Value Creation in the Business Curriculum: A Tale of Two Courses

In this article, the authors discuss the need for integrative, multidisciplinary courses in value creation. They describe the design and implementation of courses in 2 different schools at the master of business administration (MBA) and undergraduate levels. Both courses involved schematic models in the teaching methodologies, but each emphasized a different model for analysis and synthesis. The Customer Value Funnel (CVF) was an innovative strategic tool used to find competitive advantage. Major strengths of this framework were simplicity, pragmatics, and an interfunctional perspective. The vertically tiered value chain was a supply chain network adaptation of M. Porter's (1985) horizontal value chain. This model enabled students to creatively consider activities that could be implemented in the organization and the supply chain members' firms to create value.