79252 - Fundamentals of Management

Learning outcomes

The goal of this course is to provide students with a framework of the core concepts of firms’ management. Through the learning of the course content, students will gain fundamental knowledge and skills for management and will develop analytical and critical thinking skills. By the end of the course students will understand the main management problems, learn about strategic decision management, and will are able to apply tools and techniques useful to support management's processes. Specifically, the learning objectives for students are: o To acquire knowledge of key principles of management and be able to critically apply this knowledge to the analysis of case studies o To understand and apply a selected management topic to a real organizational setting o To be able to discuss with others the key management principles and showing application of knowledge to case study material

Course contents

• Organization and decision making
• Rationality and the psychology of decisions
• Uncertainty, power and dependence
• Organizational structure and human decision making
• Politics in organizations and organizational goals

Readings/Bibliography

• H.A. Simon, Administrative Behavior (4th Edition). The Free Press (1997) ISBN: 978-0684835822
• J.D. Thompson, Organizations in Action: Social Science Bases of Administrative Theory. McGraw-Hill (1967), Transaction Publishers (2003) ISBN: 978-0765809919

Teaching methods

Lecture

Discussion in class of readings and other audio/video materials, to be provided during the course

Assessment methods

Written exam: three open-ended questions, length 45'
Optional oral exam as integration of the written one

Grading:

• < 18. Fail. Considerable further work is required for an even basic understanding of the content of the course.
• 18-22. Sufficient. Understanding of the content of the course meets the minimum criteria; some mnemonic retention, little real understanding of the course topics.
• 23-24. Satisfactory. Some understanding of the course topics, with significant shortcomings.
• 25-27. Good. Good understanding of the course topics, with some errors.
• 28-30. Very good. Full understanding of the course content, possibly minor errors.
• 30 Lode. Perfect. Perfect understanding of the course content.

Teaching tools

The slides used in class, the readings to be discussed, and other related materials will be made available in the website of the course (on the Virtuale web platform of UniBo)

Office hours

See the website of Raffaele Corrado