ELE 3716 Organization and Change

APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013

ELE 3716 Organization and Change

Responsible for the course
Carl Borge-Andersen

Department
Department of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour

Term
According to study plan

ECTS Credits
7,5

Language of instruction
English

Introduction
This course provides the students with a relevant theoretical and practical background for understanding and influencing organizational processes including Management, Leadership, Organizational Development and Change(ODC) and Social Responsibility explicitly presented through the Business Conduct Guidelines of an organization.

Learning outcome
Acquired knowledge
  • Organizational theory deals with how to design organizations
  • Management and leadership include personal traits and role theory as well as Bolsman & Deal's four different managerial ways (frames) to view an organization.
  • Organizational Development and Change (ODC) theory.

Acquired skills
The students are introduced to a number of operational diagnoses and intervention techniques. Based on case examples, they will acquire skills related to the diagnosis and intervention process.

Reflection
The students are expected to develop a critical, independent and ethical view of the theories and practices related to organizational behaviour and organizational change.

Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required.

Compulsory reading
Books:
Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E. Deal. 2008. Reframing organizations : artistry, choice, and leadership. 4th ed. Jossey-Bass. 443 pages

Articles:
Borge-Andersen, Carl. 2011. Organizational Theory and ODC – an article in three parts. Part I, Introduction to Organization theory, Part II, Organizational Development and Change (ODC) and Part III, Recruting. Handelshøyskolen BI. 48 pages

Other:
Carl Borge-Andersen, Therese F. Borge-Andersen. 1999. Intervention Handbook. Compendium. 2nd ed. The intervention Handbook is a compendium published each semester on It's Learning the virtual classroom of the course Organzation and Change. 59 pages.
Therese F. Borge-Andersen is the editor of the Intervention Handbook. It is based on a structured intervention presentation form developed by Carl Borge-Andersen 1998 and filled in by studentgroups from the Organization and Change classes 1998 and 2000. The students have filled in the intervention forms based on the intervention descriptions listed in French and Bell, Organizational Development, Prentice Hall International edition 1990, Part 3, OD Interventions. When needed, the students have supplemented the forms with evidens based information from the primary source of each individual intervention in question.



Recommended reading
Books:
Beer, Michael and Nitin Hohria, eds. 2000. Breaking the code of change. Harvard Business School
Cummings, Thomas G. and Christopher G. Worley. 2009. Organization development & change. 9th ed. South-Western


Course outline
  • Organization Theory - a historical summary
  • Making sense of organizations
  • An introduction to the Four Frames of managerial thinking (structural, human, political and symbolic) and the reframing process
  • Organizational mapping, structuring, reengineering
  • Organizing Groups and Teams
  • People in Organizations- how to hire, invest and empower employees
  • How to build and implement a human resource strategy
  • Recruiting procedures including Personal Traits and Role Theory
  • Organization Development and Change (ODC), a new concept of organizational change processes
  • Managing ODC processes - diagnoses, interventions and evaluations based on Action Research
  • Social Responsibility and Business Conduct Guidelines
  • Case Studies based on organizational problems in real organizations
  • Summary, recapitulation, preparation for the examination

Computer-based tools
None.

Learning process and workload
The course consists of a total of 42 hours of lectures and case discussions. The lectures will not cover the complete syllabus. The purpose of the actual teaching is to define the main lines and to undertake an in-depth discussion of certain topics and examples. The students themselves are responsible for covering the complete syllabus. Group work related to exercises and active participation in class is recommended.

In order to pass the control examination (see Examination below), the students should work continuously on the multiple-choice questions that are developed for each chapter of the textbook and for the Article part I, II and III.

Recommended workload in hours
Activity
Hours
Participation in lectures
42
Readings and self study
85
Term paper (72 hours) and control examination (1 hour)
73
Total recommended use of time
200


    Examination
    The final grade will be based on following elements:
    1) A one-hour multiple choice control examination
    For the multiple choice exam 30 questions will be set. For each correct answer 3 points are awarded and for each wrong answer -1 point is awarded. The student has to obtain 65 points or more (72 % correct answers) to pass the examination.
    2) A 72-hour home examination
    The home examination may be taken individually or by student groups of no more than three students.

    Assessment of both examinations takes place at the end of the course. The term paper is marked in accordance with the grading scale A to F. The control exam is marked as passed or failed.


    Examination code(s)
    ELE 37161 - Control examination (Individual one hour MC examination). Graded passed/failed
    ELE 37162 - 72-hours home examination (Group examination), which accounts for 100% of the grade in ELE 3716 Organization and Change, 7.5 credits


    Examination support materials
    ELE 37161 No support materials are allowed
    ELE 37162 All support materials are allowed

    Examination support materials in connection with written examinations are specified under information about examinations in our web-based Student handbook. Please note the use of calculator and dictionary. http://www.bi.edu/studenthandbook/examaids


    Re-sit examination
    A re-sit examination is offered the next time the course is scheduled.

    Additional information