Management (MGMT)

School of Management

If a student takes noncore, upper-level business courses before acceptance to the School of Management, those courses will not count on an undergraduate degree application for any major in the school (except as general elective credit). A grade of C or better must be presented on the graduation application for each upper-level course in the major. Prerequisites are strictly enforced. Degree status is defined as formal admission to the School of Management.

301 People and Organizations (3:3:0). Prerequisites: Completion of at least 48 hours including COMM 100, 101, 104, 220, or 260. This course examines the drivers of individual and group performance within organizations in the post-industrial business context. Issues related to individual and organizational performance are introduced.

312 Principles of Management (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course builds on the fundamental theories and concepts learned in MGMT 301 by examining the nature of managerial work under a range of business models and under rapidly changing business conditions. Managerial functions and activities such as planning, organizing, controlling, staffing, and decision-making are examined in depth and in the context of current organizational examples and scenarios.

321 Introduction to Human Resource Management (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. Human capital is now the most important asset many firms use. This course builds on MGMT 301 by introducing key concepts and techniques that managers need to know in order to best attract, retain and develop skilled personnel, based on current practice and theory in Human Resources Management. Legal and ethical considerations in human resource management are also emphasized.

323 Teams and Leadership (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301 and degree status. This course focuses on intensive development of a higher-level skill set for collaboration and leadership in contemporary environments. Builds on content introduced in core management coursework (MGMT 301, 312 and 321). Attention is given to developing personal leadership capabilities, collaborating in traditional and virtual environments, improving group processes, managing conflict, tolerating ambiguity, improving communication, creative problem solving, and coaching and motivating employees.

331 Labor Relations (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course is an in-depth analysis of the labor-relations component introduced in MGMT 321 and is designed for management majors interested in pursuing a human resources career. Course content includes examination of the foundations of union, labor contracts, bargaining, and the legal context of union-management relations.

391 Special Topics in Management (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301 or 302 taken prior to fall 2001; degree status. Objective is to offer coherent and organized coverage of important contemporary topics. Specific topics are announced when course is scheduled.

411 Organization Theory and Development (3:3:0 ). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course looks at advanced topics in the design and development organizations. Students will move beyond the fundamentals learned in the management core and develop detailed understandings, tools, and skills about the relationships between organizational structure, design, and culture to improve organizational performance.

412 Diversity in Organizations (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course builds on MGMT 301 by emphasizing the understanding of, appreciation for, and skills in addressing organizational issues of diversity in ethnicity, gender, age, ability, and thought. Diversity as both a legal issue and a lever for improved individual and organizational performance will be covered.

421 Advanced Human Resource Management (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course build on MGMT 321 by examining cutting-edge strategic technological, and international issues in HRM, including Human Resource Information Systems. This course is for management majors interested in an HRM career and prepares for certification as Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by the Society for Human Resource Management.

431 Employee Relations (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course is an in-depth analysis for management majors interested in pursuing a career in HRM. Course content focuses on issues in employee relations from a historical and current perspective.

451 New Venture Creation (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course is designed to expose students to the process of conceptualizing and creating a new venture. Using the central concept of innovation, students will evaluate opportunities and consider the impact of the technological environment on opportunity and the new venture creation process. Additionally, students will develop business plans in which they address the issues critical to a start up firm. These issues include management composition and structure, effective marketing strategy, operational logistics, legal issues, financial projections and financing options.

471 Competitive Strategy (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course explores the sources of sustained competitive successwhy some firms outperform others. It focuses on two issues: how a firm uses human, financial, technological, and information resources at the business level to compete in a particular industry, and how a firm at the corporate level chooses the industries in which it will compete. It gives students the tools and concepts needed to analyze dynamic industry environments and firms and then formulate appropriate strategies.

493 Management of Technology (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 301; degree status. This course uses a general manager's perspective to explore the relationships between technology, patterns of competition, and the development of competitive advantage. Readings and discussions help explain how firms can exploit technology, whether they should invest in new technologies, and how they should respond to technological threats. The application part ofthe course is a project on advanced technologies issues of particular relevance to George Mason's business community.

491 Seminar in Management (3:3:0). Prerequisites: MGMT 312; degree status. Advanced study of management concepts and selected topics. Intensive analysis of management problems that represent long-term strategic significance or current urgency for organizational planning and operations. Significant contemporary research findings are included.

499 Independent Study (1-3:0:0). Prerequisite: Management majors with at least nine upper-level management credits. Research and analysis of selected problems or topics in management must be arranged with an instructor and approved in writing by the associate dean for undergraduate programs. Written report required.