CATALOG - University of Maryland University College

COURSE DESCRIPTIONSTMAN 625 Economics and Financial Analysisfor Technology Managers (3)A study of the financial tools managers use to find answers to fourimportant questions: What is the financial condition of the firm?What long-term investment should the firm make? How can themoney be raised for the investments? And how will the firm meetits daily financial requirements? Topics include accounting statements,tax implications, types of costs, profit recognition, financialmarkets, investment decision tools, net present value, freecash flows, project financing, valuation of firms, risk-return, costof capital, long-term financing, short-term financing, and equityfinancing for entrepreneurs. Discussion also covers mergers andacquisition activities, governance and ethics, and internationalaspects. Business cases from contemporary firms and readings relevantto technology management are used to illustrate the applicationof financial concepts.TMAN 632 Organizational Performance Management (3)An overview of the most successful strategies and approaches forachieving a high-performing organization, based on the latestresearch findings and the examples of successful global organizations.Topics include organizational capabilities in managing costs, ensuringquality in products and services, and enhancing customer satisfaction,as well as performance capabilities (such as organizationalvalues, adaptability, flexibility, agility, responsiveness, and decisiveness)that enable organizations to anticipate and respond to change.The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence are examined asassessment tools for achieving desired organizational capabilities.Discussion also covers specific approaches that contribute to highperformance and organizational effectiveness, such as customerrelationship management, supply chain management, Six Sigmamethodology, and other process improvement tools. Successfulapplications of these strategies and approaches are illustrated.TMAN 633 Managing People in Technology-BasedOrganizations (3)An overview of the management of three levels of behavior inorganizations: individual employee behavior, group behavior, andorganizational behavior. Topics include emerging organizationalbehavior issues such as knowledge management, work design, virtualorganizations and teams, contingent workforce management,creativity/innovation, sociotechnical systems, the development oflearning and boundaryless organizations, emotional intelligence,the global workforce, and the formulation of pay/retention strategies.Contemporary organizational behavior theories are linked totheir applications in technology-based organizations through theuse of real-life examples, case studies, and current events.UCSP (Special Topics)UCSP 611 Introduction to Graduate Library Research Skills(0)(Required within the first 6 credits of graduate study for all newgraduate students and all inactive students who reapply for admission.)An overview of online library and information resourcesmaterial that is critical for 21st-century managers. An in-depthintroduction to the library research process and the tools necessaryto succeed in graduate study are provided. Emphasis is on the efficientand effective use of a variety of electronic retrieval systems,including the online catalog of the University System of Marylandand affiliated institutions (USMAI), UMUC’s subscription databases,and the Web. Discipline-specific research is conducted inorder to gain experience in formulating viable research questions,selecting the most appropriate investigative methods and resourcesfor research, locating relevant research materials, evaluating thescholarly value of sources, and effectively citing sources.UCSP 620 Financial Accounting (0)(Recommended as preparation for MGMT 640 for students wholack a background in accounting and finance.) A basic study offinancial accounting, encompassing basic financial concepts andtheir use in analyzing financial statements. The financial statementsof actual companies are analyzed and the process by whichaccounting principles are developed is explored. Emphasis is ongaining an appreciation for how financial accounting informationcan be used to evaluate the economic performance of companies.UCSP 621 Economics (0)(Recommended as preparation for MGMT 640 for students wholack a background in economics.) An overview of both the microeconomicissues of supply and demand for individual companiesand products and macroeconomic issues concerning inflation, unemployment,and recession for the economy as a whole. Basic economicconcepts such as opportunities cost, comparative advantage,economic efficiency, and the time value of money are explored inthe context of business, government, and personal situations.UCSP 630 Introduction to Research Methods (0)(Recommended as preparation for MGMT 650 for students wholack a background in statistics.) A presentation of basic research techniquesand methodologies used in organizational research and evaluationstudies to make business decisions. Focus is on applying basicresearch techniques to assess the performance of individuals, workgroups, and organizations. Topics include principles of good datacollection, presentation of data in tables and charts, summary anddescription of numerical data, basic probability and discrete estimation,the fundamentals of hypothesis testing, and the use of existingresearch-based materials to solve business problems. Discussionemphasizes basic approaches and beginning skills necessary to evaluateresearch materials and their use in decision making.106GRADUATE CATALOG | 2008–2009