Executive MBA General

The objective of the module is to provide the student with the basic analytical tools required to make value-creating financial decisions. The student will be provided with an introduction to theoretical foundations and practical applications in financial decision-making. Topics covered in the module include analysis of financial and operating performance, assessment of financial health, working capital and growth management, the time value of money, the risk-return trade-off, valuation of financial and real assets, investments in revenue-generating assets, funding mechanisms and mergers and acquisition-related topics.

This is a foundation course in principles of accounting, and it is designed primarily to provide leaners with the concepts and assumptions underlie the financial reporting as well as finance topics with reflections on different industries in Saudi Arabia. It covers several topics, such as financial statements and the accounting cycle, inventory evaluation methods, accrual & cash basis, depreciation methods, capital budgeting, Net Present Value (NPV) method & valuation and Accounting for bonds.

This course focuses on how to use partial information to draw conclusions about the underlying population. Managers will learn how to make inferences about the population based on sample data followed by the study of statistical process control that will enable the monitoring of a production process or service quality. Time will be spent on learning simple and multiple regression which are useful for prediction and forecasting. The module will also consider some other statistical modelling tools and techniques such as non-parametric tools. The emphasis of this module is on learning the methodologies (what they mean and what they are used for, seeing their applications, and interpreting outputs rather than focusing on learning a computer package or on studying the underlying mathematical details. Participants will also practice how to make decisions based on models, data, and quantitative reasoning.

Students will understand the terminology used in the big data and data analytics. They will also explore the applications of big data and data analytics in various corporate settings and introduce students to using, at an introductory level, menu-driving data analytics tools

Extracting useful insights from the vast amount of information involves a combination of analytical skills and intuition. It is both art and science. The pedagogic philosophy in this course embraces the principle of learning-by-doing. You will learn a framework to guide effective decision-making during the analytics process, which helps ensure a sound business strategy based on facts. You will practice developing the questions, understanding stakeholder needs, identifying risks and uncertainties, and analyzing plan components, and will determine how to gather and analyze data to evaluate and communicate alternatives to upper management for decision-making. Examples, relevant discussions, and the use of Microsoft Excel will provide you with value that can be transferred back to the real-world environment

At the end of this module, students will not only be able to address the activities involved in managing the chain of supplies, but also to obtain the necessary skills to assess and evaluate supply chain performance and make recommendations to increase supply chain competitiveness. The module will provide students with the knowledge and tools necessary to develop, implement, and sustain strategies for the purpose of managing supply chain issues. To meet these goals and objectives, the module covers fundamental optimization tools for quantitative analysis in the management area of management decisions. The module follows a practical spreadsheet-based approach to provide hands-on experience with software such as Excel Solver.  The many factors that affect the quality of products and services comprise the broad subject called total quality management (TQM) are also covered.

Impression management is a strategic communication course that teaches students how to consciously shape others' perceptions of them through verbal and nonverbal cues, personal branding, and professional presentation techniques. Students learn to authentically present their best selves in various contexts—from job interviews to social media—while maintaining credibility and building stronger relationships. The course combines theory with practical exercises to develop ethical self-presentation skills that align personal values with desired professional and social outcomes.

The objective of this course is to provide an advanced analysis of the major issues associated with venture capital, private equity, and FinTech. We will discuss issues such as the structure and governance of venture capital funds, differences between venture capital, private equity, fundraising, financial contracts between investors and entrepreneurs, valuation of entrepreneurial firms, and exiting (initial public offerings, acquisitions, secondary sales, buybacks and liquidations). Public policy towards venture capital and private equity around the world will be studied as part of the course. International differences across venture capital and private equity markets on various other dimensions will be addressed. Special topics in FinTech, including venture capital investment in FinTech, will be discussed.

This course introduces the concepts, theories, and practical methods for measuring and managing financial, interest rate, and exchange rate risks. It explores how individuals and firms assess risk, the instruments and strategies used to manage it, and the real-world constraints on risk-sharing. Participants will gain practical knowledge of forward, futures, and options markets as key tools to mitigate financial exposure, emphasizing the role of financial products and institutions in supporting informed decision-making in both professional and personal contexts

This course equips executive MBA participants with advanced analytical concepts and practical tools necessary to lead organizations toward sustainable performance excellence through effective quality management. Emphasis is placed on integrating quality strategies with organizational goals, fostering customer-centric cultures, and deploying evidence-based methods for continuous improvement. Participants will explore global quality standards, benchmarking practices, and statistical process control while gaining exposure to contemporary methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, and ISO frameworks. The course blends strategic perspectives with applied tools to prepare executives for leadership roles in driving innovation, efficiency, and organizational competitiveness.

Reputational risks and crises of all types are inevitable. Failures due to these risks and crises are not inevitable. The mission of this course is to help equip you to develop your decision-making tools to identify and effectively address risks and crises in our increasingly risk-laden dynamic and uncertain world. Unanticipated reputational crises can destroy a brand, enterprise, firm or person and their reputation. Properly anticipated, the damage, reputational or otherwise, from a crisis may be mitigated or, possibly, avoided totally. Marketing and communications play a substantial role in both risk assessment and crisis management processes. This course seeks to increase your awareness of dimensions of reputational risks so you can manage them more effectively while giving you more perspective on the complex inter-relationships of elements and disciplines at work in business development and management. Building and preserving your reputation is critical and impacts all image aspects.

This module will allow executives to gain an understanding in use of accounting terminology and understand the basics of accounting regulation; understand the economic context of financial reporting and the interplay between different interested parties in this process; interpret trends and encounter red flags in the four financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement and the statement of shareholder’s equity); as well as understand the interrelation between those statements. This will be followed by a section of the module where executives learn about what impact future changes in internal and external factors may have on the financial results of a company. The quality of financial reporting, and how to identify possible management practices to achieve specific goals and objectives are introduced.

This module covers managerial accounting and cost management practices that can be strategically applied across the various functions of a business organization to improve organizational performance. The module emphasizes the methods available to measure and evaluate costs for decision-making and performance evaluation purposes. This course also focuses on developing and using financial and non-financial information to support decision-making, not only in a technical sense but also in a strategic sense. The course examines the application of financial and management accounting ‘tools’ relevant to critical financial decisions using cases that emphasize the use of accounting information for making informed business decisions.  

The module aims to develop an understanding of the underlying concepts of corporate governance, which are relevant to the contemporary business environment. It is designed to foster participants’ understanding of the ethical influences on economic, financial, managerial, and environmental aspects. This module reviews different regulatory processes essential to the understanding of the principles of corporate governance in Saudi Arabia, the region, the US, and Europe. The course also explores globalization, business strategy, operations, and practices, examining national differences, trade policies, and key choices in internationalization strategies.

Value creation integrates topics from finance, strategy, decision making and leadership. Using a cross functional approach, students develop a value creation mindset and learn that value creation is an important, using corporate objectives and a guiding principle for making a wide range of managerial decisions. The goal is to give students the knowledge, skills, frameworks, and judgment needed to make good strategic, financial, and operating decisions. The course emphasizes the development of practical insights rather than formal theories--to understand the tools and concepts commonly used in organizations. The course incorporates analytical tools covered in other courses and apply value-based management techniques to a broad set of business decisions.

This course focuses on problems faced by, and the decisions made by, executive leaders who must balance the needs and expectations of stakeholders, customers, and employees with the requirements of local country practices and government regulations. By focusing on policy decisions, we will be concerned with the choice of goals as well as the organization, management, and deployment of scarce resources to pursue these goals within the context of an imperfect, changing, and competitive world. Based on value creation, this course provides concepts and ideas for the toolkit of the manager involved in the process of developing and sustaining a strategic competitive advantage. This leads to the general issue of how competitive advantages can be built in the long term.

The aim of the lecture is to offer analytical and practical knowledge in strategic change and implmentation. Participants will gain insights into the problems of strategic change. They should develop a solid knowledge of the basic concepts and theories of strategic change and implementation. The focus is on the question of how companies can achieve and maintain competitive advantages in different contexts. This question is discussed on the basis of theories, empirical findings and practical examples. Students should be able to analyze the external and internal environments of companies and identify the associated opportunities and risks in order to make solid strategic changes.

This course introduces Executive MBA students to the fundamental concepts, principles, and practices of cybersecurity in business contexts. It covers core topics such as cryptography and its applications, database security, network and web security, and malicious software. Emphasis is placed on understanding cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, analyzing their impact on business operations, and applying appropriate countermeasures to safeguard organizational assets. Through case study analyses, applied exercises, and group projects, students will develop the knowledge, skills, and ethical awareness to make informed decisions and design effective solutions to complex cybersecurity challenges in modern companies.

This module explores the behavioral science research behind effective leadership and communication practices. It will examine key concepts of leadership, communication theory and practices for the purpose of further honing your skills/style and expanding impact of leadership and communication. Ethics theories and practices will also be covered focusing on what are the responsibilities of leaders to establish ethical climates in their organizations and communities and how to deal with the tensions that exists between ethics and leadership. Are there universal values and ethical principles in leadership? What models and approaches exist to ethical leadership?

The focus of this module is to develop applied leadership skills focusing on practical applications in organizations. The module explores power, influence, and persuasion in organizational contexts and allows you to practice advanced leadership skills, such as conflict management, negotiation, delegation, and group facilitation, with emphasis on supervising, persuading, and motivating others. The strategic component of the module emphasizes leadership strategies for driving organizational change and preparing for the future while maintaining team performance. Different types of leadership approaches are explored.

Upon completing this module, students will be able to explain and appraise key principles and practices for line managers and HRM practitioners in managing people and performance across organizations.  Human resources related topics covered include strategic HRM, HR planning, talent management, training & development, rewards & motivation, workplace effectiveness and commitment. We will discuss performance measurements in the context of its purposes; linkages to organizational mission, vision and/or strategic goals; and process, management, and leadership implications. The different tools of performance management such as: dashboards; balanced scorecards; and benchmarking will be examined and discussed.

This module examines different perspectives on organization theory and their relevance for the management of organizations, both for-profit and non-profit. We will discuss how organization theory conceptualizes organizational environment, social structure, technology, culture, power, and conflict and how these subjects are reflected in real-life situations encountered in organizational practices. While examining various organizational theories, we will also be reading and discussing numerous cases so that difficult-to-understand, abstract concepts and theories become easier to grasp and apply in practice.

At the end of this module, students will be able to apply a variety of negotiation practices, using role-playing simulations that address distributive, integrative, team-based, and multi-party negotiations. Students will also evaluate conflict, ethics, and dispute resolution from the perspectives of a negotiator and as a third party.

This course focuses on problems faced by, and the decisions made by, executive leaders who must balance the needs and expectations of stakeholders, customers, and employees with the requirements of local country practices and government regulations.  By focusing on policy decisions, we will be concerned with the choice of goals as well as the organization, management, and deployment of scarce resources to pursue these goals within the context of an imperfect, changing, and competitive world. Based on value creation, this course provides concepts and ideas for the toolkit of the manager involved in the process of developing and sustaining a strategic competitive advantage. This leads to the general issue of how competitive advantages can be built in the long term. 

This course equips executives to diagnose growth constraints, design scalable strategies, mobilize resources, and lead organizations through the operational, financial, and organizational challenges of growth. Emphasis is placed on practical application to Saudi and Middle Eastern firms and sectors.

This module is designed to help students make better managerial decisions. It helps students recognize decision-oriented problems; how to represent and model the core structure, and how to analyse the problem using both formal and informal tools grounded in decision theory. It provides students with the skill to think effectively about the inputs into a decision analysis, whether to trust the analysis, and how to use the outputs to guide actions.

This module aims to understand the different factors that support innovation and entrepreneurial performance within an organization. Students are shown how innovations of products, services, processes, and organizational structure can create and destroy markets. Consideration is given to innovation within an organization, showing how innovation can be used to address social, environmental, and governance challenges. The students then integrate innovation into a managerial perspective, highlighting the entrepreneurial practices necessary to sustain innovation and create new products and services.  Students will analyze the factors that lead to the new and disruptive business models and how they impact organizational strategy and organization.  Other covered areas include how to generate and manage ideas, opportunity assessment, and how to develop a plan to successfully execute a plan.  Note that this is not a course in new product development.

In this course, you will gain insights into how you can identify and reduce the impact of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in your workplace, elevating your opportunity to succeed. You will match your strengths and weaknesses with the leadership characteristics essential in today's VUCA world to formulate an action plan to guide you in improving your leadership skills. Finally, you will develop skills to improve your vision, courage, and character, ultimately preparing you to lead in a VUCA world

This is an overview course to prepare the general manager to be more effective in dealing (both strategically and organizationally) with the digital transformation of the global enterprise and its ecosystem of partnerships and suppliers. It is about the organizational transformation that takes place when any company wants to or needs to take a part of its business online and to “go digital.” Mastering the concepts, practices, and technologies of digital transformation is a critical skill for line managers in any area of business. Furthermore, the global dimension is becoming more critical as digital technologies and broadband networks change the speed and global reach by which enterprises can provide their services, partner with others, source their products, and enter remote markets. Additionally, the course explores various concepts related to informatics such as cyber security, database management, data storage and related issues.

AI technologies continue to expand their capabilities to perform human tasks, gaining interest from companies that seek to invest and embark on a transformational journey to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations, products, and services. Before adopting these new technologies in their organizations, it is critical for leaders to understand what AI can do, the benefits it provides, and the challenges that might be encountered. The purpose of the course is to understand the general principles of automation with technology, understand the hype and reality of AI dangers, distinguish the different types of AI and what they are best used for, and see how machine learning and generative AI work.

The course is concerned with understanding the nature of the competitive process and the source of firm-level competitive advantage. The focus is upon the economics of market competition, and the strategies that firms can adopt to gain a competitive advantage. The course explores the fundamental micro-economic principles of competition and applies these principles to the study of competitive advantages and strategies.  It also provides students with an understanding of how macroeconomic performance is measured, how monetary and fiscal policies influence macroeconomic performance, and how these relate to everyday corporate business decisions.

The objective of the module is to provide the student with the basic analytical tools required to make value-creating financial decisions. The student will be provided with an introduction to theoretical foundations and practical applications in financial decision-making. Topics covered in the module include analysis of financial and operating performance, assessment of financial health, working capital and growth management, the time value of money, the risk-return trade-off, valuation of financial and real assets, investments in revenue-generating assets, funding mechanisms and mergers and acquisition-related topics.

The course examines the merger and acquisition process from the perspectives of both buyers and sellers. The course explores the difference between internal (make) versus external (buy) growth opportunities and their value-related consequences. Additional focus will be put on the interaction of strategic planning, value planning, financial strategies, and investment decisions. The goal of the course is to provide critical insights and powerful tools for the successful formulation and execution of an M&A strategy

This course addresses how to design and implement the best combination of marketing efforts to carry out a firm's strategy in its target markets. Specifically, this course seeks to develop the student's (1) understanding of how the firm can benefit by creating and delivering value to its customers, and stakeholders, and (2) skills in applying the analytical concepts and tools of marketing to such decisions as segmentation and targeting, branding, pricing, distribution, and promotion.

This module builds on the “first principles” of the marketing strategy approach, which unites concepts discussed in the Marketing for Healthcare module and concentrates on the development and application of value-enhancing strategies. More precisely, it argues that marketing strategies should be designed considering four principles: All customers are different, all customers change, competitors will react to a firm’s strategic changes, and every firm must allocate their budget to implement efficient and effective strategies. Students will learn the components and construction of a strategic marketing plan and gain considerable experience in making complex marketing decisions

This module aims to introduce the main theoretical and managerial concepts and issues related to business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing and strategic market relations from a branding and product and service strategy perspective. The students are introduced to brand strategy frameworks, emphasizing how effective, strategy-linked brand positioning and architecture are essential in delivering a clearly defined and differentiating value proposition and customer offering. The emphasis will be on brand-building marketing and communication programs which can be used to meet company goals and objectives.

The course allows students to update their knowledge and capabilities in business, management, and economics.  The objective of this course is to help participants keep pace with future economic, business, management and technological developments that will impact business and society by providing them with a relevant knowledge bank, which may enhance their careers. 

Contemporary Topics in Business and Management II

The course allows students to update their knowledge and capabilities in business, management, and economics.  The objective of this course is to help participants keep pace with future economic, business, management and technological developments that will impact business and society by providing them with a relevant knowledge bank, which may enhance their careers. 

In consultation with faculty, the student will be required to complete a project report in the field of their choosing. The project is intended to solve a real-life problem through bridging theory and practice.