Course descriptions
4.1 E-business & Information Management (6 ects)
Coordinator: dr. F. Feldberg
This course aims at getting students acquainted with the strategic issues concerning e-business and information management developments as well as fostering a critical academic attitude towards ICT-related theories, topics and opinions. Central to this course is the development of an understanding of the roles ICT can play in achieving the e-business objectives. Most of the course matter will be dealt with in context of the question: How can ICT and new media contribute to the realization of sustainable competitive advantage? To answer this question this course will consider online trends that can be observed on the internet (Web 2.0, digital social networking, co-creation, web enabled information sharing, virtual worlds) in relation to an organization's actual IS resources. A selected group of external organizations will be closely involved with this course. Theory will go hand in hand with practice. This course integrates insights from the fields of Information Systems, E-business, Management Studies and Strategy.
4.1 Knowledge and Innovation Networks (6 ects)
Coordinator: dr. M. Soekijad
This course critically discusses leading-edge research that reflects current developments, and important trends in practice, in the area of knowledge and innovation networks. Networks can have various forms: for instance (online) communities of practice, strategic alliances, mergers/acquisitions or business networks between organizations, networks with customers ('crowdsourcing') or with competitors ('coopetition'). In all of these networks, information and knowledge need to be developed, shared, managed and/or transferred. Scholars from multiple disciplines, using different methods and perspectives, are still developing this rising field that also practitioners are trying to grasp. Examples of topics include: why would customers share knowledge with a company? How would competitors collaborate to share knowledge? What would be pitfalls to online communities in terms of knowledge sharing? How can knowledge transfer in alliances be managed? What is the relevance of new technological developments for such networks? The course includes (guest) lectures, and requires active participation in discussion seminars. Students also need to prepare readings before coming to class as well as write an individual assignment. This course integrates insights from Knowledge Management, Social Network Theory, Management Studies, Innovation Management and Strategy.
4.2 New Ways of Working (6 ects)
Coordinator: dr. A. Schouten
The aim of this course is to create understanding of how information- and knowledge-intensive processes are and could be organized in situations of geographical distribution. Most organizations are distributed due to developments like increasing globalization, off shoring, outsourcing, and the growing dominance of networks instead of hierarchies. Furthermore, the Internet is increasingly used for internal coordination, communication, learning and innovation purposes (e.g. ‘virtual organization', ‘online communities', ‘virtual worlds'). These changes create new challenges for the management of organizations, deviating considerably from traditional ideas on organizations and management. This course helps students think outside the traditional frameworks and use the most recent contributions to organization theory to learn new principles of virtual groups and organizations and distributed work in general. The course combines multiple perspectives and is specifically aimed at further theory development. The first part of course focuses on understanding and integrating different theoretical perspectives. In the second part of the course the students will conduct research in the form of an experiment and write an article based on the outcomes of the experiment. In this course, insights from Information Systems, Knowledge Management, Organizational Behavior, Psychology and Management Studies are integrated.
4.2 Specialization course 1: Interactive Marketing (6 ects)
Coordinator: dr. T. Verhagen
This course provides students with an in-depth knowledge of leading edge research on Interactive Marketing. Covered topics include online retailing, multi-channel retailing, online advertising, one-to-one marketing, online communities, online purchase behavior, e-service, e-loyalty programs and hypermedia marketing. Students build expertise on these topics by studying and presenting leading academic papers. Next to building knowledge on Interactive Marketing, development of an academic attitude is the second key objective of the course. Each student writes a conference paper. Parts of the conference papers are presented as well. Students comment on the papers written by their colleagues via a written review assignment. This written conference paper might function as backbone for writing one's Master's thesis. This course builds on insights from Marketing, E-business, Information Systems and Consumer Behavior.
4.2 Specialization course 1: Optional course
Preferred courses from different specializations will be offered, provided they cover subjects that are relevant to the field of innovation.
4.3 Research Seminar Part 1 (3 ects)
Coordinator: dr. Selmar Meents
This course provides an in-depth overview of different methods and analytical techniques that are used in academic research in the area of E-Business and Knowledge Management. Examples are: survey research, experimental research, qualitative case studies, social network analysis, structural equation modeling, and qualitative data analysis.
4.4 Research Seminar Part 2 (3 ects)
Coordinator: dr. Selmar Meents
In the second part of the Research Seminar, students further specialize themselves in one or more of the methods discussed in the first part of this course. Building on that, they conduct their own research in which they apply this/these method(s) and report on this research.
4.4 Specialization course 2: Interorganizational Systems (6 ects)
Coordinator: prof.dr. Y. Tan; prof.dr. E. Hagdorn-Van der Meijden
In this course, we focus on the important role of information in supply chains, especially in the distribution part. More and more goods and services are no longer produced and distributed in hierarchically structured supply chains, but in flexible networks. These so-called smart business networks are more agile and can better respond to fast-moving customer needs (e.g. Dell, Zara). Inter-organizational systems (IOS) are essential for the collaboration and therefore the success of these smart business networks. IOS are information systems that support (1) the exchange of electronic documents (purchase orders, invoices etc.) and (2) business process integration between different organizations, including planning, coordination and control. The focus of the course is on the organizational as well as technological aspects of IOS in distribution logistics. We will study how IOS can support communication and coordination processes between companies in distribution logistics, mainports and 4C's: the shippers, forwarders, customs, banking companies and the logistics service providers. Relevant technologies and softwareapplications will be discussed such as Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Decision Support Systems (DSS), electronic marketplaces, online auctions. We will study organizational aspects of smart distribution networks and IOS: how can they be designed executed, how can we organize the governance and which roles play trust and control between the involved shippers, customs, banking companies and logistics service providers?
Note: given the mutual topics and contents; the IOS course is likely to be integrated with the course Distribution Logistics (year 2009-2010).
4.4 Specialization course 2: Knowledge Management Scan (6 ects)
Coordinator: dr. B. van den Hooff
The central aim of this course is to gain hands-on experience with academic research (interviews and statistics) and consultancy practices (writing and presenting a report with findings and recommendations) in the field of knowledge management. Next to that, the aim is to get insight into theory and research in relation to the management of knowledge processes in organizations. Central to this course is a research project in which a knowledge management scan is conducted in various organizations. The scan is a research instrument that is used to analyze formal and informal knowledge management practices in organizations. By means of a survey and interviews, students analyze the present knowledge processes within an organization, as well as a number of important conditions for knowledge management. These organizations are contacted by the course instructor. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used to diagnose the organization's situation. Students will present their findings and recommendations at the organization. Previous to the research, lectures are given on the theoretical aspects related to knowledge and organizations. The theory forms the foundation for the research. Students are required to write an individual paper in which they relate this theory to the organizations where the knowledge management scan is conducted. This course builds on insights from Knowledge Management, Organizational Behavior, Information Systems, Psychology and Management Studies.
4.5 Capita Selecta
The objective of Capita Selecta is to study state-of the-art research within the domain of information and knowledge management. One particular research topic will be analyzed in depth; this topic is closely related to one's Master's thesis. The topics of Capita Selecta will be announced by the lecturers on Blackboard. The topic is expected to be incorporated into the Master's thesis. Capita Selecta courses are taught by the thesis supervisors.
4.5 E-Business Development (6 ects)
Coordinator: prof.dr. H. Gerrits
This course is a workshop for setting up new e-business initiatives. The theory part of the course provides students with theories and models as a basis to develop e-business initiatives and includes such topics as network industries, funding and business planning. In the application part of the course, students will develop a plan for starting up a new e-business venture. In order to develop the necessary network for starting up a company, students will be introduced to startups, relevant business networks and funding partners.
4.4 – 4.6. Master's Thesis (15 ects)
Coordinators: dr. B. van den Hooff and dr. T. Verhagen
The Master's thesis is the student's proof of their academic ability, with which they end their Master's studies. The Master's thesis is an academic piece of work in the area of Information and Knowledge Management which aims to explore this area in depth. Consequently, thesis topics should relate to one or more of the fields in the specialization Information and Knowledge Management. The thesis explores the topic chosen in detail on the basis of one or more research questions. In line with the approach taken in the Business Administration program, the Master's thesis is multidisciplinary. Students discuss and address the research problem from the perspective of more than one discipline, in line with the inherently multidisciplinary nature of this specialization. Various themes are identified which students can select to write their Master's thesis Often, students also get the opportunity to join in the research of staff members, for instance by conducting case studies as a part of a larger project. In period 4, students select a theme and a supervisor and write a research proposal. In periods 5 and 6, the full thesis is written, based on this proposal.
