Operations Management

"Operations Management (OM) is a multi-faceted blend of myriad academic and practical disciplines - from engineering and economics via mathematics and marketing, to systems and psychology. To present a state of the art, the book presents contemporary scholarship as an imaginary exhibit, each chapter a thematic 'gallery') curated to illustrate the breadth of the field and connect with its extended lineage. Drawing on a wide range of sources, the book provides an inspirational introduction to contemporary scholarship in one of the oldest business and management disciplines; OM builds on fundamental, universal, human and organizational principles. To offer the reader a thought-provoking point of entry into the selected OM sub-fields (process; planning and control; people; strategy and measurement; technology) each chapter, or gallery, is introduced by a description of some extraordinary artwork, artefacts, paintings, sculptures and architecture. The content has been curated around three principles intended to be benefit to the casual reader and both new and established OM scholars. First, it incorporates works that build on, or help to distinguish, fundamental tenets from more transitory fads. Second, the text makes significant efforts to try and better balance non-manufacturing (i.e., given the gravitational pull of the factory, not an accurate representation of the majority of the field) and three, to try to keep managerial rather than technical/analytical concerns to the fore. This concise book provides a useful overview of current and classic OM research. Written by a leading authority, it is intended to be valuable and engaging resource for both students and scholars of business"--