Organizational analysis

In this introductory, self-paced course, you will explore several theories of organizational behavior and apply them to real-world cases of organizational change. Organizations are groups whose members coordinate their behavior to achieve a common goal. They are found almost everywhere in modern society: universities, start-ups, classrooms, hospitals, nonprofits, government agencies, corporations, restaurants, grocery stores, and professional associations are just a few of the many examples of organizations. Organizations are as varied and complex as they are ubiquitous: they vary in size and internal structure; they may have many goals and objectives (some of which are planned and others are not!); they are composed of individuals whose goals and motives may differ from those of the group; and they must interact with other organizations and deal with environmental constraints to succeed. This complexity often creates a myriad of problems for the organization's participants and its survival. In this course, we will use organizational theories to systematically analyze how organizations function and how they can best be managed. Organizational theories highlight specific features of an organization's structure and environment, as well as its processes of negotiation, production, and change. Each provides a way to interpret new organizational situations and to understand how individual and group behavior is organized. Theories are valuable to the analyst and manager because most organizational problems are unique to their circumstances and cannot be solved by simple rules. Armed with a set of organizational theories, you will be able to systematically identify important features of organizations and the changes that occur within them; select the theoretical framework that is most applicable to the way you observe an organization; and use that theory to determine what actions will best move the organization in the desired direction. In general, the course has three goals: to become familiar with a range of real-world organizational phenomena; to explore the different theoretical perspectives that can shed light on these phenomena; and to apply these different ways of "seeing" and managing organizations to specific cases. In this way, the course is designed to actively bridge theory and practice, introducing students to a variety of conceptual tools and ways of negotiating new situations.