Executive MBA Courses

Description: The focus of this course is on the use of financial statements to assess a company's performance and the creation of firm value. The objective is to understand the relation between a company's strategic decisions, business activities and its financial statements. It also examines how boards of directors and investors can gauge the effectiveness of managerial stewardship in the creation of shareholder value. The course is taught using the case method.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: The issues related to the management of people within organizations are the focus of the course. The course covers the broad topics of human behaviour and motivation as well as the processes that influence these in organizational contexts. Topics include human resource planning, recruiting, selection, training and development, performance management, compensation and legal frameworks for non-union and union environments. The course uses case studies, in-class exercises and exams. Students develop an understanding of the strategic partnership between the human resource function and managers allowing the company to capitalize fully on the potential of people as a source of competitive advantage.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: The important role of marketing is studied and the skills developed to lead this function in an organization or to interact effectively with it. Attention is given to such topics as marketing planning, strategy formulation and control, customer focus, customer value creation, positioning, branding, pricing, communications and distribution. Deploying lectures, case discussions and application-oriented readings, the requisite mindset is nurtured to facilitate marketing excellence in today's multi-faceted and dynamic external environment.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: The role of financial information in corporate management is examined. Students learn how the capital markets process and aggregate information provided by firms and governments in order to evaluate the risk and return trade-offs of business decisions. Students apply this knowledge to the evaluation of alternative investment opportunities. They learn how to identify and interpret the information needed to make profitable investment decisions.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: The Live JMSB Experience, an integrative course, gives students the opportunity to use the knowledge acquired during the first term in a context that mirrors the reality of contemporary business. Students are exposed to senior managers of a Canadian company facing strategic and managerial issues. Using critical thinking, students work in teams to craft a solution for the company and present their recommendations to a panel of the senior managers and faculty members.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: This course looks at how companies can improve their business processes to deliver services or build products that are valued by their customers. In today’s business environment, companies are closely interconnected with global supply chains and distribution channels as well as multiple stakeholders. In this course, students learn to design, operate and improve a network of operations among various stakeholders to ensure that systems are properly managed so that the flow of material and information is fluid. Some of the topics covered include supply chain network design, service delivery improvement, sourcing, risk management and enterprise resource planning (ERP).

Component(s): Lecture

Description: Students learn how advances in information technologies, connectivity and data analytics are transforming business models and creating new avenues for business value creation. This course provides students with a business-driven leadership perspective on information technology (IT) by leveraging digital technologies for competitive advantage. Within the context of IT and digital strategy, topics covered may include: strategic alignment of IT, the impact of disruptive technologies on business models, effective leadership of IT, governance, project portfolio management, strategic sourcing, e-commerce, data analytics, privacy and cybersecurity.

Description: The course provides a non-technical introduction to government policy analysis from the perspective of the business executive. We begin with a discussion of the differences between private and public goods and the impact of external forces on different stakeholders. The role of government and business in the creation and resolution of problems created by outside influences will be evaluated. Topics discussed in class may include the nature and role of public-private partnerships, regulation as both a limitation and an opportunity and the role of government in international trade and foreign direct investment.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: The complexities of doing business in a global environment are studied. Major issues include supply chain management, cross-cultural management and communication, global investment and partnership, international strategy and marketing, international human resource management, ethics, law and social responsibility. A portion of this course also integrates the economic, social, cultural and business aspects of the region visited in the Global Experience course.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: This integrative course allows students to experience doing business abroad. Scheduled at the end of the second term, students have the opportunity to apply the business knowledge gained by being exposed to business practices in a specific region. The global experience takes students inside individual companies and industries abroad and provides them with an overview of the broader economic, political, social and cultural factors that influence business opportunities and practices.

Component(s): Fieldwork

Description: Students apply recent advances in corporate finance theory to evaluate complex decisions that may have a profound effect on the future of a firm. Through the use of cases and projects, students evaluate and recommend different decisions within the constraints imposed by the ownership and governance structure of the firm. Examples include making choices on raising debt or equity, using capital for investment or to reward shareholders and whether to go public or remain private.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: In this course, students learn how to use performance measurement, evaluation and incentive control systems to create value for an organization and its stakeholders. Control systems are critical for success in the implementation of a firm’s strategy and the course highlights several managerial challenges in this regard. Students learn to use limited physical, human and financial resources efficiently and creatively within uncertainty conditions. A “how-to” approach is adopted that emphasizes practical cases and applications reflecting real organizational issues.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: Students are introduced to the theoretical concepts of creativity and innovation with the goal of implementing novel ideas in organizations. The purpose is to develop students’ own creative abilities to solve business challenges in a more effective way. Based on lectures, case studies and experiential exercises, the course also proposes techniques needed to foster innovative processes in others.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: The goal of this integrative course is to engage students in the theory and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation in businesses. The course is built around a group project whose objective is to create a comprehensive innovative business plan for a novel stand-alone business, or a new line of business within an existing organization. This project provides students with an opportunity to identify a market opportunity. Students assess its business potential and viability, structure and financing options as well as exit strategies. Groups present their business plans to a board of potential investors.

Component(s): Fieldwork

Description: Leadership is the process of influencing and supporting others in the accomplishment of a common task. In addition to providing a critical review of key concepts, models, and theories of leadership, the course allows students to develop and apply their leadership abilities in organizational settings, especially in the context of change. Students are engaged in practical exercises, case studies, simulations and role-playing activities. Elements of the leadership development module are integrated and leveraged within the course in order to improve students’ ability to lead with purpose, inspire others and enable change.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: Students learn the principles and practices underlying governance, the system by which organizations are directed and controlled to create value for their shareholders but also to all stakeholders involved in its value chain. Students review how an organization’s governance structure allocates rights and responsibilities to make decisions among stakeholders and specifies procedures for decision making. The course focus on the actions and decisions of corporate boards of directors and on their interactions with managers and stakeholders such as investors. Particular attention is directed toward the ethical and sustainability dimensions of corporate governance.

Description: The important issues involved in developing strategy in various business sectors are the focus of the course. Students learn to formulate strategies that clearly state the growth path for companies. The course also looks at winning strategies defining how companies can compete against their rivals in specific business sectors. Students study strategy implementation and examine how functional strategies can be key instruments for business success. The course also looks at the relationship between strategy, culture and structure of the organization.

Component(s): Lecture

Description: This capstone integrative course provides students with the opportunity to tackle a major business problem or issue of their choice, thereby allowing them to apply the knowledge and competencies acquired in the program. In teams, students develop a business project proposal focusing on a problem or issue faced by the organization they have chosen. Students are then expected to gather data and develop innovative and practical responses to the complex, cross-disciplinary issues faced by their client organization. Student teams are required to present a comprehensive set of recommendations to a panel comprised of faculty members, EMBA peers and representatives of the client organization. The key deliverable of this course is the actual set of recommendations and implementation plan designed to address the selected problem or issue.

Component(s): Fieldwork