EMBA 2000. Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Developing Regions.

This course utilizes team-based experiential learning methods for the further development of skills in business opportunity creation. It builds upon the courses on entrepreneurial management and ethnographic research methods to investigate a business opportunity that participant teams create within, or stemming from, a developing region. The course leverages field work in a specific complex developing regional economy that serves as a proxy for such developing regions more broadly. Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to develop business opportunities in complex, developing regions and have a greater appreciation of the potential and challenges these regions represent.

EMBA 2100. Ethnographic Research Methods.

This course develops basic skills in learning to use ethnographic research methods, the hallmark of anthropology and a crucial methodology for analyzing why people behave the way they do. Concentration is on the two key elements of ethnographic methodology: participant observation and interview techniques. Students apply these techniques in assigned course project work.

EMBA 2110. Society & Culture in the Age of Globalization.

This course is designed to draw on analytical tools from sociology and anthropology to make sense of the rapidly changing nature of global society. In the past 3 decades the flows of commodities, ideas, people, norms and resources across international borders has accelerated exponentially. Driving these dynamics are not only market forces, but also social networks, cultural diffusions and institutional transformations. As a complement to the courses on political economy and global governance, this course focuses on the social structures, institutional forms, political processes and cultural practices that mediate the encounter of the global and the national.

EMBA 2210. Shared History of Slavery & Capitalism.

Over five meetings, we’ll study specific aspects of the history of the Atlantic slave trade and the plantation regimes of the Americas. At the same time, we will explore key principles of historical reasoning and argumentation: the reliance upon evidence to support interpretation; the appreciation of contingency and the specificity of time and place; skepticism towards claims of the universality of experience and the inevitability of outcomes. Finally, in seeking to unravel the paradoxical relationship of free markets to unfree people, we will bring historical perspective to questions about commodities and liberties that remain urgent in the current global economy.

EMBA 2220. The Political Economy of Development.

The goal of this unit is to introduce executives in the MBA Program to the politics economic & social development, with a focus on both long-run historical determinants of development and the more recent effects of globalization and neoliberal reforms on economic growth and inequality. To put these issues in context, the unit addresses debates about development in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

EMBA 2230. The Imprint of Time, Space, and Place on our Bodies: Understanding Health Disparities.

Health is a fundamental human right regardless of where one is born or the social conditions one is born into. Disparities remain for the most vulnerable populations & communities, even with developed low-cost, evidence-based strategies. This course interrogates health disparity conundrums; explore social determinants of health through experiential learning; highlight pathologies of power driven by historical, political, and economic forces through discussion and debate, and using case-based learning; examine opportunities for achieving health equity, guided by social justice approach and utilizing a capabilities paradigm; define ethical challenges in tackling health disparities due to power differentials across countries, communities, populations.

EMBA 2300. History, Culture, and Politics in South Africa (change from Globalization and the Arts).

We will begin with colonialism and address the way twentieth century South African history inflected colonialism in unique ways, from the Boer War to the Apartheid State. Then on the monumental project of changing a nation state from racist authoritarianism to democratic citizenship across a diverse and highly unequal population in terms of access to resources (an inequality burdening South Africa to this day). If one asks what the humanities might contribute to understanding and explanation in this regard, it is the demand to read such history in an interdisciplinary, synergizing way, ranging across law, politics, art, architecture and culture.

EMBA 2310. Climate Change at the Intersection of Business and Society (change from Natural Collections).

This course is designed to introduce you to the most recent science of climate change and its impacts in the coming decades, allowing us to see mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its impacts not only as moral imperatives but also as an opportunity for commercial actors in the coming years and decades. The course discusses the scientific foundation for a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and then explores how that is operationalized in businesses, in investing, and by governments. The final deliverable asks you to explore emissions reductions or adaptation strategies in your own company.

EMBA 2400. Global Markets.

This course investigates the institutions and regulations governing our global economy. Recent events have shown that traditional national regulations (or lack thereof) are no longer adequate yet international accords over aid, trade, labor standards and a host of other issues are fiercely and frequently contested by competing interests. The results of these debates, and the resulting economic systems and policies will determine winners and losers in the new global economy. Understanding the interaction between this political-economic-regulatory environment and individual firms and industries is key to determining both the possibilities for and constraints on global business in today's fast changing economy.

EMBA 2450. The Global Economy: Past, Present, and Future.

We consider not only the growth of income per capita, but also other measures of well-being. Delving into the roots of growth entails understanding investment in skills and the institutional environment in which firms and workers operate. We will focus on the question of whether the “Western” model is the best choice of institutional and economic structure. We then turn to explicitly examine the process of technological progress and a discussion of income inequality. We will then discuss how globalization affects growth and inequality. We then examine how the role of the state may or may not change in coming decades in response to ongoing economic disruption. Finally, we examine two issues that will have enormous implications for economic, social, and political developments: first, the phenomenon of persistent sub-replacement fertility, and second, climate change.

EMBA 2520. Public Speak Your Mind and Your Heart.

What you say, how you say it, and how you make it relevant to the audience, can turn an idea into a power horse. And many ideas are dumped daily because their originators do not present them in a dynamic and convincing way. Presentation skills rank among the most practical for financial managers: nothing will give you a more immediate competitive edge than the ability to communicate orally in a fluent and confident manner.

EMBA 2530. Key Reflection Project.

The Key Reflection Project (KRP) is a culminating academic project where students integrate and apply the knowledge acquired during the program to examine an idea or solve a challenging problem that is within their area of influence or personal interest. The project must mirror the spirit and learning objectives of the program, which are based on the awareness of social complexities and critical analysis of business issues. The pedagogical objective is for students to practice the application of the multidisciplinary learnings of the IE Brown program to real and complex problems that they face in their own workplaces.

EMBA 2540. Global Trends Seminar Series.

This seminar aims to foster awareness and discussion on trending issues that have an impact on managerial work. The Series will concentrate on two highly imbricated fields: Global Leadership Awareness and Technology Trends. Students will be exposed to insights and discussion from speakers that will share their ideas about the state of the art of geopolitics, emerging AI developments and social implications of the integration of technology in the world of work. The seminars will take place either during the residential periods in Madrid and Providence or via webinars during the online periods.

EMBA 2550. Thinking About Thinking About Management.

The complexity involved in corporations nowadays is daunting, as issues related to globalization are adding to the classic issues of corporate and competitive strategy. This course has two main objectives. First, it provides an organizational theory perspective and thereby complements the previous courses of strategy and management. Second, it seeks to develop your critical thinking through specific reading of the material assigned and continuous connections with practical examples.

EMBA 2600. Financial Accounting.

This course will emphasize the understanding of how financial statements are created and how accounting decisions affect these statements. The course will teach the theory emphasizing the use of accounting as a tool for decision-making and problem solving. The objective of the course is not to memorize accounting rules and perform “bookkeeping” activities. However students will have to practice some bookkeeping in order to understand deeper issues that goe beyond it. Students will also learn the problems associated with accounting subjectivity and flexibility while evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies and estimates.

EMBA 2610. Financial Management.

This course focuses on the fundamentals of corporate finance. The objective of corporate financial theory is to maximize the value of the business. In this context financial decisions can be broken down in two basic decisions (1) how much to invest and what assets to invest in, and (2) how to raise the necessary cash. This course provides a framework to answer the first question: how the firm should make the investment, or capital budgeting decision, in order to increase shareholder value.

EMBA 2620. Cost Control.

Students, as future managers, will utilize the output of cost systems (the primary internal information systems in a firm). Students will gain an understanding of cost accounting systems, including a familiarization with: the goals of cost accounting systems; the fundamental features and design of cost accounting systems; and the various uses of the data provided by cost accounting decisions. A sound understanding of these issues is necessary to interpret cost accounting system outputs; to transform them from data to information and knowledge. Without this understanding, cost accounting data is often mis-interpreted and/or mis-applied leading to erroneous decision making.

EMBA 2700. Managerial Economics.

This course will attempt to provide students with a framework to understand the main economic variables that affect business activity and country risk. It will begin with a brief look at the microeconomy and the basic concepts underlying supply and demand and market structure. It will then focus on the macroeconomy, the main economic indicators such as GDP, inflation and unemployment and the business cycle, and evaluate how changes in these indicators affect business prospects. It will outline the operation of fiscal and monetary policy and how and why policy decisions are made, to give students the tools to anticipate key policy decisions. Finally, it will look at international trade, exchange rates and the processes of economic integration to determine their costs and benefits and their impact on the business environment. Students will learn to apply these tools to actual country data.

EMBA 2810. Managing Communities of Work.

The objectives of this course are to enable participants to: discuss the psychological, social and strategic contexts in which HR processes and principles operate; describe and appraise the social and strategic benefits of “general management” expending time and resources on “employee issues”; analyze and critique people-based processes relying on their psychological, social and strategically oriented business merits; assess the relevance of HR policies the impact on business outcomes as a function of factors such as the market, the industry or the culture of the organization; and, reflect upon emerging people topics in today’s organizations, which impact the managerial profession.

EMBA 2820. Marketing Management.

This course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the fundamental principles of marketing and marketing strategy making. The focus will be on getting to know the basic techniques of defining and segmenting a target market for goods or services, building a brand with a meaningful positioning, and then integrating product, price, promotion and distribution to offer a superior marketing mix leading to a long-term competitive advantage. Finally, students will be given an insight into consumer behavior and brand management, as well as understanding the role played by different marketing tools such as marketing research.

EMBA 2830. Operations & Supply Chain Management.

This course provides an introduction to the basic aspects of the operation of the firm by presenting an integrated vision of those concepts and techniques and an understanding of the new role of operations and supply chain management in the overall strategy of the firm. The course structure initially addresses issues related to operations strategy, followed by a focus on systems and supply chain management. The course closes with a consideration of operations in practice.

EMBA 2840. Competitive & Corporate Strategy.

This introductory course to the area of strategic management aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of the internal and external factors that shape a firm’s ability to create value. Students will be familiarized with tools to analyze industries, firm resources and competitive interactions, both on the individual business and the corporate level. Perhaps most importantly, the courses strive to instil a strategic mindset that will enable students to go beyond a simple application of tools to derive a deep understanding of firm competitive behavior in order to enhance their own firm’s performance in any given situation.

EMBA 2850. Digital Technology & Business Strategy.

In this course, students will learn what it means to be an information-based organization, and how digital technologies-enabled processes to create and capture value for organizations. They will learn where digital is going, where it fits into organizations, and how to govern it. Through case studies, research reports, hands-on exercises, and interactive discussions, participants will learn to: • Align digital technologies with organizations’ business goals, and communicate those goals • Set business and technology priorities based on those goals • Apply concepts, tools and techniques to design appropriate digital business models • Analyze innovation initiatives in the digital space • Evaluate digital transformation strategies of a business

EMBA 2860. Strategy at the Intersection of Business & Society.

This course builds on the principles of strategic management to build an understanding of the impact of society on firm strategy and to learn to shape, accordingly, superior business strategies. The course addresses: stakeholder strategy (creating shared value); issue management (how social movements impact firm strategy); links between social performance and financial performance; communicating corporate strategy in line with social expectations in a social media era; and staying competitive in a global and digital era.

EMBA 2900. Entrepreneurial Management for Executives.

This course provides a forum for the in-depth examination of mindsets, methods, and managerial activities that follow the entrepreneurial process from opportunity recognition to growing new ventures, whether as startups or within existing businesses. In particular the course will examine the role of finding a fit between one’s passions, skills and markets in the pursuit of opportunities and facilitate an understanding of the stages in the entrepreneurial process: opportunity recognition, customer discovery and market validation, solution validation and crafting of the business model.

EMBA 2930. Leading People, Teams and Organizations.

This course focuses on advancing students' understanding of how to lead and manage with the aim of increasing personal and organizational effectiveness. It is designed to address several fundamental aspects of managing and leading people. These include understanding and influencing group behavior and performance, working with and managing people on a one-on-one basis, and leading, motivating and aligning people behind a common vision or direction. This course places a particular emphasis on increasing students' self-awareness as leaders and their ability to address the challenges of leading change in organizations.

EMBA 2960. Data for Good.

Students learn about the modern practice of data analytics, beginning with the principles undergirding data science as it is used in for-profit enterprises. We explore hypothesis-driven problem-solving, the wide range of data sources including “alternative data,” and techniques for aggregating and analyzing data. This body of data and knowledge constitutes the supply side of the problem. We next look at the demand side: the range of social concerns that can be addressed using data analytics, such as public health, poverty, and housing.

EMBA 2970. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Organizations.

Through an interdisciplinary lens, we will examine the following: How do we experience and understand diversity and difference? How has the field of DEI changed over time and specifically since 2020? How do principles of equity and inclusion shape systems that affect individuals, families, communities, and society? How can leaders effectively use data to inform DEI decisions and drive greater business results? IE Brown students will explore the contours of difference and the dynamics of diversity, privilege, and oppression in international contexts. Building on standard models of multicultural competence that emphasize knowledge, awareness, and skills, they will be introduced to cultural humility, culturally specific approaches to practice, and frameworks for driving systemic programs through equity and empowerment. The goal is to promote DEI enablement and values-based approaches for advancing DEI within organizations.

EMBA 2980. Technology & Innovation: A Global Perspective.

This course aims to help participants to develop a deep understanding of innovation and technology as a globan fenomenon. The course will emphasize the global nature of innovation and technology exploring how different approaches to innovation emerge as response to different competitive, social, technological and economic environments. This understanding of innovation as a global phenomenon will be used as a tool to gain a better appreciation of some of the current technology battles, their evolution and more likely outcome.