Project Management
Summer 2013
COURSE NO. & TITLE: Project Management (BUSN490)
PROFESSOR: Dr. Chou-Hong Jason Chen (陳周宏教授)
E-MAIL:
DAYS, TIMES & ROOM: Tuesday (13:00 -16:50); 新505
OFFICE: Room 313
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday 15:00 - 17:00
URL: http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~chen (then select busn490)
REQUIRED TEXTS: 1. Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th Edition International Student Version (Meredith & Mantel), 2011 |ISBN-10: 0470533021
2. Harvard Business School Case Studies
3. Handouts (powerpoint files and others) available on the URL
Required IT Resource: You should have a computer that can access Internet during summer.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS:
Information is traveling faster and being shared by more individuals than ever before. Although project management has been an established field for many years, managing projects requires ideas and information that go beyond standard project management. By weaving together theory and practice, this course presents an understandable, integrated view of the many concepts (e.g., creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship), skills, tools, and techniques involved in project management. Because the project management field and the technology industry change rapidly, you cannot assume that what worked even five years ago is still the best approach today. This course provides up-to-date information on how good project management with strategic perspectives can help you manage projects and improve/create business competitive advantage.
WEB SITE
Supplementary information for the course is available at http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~chen (then click on busn490). The Web site contains class information and materials such PowerPoint slides, homework assignments, the course syllabus, case studies and other information for the course.
GRADE POLICY ON SOFTWARE ASSIGNMENTS/LECTURES: Students are expected to study the assigned topics (powerpoint slides, cases, text book and materials on the web) and conduct all class activities (class discussions, presentations, homework assignments etc.) according to the schedule. You may be assigned as a member in working on the group projects for the chapter and/or case. Use of computer software tools for papers and assignments is required. It is your responsibility to keep all the returned materials. In the event of a disputed entry on the instructor's grade sheet, the student MUST show the material(s) to have the grade(s) changed.
· E-mail Communication – All e-mail communications with me should bear the course (viz: PM_MingChi [Case#1]) in the subject line, without which the e-mail is likely to be unread. Furthermore, you should include “Dr. Chen” and “your full name” at the beginning and end of the content of each email respectively.
· Academic Honesty Policy: The academic honesty policy shall be maintained and followed by all students For example, dishonest activities such as cheating, fabrication and plagiarism carry penalties that could lead to severe penalties. Should you have any doubt regarding a course of conduct, don’t hesitate to contact the instructor.
EXAMS:
There will be one (1) midterm exam This includes material from the textbook, books, powerpoint files, videos and others -- all can appear on the exams. The type of exam will be left up to the instructor. It may be objective, essay, or a case problem. Your instructor will specify the format before the exam. No credit will be received if you miss an exam unless you have permission from the instructor or obtain a University-approved absence.
COURSE ATTENDANCE:
Students are expected to attend the class on time. The instructor is aware that absence might be inevitable when emergency arises. Under such a circumstance, an absence is allowed through the whole semester without penalty. However, If you miss a class session without what I consider a legitimate excuse (be sure that you should have my permission in advance or present a university-approved evidence after the missed class), I reserve the right to take 5 points off from the class performance for each class you missed. The more classes you missed the more points will be taken off. You must contact the instructor about every absence.
GRADING and EVALUATION CRITERIA (This counts 50% of your final course grade)
Collaboration Software Project ……………………………………………. 10
Mini Cases (2 @ 10 points) ------20
Main Case and Presentation (if your group present) ------40
Main Case Reports- (if your group does not present; 20) ------20
Class Participations and Attitudes ------20
Class Attendance ------20
Midterm exam (1) ………….……...... 60
Others (projects/quizzes etc.) ……………………………………………….. 20
------
Total 190/210 points
(The above grading components may be slightly changed if needed).
GRADE RANGES
Percentage / >=94 / >=90 / >=87 / >=84 / >=80 / >=77 / >=74 / >=70 / >=65 / >=60 / <60Grade / A / A- / B+ / B / B- / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / F
Project Management Schedule (Summer 2013) revised (July 22, 2013)
(4) / 06.24-06.28 / Project and Information Systems
(5) / 07.01-
07.05 / Project and Information Systems (continued)
Chapter 6: Project Activity and Risk Planning (up to 6.4; p.248)
GoogleDocs assignment / 1) Google mini case
2) WBS HW (see ppt)
3) Case-1: Start to read and prepare for Case Study-1 (over the weekend)
(6) / 07.08-
07.12 / Chapter 6: Project Activity and Risk Planning (6.5, p.249-Risk Management)
Strategic Issues of Project and Systems Management
(7) / 07.15-
07.19 / Case study-1: Project Management and Strategic Advantage (Southwest Airlines)
Case study-1: Project Management and Strategic Advantage (continued) / Case-2: Start to read and prepare for Case Study-1 (over the weekend)
(8) / 07.22-
07.26 / Chapter 10: Monitoring and Information Systems
Sourcing and Project Management
Prepare for Case Study-2 (over the weekend)
(9) / 07.29-
08.02 / Professor Lin will teach this week
(10) / 08.06 / Case study-2: Project Management and Entrepreneurship
(Binnj on the Apple iPad)
(11) / 08.13 / Midterm Exam
Groups
Please note that the instruction to buy the cases from Harvard Business Publishing is listed on the next page.
The information for three cases is shown below. The instruction for ordering the case is listed on the last page of the syllabus.
Case 1: Title: Southwest Airlines 2002
Product number: 803133-PDF-ENG; Length: 24p
Case 2: Title: Binnj on the Apple iPad
Product number: 910E24-PDF-ENG; Length: 24p
Case Study Report (What you have to turn in for each case study, including TWO parts listed below).
Part I. Write a summary report with the following outline (but not limited to):
1) Executive Summary.
2) Draw and describe how can the Information Systems Strategy Triangle be employed in the case
3) What lesson(s) have you learned from the case?
Part II. Answers the following questions (make sure you should list (repeat) the question follows by your answer)
HBC-G1: Southwest Airlines:
1. How does this company make money even when other airlines don't? What are the most
important contributors to its financial success?
2. How should management respond to the fact that Southwest Airlines has fallen to next-to-last
place among major airlines in on-time performance as of September, 2002?
3. Once operations are fully stabilized, would you recommend to the management of the airline
that it resume its historic growth rate of from 10% to 15% per year? Why?
4. If you would recommend a resumption of previous growth rates, what form should this
growth take? For example, should it be achieved within the current network or through an
expanded network? By means of a greater proportion of long-haul flights (over three hours in
length) or not? Why?
5. If you would not recommend a resumption of previous growth rates, how would you suggest
dealing with the consequences of reduced growth, whatever they may be?
6. What are the implications for Southwest of the actual or threatened bankruptcies of other
major U.S. airlines?
7. What is IS/IT role played in the case?
8. Why is the profit of the Southwest Airlines dropped recently? (Hint: in year 2006).
HBC-G2: Binnj on the Apple iPad
1. What key enablers have allowed Binnj to engage in this “science experiment”?
2. Have you ever worked on, or led, a virtual team? What tools did you rely on, and what problems did you experience?
3. Binnj seems to have embraced the “agile” development approach. In what circumstances might a firm choose to use the slower, more traditional “waterfall” approach to develop a new system? Also, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.
4. Since the start of the Binnj science experiment, a plethora of new tablets have been announced (e.g., from companies such as Research in Motion, Samsung, and Hewlett Packard). Has Binnj chosen the right platform?
5. How should Binnj establish a price for the LiveMenu service?
6. What other revenue opportunities might Binnj create through LiveMenu, in addition to the digital menu?
7. What is an entrepreneur? Has Clay Hutcherson “got what it takes”?
Fig 1: Login at http://hbsp.harvard.edu/ to register or sign in
.
Fig 2: After you register (or sign in), type in the case title (e.g., SOUTHWEST AIRLINES)
Fig. 3: Choose an appropriate one to buy (it should be the second one for case 1)
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--3