Programme Study Plan

Transcription

1 Faculty of Economic Sciences, Communication and IT Programme Study Plan Master s Degree Programme in Service Management Research Programme Code: Programme Title: SASMR Master s Degree Programme (one year) in Service Management Research Duration: One year Credits: 60 Programme Approval The programme study plan was approved by the Faculty Board for the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Communication and IT on and is valid from the autumn term of Language of Instruction: Degree Level: Degree Type: The language of instruction is English Master s General

2 2(5) Prerequisites The programme is designed for students who have a Bachelor s degree (or the equivalent) in Business Studies, including courses in management and organisation, marketing, accounting, finance, statistics, and a Bachelor s degree project, equivalent to a ten week full-time study period. The Bachelor s degree has to include a minor subject (twenty week full-time course, 30 ECTS credits) in a subject other than business administration, such as economics, sociology, psychology, political science etc. A good command of written and spoken English is essential for completing the programme successfully. For international applicants with a native language other than English, a TOEFL test result of at least 215 (in the computerised scale) or the equivalent is required. In addition to the regular application documents, the applicant is requested to attach a short three-page essay reflecting intellectual capacity, language proficiency and interest in the service management area. The essay will be used as an additional criterion of admission to the programme. The programme includes a substantial amount of work in groups or pairs of students. Social skills and willingness to work together with others are therefore also necessary requirements. General Information The programme is administered by the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Communication and IT. The faculty offers courses and programmes in all major fields of management, for instance in economics, working life science, commercial law to over 3000 students every year. The faculty also includes the Service Research Center - CTF. CTF is a research group of about fifty people doing research on services from a number of theoretical perspectives. This makes CTF the leading institution in Europe in the field of service management. All teachers on the programme are also active researchers at CTF. For more information about the center, go to: The programme is a response to an industry in transformation. Economic development is increasingly driven by services, not only in traditional service industries but also in manufacturing companies and in the public sector. The emerging service economy is characterised by pluralism and individualism with demands for customisation and flexibility in service design and production. Spending a year at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, Communication and IT and the Service Research Center at Karlstad University will bring you to the forefront of service management research and prepare you for a career in various types of advanced service organisations.

3 3(5) Research is a common theme in all modules. We see theory and research as the natural foundation for good business practice. In a world of management fads and all too simplistic success formulas provided by management gurus, such a foundation is essential. Also, it is our firm belief that not only a solid foundation of research based knowledge but also practical experience of scientific thinking itself are important in practical business life. For the student, this means hard work with advanced lectures, challenging literature, and requirements for argumentation and critical thinking. However, the rewards in terms of service management understanding and practical insights are worth the effort. Aims and Objectives The overall aim of the programme is to provide students with an advanced multidisciplinary knowledge of service management through a thorough understanding of service theories and their implications for service management practice in the following subfields: Service marketing Service management control Quality management HRM in services By including an explicit and substantial element of supervised research-like training, the programme brings students to the forefront of recent developments within the service management area. Another important objective is to improve students skills in carrying out independent investigatory work. Students are trained in conducting indepth studies of issues of personal interest, relevant to the student's background and to on-going research. More specifically, after the programme, students should: be well acquainted with and able to describe the most important theoretical contributions within each subfield, as well as the constitutive basis of service research in general, be able to independently formulate, discuss and analyse theoretically and practically relevant business related issues from a service perspective in writing and also orally in seminars and group discussions, be able to understand and apply scientific texts within the field, be familiar with the most common research methods within service research. In the programme, a great deal of time is devoted to project work and the one-year Master s thesis. Upon completion of these studies, the students should: independently be able to plan, carry out and present business related investigations based on a theoretical foundation of service research.

4 4(5) be able to choose, use and account for the chosen research problem, relevant scientific methods and practical modes of procedure. be able to write an academic report be able to participate in academic seminars as opponent, respondent and active listener. Programme Structure Teaching is based on a limited number of lectures, case studies, seminars and tutorials. Examination is in the form of oral and written exams, submission of individual and group-based projects and presentations of case study reports. The one-year Master s thesis is presented and discussed in a seminar. The programme extends over two semesters ( weeks) and consists of four parttime course modules in service management (fall semester), a project assignment and a one-year Master s thesis (spring semester): Fall semester: Mid August to mid January Module 1:1 Module 1:3 Module 1:2 Module 1:4 Spring semester: Mid January to early June Module 2:1 Module 2:2 (Project Work) (One-year Master s thesis) Programme Curriculum The first module (1:1) is an introduction to the field of service management, and especially to the area of service marketing, which is fundamental to much of today s service research. Service logic and its consequences are elaborated on, and important market related activities such as customer relationship management and new service development are discussed at length. The first part of the autumn term also includes service management control (module 1:2). Students will learn not only how to apply general accounting techniques (for instance multidimensional performance measures) in service organisation, but also how to exercise managerial control in complex service settings such as virtual organisations and partnerships. Problems of accountability and conflicting stakeholder interests are other important topics that will be covered. Service quality is a vital part of service management and also the topic of module 1:3. In this module students will receive training in quality technology methods commonly used in service companies. Students will also be introduced to the underlying philosophy of the quality movement and its application to service operations. Module 1:4 highlights the crucial role of human resources in services. The nature, interrelatedness and organizational significance of factors such as communication, job satisfaction, employee commitment and organizational behaviour are viewed from a service management perspective where theoretical foundations are discussed and developed into managerial implications.

5 5(5) The first part of the spring term is devoted to the Project Work writing (module 2:1). Under guidance of researchers and PhD candidates at the Service Research Center CTF, and on the basis of previous studies, students carry out a major field work in relation to a field of service management that they find particularly interesting. The fieldwork aims at high-lighting empirical aspects and the output is a written report in the format of a major working paper. In comparison to the later one-year Master s thesis module, greater emphasis is put on solving a practical problem in order to develop the skill and capacity to work with complex managerial and theoretical problems. One purpose of the project work is to support the one-year Master s thesis by letting students obtain a thoroughly practical and contextual understanding and experience of scientific writing. The level of academic requirements is equivalent to those of the one-year Master s thesis but the format of the project is freer. The aim of the thesis module (2:2) is to train students to independently formulate, investigate and analyse critical issues within the field of service management. In comparison to under-graduate reports and theses, greater emphasis is placed on the selection and use of scientific theory and method. In comparison with the project work, the one-year Master s thesis focuses more on theoretical problems. The thesis is written in groups of two or three students supervised by an experienced tutor. The thesis is presented and defended at a seminar, which concludes the module. Thesis writing constitutes a central element of Swedish university training, and especially at advanced level, great emphasis is placed on the selection and use of scientific theory and method, as well as on analytical skills and conceptual abilities. A one-year Master s thesis in business administration is often written in cooperation with one or several companies or public organisations. However, the thesis is an academic assignment and must conform to academic standards regarding independence, critical thinking, and integrity. Grades Swedish students will receive grades according to the grading scale Väl godkänd (VG), Godkänd (G) or Underkänd (U). International students will receive grades according to the ECTS grading scale. Degree Title Upon completion of the programme, students can apply for a Degree of Master of Science in Business and Economics (one year) with a Major in Business Administration (Ekonomie magisterexamen med huvudområdet företagsekonomi). Se also the Local Degree Regulations at Karlstad University. Credit Transfer The student can be credited for previous courses if they are documented and are approved as equivalent to one or several of the six modules. Additional Information Modules 1:2 and 1:3 are identical to D-level courses FEAD16 and FEAD20 respectively.