This course draws on a wide range of perspectives to explore the roots of long term competitive advantage in unusually successful firms. Using a combination of cases, simulations, readings and, most importantly, lively discussion, the course will explore the ways in which long term advantage is built from first mover advantage, increasing returns, and unique organizational competencies. We will focus particularly on the ways in which the actions of senior management build competitive advantage over time, and on the strategic implications of understanding the roots of a firm's success.

An introduction to bargaining and negotiation in public, business, and legal settings. Combines a "hands-on" skill-building orientation with a look at pertinent social theory. Strategy, communications, ethics, and institutional influences are examined as they influence the ability of actors to analyze problems, negotiate agreements, and resolve disputes in social, organizational, and political circumstances characterized by interdependent interests.

" China's rise as a great power raises important questions about how that power might be used in its relations with other states. Nowhere are such questions more salient than in the future trajectory of China's conflict behavior, including its approach to deterrence, crisis management and the use of force. To explore these important questions in China's international relations, this seminar examines the evolution of Chinese strategic thought, in primary sources as well as its reflection in the interactions among Chinese states and between China and other states."

Introduces students to the basic tools in using data to make informed management decisions. Covers introductory probability, decision analysis, basic statistics, regression, simulation, and linear and nonlinear optimization. Computer spreadsheet exercises and examples drawn from marketing, finance, operations management, and other management functions. Restricted to Sloan Fellows.

A comparative study of the grand strategies and military doctrines of the great powers in Europe (Britain, France, Germany, and Russia) from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Examines strategic developments in the years preceding and during World Wars I and II. What factors have exerted the greatest influence on national strategies? How may the quality of a grand strategy be judged? Exploration of comparative case study methodology also plays a central role. What consequences seem to follow from grand strategies of different types? Open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.

Using a website simulation tool, students build on their understanding of random processes on networks to interact with the graph of a social network of individuals and simulate the spread of a disease. They decide which two individuals on the network are the best to vaccinate in an attempt to minimize the number of people infected and "curb the epidemic." Since the results are random, they run multiple simulations and compute the average number of infected individuals before analyzing the results and assessing the effectiveness of their vaccination strategies.

The primary objective is to teach students to do rigorous, explicit, customer-based marketing analysis which is most appropriate for new ventures. Explicit analysis of customers and potential customers, using available data, together with explicit and sensible additional assumptions about customer needs and behavior. Additional course objectives are to teach students about: (a) ways to implement marketing strategies when resources are very limited, and (b) common deficiencies in marketing by entrepreneurial organizations. From course home page: Course Description Educational Objective This course clarifies key marketing concepts, methods, and strategic issues relevant for start-up and early-stage entrepreneurs. At this course, there are two major questions: Marketing Question: What and how am I selling to whom? New Venture Question: How do I best leverage my limited marketing recourses? Specifically, this course is designed to give students a broad and deep understanding of such topics as: What are major strategic constraints and issues confronted by entrepreneurs today? How can one identify and evaluate marketing opportunities? How do entrepreneurs achieve competitive advantages given limited marketing resources? What major marketing/sales tools are most useful in an entrepreneurial setting? Because there is no universal marketing solution applicable to all entrepreneurial ventures, this course is designed to help students develop a flexible way of thinking about marketing problems in general. Career Focus This course is aimed at students who plan to start a new venture or take a job as a marketing professional in an early-stage business.

What are evidence-based improvement strategies? It is important that we ensure that students are impacted by programs, practices and strategies. The presentation defines evidence-based improvement strategy and research types in easy to understand language. In addition, it includes tools and resources to assist district and school teams.

This course provides practical instruction in the design and analysis of non-digital games. Students cover the texts, tools, references and historical context to analyze and compare game designs across a variety of genres, including sports, game shows, games of chance, card games, schoolyard games, board games, and role–playing games. In teams, students design, develop, and thoroughly test their original games to understand the interaction and evolution of game rules. Students taking the graduate version complete additional assignments.

In this math activity, learners practice decision-making skills leading to a better understanding of choice versus chance and building the foundation of mathematical probability. SKUNK is a variation on a dice game also known as "pig" or "hold'em." The object of SKUNK is to accumulate points by rolling dice. Points are accumulated by making several "good" rolls in a row but choosing to stop before a "bad" roll comes and wipes out all the points. SKUNK can be played by groups, by the whole class at once, or by individuals.

This course examines systematically, and comparatively, great and middle power military interventions, and candidate military interventions, into civil wars from the 1990s to the present. These civil wars did not easily fit into the traditional category of vital interest. These interventions may therefore tell us something about broad trends in international politics including the nature of unipolarity, the erosion of sovereignty, the security implications of globalization, and the nature of modern western military power.

How is the selection of an evidence-based improvement strategy related to continuous improvement? It is important that we ensure that students are impacted by programs, practices and strategies. The presentation illustrated how the selection of evidence-based improvement strategy fits within a continuous improvement process in easy to understand language. In addition, it includes tools and resources to assist district and school teams.

Seminar presents speakers who are Chief Executive Officers, Chief Information Officers, and consultants in a speaker series aimed at enriching student understanding of the world of Information Technology use and management. CEOs are drawn from companies in the field of IT. Consultant presenters are those focused on the use of IT in business transformation. Class interaction with the speakers is encouraged.

This is a course in industrial organization, the study of firms in markets. Industrial organization focuses on firm behavior in imperfectly competitive markets, which appear to be far more common than the perfectly competitive markets that were the focus of your basic microeconomics course. This field analyzes the acquisition and use of market power firms, strategic interactions among firms, and the role of government competition policy. We will approach this subject from both theoretical and applied perspectives.

Focus on the key role that information technology plays in enabling organizational change and integration, especially in manufacturing. Topics include: trends in core technologies, including computer hardware, software, communications, and networks; the development and evolution of the internet and web; business models for electronic commerce; reinventing business processes and supply chain management; evaluating and managing the use of advanced information technologies in manufacturing; and new technology-enabled forms of working and organizing. In virtually every industry and every firm, information technology is driving change, creating opportunities and challenges. Leaders who don't understand at least the fundamentals of information systems will be at a strategic disadvantage. This course provides broad coverage of technology concepts and trends underlying current and future developments in information technology, and fundamental principles for the effective use of computer-based information systems. There will be a special emphasis on manufacturing. Information Systems topics that will be covered include networks and distributed computing, including the World Wide Web, hardware and operating systems, software development tools and processes, relational databases, security and cryptography, enterprise applications, B2B, the semantic web and electronic commerce. Sloan LFM students with an interest in Information Systems are encouraged to register for this course.

These are the directions that are located on the handout: Please cut out the letters above, mix them up and place them in an envelope or Ziploc baggie. Once the letters are mixed up then lay them out on a flat surface and challenge yourself by placing them in the correct order according to the Qwerty keyboard. Eventually make a game out of the activity by timing yourself and see if you can improve your time during each try.

I have the students make an envelope out of a piece of paper. I have them watch a tutorial that I found on YouTube.

This course approaches "managing the innovation process" through five levels of analysis: individual, team, network, organizational, and industrial. At each level of analysis, particular attention is given to the conditions under which innovation processes succeed and fail. The weekly readings consist of a mixture of book chapters, journal articles, and cases, and an online forum will be used for further discussion of the required readings outside of class. Tuesday classes will begin with a reflection exercise that entails critical thinking about the topic for the week, followed by an activity and lecture introducing material found both within and outside of the readings. Thursday classes will begin with a case analysis completed in small groups, followed by a discussion based on the issues raised in the case and online forum. The primary goal of the course is to expose students to a variety of perspectives on innovation, while building on past work experiences and preparing for work experiences in the future.

Seminar-style subject for those interested in founding or growing a PC or internet software company, or working as a software company manager, product or program manager, or industry analyst. Students examine approaches used for organization and product development at successful companies such as Microsoft and Netscape. Studies the history of the computer as well as key trends in different software markets and internet commerce. Students work in teams to help teach weekly sessions and analyze a small set of "interesting companies" that students select with the instructor.

Outlines tools for formulating and evaluating technology strategy, including an introduction to the economics of technical change, models of technological evolution, and models of organizational dynamics and innovation. Topics covered include: making money from innovation; competition between technologies and the selection of standards; optimal licensing policies; joint ventures; organization of R&D; and theories of diffusion and adoption. Taught using a combination of readings and case studies.

" This course provides you with a framework to understand the structure and dynamics of high-tech businesses, together with an approach for their effective strategic management. It is focused on domains in which systems are important, because either or both products are parts of larger and more complex systems, or they are comprised of systems. The domains covered include computing, communications (in particular the mobile and IP domains), consumer electronics, industrial networking, automotive, aerospace and medical devices. The course will be of particular interest to those interested in managing a business in which technology will likely play a major role, and also to those interested in investing in or providing counsel to these businesses. The emphasis throughout is on the development and application of ways of thinking or mental models that bring clarity to the complex co-evolution of technological innovation, the demand opportunity, systems architecture, business ecosystems, and decision-making and execution within the business."