Development of an Introductory MBA Course in Business Analytics Using Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM) Model

Abstract

Business Analytics has become an important field of study in the MBA curriculum. Over the last decade, many MBA programs have added Business Analytics (BA) courses into their curriculum. Unlike most other disciplinary area courses that are somewhat similar across MBA programs, BA courses tend to vary significantly in content and structure depending on the faculty who teaches it. Thus, very little systematic guidance is available to faculty who are considering developing and teaching a BA course in the MBA program. One important pedagogical concern is making MBA students understand the importance of Business Analytics in making data driven decisions. This paper presents a conceptual model of the datadriven decision-making process that was the foundational guide for the methodical development of a BA course and its implementation. Some implications of this model for development of BA courses for MBA programs are also presented.