Technology and Operations Management: Technology and Operations Management - Copy – Recommended teaching material for MBA core course case studies

Author: China Renmin University Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Preface to Publication
With the gradual maturation of MBA education, case teaching has become increasingly familiar to people. Many institutions, especially the first group of MBA pilot schools, have widely adopted the case teaching model. Case teaching and case writing have also become important tasks emphasized and vigorously promoted by the National MBA Teaching Guidance Committee. To meet teaching needs, China Renmin University Press has reached an agreement with Harvard Business School Press to introduce and publish Harvard Business School cases. Focusing on MBA teaching, ten courses have been selected, including: Strategic Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing Management, Corporate Finance, Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Supply Chain Management, Technology and Operations Management, Financial Reporting and Control, and Business, Government, and International Economics. Both Chinese and English versions are being launched simultaneously. First, Harvard professors selected and recommended cases from among thousands of options, and then Chinese professors chose from the recommended case lists. Further adjustments were made during the translation process, and the final cases were determined. For many years, China Renin University Press has been dedicated to building brands in business and economics books, especially as a market leader in higher education textbooks, we have always strived to provide more and better products for Chinese management teaching and practice. With the expansion of China's MBA market, the increase and improvement in the quality of students, and the maturation of the teaching faculty, we have found that the shortage and low quality of case teaching materials have become significant problems. Based on extensive market research, Harvard Business School cases have become our top choice for introducing cases into MBA teaching. After all, Harvard University was one of the earliest to begin MBA education, with its MBA program having nearly a century of history. Harvard cases sell 6 million copies annually, and their case teaching method is gradually becoming familiar and adopted by universities worldwide. As a university press committed to serving higher education, we deeply feel that the introduction of Harvard cases is of great significance for the advancement of business management education theory and practice in China. In fact, we introduced and published a set of Harvard Business School cases in 2002, divided into Business Basics and Practical Application series, totaling 21 titles, which generated significant attention at the time. However, due to limitations, the cases were not selected based on course curricula, making them inconvenient for teachers to use in teaching. This led to the development of this case series specifically tailored for MBA core courses. During the operation of this case series, we widely gathered feedback from teachers and found that simply introducing and publishing cases could not meet actual teaching needs. For many teachers, the challenge lay in how to effectively teach Harvard cases. At the same time, during our preliminary research and preparation, we realized that the promotion of cases was no longer limited to traditional book promotion efforts but had evolved beyond the mere concept of publishing books into the promotion of teaching philosophies and methods. It required us to provide more long-term follow-up services and transform traditional publishing models. Just as we were planning to publish this case book, Harvard Business School launched its long-awaited PCMPCL Program on Case Method and Participant-Centered Learning training program. To support the PCMPCL project, Harvard Business School Press invited professors from 16 universities, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, to participate in case teaching training at Harvard Business School. The first training session was scheduled for August 2005, with a second session on case teaching and writing to be held in China in December of the same year. Additionally, to help teachers better utilize Harvard cases, China Renmin University Press will also introduce supplementary materials such as teacher manuals and teaching videos (provided exclusively to teachers using these cases, due to licensing restrictions). After the case book is published, we will continue to provide teaching support to help Chinese teachers use the cases more effectively and conveniently. The process of operating case book publication has been arduous, but the results have been rewarding and unforgettable. In our collaboration with Harvard Business School Press, we have repeatedly heard them speak sincerely about their mission: to improve management practice. Many people have worked tirelessly in the process of case book publication, and we thank Steven C. Wheelwright, Senior Vice Dean and Baker Fund Professor at Harvard Business School, for writing the preface to our case book. His decisive role in selecting the 10 courses included in this series made the publication possible without his efforts. We also thank Professors John Quelch, Michael Tushman, Debora Spar, Pankaj Ghemawat, David Hawkins, and David Up ton for their advice and guidance during the initial selection of cases. We are grateful to the following individuals at Harvard Business School and Harvard Business School Press for their significant contributions to case selection: Paul Andrew s, Tim Cannon, Tad Dearden, Mike Derocco, Pat Path away, Amy Iakovou, and Carol Swee t. We also thank Mr. Chen Xin Zhang, General Manager of the International Division at Harvard Business School Press, for the final publishing agreement and its execution, as well as for coordinating the entire process. Finally, we extend our gratitude to all the professors who participated in the Chinese translation of the cases. Despite their heavy teaching loads, each professor completed the translation work with high quality and on schedule. We hope that the publication of this case book and the subsequent training efforts will influence hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of MBAs. We hope they will adopt a new perspective, adapt to the global trend, understand modern business management methods, and rationally embrace the concept of credit-based commerce, thereby driving greater development in China's economy. We hope to guide Chinese management practice through our publications. If we can achieve this, then all the hard work will be worthwhile. Thank you for choosing or showing interest in our case book. We greatly value any feedback you provide. Our contact information: 010-62510566 ext. 551 or 541; E-mail: rdcbsjg@crup.com.cn or visit: http://www.rdjg.com.cn.
"Developing leaders who make a difference in the world" is the mission of Harvard Business School. Harvard Business School was officially established in 1908. To fulfill this mission, the school has implemented various programs that impact many different people. Harvard Business School is perhaps most famous for its MBA program, but we also pursue our mission through Executive Education Programs (including AMP and over 100 other training programs for professional managers) and through the publications of Harvard Business School Press. Our publications include Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business School books, online courses, and Harvard Business School case studies. Providing advice to outstanding institutions is also an important aspect of our mission. Over the past 60 years, Harvard Business School has not only provided teaching cases to institutions worldwide but has also helped them and their faculty improve their case teaching capabilities through various programs, including the International Teacher Program (ITP), the Case Method and Participant-Centered Learning (CPCL) program, and the Case Method and Participant-Centered Learning (PCMPCL) program. The PCMPCL program was launched in August 2005 with the goal of helping leading business schools in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore enhance their ability to skillfully apply case teaching and heuristic teaching in MBA programs, executive education programs, and management practice-oriented research. Through years of practice, Harvard Business School has found that the application of case teaching typically progresses through three stages. First stage, cases are used in management classrooms as examples or illustrations of concepts or principles. Second stage, case studies are used as the primary learning method, relying on case discussions. Third stage, professors begin to apply their findings from case studies and course development to teaching, in order to better understand and convey decision-making processes. To fulfill our mission, Harvard Business School and Harvard Business School Press are delighted to collaborate with China Renmin University Press to help Chinese business schools and their professors bridge the gap from the second stage to the third stage. Our efforts include: providing a 10-day PCMPCL training program for professors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore; publishing a case book edited according to MBA core courses (both Chinese and English versions); organizing a series of follow-up training programs on case teaching and case writing; and establishing a case service center for Chinese teachers. The purpose of these efforts has two interconnected aspects, both closely tied to Harvard Business School's mission. One purpose is to promote the improvement of global management education by helping educational institutions—just like those we have discovered in China—develop their own case teaching capabilities focused on management practice. The other purpose is to help these institutions cultivate teachers who can lead in their schools, enabling them to write new case studies and teaching materials that can be shared globally. Such case studies, which meet international standards while being relevant to China's specific management practices, are urgently needed by Chinese management education institutions. We are delighted that China Renmin University Press and many outstanding business schools in China have joined our efforts. We hope that the publication of Harvard case books in China will benefit educational institutions, teachers, and their future business leaders, helping them realize their dream of playing a significant role in the global economy.