Organization theory and design
PROF. CHIARA PAOLINO
COURSE AIMS
The objectives of the course ‘Organizational Theory and Design are:
– To build your knowledge about the principles of organization theory and its
managerial implications;
– To understand and apply to real cases the basic principles of Organizational
Design;
– To develop your understanding of Organizational Behavior principles.
COURSE CONTENT
The first part of the course is devoted to the study of the main theoretical
approaches within Organization Science and their relevance to interpret
companies’ competitiveness. Moreover, this first part will be focused on
developing and applying the principles and techniques of Organizational Design.
Thus, this part of the course aims at enabling you to understand the main issues in
organizational theory and design and how they can be applied as a real form of
problem solving.
The second part of the course is more focused on Organizational Behavior theories
and principles. The focus of attention will be given to processes like motivation,
team management, performance management.
READING LIST
J. ROBERTS, The Modern Firm: Organizational Design for Performance and Growth, Oxford
University Press, 2007.
Lecture, cases and notes provided by the instructor.
TEACHING METHOD
Since the goal of the course is to build knowledge and, above all, problem solving
abilities through organizational design techniques, teaching methods will be based on an
interactive and involving approach
Small and long case studies will be followed by guided debriefing and a sharing of the
theoretical models to enable you to summarize the main theoretical and practical ‘take
aways’ of each class. We will use adopt different practical tools so that you can be
autonomous in grasping the main messages from our shared learning experiences.
Collaborative learning, through team working, will represent one of the pillars of the course
methods.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Students’ evaluation method is coherent with the goal of developing knowledge as well
as problem solving abilities. Therefore, there will be a final exam, representing the
opportunity for you to show your understanding of the course topics and your ability to use
what you have learned to solve real problems related to Organizational Design and
Behavior. Moreover, two team assignments will give you the chance to practice
collaborative learning, while deepening your understanding of the topic covered in class and
their applications to real cases. Team assignment will also represent the chance for you for
an intermediate feedback before the final exam.
More specifically, course evaluation will be based on:
– Final exam (60%): the exam will be closed-books; it will be composed of 3 open
questions, two theoretical questions and one question that is based on the discussion and
resolution of a case. The exam will be based on the chapters covered during the course and
on the teaching materials the instructor will discuss in class and publish on BB;
– Two Group assignments (20% each): students will be required to carry out two
assignments in team, which will give them the opportunity to deeply reasoning on the
meaning of the theoretical approaches covered in class and their managerial implications.
Detailed instructions will follow on BB.