Summer Term (August – October)

This two-course sequence provides students with an analytical approach for solving managerial problems and making decisions. We begin the process by describing and interpreting data, as well as by developing a rigorous description of the problem. This descriptive analytics stage includes the development of summary statistics, data visualization, and robust mathematical models. A fundamental goal of our analytical process is to separate the ‘signal’ from the ‘noise,’ and we will see how the fundamental principles of probability can be applied both directly to making decisions as well as how they are linked to more advanced data analytics techniques.

Many decisions then require predictive analytics for making decisions. Here we will use sophisticated statistical and predictive analytics tools to understand and anticipate how the world will change if we take certain actions. These include hypothesis testing, A/B testing, linear and logistic regression, simulation analysis, and machine learning. We will employ cutting-edge methods for fitting models and testing their sensitivity to assumptions.

Some problems require a more formal process for recommending actions. For this prescriptive analytics stage of our process, we will employ mathematical optimization techniques and see how analytics may be used to solve large-scale business problems.

We will apply our analytical process to problems from all organizational functions (e.g., marketing, operations, finance, management, economics) and to a variety of industries (e.g., online promotion and advertising, airlines, manufacturing, and health care). There will be hands-on experience using Excel, Excel plug-ins, and the R statistical programming language.

This course develops the basic concepts and procedures underlying corporate financial statements and introduces tools for analyzing profitability and risk. We explore the impact of the alternative policies and procedures available within generally accepted accounting principles on financial statements, especially in terms of management's financial reporting strategy.

This course is designed to provide Tuck students with immediately applicable skills for professional communication. You will complete the course with an understanding of and demonstrated improvements in overall communication, delivery and presentation skills. In addition, you will learn and practice effective techniques for delivering feedback. This mini-course runs during Summer term to allow you to immediately apply your ManComm skills—in your other classes, during recruiting, your FYP, and summer internship.

This course applies the ideas and methodology of economics to analysis of the firm, key decisions within the firm, and the industry. Topics covered include costs, pricing, competition, economic efficiency, and industry equilibrium and change. Particular attention is paid to behavior of the firm and industries when uncertainty and transaction costs exist. The course combines lectures/discussions of principles with cases covering both current and classic firm and industry dilemmas. Issues of public policy, especially regarding pollution, are also covered.

This course will provide students with conceptual frameworks for improving their management of people and teams with a focus on developing a deeper understanding of interpersonal dynamics. Topics include: motivation, diversity, conformity, conflict, performance feedback, decision-making, negotiations, and fairness.