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Syllabus

EN IT

Learning Objectives

LEARNING OUTCOMES: The course's objective is twofold: first, to make the student understand business organizations' functioning. Second, to introduce the basic concepts needed to design, implement, and change the organizational structure. The course helps students become good analysts of organization design and its impact on the organization's performance.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to identify and explain various organization components and their relationship to one another (understanding systemic relationships and consequences).

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to analyse, assess, and diagnose organization effectiveness, including organization culture and values; develop a framework for changing design elements and relationships;

MAKING JUDGEMENTS: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to describe the principles of designing organizations; explain how management and organization design can lead to strategic advantage; discuss in depth issues of implementation of various design strategies and interventions.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to understand and know how to use the language of the organization and of organizational theories.
Also, during the discussion of case studies in classroom, students will be asked to briefly illustrate their group presentation in Powerpoint. For this purpose, each case discussion requires a group of students to present their work. In the absence of such a group, the teacher in the classroom will identify a replacement group.

LEARNING SKILLS: Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to explain the relationship between leadership, organizational design, and
effectiveness.
Also, during the discussion of case studies in classroom, students will be called to:
1. Take a specific position on certain issues and/or points.
2. Ask clarification questions.
3. Collaborate in order to keep the discussion alive.
4. Help guide and involve other students in the discussion.
5. Integrate the discussion with theories, contents and concepts already seen in other cases.

Prerequisites

None

Program

The course is structured in 18 different sessions:
#1 Organizations and Organization Design
• What is an Organization?
• Dimensions of Organization Design
• The Evolution of Organization Design
• The Contrast of Organic and Mechanistic Designs
• Contemporary Design Ideas: Radical Decentralization

#2 Organization Size, Life Cycle, and Decline
• Organization Size: Is Bigger Better?
• Organizational Life Cycle, Size, Bureaucracy, and Control
• Bureaucracy
• Bureaucracy versus Other Forms of Control
• Organizational Decline and Downsizing

#3 Classical theories of organization
• The Scientific Management Theory (Taylor)
• The Administrative School (Fayol)

#4 Strategy, Organization Design, and Effectiveness
• Goals, Strategy and Organization Design
• Organizational Goals
• Frameworks for Selecting Strategy and Design
• Assessing Organizational Effectiveness
• Four Effectiveness Approaches
• An Integrated Effectiveness Model

#5 COLOPLAST CASE DISCUSSION

#6 Fundamentals of Organization Structure
• Organization Structure
• Information-Sharing Perspective on Structure
• Organization Design Alternatives
• Simple, Functional, and Divisional Designs

#7 Fundamentals of Organization Structure
• The choice between Functional and divisional structure
• Modified Functional Designs
• By Product
• By Project
• Matrix design

#8 WILDFIRE ENTERTAINMENT CASE DISCUSSION

#9 MID-COURSE TEST

#10 Designing Organizations for the International Environment
• Entering the Global Arena
• The Challenges of Global Design
• Designing Structure to Fit Global Strategy
• Additional Global Coordination Mechanisms
• The Transnational Model of Organization

#11 Organizational action and uncertainty, complexity
• Thompson
• Galbraith

#12 Manufacturing and Service Technologies
• Core Organization Service Technology
• Noncore Departmental Technology
• Workflow Interdependence among Departments
• Sociotechnical Systems

#13 Motivation to work: needs and processes
• Work and motivation
• Motivational process
• A complex model for the motivation of employee
• Motivational theories

#14 Organizational Culture and Ethical Values
• Organizational Culture
• Organization Design and Culture
• Constructive Culture, Learning, and Performance
• Ethical Values and Social Responsibility
• How Managers Shape Culture and Ethics
• Corporate Culture and Ethics in a Global Environment

#15 OP4.COM CASE DISCUSSION

#16 Innovation and Change
• The Strategic Role of Change
• Elements for Successful Change
• Technology Change
• New Products and Services
• Strategy and Structure Change
• Culture Change
• Strategies for Implementing Change

#17 BOLDFLASH CASE DISCUSSION

#18 Conflict, Power, and Politics
• Interdepartmental Conflict in Organizations
• Power and Organizations
• Political Processes in Organizations
• Using Soft Power and Politics

Books

Textbook:
1. Daft, R.L., Organizational Theory and Design, 12th ed., (2015). Southwestern Cengage Learning, Mason, OH; ISBN: 9781285866345
Readings:
2. A. Hinna, (2011) – Translated by G. Flamini, (2019). Classical theories. From M. Decastri, Editor, (2011). Leggere e progettare le organizzazioni, Edizioni Angelo Guerini e Associati SpA, Milano; ISBN: 978-88-8107-316-0
3. V. Perrone, (2011) – Translated by D. Petrolo, (2019). Traditional base organizational structures. From M. Decastri, Editor, (2011). Leggere e progettare le organizzazioni, Edizioni Angelo Guerini e Associati SpA, Milano; ISBN: 978-88-8107-316-0
4. James D. Thompson’s Organization in Action (Chapter 6) From Tosi, H.L. Theories of Organization, SAGE Publications, Inc, California 91320, 2009.
5. Organizing modes: an information processing model (Chapter 3) From Galbraith, J. R. Organization Design, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, USA, 1977.
6. D. Tomasi, (2011) – Translated by G. Flamini, (2019). Motivation to work. From M. Decastri, Editor, (2011). Leggere e progettare le organizzazioni, Edizioni Angelo Guerini e Associati SpA, Milano; ISBN: 978-88-8107-316-0
Business cases:
7. COLOPLAST A/S – ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES IN OFFSHORING
8. WILDFIRE ENTERTAINMENT: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ARCHETYPES
9. OP4.COM: A DYNAMIC CULTURE
10. BOLDFLASH CROSS-FUNCTIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE MOBILE DIVISION

Bibliography

1. A. Hinna, (2011) – Translated by G. Flamini, (2019). Classical theories. From M. Decastri, Editor, (2011). Leggere e progettare le organizzazioni, Edizioni Angelo Guerini e Associati SpA, Milano; ISBN: 978-88-8107-316-0
2. V. Perrone, (2011) – Translated by D. Petrolo, (2019). Traditional base organizational structures. From M. Decastri, Editor, (2011). Leggere e progettare le organizzazioni, Edizioni Angelo Guerini e Associati SpA, Milano; ISBN: 978-88-8107-316-0
3. James D. Thompson's Organization in Action (Chapter 6) From Tosi, H.L. Theories of Organization, SAGE Publications, Inc, California 91320, 2009.
4. Organizing modes: an information processing model (Chapter 3) From Galbraith, J. R. Organization Design, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, USA, 1977.
5. D. Tomasi, (2011) – Translated by G. Flamini, (2019). Motivation to work. From M. Decastri, Editor, (2011). Leggere e progettare le organizzazioni, Edizioni Angelo Guerini e Associati SpA, Milano; ISBN: 978-88-8107-316-0

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures and Case Study Discussions

Exam Rules

At the end of the course, students will apply for an exam in one of the dates.
The score of the exam is given by means of a mark expressed in thirtieths.
The exam is an oral exam and it includes some questions directly connected to the course
textbooks. It may be asked to discuss the models and the theories presented during the
course. It will be asked to interpret some real incidents and to focus the attention to
some specific theoretical issues.
Only the 1st Exam after the course is a written exam. The duration is about 3-4 hours, and it includes:
a) Case discussion - You may be given a case study to which some questions may lead to the discussion. As you respond to the questions, please use specific content and theories (use names to identify approaches and models) based on your analysis. You will not receive credit for your personal opinions unless backed by theory, lecture, and text material. Also, describe how you see the content/theory applying to the situation. Your answers will be evaluated based on both quantity and quality. Solutions that are complete and demonstrate a higher level of understanding and analysis will receive more points.
b) Some questions directly connected to the course textbooks. The questions could be open, closed (multiple choice), or a combination of both. You may be asked to discuss the models and the theories presented during the course. You will be asked to interpret some real incidents and focus your attention on some specific theoretical issues.
Also, regular attending students will be allowed to achieve to a maximum of +3 extra points to the final grade of the 1st Exam after the course through the mid-course test. The additional points of the mid-course test are valid ONLY for the 1st Exam after the course.

The exam will be assessed according to the following criteria:
Not Successful: important deficiencies and/or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited ability to analyse and synthesise, frequent generalisations and limited critical and judgemental skills, the topics are set out inconsistently and with inappropriate language;
18-20: Barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalisations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgement, topics are frequently exposed in an incoherent way and with inappropriate/technical language;
21-23: Routine knowledge and understanding of topics; ability to analyse and synthesise correctly with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language;
24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; Good analytical and synthetic skills with arguments expressed in a rigorous manner but with language that is not always appropriate/technical;
27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the topics; considerable capacity for analysis and synthesis. Good autonomy of judgement. Arguments presented in a rigorous manner and with appropriate/technical language;
30-30L: Excellent level of knowledge and thorough understanding of topics. Excellent analytical and synthetic skills and independent judgement. Arguments expressed in an original manner and with appropriate technical language.