China Lectures
Below is an outline of the lecture series proposed by Simon Snowden of the
University of Liverpool to be delivered at the China University of Petroleum
between 15th March 2009 and 12th April 2009.
1 Teaching at the University of Liverpool
1.1
Talk about UoL
This part of the lecture will be used to give the students an idea of
what it is like to be educated in the UK
1.2
Introduce me
Talk about my role at the university, what I teach and what my
research interests are.
1.3
Management School
Look at the management school and the kind of teaching
performed.
1.4
Operations and Information Systems Division
A specific look at the degrees that the division I belong to provide
and what is involved.
1.5
Introduction to the lecture series
This part of the lecture will take an overview of the lecture series.
1.5.1
There are 6 major themes
1.5.1.1
Peak Oil - an important element linking all parts of
the lecture series together is the idea of peak oil. This what
we describe as turbulence in the market environment that will
effect all businesses. Peak oil is not simply an economic
crisis, but is also an economic and social crisis.
1.5.1.2
Impact Upon Business - So, accepting PO, what
are the potential impacts upon business? Where could
business be impacted.
1.5.1.3
Identification of Vulnerabilities - If all business is
going to be impacted, then how can the individual business
identify where they are vulnerable to PO.
1.5.1.4
Mitigation and Adaptation - So once we have
identified where the impacts are how can we develop
mitigation strategies, and, furthermore, how can business
adapt to the new realities.
1.5.1.5
Agility - Here we will look at the discipline of agility
and the development of dynamic capabilities.
1.5.1.6
ICT - How web based ICT can be utilised to
develop and support dynamic capabilities.
1.5.2
Lectures - Finally go through the individual lectures as
detailed below.
2 Competitive Strategy
What motivates business? What is competition and competitive
advantage? How can a company develop a competitive advantage?
2.1
Michael Porter
Key to the development of competitive strategy is the academic
Michael Porter. Who is he, what are his key ideas?
2.2
Industry Structure & 5 forces
More detailed look at his major work including industry analysis via
the five forces.
3 Operations management
A brief look at operations management. If we are to understand how
business is impacted we must understand how companies perform
their value adding processes.
3.1
Definition
Key definitions to do with operations management.
3.2
Lean
Lean is a dominant theory surrounding business operations. Look
at some key ideas such as Kaizan, 5S, push/pull, etc.
4 Supply Chain Management
As per Operations Management, the same again for Supply Chain
Management
5 E-Business
E-Business will be key to developing responses to PO, so start
looking at the basics of e-business. Examine its history to see if it tells
us anything important. Then look at how business move through
development of E-Business in their own organisation.
6 Beyond Web 1.0
Continuing with the e-business theme look at developments after web
1.0 e.g.
6.1
Development from Web 1.0
6.2
Social Networks
6.3
Collaborative Knowledge Networks
6.4
Podcasting
6.5
The Semantic Web
7 Social Inclusion
One last lecture looking at what the web has become, an important
social phenomena capable of playing an important role in social
cohesion, the transmission of ideas and how this is important to
business.
8 Sustainable Businesses
So what is a sustainable business? Here we will discuss the basics of
sustainable development.
9 Resource Vulnerability
We have most of the basics in place so lets move to look at how we
can make business more resilient.
10
9.1
The Oil Resource
9.2
Oil Vulnerability Audit
Organisation and Culture
The importance of culture in each organisation and how culture can
be used to make the necessary changes.
10.1 Definitions
10.2 Types of Culture
11
Business Modelling, Agility, and Dynamic Capabilities
This is the final lecture of the series and will bring together the
various strands linked by Agility. Hopefully this will conclude the
lecture series nicely showing that PO is a serious threat to business
and that it must react. Then how various aspects of a business may
be threatened, finishing with how an organisation can defend itself
and the tools and skills required,
11.1 Draw Links through lecture series
11.2 A Complexity of Networks - Expand how networks at various
scales are a useful defence mechanism.
11.3 Developing dynamic Capabilities
11.3.1
Agents of change - People are the most critical resource
in developing dynamic capabilities.