People management deals with the study of psychological and behavioral principles and their application to individuals and groups within organizations. Operations management deals with the design, analysis, optimization and functional control of production and service provisioning systems. Because work within organizations is accomplished by and through people, in operations that materialize the objectives, strategies and tactics in terms of products and services provided/produced and delivered, these topics are strongly intertwined.

The first part of the course will focus on analyzing and understanding factors that impact the behavior of individuals and groups, and on applications that develop your personal effectiveness. The course also aims at familiarizing students with the wider context of Human Resource Management (HRM).

The second part of the course analyses the various components, sub-systems and functions of a production or service provisioning system. Students will gain knowledge about the problems arising during their design and running, and how these problems can be addressed through strategic choices, specific methods, and analytical techniques. Emphasis is placed on Operations Strategy, Product/Service/Process Design, Facility Location, Capacity Planning, Supply Chain, and Inventory Management.