Is Supply Chain Management Replacing Operations Management in the Business Core Curriculum?

Author(s):

  • Gurkan I. Akalin1 (Eastern Illinois University, USA)
  • Zhentu Huang1 (Eastern Illinois University, USA)
  • John R. Willems1 (Eastern Illinois University, USA)

Abstract:
This study reviews the core requirements in 447 business departments accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in order to understand the current status and changes of Operations Management and Supply Chain Management offerings in the business core. The field of SCM continues to grow in the 21st century in terms of both industry demand and academic offerings. After the 2000s, many institutes of higher education realized the importance of SCM and the demand for trained individuals in the area. SCM became a common elective course for many business schools. This study is interested in exploring the next stage of implementing SCM into business education curriculum. This study seeks to determine if SCM is becoming a core business class for the majority of the business schools, or, more dramatically, if SCM is on the path of replacing OM. We report our survey results in order to understand the motivation for the changes related to SCM in the business core curriculum, the student and faculty reaction to these changes, and its effect on student enrollment, internships and employment.

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