040430 VK KFK ORPE: Applied Organizational Theory (2015W)

Organizations continuously change their organizational architecture, some changes are minor and others are radical. Especially when radical, organizational change and development does not only involve the formal structure of the company but involves rethinking and reshaping the very fabric of the organization including the informal organization, social relationships, people, and how the work gets done.

The objective of this course is to help students understand the driving forces and different facets of organizational change & development and how they can be managed.

The course will be given primarily through lecture and class discussion. The first part of the course is organized around four theoretical building blocks that are used to deeper explore managerial issues and provide different lenses on how to view the organization (e.g., formal structure, informal structure, environment, leadership, etc.). In the remaining sessions, case studies describing the change efforts of different companies will be discussed. They should provide the students with insights into real-life change processes and show them the consequences of organizational design decisions. Special emphasis will be placed on linking the theoretical concepts to the managerial tasks and challenges during organizational change and development.