Business Acumen for Executives

Develop your management skills and cross-functional impact

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Course Dates

STARTS ON

August 1, 2024

Course Duration

DURATION

6 weeks, online
4–6 hours per week

Course Fee

PROGRAM FEE

US$2,600 and get US$260 off with a referral

Course Fee

For Your Team

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Build your cross-functional business acumen to improve your strategic impact

The era of siloed departments and divisions has been replaced by a new age of communication and collaboration that’s essential for businesses to maintain a competitive edge. It is vital for managers to understand how other functions operate — and how to work cross-functionally with them. The Business Acumen for Executives program will engage you in six key areas of business to develop your strategic management expertise. As a participant, this program will enable you to influence and interact more effectively across your organization and make better cross-functional decisions that drive growth.

93%

of IT and business executives have a talent gap that is preventing business transformation.

SOURCE: Cisco

42%

of IT and business executives rank business acumen as their top skill gap, and no other skill gap comes close.

SOURCE: Cisco

40%

of businesses responding to a recent study said managers and executives lacking business acumen had a high impact on their business.

SOURCE: Society for Human Resources Management

Key Takeaways

Your management playbook serves as a personal guide to your continuous development as a leader. Throughout the program, you’ll use your playbook to complete activities within each module and reflect on your learning. At the end of the program, your playbook can act as a reference on the primary functions of a business and how they intersect by learning how to:

  • Apply strategic management principles to improve organizational success
  • Use financial reports and financial tools to make informed decisions for your organization
  • Develop strategies for attracting, hiring, retaining, and developing talent
  • Analyze the customer experience to develop marketing strategies
  • Utilize data analytics and AI to make informed decisions

Who Is This Program For?

This program is designed to equip aspiring and experienced managers with the skills needed to collaborate more effectively with cross-functional leaders and customers. It is ideal for:

  • Experienced senior managers with functional expertise who are seeking to develop wider general management and business leadership skills
  • Aspiring managers looking to learn foundational business management essentials to advance their careers or upskill with a reputable online certificate
  • Entrepreneurs who want to extend their core business knowledge and drive growth

Program Modules

Module 1:

Business and Strategy

What makes some organizations more successful than others, and how do organizations create competitive advantage? Explore the common elements that drive successful business and competitive strategies.

Module 2:

Finance and Accounting

Get an introduction to finance and accounting for managers — from learning to evaluate financial statements to understanding how organizations make investment decisions — and the link between strategic decision making and finance.

Module 3:

Developing and Engaging Talent

Recognize the importance of building a strategy and aligning management around it to attract, develop, and retain top talent, with a constant eye on maintaining diversity in your organization.

Module 4:

Marketing — Understanding the Customer

Gain a deeper understanding of customers and the consumer decision-making processes, as well as how the consumer experience and customer journey are managed.

Module 5:

Data Analytics and Decision Making

Discover what is possible with big data, analytics, machine learning, and AI, and learn how descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics approaches can inform business decisions and automate processes in organizations.

Module 6:

Personal Leadership

Understand yourself as a leader, identify your unique leadership style, and develop personal leadership skills essential to growth, such as negotiation and influence, effective communication, team building, creating and leveraging networks, and building executive presence.

Module 1:

Business and Strategy

What makes some organizations more successful than others, and how do organizations create competitive advantage? Explore the common elements that drive successful business and competitive strategies.

Module 4:

Marketing — Understanding the Customer

Gain a deeper understanding of customers and the consumer decision-making processes, as well as how the consumer experience and customer journey are managed.

Module 2:

Finance and Accounting

Get an introduction to finance and accounting for managers — from learning to evaluate financial statements to understanding how organizations make investment decisions — and the link between strategic decision making and finance.

Module 5:

Data Analytics and Decision Making

Discover what is possible with big data, analytics, machine learning, and AI, and learn how descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics approaches can inform business decisions and automate processes in organizations.

Module 3:

Developing and Engaging Talent

Recognize the importance of building a strategy and aligning management around it to attract, develop, and retain top talent, with a constant eye on maintaining diversity in your organization.

Module 6:

Personal Leadership

Understand yourself as a leader, identify your unique leadership style, and develop personal leadership skills essential to growth, such as negotiation and influence, effective communication, team building, creating and leveraging networks, and building executive presence.

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Program Experience

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Discussion Boards

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Industry Examples

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Try-It Activities

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Live Office Hours

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Live Session with Faculty

Industry Examples

Delve deep into the psyche of consumer decision-making process and customer journey through industry examples of renowned organizations including

Amazon

The Walt Disney Company

Netflix

Airbnb

Walmart

Coca-Cola

Faculty

Profile image of the programme faculty, Claudine Gartenberg

Claudine Gartenberg

Assistant Professor of Management

Claudine Gartenberg is an assistant professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on corporate purpose and pay inequality and the implications of both for business strategy and competitiveness... More info

Profile image of the programme faculty, Richard Lambert

Richard Lambert

Miller-Sherrerd Professor; Professor of Accounting

Professor Lambert’s research examines topics in financial and managerial accounting. In particular, he explores how information is related to the cost of capital in organizations and how they use information for performance evaluation... More info

Faculty Member Michael Roberts

Michael Roberts

William H. Lawrence Professor; Professor of Finance

Michael R. Roberts is the William H. Lawrence Professor and a professor of finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and an affiliate of the Institute for Law and Economics and the Wharton Financial Institutions Center at the University of Pennsylvania... More info

Faculty Member Matthew Bidwell

Matthew Bidwell

Xingmei Zhang and Yongge Dai Professor; Professor of Management

Professor Bidwell’s research examines new patterns in careers and employment, focusing on causes and effects of more short-term, market-oriented employment relationships. He is particularly interested in the different kinds of career paths that people take in the modern labor market... More info

Faculty Member Raghu Iyengar

Raghu Iyengar

Miers-Busch, W’1885 Professor, Professor of Marketing, Faculty Director, Wharton Customer Analytics

Methodologically, he has developed novel consumer-demand models that capture the effect of multi-part pricing tariffs in a theoretically meaningful way. In the area of social networks, he has investigated how and why such influence may be at work... More info

Faculty Member Andrew Carton

Andrew Carton

Associate Professor of Management

Professor Andrew Carton studies how leaders manage conflict and empower their employees by establishing a common purpose. He pays special attention to psycholinguistics—the properties of language that people find especially meaningful, impactful, and memorable... More info

Certificate

Certificate

Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a digital certificate of completion from the Wharton School.

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Note: After successful completion of the online program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.

This online certificate program does not grant academic credit or a degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

FAQs

  • How do I know if this program is right for me?

    After reviewing the information on the program landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the program brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions on whether this program is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated program advisor will follow-up with you very shortly.


    Are there any prerequisites for this program?

    Some programs do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the program landing page, as well as in the program brochure. If you are uncertain about program prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.


    Note that, unless otherwise stated on the program web page, all programs are taught in English and proficiency in English is required.


    What is the typical class profile?

    More than 50 percent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but, generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry, and geography — leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.


    What other dates will this program be offered in the future?

    Check back to this program web page or email us to inquire if future program dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.

  • How much time is required each week?

    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.


    How will my time be spent?

    We have designed this program to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities including:



    • Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
    • Attending webinars and office hours, as per the specific program schedule
    • Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
    • Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
    • Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
    • Completing your final project, if required

    The program is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on program activities.


    What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?

    More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 percent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programs said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.

    All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the program delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the program in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course.

    A dedicated program support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues, or anything else that may affect your learning experience.


    How do I interact with other program participants?

    Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the program. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.

  • What are the requirements to earn the certificate?

    Each program includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enroll. This is referenced at the top of the program landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the program brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programs are designed to fit into your working life.

    This program is scored as a pass or no-pass; participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programs include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the program brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific program requirements.


    What type of certificate will I receive?

    Upon successful completion of the program, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools, or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter, resume, and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.
    The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the program, once grading is complete.


    Can I get the hard copy of the certificate?

    No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.


    Do I receive alumni status after completing this program?

    No, there is no alumni status granted for this program. In some cases, there are credits that count toward a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the program brochure.


    How long will I have access to the learning materials?

    You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and program materials for 12 months following the program start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.

  • What equipment or technical requirements are there for this program?

    Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts.


    Do I need to be online to access the program content?

    Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access program content from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile device.

    Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you may view them later.

  • Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?

    Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the program without missing any of the core program material or learnings.


    What is the program fee, and what forms of payment do you accept?

    The program fee is noted at the top of this program web page and usually referenced in the program brochure as well.

    • Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this program web page next to FEE).
    • Tuition assistance is available for participants who qualify. Please email learner.success@emeritus.org.

    What if I don’t have a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?

    Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your program advisor, or email us for details.


    I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help?

    Yes! Please email us with the details of the program you are interested in, and we will assist you.


    How can I obtain an invoice for payment?

    Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific program you’re interested in enrolling in.


    Is there an option to make flexible payments for this program?

    Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the program fee in installments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.


    How can I obtain a W9 form?

    Please connect with us via email for assistance.


    Who will be collecting the payment for the program?

    Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support, and manages learning platform services.

  • What is the program refund and deferral policy?

    For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Academic Advisors or call us at +1 680 205 5118 (US) / +44 185 845 9995 (UK) / +65 3135 1422 (SG)

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Early registrations are encouraged. Seats fill up quickly!