Technology and Operations Management  (2023 Summer)

Technology and Operations Management  (2023 Summer)
Syllabus

As of June 5th, 2023

Note: This syllabus may be updated and revised at a later date.

Instructor: Kanetaka M. Maki, Ph.D. (kanetaka@kanetaka-maki.org)
Teaching Assistant: Nancy Gao and Miwako Nishida
Semester & Class Time: Spring Quarter – Mondays 3rd (13:10-14:50) and 4th (15:05-16:45) Periods
Classroom: 11-902 (in-class only)
 

1. Course Description

Technology and Operations Management (TOM) covers two different but interrelated topics: Technology Management and Operations. TOM is a field originally developed at Harvard Business School. The original concept of TOM was started from Operations, specifically focusing on the manufacturing and development of physical products. However, as the world of operations research has changed, the course expands to new issues in information technology, supply chains, service industries, etc.
Currently, TOM is the course that provides the student with competencies in the field of technology management for product design, manufacturing, and innovation.
The course will provide students with an introduction to the basics of technology management and various new topics related to innovation management. The course will utilize lectures, case discussions, assignments, and guest speakers from the industry. Students will learn basic frameworks in this TOM field, and you will utilize these frameworks using case studies.
The course is aimed at three types of audiences:

• those who are interested in the technology business.
• those who are interested in the process/methods of innovation.
• those who are interested in the operations of manufacturing/service business
• those who are willing to expand their perspectives.

We will cover many types of technology in this class. However, a STEM background is not required for this course.

2. Course Objective

1. To provide you with the framework to analyze technology-based businesses.
2. To provide the basic framework for analyzing the operation
3. To provide you with the frameworks and methods to conduct innovation.

3. Preparation and Assignments

Each student is expected to have completed all readings, and assignments for each class before the class starts (approximately 1.5 hours for every week).

4. Class Schedule

The schedule may be updated and revised at a later date.

Week 01-1 (6/6 3rd): Introduction
Topics	Introduction Course Framework MBA in AI/ChatGPT Era
Pre-Assignment	Read the course syllabus carefully.
Post-Reading	None
Week 01-2 (6/6 4th): Design Thinking Workshop (Mindset)
Topics	Design Thinking Workshop (Mindset)
Pre-Assignment	None
Post-Reading	None
Week 02-1 (6/13 3rd): Design Thinking Workshop (Skillset)
Topics	Design Thinking Workshop (Skills)
Pre-Assignment	None
Post-Reading	Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon, and David S. Duncan, “Know Your Customers “Jobs to Be Done””, Harvard Business Review, September 2016 Don Norman, “The Design of Everyday Things”, Basic Books, 2013 [Chap 6]
Week 02-2 (6/13 4th): Design Thinking in the Firm
Topics	Design Thinking IDEO and Product Development
Pre-Assignments	Reading Stefan Thomke and Ashok Nimgade, “IDEO Product Development”, HBS Case #600-143 Preparation Questions How would you characterize IDEO’s process, organization, culture, and management? Decision point: should IDEO accept the Visor project as is (on a dramatically reduced schedule)? Should they try to persuade Handspring’s management to change its aggressive launch schedule? Or should they simply decline the project? In your discussion, please consider the IDEO and Handspring perspectives.
Post-Reading	Tim Brown, “Design Thinking”, Harvard Business Review, June 2008 Stefan Thomke, “Enlightened Experimentation: The New Imperative for Innovation”, Harvard Business Review, February 2011
Week 03-1 (6/20 3rd): Business Experiments
Topics	Business Experiments
Pre-Assignment	Reading Stefan Thomke; Daniela Beyersdorfer, “Booking.com”, Harvard Business School Case, Oct 2018, #619015-PDF-ENG Preparation Questions How successful is Booking? How did the company achieve its success? (Hint: Estimate the company’s financial contribution to The Priceline Group.) Please analyze Booking’s operating and business models carefully (strategy, process, management, and culture). Which elements are the hardest to copy for competitors? Why? Decision: How should Gillian Tans (CEO) respond to the Blue Screen landing page experiment proposed by Frisby? Please explain your recommendation and be specific about any proposed change. Tans should not get involved. Tans should ask Frisby to make changes to the experiment.
Post-Reading	Stefan Thomke, “Building a Culture of Experimentation”, Harvard Business Review, Mar 2020, #S20021-PDF-ENG
Week 03-2 (6/20 4th): Experimentation & Prototyping – Simulation
Topics	Experimentation Prototyping Michael A. Roberto, “New Venture Simulation: The Food Truck Challenge”,  HBSP Product #: 7201-HTM-ENG
Pre-Assignment	Simulation Michael A. Roberto, “New Venture Simulation: The Food Truck Challenge”,  HBSP Product #: 7201-HTM-ENG Preparation Questions Why did you make your initial choices in the simulation? What was your decision-making rationale? How did you assess market feedback and modify your choices as time progressed in the simulation? If you chose the pushcart option, why did you do so? What made it difficult to pursue this option? If you chose the research option, what motivated that decision? What were the challenges associated with conducting additional research? If you chose to operate the food truck rather than the pushcart, what was your rationale?
Post-Reading	None
Week 04-1 (6/27 3rd): Service Innovation and Operations
Topics	Service Innovation Service Operations Benihana’s Business Model Basics of Operations
Pre-Assignment	Reading H. Earl Sasser, “Benihana of Tokyo”,  HBS Case #9-673-057 Preparation Questions What are the differences between the Benihana production process and that of a typical restaurant? Examine the production system in detail. What are the major design choices which generate operating efficiencies?
Post-Reading	Roy D. Shapiro, “Designing, Managing, and Improving Operations”, Harvard Business Publishing Core Curriculum “Operations Management”, 2013
Week 04-2 (6/27 4th): Service Operation – Simulation
Topics	Operations
Pre-Assignment	Online Simulation W. Earl Sasser Jr. and Ricardo Ernst, ”Operations Management Simulation: Benihana V2”, Product #: 7003-HTM-ENG Preparation Questions (Challenge 6: Design Your Best Strategy) What do you think is the best strategy for maximizing profitability? What do you think is the best strategy for maximizing throughput? Are there any correlations between these variables?
Post- Reading	TBD
Week 05-1 (7/4 3rd): AI and Medical Applications
Topics	AI and Medical Application
Pre-Assignment	Reading Shane Greenstein; Sarah Gulick, “Zebra Medical Vision”, Sep 2018, Harvard Business School Case, #619014-PDF-ENG Preparation Questions What is the value proposition at Zebra Medical? What are the biggest risks to realizing that proposition in the near future? With seventy other firms in the ML space for imaging, what are Zebra’s competitive advantages and disadvantages? Where should Zebra orient its development over the next three to five years? With ample funding, what type of employees should Zebra try to hire next? Why?
Post- Reading	None
Week 05-2 (7/4 4th): Guest Speaker (Dr. Anjum Gupta)
Topics	Guest Talk: Dr. Anjum Gupta “Foundations of A.I. and Its Applications for Healthcare”
Pre-Assignment	None
Post- Reading	None
Week 06-1 (7/11 3rd): Toyota Production System
Topics	Toyota Production System
Pre-Assignment	Reading Kazuhiro Mishina, “Toyota Motor Manufacturing, U.S.A., Inc.”, Havard Business School Case #693019-PDF-ENG Preparation Questions As Doug Friesen, what would you do to address the seat problem? Where would you focus your attention and solution efforts? What options exist? What would you recommend? Why? Where, if at all, does the current routine for handling defective seats deviate from the principles of the Toyota Production System? What is the real problem facing Doug Friesen? Please watch 5 videos on the following website: Toyota Virtual Plant Tour – https://global.toyota/en/company/plant-tours/production-system/ Stopping Production When an Issue Occurs Avoiding Simple Mistakes Through Fail-Safe Devices called Poka-yoke Born from a Desire to Help Make his Mother’s Job Easier The Pull System Close Collaboration with Parts Suppliers Enables Timely Production For the supplemental materials, you may also want to see the following videos (optional): Toyota History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUFgFYQZ1TY Jeff Liker (Famous for his book called ‘The Toyota Way’) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmnd9XfLjwg
Post-Reading	None
Week 06-2 (7/11 4th): Guest Speaker (Prof. Shunichi Ohmori)
Topics	Guest Speaker: Prof. Shunichi Ohmori “Toyota Production System and the Basics of Operations Management”
Pre-Assignment	None
Post-Reading	None
Week 07-1 (7/18 or 7/25 3rd) Evidence-Based Decision Making and Ethics
Topics	Evidence-Based Decision Making Ethics Platform Business
Pre-Assignment	Reading Michael Luca, Scott Stern, Devin Cook, Hyunjin Kim, “Racial Discrimination on Airbnb (A)”, Harvard Business School Case, March 2020 (HBS Case #920051-PDF-ENG) Preparation Questions Do you think it is surprising that Chesky and his leadership team were unaware of the extent of discrimination on its platform? Why or why not? In your view, what steps should Chesky take to address people on the platform who discriminate? How should Chesky and his team evaluate success in their approach to fixing discrimination?
Post-Reading	Michael Luca, Stacy Straaberg, “Racial Discrimination on Airbnb (B)”, Harvard Business School Case, August 2022 (HBS Case #923004-PDF-ENG)
Week 07-2 (7/18 or 7/25 4th) Wrap-up
Topics	Wrap-up
Pre-Assignment	None
Post-Reading	None

 

5. Classroom Procedure 

• The course meets 7 times for 200 minutes each time. Class sessions will begin and end on time. Please be punctual so that you do not miss the initial thrust of the discussions or disturb others. Keep in mind class participation is part of your grade.
• Each student is expected to have completed all readings, and assignments for each class before the class starts. Each student should be prepared and expect to participate in classroom discussions.
• Many of the sessions of this class will follow the discussion format. This allows you to apply theories, concepts, and analytical devices discussed in class or in the reading materials, or from other relevant current events or news sources. The direction and quality of the discussion are the collective responsibility of the class, not the sole responsibility of the instructor. Class participation will be graded on your readiness, willingness, and the quality of your comments and their contribution to the discussion.
• I expect each student to be prepared at all times to comment on any class session. To reinforce this expectation, I will randomly cold-call students during the ensuing discussion, both those who raise their hands and those who do not.

6. Textbooks

• Required
  • A carefully selected list of readings is provided. We will provide you with all printed handouts.
• Reference
  • Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation 5th Edition, Robert Burgelman et al., McGraw-Hill Education
  • Managing Business Process Flows: Principles of Operations Management 3rd Edition, Ravi Anupindi et al., Prentice Hall

7. Grading

Class Attendance (Online attendance would not receive the point. Being late for the class will not receive the full point).	30 %
Class Contribution to the Discussion (Quantity and Quality)	30 %
Quality of the takeaway after the class	30 %
Small assignments in the class	10 %

• Please check the scores and let TA know if there is any mistake. It is your responsibility to check the scores. If you did not claim by the end of the quarter, we take it as you agreed with the scores you received.

[Contributing to the Class Discussion]

The frequency (i.e., the quantity) of your interventions in class is not a key criterion for effective class contribution.

Some criteria used to evaluate class contribution are as follows:

1. Is the participant deeply engaged in class? The use of laptops and electronic devices for non-class purposes can negatively affect class participation and the learning experience.
2. Is the participant a good listener? Are the points made relevant to the discussion? Are they linked to the comments of others? Do the comments show evidence of the analysis of the case?
3. Is there a willingness to test new ideas, or are all comments “safe”? (For example, repetition of case facts without analysis and conclusions).
4. Do comments clarify or build upon the important aspects of earlier comments and lead to a clearer understanding of the case?

Class Contribution = Quality of the comment / Air-time

8. Course Policies

• Academic Integrity
  • The integrity of scholarship is essential for an academic community. As members of the Waseda Business School, we pledge ourselves to uphold the highest ethical standards. The University expects that both faculty and students will honor this principle and in so doing protect the validity of University intellectual work. For students, this means that all academic work will be done by the individual to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind.
  • The complete Waseda Business School Policy on Integrity of Scholarship can be viewed in the “Student Honor Code for WBS Courses.”
• The Honor Code in This Course
  • You can work with anyone on class assignments.  I suggest that you work in study groups on homework assignments.
  • Your class preparation and assignments must not benefit from class materials by students who took this course in prior years, or at other schools. Using course notes or PowerPoint slides you received from previous students of this class is a violation of the Honor Code.
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Knowledge of equity, diversity, and inclusion is required of students in this class.
  • Definitions of Terms (Source: https://www.findem.ai/knowledge-center/what-is-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-belonging) 
    • Equity gives each employee fair and equal access, opportunities, and advancements, regardless of their diverse background.
    • Diversity refers to the demographics of your workplace, which includes ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, military/veteran status, location, nationality, disability status, skills, and many other factors.
    • Inclusion ensures everyone on the team is treated fairly and respectfully, despite differences.
    • Belonging centers around the employee experience of feeling accepted in the workplace.
• No E-mail Policy
  • We are using discord for course communication.
  • No emails, please.
  • Please use the discord channel for communication.
  • Please ask TA for the logistics question. I often miss the message and TAs are more reliable.

• I expect you to use AI (ChatGPT or Generative AI tools, at a minimum), in this class. Learning to use AI is an essential skill, and I will try to provide tutorials on how to use them. I am happy to help with these tools during office hours, etc.
• Be aware of the limits of ChatGTP:
  • If you provide minimum effort prompts, you will get low-quality results. You will need to refine your prompts in order to get good outcomes. This will take work.
  • Don’t trust anything it says. If it gives you a number or fact, assume it is wrong unless you either know the answer or can check in with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or omissions provided by the tool. It works best for topics you understand.
  • AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include a paragraph at the end of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used to get the results. Failure to do so is in violation of academy integrity policies.
  • Be thoughtful about when this tool is useful. Don’t use it if it isn’t appropriate for the case or circumstance.
• Reference
  • Guides to using AI: https://oneusefulthing.substack.com/p/the-practical-guide-to-using-ai-to
  • Writing with ChatGPT: https://oneusefulthing.substack.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-boost-your
  • Generating Ideas with ChatGPT: https://oneusefulthing.substack.com/p/a-prosthesis-for-imagination-using

10. Notes

• If you have any questions regarding the class, please ask the TA first.
• Kanetaka M. Maki, Ph.D. Official Web Page: https://www.kanetaka-maki.org/