Univ of Southern California
University of Southern California
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USC Marshall School of Business

Courses of Instruction

Management and Organization (MOR)

MOR 252 The Art of Case Analysis and Presentation (2, FaSp) (Enroll in BUCO 252)

MOR 385m Business in a Diverse Society (4, Sp) Explores business in an increasingly diverse society. Examines how differences in social class, race, nationality, and gender affect how business is organized and managed.

MOR 421 Social and Ethical Issues in Business (4) The free-enterprise system examined from the perspective of modern corporations and their critics; business ethics in relation to personal/external values. Prerequisite: BUAD 304.

MOR 431 Interpersonal Competence and Development (4, Sp) An exploration of the nature of relationships at work; focus on analytical skills and self-assertion necessary to have effective, rewarding relationships. Laboratory simulations. Prerequisite: BUAD 304.

MOR 461 Design of Effective Organizations (4, Fa) Designing management systems and practices that lead to organizational excellence; techniques for organizational change. Prerequisite: BUAD 304.

MOR 462 Management Consulting (4, FaSp) Role of professional consultants; data gathering methods; consulting approaches from strategy, finance, operations, information systems, marketing, and human resources; action planning; ethical and career issues. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 463 Organization Change and Development (4, Sp) Theories and methods of introducing change in organizations. Techniques for analyzing organizations, developing change programs, and implementing changes. Ethical and career issues of change management. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 465 Advanced Methods in Strategy Analysis (4, FaSp) Theories and methods for analyzing and developing strategy. Fundamental tools for strategic planning. Advanced methods for analyzing industries and competitors, and determining the scope of the firm. Recommended preparation: BUAD 497.

MOR 467 Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation (4) Theories and methods for managing technology in organizations. Emphasizes project management, implementing technology, creativity, valuing technology, negotiating technical sourcing, and competitive intelligence/benchmarking. Prerequisite: BUAD 304.

MOR 468 Cross-Cultural Negotiations: Communication and Strategy (4) (Enroll in COMM 468.)

MOR 469 Negotiation and Persuasion (4, FaSp) Theories, strategies, and ethics underlying negotiation and persuasion in contemporary organizations and societies. Emphasizes the knowledge and skills needed for effective negotiation and persuasion.

MOR 470 Global Leadership (4, Fa) Major theories and practices of leading people in multinational firms. Skills for facilitating cooperation, communication, and motivation among people from different cultures. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 471 Managing and Developing People (4, Fa) Management of the human resource function for organizational performance. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 472 Power, Politics and Influence (4, Fa) Theories and practices about how power, politics and influence affect organizational life. Knowledge and skills for diagnosing and managing these features of an organization.

MOR 473 Designing and Leading Teams (4, Sp) Theories and practices for developing and leading teams. Skills for creating team structures and facilitating team processes. Knowledge for diagnosing team problems and devising solutions. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 474 Leading Successful Professional Service Firms (4) Explores issues (1) managing professional service firms (PSFs) including strategy, client relationships, marketing, and innovation, and (2) developing professionals, including selecting, training, performance management, mentorship, and innovation.

MOR 479 The Business of Sports (4, Sp) Addresses the business side of the sports industry; examines professional sports franchises, amateur athletics, and collegiate sports and how they relate to corporate America, the media, and the public sector. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 485 The Rhetoric of Investing and Valuation (4, Sp) Analyzes the rhetoric of classic investment texts and news on investing/financial markets; investigates how rhetorical arguments shape and influence the valuation and investing process.

MOR 492 Global Strategy (4, FaSp) Examination of corporate strategy practices in an international context. Effects of cultures, political systems, markets, and economic systems on developing effective global strategies.

MOR 495 International Management and Internship (2-4) International internship. Develop general/cross-cultural knowledge and management skills, gain an understanding of cross-cultural issues, and develop insights working in international businesses. Recommended preparation: BUAD 304.

MOR 542 Strategic Issues for Global Business (3, FaSpSm) Globalization strategies from entry to maturity; alternative approaches from going alone to alliances; strategy implementation issues in different cultures and political systems. Cases, videos and speakers. Open only to graduate students in business and accounting.

MOR 548 Competitive Advantage Through People (3, Sp) How firms develop employee talent as a source of competitive advantage. Strategic implications of contemporary practices in recruitment, work systems, training, compensation, and employee relations. Speakers and cases.

MOR 551 Performance Management and Motivation (3, Sp) New approaches to performance motivation at executive and worker levels, including pay/incentive systems, job design, employee involvement, leadership behavior, and self-managed teams. Cases, project and speakers.

MOR 554 Leading Innovation and Change (3, FaSm) Practical knowledge on helping organizations develop innovations and lead change to leverage them. Exploration of innovation and change in different organizations and competitive environments. Open only to graduate business and accounting students.

MOR 555 Designing High Performance Organizations (3, Sp) Theory and practice of organization design. How to maximize organization performance by aligning structure, rewards, staffing, processes, and culture with strategy and environment. Open only to graduate business and accounting students.

MOR 556 Leading Professional Service Firms (3) Teaches students with interest in consulting, investment banking, and companies in high-velocity environments how to manage careers, design, lead, and market adaptable and innovative organizations. Open only to graduate business and accounting majors.

MOR 557 Strategy and Organization Consulting (3, FaSpSm) How consultants assist clients to formulate strategic plans and realign organizations; approaches used by major consulting firms; information about consulting industry, fee-setting and proposals. Consultant speakers and project.

MOR 559 Strategic Renewal and Transformation (3, Fa) Dynamic strategic planning; how businesses reinvent themselves; why change is difficult; politics of change process; and leadership steps for implementing successful strategic changes. Cases and readings.

MOR 560 Managerial Judgment and Decision-Making (3, Sp) Development of skills and insight into making effective strategic, financial, and management decisions including awareness of hazards of decisions, issues of rationality, and risk taking. Open only to Business and Accounting graduate students, including dual degrees.

MOR 561 Strategies in High-Tech Businesses (3, Fa) How high-tech companies achieve competitive advantage through leveraging technical, management and financial resources. Technology trends and industry evolution. Focus on electronics and bio-technology. Cases and speakers.

MOR 562 Strategic Choice and Valuation Analysis (3, Fa) Advanced strategic planning using tools of scenario development and activity valuation for assessing market entry, expansion and business portfolio configuration. Exercises, cases and project.

MOR 565 Alliances and Cooperative Strategy (3, Fa) Essential issues and problems of cooperative strategy. Recognize and evaluate collaborative opportunities to develop and assess an overall cooperative strategy. Readings, cases and group project. Open to graduate business students only.

This new course is available beginning fall 2011.

MOR 566 Sustainability and Competitive Advantage (3) Key environmental sustainability challenges and opportunities for business. The interaction of environmental, political, economic and social forces shaping the strategy and conduct of business. Open only to graduate business and accounting students.

MOR 567 Interpersonal Influence and Power (3, Sp) Emphasizes legitimate and effective use of power to resolve conflicts and mobilize action through understanding the talent and self-interest of people involved in decision-making. Readings and cases.

MOR 568 Power and Politics in Organizations (3) Explores current theories of power, politics and leadership within the organizational dynamic. Individual bases of power will be related to assessments of motives and skills. Open only to graduate students in business and accounting. Recommended preparation: GSBA 522ab or GSBA 532 or GSBA 533 or GSBA 543.

MOR 569 Negotiation and Deal-Making (3, FaSpSm) Strategies and dynamics of deal-making; practical skills necessary to win in range of business transactions conducted in domestic and international settings. Cases, role-playing, films and simulations.

MOR 570 Leading Effective Teams (3, Sp) Analytical and behavioral tools that will enable students to effectively diagnose complex work group dynamics and take action to improve group performance. Open only to Accounting and Business graduate students, including dual degrees.

MOR 571 Leadership and Executive Development (3, FaSp) Contemporary approaches to leadership, including corporate practices to develop leaders; examples of successful and derailed executives. Students self-assess personal leadership and draft development plans. Readings, speakers, cases.

MOR 572 Leadership and Self-Management (3, Fa) Successful leaders are effective at self-managing their thoughts, emotions and actions. Course provides concepts and methods for developing essential self-management skills. Open only to graduate business students.

MOR 573 Corporate Environmental and Social Issues (3) Exploration of competing perspectives on business’s role vis-a-vis investors, government, environment, customers, suppliers, employees, unions, NGOs, etc. Open only to master’s and doctoral students in accounting and business, including dual degrees.

MOR 579 The Business of Sports Entertainment (3, FaSp) Business practices and issues in different sports markets; including growth opportunities; and innovative marketing strategies for attracting and retaining fans and corporate sponsors. Industry speakers.

MOR 588 Corporate Strategy and Competitive Dynamics (3, Sp) Central challenges facing executives in multi-business firms; toolkit for analyzing and executing strategic and operational aspects of corporate advantage, M&As and competitive dynamics. Open only to accounting and business graduate students, including dual degrees.

MOR 590 Directed Research (1-12, FaSpSm) Research leading to the master’s degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

MOR 592 Field Research in Business (.5-4, max 12, FaSpSm) (Enroll in GSBA 592)

MOR 593 Independent Research in Business (.5-4, max 12, FaSpSm) (Enroll in GSBA 593)

MOR 595 Internship in Business (.5-2, max 9, FaSpSm) (Enroll in GSBA 595)

MOR 596 Research Practicum in Business (.5-2, max 8, FaSpSm) (Enroll in GSBA 596)

MOR 597 Consulting Project in Management and Organization (.5-5, max 12, FaSp) Individual or team project solving real business problems for an existing business entity, domestic and/or international. Proposal, field research, analyses and oral and written presentations. Open only to master’s and doctoral students. Graded CR/NC.

MOR 599 Special Topics (1. 1.5, 2, or 3, max 9, FaSpSm) Selected topics reflecting current trends and recent developments in management and policy sciences.

MOR 601 Seminar in Organizational Behavior (3, Irregular) In-depth review of the theories and empirical research in the discipline of organizational behavior. Topics include: personality, motivation, job design, leadership, and others. Open only to doctoral students.

MOR 602 Seminar in Organization Theory (3, Irregular) Survey of organization theory with focus on the history and development of research on organizations. Open only to business administration and public policy and management doctoral students.

MOR 603 Seminar in Strategic Management (3, Irregular) Survey of strategic management. Topics include historical overview of strategic management, research methods used, current theory, and empirical research on the developing of paradigms. Open only to business administration doctoral students.

MOR 604 Research Methods (3, Irregular) Critical issues and decisions faced by behavioral researchers in designing and implementing research projects. Open to doctoral program in business administration students only.