Strategic Case Analysis

3 Credits.

This data-driven, writing-intensive course provides students with the skills to manipulate andleverage data to complement qualitative analyses when assessing growth potential for startupsthrough multinational firms. Using a structured approach to case and data analysis, students willlearn how to leverage data to complement qualitative factors to make the kinds of strategicdecisions that will have a positive, long-term impact on a range of organizations. Across 25MBA-level cases, students will gain exposure to and manipulate global market data (GDP percapita, population, ease of doing business rankings) using weighted average calculations acrosstheir chosen criteria; through customer lifetime value computations for strategic alternatives;through financial ratio/statement analysis and projections; for cost/benefit analyses ofoutsourcing; through the analysis of a large data set from an experiment with test and controlgroups to determine ROI; and by conducting cost/benefit analyses of global expansionalternatives (U.S. expansion, global expansion through direct investment). Cases will span arange of industries—from nanotechnology to consumer products—to domestic and foreign firms.In addition to analyzing cases individually, each student will be part of a multidisciplinary teamthat analyzes a case during the latter half of the semester, developing growth strategyrecommendations, including financial projections, and presenting them to the class. No audits.