BA 562

Managing Projects

Instructor: Erik Larson, Ph.D., P.M.P.	Phone: 737-6056
Office: Bexell 404 E-mail: larson@bus.oregonstate.edu	OHs: T: 3-4 F: 1-3 or by appt.

Course Description

Greetings! This course deals with planning, scheduling, organizing, and implementing projects - e.g., product development, construction, information systems, new business, and special events. A socio-technical perspective is applied which emphasizes both the science (tools/techniques) and art (culture/people) of project management. Today, managing projects is critical to business success. Mastery of key tools and concepts will give you a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Course Objectives

· To master key concepts, techniques, and decision tools used by project managers.

· To identify critical behavior for successfully managing projects.

· To master tools and techniques for working in virtual environments to complete projects.

· To understand how to develop and use computer-based information system for managing projects.

· Have fun!!

Resource Materials

READINGS: The main text for this class: Project Management: The Managerial Process by Cliff Gray and Erik Larson (Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2006, Third Edition).

HANDOUTS: Distributed in class or accessible at the course’s website.

SOFTWARE: The "official" software for the class will be Microsoft Project for Windows; however, the student is free to use any software for which s/he has access.

Grading

Your grade for the course will be determined by satisfactory achievement of the following requirements:

Computer Exercise 200

Quizzes 100

Assignments 350

Final Examination 300

Participation 50

Total 1,000

It is imperative that you bring the text to class!!!!

Computer Exercise

Students will be assigned the Conveyor Belt computer exercises on pp. 550-556.

Use the Microsoft Project Tutorial as well as the instructional videos available on either Student CD-Rom or at

http://www.bus.oregonstate.edu/faculty/bio.htm?UserName=Larson

You may choose to work with one other student on these assignments or by yourself. If you choose to work with another student submit only one memo with both students’ names.

Specific assignments and due dates are listed in the course schedule. To provide you with some flexibility you can delay turning in one assignment by six days without a late penalty if it is submitted by 6:00pm the following Monday.

One or more students will be asked to make a short presentation based on the exercise.

Assignments

Some if not all students will have opportunity to work as part of a virtual team with graduate students from Institutes in India on a specific project. The precise nature of these projects will be finalized by the second week of the term. All students will be exposed to virtual project management technology and use it to complete specific assignments.

A significant number of the students are involved in the “Integrated Business Project” as part of their MBA education. This provides a vehicle for learning and applying project management tools and concepts. IBP groups will submit both an Implementation Plan and a Risk Management Plan for their new venture. Both of these documents will become an integral part of their final business plan.

There are a number of other students who are not involved in the IBP at this time and/or are graduate students in other programs at Oregon State. These students will work in small groups to prepare class presentations on topics related to virtual project management.

Participation

You are expected to come prepared to discuss the material assigned for that date and take an active role in class activities. Several classes ask you to review cases. Students should read the case before class and be prepared to contribute to class discussion.