Widely recognized for their work in the areas of strategic management, organizational behavior, human resource management, operations management, and management science, the faculty in ASU’s Department of Management emphasize high tech management, quality, process and project management, decision and risk analysis, globalization, diversity, small business and entrepreneurship, change management, systems dynamics, organizational identity, corporate governance, and human resource management practices in their research, consulting, and teaching.
Department of Management faculty take great pride in their teaching excellence and have been very active in continuous improvement of collaborative teaching techniques. Six management faculty and teaching assistants have won recent college- or university-level awards for their excellence in teaching effectiveness.
MAJOR IN MANAGEMENT: A SKILLS EMPHASIS
Understanding of theory and concepts of management are enhanced by experiencing and testing these concepts in skill-based exercises and cases throughout the curriculum. After analyzing surveys of graduates, their employers, and members of the Dean’s Council of 100, the department concluded that the major should have a strong emphasis on measurable, competency-based skills. Based on the survey data, we identified major skill areas that encompass the most important competencies, including
The faculty focus on both understanding theory and developing competency in these specific skills in all management courses, particularly the three courses taken by all management majors, MGT 311 Human Resource Management, MGT 352 Human Behavior in Organizations, and MGT 463 Strategic Management. The emphasis is on special participative exercises and assignments to practice the skills. Some of these skills, such as communication, team building, and critical analysis are also emphasized in college core classes (MGT 301 Management and Organization Behavior and OPM 301 Operations and Logistics Management). Further, all undergraduate management classes emphasize skill development exercises for appropriate course topics. Management majors can choose their electives in one of four tracks: general management, managing human resources, small business and entrepreneurship, or managing business processes.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
The central purpose of the Management major is to prepare men and women for managerial leadership in a world characterized by demands for continuous improvements in quality; growing technological sophistication; racial, cultural, and gender diversity in the work force; and expanding globalized markets. This emphasis is on accomplishing the organization’s goals in a changing environment by successfully coordinating all available resources. As technological change and global markets create new opportunities for modern organizations, there are increasingly complex challenges to be met by the contemporary manager.
To prepare students to meet these challenges, the general management track curriculum is designed to provide exercises and cases that focus on developing competency-based skills. Applications orientations in classroom settings will promote the development of administrative, analytic, and communication skills; coaching and facilitating skills; and a team orientation. This pragmatic focus is developed in both internal and external contexts:
The following courses must be taken to complete this track:
| MGT 311 | Human Resource Management (3) |
| MGT 352 | Human Behavior in Organizations (3) |
| MGT 434 | Social Responsibility of Management (3) |
| MGT 459 | International Management (3) |
| MGT 463 | Strategic Management L2 (3) |
| MGT elective (3) | |
| Total: 18 | |
This generalist perspective addresses such current issues as diversity in the workplace, global involvement, total quality management, ethics, and other managerial emphases that promote success. An interactive, cooperative learning environment is stressed.
As the preferred track for the individual wanting a general grounding in the management discipline, students find a broad range of opportunities available upon graduation. Service and manufacturing firms, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and large and small organizations will immediately benefit from the preparation of these graduates and recruit them for challenging trainee positions or entry-level management positions.
MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES
People are the common denominator in all organizations. The efficient and effective management of people is central to the success of the organization. Management has been defined as “the process of getting things done through people.” The human resource management track in the Management major introduces students to the spectrum of knowledge necessary to the effective management of people.
This track is designed to train and familiarize future employees, general managers, and human resource specialists with the human resource functional areas, such as performance appraisal, dismissal, and the legal environment surrounding the employment relationship.
Students in this track develop key skills in work force diversity, team building, and negotiation. Focus in this track is on developing skills in managing people. Students are involved in class activities such as cases and experiential exercises, which develop skills in preventing and solving human resource problems.
The following courses must be taken to complete this track:
| MGT 311 | Human Resource Management (3) |
| MGT 352 | Human Behavior in Organizations (3) |
| MGT 413 | Compensation Management (3) |
| MGT 423 | Employee-Management Relations (3) |
| MGT 463 | Strategic Management L2 (3) |
| MGT elective (3) | |
| Total: 18 | |
Large corporations in manufacturing and service, as well as small businesses and consulting firms, hire students in this track.
SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Managing, growing, developing, and starting small businesses is one of the most vital and challenging segments of the economy. Most new innovations spring from small to midsize firms. New venture opportunities emerge each day. Smaller firms constitute the job-creation engine of the nation. The potential for individual wealth creation largely resides among entrepreneurial firms. And in an era of downsizing, many current and former corporate employees are looking toward self-employment as a long-term career option. The sequence of courses in the small business and entrepreneurship track does not limit student ability to seek employment in the corporate environment. Rather, it provides an enhanced skill set many firms will value, and it offers alternative career options.
The small business and entrepreneurship course sequence provides a broad-based understanding of the entrepreneurial process and the unique problems and challenges faced by smaller firms. In addition, students gain an opportunity to develop their own potential venture concepts.
The following courses must be taken to complete this track:
| MGT 311 | Human Resource Management (3) |
| MGT 352 | Human Behavior in Organizations (3) |
| MGT 440 | Entrepreneurship (3) |
| MGT 463 | Strategic Management L2 (3) |
| MGT 494 | ST: Business Plan Development (3) |
| or MGT 494 ST: Small Business Planning (3) | |
| MGT elective (3) | |
| Total: 18 | |
Note that MGT 494 ST: Business Plan Development (BPD) and MGT 494 ST: Small Business Planning (SBP) will have some overlapping sessions. All students will learn about developing business plans and working in small business. Students in the BPD course will prepare a full-scale business plan. Students in the SBP class will complete a “small business experience.” Students may not get credit for both classes.
Students completing the small business and entrepreneurship track are most likely to work in small businesses or new ventures within larger corporations. Students in this track (or other business majors) may also be interested in the Certificate in Small Business and Entrepreneurship described in “Certificate in Small Business and Entrepreneurship.”
MANAGING BUSINESS PROCESSES
Processes are central to all organizations. Designing and manufacturing a product involves a series of steps in a transformation process starting with raw materials acquisition and continuing through product production, delivery, and use. Determining and delivering a service involves a series of steps in setting service characteristics and providing the service. Specific theories and tools for managing, changing, and continuously improving business processes have been developed and are key ingredients to successfully managing businesses in our global economy.
Students in this track develop key skills in communications and working with people, particularly in planning and managing process changes. The focus in this track is on understanding key aspects of process design and analysis. Students are involved in case studies and industry projects dealing with actual process issues. Students in this track focus on developing knowledge and skills in product/service design and management, process improvement and problem solving, analysis of process costs, change management, team approaches to solving process problems, and project management skills.
The following courses must be taken to complete this track:
| MGT 311 | Human Resource Management (3) |
| MGT 352 | Human Behavior in Organizations (3) |
| MGT 433 | Management Decision Analysis (3) |
| or MGT 468 Management Systems (3) | |
| or MGT 480 Team Management Skills (3) | |
| or MGT 494 ST: Total Quality Management and Human Resource Management (3) | |
| MGT 463 | Strategic Management L2 (3) |
| QBA 321 | Applied Quality Analysis I L2 (3) |
| or ECE 394 Manufacturing Processes (3) | |
| or QBA 391 Management Science N2 (3) | |
| or SCM 432 Materials Management (3) | |
| QBA 450 | Operations and Process Analysis (3) |
| Total: 18 |
Because managing and controlling the quality of processes is a key issue in process management, students electing this track are strongly urged to also complete the Certificate in Quality Analysis described in “Certificate in Quality Analysis.”
Although large corporate manufacturing and service firms will hire students in this new track, there will also be special opportunities for these students to have a strong positive impact in the many start-up and medium-size businesses in Arizona. Many management consulting firms that recruit college graduates are very interested in students from this track.
Approved Electives for Management. The following electives have been approved for the management tracks.
| ACC 316 | Management Uses of Accounting (3) |
| MGT 413 | Compensation Management (3) |
| MGT 422 | Training and Development (3) |
| MGT 423 | Employee-Management Relations (3) |
| MGT 424 | Employee Selection and Appraisal (3) |
| MGT 433 | Management Decision Analysis (3) |
| MGT 434 | Social Responsibility of Management (3) |
| MGT 440 | Entrepreneurship (3) |
| MGT 442 | Small Business Management (3) |
| MGT 459 | International Management (3) |
| MGT 468 | Management Systems (3) |
| MGT 480 | Team Management Skills (3) |
| MGT 494 | ST: Business Plan Development (3) |
| MGT 494 | ST: Small Business Planning (3) |
| MKT 302 | Fundamentals of Marketing Management (3) |
| QBA 450 | Operations and Process Analysis (3) |
Hot Links to Major in Management. Further information, hot links to courses and current faculty, and any updates on the undergraduate major in Management can be found at www.cob.asu.edu/mgt.
MAJOR PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS
Students must receive grades of “C” or higher in upper-division courses for the major. If a student receives a grade below “C” in any course in the major, this course must be repeated. If a second grade below “C” is received in either an upper-division course in the major already taken or in a different upper-division course in the major, the student is no longer eligible to take additional upper-division courses in that major.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to fulfilling major requirements, students seeking a degree must meet all university and college requirements. See the university graduation requirements and college requirements.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
The Department of Management participates actively in several masters and Ph.D. programs, particularly the technology M.B.A., executive M.B.A., evening M.B.A., and day M.B.A. programs. These programs are described more fully in the Graduate Catalog. Areas of concentration offered by the Department of Management for technology, evening, and executive M.B.A. students include: process management in high technology organizations; globalization and diversity management; entrepreneurship and small business development; and management consulting.
The Department of Management has adopted a modular approach to Ph.D. education to improve our ability to deliver focused, high quality seminars, give students more flexibility in defining their areas of expertise, increase their rate of quality publications, and enhance the quality of Ph.D. placements.
Hot Links to Graduate Programs. Further information, hot links to courses and current faculty, and any updates on the Department of Management areas of concentration for the M.B.A. programs can be found at www.cob.asu.edu/mgt.
General information on the M.B.A. programs can be found at www.cob.asu.edu/mba.
Further information, application procedures, hot links to current faculty, and any updates on the Ph.D. program in Management can be found at www.cob.asu.edu/mgt/degree/phdmainpg.htm.
Omnibus Courses: See omnibus courses that may be offered.
1998–99 General Catalog Table of Contents
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