MFGM 8890: Advanced Manufacturing Systems Design - Fall 2009

FRIDAYS – 9:00 AM TO 11:30 AM, ST 2030

Dr. Sachin Modi

Office: ST - 4032
E-Mail: sachin.modi@utoledo.edu
Office hours: MW: - 12.00 PM to 3.00 PM and by appointment.
Phone: 419-530-2258

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

This seminar is designed to expose doctoral students to the current and emerging research topics in
operations management. In the process, we will get exposed to a few seminal articles that have been
selected based on their use of a novel approach to either domain knowledge and/or research methods. The
seminar focuses broadly on key issues related to manufacturing including operations strategy, lean
manufacturing, JIT, agile manufacturing, disruptions/risks in operations management, innovation,
sourcing design, mass customization and inventory management.

This course will help develop skill sets in conducting independent research, critiquing articles and
developing new research ideas and implementing a research study ready to be submitted to a journal.
Given the nature of the field, it is not possible to exhaustively cover every research area we discuss. It is
critical to actively look for new and exciting managerially applicable research topics. With this in mind,
at the end of the semester, you should have an overview of the research in operations and supply chain
management and the tools needed to expand your research horizons.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To review the literature for topics in the area of operations management and identify opportunities for
research which are managerially relevant.
2. To explore in-depth, one topic area and design a viable research proposal. Details for this are
discussed below.
3. To learn how to develop and write a research paper for an academic journal.
4. To learn how to read and critique academic articles.

5. To develop skills of oral and written presentation of research ideas and academic articles

COURSE FORMAT:

The course is conducted in a seminar format. A seminar is a group of supervised students doing research
or advanced study.

COURSE COMPONENTS

Article Presentations: Every week each one of you is expected to present one paper from the reading list
and lead the discussion (schedule to be finalized in the first class) for the paper. These presentations
should be concise and to the point. It is expected that everyone in class will have read the papers and is
prepared to discuss specific aspects during the presentation. The presentation and discussion should
answer at least the following questions:
1.                  What is the central idea/contribution of the article? What are the specific research
questions being investigated?
2.                 What is the model being tested? Develop a diagram if possible.
 3. What are the independent variables and dependent variables in the model (how
are these defined and measured)?
4.                  What is the logic for the relationships in the model (the theoretical arguments?) – are
these sound? Are there logical leaps and how can they be avoided?
5.                  Why was the paper publishable?
6.                  How can this article lead to further research? Identify additional viable research
topics related to this article.  

Article Reaction Papers: Everyone is expected to read all the assigned readings and prepare a summary
(approx 1 page – bullet points are encouraged) for each article for the class meetings - including what you
learn from the readings and how they can be related to potential research issues in operations and supply
chain management. I will collect the write-ups for grading on an ad-hoc basis. No late submissions will be
allowed. If you miss a write-up when collected, there will be loss of grade.

Research Proposal/Paper: The research paper will require you to conceptualize, develop and shape a
research article that is ready for journal/conference submission by the end of the course. The expected
quality of this research project is similar to papers that are published in reasonable OM journals.
Obviously, the goal should be to be target high quality academic outlets. This means that the paper should
be well crafted, grounded in theory, rigorous and also (potentially) tested empirically. I would strongly
encourage you to start EARLY on the project. It is important that you start off early in the term and run
your ideas by me. Your first deliverable is a brief formal research proposal on October 16th. At this
time it is expected that you would have completed a good synthesis of the literature pertaining to your
chosen topic and have some tentative propositions/hypotheses based on guided theory. You are then
expected conduct a detailed review and synthesize the literature. The expectation for the synthesis of the
literature is similar to a meta-analysis/literature review publication. Following this you are expected to
develop an original model of research and managerial significance, and design the study which is ready to
be executed to test the model. The research proposal should be written in a form which can be easily
crafted into a paper for an academic conference or a journal. Based on the proposal you are then expected
to write a paper, which can be submitted to an academic conference or journal.

You will be judged on: (1) originality of ideas (2) how effectively you motivate your research questions
(i.e., how well you explain why the research question that you try to answer is important) (3) how
concisely yet comprehensively you review the relevant literature, building upon it to support your
research (4) how clearly and concisely you state your variables and model’s logical and theoretical
arguments and (5) the potential for contributions and publication of the research if executed to
completion.

The final proposal/paper will be due on the 15th week (Dec 4th) of the semester – we will have an
intermediate week (Oct 16th tentatively) for presentations of proposals and discussion. Final project
presentations will be held on or about the 16th week of the semester. The final output is expected to be a
paper, which can be submitted to an academic conference as a regular paper and has the potential to be
developed into a quality journal article.

Class Participation: Class participation/attendance is required. Each person should be prepared to

discuss all papers assigned for that week. Your preparation and discussion enhances the learning
experience for everyone in the class. Not attending class without prior permission will result in loss of
grade.
GRADING
Grading is based upon the instructor’s judgment. All requirements must be completed satisfactorily.
Superior performance in one does not compensate for unsatisfactory performance in others. The grading
components are:

Research proposal/ paper: 40%

Research Presentation: 15%

Article Summaries and Article Presentations: 35%

Class Participation and Attendance: 10%

Tentative Schedule and Reading List:

August 28th 2009 - Week 1: Introduction

Introduction to the course

Boyer K. K., M. Swink. 2006. Editorial. Journal of Operations Management. 24(6) 731-733. (focus on
editorial philosophy.)

Cachon G. P. 2009. From the Editor—A Vision for Management Science. Management Science, 55, 1 - 3.
(focus on editorial philosophy.)

M. Fisher. 2007. Strengthening the empirical base of operations management. Manufacturing and Service
Operations Management. 9(4), 368 - 382.

Boyer K., M. Swink. 2008. Empirical elephants - why multiple methods are essential to quality research
in operations and supply chain management. Journal of Operations Management. 26(3), 338-344.

Singhal, V., B.B. Flynn, P. T. Ward, A. V. Roth, V. Gaur. 2008. Empirical elephants-Why multiple
methods are essential to quality research in operations and supply chain management. Journal of
Operations Management. 26(3), 345-348.

September 4th 2009 - Week 2: Review session (Theory and background)

Barney, J. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management. 17(1), 99-
120.

Teece D. J., G. Pisano, A. Shuen. 1997. Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic
Management Journal. 18(7), 509-533.

Schmenner, R. W., M. L. Swink. 1998. On theory in operations management. Journal of Operations

Management. 17(1), 97-113.
Holweg, M., F. K. Pil. 2008. Theoretical perspectives on the coordination of supply chains. Journal of
Operations Management. 26(3), 389-406,

Grant, R.M., 1996. Toward a knowledge based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal.
17(Winter special issue), 109-122.

September 11th - Week 3: Review session (Theory and background)

March, J. 1991. Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science. 2, 71-87.

Cohen, W. M., D. A. Levinthal. 1990. Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and
innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly. 35, 128 – 152.

Williamson O. E. 1979. Transaction-Cost economics: The governance of contractual relations.

Journal of Law and Economics. 22(2), 233-261.

Eisenhardt, K. 1989. Agency theory: An assessment and review. Acedemy of Management Review. 14(1),
57-74.

Granovetter, M. S. 1973. The strength of weak ties. The American Journal of Sociology. 78(6), 1360-
1380.

Thorelli, H. B. 1986. Networks: Between markets and hierarchies. Strategic Management Journal. 7, 37-
51.

September 18th - Week 4: Operations Strategy

Flynn B.B., E. J. Flynn. 2004. An exploratory study of the nature of cumulative capabilities. Journal of
Operations Management. 22, 439-457.

Jack, E. P., A. S. Raturi. 2003. Measuring and comparing volume flexibility in the capital goods industry.
Production and Operations Management. 12(4) 480–501.

Menor L. J., M. M. Kristal, E. D. Rosenzweig. 2007. Examining the influence of operational intellectual
capital on capabilities and performance. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management. 9(4), 559-
578

Anand G., P. T. Ward. 2004. Fit, flexibility and performance in manufacturing: Coping with dynamic
environments. Production and Operations Management. 13(4), 369-385.

Paiva, E. L., A. V. Roth, J. E. Fensterseifer. 2008. Organizational knowledge and the manufacturing
strategy process: A resource-based view analysis. Journal of Operations Management. 26(1), 115-132.

Peng, D. X., R. Schroeder, R. Shah. 2008. Linking routines to operations capabilities: A new perspective.
Journal of Operations Management. 26(3), 730-748.

September 29th - Week 5: Lean Manufacturing, JIT, Time based manufacturing, Agility

Matthias , H. 2007. The genealogy of lean production. Journal of Operations Management. 25(2), 420-
437.
Shah, R., P. T. Ward. 2003. Lean manufacturing: context, practice bundles, and performance. Journal of
Operations Management. 21(2), 129-149.

Shah, R., P. T. Ward. 2007. Defining and developing measures of lean production. Journal of Operations
Management. 25(4), 785 – 805.

Fullerton, R. R., C. S. McWatters, C. Fawson. 2003. An examination of the relationships between JIT and
financial performance. Journal of Operations Management. 21(4) 383-404

Vonderembse, M., Q. Tu, T. S. Ragu Nathan, T. W. Sharkey. 2006. Absorptive capacity: Enhancing the
assimilation of time-based manufacturing practices. Journal of Operations Management. 24(5), 692-710.

Narasimhan, R., M. Swink, S. W. Kim. 2006. Disentangling leanness and agility: An empirical
investigation. Journal of Operations Management, 24(5) 440 – 457.

October 2nd - Week 6: Agility, Risk/disruptions

Braunscheidel, M. J., N. C. Suresh. 2009. The organizational antecedents of a firm's supply chain agility for risk
mitigation and response. Journal of Operations Management. 27(2), 119-140

Lewis, M. A. 2003. Cause, consequence and control: towards a theoretical and practical model of
operational risk. Journal of Operations Management. 21(2), 205-224

Kleindorfer, P.R., G. H. Saad. 2005. Managing disruption risks in supply chains. Production and Operations
Management. 14 (1), 53–68.

Hendricks K.B., V. R. Singhal, R. Zang. 2009. The effect of operational slack, diversification and vertical
relatedness on stock market’s reaction to supply chain disruptions. Journal of Operations Management. 27(3),
233-246.

Knemeyer, A. M., W. Zinn, C. Eroglu, 2009. Proactive planning for catastrophic events in supply chains.
Journal of Operations Management. 27, 141-153.

October 9th - Week 7: Sustainability

Kleindorfer, P. R., K. Singhal, L. N. Van Wassenhove. 2005. Sustainable operations management.

Production and Operations Management. 14(4)

Linton, J. D., R. Klassen, V. Jayaraman. 2007. Sustainable supply chains: An introduction. Journal of
Operations Management. 25(6), 1075 – 1082.

Kocabasoglu, C., C. Prahinski, R. D. Klassen. 2007. Linking forward and reverse supply chain
investments: The role of business uncertainty. Journal of Operations Management. 25(6), 1141-1160.

King, A., M. Lenox. 2002. Exploring the locus of profitable pollution reduction. Management Science.
48(2), 289–299.
Montabon, F., R. Sroufe, R. Narasimhan. 2007. An examination of corporate reporting, environmental
management practices and firm performance. Journal of Operations Management. 25(5), 998 – 1014.

Pagell, M., D. Gobeli. 2009. How plant managers' experiences and attitudes toward sustainability relate to
operational performance. Production and Operations Management. 18(3), 278 – 299.

October 16th - Week 8: Operations/Supply Chain Management and Innovation

Research Proposals Due

Rothaermel, R. T., D. L. Deeds. 2004. Exploration and exploitation alliances in biotechnology: A system
of new product development. Strategic Management Journal. 25, 201–221.

Jansen J. J. P, F. A. J. Van Den Bosch, H. W. Volberda. 2006. Exploratory innovation, exploitative

innovation, and performance: Effects of organizational antecedents and environmental moderators.
Management Science. 52(11), 1661-1674.

Chandy R. K. 2000. The incumbent's curse? Incumbency, size, and radical product innovation. Journal of
Marketing. 64(3), 1-17.

Aboulnasr K., O. Narasimhan, E. Blair, R. Chandy. 2008. Competitive response to radical product
innovations. Journal of Marketing. 72(May), 94-110.

Rindfleisch A., C. Moorman. 2001. The acquisition and utilization of information in new product
development alliance: A strength of ties perspective. Journal of Marketing. 62(2), 1-18.

Kalaignanam, K., V. Shankar, R. Varadarajan. 2007. Asymmetric new product development alliances:
Win-win or win-lose partnerships? Management Science. 53(3), 357-374.

October 23rd - Week 9: Operations/Supply Chain Management and Innovation

Karim, S. 2009. Business unit reorganization and innovation in new product markets. Management
Science, 55(7), 1237-1254

Tatikonda, M. V., M. M. Montoya-Weiss. 2001. Integrating operations and marketing perspectives of

product innovation: The influence of organizational process factors and capabilities on development
performance. Management Science, 47(1), 151-.

Petersen, K. J., R. B. Handfield, G. L. Ragatz. 2005. Supplier integration into new product development:
coordinating product, process and supply chain design. Journal of Operations Management. 23(3-4), 371
– 388

Koufteros, Xenophon A.; Edwin Cheng, T.C.; Lai, Kee-Hung. 2007. Black-box and gray-box supplier
integration in product development: Antecedents, consequences and the moderating role of firm size.
Journal of Operations Management, 25(4), 847 – 870

Mishra, A. A., R. Shah. 2009. In union lies strength: Collaborative competence in new product
development and its performance effects. Journal of Operations Management, 27(4),
October 30th - Week 10: Sourcing research (Buyer performance, Supplier performance and
Governance)

Chen, I. J., A. Paulraj, A. A. Lado. 2004. Strategic purchasing, supply management, and firm
performance. Journal of Operations Management. 22(5),

Krause, D. R., R. B. Handfield, B. B. Tyler. 2007. The relationships between supplier development,
commitment, social capital accumulation and performance improvement. Journal of Operations
Management. 25(2), 528 – 545.

Paulraj, A., A. A. Lado, I. J. Chen. 2008. Inter-organizational communication as a relational competency:

Antecedents and performance outcomes in collaborative buyer-supplier relationships. Journal of
Operations Management. 26(1), 45-64

Heide, J. B. 2003. Plural governance in industrial purchasing. Journal of Marketing, 67(4), 18-29

Jiang, B. 2009. The effects of inter-organizational governance on supplier’s compliance with SCC: An
empirical examination of compliant and non-compliant suppliers. Journal of Operations Management.
27(4),

November 6th - Week 11: Sourcing research (Buyer Supplier Relationships, e-Procurement, Global
Sourcing)

Wu, Z., T. Y. Choi. 2005. Supplier–supplier relationships in the buyer–supplier triad: Building theories
from eight case studies. Journal of Operations Management. 24(1), 27-52.

Jap, S. D. 2007. The impact of online reverse auction design on buyer--supplier relationships. Journal of
Marketing. Jan2007, 71(1), 146-159,

Schoenherr, T., V. Mabert. 2008. The use of bundling in B2B online reverse auctions. Journal of
Operations Management. 26(1), 81 – 95.

Vaidyanathan, G., S. Devaraj. 2008. The role of quality in e-procurement performance: An empirical
analysis. Journal of Operations Management. 26(3), 407-425

Trent. R. J., R. M. Monczka. 2005. Achieving excellence in global sourcing. MIT Sloan Management
Review. Fall.

Roth A. V., A. A. Tsay, M. E. Pullman, J. V. Gray. 2008. Unraveling the food supply chain: Strategic
insights from China and the 2007 recalls. Journal of Supply Chain Management. 44(1), 22-39.

November 13th - Week 12: Quality Management, Six Sigma/process

Niar, A. 2006. Meta-analysis of the relationship between quality management practices and firm
performance—implications for quality management theory development. Journal of Operations
Management. 24(6), 948 – 975.

Molina, L. M, J. Lloréns-Montes, A. Ruiz-Moreno, 2007. Relationship between quality management

practices and knowledge transfer. Journal of Operations Management. 25(3), 682 – 701
Choo A. S., K. W. Linderman, R. G. Schroeder. 2007. Method and psychological effects on learning
behaviors and knowledge creation in quality improvement projects. Management Science, 53(3), 437 -
450.

Benner, M. J., F. Veloso. 2008. ISO 9000 practices and financial performance: A technology coherence
perspective. Journal of Operations Management. 26(5), 611-629.

Linderman, K., R. G. Schroeder, A. Choo. 2006. Six Sigma: The role of goals in improvement teams.
Journal of Operations Management, 24(6), 779 – 790.

November 20th - Week 13: Mass Customization, ERP

Duray, R., P. T. Ward, G. W. Milligan, W. L. Berry. 2000. Approaches to mass customization:

configurations and empirical validation. Journal of Operations Management. 18(6), 605-625.

Huang, X., M. M. Kristal, R. Schroeder. 2008. Linking learning and effective process implementation to
mass customization capability. Journal of Operations Management. 26(6), 714 – 729.

Vonderembse, M., Q. Tu, T. S. Ragu-Nathan, 2001. The impact of time-based manufacturing practices
on mass customization and value to customer. Journal of Operations Management. 19(2), 201-217.

Bendoly, E., M. J. Cotteleer. 2008. Understanding behavioral sources of process variation following
Enterprise System deployment. Journal of Operations Management. 26(1) 23-44.

Bendoly, E., E. D. Rosenzweig, J. K. Stratman. 2009. The efficient use of enterprise information for
strategic advantage: A data envelopment analysis. Journal of Operations Management, 27(4), 310-323

November 27th - Week 14: No Classes – Thanks Giving Break

December 4th - Week 15: Inventory Management (Empirical Research)

Final research proposal/paper are due at the beginning of class.

Hong C., F. Z. Murray, O. Q. Wu. 2005. What Actually Happened to the Inventories of American
Companies Between 1981 and 2000? Management Science. 51,1015 - 1031.

Gaur, V., M. L. Fisher, A. Raman. 2005. An econometric analysis of inventory turnover performance in
retail services. Management Science. 51(2) 181-194.

Cachon G. P., T. Randall, G. M. Schmidt. 2007. In search of the bullwhip effect. Manufacturing and
Service Operations Management. 9(4), 457-479.

DeHoratius, N., A. Raman. 2008. Inventory record inaccuracy: An empirical analysis. Management
Science. 54, 627 - 641.

Hendricks, K. B., V. R. Singhal. 2008. Demand-Supply mismatches and stock market reaction: Evidence
from excess inventory announcements. Manufacturing and Service Operations Management.
forthcoming.

December 11th - Week 16: Research Presentations

December 14th exam week – Research Presentations overflow – wrap-up