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2023/2024  KAN-CMIBO1036U  Project Management and Product Development

English Title
Project Management and Product Development

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Autumn, Second Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for cand.merc. and GMA (CM)
Course coordinator
  • Sofia Pemsel - Department of Organization (IOA)
Main academic disciplines
  • Project and change management
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 01-06-2023

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Apply basic concepts, theories and approaches from the course to explore the challenges of managing complex projects in general and product development projects in particular
  • Explain and critically examine the theories from the course in isolation, and in relation to other theories of the course
  • Use project management and product development theory to analyze empirical cases and use cases to discuss fundamental assumptions, opportunities and limitations of used theories
  • Explain and compare different types of projects and product development processes and practices
  • Use, explain and reflect over project management tools used when planning and managing your own course-work group project
Examination
Project Management and Product Development:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Group exam
Please note the rules in the Programme Regulations about identification of individual contributions.
Number of people in the group 4-5
Size of written product Max. 20 pages
Groups of 4 or 5: groups of 4 write max 16 pages, groups of 5 max 20 pages (CBS standard pages) The page limit does not include references, cover page, or any eventual appendices
Assignment type Report
Release of assignment The Assignment is released in Digital Exam (DE) at exam start
Duration 7 days to prepare
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
* if a whole group fails to deliver the report or fails the exam they must hand in a new product for the re-take on Digital Exam.
* if one student in the group fails the exam she/he must hand in a revised product for the re-take on Digital Exam.
Description of the exam procedure

Your task is to critically analyse a case company with respect to the course content (your course-work project). Your report must cover both Project Management and Product Development literature. 

 

You have 7 days to write the report, starting after the last in-person session of the course. The report has two parts: an individual and a shared part.

 

Individual part: You will be given 4 or 5 questions depending on group size to answer in the report. Answer 1 question on a theme of the course per person (3 pages per student). The students in the group must decide how to allocate the selected questions between themselves.

 

Collective part: Concluding synthesised critical reflection of how the answers to the individual questions fit together (about 2.5 pages), explain and reflect over your own used PM tool(s) (about 1.5 pages)

 

The reports will be assessed by both teachers.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Project management has become an increasingly relevant form of organizing for innovation activities such as the development of products, services, or business models, which are core to the success of businesses. Yet, successful project management requires specific competencies and skills, with some sources even claiming that the strategy of a firm is the effect of projects successfully implemented within the organization. The course aims to provide students with analytical tools and capabilities that will allow them to examine the challenges and opportunities of developing products and managing projects in a complex, uncertain, and ambiguous world, and familiarize students with state-of-the-art practices of project management and product development, such as stakeholder management, waterfall vs. agile, design thinking or design sprints.

 

The course design is developed with the learning objectives in mind: The course starts with a Kickoff Day, where the focus is to create a common baseline and to gain some first-hand experiences. We will present the course aim, structure and learning objectives. We aim to create a common understanding, a baseline, through lectures and exercise of what project management and product development are. How does ‘best practice’ suggest we shall plan and manage projects? What does product development involves and how does it relates to project management? Moreover we will present the course-work project, which you will be examined upon during the written course examination (see description of examination for further information).

 

After the Kickoff Day, we will be ready to dive further into the theoretical approaches, concepts, and theories to help us become critical thinkers of project management approaches and the challenges we face when developing products using projects. Every week we will explore a new theme, starting with an online lecture, followed by an in-class exercise. Besides this, we will have two feedback sessions, one with teacher feedback and one with peer-review feedback and final remarks from the teachers.
Description of the teaching methods
The pedagogical approach aims at advancing the students learning and competence development in the areas of project management and product development using a mix of five main activities:
• Online lectures will provide students with the theoretical background which they can study at their own pace
• Theoretical exercises will support the students learning of the theoretical concepts presented
• Case exercises to connect theory to cases will improve the reflexivity of projects and product development in different settings as well as the limitations of theories
• Practical hands-on tool-based exercises will give the students some experience of what it means to develop products and manage a project
• Feedback on own work will stimulate learning processes in relation to the course content
Feedback during the teaching period
This course involves continuous opportunities for feedback through weekly exercise classes, where the teachers will be present and explain, discuss, and probe the students to advance their learning. Besides this, we have two feedback sessions where each group will get the opportunity to get individual feedback on their work.
Student workload
Teaching 36 hours
Preparation 100 hours
Exam 70 hours
Further Information

You will find more information on all course activities on Canvas. 
Last updated on 01-06-2023