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2025/2026  BA-BISHO1002U  Organizational Analysis

English Title
Organizational Analysis

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Spring, Third Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for Global Relations
Course coordinator
  • Christian De Cock - Department of Organization (IOA)
Main academic disciplines
  • Organisation
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 20-05-2025

Relevant links
Learning objectives
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
  • • Explain and practically apply key concepts and ideas of organizational analysis as presented in the course
  • • Show the ability to relate these different concepts and ideas
  • • Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the concepts and ideas
  • • Understand the usefulness and limitations of concepts and ideas in guiding concrete decisions in practice when applied to case examples
  • • Demonstrate appropriate communication skills, including the ability to present information together with analysis, argument and commentary
Examination
Organizational Analysis:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group exam Individual oral exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 2-3
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Project
Release of assignment An assigned subject is released in class
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and second internal examiner
Exam period Spring
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
If a student does not pass the regular exam, the examiner of the ordinary exam decides whether a new, revised or the same project must be handed in by the submission date for the re-exam.

If a student is absent from the oral exam due to documented illness but has handed in the written group product she/he does not have to submit a new product for the re-take. However the group product must be uploaded once again on Digital Exam.

If a whole group fails the oral exam, they must hand in a revised product for the re-exam.
Description of the exam procedure

 

In the oral exam, the written report is used as basis for the discussion. The examination will cover both the report itself and the theories and concepts taught in the course.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

This course aims to familiarize you with key ideas and concepts of organization, such as organizational structure, culture, change, leadership, technology (AI in particular) and power. We will explore the ways these have been understood historically in organization studies and will ask you to engage critically and practically with these concepts both individually and in groups while analyzing texts and cases and presenting them to the class. Guest lectures by industry practioners will help students see the relevance of these concepts in real life situations. 
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Teacher’s own research
Research-like activities
  • Development of research questions
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
  • Students conduct independent research-like activities under supervision
Description of the teaching methods
The course will be taught over 4 days during one week (32 hours) on campus, followed by 6 hours of online exercises/presentations in the following weeks. There are also two hours of prerecorded lectures.
Feedback during the teaching period
There will be two formal feedback mechanisms.

1. Coaching session:During the final afternoon of the teaching week the lecturer will work intensively with students groups, who will prepare for the online exercises/presentations the following weeks. The idea of the ‘coaching session’ is to ‘coach’ student groups and help them to see how concepts/theories can apply to their very concrete working situations, thus leveraging their experiences. They get feedback from the lecturer on how a particular theory/concept (discussed in the lecture week) applies in a specific organization (or organizations) after their presentation.

2. Exam supervision. For their oral exam the students will choose at least three key concepts discussed in the course and apply them to a case company of their choosing, thus allowing them to demonstrate the learning outcomes. In preparation for the exam they will produce a 15 page report. Each student group (2/3 students) will receive two 20 min on one supervision/feedback sessions from the lecturer in the week after the final lectures.


Student workload
teaching in class 40 hours
reading (3x14) 42 hours
qualifying oral group work (2x3) 6 hours
examining written individual report (1x48) 48 hours
general preperation 68 hours
Expected literature

Core Text: 
Buchanan, D. & Huczynski A. (2019). Organizational Behaviour (10th edition). Pearson: London.

Additional readings will be indicated in the course outline distributed before the start of class. These are mainly current research articles that get updated every year.
 
Last updated on 20-05-2025