Course Syllabus

 

Supply Chain Risk Management

MgtOp 585

Spring 2026

Number of Credit Hour: 3

Prerequisites: None

Course Details

Asynchronous online course with weekly live sessions on

Mondays, 5:00-6:30 (course instructor)

Thursdays, 5:00-6:30 (section instructor)

Recordings of live sessions are posted in Canvas

 

Instructor Contact Information

Professor: Dr. Chuck Munson

Office: Todd Hall Room 471

Phone: 509-335-3076

E-Mail: munson@wsu.edu

Office Hours: Mondays, 2:00–3:30 p.m., Todd 471 (or by appointment)

 

Course Description

Conceptual and analytical approaches for dealing with modern supply chain risks such as natural catastrophes, terrorism, exchange rate risk, political risk, logistics delays, outsourcing, and supplier quality/delivery failures.

 

Course Materials 

Books: Manners-Bell, John. Supply Chain Risk Management: How to Design and Manage Resilient Supply Chains, 4th ed. New York: Kogan Page, 2023.

Other Materials: Excel modeling files available in Canvas.

Fees: None

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:)	Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes	Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
Describe the many sources of supply chain risk.	Textbook Readings and Class Lectures	Modeling Assignments
Understand approaches taken by managers to mitigate supply chain risks	Textbook Readings and Class Lectures	Modeling Assignments & Discussion Board
Apply analytical approaches to address supply chain risk issues	Textbook Readings and Class Lectures	Modeling Assignments & Group Project
Discuss case studies and applications from the real world	Textbook Readings and Class Lectures	Discussion Board
Understand specific supply chain risks in several select industries	Textbook Readings and Class Lectures	Discussion Board
Analyze supply chain risks for a real company	Company Research	Group Project

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Course Schedule

 

Discussion Boards: Each week, students will participate in a discussion board prompted by the instructor. Students are expected to make an original post and respond to at least three other students’ posts.

Modeling Assignments: Several modeling techniques for addressing supply chain risk issues will be introduced early in the course. Students will use Excel models to analyze realistic supply chain risk problems.

Group Project: Each group will produce a supply chain risk analysis of a real company—ideally one that a group member currently works in. The analysis must include at least one quantitative modeling technique. The written report should be approximately five pages in length, plus exhibits. Students should also prepare and record a 5- to 10-minute PowerPoint presentation to be shared with the class in Canvas.

 

Dates	Lesson Topic	Assignment	Assessment
Week 1 [dates]	Topics: Types of supply chain risk Quantifying supply chain risk Balancing risks and costs Creating resilience and robustness Strategies for dealing with risk	Application: Lessons from COVID-19 Readings: Manners-Bell, Chapters 1-4	Discussion Boards
Week 2 [dates]	Topics: Developing a supply chain stress test Operational hedging decisions Financial hedging techniques	Resources: Excel-based models provided by the instructor	Discussion Boards Modeling Assignments
Week 3 [dates]	Topics: Evaluating disaster risk in the supply chain Monte Carlo simulation modeling for supply chain risk	Resources: Excel-based models provided by the instructor	Discussion Boards Modeling Assignments
Week 4 [dates]	Topics: Fragmentation and globalization Sector risk matrix	Applications: Automotive supply chains High-tech supply chains Consumer goods supply chains Food supply chain vulnerability Pharmaceutical supply chains Fashion supply chains Readings: Manners-Bell, Chapters 5-11	Discussion Boards
Week 5 [dates]	Topics: Natural disasters Climate change and emissions policy	Applications: Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy Tohoku earthquake Thailand floods Eyjafjallajökull volcano Readings: Manners-Bell, Chapters 12-13	Discussion Boards
Week 6 [dates]	Topics: Demand shocks Supply shocks Exchange rate risk Oil price volatility Trade restrictions and tariffs Labor shortages Protectionism	Applications: Brexit and supply chain risk China’s use of trade to secure political aims Readings: Manners-Bell, Chapters 15-17	Discussion Boards
Week 7 [dates]	Topics: Corruption and bribery Cargo crime and piracy Humanitarian aid logistics corruption Terrorism and security The nature of supply chain cyber vulnerability	Applications: Smuggling and customs corruption in Africa Major defense logistics corruption in Afghanistan The logistics of PPE supply during COVID: Price-gouging and corruption The Yemen air cargo plot Readings: Manners-Bell, Chapters 18-22	Discussion Boards  Group Project

 

Expectations for Student Effort 

WSU requires that for each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside class. Because this is a seven-week, three credit course, that equates to 12 hours of work outside of the instructor and section-instructor sessions, per week.

 

Grading [add more lines if necessary]

Assignment Breakdown

Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc)	Points	Percent of Overall Grade
Five Discussion Boards	25	25%
Two Modeling Assignments	40	40%
Group Project	35	35%

 

Grading Schema

Grade	Percent	Grade	Percent
A	92% or higher	C	72%-76.99%
A-	90%-91.99%	C-	70%-71.99%
B+	87%-89.99%	D+	67%-69.99%
B	82%-86.99%	D	60%-66.99%
B-	80%-81.99%	F	59.99% or lower
C+	77%-79.99%

 

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Attendance and Make-Up Policy 

Students are expected to attend the live sessions or watch the recorded videos. If assignments are missed for a valid reason, students should contact the lead instructor for make-up instructions.

 

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Academic Integrity Statement

You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

-Receive a zero for that assignment. If violations are repeated or egregious, you will fail the course.

-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards

-Have the right to appeal my decision

-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.