45301 - Organisational Strategies

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Federico Toth
  • Credits: 8
  • SSD: SPS/04
  • Language: Italian
  • Moduli: Federico Toth (Modulo 1) Stefania Profeti (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Politics Administration and Organization (cod. 8784)

Learning outcomes

"Strategie organizzative" is an advanced course in Organization Theory, taught in Italian.

By the end of the course, the student is able to:

- identify the key characteristics and components of organizational strategy and behavior.

- recognize the key elements and the typical dynamics of decision-making processes.

- analyze deliberate and emergent strategies.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts:

The first part addresses the basic elements of strategic analysis. Fundamental concepts such as strategy, business idea and organizational culture are applied to some successful companies.

The second one explores the different approaches to decision-making in organizations, including bounded rationality (H. Simon), disjointed incrementalism (C. Lindblom), strategic rationality (Crozier and Friedberg), the garbage can model (Cohen, March & Olsen), the logic of appropriateness (J. March).

Readings/Bibliography

Required readings

H. Mintzberg (1987), The Strategy Concept I: Five Ps For Strategy, in California Management Review, Fall 1987, pp. 11-24.

M. E. Porter (2008), The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy, in Harvard Business Review, January 2008, pp. 25- 40.

R. Normann (1979), Le condizioni di sviluppo dell'impresa, Milano, Etas, pp. 26-66.

R. Normann (1992), Perché uno sviluppo strategico delle risorse umane?, in La gestione strategica dei servizi, Milano, ETAS. Capitolo quinto.

E.H. Schein (1984), Verso una nuova consapevolezza della cultura organizzativa, in P. Gagliardi (a cura di), Le imprese come culture, Torino, ISEDI, pp. 395-415.

F. Toth (2006),Le immagini del decision making, in Il costo del consenso, Roma, Carocci, pp. 19-43.

L. Bobbio (1996), I modelli decisionalie Attori e risorse negli interventi di trasformazione territoriale, in La democrazia non abita a Gordio. Studio sui processi decisionali politico amministrativi, Milano, FrancoAngeli, pp. 11-48 e pp. 64-97.

J.G. March (1994), Conformità a regole, in Prendere decisioni, Bologna, il Mulino, pp. 67-87 e 110-112.

M. Catino (2009), La Nasa e i disastri degli shuttle, in Miopia organizzativa, Bologna, il Mulino, pp. 36-56.

G. Baldini e A. Renwick(2015), L'Italia verso la (ennesima) riforma elettorale, in C. Hanretty e S. Profeti (a cura di), Politica in Italia2015, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 175-194.

L. Di Gregorio(2014), #Italicum e il bidone della spazzatura, blog article https://digregorioblog.com/2014/08/04/italicum-e-il-bidone-della-spazzatura/

M.T. Galanti (2016), La multiutility come arena: le decisioni nel capitalismo municipale, in Sindaci e manager nel capitalismo municipale, Bologna, Il Mulino, pp. 107-192.

Teaching methods

Lessons of the teacher. Case studies and discussion. Class attendance is strongly recommended.

Assessment methods

The final grade will be given by a written examination to be planned at the end of the course.

Teaching tools

Most of the topics will be presented through the analysis and discussion of case studies (IKEA, Google, Amazon, Pixar, Nasa, some municipal companies such as HERA and IREN).

Office hours

See the website of Federico Toth

See the website of Stefania Profeti