This graduate course provides an in-depth review and analysis of the latest theories and research on corporate social responsibility. The course focuses on understanding governmental and quasi-governmental regulatory institutions and related corporate social responsibility business impacts; an understanding of the process of developing corporate social responsibility standards and policies, how to interpret them, and how to determine relative weight; and an understanding of how to assess, deal with and prevent corporate social responsibility risks. Emphasis includes working with and being a team leader and in collaboration. Communication projects will focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making based on relevant research, information literacy, applied technology, integration, ethical and diversity concerns. Attention is focused on utilizing leadership and collaboration practices in corporate social responsibility within an organization, an industry, country, region, and world.

This course approaches managing the innovation process through five levels of analysis: individual, team, network, organizational, and industrial. At each level of analysis, particular attention is given to the conditions under which innovation processes succeed and fail. The following items will be reviewed; literature on the innovative process, the contribution of individuals, cross functionality, geographic dispersion, technical communication, inter- and intra- organizational networks, organizational characteristics, organizational learning and market changes. The primary goal of the course is to provide a holistic view of the process of innovation while exploring the literature across the five levels of analysis. Doctoral students will be exposed to a variety of perspectives on innovation and will think in an integrative manner about the conditions under which innovation will be supported.

This graduate course provides an in-depth review and analysis of the latest theories and research to provide the advanced graduate student with an understanding of various models of decision making and how to select the best combination for appropriate solutions. The methods cover quantitative, qualitative, game theory, group dynamics, expert systems, ethical, and logical theories, research, and methods. Focus includes developing and instituting decision making audits to evaluate decision[s] that are to be or have been made. The use of information systems technology for decision support systems is analyzed. Communication projects will focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making based on relevant research, information literacy, applied technology, integration, ethical and diversity concerns. Focused attention is on utilizing leadership and collaboration practices in solutions oriented decision-making.

This course compares the theoretical basis of accounting standards from an international perspective. The impact of diverse cultures, the pronouncements of the IASB, and governments on the harmonization of accounting standards will be examined. Additionally this course will examine the reliability of internationally prepared financial statements from the perspective of SEC, investors and creditors.

This course chronicles the development of accounting theory as a response to changes in culture. The goal of this course is to analyze the relations of accounting and the social world, in a historical context, to better understand why accounting and auditing standards have achieved their present state of evolution.

Marketing and selling products into the global environment presents many demanding decisions that need to be updated on a consistent timeframe with hard-to-retrieve knowledge, information and data. Challenging decisions must be made in international marketing objectives/ strategies/policies, regional and country market selection, products that fit regions-countries, multiple distribution channels, communications to fit each global region, management models and organizations per region/country, knowledge/information/data management, exploration of cultural issues, competition, economies, and customers.

This course examines the challenges of aligning and/or transforming a product-centric organization into a customer-centric organization. Major company and marketing issues discussed are: reassessment of the company and marketing vision-strategy-operations; utilization of company and marketing resources; direct and indirect effects on in-house and customer driven technology/communications/networks/ information management; organizational behaviors/changes necessary to convert employees to a new line of thinking; changes in revenues/ profits/earnings; and, customer services. The goal of the course is to provide a structure on how to align and/or transform company and marketing operations to maximize customer value.

Consumer branding is the focal point of all businesses, domestic and global. Challenges in developing effective consumer brands must be integrated with the company’s short- and long-term strategic and operational plans. One of the major goals is to identify branding issues in depth, experienced by marketing firms. Multiple venues are involved in this course—feature presentations by distinguished marketers in the region, corporate marketing professionals, combined with global marketing experts. Topics included are challenges and changes in marketing branding strategies that worked yesterday but likely will not fit tomorrow’s customer, managing the distribution channel to build brand equity, developing effective communication strategies in a digital environment, establishing effective global brands by region, issues/ attributes/challenges in building domestic and global customer relationships.

This course provides an in-depth presentation of the tools and techniques of management science as applied to real-world problems. The subject matter includes linear programming, sensitivity analysis, distribution models, decision analysis, forecasting, PERT/CPM, financial models as certainty models, and simulation models.

This course addresses planned change efforts in organizations, covering organizational design, structure, principles of organizations, human resources training, intra- and inter-departmental communications, coordination activities, and leadership growth and development.

This advanced course reviews and provides research opportunities on leadership issues in global, international, and multicultural organizations. Culturally sensitive leadership skills, styles, practices, models, trends, theories, and concepts are examined. Attention is given to international ethical, diversity, and conflict management research and practices. The course includes theoretical orientation and theory-to-practice experiences using case studies, demonstrations, and simulations. The course provides an in-depth review and analysis of the latest theories and research on leadership in global and multicultural organizations. Written projects will focus on critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and information literacy. Attention is given to team leadership, team collaboration skills within a culturally diverse world.

This course provides a solid foundation necessary for academic writing. Topics include formats, literature reviews, citations, problem statements, research proposals, research questions, hypotheses, critiques of journal articles, evaluation of dissertations and dissertation abstracts, and writing for journals. The course is completed when the student, after completing all prior assignments, submits a finished article to an academic journal.

In this course, students learn the basics of computer methods for data analysis, with an emphasis on data mining. Data mining is the process of using computers to discover useful patterns in data, in order to explain current behaviors or to predict future outcomes. Focus is placed on the processes of model building, execution, testing, and the interpretation and validation of model results. Course activities include lecture-presentations, discussion of case studies, and hands-on exercises. Students complete numerous exercises, a data mining project, and a take-home final exam.

This course introduces the assumptions, theories, and processes of qualitative inquiry. The purpose of this course is to provide advanced graduate students with the theoretical foundations necessary to understand qualitative inquiry, and to enhance their abilities to conduct qualitative research and evaluation.

The dissertation is offered in four, 3-semester-credit blocks, each lasting one semester.

Block I

• Preparation of Chapters 1 and 2, Introduction and the Review of Literature
• Includes Residency II, which focuses on the successful completion of the dissertation, including the following: the completion of the plan of studies, in-depth library research, dissertation formatting and style, mind maps, committee meetings, Institution Research Board, and Dissertation Guides. Students will also have an opportunity to observe dissertation defenses and hear presentations from advanced doctoral students.
• Final formation of dissertation committee and approval of prospectus

Block II

• Preparation of Chapter 3, Methodology
• Proposal defense
• Application to the campus Institutional Review Board

Block III

• Preparation for Chapter 4: Results of Data-gathering and Analysis

Block IV

• Preparation of Chapter 5, Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations
• Completion of final dissertation document, including appendices, reference list, acknowledgements, dedication, and table of contents
• Submission of document to Turnitin®
• Approval of the final dissertation document.
• Final oral defense of the dissertation (open to faculty, student, public).
• Completion of final copy editing for binding and placement in the Library.

NOTE: Students who do not complete in four semesters must apply for a dissertation extension