Doctor of Business Administration (DBAD)

This first course sets the stage for the DBA by introducing students to business research that addresses pressing global challenges. Emphasizing the notion of business as a force for good, a central theme running throughout the program, the course engages students with multiple disciplinary perspectives on how research can drive meaningful change in areas such as ethics, sustainability, and innovation. Topics include translating practitioner experience into research questions, understanding philosophical foundations of inquiry, and exploring how business scholarship can contribute to economic, environmental, and social well-being. This course prepares students to develop a forward-looking research mindset oriented toward global impact.

This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This course investigates the reciprocal relationship between strategy and sustainability: how firms design and implement strategies to advance global sustainability, and how pressing sustainability issues, such as climate change and public health crises, influence firm strategies. Building on the notion of business as a force for good introduced in DBAD 7000, students engage with theoretical and empirical approaches to studying the intersection of business and sustainability at multiple levels of analysis: institutional, organizational, and individual. This course prepares students to contribute to scholarly and practical conversations on global sustainability strategy.

This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

The goal of this course is to prepare students to develop the ability and confidence to formulate research questions and conceptual models which address them. The course will cover their roles in understanding the world of research; developing a research identity by identifying their research domain; learning to read the academic literature, learning to write in a scholarly style; developing research questions, identifying concepts and theories that inform research on that problem; and developing conceptual models that abstracts from reality. The final deliverable for this course is to present a research topic with substantiation for its significance, relevance, and timeliness in the management field. This would include the research question(s); the literature review; and conceptual models.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This course will introduce students to research methodology, enabling them to gain the ability and confidence to execute empirical research projects. It will cover the spectrum from quantitative to qualitative research methods used to empirically test theories and conceptual frameworks. As such, it will begin with understanding the relationship between the conceptual (constructs or constellations of constructs) and the operational (construct definition, measure development, measurement error, reliability and validity; qualitative approaches). Beginning with the foundations of measuring one construct, the course will cover a range of methods such as surveys, experiments, qualitative interviews, and secondary data analysis.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This course focuses on the nature of scientific knowledge in business. It encompasses the theoretical and methodological aspects of knowledge generation as they apply to business disciplines. The class is focused on developing new business knowledge as well as the scientific method as it applies to business. Students will learn the skills required to critique dominant paradigms in their disciplines, and will examine the tenets of the philosophy of science as they relate to theory generation and testing. This process includes understanding the philosophical underpinnings of developing research questions, hypotheses, approaches to empirical verification and falsification, qualitative and quantitative methods, and maintaining the highest integrity and research ethics, etc.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This course is designed to provide a wide spectrum of research in different areas of business. It aims to build a big picture of research in business, enabling students to gravitate toward and explore areas of interest. It will further reinforce the innovative, global, sustainable, and ethical business as a force for good themes. A paper on a topic of interest will enable students to develop as independent researchers.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This course is designed to provide a wide spectrum of research in different areas of business. It aims to build a big picture of research in business, enabling students to gravitate toward and explore areas of interest. It will further reinforce the innovative, global, sustainable, and ethical business as a force for good themes. A paper on a topic of interest will enable students to develop as independent researchers.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This is the first course in the sequence on data analysis. Building upon the first course on Introduction to Research Methods which will emphasize design, this course will focus on the foundations of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Students will gain the ability and confidence to analyze data and interpret findings to develop and test theories. This course will guide students through the application of theoretical models, qualitative and quantitative and analysis of business problems. Beyond developing analytical skillsets, the course will emphasize precise and accurate formulation and/or extensions of theoretical models, as well as careful interpretation of findings for implications to business, consumers, and society.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This is the second course in the sequence on data analysis. Building upon the first course on Data Driven Business Transformation I, this course will focus on advanced quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Students will learn state-of-the-art advanced analysis to analyze data and interpret findings to develop and test theories. The course will prepare students with techniques that enable cutting-edge analysis used in contemporary research. For example, students will develop, explore, refine, and validate a range of models appropriate for addressing their problem of practice including variance models and articulating nomological networks. In particular, the course will focus on effective conceptualizations of correlation; causation; boundary; and process models.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

Frameworks in Business 1 (and 2) follow up on the first-year sequence on topics. Each course will offer a deep dive into different substantive areas in business. It will do so by adopting disciplinary or theoretical perspectives. As an example, psychological frameworks would enable students to use this disciplinary lens to delve deeper into their specific research interests. Distinct from the topics sequence in the first year, specific theoretical/disciplinary perspectives will be used over a part of the course (or in its entirety) to bring conceptual lenses to bear on relevant research from different areas of business. As such, the content covered would also bring out the specific theoretical/disciplinary framework. The course will involve students conducting independent research in their areas of interest while using the framework in focus.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

Frameworks in Business II is the follow up on the first-year sequence on topics. Each course will offer a deep dive into different substantive areas in business. It will do so by adopting disciplinary or theoretical perspectives. As an example, psychological frameworks would enable students to use this disciplinary lens to delve deeper into their specific research interests. Distinct from the topics sequence in the first year, specific theoretical/disciplinary perspectives will be used over a part of the course (or in its entirety) to bring conceptual lenses to bear on relevant research from different areas of business. As such, the content covered would also bring out the specific theoretical/disciplinary framework. The course will involve students conducting independent research in their areas of interest while using the framework in focus.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

This colloquium focuses on conducting independent research and provides supplemental instruction in research and developing oral communication skills. The doctoral colloquia will include professional development workshops and culminate in each student completing independent research.

This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

The colloquium is designed to facilitate the development and enhancement of professional skills as educators. Specifically, students will be encouraged to develop teaching and further their research skills in this course. After completing this course, opportunities to teach classes at LMU may be provided to students who intend to teach at the university level and conduct applied research.
This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

The colloquium is designed to facilitate the development and enhancement of research and analytical skills as business scholars. The colloquium provides supplemental instruction in research and communication. The course serves as a culminating academic experience in the program prior to the qualifying exam. Students will engage in major theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, and emerging trends in business scholarship, with an emphasis on applying theory to practice and demonstrating the ability to engage with scholarly research. Through a combination of seminars, workshops, peer discussions, and individualized feedback, students will refine their research skills, cultivate critical thinking skills, and prepare for the dissertation phase of the program.

This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

The colloquium is designed to enable DBA students to make progress toward the required dissertation proposal. The colloquium provides supplemental instruction in research, writing, and methodologies to assist students in developing their dissertation proposal.

This course may not be repeated for degree credit.

The DBA Dissertation I and II are the culminating experience in the program. Individual students demonstrate their ability to design and execute an entire research project. The DBA Dissertation courses are taken in three successive semesters after all other coursework has been completed. While dissertations may integrate research conducted in previous classes (e.g., Doctoral Colloquia), the emphasis will be on conceptualizing and executing a new research project.

The DBA Dissertation I and II are the culminating experience in the program. Individual students demonstrate their ability to design and execute an entire research project. The DBA Dissertation courses are taken in three successive semesters after all other coursework has been completed. While dissertations may integrate research conducted in previous classes (e.g., Doctoral Colloquia), the emphasis will be on conceptualizing and executing a new research project.