Fundamentals of Management

Using a framework of managerial roles and competencies, this course explores what management involves, how it affects people within an organization, why it is critical to the effective functioning of an organization, and how the accomplishment of management functions may vary in different cultural contexts. The course surveys competencies and knowledge necessary for successfully facing current challenges in the rapidly changing global business environment.

This course is about the fundamental qualities, skills and behaviors that are likely to help you build a successful career and a happy life. The course will be totally practical. By analyzing and discussing a series of real-life cases, we will try to understand the basis of effective management and a fulfilling and thriving professional life.

We will cover many delicate, sensitive but nonetheless vital areas in the life of a manager. We will ask ourselves what managing actually means, we will discuss failures and successes, we will delve in the importance of relationships and how to build sustainable ones, we will talk about teams, conflict and negotiation, about difficult colleagues, motivation and leadership. We will investigate the paramount importance for companies and executives of both culture and vision, but also change, innovation and disruption. We will look at managing growth in global and complex organizations without neglecting the analysis of the risks involved.

In this year’s course a new module has been introduced about the more quantitative side of management. While numbers are not, and should not be, the sole or even most important focus of management, they are indispensable, if put in their proper light, to communicate goals, to better analyze trends and issues, in short to gain a better and more in-depth understanding of what goes on in an organization.

This new module will consist of two full classes on the basic structure, meaning and application of the financial statements in every day management plus their use in the constant challenge that managers face to use resources effectively and create value for society and shareholders.

You will be encouraged to think independently and critically while confronting your views with other students’ opinions in order to come up with deep group insights. The ultimate objective will be a thorough appreciation of the complexities of management in the real world and the sharpening of your creative problem-solving skills to help you prosper in it.