Lake Forest MBA Elective Course Descriptions
On-Site MBA with Healthcare Management Specialization
5801 Legal & Social Environment of Management
This course examines the legal and regulatory environment in which corporations and managers function. Day-to-day decision making is considered within the context of pertinent laws, regulations, and court decisions. Focus is on analysis of the legal system, and specific topics within the system such as contracts, governmental regulations, agency relationships, torts, corporate and other types of business entities, and related issues.
Prerequisite: 5130
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5802 Negotiations & Conflict Management
The purpose of this course is to make you more effective in handling the frequent conflicts and resulting negotiations that confront business executives. The course treats negotiation as a complex process that requires the successful practitioner to develop and utilize a unique blend of perceptual, analytical, and interpersonal skills. The course methodology is highly experiential, combining class discussion of assigned readings with practice negotiations in one-on-one and team situations. Course assignments focus on the application of learned negotiation skills in actual work situations.
Prerequisite: 5100
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5803 Managing Organizational Diversity
In today’s global marketplace, the idea of diversity is a valued commodity. To be competitive, many companies promote the idea of a diverse workforce, recruit non-traditional employees, and ensure that the organization operates within all applicable Equal Opportunity Laws. This course is designed to look at diversity as a strategic opportunity both from an organizational and individual level of analysis. Specifically, students will examine how to leverage diversity as a competitive advantage and how to resolve the inevitable tensions that difference can introduce into an organization.
The course’s main goal will be to raise awareness of diversity’s effect on practical business outcomes, as well as teach the student to successfully anticipate the effect of workforce diversity on strategy, design, recruitment, selection, mentoring, performance appraisal, training, compensation, and international competition.
Students should expect this course to prepare them for the challenges that modern diversity poses to bottom-line performance. The idea of valuing workforce diversity as a competitive advantage, the possibility of real behavioral change, and reasons for taking the cultural complexity of a workforce and market seriously will be debated.
Prerequisites: 5120, 5130
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5805 Work Team Dynamics
Work Team Dynamics is a five-week elective that explores the communications challenges specific to teams. When taken with Workplace Coaching (5815), students are able to satisfy one of the three electives required for an Organizational Behavior specialization.
Most organizations use team-based processes to leverage individual strengths and to maximize productivity. Often, these teams have fairly complex reporting relationships and no formal leadership structure. The most productive teams are facilitated by skilled process managers who understand how to build teams and keep them productive for a defined time period.
This course supports skill development in creating effective, productive work teams, managing meetings, and getting things done while building long term, mutually beneficial relationships. Students learn in real-time how to build a team by working in teams. The course is designed to teach the skills needed to manage team processes in a way that helps the organization reach its objectives.
Prerequisite: 5120
One-half unit course
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5815 Workplace Coaching
Workplace Coaching is a five-week elective that focuses on the feedback process that occurs between individuals in the workplace. When taken with Work Team Dynamics (5805), students are able to satisfy one of the three electives required for an Organizational Behavior specialization.
Effective coaching between individuals (direct reports, peers or other workplace employees) requires the ability to establish rapport, listen effectively, guide performance and conduct interviews. Coaches conduct 360-degree feedback, help identify strengths and developmental needs, formulate skill-building development plans, and provide non-threatening feedback.
This course is designed to build on the coaching skills students learned in Effective Leadership (5120). Emphasis is given to the roles, responsibilities, and ethical considerations involved in individual coaching and coaching as a manager. Using real-time opportunities with peers and other hands-on exercises, this course enables students to develop skills needed to establish individual coaching relationships, sustain effective employee-employer relationships, and enhance their over-all communication patterns. Students will serve as both the coach and the coachee. They work with their own development plans in order to become directly familiar with the challenges and opportunities involved in formulating and implementing those plans.
Prerequisite: 5120
One-half unit course
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5807 Ethical Leadership & Decision Making
This course provides an understanding of how values shape individual ethical behaviors, and how these behaviors influence leadership and decision-making. The course will provide practical knowledge and tools needed to effectively manage the everyday ethical conduct of employees. The course will also discuss how legal, philosophical, and corporate practices influence ethical behavior for individuals and companies. Students examine how social, environmental and stakeholder responsibilities, and different values impact ethical behavior in companies.
Prerequisite: 5100, 5130
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5810 Management of Human Resources
This course builds a conceptual framework for business leaders to understand that managing people effectively can improve business performance. Emphasis is on strategic and practical application of the discipline of human resources, rather than on administrative issues. The course focuses on how to attract, develop, reward, and motivate employees, including the important role that sound management plays. Underlying this focus are two major themes that are developed throughout this course. First is strategic fit, that is, the need for “people strategy” to be aligned with business objectives. Second is that managing people is ultimately the responsibility of all business leaders.
Prerequisites: 5120, 5130
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5820 Project Management
This course covers the process and techniques required to manage almost all types of projects. The course integrates key management skills acquired throughout the MBA program with specific project management skills and knowledge. This integration helps students more effectively meet project objectives on time and within budget, as well as meet expectations and quality requirements. Considerable emphasis is placed on the knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques needed to manage projects successfully.
* This course is also offered via Blackboard in an instructor-facilitated totally online format.
Prerequisite: 5130
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5821 Strategic Use of Information Technology
Technology has the power to create and destroy businesses. The purpose of this course is to provide managers with analytical tools and frameworks to effectively create value in their organizations by managing technological change. The course will equip the student with the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to better understand how technology impacts fundamental business strategies and organization.
Focus areas of the course include:
• The economics of information: how information technology can be used to positively impact the company’s P&L and balance sheet
• Emerging technologies: an overview of new developments and their impact on the profitability and viability of the businesses they touch
• Value creation: how technology can be harnessed to create or destroy value.
Students will also learn effective techniques for forming partnerships between business leaders and information technology providers to align technology execution with the business goals of the company. To succeed in the 21st century, effective managers must understand the possibilities of emerging technology, assess how to apply those technologies to their overall business strategy, and forge strong partnerships with information technology providers to make their strategy a reality.
* This course is also offered via Blackboard in an instructor-facilitated totally online format.
Prerequisite: 5130
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5840 Global Practicum: European Community
This course offers students an opportunity to focus on the European business environment within an innovative and flexible framework that combines traditional classroom–based learning with structured, rigorous in-country experiential learning. The pragmatic aspects of doing business abroad such as cultural differences, resource availability, legal and economic framework, technology, and marketing issues are explored through classroom discussion, in-country company and government site visits, lectures from European educators and business leaders, and consulting project client interaction. Effective communication and ethical decision making under the umbrella of the global challenge are addressed.
Prerequisite: 5160 or Dean’s approval
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5841 Global Practicum: Asia
This course offers students an opportunity to focus on the Asian business environment within an innovative and flexibile framework that combines traditional classroom-based learning with structured, rigorous in-country experiential learning. Focusing on emerging markets in terms of development, economy, growth, and philosophies in a multi-cultural setting, the challenges and opportunities of these dynamic markets are addressed. The pragmatic aspects of doing business abroad, such as cultural differences, resource availability, legal and economic framework, technology, and marketing issues are explored through classroom discussion, in-country company and government site visits, lectures from Asian educators and business leaders, and consulting project client interaction. Effective communication and ethical decision making under the umbrella of the global challenge are addressed.
Prerequisite: 5160 or Dean’s approval
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5842 Global Practicum: Latin America
This course offers students an opportunity to focus on the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic business environment within an innovative and flexible framework that combines traditional classroom–based learning with structured, rigorous in-country experiential learning. The pragmatic aspects of doing business abroad such as cultural differences, resource availability, legal and economic framework, technology, and marketing issues are explored through classroom discussion, in-country company and government site visits, lectures from Latin American educators and business leaders, and consulting project client interaction. Effective communication and ethical decision making under the umbrella of the global challenge are addressed.
Prerequisite: 5160 or Dean’s approval
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5848 Global Finance
Companies and managers are impacted as the global economy trends towards greater integration and interdependency. This course provides students with an advanced and in-depth understanding of financial management principles as they relate to the global capital markets. Focusing on the global financial and macroeconomic environment, topics such as foreign exchange markets, management of foreign exchange exposure, international financial instruments, and cross-border investment are analyzed. Through lecture, case study, group discussion and presentation, students will increase their ability to manage exchange risk and market imperfections using various techniques while maximizing organizational financial performance. Effective communication and ethical decision making under the umbrella of the global challenge are addressed.
Prerequisites: 5160, 5190
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5849 Global Marketing
Companies and managers are impacted as the global economy trends towards greater integration and interdependency. This course provides students with an advanced and in-depth understanding of marketing principles as they relate to the global marketplace. Environmental factors that influence marketing in the global arena (political, economic, legal, sociocultural, technological and competitive) are examined as to the impact on entry strategy, product, pricing, distribution, packaging, promotion planning and branding. Through lecture, case study, group discussion, presentation and in-store research, the complex and dynamic global environment in which marketing strategies are formulated and implemented are analyzed to advance student decision making skills in marketing globally successfully. Effective communication and ethical decision making under the umbrella of the global challenge are addressed.
Prerequisites: 5160, 5210
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5855 Strategic Business Writing
Strategic Business Writing is a five-week advanced communications course that builds on the basic principles of good writing covered in Executive Success Skills (5100). Special attention is given to crafting messages for a targeted audience, influencing the thinking and/or behavior of a targeted audience, and building relationships with readers through the effective use of language. Additional topics include organizing thoughts, eliminating wordiness, reducing the time spent on written projects, and identifying key roles when students are tasked with a team writing assignment. The curriculum also includes activities to help improve critical thinking skills necessary for success in business. While grammar and punctuation are not the main focus of this course, students will receive clarification on their specific grammar and punctuation questions.
Prerequisite: 5100
One-half unit course
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5865 Advanced Presentation Skills
Advanced Presentation Skills is a five-week comprehensive communications course that builds on the basic principles of effective public speaking covered in Executive Success Skills (5100). Similar to Strategic Business Writing, special attention is given to crafting messages for a targeted audience, influencing the thinking and/or behavior of a targeted audience, and building relationships with listeners though the effective use of language. Additional topics include knowing when to use an informative versus a persuasive format, when to incorporate business-appropriate humor into a presentation, how to be an effective panelist, how to handle controversial and/or adversarial questions, and how to generate and transfer speaker energy to members of the audience. Students will deliver a variety of presentations, including selling an idea/proposal/process to their colleagues and crafting a speech for upper management.
Prerequisite: 5100
One-half unit course
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5870 New Venture Creation
This course examines personal and business issues in entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial new venture creation. It examines the analytical framework and skills for evaluating and implementing new opportunities in business.
Prerequisite: 5210
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5871 Sales Management
The management of revenue generation is key to an organization’s success and a principal concern of sales managers. This course covers the management processes of planning, developing, and implementing the company’s strategic sales plan, relating it to the marketing strategy, and reviewing and evaluating the performance of the sales force. Students learn the basics of the sales process and territory management, as well as how to prepare forecasts and to structure and deploy the sales force to achieve them. They are introduced to the challenges associated with recruiting, selecting, training, motivating, compensating, evaluating, and retaining qualified salespeople. They study a variety of approaches that have been used to address those challenges. The course also addresses leadership, teamwork, legal and ethical issues commonly faced by sales managers.
Prerequisite: 5210 or Dean’s approval
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5831 Introduction to Healthcare Management
U.S. healthcare faces increasing costs, decreasing reimbursement, expanding technology and a diverse and aging population. To make more effective decisions, it is essential that managers possess a greater understanding of the forces driving the changes in this dynamic industry. This course will prepare future leaders to understand the issues and responsibilities facing the healthcare industry today and assist them to identify the influences that will continue to impact the industry. We will explore the diversity of stakeholders and provide various options to respond to the important issues facing the industry. While the focus will be on the U.S. healthcare system, comparisons will be made to non-U.S. systems as appropriate. Finally, the course will focus on applied learning, seeking data, and approaches that help participants make more effective decisions.
Prerequisite: 5130
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5832 Healthcare Financial Management
The healthcare industry is at a crossroads. It is faced with evolving models of healthcare delivery, changing reimbursement methodologies, and increased government regulations. Today more than ever, healthcare leaders need a greater understanding of the financial issues facing healthcare organizations and the tools required to make sound business decisions. This course provides an overview of financial management concepts and techniques essential for healthcare managers. Students will learn the theory, concepts, and technical tools necessary to make financial decisions. Topics include an overview of the financial environment of healthcare organizations, third-party payment and government-financed healthcare, managed care, short- and long-term financing options, financial statement analysis and performance evaluation tools, and the increasingly important role of compliance in maintaining a healthcare organization’s financial health.
Prerequisites: 5190, 5831
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5833 Health Policy, Legal & Ethical Analysis
Public policy plays a significant role in healthcare delivery and financing; ethical decision making is fundamental to both healthcare policy and individual behavior. This course will address the public health policy process, and policy formulation, implementation, and effect. With a foundation in policy, the course will focus on ethical principles with an emphasis on the practical application of these principles to business and clinical decision making. Policy, law, and ethics will be studied in light of current issues in healthcare including financing, rationing, access to care, medical liability, patient safety, privacy, workforce issues, genetics, and technology. Case studies will be used to exemplify concepts and principles.
Prerequisites: 5130, 5831
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