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HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
Sociology and Anthropology
Semester:
1st Semester
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Prof Gili S Drori
Coordinator Office Hours:
Teaching Staff:
Prof Gili S Drori
Course/Module description:
Formal organizations are rapidly expanding: in numbers (more of them formed), in scope (with more functions, units, and responsibilities), and in reaches (in more countries and sectors worldwide). Accompanying this trend is also the expansion of the field of study of organizations and the scope of theories to explain the operations, formation, and challenges of organizations. This course is designed as an introductory class to organizational studies, combining theoretical discussions with direct application of such theoretical “tool kits” to the everyday challenges that organizations face under complex and rapidly changing strategic and societal conditions.
By carefully studying the principal organizational theories of today and by reviewing the history of the field of organizational studies, class discussions will highlight key conceptual tools to understand organizations. Drawing from classic arguments and debates, discussions will explicate the use of such conceptual tools through analysis of cases and review of current empirical research. The core theories reviewed are made relevant to a wide range of topics (change and reform, leadership, organizational structure, and decision-making) and to a wide range of sectors (schools and universities, of course, but also to other not-for-profit and governmental contexts).
Course/Module aims:
Course is intended to introduce the field of organization studies: from mapping the field of theories, to delineating the theories’ development, to analyzing the related empirical traditions, to learning principal terms and methods. Based on such knowledge, students are to be able to analyze cases or topics in OS and to situate theoretical debates within their intellectual and historical contexts.
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
- To distinguish among theoretical approaches to OS phenomena, to define core terms in OS and refer to their theoretical sources, and to compare among the theories
- To reframe any topic or case in OS according to Bolman and Deal’s 4 frames, and to draw research agenda or management strategies from each such frame.
- To analyze (summarize, assess and offer examples for) OS-related topics and organizational phenomena
- To compose scholarly review and assessment essays, in the style of OS journal reviews
Attendance requirements(%):
0
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
- Course is set as a seminar, with weekly discussions that rely on comprehensive probing into the preparatory reading material. (Lack of preparation is unacceptable, also since familiarity with reading material will be assumed and no summary of such material will be offered in class.)
- Students are expected to participate in the learning process: to present work in class, to raise issues for class discussion, to participate in in-class exercises, and to express their (substantiated) opinion in the essays.
- The written assignments (reframing exercise, 2 review and assessment essays, final exam) require applying an analytic approach to course material: worthy essays include a probing analysis anchored in core terminology and theoretical themes, rather than a rudimentary summary of descriptive matter or basic definitions.
- Overall, pedagogy fits with advanced learning by requiring preparatory reading, participation in discussions, and thoughtful/analytic approach to discussion topics.
Course/Module Content:
Among the topics of in-class learning are:
Reframing theories of organization and of management strategies; Genealogy of OS theories
Required Reading:
* The reading list combines theoretical material with current empirical studies
* No more than 2 papers are required per week (a total of about 50-60 pages)
* Students are offered some choice among reading items, so that students can advance according to their thematic preferences
- A full reading list is a part of the course syllabus
- Foundation reading (supplemented by journal articles):
* OS review:
- W. Richard and Gerald F. Davis. 2007. Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural and Open System Perspectives, Pearson Prentice-Hill
- Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E Deal. 2008. Reframing Organizations (4th edition),
John Wiley & Sons
* Compilation of canon:
- Shafritz, Jay M., J. Steven Ott, and Yong Suk Jang (eds.) 2005. Classics of
Organization Theory (6th edition), Thomson Wadsworth.
Additional Reading Material:
* Suggestions for additional reading are offered for most topics.
- A full reading list is a part of the course syllabus
Grading Scheme :
Active Participation / Team Assignment 15 %
Submission assignments during the semester: Exercises / Essays / Audits / Reports / Forum / Simulation / others 60 %
Mid-terms exams 25 %
Additional information:
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