MBA670 Syllabus

Course Information

Tuesdays, 5:45PM - 9:45PM

Course Description

Course Objectives

To provide a conceptual understanding of managing the operations of a business that produces a product or provides a service, and to gain insight on how organizations actually operate.

To describe necessary improvements in the organization's operations in order to be competitive in the changing "world" markets.

To investigate analytical techniques that support and build insight into management decision-making, and to gain experience in using these techniques.

Detailed Chapter Objectives

Course Format

This is an 8-week course. It will be offered in "hybrid" format: three meetings in-class and five meetings delivered electronically (on-line.) We will review this plan this first evening. The "Assignments" webpage shows which days we will be in-class and online.

All electronic course materials will be delivered asynchronously, meaning that you do not have to be behind your computer at any specified time (you can work when you are most productive).

You will receive a "Welcome" email from me about a week before class that will provide access to all course materials and explain how the course is conducted. Watch for this email!

This course makes intensive use of lecture videos that I have created. These videos are provided in "Flash" format and as podcasts.

Texts

Additional Course Resources

This course assumes that the student has some computer skills and understands how to use products such as email, browsers, word processing, and spreadsheets. A good share of this course's materials are mobile device compatible.

A computer, access to the Internet via a high speed connection (such as DSL or cable) for playing course videos, a browser with Flash installed, Adobe PDF viewer, MS Word and MS Excel (2007 or 2010 recommended). Videos are also "podcast", so an iPod can be used to view and listen to lecture videos and support videos.
http://www.rjerz.com/c/opsmgt/Podcasts/OMG.xml. If your computer is iPod enabled, click on this link: .

Basis of Grade

A:93-100, A-:90-93, B+87-90, B:83-87, B-:80-83, C:70-79, F: Below 70.

Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services office as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Link for "Student Disabilities Services Handbook" at St. Ambrose.

Participation and Attendance: Attendance and participation in discussions in class and on-line are an important class component. Participation will help you obtain the full course benefits. You are encouraged to provide personal experiences, logical opinions and discussion of subject material. Unlike some courses in which all the learning is of factual nature, this course deals with a variety of approaches, some are more applicable in certain environments than others. On our online weeks, discussions will take place electronically. Attendance is required for all in-class meetings.

Assignments/Self-Assessments: You should read the assigned chapters before each class. For each chapter, you must complete "self-assessments" on Moodle to assess your learning. You may take these assessments prior to lectures, or shortly after the lecture. If you do not do as well as you wanted on the assessment, you may retake it. The questions may change from your first attempt, however, and your highest score counts. You are allowed to work alongside of others on assignments.

Exams: There will be two 40 question exams. The exams will contain questions from the self-assessments that you may or may not have already seen. Review your notes and assessments to prepare for each exam. The two exams are not comprehensive and include only chapters from each half of the semester (refer to Assignments). You should work on exams independently.

Project: Prepare a written report on how Operations Management activities are accomplished in an organization (often the company you are employed in), which you select. Written reports should be 2000-2500 words and should include an introduction, main body, and summary. Where appropriate, graphics and tables can be included. Topics must be approved by the instructor prior to the 3rd meeting. Reports should have a 1.5 line spacing, 1 inch margins, and 12 point font.

You must also present your project in our last meeting. The format for this presentation must follow the "Pechu Kucha" technique. You can decide if you want to present in person, or if you want to provide a voice-over-PowerPoint presentation.

Here are two examples of papers that previous students have submitted with instructor comments. Paper1 - Excellent, Paper2 - Very Good, Paper3 - Good.

Here are two examples (example one, example two) of presentations done using voice-over-PowerPoint.

Administrative Items

Make Up Exams: Make up exams are not provided.

Rectifying Scores: During the semester, I will post all your scores on Moodle for you to view. After you get your homework or exam grade, you have a week to complain about your score. Beyond this period, I will not entertain any complaints.

Accommodations: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services office as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. (SDS Student Handbook)

Classroom etiquette: Please pay a professional courtesy to the instructor and your classmates by turning off all cell phones and pagers during class. The use of computers is allowed only for lecture-related activities. In general, please avoid behavior that distracts from the learning experience of you and your classmates. In online discussions, a courteous tone and politeness is expected. (SAU Student Handbook)

Academic Integrity Policy: For St. Ambrose's policy, please see http://web.sau.edu/registration/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy_000.pdf