Courses and Contents

Research Methods and Methodology
Professor Dr. Johann Plankl

Course Objective
During these lectures you get an introduction to scientific working and an overview about different methods of quantitative decision making. You analyze their possible field of application, their advantages and their limits with the help of case studies which form an integrated part of the lecture. Especially the application of mathematical methods and modeling of operations research are emphasized; this includes practical competences at handling and applying suitable software.

Course Content
Disambiguation and introduction to scientific working
Overview about the most important quantitative methods in management
Models for linear optimization
Simplex algorithm
Models of discrete linear optimization
Branch and bound algorithm
Simulation; software application and the interpretation of the solution
Outlook: further methods of optimization and quantitative practices

Prerequisites
Fundamentals of business mathematics in linear algebra (equations and inequations, solving of linear equation systems, vector and matrices operations), analysis (elementary functions and their portrayal, derivation of functions) as well as in probability calculations are desirable.
A short repetition of the most important mathematical fundamentals is presented during the lecture when needed.



Strategic Management
Prof. Dr. Kurt Jeschke

Course Objective
The participants shall be enabled to realize and reconstruct the planning of strategy concepts on different levels of the strategic management. Alongside basic insights into philosophy and the language of strategic planning together with market analysis, practice-oriented strategy concepts shall be applied and comprehended with the help of case studies

Course Content
Basics and Concepts of Strategic Management
Terms, History
Schools of Strategic Management
The Process of Strategic Management
Strategic Entrepreneurial Target System
Strategic Market Segmentation
Analysis und Strategy Determination
Strategy Implementation and Control
International Challenges for the Strategic Management
Internationalization und Globalization
Selected Strategies for Internationalization

Economics
Prof. Dr. Clostermann
Prof. Dr. Bisani

Course Objective
The participants acquire the basic knowledge on markets, foreign trade relations, institutional circumstances and other decision-relevant economic data, which is crucial for the perception of international management functions; and which enables them to transfer entrepreneurial decisions to the international environment.

Course Content
Demand and supply
Welfare economics
Competition and price behavior
Market failure
National income and consumer price index
Growth
Financial system
Unemployment
The open market economy and international economic relations
Currency systems
Cyclical fluctuation
German Demographic development and its economical implication
Causes of inflation
The monetary transmission process
Effects of the monetary policy on corporate financing
International competitiveness
Country evaluation



Business Law
Prof. Dr. Josef Scherer

Course Objective
The participants shall verify the basic judicial risks in the different company divisions. On the same time the possible effects of errors in this area on the enterprise and organizational actions for countermeasures and for their prevention are pointed out. The managerial staff is hereby not trained as jurists with general knowledge but are primarily prepared and enabled to adequately instruct and organize employees. Furthermore shall the policy makers quickly recognize whether the actual judicial problems ought to be solved internally or with the help of lawyers; and how those jurists are to be selected respectively how to monitor their operations.

Course Content
Risk management general and in the field entrepreneurial law

Task review / topics for seminar papers and master thesis / general layout and content; work specimen
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Josef Scherer

Contract management
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Josef Scherer

Basic principles of trade law, corporate law, competition law
Instructor: RA Stefan Haas

European law and international civil law
Instructor: RA Markus Scholz

Law of succession and corporate succession
Instructor: RA Dr. Franz Rieger

Product liability risk management including liability risks for managers and employees
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Josef Scherer

Labor law
Instructor: RA Johannes Friedrich

Corporate management
Strategies during crises and bankruptcy / accounts receivable management
Instructor: Prof. Dr. Josef Scherer

Company recapitalization with insolvency plan / conflict management / crisis management
Instructor: Peter Schmieder

Insolvency proceedings / Managerial liability during a company crisis including bankruptcy penology
Instructor: RA Stefan Haas



Strategic Marketing
Prof. Dr. Henning Schulze

Course Objective

A market-oriented business management without the consideration of the relevant markets’ middle and long-term development is not imaginable any longer.
The strategic marketing is therefore conceived as philosophy and on the same time as an instrument. Within its scope the planning of marketing measures is prepared in several steps; based on a solid data basis.

The students shall understand the planning of marketing concepts on the different levels and be able to reproduce them. This includes among others the philosophy of the strategic marketing planning; the techniques needed for the data and information collection; and selected practice-oriented strategy concepts, through which help the different steps of the concept formation are considered.

Course Content

• Development Steps for the Strategic Marketing Planning
• Comprehension / philosophy
• Market Research as Basis for Strategic Planning (Desk-Research)
• Vision and Strategic Organization Tree
• Ideal Type of Planning Steps – the Strategy Matrix
• Selected Strategy Approaches as Instruments for the Strategy Organization
• Case Study Work – Development of a Strategy Concept for a Selected Market or Market Segment

Accounting
Prof. Dr. Petra Plininger
Ingrid Stockinger

Course Objective
Part I deals with the fundamentals of accounting in the areas commercial law and tax law, provides information about the internal selection rights of standard accounting policies and presents the basic differences in trading and tax accounting.

Part II imparts knowledge of the accounting features for the German GmbH and GmbH & Co. KGs. A presentation of the business development, the situation of the company and the risks in the management report are elaborated. In addition, the sector “disclosure of annual accounts” and the thereby resulting consequences are addressed.
Furthermore, the basics of the year-end audit and its impact on the statement of balance are presented. The subarea international accounting is conveyed in principles.

Course Content
Part I in detail:
“Legal obligations to keep records” according to the German commercial law and other laws
The authoritative principle of the  commercial financial statement for the taxable result
Proper accounting principles

• Subject of accounting on its merits – amount of assets:
• Necessary assets in partnerships
• Accounting for capital assets and circulating assets
• Accounting for equity capital
• Accounting for accrued liabilities
• Subject of accounting by its size – valuation according to the German commercial law and the tax law:
• General principles of valuation
• Manufacturing costs
• Current value
• Valuation of capital assets
• Valuation of circulating assets
• Valuation of accrued liabilities
• Valuation of accounts payable
• Determination and delineation of the profit by the calculation of earnings and loss

Part II in detail:

• Size ranges for GmbH & Co. KGs and corresponding consequences
• Character and function of:
• The attachment with delineation of obligatory data and alleviation
• The management report with special appraisal of the risk depiction
• Disclosure requirement with the amount of necessary documentation
• Subject and complexity of the audit as well as the auditor’s report with an audit preparation by the company

Accounting according to IAS and US-GAAP

Controlling
Prof. Dr. Konrad Schindlbeck

Course Objective
“What cannot be measured cannot be managed”. This guideline expresses the signification of controlling as an important planning, controlling and operating function. Controlling supports the goal-oriented management of an enterprise.
The teaching module “controlling” deals with the cost and activity accounting as a very important instrument of finance controlling. Thereby both the traditional cost and activity accounting and selected instruments of the cost management as well as the operational controlling are addressed.

Expertise on the composition and the application of the cost and activity accounting as well as selected instruments of the cost management are being taught. Furthermore, the participants are acquainted with the development forms of selected instruments of the operational controlling.

Course Content

• Necessity of financial controlling
• Differences between operational and strategic controlling
• Approach for the cost center and cost unit accounting
• Structure of the profitability analysis
• Fundamentals of cost accounting
• The activity-based costing as an instrument for planning, control and allocation of overhead
• Approach for the identification of the market-oriented target costs with the help of target costing
• The operational planning and control
• Key data analysis
• Profit center accounting
• Significance of personnel controlling
  
  
  

Finance and Investment
Prof. Dr. Hans-Paul Bisani

Course Objective

The participants acquire the indispensable basic knowledge in the areas capital procurement and capital appropriation which constantly concern enterprises. They learn how to use the calculation of profitability and how to assess risks and chances of different financial products. The students are hereby enabled to reach decisions within the financial sector of an enterprise.

Course Content

• Tasks and functions of financing and investing
• Composition of capital budgeting
• Assessment of diverse financial calculation methods
• The role of the financial markets
• Formation of the capital structure (amongst other, national and international comparisons)
• Dividend policies
• Change in the financial industry (globalization of the financial markets)
• Capital procurement models
• Financial engineering for the optimization of the demanded financing, investing and risk assumption benefits of the enterprises (systematization of the different forms of financial service, the scope for design of financial agreements and their operational appropriation, optimization strategies)
• Application of instruments for the limitation of interest, currency and other price risks in the enterprise (options, futures, swaps etc.)
• Comparison of alternatives through economic efficiency calculations
• Alteration in the financial industry and its impact on the enterprises (Change in the contracting behavior of the financial service providers, emergence of new capital procurement and investment possibilities, calculation of the financial service providers and their impact on the price policy)
  
  
  

Intercultural Behavior
Prof. Dr. Rainer Waldmann

Course Objective
Consorting with international business partners often causes misunderstandings and tensions, which are a result of different cultural imprints.
Managers who are proficiently dealing with foreign cultural reference frameworks are therefore an essential potential for success in internationally-oriented companies.
The awareness that individual action is influenced by culture specific values and norms is the requirement for gaining “intercultural skills”.
In line with the course the participants are led to this awareness step-by-step. They experience to what degree their own perception and interpretations are filtered through “cultural glasses.”
In addition to that the students are dealing with the relevance of cultural frameworks for the behavior of managers and for management theories. With the help of studies, which are comparing cultures they learn to systematize cultural differences.
Insights into practical impacts of those differences are collected within the scope of an own intercultural seminar paper.

Course Content

Introduction: Cultural Differences
Cross Cultural Experiences
What is normal?

Defining Culture
Examples
The Characteristics of Culture

The Functions of Culture
Organizational Culture
The Layers and Elements of Culture

Comparing Cultures
The Impact on the Individual: the „Culture Shock“
Cultural Contexts: Hall
Culture and the Workplace: Hofstede

Practical Aspects of Intercultural Behavior
International Human Resource Development
Language and Social Reality

Reasons for Cross Cultural Misunderstandings
Improving Cross Cultural Cooperation
Rules for Selected Countries
Requirements of International Business

International Project Management
Prof. Dr. Johann Nagengast

Course Objective
The participants of the MBA program shall be acquainted with international project management.  
The course not only encloses experiencing and realizing basic theories but moreover acquiring abilities, which are disposable for the efficient and successful steering of projects and international companies.

The application of this instrument is practiced within the scope of seminar papers and case studies.

Course Content
In any case, the content of the course encloses the following topics;
Introduction to project management (general overview, definition of project and project management, characteristics and types of projects)
Company intern & extern project organization
Phase-related project organization
Tools for the efficient project management (among others; milestone trend analysis, CPM methodic, templates for project order and intermediate report, ...)
Project controlling
Discussion and moderation of international project teams
International negotiation
Management of multinational companies
Elaboration of international and English case studies

Additional topics are integrated in regard to actual developments in literature and practice and in regard to the needs of the participants.
Based on theory, the application of all aspects to international management is permanently considered.


Teaching and Learning Method
Lecture of the professor including a multitude of practical examples and small group works, in which single problems of international project management are solved method-oriented by the participants and discussed with the professor.

Utilization of international case studies in English language, which are prepared by the participants in form of homework; and which are solved during the lectures. The professor thence derives generally valid recommendations for all participants and uses the case studies for problem based learning.
Short presentations of the participants in regard to their problems with international project management; discussion and solution in the plenum.

Special
The students have to work on the following questions and answer them to the professor in written form as a preparation prior to the course. Based on the outcome, the professor adequately determines the contents and emphases of the course.

Which ideas and experiences do you associate with the terms “project management” and “international management”?
Why is the (international) project management awarded such great significance?
What has to be taken into account, in order to manage/steer/lead an international project successfully?
If possible, a part of the lectures is held directly at a participant’s company; in doing so, selected aspects of the international project management of that company are dealt with.

Strategic Information Systems
Prof. Dr. Herbert Fischer

Course Objective

Strategic information systems (SIS) serve the purpose of realizing company strategies. They help the company to achieve competitive advantages or reduce competitive disadvantages. In four units, the module SIS provides a usable gain in decision, organization and utilization competences for the management of information systems in business practice.

Course Content

• Information systems – a management topic!
• Fundamentals of strategic information systems
• Managing and using information systems
• The ambivalent relation of business strategy and information technology

• Realize business processes!
• Analysis, modeling und optimization of business processes

• Information system selection und introduction!
• Selection of information systems (ERP-systems)
• Introduction of complex information systems
• Application of information systems

• Strategical use of information systems!
• IT-Governance and Transparency
• Information retrieval of business Information systems

Tax
Prof. Dr. Herbert Kittl

Course Objective
Many entrepreneurial decisions can only be reached by including their fiscal consequences. This necessitates knowledge about the tax-based and legal fundamentals for partnerships and corporations. Furthermore, basic knowledge about the tax law is essential to a competent and substantiated appearance at meetings with banks, tax accountants and auditors on the management level.

Another part addresses the continuation of the complex “company taxation I” with the additional tax forms business tax and corporate income tax. Furthermore, the general part of the tax law, which is valid for all tax forms, is explained in regard to its most important clauses. Moreover business audit procedures and their practical implementation are discussed and disclosure requirements for certain corporation forms are presented.

This module deals with the income tax with an emphasis on industrial undertaking/participation in a partnership as well as the features of a GmbH and Co. KG and of company split-up. Additionally, the herewith connected income forms (earnings from capital assets, earnings from employment, earnings from rent and lease as well as other income forms) are discussed.

Furthermore, this module deals with basic knowledge in the area business tax, corporate income tax and the tax code in general

Course Content
In detail, the module deals with the following subjects:
Earnings from industrial enterprises
Fiscal features of a limited partnership
Taxation of partnership participations (special‑purpose balance sheet, complementary balance sheet)
Fiscal enmeshment positions in the  special business assets of the GmbH & Co. KG
Earnings from independent personal services
Taxation of a company split-up
Sale of a business, business closure
Methods for determining the taxable income
Earnings from employment
Earnings from capital assets
Earnings from rent and lease
Other earnings

Subjects to taxation and tax liability in regard to the business tax law
Taxable income of statutory corporations,  debt of disbursement
Competencies and respites of the tax code
Rule and regulations of corrections
Abrogation and alteration of tax statements
Extent and audit fundamentals in case of a business audit
Law regarding fiscal offenses and fiscal misdemeanor
Disclosure requirements
Liability of the manager

Finance Based Management and Controlling
Prof. Dr. Konrad Schindlbeck, Prof. Dr. Herbert Kittl, Prof. Dr. Josef Scherer

Course Objective
By the term “Finance Based Management and Controlling” an integrated, i.e. holistic view of a goal‑oriented corporate governance is addressed. Hereby both hard and soft factors as well as strategic and operational problems play a role whereas the emphasis is on strategic topics.

The goal of the emphasis “Finance Based Management and Controlling” is to teach the students the most important instruments of corporate governance in a practice-oriented way. The students shall be acquainted with the formation possibilities of selected management instruments. In general, a point is made of teaching subject matters which are relevant for leadership.

It is Prof. Dr. Kittl’s learning goal to create a familiarity with the targets and the instruments of the statement analysis. Furthermore, the basics of accounting insolvency with special regard to the surveillance duty of the executive manager are explained. Additionally, the parameters for the selection of a legal entrepreneurial form with a simultaneous consideration of liability claims are presented.

Course Content

• Main features of strategic controlling
• The process of finding visions and strategies
• Conception of a balanced scorecard
• Conception of an opportunity and risk management
• Shareholder value concepts for the management of an enterprise
• International aspects of strategic controlling
• Main features of a performance-oriented remuneration
• Controlling on the basis of the EFQM Excellence Model
• Aspects and figuration of the corporate culture
• Main features of knowledge management
  
  

• Risk assessment and risk management in the legal domain
• Credit assessment and disclosure of the economic situation to capital providers
• Credit rating according to Basel II
• Leeway in case of funding conditions
• Tasks of the statement analysis as well as approaches to the statement analysis
• Accounting policy
• Parameter for the legal form selection
• Accounting insolvency
  
  

Human Resources Management
Jo Ann Mann

Course Objective

Universally the management of an organization’s human resources is known by managers as one of the most frustrating and difficult to contain management functions. 
Successful managers understand how to strategically assess, plan, allocate and deploy human resources to accomplish organizational, individual and group goals.  
Being able to transfer universal human resource skill sets across cultures and diverse organizational structures assists managers in both daily and long term tasks.
This course is designed to reinforce managers with human resource management skills.  Both the organizational approach to Human Resources and individual manager’s strategy for understanding the planning-staffing-selecting-training-coaching evaluating-developing are covered. 
Students will identify natural talents and challenge areas and learn classic and innovative techniques to better motivate and communicate with others to accomplish management goals through their human resources.
While Human Resource Management theory will be presented and discussed, the class also emphasizes special topics in Human Resource Management that will allow students a hands-on experience of applying theory to practical management strategies. 

Course Content
Content Overview:

1. What is Human Resource Management (HRM)?
2. What is HR’s organizational value?

1. Defining the Cycle of HRM
1. Planning-Staffing-Selecting-Training-Coaching -Evaluating- Developing
2. Integrating organizational theory into daily HR management practice

3.      Applying HR Strategies
3.1       Motivation
3.2       Communications
3.3       Organizational change and transitions
3.4       Diverse Organizational Strategies: multi-site, multi-
            cultural, multi-national
3.5       Case Studies in HRM:  international best practices

4.      Practical Aspects of HRM

1. Personal leadership application to HR management
2. One-on-one HR management tactics

4.3    Group HRM techniques
4.4    Gender, cultural, political, national issues impacting                 
            HRM

International Marketing and Sales Management
Prof. Dr. Robert Pelzel

Course Objective

Application-oriented international expertise about consumer behavior and the behavior of deciding groups in sales-oriented concerns is being taught.
The participants get an insight into classic marketing and business processes; as well as the most modern tools in order to be able to successfully realize marketing and sales tasks.

Course Content

•    Sales organization and dealing with channel conflicts
•    Steps of the selling process in the industry
•    Global key account management
•    Methods for the buying behavior analysis
•    Mitigation of the interface figure and project management
•    Historical background of product management
•    Organization of product management within the company
•    Product innovation and brand management
•    Creation of new products and management of existing products
•    Market and competition analysis
•    The critical success factors, anti flop principle
•    Strategic aspects in product management
•    Instruments of the marketing concept mix
•    Phase-processes and tools for quality assurance

Performance Improvement (Lectures at the Kent Business School, Canterbury, Lecturers t.b.a.)
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bartscher

Course Objective

The aim of the program is to provide you with the knowledge and skills to lead or actively participate in a work based performance improvement intervention/project using the knowledge, skills, tools, techniques and job aids gained during this lecture.
This is a very practical interactive eight days, including work on case studies/ examples as well as a simulation game.
For the lectures it will be to your advantage to bring a live performance issue or change project to the workshop. You will have the opportunity of working on this during the workshop and you will return better equipped to deliver performance improvement and demonstrate your leadership of strategy and change implementation.

Course Content

Introduction to HPT & Performance Improvement

• History of HPT/Performance Improvement
• Where is HPT today and where is it going
• Why HPT is an important strategic and operational tool for high performance organizations.
• International Society of Performance Improvement (ISPI) and ISPI Europe
• ASTD and HPI
• Performance Improvement

• Role and Competencies of a Performance Improvement Consultant/Specialist
• Examples of organizations currently using HPT/Performance Improvement as a competitive advantage to drive their businesses forward
• Short case study to illustrate the power of HPT/Performance Improvement

• Short case study to illustrate the power of HPT/Performance Improvement Case Study continued

A visit to e.g. Delphi Automotive Systems in Kent

Introduction to Strategy Implementation

• Theory and practice

• Strategic Performance Tool/Techniques

• E-procurement Strategy

• Implementation case study
• Presentations

• Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
• Assessment of ILOs
• Strategy Implementation: An Overview

• Questions & Answers
• Organizational Structure and peoples issues
• Dynamics of implementation and development
• Managing Strategic Change
• Leadership
• Case studies
• Identify elements of the Language of Work Model and their use in defining, aligning and improving work performance
• Define, for their (or a representative) department their Value Proposition and model the Core Processes
• Identify what the organization could do to make core processes easier to do

• Identify jobs to core processes
• Model either a job of the core process or their own job model
• Identify how to assess jobs, identify performance improvement needs and interventions that will make improvements
• Identify what the organization could do to make jobs easier to accomplish their work.

• Learn how to load work and reveal the organization structure
• Identify the organizational (work support) improvement needs
• Identify the elements of a supporting Integrated HR System for your organization
• Complete a Work Simulation Game to align work performance in your company

Modeling the business and making improvements

• Define the Department’s Value Proposition and Best Practices 
• Model and Improve the Department’s Core Processes
• Name Jobs to Core Processes
• Model and Improve the Jobs; Conduct Assessment; Select Performance Improvement Interventions
• Load the Work
• Reveal Organizational Structure
• Identify and Improve Work Support Needs