Programme

PGP

Term

V

Academic Year

2021-22

Course title

Elephants and Cheetahs: Systems, Strategy and Bottlenecks

Area

Production & Quantitative Methods

Credits

1.00

Instructor(s)

Prof. Saral Mukherjee

Course Description & Objectives

Description & Objectives: ‘Elephants and Cheetahs: Systems, Strategy and Bottlenecks’ is an unconventional treatment of Operations Strategy. It presents the dimensions of competition in the operations domain through the lens of the natural world and systems thinking. The fundamental premise of the course is that systems are not just a collection of interconnected parts – the whole is greater than the sum of parts (Aristotle). A well designed system is thus like a living entity with its own structural characteristics, peculiarities, capabilities, constraints and vulnerabilities. The course builds on the core OM courses taught in first year and would be beneficial for participants who are planning a career in management consulting or general management roles. The relationships between the firm level strategy and operations strategy are explored and the interlinkages between marketing, HR and operations strategy are highlighted, leading up to a balanced scorecard approach to tracking organizational performance.