Highlighted Courses - Summer and Fall 2008
The following courses are being offered summer or fall 2008. They are either new topics courses (so their course description in Class Finder is incomplete) or they are courses for which the professors have asked us to advertise. Keep reading for some good elective course ideas!
Summer 2008: MKTG714 - Multicultural Marketing
Hispanic, Asian, Black and other ethnic consumers will constitute the majorities in less than 40 years. Targeting the so called minorities is no longer a niche marketing strategy. Business must pay attention to this $1 trillion market or miss it all together. This course will provide an over view on how to identify, understand and communicate with those different markets. The importance of Census as well as other niche markets will be addressed, such as the Arab/Muslim American, Gay/Lesbian consumer market, among others.
The Objectives of the course:
Upon the completion of this course, students should be able to:
Understanding the core concepts of multi-cultural marketing in a divers world.
Understand the consumption as an expression of ethnic identity.
Identify the effective ways to identifying minorities markets.
Understanding the differences among those markets
Developing an effective marketing strategy to identify, target, understand and to communicate with these markets.
Course procedures and details
The course will be conducted on a lecture-discussion bases, also cases and guest speakers from experts in those communities. Student will work on developing a market plan targeting one the major ethnic market.
Fall 2008: MGMT 714 - Careers in the 21st Century
Instructor: Dr. Sally Power
Overview:
Continuing globalization, the faster pace of change, flatter organizations, and routine corporate downsizing has made the management of individual careers increasingly challenging. For example, a recent study of post-MBA careers over a 13 year period reported that only 1/3 of those surveyed had a traditional organizational career path. (Reitman, F. & Schneer, J. A., 2003, “The promised path: A longitudinal study of managerial careers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 18(1), 60-76).
This course will consider the changes in careers that have occurred over the last twenty years and the effects they have on individual career management in early, mid, and later career stages. We will study career building options both inside and outside organizations, challenges individuals face as they learn to manage their careers more independently, and how these changes are affecting or could affect the functioning of large organizations. Examples of course topics include: how the career histories of CEO’s are changing, how careers are being internationalized, the differences in career progression between men and women, and how successful “free agents” feel about their careers.
The overall goal of the course is to help individuals manage their own careers more successfully as well as help them manage organizations and employees to take advantage of the changes in career patterns.
At the end of this class students will:
• Be able to identify major career development options for themselves and others
• Understand the challenges of having a successful career at early, mid, and later career stages
• Have an individualized career management strategy
• Explore the changes in organizations that are coming about as a result of these changes in career patterns, and
• Identify new business opportunities in light of the changing challenges in career management.
Fall 2008: ENTR 705 - Family Business Management
Tuesday Evenings from 6:00-9:00pm
Family Business Management explores the challenges and opportunities in family enterprise. Topics include owning and governing family business; analyzing family strengths, differences, and interpersonal dynamics; building a spiritual and ethical base for family relationships; managing family interaction and problem solving; planning career, succession, and business strategies; and developing credibility. This course includes lectures, discussions, case studies and guest speakers. Major assignments will include development projects related to organization, participation, and succession in your family business. To enroll, your family must be involved in a business. In addition, you need to have parents or other significant family members either audit the course or be involved in course assignments. If your family member(s) cannot physically attend the class, we encourage their involvement through readings and weekly communication with you.
Students who previously had other family members join them in this course had this to say:
“Every aspect about the course was excellent. This course helped foster discussions with the family that should have occurred long ago.”
“I have taken nine courses in my MBA so far, and this has been the most helpful. Ritch is a great facilitator, and I hope to take future courses from him.”
“Best course I have taken during my entire program, and I graduate next semester.”
The format for this course is so successful that an article featuring the format appeared last fall in Fortune Small Business Magazine.
The Family Business Management Course is designed to promote discussion about the family and the business among family members.
• If you are considering working in the family business, but not sure, you ought to consider the issues raised in this course.
• If you plan to join the family business as an owner or employee, you need the knowledge, approaches, and plans delivered in this course; you will leave with strategies to promote success in your family business career.
This fall, the course will be taught by Dr. Ritch Sorenson, the new Opus Chair in Family Business. Dr. Sorenson is a nationally known expert in family business. He has conducted national surveys, published research, and taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in family business. He was recently described as a “mover” in Pioneer Press: http://www.twincities.com/ci_6390905?source=email
If you have questions, you can reach Dr. Sorenson at 651-962-4252 / rlsorsenson@stthomas.edu or his assistant, Mary West, at 651-962-4185 / mhwest@stthomas.edu
Fall 2008: MGMT714 (CRN # 22915): Strategic Overview of the Health Care System
This course will provide students with an overview of the health care system, including the strategic positioning of providers, suppliers, insurers, and government within the health care system. It will build an understanding of how the customer/patient fits or does not fit into the existing system and define where the health care system is failing or supporting its stakeholders. It will also address the strategic processes necessary to institute change in the health care system.