This course will explore the relationship between business and its external stakeholders – including elected officials, regulators, mass public, public interest groups, NGOs, and activists – in the United States, with the goal of preparing you, as future managers, to develop and implement non-market strategies. The course is divided into four parts: 1) understanding the non-market environment of the firm, the actors firms engage with this environment, and the relationship of the non-market environment to the market environment; 2) learning how to formulate non-market strategies for firms and how to evaluate the efficacy of different non- market tactics; 3) examining the role of non-market factors across different substantive public policy areas of concern to firms, principally through cases related to market and social regulation, as well as marketing; and 4) exploring the various ethical issues surrounding non- market strategy.

The course will consist of case-based discussions, and after the first few weeks, lecture will be kept to a minimum. Additionally, we will host two guest speakers with extensive experience in corporate governmental and regulatory affairs.