Assignment 1

1. Identify the definitions of Operations Management based on references from 5 journals.

1.1 Operations Management is a function that enables organizations to achieve their goals
through efficient acquisition and utilization of resources (Krajewski et al., 2007; Chase
et al., 2006)
1.2 Chopra et al. (2004) define the area of Operations Management as the design and
management of transformation processes that create value for society.
1.3 As Figure 1 illustrate, Operations Management is management of a systemic
transformation process to convert a set of inputs into outputs (Knod and Schonberger,
2001; Chase et al., 2006; Russell and Taylor, 2006).

1.4 Operations Management is an academic discipline formed by a heterogeneous body of

knowledge, experiences, and techniques. All of them have as a common objective the
study of goods and services production management in any kind of organisation
(Mariano Nieto et al., 1999).
1.5 Operations is the function that is uniquely associated with the design and management
of the transformation processes in manufacturing and service organizations that create
value for society (Sunil Chopra et al., 2004).

1
2. Describe one (1) issue in Operations Management.

A journal titled - Effective Case Research In Operations Management : A Process

Perspective is referred to for the purpose of identifying issues relating to operations
management. Basically, this journal aims to address weaknesses throughout the entire
process of conducting case based operations management (OM) research. Several sources of
common process errors are examined, so that in future, OM researchers can take preventive
measures, improving both their case research and publication success.

The main issue discussed in this jurnal is the case research process. Generically, the research
and dissemination process can be broken down into five critical stages. The first stage of the
research process involves defining the research question. Invariably, this involves
contributing to building a body of knowledge and developing theory.

The second step in conducting case research is the development of a research instrument and
selection of the appropriate field sites. Having defined the research question, the case-based
investigator needs to develop measurement instruments to capture the data for future
analysis.

The next process of the research process is data gathering. In case-based research, the “data”
are frequently the written and taped record of the interview, documents that the company is
willing to provide and the researcher’s observations. Beyond the interview, archival records,
artifacts, internal company documents and multiple interviews and multiple interviewers
provide a more complete picture of the environment being studied.

Analyzing data is another part of the research process. As reviewers for a variety of journals,
the authors have noted three specific weaknesses in the data analysis section of case research
paper submissions: the inability to extract significant patterns, the inability to simplify from
descriptive information and the inability to think laterally.

The last stage of the case research process is disseminating the research findings. The
researcher must anticipate and address common criticisms of case-based approaches, choose

2
receptive target journals, and respond effectively to reviewers’ criticisms. Criticisms
stemming from misunderstandings about the case approach should be addressed explicitly in
the paper.

3
References

1. Chase, R.B., Jacobs, F.R. and Aquilano, N.J. (2006), Operations Management for
Competitive Advantage, 11th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
2. Krajewski, L.J., Ritzman, L.P. and Malhotra, M.K. (2007), Operations Management: Process
and Value Chains, 8th ed., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
3. Chopra, S., Lovejoy, W. and Yano, C. (2004), ‘‘Five decades of operations management and
the prospects ahead’’, Management Science, Vol. 50 No. 1, pp. 8-14.
4. Knod, E.M., and Schonberger, R. (2001), Operations Management: Meeting Customer’s
Demands, 7th ed., McGraw Hill, New York, NY.
5. Mariano Nieto, Daniel Arias, Beatriz Minguela and Antonio Rodriguez, (1999), The
evolution of operations management contents: an analysis of the most relevant textbooks,
MCB University Press.
6. Sunil Chopra, William Lovejoy, Candace Yano, (2004), Five Decades of Operations
Management and the Prospects Ahead, ResearchGate.
7. I. Stuart∗, D. McCutcheon, R. Handfield, R. McLachlin, D. Samson, (2002), Effective case
research in operations management : a process perspective, Elsevier.

,.