Service Management and Innovation

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

200 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

AIMS

In this subject, you will learn about service. You will learn what service is, why it is different, and why it is important. The subject will explore how to measure and manage service performance, and to create service innovations. It will help you to understand service from a variety of perspectives – including social sciences, management, engineering, and others.

The Australian economy, as well as the economies of all industrialized nations, comprise primarily of service jobs. Upon graduation, students from The University of Melbourne will most likely work in the service sector, for example as IT consultants.

Upon completing this subject, you will be able to have an informed conversation about the nature of service, and possess skills that will help you to succeed in the workforce you are about to enter.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs)

After completing the subject, students should be able to:

1. Define ‘service’, understand why it is important, and how the field of service science is changing research and practice
2. Model service operations and processes
3. Apply service innovation concepts and methods to design new service experiences
4. Analyse, explain and illustrate how and why service firms operate through ICT
5. Use professional language and terminology in writing and speaking that is consistent with the discipline of service science.

• Competitive quantitative score obtained via online service business simulation – group project, requires approximately 45hrs of work. Addresses Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) 2, 3, 4. Due end of semester (25%)
• Critical written reflection about rationale behind decisions made in simulation after each decision period group project, requires approximately 13-15hrs of work total ((500 words each). Addresses ILOs 2, 3, 4. Assessed throughout the semester (10%)
• Class participation, exercises, and quizzes based on readings - - individual assessment, requires approximately 15 -20hrs of work, including preparation. Addresses ILOs 1-5. (15%). Assessed throughout the semester (15%)
• One 2-hour open book examination - individual assessment, requires approximately 80hrs of work, including preparation. Addresses ILO 1-5. Assessed in the examination period (50%).

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students should have honed generic skills such as:

• Clear thinking
• Improved reading and writing
• Enhanced ability to work in a team
• Presentation skills.