PROGRAM

Business and Management

Program outline
This document outlines the scope of themes, which may be included in the Olympiad
tests. The themes are grouped by areas and are followed by the list of recommended
references in the Russian and English languages.

Skill set of the winner of the Olympiad in Business and

Management
Analytical activities
1. Basic knowledge, abilities and skills to apply quantitative and qualitative
analytical methods for studying companies and business processes; to write
analytical papers using these methods (BM-1)
Brief description - ability to apply quantitative and qualitative analytical methods
2. Basic knowledge, abilities and skills to perform the economic and strategic
analysis of companies’ behavior on the global market; to apply modern
approaches to financial management for solving strategic tasks (BM-2)
Brief description - ability to perform economic, strategic and financial analysis of
companies.

Project-oriented activities
1. Basic knowledge, abilities and skills to manage organizations, companies, groups,
teams and projects and to perform changes (BM-3)
Brief description - ability to manage companies, projects and changes.

Research activities

1. Basic knowledge, abilities and skills to organize and perform research; to apply
quantitative and qualitative methods of study of organizations, projects and other
objects of management area; to make critical assessment and interpretation of
research results (BM-4)

Brief description - ability to perform research and critically assess and interpret its
results.

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Competencies The winner of the Open Doors Olympiad in Business and

Management must:

know be able to have the skills in

BM-1 main problems of take managerial strategic analysis;

organization decisions and qualitative and
Basic knowledge, development and explain them quantitative
abilities and skills to functioning; analysis of
rationally;
acquire the capacity companies, projects,
to apply digital tools of teams and other
quantitative and managerial explain, analyze entities related to
qualitative decision making; and forecast the business;
analytical methods main patterns of
for studying main methods of human behavior at
companies and the work of their workplaces;
business processes; organizations;
and to write propose
analytical papers on business processes organizational and
the basis of these analysis; managerial
methods solutions and assess
the conditions and
consequences of
decisions made
from the standpoint
of social
responsibility;

BM-2 main problems of perform market investment

Basic knowledge, organizations research and modeling;
abilities and skills to development and marketing
acquire the capacity functioning; financial analysis;
communications;
to perform an
economic and the relationship analysis of
strategic analysis of between explain and justify strategies of
companies’ behavior investment and managerial different scale and
in a global financial decisions; their linkages
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environment; to complex variety of decisions from the

apply modern sales channels, financial viewpoint;
approaches to tools for product
financial
promotion at the evaluate the
management for
different stages of operation of an
solving strategic
issues the product life individual
cycle; organization;

perform the tasks of

basic theories of managing a
motivation and business
leadership for organization and on
solving managerial world markets in
problems; the context of
globalization;

BM-3 the economic, use relevant the analysis and

Basic knowledge, environmental and managerial development of
abilities and skills to social solutions to interpersonal,
acquire the capacity consequences of improve group and
the managerial organizational organizational
to manage
decisions; effectiveness; communication
organizations,
companies, groups, macro and micro address managerial
teams and projects; environment of the goals by using investment projects
and to perform firm; evaluation;
theories of
changes organizational
types of corporate motivation,
cultures and their leadership, and application of
impact on the modern managerial
power;
organization; technologies, the
suggest development of
organization-wide new management
managerial technologies for
decisions and increasing
evaluate the efficiency and
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antecedents and effectiveness of the

consequences of organization;
such solutions;
interpersonal,
group and
organizational
communication
analysis and design;

BM-4 practical methods use qualitative and critical reasoning

of planning and quantitative and writing;
Basic knowledge, doing research in
research methods;
abilities and skills to the field of
acquire the capacity management; use of tools and
to organize and critically analyze modern
perform research; to the main schools the obtained technologies for
apply quantitative of thought in the research results, information
and qualitative theory of formulate processing for
methods of study of management and recommendations performing
organizations, their contribution research tasks in the
based on the
projects and other to the field of
objects of development of findings of the
management;
management area; to management as a study completed;
make critical science;
assessment and
interpretation of
research results

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Content
Section 1. Theoretical Foundations of Management
1. Evolution of thought in management
2. Management theory and schools
3. Management functions
4. Organizational environment. Organizational changes.
5. Corporate culture. Leadership. Motivation. Management ethics and social
responsibility.

Section 2. Marketing
1. Marketing as the modern philosophy of management. A rationale for the positioning
of marketing in the center of the organization's management system. The difference
between marketing and market orientation of firms.
2. Market research and analysis, desk market research (market capacity, market
potential, market shares of companies, external reports and analysis of internal
documentation, expert desk analysis of PEST, SWOT, GAP, BCG, GE/McKinsey,
Business Canvas, Ansoff, etc.). Field research (survey, experiment, simulation,
observation, focus groups, neuromarketing). Market research planning and
execution.
3. Strategic marketing management. The cycle of marketing management. Marketing
complex and its structure. STP approach (segmentation, targeting, positioning) in
marketing management. Marketing campaign performance metrics. Marketing
budget. Audit and control of marketing activities.
4. Product as a marketing mix element. Three levels of product in marketing. Product
lifecycle. Marketing classification of products. Product management: development
and launch of a new product on the market, assortment and pricing policy. Marketing
services.
5. Products and services distribution. Types of intermediaries. Marketing channels.
Vertical marketing systems. Flows in marketing channels. Marketing channels
research. Sales strategies. Trade marketing. Retail marketing. Multi- and omni
channels.
6. Marketing communications mix. The rationale for integrated marketing
communications. Advertisement and publicity. The AIDA model. Methods and

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media of ATL and BTL advertising. PR - public relations. Personal sale. Media
planning. Marketing communication budget and media plan development.
7. Digital marketing. Online sales. Segmentation and profiling of online clients. Web
analytics and digital marketing performance metrics. Lead generation. SEO-site
optimization. Email marketing. Content marketing. Social media marketing. Banner
advertising. Landing pages. Mobile applications.

Section 3. Strategic management

1. The nature of strategy. The evolution of the strategy concepts. The main components
of strategic management: strategic vision, mission, goals, strategies, levels of strategic
management.
2. Strategic analysis of the company's external environment: PESTEL analysis,
competitive analysis, Porter's 5 forces model, analysis of key stakeholders, key success
factors.
3. Strategic analysis of the company's internal environment: the company’s key
competencies, analysis of a company's resources and capabilities, analysis of the M.
Porter value chain, analysis of the organizational structure, culture and control
system.
4. SWOT analysis as a tool of strategic analysis and planning.
5. Portfolio analysis models: Comparative Matrix Analysis.
6. Competitive and corporate strategies. The nature and sources of competitive
advantage. M. Porter’s competitive strategies. Optimizing firm size and vertical
integration. Diversification strategies.
7. Evolution of the content and processes of strategic planning.
8. Development of forms of strategic partnership.

Section 4. Financial management

1. Financial management objectives and main functions.
2. Companies’ cash flows. Financial statements analysis as a basis for managerial
decisions. Financial ratios and their applications for managerial decisions.
3. Financial planning. Sustainable growth. Methods of forecasting companies’ growth.
Financial planning and budgeting.
4. Investment projects evaluation and taking decisions on projects approval. Main
indicators for making investment decisions (net present value -NPV, internal rate of
return - IRR, profitability index - PI, payback period - PBP).
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5. Sources of funding. Capital structure and its optimization. The relationship between
financial, investment and dividend decisions.

Section 5. Organizational theory and organizational behavior

1. Organization. Levels of organizational behavior analysis. Person-organization fit.
Perceptions of individuals and events.
2. Work motivation: internal and external. Content and process theories of motivation.
3. Groups and the organization. Group norms. Managing in-group processes and
pressures. Group cohesiveness. Group decision-making vs. individual decision-
making. Groupthink.
4. Organizational structure. Departmentalization, advantages and disadvantages of
each organizational structure.
5. Power and the organization. Sources of power. Tactics of and approaches to power
acquisition. Machiavellianism. Power and politics.

Recommended literature
Section 1. Theoretical Foundations of Management
1. Daft R. Management: translated from English / edited by S. K. Mordovin. 8th ed. St.
Petersburg: Peter, 2011
2. Drucker, Peter, F., Maciarello, Joseph A. Management.: trans. from English-Moscow:
I. D. Williams LLC, 2010
3. O. S. Vihansky, A. I. Naumov. - 6th ed. Moscow: Master : Infra-M, 2016
4. Fundamentals of management: translated from English / M. H. Meskon et al. M.:
Williams, 2009
5. Daft R. (2017). Management. 12th edition. Cengage Training
6. Drucker, P. (2012) Management Practice. Routledge
7. Meskon, M. (1997) Fundamentals of management. 3rd edition. Moscow: Publishing
House "Delo"

Section 2. Marketing
1. Kotler F., Keller K. L. Marketing Management. - Publishing house "PETER", 2018.
2. Cheverton P.. Theory and practice of modern marketing. A complete set of strategies,
tools and techniques. - FAIR PRESS, 2002.
3. Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., Manceau, D., & Dubois, B. (2016). Marketing Management,
15e édition. New Jersey: Pearson Education.

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4. Cheverton, P. (2005). Key marketing skills: strategies, tools and techniques for
marketing success. Kogan Page Publishers.
5. Best R. Marketing from the consumer. 4th edition. - M.: - MYTH, 2015
6. Lipsits I. V., Oiner O. K., Zazdravnykh A.V., Kazakov S. P., Panteleeva E. K.,
Latyshova L. S., Polynskaya G. A. Marketing management: textbook and workshop for
bachelor's and master's degrees / Under the general ed.: I. V. Lipsits, O. K. Oiner;
scientific ed.: O. K. Oiner, I. V. Lipsits. M.: Yurayt, 2018
7. Beckwith H. Selling the invisible: a field guide to modern marketing. – Grand Central
Publishing, 1999.

Section 3. Strategic management

1. Grant R. M. Modern strategic analysis. 5th ed. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2008
2. Daft R. Management. 6th edition. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2006.
3. Katkalo, V. S. Evolution of the theory of strategic management : [monograph] /
Higher School of Management of St. Petersburg State University; V. S. Katkalo .- 2nd
ed., ispr. and add. - St. Petersburg: Higher School of Management: Publishing house of
St. Petersburg University, 2011 .— 544 p.
4. Thompson A. A., Strickland A. J. Strategic Management. The art of developing and
implementing a strategy. Textbook for universities. Translated from English -
Publishing house "Unity-Dana", 2012.
5. Grant R. M. Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Text and Cases Edition, 9th Edition
6. Daft R. Management. Cengage Learning; 13th edition
7. Thompson A.A., Strickland A.J. Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases.
Mcgraw-Hill; 13th Edition

Section 4. Financial management

1. Brayley, R., Myers, S., Allen F. Principles of corporate finance. 12th edition. Moscow:
Dialectics, 2019
2. Teplova, T. V. Corporate finance in 2 hours: a textbook and a practical course for an
academic bachelor's degree / T. V. Teplova. - Moscow: Yurayt Publishing House, 2019.
(Bachelor's degree. Academic course).
3. Damodaran, A. Investment assessment. Tools and methods for evaluating any assets.
11th edition. - Moscow: Alpina Publisher, 2020
4. Brealey, R., Myers, S., Allen, F. (2019). Principles of Corporate Finance. 13th Edition .
McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN: 978-1260565553.
5. Damodaran, A. (2006). Damodaran on Valuation: Security analysis for Valuation and
Corporate Finance. 2nd Edition . John Wiley & Sons, Wiley Finance Series. ISBN: 978-
0471751212. Also available from: Damodaran Online. URL: Damodaran On-line Home
Page (nyu.edu)

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Section 5. Organizational theory and organizational behavior

1. Ruzhanskaya, L. S., Yashin, A. A., Soldatova Yu. V. Theory of organization: a textbook;
under the general ed. of L. S. Ruzhanskaya. - Yekaterinburg: Ural Publishing House. un-
ta, 2015. - 200 p. ISBN 978-5-7996-1564-2
2. Korobko V. I., Theory of organization: textbook. manual for bachelors and masters of
universities/ - Moscow: ANO VO "Institute of Continuing Education", 2016 – - 168s. ISBN
978-5-905248-22-1
3. Kostrovets, L. B., Beganskaya, I. Yu., Chernaya, L. V., Kuleshova, L. V., Malik, M. A.,
Yablonskaya, N. G. Theory of organization and organizational behavior: textbook.
Donetsk: GOU VPO "DonAUiGS", 2017 – - 575 s
4. Dorofeeva L. I. Organizational behavior. UMK for students. 2nd ed. Saratov:
Publishing house "Saratov source", 2014. - 394c. ISBN 978-5-91272-365-0
5. Plotnikov, M. V., Chilipenok, Yu. Yu. - Organizational behavior. Educational and
methodological manual. HSE Nizhny Novgorod: VVAGS Publishing House, 2011. - 57
6. Mkrtychyan, G. A., Petrova., O. V. Organizational behavior: a textbook-Nizhny
Novgorod: Publishing house of UNN, 2014. - 201 p. ISBN 978-5-91326-320-9
7. Watson, M., Gully, S. M., Phillips, J. M., Gribble, L., Creed, A., Griffin, R. W. (2021).
Organisational Behaviour: Engaging People and Organisations. Australia: Cengage
Learning Australia. ISBN:9780170440028, 0170440028 Available via google books
https://www.google.ru/books/edition/Organisational_Behaviour_Engaging_People/
xMX1DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Organizational+Behaviour&printsec=frontcove
r
8. Srivastava, S. K. (2005). Organizational behavior and management. New Delhi, India:
Sarup & Sons. ISBN:9788176255639, 8176255637 Available via google books
https://www.google.ru/books/edition/Organizational_Behaviour_and_Management
/708sCDE-KVcC?hl=en&gbpv=0
9. Organizational Behavior. (2010). University of Minnesota Libraries. Available at
https://open.lib.umn.edu/organizationalbehavior/

Recommended online courses

Section 1. Theoretical Foundations of Management
1. Modern Management (Zyabrikov V. V., Titov V. O., St. Petersburg State
University)
https://ru.coursera.org/learn/modernmanagement
2. Management Fundamentals, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

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https://www.coursera.org/learn/management-fundamentals-healthcare-
administrators
3. Foundations of Management, University of Navarra
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/foundations-management
4. Fundamentals of management, University of California
https://www.coursera.org/learn/fundamentals-of-management
5. Managing the Сompany of Future, London Business School
https://www.coursera.org/learn/company-future-management
6. Organizational Behavior: How to manage people, University of Navarra
https://www.coursera.org/learn/managing-people-iese
7. Fundamentals of digital management, RUDN University
https://www.coursera.org/learn/fundamentals-of-digital-
management#instructors

Section 2. Marketing
1. Introduction to marketing. University of Pennsylvania.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-marketing
2. Marketing Strategy. (Shameek Sinha, Ignacio Gafo, Maria Teresa Aranzabal,
Fernando Cortiñas, Ramon Diaz-Bernardo, IE business school) —
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/marketing-strategy
3. E-Marketing. (Stephane Muller, UCI) —
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/emarketing
4. Marketing mix implementation (Luis Rodriges Baptista, IE business school) —
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/marketing-mix
5. Foundations of Marketing Analytics. (David Schweidel, Emory University) —
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/marketing-analytics

Section 3. Strategic Management.

1. Strategic Management. Copenhagen Business School.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/strategic-management
2. Business Strategy. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
https://ru.coursera.org/learn/strategy-business
3. Corporate Strategy. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
https://ru.coursera.org/learn/corporate-strategy
4. Foundations of Business Strategy. University of Virginia.
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https://ru.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-foundations-business-
strategy?specialization=business-strategy
5. Corporate Strategy. University of London.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/corporatestrategy

Section 4. Financial management

1. Introduction to Corporate Finance. University of Pennsylvania.
www.coursera.org/specializations/thinklikeacfo#courses
2. Finance for Non-Finance Professionals. By James Weston, Rice University.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/finance-for-non-finance
3. Introduction to Finance: The Basics. University of Illinois.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/introduction-to-finance-the-basics
4. Finance for Managers. IESE Business School.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/operational-
finance?specialization=thinklikeacfo
5. Corporate Finance Essentials. IESE Business School.
https://www.coursera.org/learn/corporate-finance-
essentials?specialization=thinklikeacfo

Section 5. Organizational theory and organizational behavior

1. International Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Università Bocconi
https://www.coursera.org/learn/organizational-behavior
2. The Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work, University
of London
https://www.coursera.org/learn/people-management
3. Organizational Leadership, Northwestern University
https://www.coursera.org/specializations/organizational-leadership
4. Organizational Behavior: How to Manage People, University of Navarra
https://www.coursera.org/learn/managing-people-iese#syllabus
5. Organizational Behavior: Know Your People, Macquarie University
https://www.coursera.org/learn/organisational-behaviour-know-your-
people#syllabus

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