LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course will provide the students with a solid understanding of the foundations of organizing, organizational forms, and organizational phenomena of business. After participating in the course, students will (1) be able to distinguish between various forms of organizing of business at the macro- and meso-level; (2) know when a certain form is more suitable and how to organize this form; and (3) be able to assess the effectiveness of organizing form and develop improvements. Students undertaking this course will become familiar with a series of real-world contemporary organizational phenomena, learn different theoretical perspectives that can elucidate these phenomena, and learn to apply these different ways of seeing and managing organizations to cases. As such this course bridges theory and practice, exposing students to a variety of conceptual tools and ways to evaluate novel situations.
Credits: 5
Schedule: 27.02.2024 - 21.05.2024
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Jukka Luoma
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
Organizing of business is determined and shaped by a multitude of economic, information, and technological conditions which are constantly evolving. In this course, we will use economic, organization, and strategy theories to analyze organizing at the macro- and meso-level. Theories are valuable for the analyst and manager because most macro- and meso-level organizational phenomena and problems are unique and cannot be understood nor solved by simple rules of thumb. At the macro-level markets, industries, value chains, and business ecosystems are unique forms of organizing business. These are shaped by economic, information, technological, and socio-economic properties prevalent and evolving in each setting, including among others demand, and supply, rules and responsibilities of business, digital technologies and data, transaction costs, complementarities, resource dependencies, and information asymmetries. To enable progress and efficiencies in organizing of business, modularity, standards, and interoperability are central. At the meso-level we can distinguish between various kinds of business organizations, i.e. start-ups, multinational firms, specialized manufacturing firms, consultancy firms, and software firm, state-owned companies, public organizations, and non-profits. These meso-level organizational forms entail a multiplicity of goals and tasks and differ in size and internal organizing and coordinating structure. The advancements in digital technologies have enabled new forms of organizing of business and markets, including multi-sided platforms, digital applications, and data-mediating organizations to evolve. To understand the organization of business today we hence need to consider both the macro- and the meso-levels of organizing, how these are interrelated, and the mechanism that shapes and will come to shape the organizing of business today and in the future.
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
Weekly assignments, exam.
Workload
valid for whole curriculum period:
Lectures, weekly individual and/or group assignments, independent study.
DETAILS
Study Material
valid for whole curriculum period:
A selection of readings and other materials assigned by the teacher
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
SDG: Sustainable Development Goals
8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
12 Responsible Production and Consumption
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
Teaching Language : English
Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Spring IV - V
2023-2024 Spring IV - VEnrollment :
Registration for course will take place on Sisu (sisu.aalto.fi).