Courses taught at Dakota State University

Spring

BADM 460 -- Human Resource Management -- a comprehensive study of the law, procedure, and common sense practice of managing people in organizations. Special focus on compliance with employment law and on the steps of the human resource management process. The DSU catalog says that this course provides a survey of managerial practices with respect to the management of the human resource function and an introduction to the topic of human resource, management as an occupational choice. Major areas of inquiry include recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation and benefits administration and work force integration and maintenance. Prerequisite: BADM 360.

BADM 464 -- Organizational Behavior -- This course focuses on basic concepts of organizational behavior and how they affect the practice of management, including motivation, group dynamics, communication, coordination, change, and adaptation within an organization. If you really want to be a manager, this will be one of the most interesting courses you will take. Your job as a manager is to accomplish organizational goals by coordinating the efforts of other people. Working managers quickly realize that understanding why people work and what makes them want to work are key pieces of information needed to be effective. This course will provide theory and practice information about the scientific study of organizational behavior, the building blocks needed to understand the “whys” of people at work in the organizations where your post-college career will take place.

Fall

BADM 468 -- International Management -- A study of the management required in an internationally-oriented firm with emphasis on policy formulating and planning. Also emphasized are relationships among business, cultural, and political factors. The future of business lies in managing across borders. The period of intense concentration of wealth in the U.S., with much less wealth elsewhere in the world, is over. To sustain our quality of life by extending economic prominence, managers must be able to deal with large and long-term relationships with managers, owners, and employees in other countries. This course focuses on how to understand inter-country social, political, legal, and religious differences and on how to manage organizational relationships in light of those differences.

BADM 436 -- Entrepreneurship -- The DSU catalog describes this course as a study of idea generation and screening and the new business start-up process. Emphasis on resource management and business planning. Case studies and an entrepreneurial project are required activities. In the syllabus, I add this: The ability to “grow” a business or other type of organization is an important skill – whether it be a startup or an existing entity. It is equally important to be able to apply management concepts taught in business school to real-life situations. The objective of this course is to apply business knowledge to the task of writing and presenting a comprehensive proposal and plan for funding a new venture. Click here for a pdf of an example syllabus.

Fall & Spring

BADM 482 -- Business Policy and Strategy -- the capstone for Business students, this course integrates courses in Finance, Management, Accounting, Marketing, and Information Systems in a study of how strategy is formulated and implemented. In addition to preparing integrative cases, students participant in an online simulation of the athletic footwear industry, where outcomes depend not only on decisions made, but on the decisions of competitors. This is one of the most demanding courses in the Business curriculum. Students who successfully complete the course enjoy a perspective on organizational activity that is very difficult to create and sustain without a thorough education in the content and process of management.

Summer

BADM 360 -- Organization and Management -- The DSU catalog describes this course as a study of management, including the planning, directing, controlling, and coordinating of activities involved in operating a business enterprise. I add this statement in the course syllabus: Almost all business and not-for-profit activity is carried out by people working in organizations. Effective managerial functioning in today’s workplace requires a basic understanding of how to think and decide; how to communicate; how to manage oneself, others, and organizations; how to initiate and adapt to change; and how to act responsibly toward one’s coworkers, organization, and the external world as a whole. The objective of this course is to survey fundamental facts and concepts related to these activities.

BADM 344 -- Business Communication -- The DSU catalog describes this course as a study of the theory and practice of effective communication through written words in various types of business letters and reports. Correct English usage and clarity are emphasized. I include this statement in the course syllabus: Business School graduates and their employers frequently remind us that the ability to express oneself orally and in writing is an important skill in the business world. The objective of this course is to survey essential skills and approaches for writing appropriately in a wide variety of organizational situations. Effort is also focused on developing presentation skills for persuasive situations and difficult topics. Click here for a pdf of the full syllabus.

BADM 460 -- described above

Other

BADM 435 -- Technology and Innovation Management -- The understanding and management of the technological and innovative processes in business, industry and government. The past success of American business relied heavily on manufacturing and mass production. Changes in the economic positions of other nations have made future success in those areas less broad and less reliable. Future American productivity and standard of living will rely on the ability of entrepreneurs and companies to innovate and to create wealth through innovation and use of new ideas for products and processes. It will also rely on improved efficiency and effectiveness resulting from creativity and innovation.