Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business Administration Certificate

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of Walden University, the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum, and the benefits and functions of a D.B.A. within an organizational context. Students assess a variety of tools and skills needed to succeed in the program, such as time management, scholarly writing, and effective communication in an online learning environment, as well as how to align their topic of study to Walden’s mission of positive social change. They also develop a personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis as part of an overall Personal Development Plan. Students learn that scholarly research is an important part of every doctoral study; they explore the Walden University Library and create an annotated bibliography and literature review based on scholarly sources. Students also have the opportunity to explore Walden resources that are available to help them succeed throughout the program.

Students in this course focus on development and implementation of business strategies that enable competitive advantage and winning in the marketplace. They develop an understanding of why and how individuals and organizations must work together to create a sustainable business and global environment. Students apply methods for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of organizations and identify industry opportunities and threats resulting from forces shaping the marketplace. They also examine and apply concepts to assess the capability of industries to implement these strategies successfully. Students focus on practical business applications of writing and critical thinking and engage in a combination of essay discussions, research assignments, and papers to analyze, develop, and defend ideas for strategic and innovative business solutions for sustainability. Students also develop a problem statement to use in their doctoral study final capstone project through the synthesis of principles of sustainable strategic management and thinking.

Using a theoretical approach, students in this seminar examine common concepts, principles, and methods used in managerial decision making, including revenue forecasting and cost prediction methods, break-even and cost-volume-profit analyses, performance variance analysis, relevant cost analysis, project valuation, expected rates of return, and discounted cash flow methods. They also explore opportunities for optimizing methods. Additionally, students examine applied research methods in the context of design and development of rational managerial decision-making systems.

Students in this seminar examine theories of corporate governance and employee performance evaluation, including the control and performance evaluation aspects of pricing/contribution margin analysis, cost allocation, activity-based costing, throughput accounting, key performance indicators, and balanced scorecard methods. They also explore opportunities for optimizing methods. Additionally, students examine applied research methods in the context of design and development of rational corporate governance and employee performance evaluation systems.

Through this seminar, students have the opportunity to examine international aspects of theories of managerial decision making, corporate governance, and employee performance evaluation in the context of global, cross-cultural management. They also explore applied research methods on the effects of import/export issues, foreign exchange rates, controlled economies, social responsibility reporting, inflation accounting, and international taxation.

An essential, “make or break” aspect of today’s organizational environment is innovation. Students in this seminar course are provided with the opportunity to position themselves for professional success in management through the study of concepts, processes, and tools needed to accelerate the rate, breadth, and depth of innovation within any organization. Students examine what innovation is, is not, and how to establish the organizational policies, processes, and employee-support infrastructure required to facilitate successful innovation throughout organizations. Students assess current information through extensive use of topical journal articles and papers as well as classic articles and papers related to the field of study. They also disseminate their findings to their peers through group discussions.

Entrepreneurial finance is designed to help managers make accurate investments and business decisions in entrepreneurial settings. In this seminar course, students explore the development of a small business from startup to financial security. They examine the process and various sources of funding, including partnerships with venture capitalists, conventional sources, and initial public offerings. Most importantly, students explore how to construct funding as well as the trade-offs and benefits for each model. They analyze entrepreneurial equity and how to negotiate any agreement with funding sources. Students accomplish course objectives by examining foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of entrepreneurial finance. They also identify additional resources and disseminate research conclusions to their peers.

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing has emerged as its own discipline to meet the needs of other businesses. The challenge is to find new methods of enhancing marketability and value while maintaining important relationships with consumers. Students in this seminar course focus on B2B marketing techniques, strategies, customer acquisition, and relationship building. They explore the theory and conceptual challenges facing today’s B2B marketing manager. Primarily, students learn aspects of online promotion and advertising, communications strategies to promote online initiatives, and creative ways of developing the B2B channel. They fine tune critical-thinking skills by formulating an original research topic and debating with peers. Students accomplish course objectives by examining foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of B2B marketing.

International finance is a branch of economics that considers how capital investment is undertaken globally and how financial markets and global trade influence investment opportunities. In this seminar course, students are provided with an overview of the impact of the liberalization of markets by the world’s financial institutions—such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization (WTO)—on trade, economies, and the competitiveness of countries, new markets, and exchange and interest rates. Students accomplish course objectives by examining foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of international finance. They also formulate an original research topic and synthesize findings and conclusions based on their literature review for a comprehensive and critical understanding of the discipline.

Recent cases of corporate greed, bankruptcy, and fraud as well as the collapse of the housing-market and its fallout in the investment community have prompted the need for new regulatory pressures; these include laws, such as Sarbanes-Oxley, and compliance systems from either third-parties, such as the efforts of the Global Reporting Initiative or new watchdogs developed to address the failure of the market’s self-correcting mechanisms. Students in this seminar course examine these new ways of doing business in today’s sociopolitical climate from a legal perspective, including identification of opportunities for new research in law and compliance. Students formulate an original research topic and assess the potential impact of their findings on the field of law and compliance. They also give and receive feedback through a group critique. Students accomplish course objectives by examining current information, such as foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of law and compliance.

As globalization integrates all regions of the planet, business has become multinational and multimodal. Regardless of the role—manufacturers, retailers, or service providers—doing business globally requires a thorough understanding of how products, services, and information products develop from ideas to deliverables. In studying global supply chain management, students learn about the systems required to identify sources of people and material as well as ways to ensure that the supply chain conforms to the highest expected business standards anywhere in the world. Students investigate potential opportunities for new research in the field and share their findings through a presentation. They sharpen their critical-thinking and communication skills as they give and provide feedback on research conclusions. Students accomplish the objectives of this seminar course by examining current information through extensive use of topical journal articles and papers as well as classic articles and papers related to the field of study.

Though many aspects of information technology (IT) are becoming staples in the business toolbox, competitive advantage is still possible through the development of creative applications and the configuration of technology in ways unique to an organization. In this seminar course, students investigate this advantage through the evaluation of the frontier of IT in business and new ways of applying IT to cut costs, increase customer satisfaction, and open new business opportunities. Students explore social networking tools and Internet recognition strategies for potential business uses. They accomplish course objectives by examining current information through extensive use of recent journal articles and papers as well as classic articles and papers related to the field of study. Students also identify additional resources and disseminate their conclusions to their peers.

Growing cultural diversity within countries and expansion of organizations’ international initiatives has brought about the need to recognize, lead, and manage a broader cultural spectrum of workers, managers, and performance improvement teams. In this seminar course, students define the key organizational techniques and the potential benefits stemming from managing multicultural workforces. Students contextualize their study through the examination and development of case studies of successful and unsuccessful attempts to realize the potential that can be derived from multicultural workforces and teams. Students accomplish course objectives by examining current information through extensive use of recent journal articles and papers as well as classic articles and papers related to the field of study. They also disseminate their findings to their peers through group discussions.

In this seminar, students examine the application of healthcare policy and economic principles to managerial decision making, including policy development and implementation processes as well as how health policy changes over time. They also explore key policy initiatives related to cost, quality, and access, and investigate stakeholders and interest groups involved in the health policy process. Students devote special attention to how economic principles, such as supply, demand, and market price determination  relate to the structure of the healthcare industry and the distribution of resources and services.

Healthcare delivery is one of the largest industries in the United States. Students in this seminar focus on the components of the health services delivery system, including patients, organizations, professionals, public and private third-party payers, regulators, reimbursement and reimbursement methods, and technology. Students explore the nature of population illness and disease, and they examine the continuum of health services, such as hospitals and hospital systems, ambulatory care services, long-term care services, wellness/prevention services, and community/public health services. In addition, students analyze contextual factors and challenges that are linked to the healthcare delivery system management; they also explore the impact of these challenges on the delivery of services and healthcare management.

Students in this seminar engage in an examination of the key laws, regulations, and court decisions related to the licensing and oversight of facilities and practitioners, accreditation, credentialing requirements and processes, scope of practice for practitioners, admission and discharge processes, and privacy and confidentiality of patient information. They learn about contract law governing the relationships with physicians and other providers, the identification of organizational governance issues, and the development of risk management processes and controls. Students also explore key ethical principles underpinning the management of healthcare organizations.

The only constant in today’s business environment is change. However, implementing change alone is not sufficient. It is also necessary to identify and prioritize the key organizational issues requiring change and to implement the necessary changes successfully. Furthermore, change must be defined and aligned at the organizational, process, and employee levels. In this seminar course, students identify and focus on the key areas of an organization that should be prioritized for change initiatives and for the development and implementation of strategies that will increase the success rate of the key change initiatives. Students formulate an original research topic related to the course literature and present and debate their findings through a peer work group. They accomplish course objectives by examining current information, such as foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of change management.

The various environmental crises facing the planet threaten the human race. Therefore, the primary challenge for business is to conduct itself in a responsible manner through sustainable decisions. That means more than anticipating continuous profitability. Students in this seminar course explore what it means to be sustainable from an environmental perspective and examine the implications for business in terms of resource consumption, materials processing and disposal, and the impacts of the products made and distributed. Students analyze natural systems and how their condition influences doing business in a global economy. They also examine the long-term implications for conducting business globally. Students fine tune critical-thinking skills by formulating an original research topic, which they discuss with their peers. They accomplish course objectives by examining current information through extensive use of recent journal articles and papers as well as classic articles and papers related to the field of study.

Business leaders and decision makers need accurate information to introduce projects and services that create appeal and value in the mind of the consumer. In this seminar course, students explore the processes and methods of studying markets and focus on understanding the empirical research process. Students survey marketing research methods in the context of understanding competitive opportunities, new product development, and positioning a product or service in the marketplace. They examine the practices of utilizing public databases, spotting trends, and identifying opportunities for new research in the field. Students hone critical-thinking and analytical skills by formulating an original research topic related to the course literature, which they present and debate in a peer work group. Students accomplish course objectives by examining foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of marketing research.

The buyer decision-making process is one of the driving forces behind how, where, and when to market a product, which is why understanding consumer behavior is integral to successful businesses. In this seminar course, students focus on the characteristics of consumers from the perspective of why they purchase products and services as well as their expectations when doing business. More importantly, students study individual behavior and the psychology of choice, the motivation to buy, and how to maintain satisfaction after purchase. Because forces beyond individual control sometimes influence markets, niches, and segments, students also examine consumer behavior from a cultural (and subcultural) perspective. Students engage in course activities and discussions that focus on how to manage the customer experience from attraction to a mutually rewarding relationship. Students accomplish course objectives by examining foundational literature and theories, seminal works, and established models in the field of consumer behavior.

In this seminar, students examine the evolving discipline of project-based program and portfolio management and the business competencies required to manage complex projects in dynamic, distributed, and global environments. They also analyze the processes for building and managing a strategic portfolio of projects, including the development of enterprise project support offices.

Managing an organization’s portfolio of projects requires assessing portfolio risk and uncertainty, analyzing opportunities for improving portfolio performance, and addressing project, program, and portfolio sustainability. Students in this seminar focus on these topics as well as on models for assessing and improving organizational project management maturity. They also examine approaches to delivering value to the organization and its stakeholders in socially, environmentally, and culturally responsible ways.

Students in this seminar examine organizational processes and practices required to support project-based leadership. They focus on the components of project-based strategic leadership, including a global vision for the knowledge economy, the competencies for managing innovation and resistance to change, and a systems thinking framework supported by enterprise-level tools and processes. Students also explore entrepreneurial competencies and approaches to new product and new venture development. Through various course assignments, students address the characteristics of ethical decision makers and approaches to gaining commitment throughout an organization.