MBA Online

Admissions Criteria
The Graduate School of International Management of IUJ is dedicated to developing tomorrow’s leaders.

Applicants will be reviewed on the basis of the following criteria in accordance with the mission above.
1. Clearness of career goals, significance and positioning of proposed study in the IUJ MBA/E-business Management program toward those goals.
2. Aptitude and potential to become a business leader who can manage increasingly globalizing organizations.
3. Maturity and fair sense of values as a member of the multinational and multicultural IUJ community and interest in understanding different cultures, actively communicating with others, and creating a world-wide human network

Number Of Students
A combined maximum of seventy-five (75) students for MBA and E-Business Management programs are admitted per year.

Time Of Enrollment
Enrollment in the IUJ MBA program or the IUJ E-Business Management program is possible only in September, at the start of the fall term.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy

[Term 4] The Information Economy (R. Davies) (2009/Term 3&4 (Spring&Summer))

Advances in digital technologies and network services continue to fuel expansion of the information economy. Epitomized by companies such as Amazon, Google, Yahoo!, eBay, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Sony, and Nintendo, the information economy is at the leading edge of new business models for selling products and services, with and without analogues in the traditional economy.

At the center of this evolution are software platform ecosystems, consisting of constellations of mutually dependent communities of businesses and consumers with a symbiotic relationship to one another that create value through the coordinated efforts of their members. Analysis of the underlying economics of these ecosystems provides important insights into business models, product design, pricing structures, and competitive dynamics, as well as the variable nature of the upstream and downstream integration of software platforms with hardware manufacturers, content providers, application and middleware developers, and end users.

These developments have also given rise to profound changes in the retail market, both traditional and virtual, as exemplified in Long Tail economics. The most successful Internet businesses today are capitalizing on new digital technologies that drive demand down the Long Tail distribution curve and create markets of infinite choice for consumers. By applying principles from economics, history, and business analysis to case studies and other media sources, this course aims to identify the fundamental trends that are shaping the information economy, forming new industries, transforming others, and often sweeping away old ones in a wake of “creative destruction.”
Course Structure

The course begins with introductory lectures on (1) the Long Tail, which currently manifests itself largely as an Internet phenomenon, and (2) the underlying features of software platform ecosystems. By mapping these ecosystems, we will discover important principles that influence pricing, design, organization, and the governance of businesses operating in the information economy. Subsequent lessons apply these principles to detailed analyses of some of the most prominent platform-based industries today, including personal computers, smart phones, video games, and digital media (music, movies, and books), identifying sustainable business models and the key technological drivers and revenue streams that lead to profitability. Following an investigation into issues involving copyrights in cyberspace, the focus shifts to an examination of business models that underlie Web-centric services, such as search and advertising, online auctions and payment systems, e-tailing, and social networking. The choice of cases, articles, and topics is updated each year. In the past, the course included cases on Apple iPod/iTunes, Electronic Arts, NetFlix, BitTorrent, Google, Amazon, eBay, NTT DoCoMo, Mobile Felica, and LinkedIn.
Teaching Method

The course will be taught using interactive lectures and class discussions based on assigned cases and other readings. There will be a midterm paper and an in-class final examination (open book), requiring focused analysis of specific industry trends and business models that will allow students to apply insights discovered in class and formulate their own views.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy

[Term 4] Design & Creativity (T. Kamegai) (2009/Term 3&4 (Spring&Summer))

Learning how to be creative is one of the great managerial challenges in the Knowledge Economy. What was once central to companies – price, quality, and much of the left-brain, digitized, analytical work associated with explicit knowledge – is being shipped off to developing countries. The new core competence is increasingly becoming the right brain that smart companies are harnessing to generate top-line growth. The challenge is no longer just making assembly lines run more efficiently, but creating consumer experiences, not just products, and reconceiving entire brand categories, not just adding a few more colors.

Companies are beginning to realize that design is often the path to innovation as well as the source of competitive advantage. Apple and Samsung are recent cases in point. In these creative companies, design is starting to play a key role in connecting with their customers’ emotions, linking R&D labs to consumer needs, recalibrating employee incentives to emphasize creativity, and constructing maps that show the path to innovation. These creative companies mastered a new design thinking and created products that address consumers’ unmet, and often unarticulated, desires. They built an innovation DNA and culture that bring about high success rates, routinely beating competitors.
Course Structure

The course is structured to empower your creative mind by learning the following:
(1) Strategic approaches to create great design
(2) Synergy of visual images and touch/feel
(3) Building creative relationships with others
Teaching Method

The course will be based on “learning by doing.” We will engage in projects and activities that will make use of both your mind and body.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
[Term 3] Competitiveness of Firms & Clusters (Y. Ishikura) (2009/Term 3&4 (Spring&Summer))

Today, competitiveness is discussed extensively at multiple levels: the level of the firm, city, region, and/or country. There are many competitiveness rankings available, addressing different levels, such as the Global Competitiveness Report by the World Economic Forum. Competitiveness has become an important issue not only for the firm but also the nation/city/region, partly because of the advancement of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) and of globalization.

This course explores the determinants of competitiveness and economic development viewed from a bottom-up, business perspective. While sound macroeconomic policies, stable legal and political systems, and investment in human and physical capital create the potential for competitiveness, wealth is actually created at the business level. The sophistication and productivity of firms, the vitality of clusters, and the quality of the business environment in which competition takes place are the ultimate determinants of a nation’s or region’s productivity. Wealth is created not by governments, but by companies in the private sector.

This course covers both developing and advanced economies, and addresses competitiveness at the level of nations, regions, or cities within nations, clusters, and groups of neighboring countries. A major theme of the course is that competitiveness and economic development are affected by circumstances and policies at all of these levels.

The course is concerned with the role of government, and also with the roles of firms, universities, and other institutions in determining competitiveness. In modern international competition, the roles of these constituencies have shifted and expanded, and the traditional separation between them has worked against successful economic development.

Under these circumstances, business executives today are expected to play a more active role in shaping the business environment, which determines a nation’s, region’s, or city’s productivity. They are expected to have global and inter-disciplinary perspectives. They can no longer be concerned only with the domestic market or their industry. As world trade continues to increase, an open system for innovation is becoming more prevalent, and financial trouble originating in one market can affect the world very quickly.

Business executives can no longer focus only on the bottom line, as “companies can help create a better society while improving their bottom line, by focusing on contributions aligned with their core competencies and corporate missions…” (quoted from the WEF 2008 summary, Corporate Global Citizenship in the 21st Century”). As was pointed out at the WEF annual meeting in 2008, the collaboration of businesses, governments, and NGOs is perceived to be critical in resolving global issues, such as energy and the environment in today’s globalized world.

This course attempts to address these emerging issues facing future leaders, whether they are in companies, governments, other institutions, or civil society organizations. As such, this course is different from most MBA courses in the following respects. First, it is not purely a management course, but a course focused on economic development and prosperity. While it explores implications for companies and the new, expanded role of business executives, the course discusses the roles of other important constituencies, such as government and social entrepreneurial organizations.

The ability to mount and sustain a competitiveness improvement strategy for a nation or region is a daunting challenge. Thus, the course will explore not only theory and policy, but also the nature of the organizational structure, institutions, and processes required for sustained improvements in competitiveness.

Some of the questions which have emerged from past attempts to deal with the issue of competitiveness, economic development, and prosperity include the following:
• How can the economy move from one that is resource-based (such as those dependent on oil and other natural resources) to one that is investment-based and diversified?
• How can we create an innovative economy?
• How do we make these changes happen, as the process of improving competitiveness involves many diverse organizations with different agendas, mentalities, and thought processes?

The course was originally created by Professor Michael E. Porter at the Harvard Business School. It is offered not only in the Harvard University community, but also simultaneously by professors at other universities around the world.
Course Structure

The course consists of Three Modules. Module I discusses Firms, Industries, and Locations. Module II covers the Microeconomic Business Environment, which is the main topic of the course. Module III refers to the Economic Strategy for Nations, States and Regions. Advanced topics will be covered as well.

The course will build on topics such as “firms and industry competition” (covered in the Competitive Strategy course in Term 1) and problem definition and implementation (covered in the Problem Solving course in Term 2). The course will also touch upon issues such as the Mission, Vision, and Value of individual leaders, which will be covered during the Knowledge Week offered in June.
Teaching Method

The course will be taught using the case method, together with readings, lectures (both real and virtual), and guests (both real and virtual).

As it is a joint course with HBS and other institutions throughout the world, content is shared via the Internet.

We will show some videos of Michael Porter’s lectures and of the guests at the Harvard Business School. In addition, we plan to have some guests just for ICS.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy, Course ,MBA , Hitotsubashi University,

[Term 3] Execution Management　(H. Kanno) (2009/Term 3&4 (Spring&Summer))

To deliver results, senior management needs to accomplish two things: (1) develop an effective strategy, and (2) execute the strategy effectively. The instructor, who worked as a management consultant for 17 years, has observed “execution failures” many times in a wide range of companies and industries —however right the strategy is, sometimes you fail to deliver the expected result because you fail to execute the strategy. Or, if the strategy is such that you cannot execute it effectively, is the strategy “right” at all? This elective course addresses these “execution challenges” and explores “how to make it happen.”
Course Structure

You will learn “how to make it happen” by walking through the following three modules:

Module 1 helps you understand why execution matters —why companies perform very differently even with more or less similar strategies.
Module 2 explains why senior management needs to intentionally and explicitly design and implement an “execution system.” In other words, you will learn why excellent execution does not take place naturally. Excellent execution has to be intentionally designed, ignited, and its momentum has to be intentionally maintained.
Module 3 explains the “how” in “how to make it happen.” The instructor will familiarize you with the dos and dont’s of effective execution by introducing a range of approaches and examples.
Teaching Method

The teaching approach consists of case discussions, lectures, guest speakers, and exercises. For case discussions, you will be expected to prepare for assigned cases, along with discussion questions, and participate actively in class.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy

[Term 3] Equity Investments (S. Abe) (2009/Term 3&4 (Spring&Summer))

The equity investor perspective will be the focus of this elective finance course. The emphasis will be applications-oriented with limited exposure to quantitative investment theory. Different investment styles for different risk profiles will be explored with an emphasis on publicly traded stocks. This course will be of interest to students who want to learn more about (1) the equity capital provider side of corporate finance; (2) valuing and investing in publicly traded companies; and, (3) the business of investment management. This course will appeal to students who want to build and preserve their own wealth over time.
Course Structure

Lectured discussions, case studies, and expert speakers.

Topics will include individual company valuation analysis, convertible securities, growth vs. value stocks, fundamental vs. technical analysis, active vs. indexed investing, mutual funds, hedge funds, and behavioral finance. Four outside speakers from the investment management community will bring the real world into the classroom and will give students an opportunity to learn firsthand contrasting investment styles and investment analytics. Their careers are built on successful investing, and they will share with you the excitement, gratification, pressures, and anxieties found at the intersection of risk and return. (All first and second year students will be invited to attend the speaker sessions whether or not you are enrolled in the course.)

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy

[Term 2] Strategy Simulation Week (2008/Term 1&2 (Fall&Winter))

To wrap up the first year, you will be working as part of top management team running a company in StratSim, a web-based, interactive simulation program that extends across multiple business functions, ranging from strategy, to marketing, to operations and human resources, and to accounting and finance. Your team will be competing against other teams in the rapidly changing automobile industry, where customer needs evolve, new products are introduced, and economic environment changes. Teams compete directly against each other, with the results being impacted by how the competitors interact, what new products are introduced, and how the strategic investments are financed.

In this six-day intensive program, you will work as one of the board members of a 3-4 person firm and make a total of 10 rounds of decisions, which is equivalent to 10 simulated years worth of managing your own company. You will also be asked to make two presentations – half-time and final presentations – to reflect on and share your learning with other teams. The tentative schedule is as follows:

Monday
Feb 23
9:00 Introduction
13:00 Decision #1
18:00 Decision #2

Tuesday
Feb 24
9:00 Decision #3
13:00 Decision #4
18:00 Decision #5

Wednesday
Feb 25
13:00-16:00 Half-Time Presentation

Thursday
Feb 26
13:00 Decision #6
18:00 Decision #7

Friday
Feb 27
9:00 Decision #8
13:00 Decision #9
18:00 Decision #10

Saturday
Feb 28
13:00-16:00 Final Presentation

The program has been consistently voted by students in the past years as one of the “most memorable” learning experiences at ICS. Offered at the very end of the first year, it provides you with an opportunity to integrate everything you have learned throughout the year and also the very last chance to learn from each other by collaborating and competing with your classmates.

The registration costs $39.95 per student for software licensing and a copy of the StratSim manual. Further specifics will be explained in the information session in Term 2. (You are also encouraged to visit.)

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
[Term 2] Accounting & Business Valuation (K. Koga) (2008/Term 1&2 (Fall&Winter))

This course is aimed at MBA candidates who expect at some point in their careers to use financial statements to evaluate the performance of a company and the value of a business. The objective of the course is to provide hands-on experience in financial statement analysis. By the end of the course, you will be able to read firms’ financial statements and also understand how a financial statement can be used to do “fundamental analysis” and equity valuation.

How can we translate “sustainable competitive advantage” into accounting numbers? How about the concepts of “cost leadership” and “core competence”? The course focus is not on the details of accounting rules, but on interpreting strategy from profitability, efficiency, financial health, stability, and so on.
Course Structure

In this course students will be exposed to a comprehensive financial statement analysis and valuation framework that integrates accounting, financial analysis, and valuation.

The first half of the course develops financial statement analysis and an accounting-based valuation framework that integrates accounting numbers and corporate strategy. This will help students understand how strategy is reflected in financial numbers.

In the second half of the course, the fundamental analysis framework will be applied in a variety of business contexts, such as the following:
(1) Valuation of diversification strategy
(2) Valuation of M&A and divestiture
(3) Financial reporting strategy
(4) Financial policies, such as stock repurchase and dividend policy
Teaching Method

The early part of the course will be slide oriented with accounting data. From the midpoint, some cases will be used. Students are expected to analyze financial statement information and prepare case studies thoroughly.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy

[Term 2] Organizational Capability (K. Kusunoki) (2008/Term 1&2 (Fall&Winter))

Organizational Capability is positioned as an extension of the Competitive Strategy course with an aim to provide students with an integrative understanding of how to gain and sustain competitive advantage. Organizational Capability is well paired with Competitive Strategy as they are two sides of the same coin. Both courses are concerned with gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. The two courses, however, differ in perspective. Competitive Strategy is fundamentally a matter of effective positioning that differentiates a firm from competitors, and is based on a sophisticated understanding of external factors, such as industrial structure.

On the other hand, the perspective of Organizational Capability focuses on internal contexts of competitive advantage. Effective positioning alone is not sufficient to gain and sustain competitive advantage. There are two main routes to competitive advantage: SP (Strategic Positioning) and OC (Organizational Capability), and this course focuses on the latter route.

With these issues in mind, the course will push you to understand how a firm can fully exploit the potential advantage of differentiated strategic positioning. Theoretical aspects of the course are based on recent developments in the capability- (or resource)-based view of the firm. Since knowledge is the crucial ingredient for firm-specific, costly-to-imitate organizational capabilities, the course has substantial linkage to Knowledge Management.

Students who will take this elective course should recognize that this course is not about specific skills and tools for strategy formulation and implementation, but about a perspective to deepen understanding of strategy and competitive advantage. The capability side of competitive strategy is a new and emerging arena of strategy thinking, relative to the positioning-based strategy taught in Competitive Strategy. Different from positioning-based strategy, there are no common, well-developed concepts and frameworks for analyzing organizational capability like Five Force, Value Chain, and so forth. Furthermore, the idea of organizational capability mainly focuses on intangible aspects of competitive advantage, which are difficult to express as fully explicit knowledge. Nevertheless, I believe that Organizational Capability will provide tangible power as a useful heuristic to cultivate more comprehensive understanding of how and why a company can gain and sustain competitive advantage.
Teaching Method

The sessions are primarily case-based. Some cases will be discussed in the traditional manner of case discussion. Given the emerging nature of capability-based strategy, however, some sessions will use cases as supplements or illustrations for interactive lectures. The course will include one presentation session from groups of students.

Since there are no “standard” textbooks on capability-based strategy, this course will not use a particular textbook. Instead, the course uses some chapters from the following book as reading materials:

Saloner, G., Shepard A., & Podolny, J. (2001). Strategic management. New York: John Wiley
& Sons.

Since the course will directly touch only some chapters from the book, copies of the selected chapters to be used in the class will be included in the course binder. However, I strongly recommend that students buy this book because it is very good at creating a bridge between the capability view and positioning view of strategy. In addition, I will deliver some readings in the classroom that will be helpful as supplements to the topics and issues covered in this course.

ICS , Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
[Term 2] Microeconomics for Managers (S. Lippert) (2008/Term 1&2 (Fall&Winter))

Microeconomics offers general principles and analytical tools for understanding complex business situations and optimizing decisions. The course teaches how to apply microeconomics to common management problems including designing pricing and implementing pricing strategies, competing with rivals, and structuring incentives. The course also introduces game theory and exposes students to the art of analytical modeling of business situations. The course will finally examine how to strike the right balance between profit and market share. The course does not assume previous knowledge of economics or advanced mathematics. However, the course makes extensive use of algebra (variables, functions, equations) and graphs.
Course Structure

The course is divided into three modules, as follows:
(1)Demand and pricing
(a) Fundamentals: elasticity, consumer surplus, market structures
(b) The profit equation: price, costs, units sold
(c) Non-linear pricing: two-part tariff
(d) Bundling

(2)Competition and game theory
(a) Oligopoly
(b) Industry entry, entry deterrence
(c) Signaling
(d) Attrition, bargaining

(3)Designing incentives
(a) Principal-agent model
(b) Balancing risk and incentives
(c) Managing for Profit vs. Market Share
(d) Useful tools, methods, and frameworks
Teaching Method

Cases will be used for class discussion, setting the context and illustrating real-world applicability of the concepts. Concepts will be presented in an interactive lecture format using analytical models expressed in algebra and graphs. Several problem sets will be assigned during the semester to encourage evenly-distributed learning throughout the semester, deepen and confirm understanding of concepts, and provide practice for the final exam.