This course provides students with an understanding of the legal environment in which Canadian businesses operate. The course focuses on key areas of the legal environment that particularly impact business decision-making. This includes an understanding of the Canadian legal system, risk management, business torts, contractual principles, corporate formation and governance, and employment law. The course also examines the often challenging legal regime within which international businesses operate.

The course examines a number of issues particularly critical to the management of international businesses or multinational firms. These topics include an examination of comparative management practices including similarities and differences in cross-cultural management styles; a comparison of Pacific Rim, European Union, and North American value systems; analysis of best practices and their impact in industries such as automotive, electronics, education, and medical services.

This course includes the study of the competitiveness of companies in different countries and regions given ever-changing economic conditions and government policies. General trends in the increasingly interdependent global economy are reviewed. With an integrated global economy, the production process is increasingly fragmented, and the implications of this fragmentation on competitiveness are reviewed.

This integrated project for a business or non-profit organization requires students to apply multiple management disciplines to a complex project in a real-world setting. Students will work closely with the professor and individuals in the business or non-profit community to complete the project. All projects are to be approved by the MBA Department.

The practice of financial management in non-profit organizations is significantly different from that in for-profit businesses. Many of the differences stem from the difficulty of measuring and valuing outputs, and from restrictions imposed by donors and grant-making agencies.

Securing adequate resources is a challenge for all non-profit organizations. Funding can be obtained from a variety of sources, including grants, user fees, gifts and bequests, and investments. This course provides the tools for properly assessing the funding mix of an organization and developing strategies to increase revenue streams. In particular, topics such as fee setting and collection, grant writing, investment management, public relations, and donor development and relations are covered.

Managers of non-profit and charitable organizations face numerous legal challenges not faced by corporate managers. The course examines a number of such legal challenges including formation of the charity, obtaining charitable status, reporting requirements, charitable governance, employment and human rights concerns including codes of conduct and lifestyle requirements, working with volunteers, and exposure to tort liability.

This course examines the unique characteristics and role of non-profit organizations in our society. From this perspective, we seek to understand the role of effective management and leadership of non-profits, with attention to factors that leaders may use to improve the effectiveness of their organizations. Through case description and theoretical analysis, students learn about major differences between managing non-profit and profit-making organizations. Students acquire skills focused on governance, financing, and general management of non-profit organizations.

This course explores the elements of an effective start-up of a charitable organization. They include analysis of steps needed to form a charitable organization, development of a business plan, recruiting leadership, establishing a board, securing seed funding, and much more. The course also analyzes why some organizations succeed while others do not. 

This integrated project for a non-profit organization requires students to apply several management disciplines to the development of a complex project in an actual non-profit community setting. Students will work closely with both the professor and individuals in the nonprofit community to complete the project. All projects are to be approved by the MBA Director.