Doctor of Business Administration (DBAP)

DBAP 611. Theory and Practice of Collective Action. 3 Units.

Collective action refers to concerted human action in the economic, political, and social spheres that affect larger outcomes. This course examines the politics of collective action through different understandings of power. What are the sources of sociopolitical power, and how do they influence the outcome of collective action? What challenges collective action? The course addresses these questions by drawing on classic social science theories about power, coalition building, and methods of investigation. The second part examines empirical cases of conflict, cooperation, and collective action. Students will participate in experiential exercises that simulate historical decision-making dynamics around collective action. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 613. Leading Change. 3 Units.

Change is an enigma and yet sustained, desirable change (SDC) drives adaptation, growth and life itself. In this course, we will continuously attempt to answer two questions: What is the process of sustained, desirable change? and What is the role of a leader? Concepts from complexity theory will be used, including understanding the multilevel nature of SDC at the individual, dyad, team, organization, community, country, and global levels. Intentional Change Theory (ICT) will be used as the organizing concept for the changes studied. Leadership and its development will be examined by studying a number of topics and applying them to three major case studies: (1) yourself; (2) practice coaching with compassion; and (3) a major change project. This course will explore questions, such as: Who are effective leaders? How do they think and act? What makes us want to follow them? How are leaders developed? What is the role of emotional and social intelligence? How does a leader's mind, body, heart, and spirit affect their performance? Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 614. Business as an Evolving Complex System. 3 Units.

This course provides a foundation for understanding how business systems evolve, adapt, and self-organize in response to dynamic market, technological, and socio-political forces. Drawing on complexity theory, the course adopts the business ecosystem as a conceptual framework for examining how organizations--as interdependent members of an industry or market ecosystem--navigate and respond to both market forces (e.g., competition, demand shifts, technological disruption) and non-market forces (e.g., regulatory pressures, geopolitical dynamics, social movements). A central theme of the course is the tension between collaboration and competition within ecosystems, and how this tension shapes opportunities for value creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Special attention is given to how digitization and geopolitical tensions are fundamentally reshaping the structural logic of industries/markets and redefining competitive boundaries. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 617. Technology and Social System Design. 3 Units.

Managers are designers who shape the social and technical world we inhabit. This course explores the process of design and asks how managers can become better designers and interventionists who anticipate and evaluate the social, economic, and political consequences of existing and emerging products, processes, and organizational forms. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 638. Qualitative Research Methods I. 3 Units.

This course explores ways to conceptualize a topic of study and facilitates formulation of conceptual work for students and production of research reports at the end of the first year of the program. The course conveys how to generate research ideas by critically reviewing literature and developing ideas that contribute to a problem or issue of interest by working with theory and extending previous research. The practicality of conducting certain kinds of research is evaluated and methodological rigor, intensity and ethical constraints of different research efforts are examined. Each student produces a research proposal communicating and supporting a conceptualization of the phenomenon of interest involving a problem of practice and research question. The paper defines this problem of practice, and presents, both visually and in narrative form, concepts shaped by field experience and prior writing that promote understanding of the problem. This includes a research proposal describing a sample population, methods of data collection and data analysis. Prereq: DBAP 665.

DBAP 640. Social Ethics: Contemporary Issues. 3 Units.

The course draws upon intellectual ancestors and current thinkers in moral philosophy and ethics to assist each student in identifying, analyzing, and discussing social and ethical questions pertaining to the definition and purpose of contemporary life, the need for moral coherence, and the meaning of life in a global society. The unifying theme of the course is Tolstoy's question, "How then shall we live?" The course does not seek to provide answers to the great questions of life. Rather, it tries to expand each student's capacity to grapple with such questions. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 641. Qualitative Research Methods II. 3 Units.

This course guides the methodological conduct of the qualitative research project that was proposed by the student in DBAP 638. Fieldwork and initial analysis are conducted during the summer when data based on semi-structure interviews or found in archival unstructured data is collected and analysis begins using inductive coding techniques. A summer residency is held in mid-June to assess progress as final data collection and analysis continues. The aim of the fall semester is to prepare a formal research report on that project, which will be submitted to an academic research conference. The final report includes a revision of the original conceptual model, integrating new understandings and literature arising from the data collection and analysis. Prereq: DBAP 638.

DBAP 642. Directed Studies Seminar. 0 - 9 Units.

At different times during the Program, students register for Directed Studies courses. The purpose of these courses is to recognize the work the students are doing to conduct and present their individualized research at a high quality level. Activities conducted under the Directed Studies courses have deliverables dedicated to the collection of qualitative or quantitative data and the preparation of research reports. Offered as DBAP 642 and MGMT 642. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 645. Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods. 3 Units.

Using the mixed method research toolkit developed in previous courses, this course focuses on critically analyzing selected pieces of published applied and policy research to develop a critical appreciation of issues and debates that have wide applicability and relevance. In particular, it offers students ways to integrate and triangulate using a mixed method approach, different forms of evidence, and related evidence. In addition, this course addresses common method choice and justification issues and related challenges of validity and theory formulation that typically arise during the students' execution of a series of individual research projects. Application of critical analysis and appreciation approach in justifying mixed methods designs to the student's own research work is encouraged and supported by sharing and discussing common research and methodology themes and problems. Prereq: DBAP 649 and DBAP 682 and enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 646. Advanced Analytical Methods for Generalizing Research. 3 Units.

This course covers advanced statistical and machine learning methods for extracting insights that inform management action across structured, unstructured, and mixed data. Using a range of substantive topics, the course emphasizes both rigor and relevance. Rigor is reflected in the use of sound statistical judgment, careful method selection, and disciplined interpretation of evidence. Relevance is reflected in the development of substantively meaningful and statistically grounded insights that support sound managerial judgment. Together, these topics are intended to strengthen students' analytical toolkit, while also building a bridge to the academic literature and to the kinds of data based problems that arise in managerial practice. Prereq: DBAP 649 and DBAP 682.

DBAP 649. Experimental Design and Analysis. 3 Units.

This course will guide students through the theoretically-grounded variance models that are required for testing through structural equation modeling (SEM) in the quantitative portion of their research. Fundamental concepts in model testing will be reinforced using path analysis, and will include a deeper exploration of moderation by addressing topics such as moderated mediation and interaction effects. Beyond the analysis the course will emphasize precise and accurate formulation of theoretical models and associated reasoning, as well as careful interpretation of findings. The class will also delve into testing of data assumptions and prepare students for the model testing portion of their capstone assignments. Prereq: DBAP 681 and enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 664. Knowledge Dissemination to Influence Managerial Practice. 3 Units.

The aim of this course is twofold. First, it supports students organizing and writing their DM thesis overview or their PhD thesis proposal. Also discussed are ways to organize and communicate in scientific genres, their aims and their generic properties. Secondly, students become acquainted with scientific communication and publishing. Effective reviewing, criteria for judging articles and theses, management of review processes, and how to communicate and respond to reviews are topics discussed. The course also addresses publication strategies and ways of managing and communicating scientific and managerial knowledge to different stakeholders. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 665. Introduction to Research Methods. 3 Units.

Introduction to Research Methods is the first research competency course in the methods sequence. It guides doctoral students through their research journey--Discovery, Framework, Testing, and Validating--forming the foundation for subsequent coursework in empirical, evidence-based research. In this course, students examine the principles of the scientific method and the characteristics of rigorous research. They develop the "think in theories" and explore how scholarly applied research bridges academic and practitioner perspectives. The course also introduces inductive and deductive research approaches, along with foundational concepts in mixed methods research. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 672. Flourishing Enterprise: Creating Sustainable Value for Business and World Benefit. 3 Units.

This course is designed to galvanize new visions of business and society, as well as organizational leadership. The course is born of a conviction that the future of human society and the natural world is intimately linked to the future of the world economy, business enterprises, and management education. The course presentations, books, dialogues, and interview projects are organized around three themes: (1) the state of the world and the economics possibilities of our time, (2) the business case for understanding business as an agent of world benefit--how business performance can profit from current and future advances in sustainable design and social entrepreneurship; and (3) tools for becoming a change leader--including the methods of Appreciative Inquiry and new insights about "strength-based" change emerging from the science of human strengths. The overarching aim is to provide a powerful introduction to the many facets of sustainable value creation as a complete managerial approach. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 677. Designing Sustainable Systems. 3 Units.

Sustaining competitive advantages is difficult. Remember Blockbuster, MySpace, Sears, or BlackBerry? Firms need to excel in the presence and prepare for tomorrow simultaneously. But preparing for the future is increasingly difficult due to the complexities of interdependent global and digital competition. Unparalleled recent political, cultural, and environmental challenges like rising nationalism, the rise of China, disrupted global supply chains, and global warming add further complications. How can leaders in organizations prepare for the future? How can they plan and design future proof new business models, structures, or solutions? In this research course we approach this future preparedness -- the design of sustainable organizational systems -- from a BDI (Business Design Initiative) perspective. Here the BDI perspective includes phrenetic thinking and reasoning, systems thinking and complexity science and two exemplary BDI tools: scenario planning and business model generation. Ultimately, we will, individually and collectively, apply the above to develop, document, and present business scenarios and derived business models based on students' current business contexts in support of real-world companies' future preparedness. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 680. Conflict & Cooperation in the Global Arena. 3 Units.

The global arena is described by some as a realm of perpetual conflict. Others argue that given the right institutions and incentives, international actors can find ways to achieve cooperation, peace and increased global prosperity. Still others suggest that the international political and economic arena is "what you make of it"--emphasizing the role of norms, identities and ideas in shaping international outcomes. This course will examine both theoretical and policy perspectives regarding the question of international conflict and cooperation, with a specific emphasis on drawing on insights from collective action theory and international relations scholarship. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 681. Research Designs and Analytics for Archival and Online Data. 3 Units.

This course introduces core statistical concepts, research design principles, and analytical techniques for working with archival and text-based data. It develops students' foundations in statistical thinking, as well as the key concepts of validity and reliability in research. These tools prepare students to investigate management phenomena by identifying appropriate data sources, compiling relevant data, and analyzing those data to generate insights and test hypotheses. The course emphasizes three capabilities: (a) using statistical reasoning to formulate meaningful research questions, (b) collecting and organizing archival and online data suited to those questions, and (c) integrating multiple data sources and applying foundational statistical methods to analyze them. Throughout, the course focuses on research designs that are flexible enough to address a wide range of management questions. It also introduces robustness checks for archival and related forms of data to strengthen the credibility of empirical findings. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 682. Foundational Statistical Analysis and Measurement. 3 Units.

This course focuses on the foundations of measurement theory and the associated statistical analyses used to obtain, compile, and interpret evidence of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and construct validity in the development and evaluation of operational measures for latent constructs derived from structured and unstructured data. The course emphasizes measurement development and assessment as critical stages that precede the testing of theory with empirical models. Prereq: DBAP 681 and enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 683. Integration of Methods Sequences. 3 Units.

This course provides the final guidance for integrating all program research method sequences and ensures that the quantitative paper deliverable not only has been completed, but also fully integrated with the DBA Dissertation. Students are provided with hands on writing, data analysis, data organization through seminars and skill building workshops. Prereq: Must be enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.

DBAP 699. Applied Research Project Continuation. 1 - 9 Units.

This course is set up individually upon conference between the student and a faculty member and is designed in consultation with the program director in order to complete the student's required coursework and research requirements within the program. Prereq: Enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration Program.