Courses Taught

MGMT 453 – Creativity and Innov (3)
Analysis of the process of innovation in organzations and of how creativity and other variables influence the process. MGMT 453 Creativity and Innovation (3) Creativity and Innovation analyzes the process of innovation in modern business organizations and the variables that influence the process. The relationship between creativity and innovation is investigated and individual, organizational and environmental influences on both the creative and innovation processes are examined. Special attention is given to organizational architectures that are conducive to innovation. A major objective of the course is to help students develop the competencies necessary for managing innovative organizations.

MGMT 457W – Strat Mgmt of Innovat and Tech (3)
New technologies are turned into innovations and create value for consumers only when they are successfully commercialized. Brilliant technologies can sit for years or even decades in the ivory tower. A successful commercialization of certain technologies does not only require deep understanding of the features of the technologies, but also well-developed frameworks to understand the dynamics of the technologies, the industries that the technologies will be applied to, market potential responses to the technologies and other firms who are interested in collaborating or competing to commercialize the technologies. These frameworks help managers to design the optimal strategy for different types of technologies and innovations (including incremental, disruptive, radical, and sustainable innovations) under dynamic market environments.The course covers several concepts, frameworks and tools through case-based learning methods that illustrate how different innovations and technologies are strategically managed and commercialized. Analyzing the successes and failures detailed in the cases will provide students the knowledge and analytical skills needed to develop comprehensive strategies to manage new technologies. This course is writing-intensive so be prepared to horn your business writing skills along the way.Strategic Management of Innovation and Technologies is a case-based learning course, where the learning is student-centered, with faculty acting primarily in the role of facilitators. Active learning happens in this course because students are engaged in actively analyzing cases and applying newly learned frameworks to the cases. The course leverages the University's course content management system (CMS) to define weekly learning objectives, support electronic delivery of assignments and provide robust video content from managers, inventors and venture capitalists, who provide additional insights into the process of technology commercialization. Because the course is structured within the CMS system, it could be offered at any location with very little revision. The companies and cases that are the focus of the class are easily adapted by using different case studies, companies and course mentors.

ENGR 425 – New Venture Creation (3)
Via problem-based learning, students define new business ventures to meet current market needs, develop business models, and present to various stakeholders. The goal of New Venture Creation is to better prepare undergraduate students to be leaders in adaptive, globally-minded, technology-savvy organizations. The course is structured so students develop skills that are of high value in any workplace: leadership skills, self-efficacy, creativity and the ability to deal with ambiguity. Upon course completion, students will have a working knowledge of traditional and non-traditional ways for identifying a new product or business opportunity, quantifying the potential, understanding the key competitive factors, researching the audience, and producing a convincing plan for financing and launch. Students who want to augment the skills and knowledge from their major with the ability to develop a new product/service/process, will find New Venture Creation a valuable course. This is a novel problem-based learning (PBL) course, where the learning is student-centered, with faculty acting primarily in the role of facilitators. Active/Experiential learning happens in this course because students develop ownership of their venture concepts and are fully responsible for the genesis of ideas.

IST 425 – New Venture Creation (3)
Via problem-based learning, students define new business ventures to meet current market needs, develop business models, and present to various stakeholders. The goal of New Venture Creation is to better prepare undergraduate students to be leaders in adaptive, globally-minded, technology-savvy organizations. The course is structured so students develop skills that are of high value in any workplace: leadership skills, self-efficacy, creativity and the ability to deal with ambiguity. Upon course completion, students will have a working knowledge of traditional and non-traditional ways for identifying a new product or business opportunity, quantifying the potential, understanding the key competitive factors, researching the audience, and producing a convincing plan for financing and launch. Students who want to augment the skills and knowledge from their major with the ability to develop a new product/service/process, will find New Venture Creation a valuable course. This is a novel problem-based learning (PBL) course, where the learning is student-centered, with faculty acting primarily in the role of facilitators. Active/Experiential learning happens in this course because students develop ownership of their venture concepts and are fully responsible for the genesis of ideas.

MGMT 425 – New Venture Creation (3)
Via problem-based learning, students define new business ventures to meet current market needs, develop business models, and present to various stakeholders. The goal of New Venture Creation is to better prepare undergraduate students to be leaders in adaptive, globally-minded, technology-savvy organizations. The course is structured so students develop skills that are of high value in any workplace: leadership skills, self-efficacy, creativity and the ability to deal with ambiguity. Upon course completion, students will have a working knowledge of traditional and non-traditional ways for identifying a new product or business opportunity, quantifying the potential, understanding the key competitive factors, researching the audience, and producing a convincing plan for financing and launch. Students who want to augment the skills and knowledge from their major with the ability to develop a new product/service/process, will find New Venture Creation a valuable course. This is a novel problem-based learning (PBL) course, where the learning is student-centered, with faculty acting primarily in the role of facilitators. Active/Experiential learning happens in this course because students develop ownership of their venture concepts and are fully responsible for the genesis of ideas.

MBADM 816 – Manage Lead in Org (3)
Overview of human behavior in organizations, and implications for managing and leading individuals, teams, and organizations.This course provides an overview of the theories, concepts, applications, and research findings of human behavior in formal organizations and their implications for individual, team, and organizational performance. This study of organizational behavior and performance will take place at three levels of analysis: (1) The Individual in the Organization, including topics such as personality, attitudes, perception, and motivation; (2) Groups in Organizations, including group and team dynamics, influence and political behavior, negotiation, and managing conflict, and; (3) Organizational Processes, such as work design, behavior modification, communication, and decision making.

MGMT 326 – Org Beh and Design (3)
Concepts, theories, and methods of managing people and designing organizations. MGMT 326 Organizational Behavior and Design (3) This introductory course covers the concepts, theories, and methods of managing people and designing organizations. Issues and challenges of managing at different organizational levels (individual, group, project, and total organization) are discussed and illustrated with real-world examples. Students learn about the latest means of designing high-performing organizations, including how to change an organization. This course will serve as a foundation for taking advanced management courses. The primary method of evaluation is an examination after each of the four major parts of the course, but class participation and short papers may also be used for evaluation.

MGMT 427W – MANAGING A STARTUP (3)
Start-up companies have a high failure rate. Acquiring and balancing limited resources, changing direction quickly, building a coherent team, developing an organization's culture from scratch, managing intellectual property, and creating new markets all test a wide range of managerial skills not usually demanded in one person within a larger organization. Whereas a large company has a strong and well-defined structure and ample resources to deal with unexpected challenges, a start-up usually has insufficient resources and/or management experience, yet it must deal on a daily basis with important and often unpredictable forces.Students will be exposed to these tensions and experience through problem-based learning methods that illustrate what it is like to start and grow a new company. The course will provide students with the knowledge and experience to increase their likelihood of success whether as a principal in a small company or an investor representative.Managing a Startup is a problem-based learning (PBL) course, where the learning is student-centered, with faculty acting primarily in the role of facilitators. Active learning happens in this course because students are engaged in the analysis of the complex situations that underlie startup companies. The course leverages the on-line course management system to define weekly learning objectives, support electronic delivery of assignments and provide robust video content from entrepreneurs, investors and key employees, who provide additional insights into the management decisions and ethical dilemmas the leader of a startup faces. Because the course is structured around the on-line course management system, it could be offered at any Penn State location with very little revision. The particular companies and cases that are the focus of the class are easily adapted by using different case studies, companies and course mentors.

MGMT 471 – Strategic Mgmt (3)
Issues that influence the competitive performance of the firm are identified and examined. MGMT 471 Strategic Management (3 )This course focuses on the management of the firm using a strategic perspective. The strategic perspective emphasizes the firm as the unit of analysis (e.g., analyzing how a firm competes in its industry), and it addresses key decisions that have a long-term impact on the structure and performance of the organization (e.g., diversifying into a new business or changing the company's strategy). The course draws heavily on prior business courses in accounting, marketing, finance, and international management. Key topics include industry analysis, competitor analysis, company analysis, corporate-level strategy, business-level strategy, strategy implementation, and firm performance. The course is normally taught using the case methods, but the course may include a computer simulation and/or oral group presentations.

MGMT 433 – Leadership and Teams (3)
Team-based learning approach to developing conceptual knowledge, skills sets, and personal competencies needed for leading and managing organizations. MGMT 433 Leadership and Team Building (3)To lead effectively and to manage others in contemporary work contexts requires mastery not only of conceptual knowledge, but also of the intra- and inter-personal competencies and skills sets that are vital to successful performance in a work environment. This course emphasizes an experiential-based learning approach that is designed to impart skill sets and competencies in areas such as leadership, teambuilding, negotiating, communicating, valuing diversity, managing conflict, and more. The course thus uses assessment exercises, role playing techniques, group problem solving exercises, and other experiential-based learning techniques in order to provide students with a framework for better understanding their own strengths and weaknesses, to enable them to practice, enhance, and to gain confidence in their competencies in these various areas, as well as to enable students to better appreciate when and how to effectively apply these skills sets and competencies in the workplace.

BA 243 – Social, Legal, & Ethical Environment of Business (3)

BA 322 – Negotiation Skills For Business (3)

MGMT 321 – Leadership & Motivation (3)

BA 321 – Contemporary Skills In Business Professionalism (3)

BA 422W – Strategic Business Planning (3)

CAS 252 – Business & Professional Communication (3)

Research Impact and Media Mentions