Data-Driven Management: Cultivating Analytical, Critical and Creative Thinking

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 2	Matteo Prato	Dirección General y Estrategia	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 3	Matteo Prato	Dirección General y Estrategia	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 4	Matteo Prato	Dirección General y Estrategia	ENG

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

The business landscape is rapidly evolving as more and more companies supplement conventional decision-making strategies - based on managerial intuition and generalist frameworks - with algorithmic approaches that leverages data analytics and are fueled by artificial intelligence. "Data-Driven Management? is an elective course specifically designed to equip students with the essential analytical, creative, and critical thinking capabilities that are needed to navigate, manage, and lead in a business environment that is increasingly driven by data and AI.

This course is built upon three interrelated pillars, each focusing on a specific aspect of data-driven management.

1. Analytical Thinking:
This first pillar provides students with an overview of the shift in how managerial problems are viewed through a data analytical lens. As we delve into this perspective shift, students will learn to deconstruct complex problems into quantifiable components. The aim is to help them grasp how these varying parts interrelate and how to draw managerial insights from this process. This understanding is essential for enhancing data-analytical thinking, enabling students to learn how to make evidence-based business decisions.

2. Creative Thinking:
As we progress through the course, students will have the opportunity to merge creative thinking with data analytics. The goal here is not merely to apply data to existing methods of problem-solving but to inspire novel approaches and solutions using these insights. Specifically, students will explore how artificial intelligence can be used as a catalyst for innovative problem-solving. By exploring the potential offered by AI, they will experiment with novel avenues for dealing with complex managerial problems.

3. Critical Thinking:
Finally, the course emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in every step of the decision-making process. Students will be guided on how to assess the robustness and validity of the insights derived from data and AI applications. This focus on critical thinking provides a comprehensive check-and-balance mechanism, ensuring not just the development of solutions, but also the validation of their appropriateness and effectiveness in real-world business contexts.

Whether the challenge is related to human resources, operational efficiency, or marketing strategies, students will learn to approach each situation using data to inform their decisions and AI to ignite their creativity. By the end of the course, they will have developed an ability to weave together their analytical, creative, and critical thinking skills, enabling them to thrive in the fast-paced, tech-driven world of modern business.

Course Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand the impact of data and AI on the changing business landscape and the new managerial skills required to thrive in data- and AI-driven organizations.
2. Develop analytical thinking skills, including the ability to dissect complex problems systematically and understand interrelationships amongst their components.
3. Learn how to leverage data analytics in strategy formulation and decision-making processes, moving from intuition-based to data-driven approaches.
4. Apply creative thinking to data analytics, considering innovative variables and alternative approaches to gain insights beyond traditional parameters.
5. Develop critical thinking skills to leverage context-based knowledge to evaluate the soundness of data, assumptions, and conclusions, preventing the pitfalls and biases that can arise from misconstrued results.
6. Apply the acquired skills to real business cases, demonstrating an ability to translate theory into practice.

Methodology

The course will employ an integrated approach of lectures, engaging discussions, and student presentations.
1. Lectures and Class discussion: The course will be based on foundational lectures that establish the basic understanding of data analytics and critical thinking in management and interactive sessions fostering class debates and discussions.
2. Case Studies and Hands-on Projects: Case studies from diverse industries will be used to illustrate the application of course concepts. Students will analyze these cases, learning how to creatively leverage data and AI, while critically appraising the decision-making process. Additionally, students will participate in collective problem-solving exercises with the goal of fostering creativity, enhances critical evaluation skills, and encourages the exchange of diverse viewpoints.

Assessment criteria

The course's grading structure will be based on three distinct components, each reflecting a different aspect of students' involvement and comprehension of the coursework.
1. Class Participation (30%): This component assesses students' engagement in classroom activities. It includes active participation in class discussions, debates, and the sharing of insights or ideas related to the subject matter. The assessment will not rely solely on frequency of participation but will be skewed towards the quality; particularly valuing thoughtful inputs that enrich the discussion or introduce fresh viewpoints.
2. Group Work (30%): This segment measures students' ability to work in a team environment. Group assignments and projects will be provided, where students will have the chance to incorporate course concepts into joint work.
3. Individual Work (40%): The largest portion of students' grade will come from individual assignments and projects. This component aims to gauge each student's personal understanding and application of the course's concepts.

Type:	OPT	Curs:	2,3,4	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	2 ECTS

Data-Driven Management: Cultivating Analytical, Critical and Creative Thinking (2235.YR.015666.1)

General information

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COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

Course Learning Objectives

Methodology

Assessment criteria

Timetable and sections

Timetable Year 2

Timetable Year 3

Timetable Year 4