7B009E - Strategic Operations and Supply Chain Management in a Global Context 01 Sep 2026 - 31 Jul 2032 | Version 0

Associated Module Information

Module Code: 7B009E
Module Title: Strategic Operations and Supply Chain Management in a Global Context
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Global Governance
Faculty Sub Group: Global Governance
Module Leader: Manisha Kumar, Naveen Madhavan
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: SEP 2026 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 30 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100080 - international business 100087 - international hospitality management 100115 - aerospace engineering
HECOS Code Weighting: 60 20 20

Document Version Information

Version 0
Valid From 01 Sep 2026
Valid To 31 Jul 2032

Module Aims

  • Develop students’ ability to critically evaluate the role of operations and supply chain management in achieving competitive advantage and organisational resilience 

  • Enable students to design and assess OSCM strategies that address global challenges, integrating sustainability, risk, and digitalisation 

  • Foster reflective and ethical leadership skills in managing operations and supply chains across diverse cultural and geopolitical contexts 

Content Summary

This module equips students with advanced knowledge and applied capabilities in strategic operations and supply chain management (OSCM) within a global context. It explores how organisations design, manage, and optimise operations and supply chains to remain competitive and resilient amidst geopolitical, digital, and sustainability challenges. Students will examine the evolution of operations from efficiency-driven models to agile, resilient, and sustainability-led systems, considering global megatrends such as climate change, supply chain disruptions, technological advancements, and trade realignments. Core themes include demand management, capacity planning, lean and agile practices, sourcing strategies, and global supply networks. Learners will critically evaluate frameworks, apply tools through case analysis, and reflect on live industry challenges. By integrating theory with practice, the module develops strategic decision-making, systems thinking, and responsible leadership skills, aligning with the MBA programme aims of global citizenship, innovation, and employability. 

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lectures 9
Seminar 12
Practical Classes and Workshops 15
Groupwork 20
Guided Study 60
Problem/Challenge based learning 120
Formative Assessment 4
Summative Assessment 60
Total Hours Selected 300

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Critically analyse and evaluate how operations and supply chain management drive organisational strategy and competitiveness within an increasingly globalised, digital, and volatile business environment. Integrate theoretical and practical perspectives to demonstrate strategic alignment and technology-enabled value creation.
LO2 Apply, synthesise, and justify frameworks for demand management, capacity planning, lean, agile, and resilient operations to design sustainable global sourcing, logistics, and value chain strategies. Evaluate ethical, digital, and sustainability considerations to propose evidence-based solutions that strengthen long-term organisational resilience and performance.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Portfolio Portfolio (Group Live presentation and Learning Logbook) 0 6000 100 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Portfolio ✔ ✔

Reading List

  1. Foundations of OSCM in the Global Economy  

Essential 

  • Di Fan, Yeung, A. C. L., Tang, C.S., Lo, C. K. Y. and Zhou, Y. (2022) ‘Global operations and supply-chain management under the political economy’, Journal of Operations Management, 68(8). 

  • Govindan, K., Demartini, M., Formentini, M. and Taticchi, P. (2024) ‘Unravelling and mapping the theoretical foundations of sustainable supply chains: A literature review and research agenda’, Transportation Research Part E, 189, 103685. 

  • Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A. (2018) Operations and process management: Principles and practice for strategic impact. Harlow: Pearson UK. 

  • Mehta, J. (2004) ‘Supply chain management in a global economy’, Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 15(5–6), pp. 841–848. 

  • Sharma, A., Kumar, V., Borah, S.B. and Adhikary, A. (2022) ‘Complexity in a multinational enterprise’s global supply chain and its international business performance: A bane or a boon?’, Journal of International Business Studies, 53(5), pp. 850–878. 

  

  1. Process and Service Design for Value Creation   

Essential 

  • Barro, S. and Davenport, T. H. (2019) ‘People and machines: partners in innovation’, MIT Sloan Management Review, 60(4), pp. 22–28. 

  • Kumar, M., Rich, N., Kumar, M. and Liu, Y. (2021) ‘Creating highly reliable health care organisations through reverse exchanges’, Supply Chain Management, 26(3), pp. 371–384. doi:10.1108/SCM-03-2020-0123. 

  • Kunz, P. C., Spohrer, K. and Heinzl, A. (2025) ‘Process-level value creation from business analytics: A theoretical literature review of value creation paths and changes induced by machine learning’, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 34(2), 101902. 

  • Lee, S., Oh, H. Y. and Choi, J. (2021) ‘Service design management and organizational innovation performance’, Sustainability, 13(1), p.4. 

  • Sierra-Pérez, J., Teixeira, J. G., Romero-Piqueras, C. and Patrício, L. (2021) ‘Designing sustainable services with the ECO-service design method’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 305, 127228. 

  

  1. Demand Management and Capacity Planning (Strategic View)   

Essential 

  • Anand, V., Balakrishnan, R. and Gavirneni, S. (2023) ‘Capacity planning with limited information’, Production and Operations Management, 32(10), pp. 2740–2757. 

  • Auad, R., Erera, A. and Savelsbergh, M. (2024) ‘Dynamic courier capacity acquisition in rapid delivery systems: A deep Q-learning approach’, Transportation Science, 58(1), pp. 67–93. 

  • Auad, R., Erera, A. and Savelsbergh, M. (2024) ‘Capacity requirements and demand management strategies in meal delivery’, EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, 13, 100135. 

  • Mor, A. and Speranza, M. (2020) ‘Vehicle routing problems over time: a survey’, EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, 18(2), pp. 129–149. 

  • Slack, N. and Brandon-Jones, A. (2018) Operations and process management: Principles and practice for strategic impact. Harlow: Pearson UK. 

  • Ulmer, M. and Savelsbergh, M. (2020) ‘Workforce scheduling in the era of crowdsourced delivery’, Transportation Science, 54(4), pp. 1113–1131. 

  

  1. Lean Thinking and Continuous Improvement in a Strategic Context   

Essential 

  • Chiarini, A. and Kumar, M. (2021) ‘Lean six sigma and industry 4.0 integration for operational excellence: Evidence from Italian manufacturing companies’, Production Planning and Control, 32(13), pp. 1084–1101. 

  • Chiarini, A. and Kumar, M. (2025) ‘Crafting a synergistic convergence: An integrated approach for lean and industry 4.0 transformation’, International Journal of Production Research, pp. 1–21. 

  • Hilverda, J. J., Roemeling, O., Smailhodzic, E., Aij, K.H., Hage, E. and Fakha, A. (2023) ‘Unveiling the impact of lean leadership on continuous improvement maturity: A scoping review’, Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 15, pp. 241–257. 

  • Lindsay, C.F., Kumar, M. and Juleff, L. (2020) ‘Operationalising lean in healthcare: The impact of professionalism’, Production Planning and Control, 31(8), pp. 629–643. 

  • van Elp, B., Roemeling, O. and Aij, K. H. (2022) ‘Lean leadership: Towards continuous improvement capability in healthcare’, Health Services Management Research, 35(1), pp. 7–15. 

 

     Supplementary  

  • Kumar, M. and Murugan, V. (2019) ‘Lean readiness index: Assessing organisation preparedness to implement lean’, in Contemporary operations and logistics: Achieving excellence in turbulent times. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 323–339. 

  • Mohd Daril, M. A., Nuraina, S. and Subari, K. (2020) ‘The barriers in lean healthcare implementation’, Test Engineering and Management, 82, pp. 1972–1981. 

  • Santos, A. C., De S. G., Reis, A., Souza, C. G., Santos, I. L. and Ferreira, L. A. F. (2020) ‘The first evidence about conceptual vs analytical lean healthcare research studies’, Journal of Health Organization and Management, 34(7), pp. 789–806. 

  

  1. Agile and Resilient Supply Chains   

Essential 

  • Browning, T., Kumar, M., Sanders, N., Sodhi, M. S., Thürer, M. and Tortorella, G. L. (2023) ‘From supply chain risk to system-wide disruptions: Research opportunities in forecasting, risk management and product design’, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 43(12), pp. 1841–1858. 

  • Carvalho, H., Azevedo, S. G. and Cruz-Machado, V. (2012) ‘Agile and resilient approaches to supply chain management: Influence on performance and competitiveness’, Logistics Research, 4(1), pp. 49–62. 

  • Ciccullo, F., Pero, M., Caridi, M., Gosling, J. and Purvis, L. (2018) ‘Integrating the environmental and social sustainability pillars into the lean and agile supply chain management paradigms: A literature review and future research directions’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, pp. 2336–2350. 

  • Manzoor U. l. A., Islam, N., Chauhan, C. and Yaqub, M. Z. (2024) ‘Resilience and agility in sustainable supply chains: A relational and dynamic capabilities view’, Journal of Business Research, 183, 114855. 

 

Supplementary  

  • Hossain, M. R., Akhter, F. and Sultana, M. M. (2022) ‘SMEs in COVID-19 crisis and combating strategies: A systematic literature review (SLR) and a case from emerging economy’, Operations Research Perspectives, 9. 

  • McClements, D. J., Barrangou, R., Hill, C., Kokini, J. L., Lila, M. A., Meyer, A. S. and Yu, L. (2021) ‘Building a resilient, sustainable, and healthier food supply through innovation and technology’, Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, 12(1), pp. 1–28. 

  

  1. Global Sourcing, Networks and Location Strategy 

Essential   

  • Ahmed, S., Kalsoom, T., Ramzan, N., Pervez, Z., Azmat, M., Zeb, B. and Rehman, U. M. (2021) ‘Towards supply chain visibility using Internet of Things: A dyadic analysis review’, Sensors, 21(12), pp. 1–24. 

  • Gligor, D. M., Stank, T. P., Gligor, N., Ogden, J. A., Nowicki, D. R., Farris, T., Idug, Y., Rana, R., Porchia, J. and Kiran, P. (2023) ‘Examining the rigor of SCM research: The case of supply chain agility’, Supply Chain Management, 28(3), pp. 522–543. 

  • Ramjaun, T., Pullman, M., Kumar, M. and Sanchez Rodrigues, V. (2024) ‘Strength in numbers: Collaborative procurement and competitiveness of craft breweries’, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 44(3), pp. 643–665. 

 

Supplementary  

  • Bals, L. and Turkulainen, V. (2021) ‘Integration of the buyer-supplier interface for global sourcing’, Operations Management Research, 14, pp. 293–317. 

  • Islam, M. N. (2023) ‘Managing organizational change in responding to global crises’, Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 42(3), pp. 42–57.