The Pragmatic MBA for Scientific and Technical Executives

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
• Extends readers' grasp by posting additional resources at a freely-available website 

Professionals in technical industries, especially pharma, IT, and aircraft/navigation, 1st year MBA students with technical backgrounds, and participants in executive MBA courses, especially those from technical industries. 

Dedication

Preface

Foreword

Chapter 1. Marketing

Introduction

Market Segmentation

The Marketing Mix

General References and Websites Related to Marketing

Chapter 2. Economics

Introduction

Markets

Gross Domestic Product

Inflation

Exchange Rates

Innovation and Economics

General References and Websites in Economics

Chapter 3. Corporate Strategy

Introduction

Business Portfolio Model

Five Forces Model

Resource-Based View of the Firm

Delta Model

General References and Websites in Strategy

Chapter 4. Management and Leadership

Introduction

Team Structure

Team Construction

Leadership Dynamics

Motivation

Change Management

General References and Websites on Leadership and Management

Chapter 5. Portfolio Management

Introduction

Common Traits

Considerations in Portfolio Management

Models for Portfolio Management

General References in Portfolio Management

Chapter 6. Finance and Accounting

Introduction

Financial Statements

Ratios

Discounted Cash Flow

General References and Websites in Finance

Chapter 7. Product Development

Introduction

Product Life Cycle

Disruption (Disruptive Innovation)

Adoption and Diffusion

Discontinuities in the Product Life Cycle

Dominant Design

General References and Websites in Product Development

Chapter 8. Operations

Introduction

Total Quality Management

Variability

Continuous Improvement

Supply Chain Coordination: Information Sharing

General References and Websites on Operations

Chapter 9. Business Law

Introduction

Contracts

Torts

Intellectual Property

Employment Law

General References and Websites with Articles on the Law

Web Based Supporting Resources

Educational Videos

Podcasts

Index