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2013/2014  BA-HA_HU4F  Organizational Theory and Analysis

English Title
Organizational Theory and Analysis

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration Summer
Course period Please check www.cbs.dk/summer for the course schedule.
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course coordinator
  • Course instructor - Christian Bosau, International University of Applied Sciences, Bad Honnef
    Patricia Plackett - Department of Operations Management (OM)
Main academic disciplines
  • Management
  • Organization
Last updated on 22-07-2013
Learning objectives
At the end of the course students should be able to show that they have understood the main technical terms, the different ideas and underlying assumptions of organizational theories.
They should furthermore be able to apply this knowledge to practical problems in business situations.

In particular, they
  • will have an understanding of the important aspects that influence the design of organizations
  • will be able to understand and reflect the differences of the different schools in organization theory
  • can differentiate different kinds of organizational designs
  • understand how organizations can be analysed
  • can identify and analyse organizational problems that are caused by the organizational structure
  • understand and explain organizational behaviour from several theoretical standpoints
  • can critically reflect the relationship of organizational processes and the effect of people in organizations
  • can give detailed descriptions of organizational processes and structures
  • can make well-grounded choices among theoretical models for description and explanation of organizational problems
  • can identify strengths and weaknesses regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations
Course prerequisites
No direct prerequisites are necessary. However, basic knowledge about managerial and/or psychological aspects in organizations might help to get a better understanding of the course content.
Prerequisites for registering for the exam
Requirements about active class participation (assessed approved/not approved)
Mandatory Mid-term Assignment: Students have to prepare a short analysis of an organization which will then be presented and discussed in class. To be able to do that students should pick an organization they want to describe and reflect on in class. After the presentation the presented organization will be discussed by the other participants.
Examination
4 hour written exam:
Examination form Written sit-in exam
Individual or group exam Individual
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 4 hours
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Summer Term
Aids allowed to bring to the exam Limited aids, see the list below and the exam plan/guidelines for further information:
  • Allowed calculators
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If the number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination warrants that it may most appropriately be held as an oral examination, the programme office will inform the students that the make-up examination/re-take examination will be held as an oral examination instead.
Course content and structure
Today, organizations are confronted with many management and leadership issues. In this course the processes used to deal and manage them are highlighted. In particular, there is discussion about how management strategies provide firms with sustainable competitive advantage within an industry and how implementing organizational structures influences the effective execution of these strategies. While organizational structures are quite important, selecting and rewarding employees effectively are equally important so that they are productive, motivated, and satisfied within these work environments.
 
So, this course highlights the critical components involved in analyzing the strategy, structure, and culture of an organization, as well as issues related to leading, motivating, and influencing people in organizations. There will also be a focus on understanding the ways in which individual psychological processes of employees both shape, and are shaped by, the organizational context. The idea of the course is to provide students with the tools to analyze, diagnose, and respond to fundamental as well as complex organizational situations. To be able to do that the course will focus at the beginning on the theoretical background as well as the different theories and schools of organizational design and organizational structure. Based on the theories of organizational design students will learn how organizations can be designed and what the advantages and disadvantages of each design are.
 
Class outline:
Class 1  Introduction to organizations
Class 2  Organization theory and its evolution
Class 3  The Fit between strategy and organization design
Class 4  How to structure effective organizations
Class 5  The influence of the external environment on organization design
Class 6  The relationships between organizations
Class 7  Manufacturing, Service and information technologies
Class 8  Growth and the life cycle of organization
Class 9  The culture in organizations
Class 10 Managing innovation and change
Class 11 Comprehensive Review

The course's development of personal competences:
 
As a result of doing the course students will:
  • Understand the theories of organizations
  • Be able to differentiate between different ideas and theories of organizations
  • Be able to debate and discuss the different ideas of organizations can and should be structured
  • Be able to relate the theoretical issues to practical problems encountered in business
  • Understand the importance of organizational designs for the effectiveness of businesses
  • Be able to transfer organizational theories to the business environment
  • Be able to identify and solve problems regarding organizational analysis
Teaching methods
The lecture will combine general teaching with interactive seminar-like discussions, also including an analysis of cases. Group discussions and teamwork in small groups will enable the students to solve issues of organizational theory and analysis by integrating different ideas of different people. Discussing the topics in small teams will create a deeper understanding of business issues that are related to the analysis of organizations.

Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings to be read before the start of classes with a related task or tasks in the first two classes in order to 'jump-start' the learning process. A short introductory text as well as a short prototypical case description of an organization have to be read. Using this text and this case students should reflect on their own experiences when dealing with organizations or while working for an organization. This reflection provides the basis for the theoretical discussion and reflection in class.
Expected literature
The course is based on the following textbook:
 
DAFT, R.L. (2012). Organization Theory and Design (11th edition). South Western, Cengage Learning, ISBN: 9781111826628
Each student is supposed to have access to a copy of this textbook. While the main topics will be discussed in class additional reading in this textbook is necessary.
 
Additional articles may be handed out in class to highlight up-to-date developments in specific areas.
Last updated on 22-07-2013