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2011/2012  KAN-IMM_IM56  Managing International Operations

English Title
Managing International Operations

Course Information

Language English
Point 7,5 ECTS (225 SAT)
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Course Period Spring
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study Board
Study Board for MSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course Coordinator
  • Juliana Hsuan - Department of Operations Management
Juliana H. Mikkola
Main Category of the Course
  • Economics, macro economics and managerial economics
Last updated on 29 maj 2012
Learning Objectives
The course focuses upon typical problems in large companies and companies with direct, foreign investments. During a series of seminars, the complexity of the management of international affairs will be explored, analysed and discussed. The course does not concentrate on a single issue, but discusses various themes and problems. Strategic as well as operational managerial activities will be analysed.
  • • Have a clear and overall understanding of Operations Management as a field of expertise as well as the different parts it consists of
  • Show knowledge of the theories, tools, concepts, and methodologies of Operations Management and their applications
  • Understand and analyse concrete issues of Operations Management in firms and suggest solutions to these issues
  • To define the scope and limitations of Operations Management in relation to related fields such as strategy, marketing, management accounting, project management
  • Critically apply and combine the theories, tools, concepts, and methodologies to solve concrete problems faced by companies
Managing International Operations:
Assessment Oral with Written Assignment
Marking Scale 7-step scale
Censorship External examiners
Exam Period May/June
Aids Please, see the detailed regulations below
Duration 20 Minutes
Individual oral exam (20 minutes per student including votation) on the basis of an individual or group written synopsis (for one student: maximum five A4 pages; for 2-4 students: maximum eight A4 pages). The examination will cover both the synopsis itself and the theory applied. Students will be evaluated on the basis of the oral examination.
The students will be graded individually. The regular exam will be held in May/June. The synopsis due date and the date for the oral exam based on the synopsis will be announced by the secretariat. The make-up/re-exam takes place in June/July. If a student is ill during the regular oral exam, he/she will be able to re-use group synopsis at the make-up/re-exam. If the student was ill during the writing of the synopsis and did not contribute to synopsis, the make-up/re-exam synopsis can be written individually or in groups (provided that other students are taking the exam). If the student did not pass the regular exam a new or revised project, confer advice from the examiner at the regular exam, must be handed in to a new deadline specified by the line secretariat
Examination
Oral exam based on a synopsis. 1 student max. 5 pages and 2-4 students max. 8 pages.
Course Content

In this course, "Management of Operations" is primarily seen as a question of management control as managerial technologies are mobilised to enable co-ordination across time and space in international firms. Thus, Managing International Operations is oriented towards examining the configurations of interrelations between strategy and organisation, and the managerial technologies that make them work in a routinely manner.

The scope of operations management spans the entire set of internal and external processes in order to deliver customized solutions to their customers and consumers (b2b and/or b2c). Complexity increases when operations management is performed on a global level. The decision framework consists of certain global environmental variables such as product/process design, technology transfer, facility location, sourcing and infrastructure.

Some of the central issues of the course are:

The concepts global operations management
Structuring global operations process networks (= supply/demand chains)
Design of inter-organizational relationships and business processes
Operations management information systems
Operations philosophies (JIT, TQM, BPR)
Product Design
Project Management
Performance measurement of OM

Teaching Methods
The teaching mainly takes place in large classes. The lectures can be described as academic dialogues on central issues confronting managers in global practices. The purpose of the dialogue is to confront recent, pioneering theories with practical experiences. The course includes lectures, case discussions, workshops, and guest speakers from industries and academia.
Literature

Indicative literature.

Slack, N., Chambers, S. and Johnston, R (2007). Operations Management. 6th Edition. Prentice Hall.

Additional readings are assigned during the course.