EE204: Business Management for
Electrical Engineers and Computer Scientists

Tuesday and Thursday 9:00am-10:50am

Registration begins Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 12:00am

Enrollment for Spring 2012 is open on Axess.

The link to add yourself to the course waiting list will be posted once the class is full on Axess.

Overview

The EE204 (formerly EE353) course focuses on learning to see and understand the fundamental activities of businesses worldwide and how to manage them. Successfully performing these activities and producing innovative results requires leadership, teamwork, and integrating the many functional disciplines of business including R&D, Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing, Accounting, and Human Resources.

EE204 explores seven major business activities which are central to the success of a business.

Seeing the big picture
Creating new markets
Developing successful products
Going to market and executing the plan
Measuring results
Leading and managing teams

Learning to see and understand these activities is demonstrated through frameworks and tools (see marketing example) and background readings by thought leaders. Case studies are the heart of the class and are used to present specific issues faced by real companies. Students are asked to analyze these issues, make decisions, plan future actions, and discuss their reasoning in class. The companies are chosen from the technology sector including consumer electronics, semiconductor, software, consulting services, and e-commerce. A case is chosen to highlight one or more management challenges faced by the company.

Excelling at the above activities is essential to a company's success.They must be carried out throughout the lifecycle of a company: from the young start-up which hasn't found product/market fit, to the private company undergoing a pivot in strategy, and to the major multinational corporation.

Understanding the activities of business can provide engineers and scientists with a broader perspective on how to contribute to their organizations and achieve their career objectives. The curriculum is built around building skills and introducing a thinking process that will be needed for success. Additionally, the classroom discussion format is tuned for a peak learning experience. The course is fast paced, requiring extensive reading preparation and participation (see Stanford University course review and student comments)

Operational effectiveness

The course point of view is operational effectiveness. The course is taught from the perspectives of the decision maker and those responsible for implementing the decisions. Students are asked to gather all relevant information, weigh the alternatives, make a decision, and explain “what they would do” to implement their decision through their own actions and the leadership of others.

Team focus

Each class is conducted as a business team meeting. Our objective is to determine the best course of action and its implementation for the assigned case study. Students are the team members and the instructor is the facilitator. The case method is used. The case method of management instruction is based upon the belief that management is a skill. The best way to learn this skill is to experience it through a team simulation as opposed to a traditional lecture format. The collective knowledge and reasoning of the team determines the outcome of each class. The students decide “the right decision and course of action” in the heat of their deliberations, debate, and discussion.

Communications skills

The class offers students an opportunity to practice and develop communications skills. Individuals present their points of view and their decisions through oral classroom participation. Students should expect to be challenged by their classmates to defend their analysis, decisions, and implementation plans. We recommended students form a study group for all classes but it is required for one written team paper. Students for whom English is a second language have had excellent success in this class.

For interested students, there are additional communication-skill-building opportunities in which they may participate for extra credit:

Distance Learning

One of the objectives of EE204 is to share the learning experience with the broadest base of students possible. The material is chosen to reflect the global interdependence of 21st-century business and to enhance the relevance to our students around the world. Business problems in the 21st century require mastering distance collaboration skills. EE204 is being videotaped for future offerings to enrolled distance-learning students and will incorporate many collaboration skills and tools. Please contact the Stanford Center for Professional Development program for information on enrollment.

Continuing Education

The evolution of business activities and companies covered in EE204 are updated frequently on the class Twitter feed. Also included are interesting articles and news. Please continue to follow the class as a student, alumnus, or interested person on the class Twitter feed:

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Course Information

Description

Assignments

Supplemental reading

Class home page

Stanford University course review

Excerpts from student comments

EE204 course design and position paper

Faculty Background and Contact Information

Fred Gibbons

Micah Siegel

Blair Kaneshiro (TA, blairbo at stanford dot edu)

Office hours & contact information

Administration

Registration and course reader information

Waiting list information

Case method of instruction

Classroom discussion guidelines

Written assignment guidelines

Study groups

Grading

 

Resources

Business Association for Stanford Engineering Students (BASES)