MBA electives

Students may need special permission from the course instructor and/or the relevant graduate program administrator prior to enrolling in an elective course. Students must complete one designated elective in any area of international business.

8001 | 8203 | 8210 | 9005 | 9013 | 9015 | 9018
9020 | 9021 | 9022 | 9026 | 9030 | 9032 | 9033 | 9034 | 9035
9040 | 9042 | 9043| 9046 | 9103 | 9301-9303 | 9306 | 9308
9309 | 9311 | 9312 | 9314 | 9316 | 9317 | 9318
9320 | 9322 | 9323 | 9324 | 9326 | 9328 | 9329
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AACSB-logo8001 - Consumer Behaviour
This course examines the basic concepts underlying consumer behavior and how these concepts can be applied in analyzing marketing problems. Application of principles and social science research, on topics including motivation, attitudes, social influences, and others, will be considered with respect to marketing issues such as positioning, communication and customer relations. The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the nature of marketing and to develop effective marketing techniques that can be utilized in any environment. Prerequisite: BUSI 8106.

8203 - Management Science
Students are provided with the basic concepts and tools of management science such as linear programming, network methods, inventory control and Markov processes that are used as aids in managerial decision-making.

8210 - Labour Relations
The origins of the Canadian labour movement, labour legislation and the major substantive elements of collective bargaining are studied in this course.

9005 – International Marketing
This course provides a foundation for the major strategic decisions that international marketing managers encounter. Topics covered include controllable and uncontrollable forces, cultural diversity and common marketing concepts considered in developing international marketing strategies. The course will expand your knowledge of marketing concepts and tools such as: global market entry strategies; exporting; contractual agreements; strategic international alliances; and direct foreign investment. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses, including 8106.

9013 – Collective Agreement Administration and Arbitration
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with principles of collective agreement administration; explore current substantive issues in grievance arbitration; familiarize students with the mechanics of the grievance and arbitration procedure, and to provide students with an opportunity to strengthen their advocacy skills through participation in arbitration simulations. Students will undertake extensive review of labour arbitration cases and will examine the impact of jurisprudence on the philosophy and practice of management in the private and public sectors. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses including 8210, or 8210 and admission to the MER program.

9015 – Services Marketing
The course includes applications of principles of services marketing to organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. It will examine marketing in services organizations and the issues which arise from the differences between the marketing of tangible products and marketing services. It will address the need for understanding consumer behaviour as it applies to the purchase of services and the interaction between customers and service providers. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses including 8106.

9018 – Current Issues in E-Business
This course examines business concepts, social issues and technology issues related to e-commerce and also provides an introduction to current management practices, opportunities and challenges in implementing e-commerce solutions. Topics include: business models associated with web-based commerce; security, privacy and intellectual property issues; payment and distribution systems; internet marketing; and strategic issues related to e-commerce. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses including 8205.

9020 - International Human Resource Management
The globalization of business is having a significant impact on all organizations, whether they are directly or indirectly connected to any international operations. This international human resource management course equips students with a solid knowledge and understanding of human resource functions and practices that currently prevail in global/international business operations. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8104 or 8204.

9021 – Data Management
This course is based on the principle that data is a valuable resource that needs to be managed effectively to provide accurate, complete, timely, relevant and accessible information to support decision-making. Topics include: enterprise data modelling, logical database design, database management systems, query languages, transaction management and security. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses including 8205.

9022 – Information Systems Analysis and Design
This course provides students with the skills to identify business problems that may be addressed using information technology, determine requirements for information systems and develop detailed designs that form the basis for implementing systems. Topics may include: role of the client in systems development, systems development life cycle, analysis and conceptual modelling, object-oriented analysis and design and trends in systems development methods. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses including 8205.

9026 – International Business Law
This course is designed to develop skills necessary to understand existing laws and regulations and how they relate to international business decision-making. The course will equip students with a knowledge and understanding of laws and regulations that currently prevail in international business operations. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses.

9030 – International and Comparative Industrial Relations
The course examines Canadian industrial relations in an international context by studying a number of different countries, considering challenges faced by practitioners and policy makers resulting from globalization and the information age. The historical, legal, social and political environment of industrial relations will be covered in various countries, along with the major groups involved, namely employers, government and unions. Local and centralized collective bargaining, arbitration and mediation, joint consultation, partnership and employee participation will be studied where appropriate. Issues such as new forms of human resource management, non-unionized workplaces, labour law reform, multinational companies, social/corporate responsibility, differences between Asian and western companies, migrant workers, technological change, labour market flexibility and pay determination will be discussed. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses, including 8210.

9032 - Digital & Social Media Marketing
This course provides an introduction to the growing world of digital and social media marketing. The focus will be on understanding the challenges and the vast potential that various types of digital and social media channels can provide for organizations as well as understanding the capabilities for communication, advertising and marketing for all types of organizations. The development of a digital & social media marketing strategy and the tactical deployment and application will be covered through a variety of topics, including website design and search engine optimization, social media channels, mobile marketing, visual social media channels, video social media channels, messaging applications, search engine marketing with Google and Bing, and analytics tools such as Google Analytics. Prerequisite: BUSI 8106.

9033 - The International Business Environment
This course explores the nature, scope and issues involved in doing business in a dynamic global environment and will equip students with fundamental knowledge required to be an effective global manager. The evolution of the world economy and emerging trends will be examined as well as a critical evaluation of global competition and the problems and perspectives of doing business across national boundaries. Taught primarily using case method, meaning classroom discussions and participation are essential to understanding how firms and multinational enterprises manage their activities and operations across the world. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses.

9034 – Strategic Risk Management
Areas examined include risk management concepts and objectives; risk management in an organization and its effect on operations; risk management techniques; risk identification and analysis; forecasting and comparing risks; linking risk to corporate governance and compliance activities; operational risks; reputation risk; regulatory and political risks as well as decision-making in the context of risk management. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses.

9035 – Management Consulting
This course is intended to give students exposure to the breadth of issues and challenges facing management in complex organizations. Effective proposal development, team work, research techniques, strategic problem-solving, growth and development will be explored. The course will simulate a real-life consulting assignment. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses including 8106.

9040 – Business Sustainability
This course examines how organizations can balance economic, social and environmental goals. The course builds on BUSI 8107 with a particular emphasis on social and environmental issues facing businesses. It also explores how managers can derive competitive advantage when approaching sustainability strategically. Prerequisite is completion of nine required courses, including 8107.

9042 - Branding with Social Media
The value of social media is not just for business application. Recruiting and hiring has also changed for both HR professionals and candidates. Unfortunately, best practices for using these tools is still emerging and potential applicants many are not highly versed on their application or how to leverage them for their business and personal brand. Those that capitalize on the power of these tools will succeed, while those that stick to traditional recruiting methods and channels may find themselves increasingly behind others in their industry. This course will assist you in developing and refining your online brand as well as deploying your brand through the most appropriate social media channels. The active utilization of these channels for both personal and business application will be explored as well as specific advertising opportunities that each provide. There are no prerequisites for this course.

9043 - Team Building & Diversity
The ability to work effectively with team members is crucial to individual functioning and promotion within organizations and this course is dedicated to understanding the design, management, and leadership of teams in organizational settings. The purpose of this course is to understand the theory and processes of team behavior so that employees and leaders can successfully work with teams. This course examines the structure and dynamics of teams with an aim to understanding team-building, team dynamics, diversity, and managing team conflict.

A core component to working effectively in teams is understanding diversity and how to maximize the benefits of working in diverse teams while minimizing the complications. This course will therefore cover topics related to diversity and cross-cultural awareness and how to make diversity an advantage in your work teams.

This course is designed to complement the technical and diagnostic skills learned in other courses at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Leaders need analytic as well as interpersonal skills to effectively manage groups and benefit from diversity. This course will provide students with the opportunity to develop these skills in experiential and applied ways.

9046 - Project Management
This introduces appropriate methodology and theory for selecting, planning and managing projects. This includes the project portfolio selection, the initial creation of a plan in terms of the breakdown of the tasks, construction of the relationships and dependencies inherent in any plan, and controlling the execution of the activities according to the plan as the project proceeds. Emphasis will be placed on resource allocation, leveling and management, critical path analysis, risk analysis, accounting for uncertainties and time-cost trade-offs. The role of the project manager and project team as well as issues related to multi-project management will also be addressed. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses.

9103 - Research in Management
The scientific approach as a method of inquiry is essential for the advanced study of management. The basic concepts and principles of scientific methodology are introduced and stages in the research process are studied. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8103.

9301, 9302, 9303 - Research Project
The research project is designed to allow a candidate in the second year of the program to pursue specific research interests not available through present course offerings. Content and research methods must receive prior approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies, which will determine the appropriate credit value for the research project. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses.

9306 - Global Strategy
Business managers have to meld the art of strategic decision making with a strong understanding of the global environment. This course is designed to provide basic concepts, conceptual framework and tools that enable managers to formulate and implement an effective global strategy. This course also offers MBA students an opportunity to understand the global environments and the various management issues of global businesses. In addition to lectures, this course will use a variety of learning approaches such as reading, case studies, team presentations, class discussions, and a final written paper. Prerequisites: completion of nine required courses.

9308 - New Venture Creation
This course covers the business creation process from the idea conception stage to the launch stage. Students learn how to search for, screen and evaluate opportunities, and to plan and assemble the required resources. Assignments include the preparation of a business plan. Alternatives to new venture creation, such as purchasing an existing business and purchasing a franchise, are also explored. Extensive group work is required. Prerequisite: 8106, 8109.

9309 - Marketing Management
This course emphasizes the development, execution and control of marketing programs in both the consumer and business marketing environments. Specific topics include: assessing the marketing environment, marketing research, segmenting the marketplace, product planning and management, pricing, promotional strategies and channel design and management. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8106.

9311 - Seminar in Human Resource Management
Effective management must integrate comprehensive human resource planning with overall organization plans and strategies, and must be sensitive to the economic and policy needs of the organization. The human resource management course emphasizes personnel functions such as professionalism and human resource development, human resource planning, organizational design, personnel maintenance and development. Evaluation, research and control in the personnel area are also explored. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8104 and 8204, or admission to the MER program.

9312 - Financial Management
This course is designed to study the role of financial management in the operation of modern organizations. Topics include capital budgeting, capital markets, raising capital, financial institutions, the timing of financial policy, reorganization of a business, and multinational business finance. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses, including 8103, 8108, 8109 and 8206.

9314 - Business Law
This course surveys the law relating to torts, contracts, and business organization with a view to management decision-making. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses, including 8103, 8108, 8109 and 8206, or admission to the MER program.

9316 - Information Systems Management
This course provides an examination of the theoretical and practical aspects of managing the acquisition, development and deployment of information systems in organizations. Topics include conceptual frameworks for assessing the competitive and strategic impacts of information technology, inter-organizational systems, planning and control of information systems resources, information-enabled alliances, information architecture alternatives, systems development portfolios and risk assessment, and an introduction to transnational issues in information systems management. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses, including 8205.

9317 - Current Topics in Management
This is a seminar course on a timely management topic as ascertained by the Faculty of Business Administration. Topics may be the result of management innovations, particular problems of management or major government legislation. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses.

9318 - Marketing Communications Management
This course builds on the fundamentals of marketing explored in BUSI 8106 and examines the theory and practice of the non-personal elements of the promotion mix: advertising, sales promotion, publicity and public relations. The course is designed to examine and evaluate the theoretical background of communications, advertising and promotion; and develop analytical and management skills in planning, executing and evaluating advertising and promotional campaigns. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8106.

9320 - Investments and Portfolio Management
Investment principles and security analysis are applied to the selection and comparison of equity and debt securities within the relevant economic conditions and financial environment. Warrants, rights, options and commodities are also discussed. This course concludes with an examination of portfolio management by considering such topics as risk reduction techniques, portfolio diversification and revision. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8103, 8108, 8109 and 8206.

9322 - Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation
This course is designed to explore the technological innovation process in the context of its economic importance and especially its importance to the business firm. Technological innovation is viewed as fundamental to strategic competitiveness and as important to the management of change in the business organization. Interpersonal and organizational factors are discussed and the functional/operational aspect of managing technological innovation is emphasized. Prerequisite: 8104, 8106, 8108, 8109, 8206.

9323 - Financial Forward, Futures and Options Markets
An analytic overview is provided of many types of forward, futures and option contracts with explanations of the associated risk-return characteristics and their valuation under different assumptions. Various pricing formulae are utilized such as the Black-Scholes and binomial option pricing models. These formulae are also applied to the valuation of other contingent corporate securities. Emphasis is on hedging strategies. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8103, 8108, 8109, 8206 and 9320.

9324 - Gender, Work and Organizations
The theoretical and practical dynamics of women and men in organizations are examined. In the theoretical part of the course, major topics include perceptions of appropriate managerial behaviour and the extent of gender-based differences in managerial behaviour. The second part of the course, which includes topics such as power, networking, mentoring, etc., is practically and experientially based. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses, including 8104, or admission to the MER program.

9326 - International Finance
The additional risks and profitable opportunities that arise for the firm when it extends its operations into international markets are examined in this course. Specific topics include the determination of exchange rates, international monetary system, balance of payments, foreign exchange market, international money and capital markets, parity conditions, accounting exposure, economic exposure, transactions exposure, political risk and global financing. Knowledge of these topic areas is important to operating within the constraints of the international marketplace. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8103, 8108, 8109 and 8206.

9328 - Change Management
An overview of the process of change management is provided. The course begins with a macro perspective that places the management of change in the broader context of organizational adaptation. In the second half of the course, a hands-on approach is adopted to consider the more micro aspects of change management. Students will be exposed to the forces that make change inevitable as well as the techniques that make the process of change more manageable. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8104, or admission to the MER program.

9329 - Labour Law
Canadian labour relations law is seen as consisting of three closely interrelated frameworks that regulate the employer-employee relationship: common law of employment, collective bargaining, and direct statutory regulation of employment. This seminar course studies these frameworks as well as the impact of globalization on labour law. Case book materials are utilized and students contribute qualitatively and quantitatively to class discussions. Prerequisite: completion of nine required courses including 8210, or 8210 plus admission to the MER program.