Global Online MBA - The Program

Pre-Program Financial Accounting and Analysis

PRE-PROGRAM ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

PRE-PROGRAM DATA ANALYTICS

Careers & professional development

Teambuilding

Communication for success

Building high performance teams

Wellbeing

Social Entrepreneurship

Industry Specialized Conferences

Financial reporting and analysis

This course introduces corporate financial reporting from a global perspective. Its primary objective is to prepare students to read, analyze and interpret financial statements and it focuses on the use of accounting as a tool for decision-making with analytical, creative and critical thinking.

The course is organized in three main parts. The first part is devoted to the fundamentals, introducing the key concepts and principles behind the accounting system and the financial statements. It also includes an appreciation of the influence of the institutional context (IFRS and local GAAPs). The second block focuses on how companies report financial information regarding specific transactions, such as sales or investments. The emphasis is on managers’ financial reporting decisions and how these decisions influence the data available in the financial statements. The last part offers a broad overview of how different stakeholders (e.g., analysts and lenders) use financial statements for decision-making. The approach goes beyond the fundamental ratio analysis and analysis of the statement of cash flows by considering other elements such as pro forma measures, the influence of the environment in which financial statements are prepared, and the ethical implications of accounting decisions.
The course uses a combination of lectures, multimedia materials, independent readings, exercises and case discussions. While the exercises give the opportunity to practice the technical concepts, the cases aim to integrate the knowledge acquired and apply it in a real context.

Economic environment and country economic analysis

The course will cover the most important economic theories and concepts that relate to the macroeconomic and microeconomic environment of businesses. At the end of the course, students will comprehend these concepts and tools of economic analysis, have a more formal vision of why and how different economic policies, such as labor, fiscal, monetary or trade policies operate and will assess the implications of different macroeconomic contexts in different countries. As the course is taught using the case method, with real data of different countries, students will learn to interpret economic reality from an applied and critical perspective at the same time.

Leading people and teams

In this course, participants will develop their analytical skills with respect to individual, interpersonal and group dynamics. The course will highlight the importance of developing key leadership competencies like leading change, inspiring action, aligning resources, motivating, persuading, giving feedback, facilitating creativity and complex problem solving within virtual, globally distributed teams, and building a sustainable organizational culture. The course will also facilitate self-awareness and career management of the participants. Participants will learn by applying concepts and frameworks to case situations and by engaging in self-assessment, simulations, in-depth discussions, and group exercises.

Strategy

This course examines why some firms perform better than others. The course will introduce the main concepts, theoretical frameworks and analytical tools that will allow participants to understand how firms gain and sustain a competitive advantage, as well as the key elements of a successful strategy execution. Through an in-depth discussion of cases and articles, participants will familiarize with challenging strategic decisions. The final aim of this course goes beyond a simple application of the theoretical tools and frameworks. Its main objective is to instill a strategic mindset that will enable participants to derive a deep understanding of how to shape firm competitive behavior in order to enhance performance in different contexts.

Marketing management

In a changing and increasingly competitive environment, marketing becomes the core of companies. Despite the changes that occur in the market, the marketing process does not change. This process consists of identifying the needs and desires of consumers, evaluating the competitive environment, selecting the most appropriate target audience and offering a relevant value proposal, developing a customized marketing strategy and implementing it correctly. To ensure the success of the marketing strategy it is essential to know the models and tools that allow us to understand and meet the needs of consumers better than competitors in order to be able to offer appropriate products and services, at an appropriate price, available through the best distribution channels and communicated in a way that motivates the action and get satisfied and loyal customers.

Management accounting

The need of economic information for making decisions is crucial in organizations. The role of management accounting is to provide managers with the useful information they need for different aspects of their daily management, both in the short and long-run. For that purpose, we will focus on the main source of information related to cost estimation. We will review the different behaviors of costs to understand the relevance for decisions like launching products or services, cost reduction, pricing, income statement calculation or analyzing customer profitability analysis.

Negotiation

Teambuilding II

Creativity & Ideation

Change management

Industry Specialized Conferences

Transformation with a purpose

Networking I

Business, Government and Sustainability

Business operates in both a market and a nonmarket environment, the latter being the space where the formal and informal rules governing market competition are set and enforced by a broad range of stakeholders such as governments, regulators, and NGOs. Successful corporate strategy aligns the firm’s capabilities with the demands of both its market and nonmarket environment. This course systematically examines the political, regulatory, societal, cultural, and natural factors that shape business’ nonmarket environment. Participants learn how to analyze and proactively manage the nonmarket environment through integrated market- and nonmarket strategies.

Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation course is designed to equip students to confidently help conceive, lead and execute digital transformation initiatives. The course main goal is to prepare today’s manager to absorb, digest and understand the evolution of digital technologies, and to draw conclusions about the impact and the potential effects of such technologies within industries, companies and individuals. Achieving competitive advantage is not just about having the technology; it also takes attitudinal changes, extensive redefinition of roles and functions, training, etc. The course will develop a culture of attention towards digital technologies by looking and discussing real examples and cases across different industries. We will develop a set of knowledge and expertise about the digital world that are required for general managers. We will examine the application of digital technologies for different purposes, including their implications for communications, business processes, and services.

Corporate finance

This introductory finance course covers fundamental concepts in corporate finance. The goal is to give you a set of tools and analytical frameworks. The emphasis will be put on financial decision making. The course is based on real life examples. More especifically, the course will cover: how to analyze investment decisions in a company; how to estimate the cost of capital of a company, popular criteria for decision making as NPV and IRR, how to think about financing decisions and capital structure, dividend policies.

Creating value through operations

Operations are transformation processes that add value to organizations, both of physical products (manufacturing) and of services. In this course, students will learn about the interaction of operations management with the rest of the functional areas of the organization and with the economy as a whole. Students will gain insights and specific skills on key operational areas such as system and process analysis and design, quality and inventory management, planning and project management. Emphasis will be made on global operations, on the impact of innovation on product life cycles, operations automation, and lean processes, and on environmental and sustainability aspects of operations.

Start-up Creation

The course provides the student an experience to grasp and develop key mindsets, knowledge, and tools that enable them to align personal aspirations, skills, and experiences with the identification and development of startup opportunities. Students will understand in a practical way how the Lean Startup methodology is key to design business models and reach to a Product-Market fit. As team and financing are essential aspects in the startup success, students will recognize potential team issues and develop leadership skills to manage a startup team, as well as comprehend key financing sources for start-ups and scale-ups by taking into account both entrepreneurs and investors’ perspectives.

Corporate entrepreneurship

The course provides the student an understanding of the corporate entrepreneurship paradox -finding the right balance between the core business and the new businesses-, and the role of the intrapreneur within a corporate culture. Corporations are facing multiple threads and continuous changes in the market, that’s why analyzing the sources of corporate innovation and how it generates transformation at the local and global level is mandatory. Students will have the chance to design and develop a corporate innovation project to experience and understand the challenges involved.

Entrepreneurial Venturing Coaching

Learn how start-up venturing works. Identify and validate market opportunities, and acquire insights into keen entrepreneurial methodologies. Obtain a solid foundation in the financial and the managerial side of start-ups.