GRA 6026 Advanced Topics in Organisation Science
GRA 6026 Advanced Topics in Organisation Science
This course provides the students with an in-depth understanding of organizations. Organizations are the primary tool modern society uses to innovate and resolve complex tasks. Understanding how to organize to resolve the challenges organizations encounter is the main focus of this course. The first part of the course uses Scott and Davi's book, "Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural and Open System Perspectives" (2017), to chronologically review key contributions to organization theory. Another objective is to provide students with a background to understand the changes in organizational structures as a response to increasing environmental complexity, which we observe in both the private and public sectors. Therefore, the last part of the course is dedicated to understanding organizing in the face of the unexpected. Based on classic and recent scientific articles, we discuss how organizations can handle the unexpected. The course provides advanced knowledge into how organizations deal with deviations from the expected; specifically, the course is concerned with how deviations from routines and plans are handled. We discuss classic and new theories of coordination within organizations and teams to understand how organizations can better deal with "wicked" environments.
- Know the fundamental research streams in organisation science
- Know how to organise to facilitate the resolution of different types of tasks
- Know how to adjust the organisational structure to the influence of different types of environment
- Know about the workings of major organisational mechanisms such as power, authority, and goal setting
- Be able to analyze organizational problems.
- Be able to identify and amend mismatches between organizational structures and internal and external contingencies
- Be able to apply theoretical frameworks to specific organizational problems
- Be able to pinpoint generic organizational problems
- Developed a measured understanding of the relevance and scope of organizations
- Have advanced knowledge of how to analyze organizations from different perspectives
- Have a realistic and empirically based attitude to the strengths and limits of rational organizational theories
- Developed a measured and empirically based understanding of how micro and macro conditions interact in organizations and how to disentangle them analytically
- Understand how organization theory is the foundation for leadership and management
- Introduction, Organisations as rational, natural & open systems
- Organizations as Rational systems
- Organizations as Natural systems
- Organizations as Open Systems
- Designing Organisations & Combining Perspectives
- Technology & Structure: Coordination & Routines
- Goals, Power & Control
- Alternative coordination mechanisms in organizations & teams. Mental models in teams
- Routines as a source of flexibility and Change: Improvisation and consequences for communication demands
- Normal accidents & High-reliability Organizations
The course is structured as seminars, combining lectures with active dialogues. The course will combine textbook readings with research articles. The lectures will utilize classic and current cases to illustrate the main points in the literature. There are three mandatory assignments. The assignments are designed to train the students in the application of the theory to real situations.
Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.
All parts of the assessment must be passed in order to get a grade in the course.
The examination for this course has been changed. Continuous assessment will no longer exist as an examination form from autumn 2023. For questions regarding previous results, please contact InfoHub.
All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have specific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.
Disclaimer
Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this.
| Mandatory coursework | Courseworks given | Courseworks required | Comment coursework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory | 1 | 1 | Case 1, to be completed in groups |
| Assessments |
|---|
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Weight: 40 Grouping: Group (1 - 3) Duration: 4 Week(s) Comment: Case 2. Paper/assignment. Duration approximately 4 weeks. Exam code: GRA 60262 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
Exam category: Submission Form of assessment: Written submission Invigilation Weight: 60 Grouping: Individual Support materials:
Duration: 3 Hour(s) Comment: Written examination under supervision. Exam code: GRA 60263 Grading scale: ECTS Resit: Examination when next scheduled course |
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.