Nov. 2015
KASRA FERDOWS
Heisley Family Chair Professor of Global Manufacturing
McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University
Phone: 202 687 3814, Email: ferdowsk@Georgetown.edu
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, University of Wisconsin in Madison, 1972
MBA, University of Wisconsin in Madison, 1968
M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, Teheran Polytechnic, 1964
HISTORY OF EMPLOYMENT
January 1990-Present
Professor, Heisley Family Chair of Global Manufacturing
McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University
Acting Dean July 1, 1997-July 1, 1998
Visiting Professor at Melbourne Business School during
sabbatical in fall 2004
July 1980-January 1990
Associate Professor and Professor
The European Institute of Business Administration
(INSEAD) Fontainebleau, France
Visiting Associate Professor at Stanford Business School
(sabbatical in 1985-86).
December 1979-June 1980
Visiting Research Fellow
Harvard Business University
June 1972-December 1979
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and
Head of Governing Council (equivalent to the dean)
Iran Center for Management Studies (Tehran, Iran)
December 1975-June 1976
Visiting Lecturer
Harvard Business School
1965-1971 (Part-time)
(During Doctoral Study)
Manager, Coordination of New Product Projects
Ohio Medical Products Inc. (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)
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Summers 1962 and 1963
Engineering Trainee
Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz A.G. (Cologne, Germany)
PUBLICATIONS
Ferdows, K., Vereecke, A., De Meyer, A. (in press), Delayering the Global Production
Networks into Congruent Subnetworks, Journal of Operations Management
Netland, T., Ferdows, K., (in press), The S-Curve Effect of Lean Implementation,
Production and Operations Management
Netland, T., Schloetzer, J., Ferdows, K., (2015) Implementing Corporate Lean Programs:
The Effect of Management Control Practices. Journal of Operations Management 36
(2015) 90–102
Weingarten, F., Jemenez, C., Fynes, B., Ferdows, K. (2015) Exploring the importance of
cultural collectivism on the efficacy of lean practices: taking an organisational and
national perspective. International Journal of Operations and Production Management,
Vol. 35 No. 3 pp. 370 - 391
Netland, T., Ferdows, K., Sanchez, E. (2015). "How Do Company-Specific Production
Systems Affect Plant Performance: The S-Curve Theory" (Extended Abstract). Production
and Operations Management, Vol. 24 No. 3 pp.362-364
The paper was a finalist in Applied Research Competition at Production and Operations
Management.
Brennen, L., Ferdows, K., Godsell, J., Golini, R., Keegan, R., Kinkel, S., Srai, J. S., Taylor, M.
(2015). Manufacturing in the World: Insights for the Future. International Journal of
Operations and Production Management. Vol. 35 No 9, 1253-1274
Netland, T., Ferdows, K. (2014). What to Expect From a Corporate Lean Program. MIT
Sloan Management Review, 55(3), 83-89.
Ferdows, K. (2014). Relating the Firm's Global Production Network to its Strategy.
Chapter 1 in J. Johansen, S. Farooq, Y. Cheng (Ed.), International Operations Networks,
Springer: (pp. 1-14).
Ferdows, K. (2014). Sandcone Model of Improvement. Wiley Encyclopedia of
Management 3e. New York: Wiley.
Kasra Ferdows and Fritz Thurnheer, 2011. Building Factory Fitness. International Journal
of Operations and Production Management, Volume 31, No 9, pp. 916-934
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Kasra Ferdows, 2010. Focus on Margins—not Costs. POMS Chronicle, Vol 17, No. 1, pp.
13-15
Kasra Ferdows, 2008. Managing evolving global production networks, Chapter 9 of
Strategy, Innovation, and Change. (editors: R. Galavan, S. Murray, C Markedis),
Cambridge: Oxford University Press, pp. 149-162
Kasra Ferdows. 2006. Transfer of Changing Production Know-How. Production and
Operations Management Volume 14, No. 1 pp 1-9
Kasra Ferdows and Christopher Carabetta, 2006. The effect of inter-factory linkage
flexibility on inventories and backlogs in integrated process industries. International
Journal of Production Research, Volume 44, No. 2 pp. 237-255
Kasra Ferdows, Michael Lewis, and Jose A.D. Machuca 2005. Zara’s Secret for Fast
Fashion. Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, February 21, 2005
Kasra Ferdows, Michael Lewis and Jose Machuca, 2004. Rapid-Fire Fulfillment. Harvard
Business Review, Volume 82, Number 11, pp. 104-110 (November 2004)
Kasra Ferdows, Jose Machuca and Michael Lewis, 2004. Zara. Supply Chain Forum,
Volume 4, Number 2 (2004) pp.62-67
Kasra Ferdows, New world manufacturing order. Industrial Engineer, February 2003
Kasra Ferdows, 2003. AOL: International Expansion, in Global Marketing, Third Edition, J.
Johannson, New York: Mc-Graw Hill Irwin,, pp. 601-612
Kasra Ferdows, S. Berzeg, M. Maier, and J-C Paez, 2000. BMW: Globalizing
Manufacturing Operations, in Managing the Global Corporation, J. de la Torre, Y. Doz,
and T. Devinney, Boston: Irwin McGraw Hill, pp. 427-442; and in Global Operations and
Logistics, P-P. Dornier et al, New York: Wiley, 1998 pp. 341-355
Kasra Ferdows, 2000. Making Most of Foreign Factories. Harvard Business Review,
March-April 1997, pp.73-88 (Reprinted in World View: Global Strategies for the New
Economy, J.E. Garten, Editor, Boston: Harvard Business Review Book, 2000, pp.143-166.)
Kasra Ferdows, T. Maddery, 1998. Manugistics, in Global Operations and Logistics, P. P.
Dornier et al (Editors), New York: Wiley, pp.377-382
Kasra Ferdows, 1997. Made in the World: The Global Spread of Production. Production
and Operations Journal, Vol. 6, No. 2, Summer 1997, pp.102-109.
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Kasra Ferdows, “Expect More from Your Global Sites,” Global Sites & Logistics, May 1997
Kasra Ferdows and Paul Adler, 116. Does Technology Need A Chief? in Management of
Technology and Innovation, Y. Doz (Ed.), Cambridge: Oxford University Press
Kasra Ferdows 1996. Honeywell Pace, in Global Operations Management, T. Flaherty
(Ed), New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 370-384 (Also in Managing The Global Corporation,
William H. Davidson and Jose de la Torre, McGraw Hill, New York, 1989, pp. 436-448,
and Management, I.E. Boone and D.L. Kurtz, Random House, 3rd Edition, January 1987,
and in Cases and Strategy Management, A.J. Strickland, Business Publications, 1986
Kasra Ferdows, 1993. Foreign Operations, Chapter 9 in The American Edge, J. A. Klein
and J.G. Miller (Eds.) New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 180-202
Kasra Ferdows, 1993.New Mandates for Global Manufacturers in Manufacturing
Management: Global Outlook, J. Heller (Ed.), Cambridge: Oxford University Press
Arnoud De Meyer and Kasra Ferdows,1992. Removing the Barriers in Manufacturing, in
Benchmarking Global Manufacturing, J.G. Miller, A. De Meyer, and J. Nakane (Eds.)
Homewood, Illinois: Business One Irwin, pp. 93-111
J.G. Miller, J. S. Kim, A. De Meyer, K. Ferdows, J. Nakane, and s. Kurosu, 1992. Factories
of the Future, in Benchmarking Global Manufacturing, J.G. Miller, A. De Meyer, and J.
Nakane (Eds.) Homewood, Illinois: Business One Irwin, pp.161-180
Kasra Ferdows,1992. Charting strategic courses for international factories, in
International Review of Strategic Management, D.E. Hussey (Editor), New York: McGraw
Hill
Arnoud DeMeyer, Kasra Ferdows and Uday Karmarkar, 1992. Manufacturing and
Distribution in Europe: Problems and Opportunities. The American Production and
Inventory Control Journal, December 1992
Paul Adler and Kasra Ferdows, 1992. The chief technology officer: A new role for new
challenges, in Top Management and Effective Leadership in High Technology, Luis R.
Gomez-Mejia and Michael Lawless (Eds.), Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press, pp. 49-66
Kasra Ferdows, 1992. Removing the borders in manufacturing. The 1992 Annual
Business Review, published by The Management Centre Europe, Brussels 1992
Kasra Ferdows, 1991. Different Ways to the Top: A Comparison of European, US, and
Japanese Manufacturers. The Engineer, November 21, 1991, pp. 22-23
Kasra Ferdows and Arnoud DeMeyer, 1991 “Removing the barriers in manufacturing,”
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The European Management Journal, March 1991 (Published also in Italian as “Il
Manufacturing di Fronte Alla sfida del mercato,” in L’Impresa, No. 1, 1991)
Kasra Ferdows and Arnoud DeMeyer, 1990. Lasting Improvements in Manufacturing
Performance. Journal of Operations Management, Volume 9 Number 2 pp. 168-184
Kasra Ferdows and Arnoud DeMeyer 1990. Influence of Manufacturing Improvement
Programs on Performance. The International Journal of Operations and Production
Management Volume 10 No. 2
Paul Adler and Kasra Ferdows, 1990. The Chief Technology Officer. California
Management Review, Volume 32, No. 3
Arnoud DeMeyer and Kasra Ferdows, 1990. “Quality up, technology down,” The
International Journal of Technology Management, Volume 5, Numbers 7/8/9
Kasra Ferdows,1990. Managing disasters, in Revitalizing Manufacturing, Janice A. Klein,
Homewood, IL: Richard Irwin, pp. 130- 133
Kasra Ferdows, 1990. Explosion in the Dover plant, in Revitalizing Manufacturing, Janice
A. Klein, Homewood IL: Richard Irwin 1990, pp. 119- 129
Kasra Ferdows, 1989. Managing International Manufacturing, New York: North Holland,
1989 (Editor) Translated into Italian under the title Il manufacturing nella compezione
globale, ISEDI, Milan 1990.
A. de Meyer, J. G. Miller, and J. Nakane, and K. Ferdows, 1989. Flexibility: The next
competitive battle. Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2 (March -April 1989)
Kasra Ferdows, 1989. Remington Products, Inc., in Manufacturing Strategy: Text and
Cases, Terrance Hill, Homewood IL: Irwin
Kasra Ferdows and Arnoud DeMeyer, 1988. European manufacturers: The dangers of
complacency. The Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol. 33, No. 3
Kasra Ferdows and Per Lindberg, 1987. FMS as indicator of strategic role of
manufacturing, The International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 25, No. 11
Arnoud De Meyer and Kasra Ferdows, 1987. Managerial focal points in manufacturing
strategy,” The International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 25, No. 11
Kasra Ferdows and Wickham Skinner, 1987. The sweeping revolutions in manufacturing.
The Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 8, No. 2. Reprinted in Handbook of Manufacturing
Automation and Integration, K.H. Kelly (Ed.), Auerbasch, New York, 1990
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Kasra Ferdows and Arnoud DeMeyer, 1986. Evolving global manufacturing strategies:
projections into the 1990’s. The International Journal of Operations and Production
Management, Volume 6, No. 4
Arnoud DeMeyer and Kasra Ferdows, 1985. The integration of information systems in
manufacturing. The International Journal of Operations and Production Management,
Volume 5, No. 2
Kasra Ferdows and Christopher Spray, 1985. Honeywell PACE. Journal of Management
Case Studies, Volume 1, No 1
Kasra Ferdows, 1983.“Technology-push Strategies for Manufacturing,” Review of
Economic and Management (Tijdschrift voor Economie en Management) Volume 37,
No.2
Kasra Ferdows and Richard Rosenbloom, 1980. Technology policy and economic
development. The Columbia Journal of World Business, Volume 5, No. 2
Kasra Ferdows, 1980. Startup of small manufacturing ventures in developing countries.
American Journal of Small Business, Volume 5, No. 2
Cases (other than those published in books or journals):
Zara: The World’s Largest Fashion Retailer 2015, written by Ferdows, K., Machuca, J.,
Lewis, M. (2014). Georgetown University, University of Sevilla, Bath University The Case
Center No. 615-059-1 (translated into Spanish and Japanese)
RAK Ceramics, Georgetown University case # OPIB 08-1, (2007)
Written by Kasra Ferdows and Stanley Nollen.
Schneider Nordic Baltic (SNB) ECCH # 605-016-1
Schneider Nordic Baltic (SNB) Teaching Note ECCH # 605-016-8,
SNB Software ECCH # 605-016-9, and SNB Video ECCH # 605-016-9,
All written by Peter Bruun and Kasra Ferdows, 2005
Aspen Products, Inc. Georgetown University case #MSB-OPIM 06-1
Written by Kasra Ferdows (2006)
Zara ECCH # 603-002
Zara Teaching Note ECCH # 603-008 (and CD ECCH # 603—009)
Both written by Kasra Ferdows, Jose Machuca and Michael Lewis (2002)
This case was the winner of the 2005 of the BusinessWeek/ECCH Award for Best Case in
Production and Operations Management, and the winner of the 2003 International Case
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Competition sponsored by Indiana University Center for International Business Education and
Research. (CIBER) and Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) In 2014,
ECCH (European Case Clearing House) named this case as the 15th most popular case in its
40-year history. (http://www.thecasecentre.org/educators/aboutus/40anniversary/top40cases/15-zara)
Pechiney rolling Products at Ravenswood, Georgetown University, by Kasra Ferdows
(2001) (This case has been released for internal use only)
World Bank: The Renewal Program in the Africa Region, by Kasra Ferdows and Carin
Knoop (1996) (Restricted Circulation)
Knossos Computers Inc.: Country of Origin, by Scott Ceiner and Kasra Ferdows (1992)
Cases written in Iran (in English):
Arak Ceramic Company (ICMS, 1978)
Bank Saderat (ICMS, 1977)
Quasar Consultants (A) (B) (C) & (D) (ICMS, 1977)
Chin-Chin Agro-Industries, Inc. (ICMS, 1977)
Iran Yataghan Company (B) (ICMS, 1976, revised in 1980 at INSEAD)
Kamran Anvari (ICMS, 1976)
Pioneer Shoe Company (B) (ICMS, 1976, revised in 1980 at INSEAD)
National Mining Company (ICMS, 1976)
Pars Oil Company (A) & (B) ( ICMS, 1974)
Iran Appliance Company (ICMS, 1974)
Vetuviers Iran Pharmaceutical Company (B) (ICMS, 1973, revised 1980 at INSEAD)
Container Corporation of Iran (ICMS, 1973)
Special Issue Editorships
Production and Operations Management: Special Issue on Global Operations and
Technology Management, Volume 6, Number 2, Summer 1997 (With Amiya
Chackravarty and Kalyan Singhal as Coeditors)
International Journal of Operations and Production Management: Special Issue on
Management and the New Production Systems, Volume 10, Number 2, 1990 (With
Christer Karlsson as Coeditor)
Academic Offices (outside the University in recent years)
Production and Operations Management Society
(President 2005-2006, Board Member, 2004-2008, re-elected for 2010-2012)
Editorial Boards (partial list)
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences (continuing)
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International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking (continuing)
Japan Operations Management Society Journal (continuing)
Journal of Operations Management (continuing)
Manufacturing and Service Operations Management. (MSOM), Senior Editor,
1999-2002.
Production and Operations Management (from inception of the journal until
2008)
Honors (in recent years)
Life-time Fellow of Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) since 2007
Life-time Fellow of European Operations Management Association (EurOMA) since 2012
Top 25 All-Time Bestselling Author, The Case Center, November 2014
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