalist's perspective. From the point of view of the entrepreneur, the course considers how significant and global business opportunities are identified, planned, and built into real companies; how resources are matched with opportunity; and how, within this framework, entrepreneurs seek capital and other assistance from venture capitalists, angel investors or other sources. From the point of view of the venture capitalist, the course considers how potential entrepreneurial investments are evaluated, valued, structured, and enhanced; how different venture capital strategies are deployed; and how venture capitalists raise and manage their own funds and add value to their companies. This course represents a shorter, more intense version of STRAMGT 354 - Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital. Students should not take both courses, as there is considerable overlap in course content.

STRAMGT 562. Intellectual Property: Financial and Strategic Management. 1 Unitss.

In today's competitive marketplace, smart companies - from Fortune 500 firms to early stage start-ups - rely on innovation to keep them one step ahead of the game. This class will help you understand the value of firms' intellectual property (IP), by thinking strategically about how to effectively leverage the knowledge, trade secrets, patents, technologies, trademarks, structures and processes that are critical to many businesses. The class will focus on the state-of-the-art, best practices related to IP management, and how they are shaped by economic, strategic, legal, regulatory, and market factors. Through a combination of case studies, class discussion and guest speakers, we will cover a variety of issues shaping a successful IP strategy in today's global business environment. Some of the topics we will cover include: * Building and managing an IP portfolio that is aligned with business objectives; * The innovation cycle and technology transfer mechanisms; * Extracting value from the IP portfolio through transactions (e.g., licensing, sale, enforcement); * IP valuation in financial reporting; * Tax planning related to IP (e.g., cross border transfer pricing, IP holding companies); * Review of corporate IP litigation and the principals of IP damages; * Patent reform and the role of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO); * IP rights challenges while doing business in developing countries; * IP strategies for start-ups & new media companies. Ron Kasznik is Professor of Accounting (Stanford GSB). Ms. Efrat Kasznik is a valuation expert with more than twenty years of management consulting experience, focusing primarily on IP valuation and strategy. She is the founder and President of Foresight Valuation Group, an IP consulting firm providing valuation and strategy services for a range of purposes, including M&A, financial reporting, technology commercialization decisions, tax compliance, transfer pricing, and litigation damages. Prior to founding FVG, she held partner level positions with leading litigation and management consulting organizations.

STRAMGT 565. Strategic Decision Making. 2 Units.

This compressed course concerns the analysis of strategic decision-making, with an emphasis on the process of "big stakes" analysis in complex corporate settings. The first week is devoted primarily to the tools of this process and to coping with (strategic) unawareness (especially in competitive situations). The second week is devoted primarily to "learning by doing," as we apply the tools developed in the first week to real-life problems. The overall objective of the course is to develop the student's working knowledge of these techniques, so the student can fruitfully apply these techniques on his/her own. The course may be taken as a two-unit compressed course by signing up for STRAMGT 565 and participating in the first week only. Alternately, students may sign up for both weeks, by registering for STRAMGT 365. Students who sign up initially for STRAMGT 565 will be able to decide late in week 1 whether to continue into week 2 (in effect, these students will have the registration changed from 565 to 365). Note that, in the registration process, students who rank STRAMGT 365 will have a greater chance of getting a spot than students ranking STRAMGT 565. (It will not be possible to change in midstream from 365 to 565, i.e., to drop the second week). Students will be expected to do approximately 90 minutes of work outside of class each day both weeks. A group project will be the main work product in the second week. The course will be taught jointly by Carl Spetzler, Chairman, Strategic Decisions Group and Professor Yossi Feinberg.

STRAMGT 567. Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation. 2 Units.

This course examines individuals and organizations that use entrepreneurial skills and approaches to develop innovative responses to social problems. Entrepreneurship has traditionally been seen as a way of creating wealth for the entrepreneur and for those who back her/his work. Social entrepreneurs employ "entrepreneurial skills," such as finding opportunities, inventing new approaches, securing and focusing resources and managing risk, in the service of creating a social value. As the intensity and complexity of social and environmental problems has grown in recent years social entrepreneurship, defined as innovative, social value creating activity that can occur within or across the nonprofit, government or business sectors, has become increasingly prominent. While virtually all enterprises, commercial and social, generate social value, fundamental to this definition is that the primary focus of social entrepreneurship is to achieve social impact above all else. We will study some of the most promising and the best-proven innovations for improving people's lives. We will also examine mature projects that are now tackling the issue of "scale", moving from local innovations to solutions that create deep systemic changes for larger numbers of economically disadvantaged individuals and communities throughout the world. This year we will focus on what are the constraints and opportunities for creating a social enterprise at scale. The process of "scale" poses tremendous challenges. Even when organizations manage to overcome the many obstacles to growth, and achieve appreciable scale, this approach is seldom sufficient to achieve significant social impact on its own. This year our course will pay particular attention to network approaches which require the mobilization of a vast array of actors and resources, but have the potential to generate rapid and sustained social impact.

STRAMGT 573. Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond. 2 Units.

This five-session 2-point Bass seminar will involve students (maximum 15) on examining how to improve the effectiveness of "Translational Medicine."€ Translational medicine concerns the complex process involved in bringing medical inventions and discoveries to market as diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications. The time and cost involved in translational medicine have gone up exponentially during the last two decades. One purpose of the seminar is to examine the root causes of this unsustainable trajectory and to develop a strategic action plan to reverse it. Another, related, purpose is to help students sharpen their skills in leading strategic change in and of large complex systems. While the instructors will provide relevant pre-readings related to translational medicine and strategic analysis, students will be expected to complement these materials with their own research of theoretical and empirical sources. Class discussions will focus on three analytical sub-topics related to translational medicine, and students will be expected to help structure the discussion and move it forward toward conclusions. Students will organize into three research teams each focused on one of the sub-topics and prepare a five-to-ten page group report of their most important findings and conclusions that extend current knowledge, and also work together to integrate the findings across research teams.
Same as: I.

STRAMGT 574. Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond. 2 Units.

This five-session 2-point Bass seminar will involve students (maximum 18) in analyzing the emerging global electric automotive industry by focusing on: (1) The electric automotive industry in the U.S. and Europe, (2) the electric automotive industry in Japan and Korea, and (3) the electric automotive industry in China. We will each time examine the strategies of the key automotive companies as well as that of the government and other key players such as infrastructure providers. The purpose of the seminar is to help students sharpen their skills in identifying facilitating and impeding forces of strategic change, and in assessing and estimating the direction and rate of strategic change. While the instructors will provide relevant pre- readings related to these topics, students will be expected to complement these materials with their own research of theoretical and empirical sources. They will also be expected to help structure the discussion and move it forward toward conclusions. Students will organize into three teams each focused on one of the regions and prepare a five-to-ten page group report of their most important findings and conclusions that extend current knowledge.
Same as: II.

STRAMGT 577. Strategic Interactions. 1 Unitss.

This course will cover advanced game theoretical tools by studying applications to competitive and cooperative interactions. Game theory provides an analytical method for modeling decision makers, their actions, preferences, information, dynamics and decision making process. Complex strategic environments usually do not yield themselves to a simple game structure, hence this course will be based on cases suggested by the students. Students will suggest a case (in the form of an industry, a specific interaction, a topic, etc.) the class will then jointly analyze the selected cases.

STRAMGT 583. The Challenges in/with China. 2 Units.

This course is designed to provide MBAs with a solid grasp of the socio-economic, business and political situation in China (with its challenges for China, the rest of the world and the planet). It will identify the multicausality conducive to the achievements and the performance of China (a "Chinese Renaissance") while assessing some of the important issues faced by China today. The dysfunctions brought by success will be discussed with their implications for foreign partners operating in China. Learning will be drawn from recent examples of corporate behavior in China and from Chinese strategies outside China. From the course – and with a prospective perspective - we will explore alternative strategic approaches and responsible management practices likely to make less difficult the maintenance of a sustainable, mutually rewarding interdependence between China and the rest of the world. The course will rely upon different pedagogical methods and use a number of recent cases and research results. This course will be taught by Henri-Claude de BETTIGNIES, The Aviva Chair of Leadership and Responsibility, Emeritus Professor of Asian Business at INSEAD. He is also Distinguished Professor of Globally Responsible Leadership, Emeritus, at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), in Shanghai, where he has spent the last 5 years. Previously, he was for 16 years (1988-2004) Visiting Professor at the GSB, Stanford University.

STRAMGT 584. New Business Models in the Developing World. 2 Units.

In recent years, we¿ve seen an explosion of innovative business models blazing new trails in emerging markets. Many of these models are achieving commercial success while transforming the lives of the poor. Using ten cases and drawing on the investor's lens, this course will examine best practices for seeding and scaling these new enterprises. It will also explore what is required to spark, nurture and scale entire sectors targeting fast-growing, often low-income markets. What does it mean to work in markets with limited infrastructure? What common mistakes are made¿whether in business design, in supply chains, or in dealing with government¿and how can we avoid them? Which are the right business models to serve markets that have traditionally been ignored by corporations, and where government has failed to deliver? Who might be threatened by the success of these new businesses? The seminar is a good match for Stanford students interested in working or investing in emerging markets. It will be taught by Matt Bannick, who leads Omidyar Network (a $550m impact investing fund) and is the former President of eBay International and of PayPal.

STRAMGT 585. International Business. 2 Units.

This course addresses key issues in the creation and implementation of company strategies in the international environment: - Why and how do firms internationalize? - How should a firm assess the opportunities and risks in a foreign environment? - What are the competences a firm needs successfully to enter foreign markets, where it faces unfamiliar environments and entrenched local competitors?? - How does a firm balance risk and return in deciding the best mode of foreign market entry? - What are the strategic options available to a firm in competing internationally? - How do international firms organize to deal with complexity? The course is in two parts, which are closely linked. The first is concerned with the strategy and operations of international firm, focusing on how corporations overcome the challenges of foreign environments to expand globally. This section covers foreign market assessment (analyzing the business opportunities and investment climate in a foreign country) and foreign entry strategy, including the alternatives of exporting, licensing, greenfield foreign direct investment or cross-border M&A. We look at trade-offs firms face between global or regional operating economies, on the one hand, and responsiveness to local customers, on the other, leading them to adopt global versus multi-local strategies. In the second part, we consider the development and adaptation of competences in the face of international competition. This section concerns the operational processes and organization structures firms use to support their international strategies. These include the generation and diffusion of knowledge across the corporate network, and the role of innovation and leadership in the transformation of international companies. The course uses a combination of case studies, problems, lectures and discussion, over a variety of companies and countries. Country settings include Japan, Spain, Italy, Singapore, India, Brazil, Romania, China, and the US. Companies may include P&G, Singapore Airlines, Timken, Indesit, HP, Inditex (Zara), Arcor and others.

STRAMGT 586. New World Global Business. 2 Units.

This elective is concerned with two themes: 1. The strategies and competitive basis of new business challengers-- enterprises based in the countries of the "New World" of rapidly developing economies, including China, India, Brazil and Russia, Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey; 2. How companies based in the developed world can compete with the challengers. The rapidly developing economies are the home bases for highly competitive new firms which have employed novel and successful business models to gain significant stakes in domestic markets. Their home economies have been, to varying degrees, less affected than the mature economies by the global financial crisis and their firms have been able to continue remarkable domestic growth trajectories. Further, many of these firms are outwardly focused and rapidly gaining positions in the developed world, where they are challenging the interests of developed world multinationals. For global incumbents, it is critical to understand the strategies of the new challengers and how to compete with them. The focus of the course will be on these New World firms, with the aim of understanding the strategies and competences they are deploying in their successful expansion. Integral to their developing global competences is the role of disruptive innovation, addressing under-served markets, and exploiting institutional distance in establishing competitive positions in the home base. Yet it is not clear to what extent these competences can be successfully translated into more developed markets. The course will address strategies multinationals based in the developed world can adopt to counter the new challengers and succeed in their home markets, as well as in the home markets of these challengers. The course will be taught with newly developed case studies written for this and related courses. The cases provide insight into the strategies of New World companies, how companies from the developed world can address the opportunities and risks in New World countries and use them as platforms for expansion. The following are examples of companies which will be included: Natura - Exporting Brazilian Beauty, Brazil Lenovo: Managing a Global Merger, China Haier: Taking a Chinese Company Global, China Infosys Technologies Ltd.: Looking to the Future, India TNK-BP: Russian Oil and Foreign Interests, Russia Samsung Electronics: Global Flash Memory Business, Korea Arcor: The Challenge of Becoming a Global Competitor, Argentina Metro Cash & Carry, Russia, India, China Monsanto: Realizing Biotech Value in Brazil, Brazil, US Arcelik's International Expansion, Turkey Studio Moderna in Eastern Europe, Slovenia.

STRAMGT 587. Strategy and Management in Developing Economies. 1 Unitss.

An important channel for economic development, and the progress of poverty alleviation, is to drive productivity improvements and growth among firms in developing countries. Yet scaling firms in environments characterized by extreme poverty, weak institutions and high levels of inequality poses severe challenges. This seminar will explore the issues facing firms in such environments, including the strategic challenges the firms face as well as the challenges involved in improving managerial practices. Many of the issues and potential solutions to these problems are poorly understood, and the goal of the seminar will be to deepen everyone's understanding of the challenges, as well as brainstorm about potential solutions. This will be an interactive seminar, based on readings and/or guest speakers, with students expected to engage in active discussion of the materials.

STRAMGT 691. PhD Directed Reading. 1-15 Units.

This course is offered for students requiring specialized training in an area not covered by existing courses. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the reading.
Same as: ACCT 691, FINANCE 691, GSBGEN 691, HRMGT 691, MGTECON 691, MKTG 691, OB 691, OIT 691, POLECON 691.

STRAMGT 692. PhD Dissertation Research. 1-15 Units.

This course is elected as soon as a student is ready to begin research for the dissertation, usually shortly after admission to candidacy. To register, a student must obtain permission from the faculty member who is willing to supervise the research.
Same as: ACCT 692, FINANCE 692, GSBGEN 692, HRMGT 692, MGTECON 692, MKTG 692, OB 692, OIT 692, POLECON 692.

STRAMGT 802. TGR Dissertation. 0 Unit.

Same as: ACCT 802, FINANCE 802, GSBGEN 802, HRMGT 802, MGTECON 802, MKTG 802, OB 802, OIT 802, POLECON 802.