Bailing out the Once-ler: Using Dr. Seuss to teach management

摘要

The story of the Once-ler, Lorax, who is a crafty entrepreneur that discovers a unparalleled resource and creates an matchless product is used to highlight the principles of operations management, including various aspects of product design, process selection and design, capacity management, facility location, demand management, production planning, inventory, environmental management, and supply chain management in a classroom. Available in both text and video formats, the study uses the film version, which is introduced to students to watch the 25 minute movie in a 55 minute class. When shown at the beginning, it provides a visual roadmap of topics to be covered during the term. The Once-Ier's factory goes from a one-man workshop to a fully automated high- volume assembly line, and the associated issues are illustrated both in the visual effects and in the text. When shown at the end of the period, with the students having benefitted with knowledge of the class material, it focuses on specific aspects of the Once-Ier's operating system. The principles of business ethics as learned through Lorax, is seen to benefit students positively. (8 refs.)