IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Transculturation

2009-11-22T23:44:06Z

24.215.83.25: /* Definition */

{{Essay-like|date=December 2007}}
{{Refimprove|date=May 2008}}

'''Transculturation''' is a term coined by Cuban anthropologist [[Fernando Ortiz]] in 1947 to describe the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures.

==Definition==

The Cuban ethnographer [[Fernando Ortiz]] first coined the term transculturation in 1940 in his influential study of Cuban culture, ''Contrapunteo cubano del tabaco y del azúcar''. Ortiz explains the use of his neologism as follows:<blockquote>I am of the opinion that the word ''transculturation'' better expresses the different phases of the process of transition from one culture to another because this does not consist merely in acquiring another culture, which is what the English word ''acculturation'' really implies, but the process also necessarily involves the loss or uprooting of a previous culture, which could be defined as a deculturation. In addition it carries the idea of the consequent creation of new cultural phenomena, which could be called neoculturation.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ortiz|1995|p=102-103}}</ref></blockquote> Ortiz also referred to the devastating impact of Spanish colonialism on Cuba's indigenous peoples as a "failed transculturation."

In simple terms, transculturation reflects the natural tendency of people (in general) to resolve conflicts over time, rather than exacerbating them. In the modern context, both conflicts and resolutions are amplified by communication and transportation technology —the ancient tendency of cultures drifting or remaining apart has been replaced by stronger forces for bringing societies together. Where transculturation impacts ethnicity and ethnic issues the term "ethnoconvergence" is sometimes used.

In one general sense, transculturation covers [[war]], [[ethnic conflict]], [[racism]], [[multiculturalism]], [[cross-culturalism]], [[interracial marriage]], and any other of a number of contexts that deal with more than one culture. In the other general sense, transculturation is one aspect of global phenomena and human events.

The general processes of transculturation are extremely complex—steered by powerful forces at the macrosocial level, yet ultimately resolved at the interpersonal level. The driving force for conflict is simple [[proximity]] -- boundaries, once separating people (providing for a measure of isolation) become the issue of a conflict when societies encroach upon one another territorially. If a means to co-exist cannot be immediately found, then conflicts can be hostile, leading to a process by which contact between individuals leads to some resolution. Often, history shows us, the processes of co-existence begins with hostilities, and with the natural passing of polarist individuals, comes the passing of their polarist sentiments, and soon some resolution is achieved. Degrees of hostile conflict vary from outright genocidal conquest, to lukewarm infighting between differing political views within the same ethnic community.{{Citation needed|date=May 2008}}

==Concepts==
Where attempts are made to keep a cultural identity "pure," the realities of social change, via natural and artificial means, dictate that cultures do not remain "pure" and never were "pure" in the first place, but are destined to change. It is the perception of individuals within cultures that their cultures do not in fact change fundamentally over time.

Human [[death|mortality]] and [[reproduction]] provides for social regeneration as well, and by this process of regeneration, which naturally includes sexual union, other cultures are often integrated. The inability of societies to maintain divisions over generations, despite attempts to engrain divisive elements, is reflective of this. As parents die, their children have the opportunity to reflect upon the nature and validity of established non-convergent precepts, and change them if they like.

These changes often represent differences between homeland pons, and their [[diasporic]] communities abroad. Nevertheless, obstacles to '''ethnoconvergence''' are not great. The primary issue; [[language]], (''hence, communication and education'') can, be overcome within a single generation - as is evident in the easy acclimation of children of foreign parents. English, for example, is spoken by more non-Anglo-American people than Anglo-Americans, making it the current [[lingua-franca]], the worldwide de facto standard international language.

===Homogenization versus ethnoconvergence===
It has been observed that even in monolingual, industrial societies like urban North America, some individuals do cling to a "modernized" primordial identity, apart from others. Some intellectuals, such as [[Michael Ignatieff]], argue that convergence of a general culture does not directly entail a similar convergence in [[ethnic]] identities. This can become evident in social situations, where people divide into separate groups, despite being of an identical ''"super-ethnicity"'', such as [[nationality]].

Within each smaller ethnicity, individuals may tend to see it perfectly justified to assimilate with other cultures, and some others view assimilation as wrong and incorrect for their culture. This common theme, representing dualist opinions of ethnoconvergence itself, within a single ethnic group is often manifested in issues of [[sexual partners and matrimony]], employment preferences, etc. These varied opinions of ethnoconvergence represent themselves in a spectrum; [[cultural assimilation|assimilation]], [[wikt:homogeneous|homogenization]], [[acculturation]], and [[cultural compromise]] are commonly used terms for ethnoconvegence which flavor the issues to a bias.

Often it's in a secular, multi-ethnic environment that cultural concerns are both minimalised and exaccerbated; Ethnic prides are boasted, hierarchy is created ("center" culture versus "periphery") but on the other hand, they will still share a common "culture", and common language and behaviours. Often the elderly, more conservative-in-association of a clan, tend to reject cross-cultural associations, and participate in ethnically similar community-oriented activities. [[Xenophobia|Xenophobes]] tend to think of cross-cultural contact as a component of [[cultural assimilation|assimilation]], and see this as harmful.

===Obstacles to ethnoconvergence===
The obstacle to ethnoconvergence is [[ethnocentrism]], which is the view that one's culture is of greater importance than another's.' Ethnocentrism often takes different forms, as it is a highly personal bias, and manifests itself in countless aspects of culture. [[Religion]], or belief, is the prime ethnocentric divider. Second is [[convention (norm)|custom]], which may overlap religion. With the adherence to each distinct component, comes the repulsion of the other. In most regions, ethnic divides are binary, meaning only two distinct cultures are present, each seeing the other as foreign. Many, however make the point that the binary example is the exception, and the norm is far more dynamic.

We can divide ethnicity into two distinct areas, as they relate to ethnoconvergence: Utilitarian traits, and traditional customs.

Religion, on the other hand, is a highly personal and attached part of culture. However, religion does not neatly correspond with ethnic identity. In many [[Multicultural|cosmopolitan]] societies, religion is everything - social, utilitarian, intellectual, political; from the point of view of people of immersed cultures; The very concept of ethnicity and its distinctions is incongruous to their immersed concepts.

In many societies, such as in those in Europe, languages are considered a significant component of ethnic values. This does not mean that most Europeans reject learning other languages. Quite the contrary, Europeans are often polyglots, and may label other individuals by their ethnicities; practical means of distinguishing cultures may resemble tendencies similar to ethnocentrism.

However, the political and cultural significance of regional or national languages are retained due to the fact that these polyglots conform to the linguistic norms of the place they visit - doing "as the Romans do". Thus, conforming to the "ethnic integrity" of the region.

It has even become a cliché that "to learn a new language is to adopt a new soul". There are many other examples of the essential significance of language. In pre-[[Russia]]n [[Siberia]], [[Tatar-Mongol]] colonists in the [[Taiga]] often recognized indigenous speakers of [[Turkic languages]] as their "own people" and non-Turkic groups as "foreigners", despite these indigenous groups having a similar level of material culture, and sharing much of a primitive culture with tribes foreign to the Muslim-Buddhist Tatar-Mongols.

==See also==

* [[Acculturation]]
* [[Enculturation]]
* [[Cross-cultural]]
* [[Intercultural relations]]
* [[Intercultural competence]]
* [[Multiculturalism]]
* [[Ángel Rama]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{citation| last=Allatson| first=Paul |year=2007 |title=Key Terms in Latino/a Cultural And Literary Studies |place=Oxford and Malden, MA |publisher=Blackwell |isbn=1405102500}}.

*Duno-Gottberg, Luis. (2003). ''Solventando las diferencias: La ideología del mestizaje en Cuba'', Iberoamericana – Frankfurt am Main, Vervuert, Madrid.

*{{citation|last=Ortiz| first=Fernando | author-link=Fernando Ortiz|title=Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar| place=Durham, NC | publisher=Duke University Press |year=1995 |isbn=0-8223-1616-1}}. Trans. Harriet de Onís.

[[Category:Culture terms]]
[[Category:Human migration]]
[[Category:Cultural geography]]
[[Category:Multiculturalism]]
[[Category:Cultural studies]]

[[de:Transkulturation]]
[[es:Transculturación]]
[[fr:Transculturation]]
[[pl:Transkulturacja]]
[[pt:Transculturação]]
[[ta:பிறபண்பாட்டுமயமாதல்]]

Abandoned footwear

2008-03-24T23:44:08Z

24.215.76.71: needed an interal link

{{wikify|date=February 2008}}
'''Abandoned footwear''', generally a lone boot or shoe, is frequently noted in ponds and along roadsides (particularly highways). It is not known why old shoes and boots seem to be publicly abandoned more often than other articles of clothing, such as shirts or caps.

While the practice of publicly abandoning old shoes has been noted in multiple countries (including Great Britain it does not seem to have any set meaning attached to it and may be a simple form of imitation.

It is possible that shoes, being more sturdily constructed than most other types of clothing, simply last longer after being abandoned outdoors—leather shoes, for instance, are estimated to last for 25-40 years outside.

However, the opposite of this hypothesis is the commonness of obviously intentional shoe abandonment, such as [[shoe tossing]], in which shoes are tied together by their laces and thrown in great numbers into shoe trees, over power lines, or over fences

In popular culture, a fisherman hauling up an old boot, rather than a fish, is an old comic-strip joke.[citation needed]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*http://www.widemedia.com/fashionuk/news/2004/08/02/news0003247.html Re-use your shoes | fuk.co.uk
*http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/sneakers.htm
*http://www.recycle.ubc.ca/littermain.html Litter Reduction Program - UBC Waste Management

==See also==

*[[Shoe tossing]]

[[Category:Footwear]]

Operations management

2007-03-19T03:58:35Z

24.215.238.82:

Operations management may be defined as the design, operation, and improvement of the production system that creates the firm’s primary products and services
Operations Management can include anything from room setup of chairs and tables of venues and events to IT and A/V equipment setup.

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

[[Category:Management]]

Operations management

2007-03-19T03:57:54Z

24.215.238.82:

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:55:30Z

24.215.238.82: /* Core Learning Projects Overview */

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:54:53Z

24.215.238.82: /* MBA Learning Projects List */

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:54:26Z

24.215.238.82: /* MBA Learning Projects List */

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:51:16Z

24.215.238.82: /* Additional Learning Projects */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

===[[Basic Probability and Statistics]]===
===[[Financial Accounting]]===
===[[Managerial Accounting]]===
===[[Corporate Strategy]]===
===[[Microeconomics]]===
===[[Macroeconomics]]===
===[[Decision Models]]===
===[[Corporate Finance]]===
===[[Marketing Strategy]]===
===[[Marketing Implementation]]===
===[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]]===
===[[Leadership]]===
===[[Operations Management]]===
===[[Negotiations]]===
===[[Ethics]]===

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Learning Projects==

===[[Capital Markets]]===

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Archive:Macroeconomics

2007-03-19T03:48:58Z

24.215.238.82: New page: ===Macroeconomics=== Read the Wikibook on Macroeconomics. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship betwe...

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:47:38Z

24.215.238.82: /* Basic Probability and Statistics */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

===[[Basic Probability and Statistics]]===
===[[Financial Accounting]]===
===[[Managerial Accounting]]===
===[[Corporate Strategy]]===
===[[Microeconomics]]===
===[[Macroeconomics]]===
===[[Decision Models]]===
===[[Corporate Finance]]===
===[[Marketing Strategy]]===
===[[Marketing Implementation]]===
===[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]]===
===[[Leadership]]===
===[[Operations Management]]===
===[[Negotiations]]===
===[[Ethics]]===

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Learning Projects==

*[[Capital Markets]]
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:46:43Z

24.215.238.82: /* MBA Learning Projects List */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

===[[Basic Probability and Statistics]]===

- statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
===*[[Financial Accounting]]=== - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
===*[[Managerial Accounting]]=== - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
===*[[Corporate Strategy]]=== -
===*[[Microeconomics]]=== -
===*[[Macroeconomics]]=== -
===*[[Decision Models]]=== -
===*[[Corporate Finance]]=== -
===*[[Marketing Strategy]]=== -
===*[[Marketing Implementation]]=== -
===*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]]=== -
===*[[Leadership]]=== -
===*[[Operations Management]]=== -
===*[[Negotiations]]=== -
===*[[Ethics]]=== -

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Learning Projects==

*[[Capital Markets]]
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:46:14Z

24.215.238.82: /* MBA Learning Projects List */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

===*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
===*[[Financial Accounting]]=== - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
===*[[Managerial Accounting]]=== - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
===*[[Corporate Strategy]]=== -
===*[[Microeconomics]]=== -
===*[[Macroeconomics]]=== -
===*[[Decision Models]]=== -
===*[[Corporate Finance]]=== -
===*[[Marketing Strategy]]=== -
===*[[Marketing Implementation]]=== -
===*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]]=== -
===*[[Leadership]]=== -
===*[[Operations Management]]=== -
===*[[Negotiations]]=== -
===*[[Ethics]]=== -

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Learning Projects==

*[[Capital Markets]]
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:44:03Z

24.215.238.82: /* Additional Learning Projects */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Macroeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Decision Models]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Finance]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Implementation]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Leadership]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Operations Management]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Negotiations]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Ethics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Learning Projects==

*[[Capital Markets]]
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:43:36Z

24.215.238.82: /* Additional Coursework */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Macroeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Decision Models]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Finance]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Implementation]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Leadership]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Operations Management]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Negotiations]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Ethics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Learning Projects==

[[Capital Markets]]
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:43:03Z

24.215.238.82: /* MBA Learning Projects List */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Macroeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Decision Models]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Finance]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Implementation]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Leadership]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Operations Management]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Negotiations]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Ethics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:42:28Z

24.215.238.82: /* Core Course Overview */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Learning Projects Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Macroeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Decision Models]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Finance]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Implementation]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Leadership]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Operations Management]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:42:13Z

24.215.238.82: /* Core Courses */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==MBA Learning Projects List==

*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Macroeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Decision Models]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Finance]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Implementation]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Leadership]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Operations Management]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:41:42Z

24.215.238.82: /* Learning Projects to Cover an MBA */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==Core Courses==

*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Macroeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Decision Models]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Corporate Finance]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Strategy]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Marketing Implementation]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Organizational Behavior and Structure]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Leadership]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
*[[Operations Management]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

*[[Microeconomics]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2007-03-19T03:36:52Z

24.215.238.82: /* Learning Projects */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD], [http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. Other diverse subjects (such as psychology) also may be included in an MBA curriculum.

==[[Portal:Learning Projects|Learning Projects]] to Cover an MBA==
See: [[Wikiversity:Naming conventions#Learning Projects|Learning Projects]] and the [[Wikiversity:Learning]] model.

Learning materials and [[Portal:Learning Projects|learning projects]] are located in the main Wikiversity namespace. Simply make a [[link]] to the name of the learning project (learning projects are independent pages in the [[Wikiversity:Namespaces|main namespace]]) and start writing! We suggest the use of the [[Template:Learning project boilerplate|learning project template]] (use "subst:Learning project boilerplate" on the new page, inside the double curved brackets <nowiki>{{}}</nowiki>).

Learning materials and learning projects can be used by multiple departments. Cooperate with other departments that use the same learning resource.
*[[Basic Probability and Statistics]] - statistical concepts of standard deviation, variance and Regression in the context the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing.
*[[Financial Accounting]] - book keeping, depreciation, amortization, income statements, cash flows
*[[Managerial Accounting]] - financial data reports for internal management and external agencies such as the SEC
* ...

Remember, Wikiversity has adopted the "learning by doing" model for education. Lessons should center on learning activities for Wikiversity participants. We learn by doing.

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencies, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and, ultimately, [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns of various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)
* [[Wikipedia:Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs|Maslow's hierarchy of needs]]

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==External Links==
Good Reading List:
http://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA/lm/R2QO2OKO7RZ2NT/ref=cm_lm_dtpa_fvlm_cfa_2/104-5567874-4297555

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2006-11-09T13:08:20Z

24.215.238.82: /* Corporate Finance */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data to create reports to be interpreted by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]] are
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns on various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

[http://www.gettingtogradschool.com/MBA-Business_School Getting To Grad School] More info regarding MBA & GMAT

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2006-11-09T13:07:32Z

24.215.238.82: /* Macroeconomics */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data to create reports to be interpreted by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the inner workings of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns on various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

[http://www.gettingtogradschool.com/MBA-Business_School Getting To Grad School] More info regarding MBA & GMAT

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2006-11-09T13:07:06Z

24.215.238.82: /* Microeconomics */

Welcome to the Wikiversity '''Master of Business Administration Program''', part of the [[School:Business|School of Business]].

==Introduction==
This document will link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot of work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data to create reports to be interpreted by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of corporate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

More specifically, these tools are useful for evaluating the potential returns on various courses of action, including but not limited to capital investments.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]] and the [[Wikipedia:Balanced_scorecard|Balanced Scorecard]].

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful if you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

[http://www.gettingtogradschool.com/MBA-Business_School Getting To Grad School] More info regarding MBA & GMAT

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

[[Category:Master of Business Administration]]

Master of Business Administration

2006-09-01T18:27:36Z

24.215.238.143: /* About the Contributors */

==Introduction==
This document will try to link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data to create reports to be interpreted by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of cooperate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]]

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful is you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2006. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

Master of Business Administration

2006-09-01T18:25:17Z

24.215.238.143: /* Microeconomics */

==Introduction==
This document will try to link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data to create reports to be interpreted by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry where there is high competition between firms that those firms will theoretically make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of cooperate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]]

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful is you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2005. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

Master of Business Administration

2006-09-01T18:23:30Z

24.215.238.143: /* Managerial Accounting */

==Introduction==
This document will try to link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data to create reports to be interpreted by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry with high competition firms make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of cooperate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]]

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful is you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2005. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

Master of Business Administration

2006-09-01T18:22:24Z

24.215.238.143: /* Basic Probability and Statistics */

==Introduction==
This document will try to link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance and conjoint analysis in Marketing. In addition, the statistical concepts of standard deviation and variance are the fundamental concepts which underly the concept of pooling risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data with the purpose of being consumed by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry with high competition firms make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of cooperate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]]

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful is you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2005. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

Master of Business Administration

2006-09-01T18:19:56Z

24.215.238.143: /* Introduction */

==Introduction==
This document will try to link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be a lot work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance, conjoint analysis in Marketing, and the pooling of risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data with the purpose of being consumed by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry with high competition firms make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of cooperate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]]

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful is you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2005. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].

Master of Business Administration

2006-09-01T18:19:30Z

24.215.238.143: /* Introduction */

==Introduction==
This document will try to link and organize the information found here on WikiMedia and elsewhere on the internet to provide a comprehensive business education such as one provided by the top business schools in the world.

A Master in Business Administration (MBA) is unlike many other academic programs. While most Master programs provide a further specialization within a particular school or discipline (such as law), an MBA is typically interdisciplinary, drawing from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, accounting and finance.

Most of the material found within an MBA program is not unique to business. Rather, an MBA provides exposure to the diverse ideas which are most useful to a person who is interested in succeeding in business within an-easy-to learn two-year bundle. Despite all the drinking and socializing, an MBA can be much work. If you work through all the concepts referenced, it should take you awhile (probably 2,000+ hours). You're also going to have to get good at Excel.

Let's get started.

==Core Course Overview==

Some MBA programs have core course requirements in the fields listed below. For examples, please refer to the core requirements of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INSEAD INSEAD],
[http://mba.sciences-po.fr/us/deroulement.htm Sciences-Po],
[http://www.hbs.edu/mba/academics/required.html Harvard Business School], [http://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/academics/curriculum/core.php Wharton Business School], and [http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/students/affairs/courseinfo/core.HTML Columbia Business School].

Many MBA programs also have coursework on advanced topics based on these core subjects. In addition, there are diverse subjects that make-up an MBA curriculum.

==Coursework==
===Basic Probability and Statistics===

The grounding for many futher concepts in business, as in other applied disciplines, is a thorough understanding of [[Wikibooks:statistics|statistics]]. A good free source for understanding probability is [http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Echance/teaching_aids/books_articles/probability_book/amsbook.mac.pdf Introduction to Probability]. In particular [[Wikipedia:Regression_analysis|regression analysis]] is going to be useful. Regression is fundamental to the concept of Beta in Finance, conjoint analysis in Marketing, and the pooling of risk in operations management.

The directions on how to perform a regression analysis in Excel can be found online at [http://www2.hpu.edu/mlane/FIN640/Regression_in_Excel.htm Regression Analysis Using Microsoft Excel]. Once you have completed a few regressions in Excel, you have performed the highest level of statistical analysis which most MBA's become familiar with. Congratulations! You are ready to move on.

===Financial Accounting===

A good place to start is [[Wikibooks:Accounting|Accounting]]. While most MBA's are not a big fan of double entry book keeping, finance starts with accounting. Understanding what [[Wikibooks:depreciation|depreciation]] (the spreading of the cost of an tangible asset over time) and [[Wikibooks:Accounting/Amortization|amortization]] (the spreading of the cost of an intangible asset over time) are is going to be essential to understanding corporate finance (if only because you are going to need to reverse out the effects from GAAP Income Statements to get cash flows).

===Managerial Accounting===

[[Wikipedia:Management_accounting|Managerial Accounting]] refers to the broad application of accounting concepts to financial data with the purpose of being consumed by management. Such financial data, in contrast to [[#Financial Accounting|Financial Accounting]], does not have to comply with GAAP, the FASB, or the filing requirements of the SEC, since it is meant only for internal consumption within an organization.

The major subjects to learn include:

*[[Wikipedia:cost accounting|cost accounting]]
*[[Wikipedia:activity based costing|activity based costing]]
*[[wikipedia:project costing|project costing]]
*[[Wikipedia:budgeting|budgeting]]

===Microeconomics===
A good place to start is the Wikibooks course on [[Wikibooks:Microeconomics|Microeconomics]]. Particularly, the concept that in an industry with high competition firms make zero economic profit should be thoroughly understood; that fact of life is the foundation of much of cooperate strategy, and the root to how to make excess profits (that is, profits greater than your [[Wikipedia:Cost of Capital|Cost of Capital]]).

===Macroeconomics===
Read the Wikibook on [[Wikibooks:Macroeconomics|Macroeconomics]]. In particular, the working of currencys, current account deficits, and the relationship between economic performance, monetary policy, and interest rates will be useful for finance and (ultimately) [[#Capital Markets|Capital Markets]].

===Decision Models===

Decision models are part of the core curriculum of many business schools. The reason why is probably because "average" performance of a firm is distinct from the implied performance of the averages, if the components which combine to create that average performance have differing distributions or deviations.

Decision models will typically cover the following concepts and software packages:
*[[Wikipedia:decision tree|decision trees]]
*[[Wikipedia:linear programming|linear programming]]
*[http://www.decisioneering.com/crystal_ball/index.html Crystal Ball] or [http://www.palisade.com/risk/ @Risk] simulation software. Download yourself a free trial, play with it for a month, working through the tutorials. You'll do alright.

===Corporate Finance===

[[Wikibooks:Finance|Finance]] is among the most stereotypically MBA things an MBA will learn.

If you want to understand corporate finance, learn thoroughly:
*what the implications of the [[Wikipedia:Modigliani-Miller_theorem|Modigliani-Miller theorem]]
*the [[Wikipedia:time value of money|time value of money]]
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:Net Present Value|NPV]] of a project
*how to calculate the [[Wikipedia:WACC|WACC]] of a project or company
*how to do a decent [[Wikipedia:Discounted Cash Flow|DCF]]

Putting it all together, you'd get something called a model. That model will tell you how much any asset that generates cash flows (such as a stock) is worth. People in business think that this might be useful to know.

===Marketing Strategy===

Key concepts to learn in [[Wikipedia:Marketing|Marketing]]:

* [[Wikipedia:Marketing Mix|Marketing Mix]]
** the 4 C's (Company, Context, Customers, Competition)
** the 4 P's (Product, Place, Price, Promotion)

===Marketing Implementation===

Key concepts to learn:
* [[Wikipedia:Customer lifetime value|Customer lifetime value]]
* [[Wikipedia:conjoint analysis|conjoint analysis]]

===Corporate Strategy===

Key concepts to learn:

* [[Wikipedia:Porter%27s_five_forces|Porters Five Forces]]
* [http://amadeus.management.mcgill.ca/~mark.mortensen/orgweb/summaries/mse/content/Porter.html Positioning]
* [[Wikipedia:Game Theory|Game Theory]]
* [http://globecareers.workopolis.com/servlet/Content/fasttrack/20051012/CABOOKS12?section=ManagingBooks Sustainable Competitive Advantage]
* [[Wikipedia:Strategy maps|Strategy Maps]]

Good thing to read when the summaries of the concepts won't do:

* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=9&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.washington.edu%2Fcastlej%2FENTRE475%2FArticles%2520of%2520interest%2FWhat%2520is%2520Strategy-Porter.pdf&ei=ZFdmRMWYCMHqaMvUzd4J&sig2=Cd8RuCoZbnd4QDmLvILozA Porter, What is Strategy?]

===Organizational Behavior and Structure===
Organizational behavior classes cover concepts such as:
*[[Wikipedia:Taylorism|Taylorism]]
*[[Wikipedia:Hawthorne Effect|The Hawthorne Effect]]
*[[Wikipedia:Social network|Social Networks]]
*[[Wikipedia:Organizational Behavior|Organizational Behavior]]

===Leadership===
Leadership classes might cover:
*the ideas of [[Wikipedia:Robert Cialdini|Robert Cialdini]]
*the results of your [[Wikipedia:MBTI|Myers-Briggs test]]

Generally, understanding yourself and influencing other people is the focus of a leadership class. A fair bit of [[#Negotiations|Negotiations]] content might be thrown in as well.

===Operations Management===

Operations classes typically cover:

* [[Wikipedia:Supply Chain management|Supply chain management]], in particular the [[Wikipedia:Newsvendor|Newsvendor]] model
* [[Wikipedia:Six Sigma|Six Sigma]] and other quality management concepts
* Risk pooling-that is, the managerial signifance of the fact that when you combine two processes the deviation increases by the square of the summation (because variances are additive, standard deviations are not). Risk pooling is often the root cause of [[Wikipedia:economies of scale|economies of scale]].
* [[Wikipedia:Queueing theory|Queueing theory]] which is helpful is you want to optimize business processes.
* [[Wikipedia:Management information system|Management Information Systems]]

===Negotiations===

[[Wikipedia:Negotiations|Negotiating]] is important for business at many levels. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/sr=8-1/qid=1147551981/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9077880-7298216?%5Fencoding=UTF8 Getting to Yes] seems to be the core text to understand how to sucessfully achieve good outcomes from negotiations. A good summary of Getting to Yes can be found many places online (such as: [http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/example/fish7513.htm Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In]). Read that and you're all set.

===Ethics===

Probably read up on [[Wikipedia:Sarbanes Oxley|Sarbanes Oxley]]. Also, reading [http://www.peace.ca/kindergarten.htm these important tips] would probably be useful.

==Additional Coursework==

===Capital Markets===
The two central concepts in capital markets are:
*[[Wikipedia:Arbitrage|Arbitrage]]
*[[Wikipedia:Risk Premium|Risk Premium]]

With those concepts, (and the ideas learned in [[#Corporate Finance|finance]]), you can price:
*[[Wikipedia:Fixed Income|Fixed Income]]
*[[Wikipedia:Swap|Swaps]]
*[[Wikipedia:Forward price|Forward Rates]]

==Further Reading==

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591840570/qid=1147720345/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Competition Demystified] by Bruce Greenwald

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425098478/qid=1147720399/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The One Minute Manager] by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142000280/qid=1147720483/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 Getting Things Done] by David Allen

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471733067/qid=1147720524/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2363331-7851323?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 The Little Book that Beats the Street] by Joel Greenblatt

==About the Contributors==

One of the first contributors to this curriculum overview was John O'Brien. John received his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2005. He can be contacted online at [http://www.pulplit.net/contact-us/ pulplit.net].