The purpose of this course is to offer a setting where the student can get acquainted with knowledge, insights, and skills required to analyze and understand the functioning of organizations. This will be accomplished through the introduction of major topics, perspectives and theories within the field of "organization theory", a large and multidisciplinary body of scholarly work with its origin in sociology, economics and business management.
Because organizations are a ubiquitous phenomenon in the real world, organization theory is of importance for people and managers in all organizations varying from small to large organization, in private, public and non-profit sectors. As such, the aim of the course is not only for the student to understand the theoretical development within the field of organization theory, but also the practical applications in real public and nonprofit management contexts. Students are encouraged to apply the theories and concepts covered in this course to their own experiences.
Knowledge - upon successful completion the student
- can demonstrate to have knowledge and understanding of central themes, theories, processes, tools and methodologies within the field of organization theory.
- can demonstrate to be familiar with research in the field of organization theory.
- will have an academic basis that prepares for future studies on organization theory.
- will have a critical and reflective understanding on the predictive power of the theories introduced in the course.
- can demonstrate to have reflective approach to real-life organizational problems and challenges.
Skills - upon successful completion the student can
- apply research findings within the field of organization theory on practical and theoretical issues.
- reflect on their own academic practice and adjust this practice under academic supervision.
- locate, select, organize, and document information on a business case and formulate a relevant problem formulation.
- apply the relevant tools, techniques and forms of expression
General competences - upon successful completion the student
- can plan and execute a variety of tasks and projects that extend over time, alone and in groups, and in line with ethical requirements and guidelines
- can communicate key subject matter as theories, issues and solutions both in writing, orally and through other relevant forms of expression.
- can exchange views and experiences with others with backgrounds in the field or organization theory and thereby contribute to the development of good practice.
- can take responsibility for their own learning