Operations and Innovation Management
Introduction
Focusing on developing the latest knowledge in the field of operations and innovation management in supply chains, particular emphasis is given to the dynamic areas of product and service innovation, purchasing and sourcing, manufacturing, outsourcing, distribution, behavioural operations management, and intra-organisational collaboration.
Our research provides practical solutions to real world problems in ways that benefit industry and society while advancing the boundaries of management science.
Excellence in research
The Operations and Innovation Management (OIM) theme involves robust multidisciplinary research using mostly empirical methods including surveys, case studies and experimental research. Quantitative modelling is also applied, mainly in operations management.
Research at ERIM is driven by a powerful desire for excellence. It is through our reputation for excellence, relevance and impact that OIM researchers are able to take advantage of multi-disciplinary collaborations with other top research institutes around the world as well as with leading industry associations and firms.
Societal relevance and impact
At ERIM we understand that research needs to create knowledge that is at once relevant and impactful. To do so our priority is in ensuring that all of our research makes a lasting and meaningful contribution to both management science and society.
- Our research in the field of operations management focuses mainly on service operations, behavioural operations and operations strategy. Research in service operations focuses on maintenance management, work flow management, performance-based contracting and revenue management.
- The area of behavioural operations studies the impact of human factors on company performance and explores planning and control systems. Here we study the role of managers and workers in operational processes, and in particular the effects that systems design, organisational climate and leadership have on worker behaviour, their well-being, performance, and innovation.
- The OIM theme has a warehouse at its disposal in which it carries out behavioural experimental research in a real-life setting. We study leader behaviour, decision-making, and implied worker behaviour in interaction with systems, all in a context that is highly relevant to society.
- Our study into innovation management focuses on incremental and radical changes in products and services that are transmitted through the supply chain including opportunities for product and service innovations. Additionally we conduct research into idea management, leadership and the control of innovation projects, system innovation and standardisation.
- Our research into purchasing and supply management focuses mainly on relational and contractual governance in buyer-supplier relations, particularly in the context of collaborative innovation.
- This theme conducts a large research project on sustainable innovation, studying processes that support sustainable product and service development. It also investigates more radical changes in products, services and supply chains from a sustainability perspective.
People
ERIM’s Operations and Innovation Management theme offers a collaborative and multidisciplinary environment where researchers share many common goals including the pursuit of academic excellence. Key faculty members are:
