TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue: Orientation to the Program

The MBA “Secrets of Life”

Chapter 1. Marketing and Product Management

Differing Schools of Thought

Customer Service and Customer Focus

The Macroenvironment

Dimensions of Buyer Perception

Participants in the Buying Process

The Rational Buyer Vis-a-Vis the Emotional Buyer

Cognitive Dissonance

Postpurchase Dissonance (Also Known as “Buyer’s Remorse”)

Dimensions of Market Segmentation

Marketing Strategies

Product Positioning

Marketing Research

The Marketing Mix

Cross-Selling

Up-Selling

Relationship-Based Selling

Factors in Marketing Analysis

The Marketing and Product Management Checklist

Chapter 2. Accounting and Finance

Financial Statements

Tax-Reduction Considerations

"Creative" Accounting

Internal Control

Other People’s Money (OPM)

Improving Cash Flow

Budgets

Time Value of Money (Discounted Cash Flow)

Investment Appraisal

More Alphabet Soup?

Key Financial Ratios

Lease Versus Buy Versus Rent

Funding

Some Tips

The Accounting and Finance Checklist

Chapter 3. Human Resources and Operations Management

Human Resources Management

Dimensions of Managerial Effectiveness

Work Versus Play

Psychological Contracts in the Workplace

Line Versus Staff

Communication

Compensation

Learning

Diversity and Discrimination

Crisis Management

Operations Management

Economies of Scale

Crossover Analysis

Break-Even Analysis

Linear Programming

Network Analysis

The Pareto Principle: 80/20 Rule

Queuing Theory

Monte Carlo Simulation

Just-in-Time (JIT) Production System

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Reorder Point (ROP)

The Human Resources Management Checklist

The Operations Management Checklist

Chapter 4. Statistics

Conducting a Research Project

Basic Terminology

Key Statistical Measures

A Statistical Anecdote: What Is “Normal”?

Stories Behind the Statistics: Creative Interpretation

Regression Analysis

Time Series Analysis

Exponential Smoothing

Other Parametric Statistical Methods

Nonparametric Statistical Methods

A Reminder

The Statistics Checklist

Chapter 5. Economics

Macroeconomics

Microeconomics

The Economics Checklist

Chapter 6. Technology Management

Management Information Systems

Knowledge Management

The High-Tech Challenge to Management

Progress Through Technology?

The Technology Management Checklist

Chapter 7. Business Policy and Ethics

Formulation of Ethical Standards

Application to Specific Business Issues Contracts

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

The Business Policy and Ethics Checklist

Chapter 8. Strategic Planning

Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics

Establishing Organizational Objectives

Establishing Corporate Objectives

Creating the Strategic Plan

Evaluating the Strategic Plan

Forecasting Methods

The Strategic Planning Checklist

Epilogue: Reflection, Introspection, and Enlightenment

Management Decision Making: Art or Science?

Postscript: Education and Career Pathing

You Are a Product!

Do You Really Need an MBA?

Choosing an MBA Program

Alternatives to the MBA

Recommended Reading

Organizations and Resources

Bibliography

Index