Course Catalog

Fall 2007

B9877-002: Retailing Strategy & Operations (Master Class)

M Full Term, 05:45PM to 09:00PM

Instructor: nelson fraiman; burt steinberg; bruce greenwald

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This course is designed to be a hands-on introduction to all aspects of retailing. The first part of the course is devoted to models and case studies in locational strategy (e.g., Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.), operations (e.g., Benetton, Zara, etc.) and merchandising (many examples). Students then apply what they have learned in real consulting projects for actual retail firms. The combination of focus on one particular industry and performance of a real-world analysis should reinforce the broad general lessons that students have accumulated through the MBA program.

Nelson Fraiman

Nelson Fraiman

Professor of Professional Practice

Professor Fraiman joined the faculty after a 17-year career at International Paper Company, where his most recent position was chief technology officer for eight manufacturing divisions. Prior to this he developed and managed a group responsible for productivity improvement and process innovation, and still earlier he directed company-wide educational activities. Fraiman teaches operations and technology management. His research explores institutionalizing quality improvement. He specializes in the retailing, consulting and process industries.

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Bruce Greenwald

Bruce Greenwald

Robert Heilbrunn Professor of Finance and Asset Management

Professor Bruce C. N. Greenwald holds the Robert Heilbrunn Professorship of Finance and Asset Management at Columbia Business School and is the academic Director of the Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. Described by the New York Times as "a guru to Wall Street's gurus," Greenwald is an authority on value investing with additional expertise in productivity and the economics of information.

Greenwald has been recognized for his outstanding teaching abilities. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Columbia University Presidential Teaching Award which honors the best of Columbia's teachers for maintaining the University's longstanding reputation for educational excellence. His classes are consistently oversubscribed, with more than 650 students taking his courses every year in subjects such as Value Investing, Economics of Strategic Behavior, Globalization of Markets, and Strategic Management of Media.

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