The Pragmatic MBA for Scientific and Technical Executives
[Book Description]
This primer enables professionals with technical expertise to collaborate with their business-side colleagues. Emphasizing brevity and clarity, it gives technical staff answers to their most pressing questions about economics, finance, marketing, strategic decision-making, accounting, management, and related subjects. It does not offer condensed 1st year MBA courses; instead, it presents streamlined concepts and insights that are easy enough to be accessible and challenging enough to hold one's interest. Its examples from pharma, IT, aircraft/navigation, and other industries highlight problems that technical professionals face daily. Written by "one of them," its credibility makes it more useful than Internet resources. Because it concentrates on pragmatic (as opposed to academic) approaches to business, it empowers technical staff to stay with the conversation - and take it to a higher level. Bertrand C. Liang, MD, PhD, MBA, is Managing Director of LCC Ventures and Executive Director of Pfenex, Inc. He is trained in molecular biology and genetics (PhD) and is a clinician (MD) with subspecialty training in neurology and oncology, and serves as a Visiting University Professor at Liaoning He University, Shenyang, China. Creates frameworks and builds concepts enabling technical staff to work with their business colleagues. Delivers content for pragmatic, immediate use, not condensed presentations of subjects from first year MBA curriculum. It extends readers' grasp by posting additional resources at a freely-available website.
[Table of Contents]
MARKETING
Introduction
Market Segmentation
Economic Utility
The Marketing Mix
Product
Place
Promotion
Price
Further Readings
ECONOMICS
Introduction
Markets
Supply and Demand
Elasticity
Gross Domestic Product
Inflation
Exchange Rates
Measuring Exchange Rates
Exchange Rate Systems
Purchasing Power Parity
Governmental Role and Implications of Exchange Rate Changes
Innovation and Economics
Further Reading
STRATEGY
Introduction
Business Portfolio Model
Five-forces Model
Resource Based View of the Firm
Delta Model
Further Reading
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
Introduction
Team Structure
Departmental Teams: Addressing Technology
Multidisciplinary Project Teams: Addressing the Market
Matrix Teams: Addressing the Market and Technology
Characteristics Relevant in Team Construction
Leadership Dynamics
Motivation
Change Management
Further Reading
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Common Traits
Considerations in Portfolio Management
Strategic Alignment and Execution
Resource Allocation
Impact
Pipeline Construction
Models of Portfolio Management
Decision Analysis
Real Options
Multi-attribute Utility Analysis
Modern Portfolio Theory
Further Readings
FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING
Introduction
Financial Statements
The Balance Sheet
The Income Statement
The Cash Flow Statement
Ratios
Discounted Cash Flow
Cost of Capital
Further Readings
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
Product Life Cycle
Disruption (Disruptive Innovation)
Adoption and Diffusion
Discontinuities in the Product Life Cycle
Dominant Design
Further Readings
OPERATIONS
Introduction
Total Quality Management
Variability
Continuous Improvement
Lean Manufacturing
Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle
Six Sigma
Supply Chain Coordination: Information Sharing
Further Reading