Value Chain Management

Proff. Paolo Bisogni – franca Cantoni

The course is structured into two modules, tightly correlated in terms of contents, teaching objectives and evaluation methods. Some topics will be presented through contributions given by managers from different businesses.

COURSE AIMS

The combined aim of the course is to provide participants with a solid understanding and the most relevant tools of those areas of management dealing with people and operations.

The first module - International Human Resource Management - is designed to provide an advanced overview of, and an analysis on, business organization and human resource management within the international business realm. It will investigate the HRM processes such as recruiting, selection, training and development, performance appraisal and evaluation, compensation, career paths.

The second module – International Operations Management is meant to provide students with the fundamentals of modern Production Systems and Supply Chain Management.

I Module - International Human Resource Management

Prof.Franca Cantoni

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On completion of this module students will be able to:

-Understand and discuss the systemic links between business strategy, HRM strategy and the various process and subprocess involved.

-Manage the various modules of the whole HRM process (planning, recruitment, selection, development, separation) at an international level (MNEs and TCs).

-Plan and use the main HRM tools.

-Evaluate issues arising from HRM inside an international context, identify feasible solutions path, and put them into practice at a global level.

-Understand and use major HRM policies and practices in different business and cultural environments.

-Apply both qualitative and quantitative skills in order to analyze HRM issues.

-Blend exogenous and endogenous factors in more than one country while planning and coordinating Human Resource policies and practices.

MODULE CONTENT

-Organizations as Open Systems. The dimensions (structural and contextual) of the organization design.Open Systems design elements: environment, strategy, technologies (manufacturing and service technologies; information technologies).

-Internal design elements: organization size, life cycle, culture.

-Organization structure and design alternatives (functional, divisional and matrix structure).

-The link between Strategy, Structure and HRM.

-The HRM process. The main subprocess: staffing, appraisal, compensation, development, separation in an international environment.

-HRM tools for motivation, performance evalutation, appraisal, rewards, and incentives.

-Competencies mapping: understanding, designing and implementing competency models in international organizations (MNEs and TCs). Skills and competencies for managers in modern international business.

-Talent and potential evaluation. Aligning talent management and succession planning with business strategy.

-Managing an international staff: composing an international staff; training and development of international staff; international compensation and performance management; repatriation and knowledge management.

Reading list

R. Daft, Organization Theory and Design, 7th edition, South Western Thomson Learning, 2001.

Dowling-Festin-Engle, International Human Resource Management, Thomson Learning, 2008.

II Module - International Operations Management

Prof. Paolo Bisogni

LEARNING OUTCOMES

-To provide students with an understanding of the principles and practice of selected topics in Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management.

-To provide students with a basic but solid understanding of the principles and practice of Supply Chain strategy development and management.

-To provide students with knowledge of the principles of building a control system applied to Operations.

MODULE CONTENT

-Introduction to modern Supply Chain concepts. The core disciplines of Supply Chain management. Skills and competencies for modern Operation Managers.

-Managing Demand. Demand Planning. Definitions, building blocks, application issues.

-Managing Supply. Purchasing strategies, global and local purchasing, Vendor management. Supply logistics.

-Managing uncertainty in international supply chains. Fundamentals of Production planning. Lean thinking in manufacturing and distribution. Relationships between Inventories, Forecasts and Lead Times.

-Introduction to supply chain costs and performances. KPI sytems. Activity Based Costing.

-Warehouse management basics.

-Collaboration in the Supply Chain. Manufacturer / Retailer collaboration. Outsourcing options and strategies.

-Operations management in the Service sector. Hospital logistics.

READING LIST

SUGGESTED BOOKS

M. Christopher, Logistics and supply chain management, Creating value added networks, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 2005.

E.H. Frazelle,World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling, McGraw-Hill, 2001.

E.M. Goldratt,Theory of Constraints, North River Press, 1990.

D.S. Levi-P. Kaminsky-E.S. Levi, Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies and Case Studies, McGraw-Hill, 2009.

S. Cohen-J. Roussel, Strategic Supply Chain Management, McGraw Hill, 2005.

MANDATORY READINGS

M. Christopher, The Agile Supply Chain Competing in Volatile Markets. Industrial Marketing Management, 29, 2000, pp. 37–44.

T. Davis, Effective Supply Chain Management, Sloan Management Review, Summer 1993.

I. Themido-A. Arantes-C. Fernandes-A.P. Guedes, Logistic costs case study - an ABC approach, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Oct 2000, Volume: 51 Issue: 10 pp.1148-1157.

TEACHING METHOD

This course is a mix of lecture, in class exercises, simulations and class discussion. The format of this class is highly interactive. We will do research together, read and write extensively, test assumptions, and draw on our own experiences to explore how International HR and Operations Management unfold in practice, and how we can refine managerial skills to successfully meet the global challenges that face us.

ASSESSMENT METHOD

Grades will be assessed using one final exam and some intermediate assignement such as article discussion, exercises and industry analysis. The following breakdown will be used:

-Final Exam: 70%.

-Intermediate Assignments, aggregated: 30%.

NOTES

Further information can be found on the Faculty notice board.