Project Management
Summer 2013
COURSE NO. & TITLE: Project Management (BUSN490)
PROFESSOR:
Dr. Chou-Hong Jason Chen (陳周宏教授)
E-MAIL:
jason8989.chen@gmail.com
DAYS, TIMES & ROOM: Tuesday (13:00 -16:50); 新 505
OFFICE:
Room 313
OFFICE HOURS:
Wednesday 15:00 - 17:00
URL:
http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~chen (then select busn490)
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 8th Edition
International Student Version (Meredith & Mantel), 2011 |ISBN-10:
0470533021
2. Harvard Business School Case Studies
3. Handouts (powerpoint files and others) available on the URL
Required IT Resource: You should have a computer that can access Internet during summer.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND GOALS:
Information is traveling faster and being shared by more individuals than ever before. Although
project management has been an established field for many years, managing projects requires ideas
and information that go beyond standard project management. By weaving together theory and
practice, this course presents an understandable, integrated view of the many concepts (e.g.,
creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship), skills, tools, and techniques involved in project
management. Because the project management field and the technology industry change rapidly,
you cannot assume that what worked even five years ago is still the best approach today. This
course provides up-to-date information on how good project management with strategic
perspectives can help you manage projects and improve/create business competitive advantage.
WEB SITE
Supplementary information for the course is available at http://barney.gonzaga.edu/~chen (then
click on busn490). The Web site contains class information and materials such PowerPoint slides,
homework assignments, the course syllabus, case studies and other information for the course.
GRADE POLICY ON SOFTWARE ASSIGNMENTS/LECTURES: Students are expected to
study the assigned topics (powerpoint slides, cases, text book and materials on the web) and conduct
all class activities (class discussions, presentations, homework assignments etc.) according to the
schedule. You may be assigned as a member in working on the group projects for the chapter
and/or case. Use of computer software tools for papers and assignments is required. It is your
responsibility to keep all the returned materials. In the event of a disputed entry on the instructor's
grade sheet, the student MUST show the material(s) to have the grade(s) changed.
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--1


E-mail Communication – All e-mail communications with me should bear the course (viz:
PM_MingChi [Case#1]) in the subject line, without which the e-mail is likely to be unread.
Furthermore, you should include “Dr. Chen” and “your full name” at the beginning and end of
the content of each email respectively.
Academic Honesty Policy: The academic honesty policy shall be maintained and followed by
all students For example, dishonest activities such as cheating, fabrication and plagiarism carry
penalties that could lead to severe penalties. Should you have any doubt regarding a course of
conduct, don’t hesitate to contact the instructor.
EXAMS:
There will be one (1) midterm exam This includes material from the textbook, books, powerpoint
files, videos and others -- all can appear on the exams. The type of exam will be left up to the
instructor. It may be objective, essay, or a case problem. Your instructor will specify the format
before the exam. No credit will be received if you miss an exam unless you have permission from
the instructor or obtain a University-approved absence.
COURSE ATTENDANCE:
Students are expected to attend the class on time. The instructor is aware that absence might be
inevitable when emergency arises. Under such a circumstance, an absence is allowed through the
whole semester without penalty. However, If you miss a class session without what I consider a
legitimate excuse (be sure that you should have my permission in advance or present a universityapproved evidence after the missed class), I reserve the right to take 5 points off from the class
performance for each class you missed. The more classes you missed the more points will be taken
off. You must contact the instructor about every absence.
GRADING and EVALUATION CRITERIA (This counts 50% of your final course grade)
Collaboration Software Project ……………………………………………. 10
Mini Cases (2 @ 10 points)
------------------------------------------------------ 20
Main Case and Presentation (if your group present) ------------------------------ 40
Main Case Reports- (if your group does not present; 20)
------------------ 20
Class Participations and Attitudes ---------------------------------------------------- 20
Class Attendance -------------------------------------------------------------------- 20
Midterm exam (1)
………….……............................................................. 60
Others (projects/quizzes etc.) ……………………………………………….. 20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total
190/210 points
(The above grading components may be slightly changed if needed).
GRADE RANGES
Percentage
Grade
>=94
A
>=90
A-
>=87
B+
>=84
B
>=80
B-
>=77
C+
>=74
C
>=70
C-
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--2
>=65
D+
>=60
D
<60
F
Week
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
Project Management Schedule (Summer 2013) revised (July 22, 2013)
Date
Chapter and Content
HW and Others
06.24Project and Information Systems
06.28
07.01Project and Information Systems
1) Google mini case
07.05
(continued)
2) WBS HW (see ppt)
Chapter 6: Project Activity and Risk
3) Case-1: Start to read and
Planning (up to 6.4; p.248)
prepare for Case Study-1
(over the weekend)
GoogleDocs assignment
07.08Chapter 6: Project Activity and Risk
07.12
Planning (6.5, p.249-Risk
Management)
Strategic Issues of Project and
Systems Management
07.15Case study-1: Project Management
Case-2: Start to read and prepare
07.19
and Strategic Advantage (Southwest
for Case Study-1 (over the
weekend)
Airlines)
Case study-1: Project Management
and Strategic Advantage (continued)
07.22Chapter 10: Monitoring and
07.26
Information Systems
Sourcing and Project Management
Prepare for Case Study-2 (over the
weekend)
07.29Professor Lin will teach this week
08.02
08.06
Case study-2: Project Management
and Entrepreneurship
(Binnj on the Apple iPad)
08.13
Midterm Exam
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--3
Groups
G1
G2
G3
G4
王佳閔
游祐婷
吳佳如
陳昱縈
李盈純
吳浚濠
林晏如
游旻蓁
陳鈺杰
蔡瓊璇
胡庭瑋
蔡承育
丁宇倫
江皓宇
李睿緯
潘冠宇
陳煒翔
李姿嫻
周育帆
邱翊筑
鄭雅憶
簡 宏
G5
Manager
G6
Manager
G7
劉闓銘
杜柏逸
陳 新
鍾季霖
許宗仁
梁志合
顏欣儀
蔡佳妤
黃芝瑋
林立凡
邱映慈
吳羿樺
邱馨儀
曹馥璇
莊琇惠
謝雅惠
Manager
Please note that the instruction to buy the cases from Harvard Business Publishing is listed on the
next page.
The information for three cases is shown below. The instruction for ordering the case is listed on
the last page of the syllabus.
Case 1: Title: Southwest Airlines 2002
Product number: 803133-PDF-ENG; Length: 24p
Case 2: Title: Binnj on the Apple iPad
Product number: 910E24-PDF-ENG; Length: 24p
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--4
Case Study Report (What you have to turn in for each case study, including TWO parts listed
below).
Part I. Write a summary report with the following outline (but not limited to):
1) Executive Summary.
2) Draw and describe how can the Information Systems Strategy Triangle be employed in the case
3) What lesson(s) have you learned from the case?
Part II. Answers the following questions (make sure you should list (repeat) the question follows by your
answer)
HBC-G1: Southwest Airlines:
1. How does this company make money even when other airlines don't? What are the most
important contributors to its financial success?
2. How should management respond to the fact that Southwest Airlines has fallen to next-to-last
place among major airlines in on-time performance as of September, 2002?
3. Once operations are fully stabilized, would you recommend to the management of the airline
that it resume its historic growth rate of from 10% to 15% per year? Why?
4. If you would recommend a resumption of previous growth rates, what form should this
growth take? For example, should it be achieved within the current network or through an
expanded network? By means of a greater proportion of long-haul flights (over three hours in
length) or not? Why?
5. If you would not recommend a resumption of previous growth rates, how would you suggest
dealing with the consequences of reduced growth, whatever they may be?
6. What are the implications for Southwest of the actual or threatened bankruptcies of other
major U.S. airlines?
7. What is IS/IT role played in the case?
8. Why is the profit of the Southwest Airlines dropped recently? (Hint: in year 2006).
HBC-G2: Binnj on the Apple iPad
1. What key enablers have allowed Binnj to engage in this “science experiment”?
2. Have you ever worked on, or led, a virtual team? What tools did you rely on, and what problems did you
experience?
3. Binnj seems to have embraced the “agile” development approach. In what circumstances might a firm
choose to use the slower, more traditional “waterfall” approach to develop a new system? Also, discuss
the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.
4. Since the start of the Binnj science experiment, a plethora of new tablets have been announced (e.g.,
from companies such as Research in Motion, Samsung, and Hewlett Packard). Has Binnj chosen the
right platform?
5. How should Binnj establish a price for the LiveMenu service?
6. What other revenue opportunities might Binnj create through LiveMenu, in addition to the digital menu?
7. What is an entrepreneur? Has Clay Hutcherson “got what it takes”?
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--5
Fig 1: Login at http://hbsp.harvard.edu/ to register or sign in
.
Fig 2: After you register (or sign in), type in the case title (e.g., SOUTHWEST AIRLINES)
Choose this
one to buy
Fig. 3: Choose an appropriate one to buy (it should be the second one for case 1)
Project Management Syllabus (Summer 2012); Page--6