Service Management

Code:

ESG0029

Acronym:

GS

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Economics

Instance: 2017/2018 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Industrial Engineering and Management
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Services Engineering and Management

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MESG	28	Syllabus since 2007/08	1	-	6	42	162

Teaching language

English

Objectives

This course unit aims to put students in contact with the main concepts of service management, providing them with an integrated view of the processes of services management, and strategic management, in supporting the development of competitive advantages. The course unit has a theoretical and practical nature, combining the theoretical basis for its application to the study of cases of companies and the carrying out of work.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students should be able to:

i. Develop skills in the use of a set concepts, methods and tools for Service Management in order to develop competitive advantages.
ii. Understand and explore how information technology can be an enhancer on Service Management and value co-creation.
iii. Improve teamwork skills.
iv. Develop capabilities for applying service management methods and tools in the analysis of firms and identify potential improvements.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Basic enterprise management concepts.

Program

1. FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT
1.1. The management and the role of manager
1.2. The evolution of management
1.3 The emergence of service economy
1.4 The nature of services and their distinctive aspects
1.5 Service Dominant Logic

2. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF SERVICES
2.1. Strategic management and competitiveness
2.2. The process of strategies development
2.3. Competitive strategies

3. SERVICE MANAGEMENT
3.1 Services technology
3.2 Services quality

Mandatory literature

James A. Fitzsimmons and J. Fitzsimmons; Service Management: Operations, Strategy, Information Technology, 7ed, McGraw-Hill, 2011. ISBN: 0073403350
Valarie Zeithaml, Mary Jo Bitner, Dwayne Gremler; Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm, McGraw-Hill, 2012. ISBN: 9780071086967
Gerry Johnson, Richard Whittington, Kevan Scholes; Exploring strategy. ISBN: 978-0-273-73702-0

Complementary Bibliography

Arthur A. Thompson, Jr., A. J. Strickland III, John E. Gamble; Crafting and Executing Strategy. ISBN: 978-0-07-110756-3
Michael A. Hitt, R. Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson; Strategic management. ISBN: 0-324-22713-2
Christopher Lovelock, Jochen Wirtz; Services marketing. ISBN: 0-13-611874-7

Teaching methods and learning activities

The teaching of this course is supported by the following components of complementary activities:

A1. THEORETICAL NOTIONS: Lectures will focus on the service management concepts and tools, which provide the basis for the applied work.

2. CASE STUDIES: Discussion of articles and case studies with an emphasis on the application of the management concepts and tools.

3. GROUP ASSIGNMENT: This group project objective is to study value creation strategies through the use of information technologies in services applied to a service company.

keywords

Social sciences > Economics > Marketing
Social sciences > Economics > Management studies

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	55,00
Participação presencial	5,00
Trabalho escrito	40,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de projeto	20,00
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	12,00
Estudo autónomo	56,00
Frequência das aulas	56,00
Trabalho de campo	8,00
Trabalho de investigação	10,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

The continuous assessment will be obtained by the realization of a practical group assignment, which is worth 40% of the final grade, with the following distribution:

P1. Intermediary oral presentation - 10% of final grade
P2. Final oral presentation and final report delivery - 30% of final grade

The classification of the individual continuous assessment of each element of the working group may vary between -2 and +2 values according to the results of the inner work group assessment.

A minimum grade of 7.5 (out of 20) is required in each of the assessment components.

Calculation formula of final grade

final grade= 0.10*(group assignment P1) + 0.30*( group assignment P2) + 0.05* class participation * 0.55*(exam grade)

group assignment P1: Intermediary oral presentation 
group assignment P2: Final oral presentation and final report delivery

The classification of the individual continuous assessment of each element of the working group may vary between -2 and +2 values according to the results of the inner work group assessment.

For the written exam books or other materials cannot be used.

A minimum grade of 7.5 out of 20 is required in each of the assessment components.

Examinations or Special Assignments

In special the final classification will be obtained through the following procedures:
1. Carry out an individual assignment defined by the professor;
2. Attend an oral exam about the theme of the assignment or other themes which the professor deem necessary.
4. Do a written exam

final grade= 0.40*( assignment presentation and report) + 0.6*(exam grade)

A minimum grade of 7.5 out of 20 is required in each of the assessment components.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students with a special status (working students, military personnel, and high-level competition athletes)who cannot attend classes, have to:
1. Carry out an assignment defined by the professor;
2. Attend an oral exam about the theme of the assignment or other themes which the professor deem necessary.
3. Although the frequency of all classes is not mandatory, attendance of the practical classes in both times of oral presentation and discussion of the evaluation components is mandatory, even for students with special status.
4. The students should talk to the professor in the beginning of the year to discuss the assignment plan.

Classification improvement

The classification improvement of the exam follows FEUP'S regulations.
The classification improvement of the group assignment can be done in the following academic year.