BU.913.610.XX – Managerial Decision Behavior – Page 1 of 5
/Business Analytics
2 creditsBU.913.610.XX
[NOTE: Each section must have a separate syllabus.]
[Day & Time / ex: Monday, 6pm–9pm]
[Start & End Dates / ex: 3/24/17–5/12/17]
[Semester / ex: Fall 2016]
[Location / ex: Washington, DC]
Instructor
[Full Name]
Contact Information
[Email Address]
[Phone Number, ###- ###-#### (Optional)]
Office Hours
[Please specify the day and time of the 2 hours that will be dedicated to office hours each week. For evening classes, faculty may wish to hold their office hours by phone or email. While faculty are permitted to state “and by appointment,” office hours should not be held exclusively by appointment.]
Required Text(s) & Learning Materials
Stephen G. Powell and Kenneth R. Baker, Management Science: The Art of Modeling with Spreadsheets, 4th Edition, 2014, John Wiley and Sons.
All other required course materials will be posted as noted on the Blackboard site.
Course Description
This course lays the analytical foundation for modeling that supports many managerial decisions that entail tradeoffs among competing objectives. Building on concepts from Operations Research, Economics and Probability Theory, this course provides a basic introduction to a variety of resource allocation problems. In the second part of this course sequence, the complementary behavioral basis of decision-making is explored.
Course Overview
This course examines the essential principles for productive decision making, which allow firms to thrive by encouraging risk taking in value creation. This course further explores the formal and informal processes for promoting reliable decision making at the individual and organizational levels. This module develops the microeconomic rationale underlying these decisions using coherent statistical analysis and interpretation of data. Business decisions are influenced not only by data and normative models but also by the subjective mindsets and emotions that managers bring to the decision context. The course encourages us to think critically about how we interpret data and make decisions and then to learn how to avoid and correct common decision errors that occur because of faulty, ingrained mental models. This module develops an understanding of the behavioral principles and methods in order to support more effective decisions presents the relevant principles.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand the nature and range of managerial decisions in global organizations.
2. Appreciate the role of research in creating knowledge about managerial decision making and how this knowledge is used to create appropriate qualitative and quantitative formulations of managerial decision problems.
3. Represent the above formulations in spreadsheet-based models that embody the formulation and explore formal solutions.
4. Assess the qualitative implications of proposed solutions and evaluate them for their ethical frames and behavioral feasibility.
5. Interpret the proposed solution and develop balanced but compelling support arguments for your recommendations.
To view the complete list of Carey Business School’s general learning goals and objectives, visit the Carey website.
Attendance Policy
Class attendance is mandatory and there are no excused absences. Please come to class on time and place your cell phones in silent mode at the start of the class. Laptops and associated devices are permitted for legitimate classroom use only. These rules will be enforced strictly and violations will be reflected in your course grade.
Assignments
The course will use spreadsheets for some of the work. To help you prepare, please review the following materials from the textbook. In addition, submit as individual assignment, the case Medical supplies for Banjul, p. 447 of the textbook. The assignment must be submitted on Blackboard by 8:00 am on [date]. Some materials to help will be posted on the Blackboard site for the course. Two other assignments are to be completed in groups of 3 or 4 students from the same cohort.
Each student should read the assigned material carefully prior to each class session. This not only facilitates class discussion, but also lightens your workload because the lectures are easier to follow if you have prepared the assigned readings. Class participation represents 15% of the course grade which will be determined in part by using an attendance policy. Attendance will be taken twice during each class. Failure to sign-up in a timely way will yield 0 points; successful sign-up will yield up to 1 points per class session for a maximum of 5 points.
Assignment / Learning Objectives / Weight /Class Participation (Sign-Up and Discussion) / 1–5 / 15%
Individual Assignment / 1–5 / 5%
Group Assignments / 1–5 / 30%
Final Exam / 50%
Total / 100%
Grading
Effective Fall 2017: The grade of A is reserved for those who demonstrate extraordinarily excellent performance as determined by the instructor. The grade of A- is awarded only for excellent performance. The grades of B+, B, and B- are awarded for good performance. The grades of C+, C, and C- are awarded for adequate but substandard performance.The grades of D+, D, and D- are not awarded at the graduate level (undergraduate only). The grade of F indicates the student’s failure to satisfactorily complete the course work.
Please note that for Core and Foundation courses, a maximum of 25% of students may be awarded an A or A-; the grade point average of the class should not exceed 3.3. For Elective courses, a maximum of 35% of students may be awarded an A or A-; the grade point average of the class should not exceed 3.4. (For classes with 15 students or fewer, the class GPA cap is waived.)
Course Calendar
The instructor may alter course content or adjust the pace to accommodate class progress. Students should consult the Blackboard postings regularly to remain informed of any changes. The list of assigned readings and cases as well as suggested reference material is provided in the next section.
Date/Session / Topic/Content / Reading and Preparation Assignments / Assignments
Due /
Session 1 / Course Overview
Introduction to Nonlinear Optimization Problems / Chapters 1.1, 1.2, 3.2
Chapter 8.1–8.5 / Medical Supplies for Banjul
Session 2 / More Nonlinear Optimization
Introduction to Linear Optimization and a Geometric Interpretation / The LEGO Game (Bb)
Chapter 9.1
Session 3 / More Linear Optimization / Chapters 9.2–9.6
Session 4 / Optimization of Network Models:
Introduction to Integer Optimization / Chapters 10.1–10.5
Chapters 11.1,11.5 / Red Brand Canners (Bb)
Session 5 / More on Integer Optimization
Probability Models / Chapters 11.2–11.4
Appendix 3
Reading on Markov Chains
Session 6 / Decision Analysis
Introduction to Monte Carlo Simulation / Chapter 13
Chapters 14.1, 14.7
Session 7 / Discrete Event Simulation
Course Recap / To be assigned / George’s T-Shirts
Session 8 / Final Examination
BU.913.610.XX – Managerial Decision Behavior – Page 1 of 5
Carey Business School
Policies and General Information
Blackboard Site
A Blackboard course site is set up for this course. Each student is expected to check the site throughout the semester as Blackboard will be the primary venue for outside classroom communications between the instructors and the students. Students can access the course site at https://blackboard.jhu.edu. Support for Blackboard is available at 1-866-669-6138.
Course Evaluation
As a research and learning community, the Carey Business School is committed to continuous improvement. The faculty strongly encourages students to provide complete and honest feedback for this course. Please take this activity seriously; we depend on your feedback to help us improve. Information on how to complete the evaluation will be provided toward the end of the course.
Disability Support Services
All students with disabilities who require accommodations for this course should contact Disability Support Services at their earliest convenience to discuss their specific needs. If you have a documented disability, you must be registered with Disability Support Services ( or 410-234-9243) to receive accommodations. For more information, please visit the Disability Support Services webpage.
Honor Code/Code of Conduct
The Carey community believes that honesty, integrity, and community responsibility are qualities inherent in an exemplary citizen. The objective of the Carey Business School Honor Code is to create an environment of trust among all members of the academic community while the qualities associated with success are developed in students. All students are expected to view the Carey Business School Honor Code/Code of Conduct tutorial and submit their pledge online.Please contact the Student Services office at if you have any questions.
Students are not allowed to use any electronic devices during in-class tests. Calculators will be provided if the instructor requires them for test taking. Students must seek permission from the instructor to leave the classroom during an in-class test. Test scripts must not be removed from the classroom during the test.
Student Conduct Code
The fundamental purpose of the Johns Hopkins University’s regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. For the full policy, please visit the Student Conduct Code website.
Student Success Center
The Student Success Center offers free online and in-person one-on-one and group coaching in writing, presenting, and quantitative courses. The center also offers a variety of workshops, exam study sessions, and instructor-led primer seminars to help prepare students for challenging course content, including statistics and accounting. For more information or to book an appointment, please visit the Student Success Center website.
Other Important Academic Policies and Services
Students are strongly encouraged to consult the Carey Business School’s Student Handbook and Academic Catalog and Student Resources for information regarding the following items:
· Statement of Diversity and Inclusion
· Inclement Weather Policy
Copyright Statement
Unless explicitly allowed by the instructor, course materials, class discussions, and examinations are created for and expected to be used by class participants only.The recording and rebroadcasting of such material, by any means, is forbidden. Violations are subject to sanctions under the Honor Code.