The CEMS Business Project provides students with practical experiences in applying their management knowledge and skills in business analysis and team-working to researching a significant business challenge or opportunity in a host organisation and preparing and presenting an evidence-based business report of a high professional standard. Most students are already familiar with various business disciplines through course work; however, the interdisciplinary use of this knowledge and the capacity to translate it into practical solutions is often a new challenge. The project permits students to combine theory and practice - by learning how to analyse problems, develop recommendations and propose solutions to the problem. In addition to providing hands-on experience on how to deal with a business problem, the unit also offers a unique opportunity to hone research skills in a cross-functional team context. Students work in small groups of four (4) or five (5) and partner with a real organisation over a ten (10) week period to research and recommend solutions to a real business problem identified in consultation with the partner organisations. Projects range from social entrepreneurship programs, where students work with community groups and NGOs, through to consultancy projects for large multinational corporations. Projects are overseen by a specifically appointed consulting mentor and students have access to business mentors throughout the project. Following preparatory learning in advanced applied research methods, students design and undertake investigative research on an agreed business issue, deliver a presentation and provide a written report to the client organisation, as well as to create and disseminate a Thought Leadership Piece on a topic linked to their challenge.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit focuses on developing and applying leadership skills in a post-crisis world. Students utilise a transdisciplinary portfolio approach instead of a week to week delivery model. Each sequence of four weeks focuses on key transdisciplinary skills sets explored through the frames of recovering, rebuilding and reimagining industries, sectors, companies and innovation. These are delivered by a series of micro-lessons and interactive discussions between academics and practitioners each week.

This unit of study involves all essential aspects of global strategic management. It includes a strong emphasis on the application of theory. Students are expected to bring a prior understanding of the theoretical material to class to be prepared to discuss the boundaries of theories as well as the limits to their application in certain business contexts. The unit is built around four broad strategic issues facing international business managers; (1) Whether to diversify the organisation's activities across different countries and/or regions? (2) Where (in which specific geographic markets) should the organisation compete? A geographic market can be conceptualised as a collection of buyers and sellers doing business in a specific geographic location. (3) What form(s) should the organisation's international business activities take? and (4) When should the organisation enter or exit a given geographic market? The unit explores each of these four broad issues and how, although relevant also for managers in domestic businesses, they are particularly important in the context of international business.

This unit addresses how to lead in diverse and multicultural contexts. Students develop a keen sense of their individual strengths and biases and explore how these might enable them to become responsible global leaders. To situate this development, the unit turns to a key challenge for global leaders. To lead innovation means including heterogeneous perspectives, capabilities, and backgrounds. Innovation requires a less rule and more relationship-based approach, which makes it a special case for managing a diverse workforce in a complex environment. It also raises awareness of issues related to openness, sustainability, and inclusiveness for global leaders. Overall, the unit moves from personal perspectives on global leadership via leadership in teams and organizations to leading in networks.

There is an increasing recognition that businesses are more than profit-making entities. This notion goes beyond being socially responsible and environmentally aware. Poverty alleviation and profits are co-equal in their importance and occur simultaneously. This perceived contradiction raises a myriad of ethical and moral challenges. This unit is designed to critically evaluate the role of business, specifically poverty alleviation and its links with profitability. Basic theories and frameworks relating to the motivations of businesses are critiqued. Poverty is defined as not only income deprivation but capability and freedom deprivation. Contemporary ideas relating to the purpose of business, such as Shared Value is evaluated. The Base of the Pyramid thesis is critically evaluated, including co-creation of value with the poor, marketing to the poor, transformative consumer research and cross-sector collaborations.

This unit uses an institutional economics approach to explain characteristic features of the Chinese economy, such as the prevalence of networks, local autonomy and organisational choice. Economic institutions are understood as the rules that inform the behaviour of corporations, governments at different levels as well as their complex interactions. Through the use of case studies, students develop an understanding of how the combination of endogenous and exogenous institutional change contributes to China's highly dynamic business environment.

Digital innovation is transforming markets, organisations and management itself. It is an important means for businesses in creating value for customers, and a necessary aspect of a modern manager's mindset. On the one hand, managers have to be able to critically examine the nature and promises of digital technology to make sense of unfolding trends and to avoid the trappings of technological fashions. On the other hand, the field of digital innovation offers new managerial techniques and tools for effective organizational management in changing environments. In this unit students learn to re-imagine the way in which business is done through digital technology and to employ managerial innovations such as agile methods and insight generation and design thinking for creative problem framing and solving. Learning is based on hands-on in-class activities, case study analysis, and classroom discussions.

This unit is designed for students interested in understanding how to create a successful strategic roadmap in order to lead, seize opportunities, and transform organizational thinking in a digital age. For many years, state-of-the-art strategic thinking has promoted business models and leadership strategy based on competition analysis of close sector rivals, market analytics, as well as traditional human resources processes and talent development. At the present time, the impacts of digital transformation are so broad that the most disruptive competition is likely to be external, and come from businesses about which executives may have an incomplete understanding. For example, in Finance many traditional organizations (banks) are challenged by small fintech start-ups. Furthermore, businesses at the moment are facing many external uncertainties such as the COVID-19 outbreak crisis. This unit delivers an in-depth understanding of how current business needs can be supported by analytics and AI at the cutting-edge of thinking about the transformative potential of digital technology for tackling contemporary challenges. Students learn how digital transformation (through analytics and AI) could be championed in organisations facing risk and uncertainty. No previous experience in analytics or data science is necessary.

This unit will focus on a particular topic. Topics will vary from semester to semester.

This unit is designed to ensure that CEMS students have a current understanding and practice of the fundamentals of lateral collaboration across multinational enterprises facing a highly uncertain future. The unit focuses on designing organizations that will be relevant in a medium-long timeframe, often leveraging technologies and else whose impact is yet to be proven. This knowledge is essential to ensure students are prepared not only to perform at a high level once they enter the workforce but they accelerate their learning journey to a leadership position. At the conclusion of the unit, students should be able to engage in lateral collaboration; problem finding/scoping; and design futures.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit is for students on exchange studying in a Master of Management program at one of the CEMS member institutions.

This unit introduces students to the management of people and organisational processes. It explores the functions of management and the critical role of effective human resource management in businesses. Key managerial decisions covered include: employee motivation; effective teamwork; and managing organisational culture and change. Students are exposed to insights from Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management.

A core skill for managers in an increasingly competitive world is applying marketing principles within the context of the international marketplace. This unit equips students with key decision-making tools, helping them answer critical questions about managing the marketing effect in the global market place. The unit introduces fundamental marketing concepts and theories and demonstrates their practical application within the international arena. Topics include market and competitive analysis, market segmentation and product positioning, brand and product management, pricing issues, integrated marketing, communications, measuring return on marketing investment, and managing the international organisation and external relationships responsible for successful implementation. Case studies are used to illustrate concepts and their practical application.

Quantitative analysis is a key activity in developing successful business strategies in the areas of business management. Successful business strategies are generally based on diverse forms of analysis on information collected from a wide range of sources. This unit provides an introduction to the theory and principles of quantitative analysis of business markets through lectures, computer workshops, and practical assessments requiring the analysis of various types of data. Through classes and assessments designed to specifically teach students how to undertake quantitative research in a practical manner, students are able to conduct their own quantitative analysis of market places.

This unit focuses on the theory and practice of financial decision making and management within organisations. Its subject matter includes a review of the economic logic of financial decisions, drawing from the finance and accounting disciplines. Decision making within a management context is emphasised. As such, the unit prepares candidates for the sophisticated management of firm finances. Equally, the unit prepares candidates to advise management on a range of complex strategic financial issues. The unit requires candidates to draw on basic economic principles but also requires them to consider broader behavioural and organisational considerations. The objective of the unit is to balance the need for quantitative and qualitative management tools. The philosophy is that in a sophisticated organisation, these are inseparable essentials for successful financial management.

Elective unit option.