ELE 3716 Organization and Change
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APPLIES TO ACADEMIC YEAR 2016/2017 |
ELE 3716 Organization and Change
Responsible for the course
Laura E Mercer Traavik
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., Terrence E. Deal. 2013. Reframing organizations : artistry, choice, and leadership. 5th ed. Jossey-Bass. 443 pages
Articles:
Borge-Andersen, Carl. 2012 rev. 2015. 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. 48 pages. Article in three parts 15, 18 and 15 pages. Not published externally
Other:
Carl Borge-Andersen, Therese F. Borge-Andersen. 1999. Intervention Handbook. Compendium. 3rd revised ed 2015. The intervention Handbook is a compendium published each semester on Itslearning the virtual classroom of the course Organzation and Change. 70 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 and edited by Therese Folkestad Borge-Andersen. 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, Nitin Hohria, eds. 2000. Breaking the code of change. Harvard Business School
Cummings, Thomas G., Christopher G. Worley. 2015. Organization development & change. 10th ed. Cengage Learning
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
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 at written examiniations are explained under examination information in the student portal @BI. Please note use of calculator and dictionary. https://at.bi.no/EN/Pages/Exa_Hjelpemidler-til-eksamen.aspx
Re-sit examination
For electives re-sit is normally offered at the next scheduled course. If an elective is discontinued or is not initiated in the semester it is offered, re-sit will be offered in the electives ordinary semester.
Additional information
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