course-schedule

Foundations of Organization Theory (Vorlesung)

Termin:
wöchentlich | Dienstag | 16:15 - 19:45 | 03.04.2023 - 12.05.2023 | C HS 3
Einzeltermin | Di, 23.05.2023, 16:15 - Di, 23.05.2023, 19:45 | C HS 3

Inhalt: Organizations are all around us: Most of us are born in hospitals, learn in schools and universities, work in or for formal organizations, such as business firms, public organizations or NGOs, and even spend much of our leisure time in organizations such as cinemas, sport clubs, or theatres. Moreover, big organizations such as multinational corporations are increasingly recognized as powerful actors who are responsible for various societal challenges, including climate change, inequality, or financial in-/stability. But different forms of organization are also the only tools we have to address those challenges. Indeed, organization and organizing are a core managerial task, one that requires students of business and entrepreneurship to understand not only the behavior of individuals and groups in organizational settings but also of organizations as social systems in their own right. This lecture will introduce students to classic and contemporary theories of organization, thereby taking a multi-paradigmatic and problem-driven approach. We will focus on five generic problems of organization: (i) the design of organizational structures and processes, (ii) the integration of individual and organization, (iii) the handling of organization-environment relations, (iv) dealing with emergent organizational processes, such as those related to power, politics, and culture, and (v) coping with organizational change. Together, we will reflect upon the historical development of different theoretical perspectives, their anthropological assumptions, their insights and blind spots, as well as their practical application to contemporary problems of organization in the business world and beyond. Students will be given the opportunity to deepen their specific thematic interests by choosing one seminar that expands their knowledge on a specific sub-area of organization theory

Seminar #1: Culture and Identity in Organizations (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Fiza Ahmed

Inhalt: Shared cultural ideas, meanings, beliefs, and concepts of “who we are” influence how people in an organization think, feel, and act. Organizations are also arenas where people perform and negotiate various work and non-work identities. Yet, organizations rarely simply passively observe such processes, but also actively seek to control and manage socialization and identification. This seminar will provide an introduction to organizational culture and identity, covering both theoretical foundations and their practical application to issues such as leading employees, managing innovation, and designing sustainable organizations. Building on an overview of the main approaches to organizational culture and identity, the seminar will examine a number of thematic issues such as socialization, identification, critical approaches to culture, identity and control, the relationship of work and non-work identities, and occupational identities. The seminar is based on student assignments (group work) designed to enhance students’ ability to think analytically and to develop a comprehensive understanding of the cultural dynamics of organizations.

Seminar #2: The Digital Workforce (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Laura Venz

Inhalt: Although topics such as remote work, the digitization of work processes, the flexibilization of work, digital collaboration tools, agile processes and many others have been on the management agenda for a while, the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions in people’s daily lives catapulted the world of work into its digital future within a very short time. This digitization and the associated increasing use of information and communication technologies in daily work comes along with numerous challenges, but also with diverse opportunities. In this seminar, we will deal with these very topics, focusing on how digitization affects people working in organizations. Accordingly, this seminar introduces students to research on the digital workforce, covering a number of topics such as digital leadership and virtual teamwork, work-related information communication technology use, work from home, and well-being and work-life balance in a digital world of work. On the basis of current empirical publications the seminar will address several questions surrounding the future of work, such as “What does work look like in the 21st century?”, What new employment relationships and forms of work are emerging?”, and “What do employees and managers need to survive in the digital world of work?” Finding answers to these questions, the seminar covers theoretical foundations and current empirical examinations as well as their practical application to modern work life. Based on the research findings presented, possibilities for designing the workplace of the future will be discussed.

Seminar #3: Alter(n) & Arbeit (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Anne Marit Wöhrmann

Seminar #4 Foundations of Organization Theory (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Jan Tänzler

Termin:
14-täglich | Montag | 08:15 - 11:45 | 03.04.2023 - 07.07.2023 | C 5.311 Seminarraum

Inhalt: In this course, students work in small groups to develop a sustainability strategy for a medium-sized company. After an introductory session in which the students get to know the theoretical basics and the partner company, the aim is for the students to work out their own strategy independently and in contact with the lecturer and the company. After the course, the students are able to define the requirements of a medium-sized company in terms of sustainability and to identify success factors.

Course Schedule

Lehrveranstaltungen

Foundations of Organization Theory (Vorlesung)

Seminar #1: Culture and Identity in Organizations (Seminar)

Seminar #2: The Digital Workforce (Seminar)

Seminar #3: Alter(n) & Arbeit (Seminar)

Seminar #4 Foundations of Organization Theory (Seminar)