1 - Strategy : Successful businesses formulate a clear competitive strategy. They make the tough choices about how and where to compete. These firms do not try to be all things to all people. Instead, they select their target markets carefully, and they choose what not to do. By making clear tradeoffs, they develop a distinctive position in the marketplace, and they make quite difficult for established rivals to engage in successful imitation.

Throughout the lectures, we will use a wide variety of case studies to introduce key concepts from the field of competitive strategy. For instance, we will examine the dynamics of such industries as airlines, personal computers, and pharmaceuticals. We will look at how such firms as Apple have positioned themselves to succeed in challenging competitive environments. We will explore how Trader Joe’s made a series of trade-offs to establish a position that others could not imitate easily, and we will analyze the competitive battle between Blockbuster and Netflix. We will also explore the diversification and vertical integration strategies used by such firms as Disney and Zara. As we examine these case studies, we will see how the core ideas of business strategy work in practice, not just in theory.

2 – Operation : The world is full of great business ideas—products and service concepts that hold immense promise for businesses and the customers they serve. Yet what is the value of a great idea? It amounts to little if a business cannot execute—that is, produce the product or service in conformance with customer expectations in such a way that customers feel great about buying it. In the best case, customers even take pride in their association with products and services they buy. And that’s the goal of any company: to develop a band of loyal patrons—or even fa.ns—who not only buy the products but convince others to buy them, too! You know the companies that enjoy this kind of following: Amazon, Apple, Costco, Nike, Southwest Airlines, and Starbucks, among others.

Through these lectures, we’ll see that operations are instrumental as a value generator and competitive differentiator in every business, ensuring that the right products and services are available in the right form and quantity at the right place and time—and at a competitive price. We’ll come to realize that operations management touches virtually every facet of our everyday existence and ensures our quality of life.

3 – Finance and Accounting : Accounting and finance are two of the cornerstones of any business school curriculum—and for good reason. Accounting, often called the language of business, provides the means by which organizations communicate—in facts and figures—how effectively they are fulfilling their strategic missions and operating objectives by providing critical information to current and prospective investors, creditors, and regulators. Accounting rules and standards provide the framework by which individual transactions are recorded in financial records and consolidated into financial statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows.

These lectures are designed not only to introduce you to the theoretical concepts in both accounting and finance but to provide practical and concrete examples for applying both disciplines in your everyday life.

4 – Organizational behavior : We all work in all types of organizations: small, large, high-tech, not-for-profit, family businesses, entrepreneurial start-ups, public and government sector—just to mention a few. What makes working in organizations an interesting and, at times, challenging proposition is the fact that these enterprises are made up of human beings. And, of course, each of these human beings has his or her own unique personality, talents, motives, communication styles, and personal idiosyncrasies that can make going to work a blessing or a curse.

In these lectures, we will explore such topics as career success and survival, the critical nature of leadership, the importance of great interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, and effective communication with coworkers and employees. In addition, we will learn how to create an organizational climate that maximizes human performance in the workplace, how to create and foster teamwork with the people around us, and how effective coaching and feedback can nurture great performance. Other topics include understanding power and influence at work, managing your boss, understanding and resolving conflict, and appreciating the ethical challenges associated with success. Finally, we will look at how to lead and facilitate the process of organizational change and how to develop ourselves to meet the changing demands of our jobs. Throughout this section of the course, the lectures will challenge your thinking, ask you to look in the mirror, and give you specific action assignments to ensure that you know not only what to do but how to do it.

In a nutshell, these lectures will better equip you to be successful in your job, deliver better results for your employer, and create a track record of performance that will lead to career success!

5 – Marketing : To the casual observer, marketing can resemble a series of random and disconnected actions. Why did a firm choose to sell through a particular channel? Sponsor a particular event? Cast that actor in its commercials? Locate its stores at a particular location? Price at a particular level? Bundle its offerings with other products or services? If it is bewildering to watch how established companies with long histories of success make such decisions, what chance does the small business owner have of developing and following through on a coherent marketing plan?

Marketing done well is the basis on which companies grow, innovate, and fend off competition. Marketing done poorly, however, is hard to distinguish from throwing money out a window. This section of the course is designed to provide you with the tools you need to understand marketing and make sound marketing decisions.