Management (Mgmt)

Russell N. Laczniak, Chair of Department
Distinguished Professors: Wortman  
University Professors: Morrow  
Professors: Chacko, Hunger, McElroy, Shrader, Van Auken, Werbel  
Associate Professors: Blackburn, Johnson  
Associate Professors (Emeritus): Aitchison  
Assistant Professors: DeMarie, Herrmann, Reed

Undergraduate Study

For undergraduate curriculum in business, major in management, see College of Business, Curricula.

The Department of Management offers a major in management. Students will complete the general education requirements (including business foundation courses), and business core requirements for the bachelor of science degree (B.S.).

Management is a broadly defined discipline and activity, which is neither industry nor function specific. Management concepts, theories, techniques, and skills are applicable to all business functional areas and are essential components for successful organizations. Management requires sound conceptual, technical, and human skills for the effective utilization of organizational resources. The management major at Iowa State University encompasses the diversity of these skills by providing students with alternative programs of study from which they can select a curriculum that most closely matches their academic interests and career opportunities. Within the management major, students can select from three options: entrepreneurship and strategy, human resources management or general business.

The entrepreneurship and strategy option is designed for students interested in acquiring skills associated with creating and managing new and small businesses. Students are required to take Mgmt 310 and 377, as well as either Mgmt 413 or 415. Also, students select three additional courses from an approved list to complete the 18-credit major. These three choice classes are designed to enable the student to tailor the major to their specific areas of interest.

The human resources management option allows students to focus on behavioral and labor issues surrounding the management of people in organizations. Students choosing the option are required to take Mgmt 371 and 471, plus four additional courses selected from an approved list.

The general business option enables students to gain a broad understanding of the functional areas of business. Students selecting this option are required to take the following five courses: Acct 383, Fin 310, Mgmt 371, Mkt 447, and Mgmt 471. These required courses are designed to expose a student to the technical, behavioral, and functional nature of businesses and the integrative nature of management. In addition, students choose one course from an approved list to round out the 18-credit major. Students may also choose to utilize elective credits to take other courses that are of interest beyond the 18 required credits.

The department also offers a minor for College of Business students with a different major. They are required to take 15 credits from a list of approved courses, of which 9 credits need to be stand alone.

Graduate Study

The Department of Management participates in three graduate programs: the M.S. in Business, the M.B.A. full-time and part-time programs, and the interdisciplinary M.S. degree in Industrial Relations. The M.S. in Business is a 30-credit curriculum culminating in a thesis. The M.B.A. program is a 48-credit hour curriculum. Twenty four of the 48 credit hours are core courses and the remaining 24 are graduate electives. A student can obtain a specialization in Human Resource Management by taking 12 credit hours of courses from a selected list of courses. Finally, the department is one of several participating departments offering coursework leading to an interdisciplinary M.S. in industrial relations.

Courses open for nonmajor graduate credit: Mgmt 413, 414, 415, 472, 479.

Courses Primarily for Undergraduate Students

Mgmt 310. Entrepreneurship and Innovation
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: Econ 101. Review of the entrepreneurial process with emphasis on starting a new business. How to analyze opportunities, develop an innovative product, organize, finance, market, launch, and manage a new venture. Deals with the role of the entrepreneur and the importance of a business plan. Speakers and field project.

Mgmt 313. Feasibility Analysis and Business Planning
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 310. Not available for credit to business students. Developing an idea for a new business venture, conducting a feasibility study, researching the potential market, analyzing the competition, and writing a formal business plan. Basic business functions are discussed in terms of their application to conducting feasibility analysis and writing a business plan for an entrepreneurial venture.

Mgmt 370. Management of Organizations
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. Prereq: Econ 101. A management functions approach is used to explain what managers do in organizations; how they deal with external constituents, how they structure their companies, and how they deal with employees. A contingency approach is used as a framework for understanding how to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of organizations in today’s dynamic, highly competitive business environment.

Mgmt 371. Organizational Behavior
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: 370. The study of individual attributes, interpersonal relations, and employee attitudes in organizations. Instructional emphasis is placed on how management concepts such as reward systems, job design, leadership, teams, etc. can be used to manage employee attitudes and behavior.

Mgmt 377. Competitive Strategy
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: Econ 101. Developing competitive strategy and achieving competitive advantage in firms, including: industry analysis, generic strategies, hypercompetition, competing against time, and building distinctive capabilities.

Mgmt 413. Launching New Ventures
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: 310, 377; Mkt 340; Fin 301. Initiating, acquiring, and building an entrepreneurial activity either within or outside existing businesses. Emphasis is on conducting a feasibility study and on proposing a realistic business plan for a new venture. Managing an entrepreneurial activity for sustained success. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Mgmt 414. International Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. The nature and economic role of the multinational firm and entrepreneurial ventures, including the impact of legal, political, and cultural variables upon firm performance and managerial activity; case studies illustrate interdependent nature of functional areas of business projected across national boundaries. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Mgmt 415. Managing New Ventures
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: 370; Mkt 340; Fin 301; TrLog 360, POM 320. Examination of business problems and issues in new and growing firms. Emphasis is on analyzing existing businesses. Includes a field project. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Mgmt 419. Social Responsibility of Business
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. A consideration of the role of business in society. Critical analysis of ethical, managerial, and public issues as they affect the corporation.

Mgmt 471. Personnel and Human Resource Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: Junior standing. Recruitment and selection, utilization, and development of people in organizations. Examination of each personnel function; interrelationships among the functions.

Mgmt 472. Management of Diversity
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S. Prereq: Junior classification. One of the most crucial problems in organizations today is the management of diversity. Attempts to define the difference between equal employment opportunity/affirmative action, which has a legal basis, and diversity which has an educational basis. Organized around the concepts of: (1) cultural diversity and cultural unity; (2) development of skills and tools to manage diversity; and (3) structure of diversity development programs in organizations. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Mgmt 478. Strategic Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.S.SS. Prereq: 370; POM 320; Fin 301; Mkt 340; TrLog 360, graduating senior. Strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation and control in today’s organizations. Emphasis is on strategic planning and decision making using the case method and/or projects.

Mgmt 479. Management Seminar
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: Senior classification in management and permission of the instructor. Discussion of new or controversial issues in management. Course utilizes advanced material and research drawn from topic areas within management. Nonmajor graduate credit.

Mgmt 490. Independent Study
Cr. 1 to 3 each time taken. Prereq: 370, senior classification, permission of instructor.

Courses Primarily for Graduate Students, Open to Qualified Undergraduate Students

Mgmt 501. Strategy Formation
(1-0) Cr. 1. F. Prereq: Graduate classification. An introduction to the strategic planning process. How to formulate strategy in context of environmental opportunities and threats, how to analyze industry competition and build competitive advantages.

Mgmt 507. Organizational Behavior
(2-0) Cr. 2. F. Prereq: Graduate classification. Understanding human behavior in organizations and the nature of organizations from a managerial perspective. Special emphasis is placed on how individual differences, such as perceptions, personality, and motivation, influence individual and group behavior in organizations and on how behavior can be influenced by job design, leadership, groups, and the structure of organizations.

Mgmt 511. Ethics and Social Responsibility
(1-0) Cr. 1. S. Prereq: Graduate classification. The ethical issues, moral dilemmas, and stakeholder responsibilities embraced by today’s corporate decision makers. The morality of current management models and practices. Corporate governance and control, moral reasoning in groups, whistleblowing, employee safety, truth in advertising, environmental pollution, plant closings, insider trading, employee rights.

Mgmt 512. Strategic Management
(2-0) Cr. 2. S. Prereq: 501, 507, POM 502, MIS 503, Mkt 504, Fin 505, Acct 508. Critical analysis of case studies in strategic management with an emphasis on integrative decision making. Strategy implementation in light of the legal, regulatory, economic, social, and political contexts of business.

Mgmt 566. Entrepreneurship and New Business Creation
(3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: 512. The essentials of starting and operating a new business. Topics include current research on entrepreneurial perspective, starting and developing a new business, financing the venture, managing the growing firm, and special issues.

Mgmt 570. Managing Employee Attitudes and Behaviors
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 371 or 507 or Psych 450. Advanced topics germane to the management of individuals and groups over their work lives; sustained work commitment, motivation and job/career satisfaction, absenteeism, turnover, stress, leadership and career development (e.g., career ladders, mentoring).

Mgmt 571. Seminar in Personnel and Human Resources Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. S. Prereq: 371 or 507 or Soc 420. Topics and issues in personnel management with a focus on the management of human resources in organizations. Current personnel practices, philosophies, and behavioral science research.

Mgmt 573. Employment Law for Managers
(3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: Graduate classification. Survey of employment law for managers. Topics include: hiring employees, employment practices (e.g., handbooks, harassment, drug testing, discipline), union relations, and termination of employment (e.g., COBRA).

Mgmt 575. Compensation Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 571. Concepts, techniques, and issues dealing with remuneration of the work force. The impact of government legislation as well as organizational and societal issues.

Mgmt 581. Strategic Planning and Environmental Analysis
(3-0) Cr. 3. F. Prereq: 501 or permission of instructor. Discussion of concepts and techniques used in long range strategic planning. Examination of planning practices in business and not-for-profit organizations. Topics include environmental scanning, industry analysis, forecasting, corporate and competitive strategies, and tactics.