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Informatie over MSc BA - Small Business & Entrepreneurship/SB&E
Hieronder staan het programma en de vakomschrijvingen van MSc BA - Small Business & Entrepreneurship/SB&E Klik op de naam van een vak in een schema om naar de omschrijving te gaan.
| » Jaar 1 (basisprogramma SB&E) | |||||||
| Periode | Type | Code | Naam | Taal | ECTS | Uren | |
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| semester I | verplicht | keuzevakken MSc BA SB&E | Engels | 10 | |||
| semester I a | verplicht | EBM059A05 | Small Business Management | Engels | 5 | 4 | |
| verplicht | EBM060A05 | Strategic Analysis for Small Business | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| semester I b | verplicht | EBM042A05 | Business Diagnosis and Design | Engels | 5 | variabel | |
| verplicht | EBM050A05 | Research & Skills for MSc BA | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| semester II | verplicht | EBM712A20 | Master's Thesis BA SB&E | Engels | 20 | ||
| semester II a | verplicht | EBM838A05 | New Ventures & Entrepreneurship | Engels | 5 | 3 | |
| verplicht | EBM058A05 | Small Business Economics & Policy | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| Opmerkingen | Studenten die in februari starten met de MSc BA SB&E moeten rekening houden met de volgende verschuivingen: | ||||||
| » Jaar 1 (keuzevakken MSc BA SB&E) | |||||||
| Periode | Type | Code | Naam | Taal | ECTS | Uren | |
| semester I a | keuze | EBM043A05 | Business Ethics | Engels | 5 | 3 | |
| keuze | EBM151A05 | Business Research and Consulting | Engels | 5 | 16 | ||
| keuze | EBM062A05 | Developing for Markets | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM085A05 | Emerging Markets (MSc) | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM168A05 | Financial Reporting and Risk Management | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM048A05 | IT Governance | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM049A05 | Organization Design (MSc) | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM880A05 | Retail Marketing | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| semester I b | keuze | EBM044A05 | Business Process Innovation and Change | Engels | 5 | 4 | |
| keuze | EBM151A05 | Business Research and Consulting | Engels | 5 | 16 | ||
| keuze | EBM166A05 | Energy & Finance | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM195A05 | Health Economics and Policy | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM034A05 | Healthcare Operations | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM045B05 | International Financial Reporting | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM090A05 | International Strategic Alliances | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM027A05 | Managerial Decision Making and Control | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| keuze | EBM192A05 | Marketing and Consumer Well-being | Engels | 5 | 5 | ||
| keuze | EBM169A05 | Marketing Essentials | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM725C05 | Operations Management in Proc. Industry | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM051B05 | Strategic Management of Inf. Technology | Engels | 5 | 2 | ||
| semester II a | keuze | EBM151A05 | Business Research and Consulting | Engels | 5 | 16 | |
| keuze | EBM083A05 | Comparative Corporate Governance | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM673A05 | Conflict Man. & Industrial Relations | Engels | 5 | 2 | ||
| keuze | EBM167A05 | Energy Transition & Innovation | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM194A05 | Fin. & Econ. Org. of Healthcare Markets | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM047A05 | Innovation in Healthcare Organizations | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM065A05 | Policies for a Dynamic Economy | Engels | 5 | |||
| keuze | EBM036B05 | Process Improvement and Change | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM037A05 | Purchasing | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM645A05 | Working Capital Management | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| semester II b | keuze | EBM032A05 | Behavioural Operations Management | Engels | 5 | 3 | |
| keuze | EBM023A05 | Behavioural Perspectives on Corp. Gov. | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| keuze | EBM151A05 | Business Research and Consulting | Engels | 5 | 16 | ||
| keuze | EBM808B05 | B2B Marketing | Engels | 5 | 5 | ||
| keuze | EBM074A05 | Consumer Psychology | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| keuze | EBM196A05 | Economic Evaluation in Healthcare | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM148A05 | Economics of Regulating Markets | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM046A05 | Franchising | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| keuze | EBM193A05 | Healthcare Purchasing | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM733A05 | HRM & International Labour Law | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| keuze | EBM621A05 | Innovation & Entrepreneurship | Engels | 5 | 5 | ||
| keuze | EBM045B05 | International Financial Reporting | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM026A05 | Inventory Management | Engels | 5 | 4 | ||
| keuze | EBM039A05 | Strategic Supply Chain Management | Engels | 5 | 3 | ||
| 1 | Behavioural Operations Management | EBM032A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The primary goal of the course is to understand the effects of behavioural variables (such as cognitive limitations and effects of team work) on Operations Management decisions. Four lectures provide a basic background in the history and methodology of Behavioural Operations Management. Students develop research questions regarding the effects of behavioural variables on an Operations Management decision problem. Subsequently,students will, in multidisciplinary teams, setup and execute a scientific study to answer their research questions. The Operations Management problem will be chosen by the lecturers. The behavioural variables that will be investigated are chosen by the students and can be different per team. Examples are the effect of bounded rationality on purchasing decisions in the supply chain and the effect of team structure on rescheduling decisions. Steps in this project include formulating predictions, collecting data (e.g., experiments, cognitive task analyses, or surveys), analysing the results, and drawing conclusions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 2 | Behavioural Perspectives on Corp. Gov. | EBM023A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Effective governance is crucial for organizations. Students learn how to critically evaluate governance research and practice, how to apply theories and findings from such research to analyze governance problems. The aim of this course is to provide students with in-depth knowledge of how the determinants and outcomes of corporate governance arrangements have been measured and studied in the academic literature and applied to governance problems. As this literature is extensive, we need to focus on a number of topics that are of interest. The topics that will be chosen will be particularly relevant as they are hotly debated in academic as well as policymaking circles (e.g. executive pay, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the board of directors, diversity). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 3 | Business Diagnosis and Design | EBM042A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In most master courses, students study many theories but usually do not have the oportunity to apply the acquired knowledge in a real-life business context. This course is developed to give students of the MScBA Small Business & Entrepreneurship the opportunity to personally experience this part of academic research. This course will be organized around themes linked to the MScBA Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Students are allocated to a theme based on their preferences. Students will form small groups (max. 3 students) and perform an empirical study in a firm or business context. Each group is responsible to find one or more (small) firm(s), identify a management problem, develop a research method based on the guidelines of the course, execute the research, and write a research report including practical implications of the study. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 4 | Business Ethics | EBM043A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bonuses, board diversity, consumer rights, corporate social responsibility, suggestive or deceptive marketing techniques, bribes to get international contracts—ethics is everywhere in business. But research in moral psychology shows that we often fail to see what is morally important about a situation. And if we do see it, we often don’t know how to deal with it. And even if we know how to deal with it, we often don’t act accordingly. For all sorts of reasons. This course takes a practical approach to business ethics. Its main objectives are to foster sensitivity to moral aspects of decisions; to teach analytic skills that help you take a position in moral debates and to give a reasonable justification for your position; and to develop ways to successfully cope with moral dilemmas and issues. We examine the main normative theories in business ethics, moral psychology, corporate social responsibility, customer relations, and the environment; we consider specific moral issues in accounting, finance, international business management, and marketing; and we approach these theories, arguments, and concepts in highly interactively ways, devoting significant part of the time to a number of important and well known cases from business ethics by means of collaborative in-class assignments. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 5 | Business Process Innovation and Change | EBM044A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Business processes represent the “vehicle” through which an organization delivers its products and/or services in accordance with customers’ expectations. Business process management involves the (re)configuration of activities within an organization towards achieving the corporate strategy. Business process architecture and its performance are thus subjected to constant evaluation and scrutiny. The (re)design of business process architecture, through the enhancement of supporting ICT and human infrastructures, therefore reflects a core competency for an organization to maintain sustainable competitive advantages in the marketplace. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 6 | Business Research and Consulting | EBM151A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed teams of maximum four students (both from bachelor and master programmes in Economics and Business) will examine a real managerial issue. They translate the issue into a problem statement that can be addressed within the time frame of this course. Inherent parts of this course are that mixed teams of students 1) visit the company, 2) carry out desk research and literature search, 3) develop a research design (qualitative and/or quantitative), 4) analyze the results 5) draw conclusions and 6) propose a feasible solution including implementation steps to address the problem of a company. Master students have to reflect on the research process from methodological and theoretical perspectives and their role as master-level consultant and researcher. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 7 | B2B Marketing | EBM808B05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Firms operating in a Business-to-Business environment acquire goods and services either for their own use, to incorporate into the products or services that they produce, or for resale along with other products and services to other firms, institutions, or the government. Although the majority of the transaction volume in the Netherlands takes place in a Business-to-Business context, literature traditionally focuses on the marketing of fast-moving consumer goods. B2B marketing can be defined as the process of understanding, creating and delivering value to targeted business markets and customers. Understanding and quantifying the value of a market offering is therewith the cornerstone of B2B marketing. This course will cover the following topics: - Understanding business markets and business customers (collecting information about the market, organizational buying behavior, understanding and quantifying value creation in business markets) - Crafting marketing strategy - Managing existing market offerings and realizing new offers - Gaining customers and sustaining customer relationships. The topics will be discussed in lectures, case studies and guest lectures of business market practitioners. Also, students will experience negotiations in business markets in a practice case. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 8 | Comparative Corporate Governance | EBM083A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the upper echelons of multinational companies, important decisions are made with substantial effects on the future of the organization. These decisions are made by the board of directors, and the consequences can be significant both in a positive and a negative way. In this course, we will focus on two aspects of this decision making process. On the one hand, it is suggested that it matters who is a member of the board of directors in regard to what the outcome will be. On the other hand, boards are regulated by the corporate governance system already in place. Based on formal and informal rules and regulations, decision making is shaped and affects outcomes. To complicate matters even further, both board compositions as well as the corporate governance systems vary between countries. In this course, we will bring these three lines of research together and develop a deeper understanding of the processes at hand. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 9 | Conflict Man. & Industrial Relations | EBM673A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As reflected in the notion of 'stakeholders', a large number of different groups with (more or less) different interests are present within a firm and the economy as a whole: there is ample room for conflicts. At present, much attention is paid to the relation between shareholders and management under the heading of 'corporate governance'. In this course, we will focus upon the relation between workers and employers and their interests, specifically, the kind of conflicts that exist between them and the conflict resolution mechanisms that have been developed. Given this age of the unification of the countries of the European Union and globalisation, a comparative perspective (comparison of countries) will be used; these kinds of institutions tend to be very country-specific. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 10 | Consumer Psychology | EBM074A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whether it concerns the design of advertisements, store design or loyalty programs, all marketing strategies are built on assumptions about consumer psychology. This course aims to provide students with a better understanding of the motives and cognitive capacities that determine consumers’ behavior. An array of (social) psychological theories and findings will be discussed, as well as their relevance in understanding and predicting consumer behavior. Course topics include, amongst others, (un-)consious processes, self-regulation, emotions and well-being, and social influence. The course consists of lectures (given by the course coordinator and other experts in consumer psychology), as well as group assignments in which students apply findings and theories from consumer psychology to specific marketing issues. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 11 | Developing for Markets | EBM062A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course aims to explain the role of a customer focus in innovation management. Students are taught analytical and design skills in order to propose, design and market new products (or services) that offer superior value to customers. They learn to synthesize different theoretical perspectives, and to apply theoretical concepts of innovation management and marketing to real-life situations. Synthesis of the theory is achieved through an intensive series of lectures during the first part of the course. The second part of the course is reserved for the project in which groups of students apply the acquired theoretical insights to identify, analyze, and solve a real-life customer problem. The project is an important part of the course, as it enables learning by experiencing. It deepens the students’ understanding of why so many firms struggle with applying a customer focus in innovation. Innovation management deals with the challenge of developing new markets and new products. New products need to solve real customer pain points and must be well-differentiated from competition. Firms can only identify and successfully develop such products if they have acquired an in-depth understanding of customers. As products are no more than a means towards an end, managers need to understand the job that customers are trying to do. But how can they learn from customers? How can they involve customers in the innovation process? How can they translate customer insights creatively into new product concepts? And how to move such concepts successfully through the stages of development, launch, and market acceptance? A real innovative firm is able to go through this process again and again. Such a firm has a shared customer orientation and is organized accordingly. In short: it pursues outside-in innovation, the focus of this course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 12 | Economic Evaluation in Healthcare | EBM196A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Policy makers have to decide whether to include new evidence-based technology in the basic insured package. Economic Evaluation in Healthcare is supportive to these policy makers. This course offers economic perspectives on innovations in healthcare. Patients who need care expect that this care is available in order to prevent, cure or alleviate symptoms. In addition, patients expect that the price of care is related to the expected health outcomes. The rising healthcare costs due to new technological possibilities may jeopardize the needs in other public sectors such as the education, culture, safety and defence sectors. In a context of uncertainty and scarcity, there is a high need for decision making based on valid information about health gain and costs. A course about Economic Evaluation in Healthcare provides students contemporary insights about improving the decision making on new healthcare technologies. This course is part of the focus area 'Health Economics'. When you focus your MSc on health economics subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the health sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 13 | Economics of Regulating Markets | EBM148A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The central theme of the course is: how can governments (regulators) effectively improve the functioning of markets, in particular those markets which are characterized by economies of scale resulting in natural monopolies? Examples of those markets are energy markets, transport markets and telecom markets. Topics to be discussed are among others: how to determine the tariffs that an operator of an gas network, airport or rail track is allowed to charge on users of the network infrastructure as gas users, airlines and railway companies, respectively? How to implement competition in the energy industry, both on wholesale level and retail level? Knowledge of economics of regulating market is useful for positions within regulated companies (TenneT, Gasunie, Schiphol, Prorail, etc.), companies using regulated infrastructures (airlines, large energy users, etc.) regulatory bodies (ACM, ACER, etc.) and consultancies (PWC, Oxera, etc.). The course not only deals with the economic theory behind the regulation of markets, but also applies this theory to real-life problems in particularly energy markets, but also in telecom and transport. The course consists of 7 meetings of 3 hours per week. In each meeting we discuss a specific topic. We start by discussing the question why some markets, in particular energy markets, need regulation and others not (Meeting 1). Then, we discuss how the government could regulate these markets (Meeting 2). These first two meetings are meant to give the students some theoretical background in economic regulation. Afterwards, we have two meetings in which we discuss key issues in the daily practice of regulation. The first one is on benchmarking on efficiency (Meeting 3). Here we discuss how to assess the costs of a regulated firm. In the other one we discuss how to determine the appropriate reward (i.e. the WACC) on capital which is invested in the network (Meeting 4). These questions are highly important for regulated firms as it affects how much profit they are allowed to make and to which extent they are able to finance the investments. Then, we go into in the question how to implement competition in these industries. These sessions are mainly directed at energy markets. First, we discuss the design of electricity and gas markets on wholesale level (Meeting 5). Afterwards, we analyze how electricity and gas markets can become more integrated on an international level (Meeting 6). In the final meeting, we pay attention to the retail market, discussing how competition can be implemented in markets where consumers (instead of firms) play a key role (Meeting 7). For those not having a strong background in microeconomics, two additional lectures are organized in which all relevant microeconomic concepts are discussed. This course is part of the focus area 'Energy'. When you focus your MSc on energy subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the energy sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 14 | Emerging Markets (MSc) | EBM085A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course provides a nuanced perspective on strategic decision processes and outcomes of firms in emerging economy markets such as China, Brazil and India. Primary emphasis is on 1) recognizing the uniqueness of the context characterizing the business environment in these economies and, 2) how the context then shapes the nature and behavior of firms. From an academic perspective, the course introduces students to recognizing and evaluating the assumptions and limitations of popular theories and frameworks commonly developed and applied in the context of developed economies. For those interested in practical aspects of the course, real-life business situations in the form of case studies provide a firsthand experience of the multiple challenges faced by firms due to a rapidly evolving business environment, increasing global competition and local constraints. The business cases reveal the thought processes of top managers and CEOs grappling with these problems. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 15 | Energy & Finance | EBM166A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This is a course in the MSc Finance which focuses on energy risk analysis and management. Almost all methods that are developed and used in financial market analysis can be used in energy markets as well. However, we concentrate on two general methods in particular and aim to deepen their understanding. These are real option analysis and energy instruments and derivatives. Firstly, real option analysis uses the mathematical methods of derivatives pricing to analyze the value of various types of flexibilities in (real) investment projects. The real option analysis so far has only remotely been touched upon in the finance curriculum and is perfectly suitable to apply in the valuation of energy projects. Secondly, we delve into energy risk management as, in energy markets, many risks are related to underlying cost structures and the characteristics of volatility of prices. Power prices for instance are related to the price of the fuels and to carbon prices. Some ‘fuels’ like wind and solar energy are intermittent whereas other aren’t. Power companies and (industrial) companies will be using different mixes of energy in their business. This suggests integrated risk management is required. In the course Energy Finance, we investigate how to assess the exposure of firms to a variety of energy risks regarding both their costs and revenues and study the management strategies regarding these risks. This course is part of the focus area 'Energy'. When you focus your MSc on energy subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the energy sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 16 | Energy Transition & Innovation | EBM167A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The shift towards renewable energy requires innovation in technologies and social behavior. The energy industry has changed and is changing dramatically. Once an oligopolistic structure, the industry is rapidly changing and incumbent businesses face threats from disruptive innovation. Similarly, newcomers face high levels of uncertainty about future demand, technological trajectories, and governmental policies. What does this mean for the established players and new start-ups? And what is the role of renewable energy innovation to be competitive in this industry? The purpose of this course is to give students an advanced understanding of these topics, using current academic research on strategy and innovation, to understand how collaboration and innovation can be used in this industry to adjust to change. We consider the complex transition towards sustainable energy, and will focus on the role of government-industry and industry-industry collaborations. In the process, students gain knowledge about how to realize and align partnerships in the transition of traditional (fossil fuels) to more sustainable sources of energy (wind, solar, biomass, tidal power). This course is part of the focus area 'Energy'. When you focus your MSc on energy subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the energy sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 17 | Fin. & Econ. Org. of Healthcare Markets | EBM194A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course incorporates an advanced perspective on the economics behind organisations operating in the health and healthcare sectors. We recap the individual decision to buy health insurance, and discuss the social benefits and costs arising from its provision. We explain why health insurance markets may fail, and solutions that may arise to obviate such market failure. We then discuss major actors in health and healthcare markets: physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry. We examine how principal-agent problems characterise the patient-physicians relationship, and regulation aimed at solving these problems. We examine funding methods for hospitals, and different incentives arising out of different funding methods. We finally examine the role of the pharmaceutical industry in researching and developing new health technologies and treatments, as well as the process of getting drugs to market. This course is part of the focus area 'Health Economics'. When you focus your MSc on health economics subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the health sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 18 | Financial Reporting and Risk Management | EBM168A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Every organisation faces a variety of risks. Unexpected events in its external or internal environment may affect the achievement of the organisation’s objectives. Some of the risks are related to compliance with laws and regulation, and more particularly to reliable financial reporting. To assess financial reporting risks, the adequacy of how an organization has applied the accounting principles and valuation methods has to be determined. A first, but important, step in understanding financial reporting issues is a thorough understanding of journal entries. A second step is to evaluate the choices and risks that a manager faces when financial statements are compiled. In addition to financial reporting risks, organizations are also exposed to risks related to their core activities. For instance, changes in market circumstances may threaten the organisation’s ability to achieve its strategic objectives, or some of the organisation’s assets may disappear due to fraud by employees. Ignoring risks can be detrimental to the organisation’s survival. Therefore, organisations often rely on systems which enable them to identify and assess risks, and to develop and monitor control activities. However, using such systems also has its drawbacks. A textbook will be used to refresh students’ understanding of business transactions, valuation and accounting principles. Cases and academic papers will provide the basis for a critical thinking persective regarding risk management issues including an organisation’s risk culture and ethical considerations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 19 | Franchising | EBM046A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the major issues in strategy and management of franchise systems as a special entrepreneurial business context. Students will acquire and apply academic knowledge needed for effective strategy and management from both the franchisor’s and the franchisee’s perspective. Business format franchising is an increasingly popular business strategy in various countries and industries, such as retailing, hospitality, fast food, services, and healthcare. It is therefore likely that students have to deal with it in their future careers, for example as a franchisor, an employee at a franchise organization, a franchisee/entrepreneur, a (small business) consultant, or an employee at a bank. Franchising has several advantages for both franchisors and franchisees, but it also has its pitfalls. This course builds on several theoretical perspectives to discuss a wide range of strategic and managerial issues that are relevant to franchisors, franchisees and their stakeholders, such as system and unit performance, innovation, entrepreneurship, strategic renewal, internationalization, standardization versus local adaptation, and trust between franchise partners. The course also contains several practical components in the form of guest lecturers and case examples. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 20 | Health Economics and Policy | EBM195A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course incorporates an advanced perspective on the application of economic principles to analyse health and healthcare. We recap and critique the dominant economic model (the “Grossman model”) of individual decision-making with regard to health, highlighting both general problems and problems specific to particular aspects of health, such as mental health. We then consider areas where health economics can inform public policy with regard to health specifically. and how such policy may respond in the future to demographic pressures. We finish by considering how poorer countries face different policy questions. This course is part of the focus area 'Health Economics'. When you focus your MSc on health economics subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the health sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 21 | Healthcare Operations | EBM034A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Healthcare systems have distinct characteristics because of high clinical, flow and professional variability. Students will learn how healthcare systems cope with these kinds of variability. The performance of healthcare systems can be measured by different aspects: patient centeredness, patient safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, equity. Approaches, methods and techniques to improve performance on these aspects will be discussed in this course. The focus is on secondary care, in particular the phases of diagnostics tests and the treatment processes within hospitals. So far, research on healthcare operations has been dominated mainly by unit (departmental) approaches. This course will provide an overview of these approaches on a strategic, tactical and operational level. A few approaches (e.g. appointment scheduling; sharing resources; quality improvement) will be discussed in-depth. Moreover, we will explore how chain and network approaches may help in delivering integrated care. In the lectures research on healthcare operations from scientific journals will be discussed. Topics of the lectures are: complexity and sources of variability; performance indicators for quality improvement and patient safety; process integration in acute care; integration of planning and control in elective care; capacity planning and the role of shared resources; lean and quantitative tools. In the tutorials students elaborate on two real-life problems, one on analysing and designing clinical pathways and one on logistics decision making. This course is part of the focus area 'Healthcare Management'. When you focus your MSc on healthcare management subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the healthcare sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 22 | Healthcare Purchasing | EBM193A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Healthcare purchasers play an important role in the task division and coordination of supply chains by applying their purchasing practices. In this course students develop a better understanding of the perspective of healthcare purchasers in different health systems. How can the buyer/supplier relationship between healthcare purchasers (e.g. health insurers, municipalities) and healthcare providers be governed by contractual and relational governance? How can knowledge and information sharing affect the collaboration between healthcare purchaser and healthcare provider and between healthcare providers? What is the role of payment systems (e.g. fee-for-service, pay for performance and population-based payment) and their financial incentives in delivering the right care at the right place? In this course we will discuss the role of contract characteristics and the negotiation process on the performance of healthcare providers. This course explains advantages and disadvantages of purchasing based on price and contracts versus purchasing based on quality, long-term relationships and trust. By comparing cases within and outside the Netherlands, explanations will be given of how and why different purchasing strategies develop and how this relates to differences in healthcare systems. The main focus of the course is on the procurement of healthcare by insurers and municipalities. However, we also pay attention to the procurement of strategic items (e.g. expensive medicines, capital goods like MRI) by healthcare providers. This course is part of the focus area 'Healthcare Management'. When you focus your MSc on healthcare management subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the healthcare sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 23 | HRM & International Labour Law | EBM733A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International labour relations have increasingly assumed importance in a globalizing world. In order to manage labour relations, in this context, properly, it is necessary to take into account the impact of International Labour Law. Basic information on existing rules and court decisions related to International Labour Law will be given. Each student will be required to write and present a position paper (individually or in a group). Students select a topic from a list composed by the lecturer. Corporate social responsibility, the freedom of movement of workers within the European Union and the posting of workers abroad, are some examples of possible topics. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 24 | Innovation & Entrepreneurship | EBM621A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The general objective of this course is to provide students with a full understanding of the process of successfully engaging in innovation/entrepreneurial activities. Upon completion of the course the student is able to: 1. Define the concepts of innovation and entrepreneurship and explain their interrelationships. 2. List a number of criteria to determine the success of innovation and entrepreneurial activities and to determine which ones are most relevant in a specific context. 3. Describe the different stages in innovation management processes and entrepreneurial processes and how different factors during these stages may influence the success of innovations and entrepreneurial activities. 4. Develop a theoretical framework distinguishing factors that influence the success of an innovation/entrepreneurial activity. 5. Assess the validity of the theoretical framework in a real business setting by analyzing secondary data on a specific case (i.e. a specific innovation/entrepreneurial activity). 6. Logically, clearly, carefully express his/her own activities, opinions and research findings to the lecturer and fellow students. The course consists of two parts that run parallel. The first is the theoretical part in which existing theories on innovation and entrepreneurship are discussed. In the second part, the students will apply these theories to concrete organizational settings by studying particular practical cases. Guest lectures provide the students with first hand insights on how processes of innovation and entrepreneurship take place in practice. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 25 | Innovation in Healthcare Organizations | EBM047A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The introductory weeks of this course offer an overview of the strategic context of managerial (i.e., non-clinical) innovations in healthcare and discusses a variety of such organizational, technological, and human resource innovations. The analytic focus is on these innovations' (potential) contributions to and implications for healthcare management and performance. You will evaluate the intended contributions of specific innovations to strategic key debates in healthcare at large. The second part of the course addresses the particularities of stakeholder management in healthcare innovations. Guided by frameworks in the literature, you will learn to systematically identify and analyse the stakeholders of a managerial healthcare innovation. You will explore how specific innovations can be aligned with stakeholders’ power, interests and concerns, and what the risks and implications for the implementation process are. In the final part of the course, you will get acquainted with healthcare specific implementation models. Based on the foregoing analyses and supported by these implementation models, you will learn to design an implementation approach that takes the specific characteristics of the healthcare context, the innovation content and the implementation process into consideration. This course is part of the focus area 'Healthcare Management'. When you focus your MSc on healthcare management subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the healthcare sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examination Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 26 | International Financial Reporting | EBM045B05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course introduces the subject of international financial accounting and explains the relevance thereof. The course will be built upon the idea that financial statements are meant to inform public investors. Throughout the course, specific international issues regarding the analysis of accounting based ratio's will be addressed. Such issues relate of course to international diversity in financial accounting systems. The most important differences in international financial accounting systems will be presented. Recently, huge steps have been taken in regard of international convergence and harmonization, as well as auditing and corporate governance. Important international financial reporting subjects such as the assessment of foreign currency risks and hedge accounting as well as the consolidation process on a parent company level will be covered. International tax regimes are presented and potential consequences thereof discussed such as tax saving models developed by multinationals. The development in international accounting, auditing and governance rules and standards are critically reviewed during this course. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 27 | International Strategic Alliances | EBM090A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course deals with managing strategic alliances-- a key factor for successful internationalization. These alliances can occur on the horizontal level (e.g. with rivals) or vertical level (e.g. with suppliers) and can result in complex organizational forms such as international joint ventures and global value chains. The course specifically deals with the challenges and pitfalls of managing international alliances. The various managerial challenges will be analyzed by using interorganizational theories such as transaction cost economy, resource-based-view, and the relational view. Furthermore, contemporary research findings will be discussed and applied in case studies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 28 | Inventory Management | EBM026A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course Inventory Management provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to analyze, improve, design and manage actual inventory systems. Topics that will be discussed are demand forecasting, production/inventory and item characteristics, performance measures, inventory control policies and policy improvement. In particular applying inventory control models to improve the company performance will be important. Spread sheet modeling skills are essential. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 29 | IT Governance | EBM048A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The IT Governance course is a condensed state-of-the-art management of information technology course for business and economics students withouth specialized IT background. The course provides overview of contemporary IT governance and management frameworks. The course focuses on the interrelation between business strategy and IT governance. In other words, how IT should be organized in modern industrial organizations. The course is intended for business and economics students with limited background in information technology and intend to improve their IT managerial and consulting skills. Through this course, students will be trained to analyze IT governance literature and resolve practical IT management challenges in an interdisciplinary approach. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 30 | Managerial Decision Making and Control | EBM027A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course provides insights into the 'state of the art' in the field of management accounting. The course aims to contribute to the students’ understanding of the relationships between management accounting information, the organisational context, and managerial decision making and control. The objective is to be able to understand the various ways in which management accounting and control systems can support or undermine decision making and control within organisations. These decisions may relate to various topics like how to improve manufacturing efficiency and how to make decisions on the use and renewal of technology. The focus of the control part will be on the measurement and evaluation of the performances of organisational entities and their managers. Here both behavioural and technical aspects related to performance management will be taken into account. The course also includes the issue of value creation through innovation and how management accounting and control concepts can be used in a dynamic and innovative organisational setting. Furthermore, the course will include change management issues concerning control systems. Students will develop both theoretical and practical knowledge, because the course includes both theoretical papers and practical case assignments. The main topics to be dealt with are: • the context of accounting systems: how do they construct them and use them (sometimes to their own advantage) • costing systems and change in organisations theory and analysis: Activity Based Costing, traditional methods of cost allocation, how the choice of these costing methods have developed and influenced decision making in organisations • financial control systems: use of budgets and incentive systems in a dynamic environment: budgeting, beyond budgeting, budget participation • performance management: performance measurement and evaluation, Balanced Scorecard (BSC), financial performance indicators (Return on Investment and Residual Income), implementation of new performance evaluation systems • control and ethics: the role of auditors and the ethical behavior of board of directors and managers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 31 | Marketing and Consumer Well-being | EBM192A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| “Without consumption—at least at the basic level of air, water, food, and shelter—life ceases” (Mick et al. 2012, p3). Consumption is a critical determinant of consumer well-being. Marketing plays an essential and central role in fulfilling the needs and wants that drive their consumption behavior. Yet, in many western societies consumption levels have increased to an extent that they actually are deteriorating societal and consumer well-being. The growing demand for and consumption of goods and service has serious societal and personal implications; for example, the overconsumption of energy contributes to environmental pollution and global warming, while the overconsumption of food and the resulting obesity epidemic contributes to a dramatic increase in the cost of health care, while reducing economic productivity world-wide. In response to the negative implications of the (over)consumption of goods and services, a growing number of firms experience an increasing pressure to improve their business practices to help address these negative implications. This course will focus on the most recent insights pertaining the challenges and opportunities associated with transforming business to contribute to societal and consumer well-being. To accomplish this, this course uniquely merges marketing theory and consumer psychology. The course takes a business-to-consumer perspective. Specific attention will be paid to sustainability (incl. energy, animal well-being, labor conditions) and personal health and healthy lifestyles. This course is part of the focus area 'Energy'. When you focus your MSc on energy subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the energy sector. This course is also part of the focus area 'Healthcare Management'. When you focus your MSc on healthcare management subjects you will be awarded an official acknowledgement on your diploma, improving and broadening your career opportunities in the healthcare sector. Prerequisites are mentioned in the Teaching and Examiniation Regulations: 'Focus areas in the master programmes'. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 32 | Marketing Essentials | EBM169A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Marketing function in the organization is the interface between the (potential) customers and the company. Managing the customer base and managing the brand are therefore two of Marketing’s key responsibilities, based on an thorough analysis of the company’s environment. This course focuses on the building blocks of strategies in the field of marketing. Topics that are covered are: marketing capabilities and the firm’s strategic orientations; the marketing planning process; the components of the marketing strategy: segmentation and positioning; market orientation and customer orientation; brand management and customer management. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 33 | Master's Thesis BA SB&E | EBM712A20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The purpose of the master's thesis in Business Administration is that the graduate demonstrates his or her ability to do research independently within the chosen specialization. Each semester, students can choose a preferred research theme from available research topics. Each supervisor defines a broad theme for the master's thesis projects he/ she is willing to supervise in a specific semester. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 34 | New Ventures & Entrepreneurship | EBM838A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course is one of the obligatory courses of the SB&E track within the MScBA and introduces the students to the specific challenges and issues that entrepreneurs face when starting a new business. The course provides insights into the basic skills required to start a new venture from a theoretical, scientific point of view. The following topics are dealt with: the nature of entrepreneurial opportunities and how they come in existence, selecting promising ideas and formulating a business model, understanding and developing networks of stakeholders, entrepreneurial finance, growth and, finally, corporate entrepreneurship. This course consists of a mixture of conventional and flipped-class lectures, augmented by case study teaching, guest lectures and workshops. Before each lecture, it is expected that the students prepare the obligatory tasks and readings and research and select at least two additional scientific, peer-reviewed articles that add to the discussion and provided background reading. The aim of each lecture is to use the provided and additional literature researched to develop a conceptual model of the topic under scrutiny. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 35 | Operations Management in Proc. Industry | EBM725C05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course presents an introduction to operations management in process industries, and provides the students with concepts and tools to analyze and improve operational capabilities of process-oriented organizations. It includes lectures, guest lectures, individual and group assignments, and a day long plant visit which all together provide a considerable amount of experience on process industries. The content of the course is closely related to past and current research in the Department of Operations. The course gives an overview of the characteristics of process industries. It provides the knowledge and skills to adapt planning and scheduling to deal with industry-specific aspects such as sequence dependent setups, limited intermediate storage, perishability of materials, and tracking and tracing. It also places an emphasis on how seemingly general applicable concepts such as lean manufacturing can be made suitable for process industries. The course has a research oriented approach with a strong focus on scientific writing and appropriate use of the literature in individual and group assignments. It offers an excellent start for students that aim for a master project and/or career in the process industries. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 36 | Organization Design (MSc) | EBM049A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As organizations strive for competitiveness in an increasingly complex marketplace, they seek to configure their resources in ways that support business strategies. The term organizational design refers both to the process of reconfiguring elements of the organization, and the outcome of this process, such as specific design solutions. Organizational design might seem a mere ‘technical’ task of shaping organizational architecture (i.e., strategy, structure, people and technology). However, the social system dynamics inherent in organizations ask for a richer view that accounts for the socio-political and interpretive, sense-making properties of organizations and their effects on design process. Further organizations are not isolated entities but embedded in an environment. The technical, sociopolitical, and interpretive perspectives also serve to analyze how organizational relations with the environment impact on design issues. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 37 | Policies for a Dynamic Economy | EBM065A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The aim of the course is to give students a basic understanding of the relationship between knowledge and economic development. Students will learn about different policy areas related to the innovation system such as science policy, innovation policy, technology policy, knowledge policy and entrepreneurship policy. The course teaches students basic principles of national and sectoral innovation systems, industrial dynamics, and the role of innovation and entrepreneurship for firm growth and economic development. Other important subjects include the design and methods for program evaluations, the design of policy mixes, and exercises to develop skills to work on the interface between technology and societal issues. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 38 | Process Improvement and Change | EBM036B05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The course Process Improvement & Change (PI&C) starts with describing a framework for discussing critically several change and improvement approaches and methods that are applied in the field of operations and supply chains. For each approach we will focus on analysing the ‘how’ of the process improvement approach. The review of several approaches such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, and Business Process Reengineering, will reveal gaps, differences and similarities. Furthermore, we will discuss in this course how a diagnosis of the change content and context can be made, and what this diagnosis implies for an improvement plan. A final focus is on the execution of a real-case improvement project. Representatives of companies will introduce their case. Specific topics that will be addressed in this course are the roles of different players in the change processes, the role of performance indicators in the change processes and the input of both customers and suppliers in change processes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 39 | Purchasing | EBM037A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| During the course students will get hands on experience of project management, resulting in a jointly developed e-book on the State of the Art in Purchasing 2018. The main goal of this project is to link theoretical notions on purchasing to research and practice. While the structure and content of the book should reflect current practices, research and theoretical ideas such as purchasing in relation to the global SCM field, trends, internal and external integration or sustainability its specific contents are decided jointly by the lecturers and the students. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 40 | Research & Skills for MSc BA | EBM050A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course aims to prepare students for their Master's thesis project. It focuses on methodological and professional skills preparation, as well as research ethics. For the methodological part (approx. 3.5 EC) students have to gain some basic knowledge about the topic. In weeks 1-3 of the course the basic literature is presented. There is the possibility to ask questions about the topic in a response lecture and there will be a MC test about the literature. In weeks 4-7 students are introduced to one of their favoured research approaches. The approach is more in-depth introduced, how to develop a research proposal following the favoured approach is explained and an existing Master's thesis is judged by the students. In week 9 a research proposal must be delivered. Presence in the methodological lectures and tutorials is optional. For the professional skills training (approx. 1.5 EC), students set individual learning goals on the basis of an assessment of their current interactional and communication skills. In profile-specific groups of 12-15 students, we will work on these competencies by practicing, observing and reflecting on individual experiences during the Master's thesis period and with a view to the professional field. Real-life cases will be used to explore options in interactional skills. Varying per profile, competencies include listening and feedback skills, effective interactional skills, dealing with ambiguities and resistance, self-reflection, consultancy skills, empathy, persuasive skills and personal leadership. The training will be completed by group coaching. For the research ethics four modules of the CITI program must be successfully passed through, plagiarism, privacy and confidentiality, data management, and misconduct. They are online on the nestor site and each includes a short introductory lecture, study materials, and a multiple choice test. If you pass the test you will receive a certificate that should be handed over to the course coordinator in order to receive a course grade. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 41 | Retail Marketing | EBM880A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Retail Marketing elective will focus on several strategic and operational retail topics in highly competitive retail markets. In the first part of the course, we will focus on how retailers make decisions with regard to the retail-mix. We will discuss state-of-the art theory with regard to pricing, promotions, assortment management and instore merchandising. We will also focus on buying & sourcing of products. The theory of part 1 can be used in assignment 1 (writing a category management plan). In the second part of the course we will focus on the topic of omni-channel marketing. This concerns the strategic decision that retailers make with regard the channels used to sell their products (stores, online, catalogues) as well as the customer journey consumers follow when orienting and deciding about which products to buy. The theory of this part of the course can be used in assignment 2 (writing a retail marketing channel plan). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 42 | Small Business Economics & Policy | EBM058A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Increased globalization driven by technological changes, i.e. the advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning revolution, has led Western and emerging countries to shift their competitive advantage from large-scale mass production to knowledge-based economic activities. This creates opportunities for small and young firms. Today, SMEs are a key player of the whole economic system. For example, SMEs (up to 250 employees) represent 99% of the private enterprises and account for about 55% of the Gross National Product (GNP) in the Netherlands. SMEs greatly influence the static and dynamic efficiency of the economic systems and contribute to job creation, enhanced competition, social welfare and innovation outcomes. The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the role of SMEs and new ventures in modern entrepreneurial economies and to develop an analytical perspective from which the viability and social impact of entrepreneurial ventures may be evaluated objectively. An analytical and critical perspective towards public policies and their consequences for SMEs and entrepreneurship will be developed. This course concerns economic explanations of the role and behavior of entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial ventures and SMEs. It focuses on the importance of SMEs and entrepreneurship at the macro level (importance for society) instead of practical managerial issues of small businesses which are addressed in the course Small Business Management. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 43 | Small Business Management | EBM059A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The SBM course is one of the obligatory courses of the SB&E track within the MScBA. The course content is aimed at providing students with knowledge needed to understand the essence of managing small businesses. This knowledge can also be applied to smaller independent parts of a large organization. Small companies have specific characteristics. Usually they are family businesses that go through different development phases. Growth, innovation, and change are themes that small businesses have to deal with. Also, ownership and management are intertwined, which has a major influence on the corporate governance of the firm. Such characteristics form the leitmotif of the different themes that will be dealt with in this course. This course will focus on the content as well as the process of managing SMEs. During the course, groups of students will do a small empirical research during which small business owners will be interviewed. Thus, students practice to apply theoretical knowledge to a real-life situation and develop their research skills. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 44 | Strategic Analysis for Small Business | EBM060A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This course is one of the obligatory courses of the SB&E track within the MScBA. The aim of the course is to discuss recent academic research on the issue of strategic positioning and the creation of a competitive advantage. The course focuses on those insights that allow SMEs to solve strategic queries they are confronted with. The students have to review scientific publications and to reflect critically on the relevance of these theories for SMEs. Strategic management in this course is dealt with at the business level and focuses on the positioning of the firm in its external environment. The following topics are dealt with: boundaries of the firm, competition and cooperation, industrial districts, clustering, strategic resources and sustainable competitive advantage. As small businesses are more resource constrained than larger businesses strategic choices regarding these topics will have major consequences for the performance of the SMEs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 45 | Strategic Management of Inf. Technology | EBM051B05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Information technology increasingly plays a principle role as the enabler or inhibitor for organizations to develop innovation.Strategically managing information technology is paramount importance to contemporary companies. The key objective of this course for students is to understand the critical and nuanced role of information technology in innovation. The alignment between innovation management and information technology management is the focus of this course. Through this course, students will learn how to identify and analyze strategic issues related to using information technology for innovation. There are no simple, right answers. Students are trained on how to deal with innovation management in a creative, technology-based approach. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 46 | Strategic Supply Chain Management | EBM039A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Almost all companies face an increased complexity in their supply chains caused by global competition, more demanding customers, worldwide outsourcing and sustainability requirements. This course introduces students to strategic and global aspects of manufacturing and supply chain management. The course offers an overview of contemporary theoretical findings in the field through a book and lectures, complemented with research papers, which are assessed in a literature examination. Specifically, the course focuses on buyer-supplier relationships, the use of ICT in those relations, the role of outsourcing, and the importance of sustainability and corporate social responsibility in shaping supply chains. Students have to complete several practical oriented cases and are trained in using and evaluating literature through writing reviews of relevant scientific papers. The final part of the course is a group based project that aims at playing a supply chain game and theoretically interpreting and evaluating the results. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 47 | Working Capital Management | EBM645A05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Working capital management studies in particular the several interrelationships that exist between working capital and the operations that take place in a firm and how an organisation is able to control these. The co-ordinated management and control of the working capital operations within a firm encompass decisions concerning cash holdings, purchase processes, production and inventory process and sales. The course will develop an understanding of the specific way in which these operating processes interact with the working capital management and control of a firm. The course will pay attention to the financing and investment decisions regarding working capital. During the course we will be studying the organizational aspects of the working capital functions, the relations with other departments within the firm and the control cycle of forecasting, planning, monitoring and evaluating working capital. The focus of working capital management and control will be directed both internally (control, optimisation, value measurement) and externally (backward and forward linkages of the firm). Special topics include amongst others the focus of working capital in small firms, a comparative study of working capital in government, transition and privatised firms, cash management in the euro zone, the determinants of cash holdings, the relation between product quality and payment policy, governance costs and the allocation of inventories. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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