Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:
- Case
- Find and review three works of literature that pertain to process innovation.
- Write a literature review of these three papers using How to do a review of a work of literature.
- SLP
- Search for works of literature that pertain to the DSP’s Theories, Models, and Conceptual Framework.
- Annotate these works of literature in the Chapter 2, Literature Review Annotated Outline.
- Write a paragraph discussing progress and problems with this activity.
- Write a paragraph that is an introduction paragraph of one article in this main topic section of Chapter 2.
- Discussion
- Discuss why it is important to review theories, models, and the conceptual framework.
Module Overview
In this module the Case Assignment continues with literature review efforts with the focus on theories of process innovations and how these create resistance and the need for change management. The goal of the SLP in this module is to continue searching for literature with a focus on Theories, Models, and Conceptual Framework literature.
Business and commerce comprise interconnected processes. Fundamentally a process is a step-by-step set of actions that transform inputs into outputs with a specified level of quality. Traditionally, process analysis and improvement began in the manufacturing sector and was popularized in the late 19th century and early 20th century by Frederick Taylor, Frank and Lilian Gilbreth, Henry Ford, Sakichi Toyoda, Joseph Juran, and Taiichi Ohno. The second half of the 20th century witnessed another wave of process improvement efforts as well as a focus on quality with Edward Deming and others leading the charge. Programs with names like Total Quality Management, lean manufacturing, and Toyota system production focused on statistical quality control and six sigma, just-in-time, Kanban, continuous improvement, and reduction of waste. These methodologies are mainly focused on practical application of principles of productivity with the goal of increasing output and/or decreasing resource input, that is, time and material. In the early 1980s, Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt introduced the Theory of Constraints which was popularized in his book The Goal.
Also, in the second half of the 20th century, the field of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) became popular. This field of engineering has its roots in manufacturing, but after WWII, it expanded its reach into other areas such operations research, systems analysis and design, and human factors and decision theory. A common theme across the sub-fields of ISE is a focus on the human element in systems and processes such that these systems should be designed to take advantage of the specific skills and capabilities of the human element and the technological elements including information technologies.
The concepts of process design and improvement moved into the realm of business schools and became known as Business Process Re-engineering. This concept is different from process improvement, which focused on incremental change while BPR focuses on large scale re-design. These large-scale changes (innovations) to systems and processes usually create a large degree of change, which can create resistance from those who must adapt to the change. This has created an area of management known as change management. The Case Assignment in this module centers on theories and models of BPR, large-scale change, resistance, and change management.
As you continue to explore the concepts of innovation and creativity in the Case Assignment, the SLP assignment focuses on the second main section of Chapter 2 – Theories, Models and Conceptual Framework. As you did for SLP 2 you will not write the literature review, but rather you will search for and identify literature to review later in this course.
