90900 - Organization Theory And Behaviour

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Moduli: Cristina Dallara (Modulo Lez.) Cristina Dallara (Modulo Sem 1) Cristina Dallara (Modulo Sem 2) (Modulo D.Ass)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo Lez.) Traditional lectures (Modulo Sem 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo Sem 2) Traditional lectures (Modulo D.Ass)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Media, Public and Corporate Communication (cod. 5703)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to give a graduate-level introduction to organization analysis, providing an overview of the key issues, theories and discussions within organization theory and behaviour. At the end of the course students will be able to: - Learn the main contributions and discussions in organization theory, understanding key causes in shaping the behaviour and performance of real organizations. - Understand organizational theories potentialities by means of applying theory to practical organizational cases and exercises.

Course contents

Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

The detailed syllabus containing all the topics, activities, and related specific readings of the course will be distributed and presented during the first introductory class.

Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the session and active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies will also be expected. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

 

The first part of the course focuses on the main approaches of the industrial sociology and classical organization theory, such as Taylor and the Scientific Management, Mayo and the Human Relation School and the contribution of Barnard on cooperation, efficiency and efficacy. Moreover, this part deals with the theories of personality development, the Toyota model, Weber and the ideal-type of bureaucracy and its critics, such as Gouldner and Merton.

The second part deals with some important issues related to organizations planning and management and organizational behaviour topics: power and the strategical behaviour of organizational actors; the linkage between organization and its environment; organizational structures and organizational culture.

Readings/Bibliography

Readings:

The detailed syllabus containing all the topics, activities, and related specific readings of the course will be distributed and presented during the first introductory class.

 For the Week 1 students could read in advance the following chapters (available on Virtuale):

Ch 1, Moorhead, G., & Griffin, R. W. (2008). Organizational behavior managing people and organizations. Dreamtech Press.

Ch 1, Mc Auley et All (2007), Organization theory: challenges and perspectives, Pearson(pp 1-17)

  

Teaching methods

The course will be based on lectures combined with in-class activities and students’ presentations.

Academic guests and practitioners might give invited lectures on specific topics related to the course.

Assessment methods

Presentation of core readings ans in-class discussions (30%)

Students will present, during the course, 1/2 academic articles each that deals with current research topics in OB with particular accent on their personal research interests. The readings will be selected from a list proposed by the instructor in the first day of lectures.

Individual writing assignment (70%)

Each student will, at the end of the course, develop a case study (length: about 10 pages, figures and tabs excluded) in which he/she will focus on one aspect of OB. The theme of the assignment needs to be discussed in advance with the instructor during ad hoc sessions.

Students are required to briefly present their topic to the class before the submission deadline.

 

For students NOT attending classes:

A written exam with 5 open questions on the whole programme.

Teaching tools

PPT; Videos; web-sites; 

Office hours

See the website of Cristina Dallara

See the website of

SDGs

Industry, innovation and infrastructure Sustainable cities

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.