Course description for 2022/23
Organizational Practices and Perspectives
SAM5022
Course description for 2022/23
Organizational Practices and Perspectives
SAM5022
‘Organizational Practices and Perspectives’ is based on the knowledge that organizational contexts are complex - and often chaotic.To enable students to understand, analyze and handle various organizational challenges, practices, and processes, the course will provide an overview of different perspectives and social science approaches to the study of organizations. With this knowledge, students will build advanced analytical skills and be prepared to ‘see’, understand, discuss, and ‘solve’ complex, ambiguous organizational challenges.
This course focuses on organizations and how to understand and manage them. ‘Organizational Practices and Perspectives’ is based on knowledge that organizational contexts are complex - and often chaotic. Organizations differ in terms of type, structure, focus and culture, and they have different challenges as well as diverse forms of relations with their surroundings. To enable students to understand, analyze and handle various organizational challenges, practices, and processes, the course will provide an overview of different perspectives and social science approaches to the study of organizations. These theories and perspectives may be rather abstract, but students will learn that they are practical in the sense that organizational challenges can be examined and solved in many ways. As such, the aim of the course is to assist students in becoming aware that organizational theories and perspectives are resources for analyzing and understanding organizational phenomena. Students will, for example, learn to work analytically and strategically with managerial areas such as diversity, gender, identity, power, and control. With this knowledge, students will build advanced analytical skills and be prepared to ‘see’, understand, discuss, and ‘solve’ complex, ambiguous organizational challenges.
Students must either be enrolled in Master in Social Analysis (full time), or apply for the course as a single course student/exchange student.
Single course students must meet the following entry requirements:
- Bachelor degree of 3 years' duration (180 ECTS).
- The applicant must have passed exams of at least 80 ECTS credits in social sciences. The grade requirement is C on a weighted average.
Knowledge. Upon completion, the student:
- can expound different theoretical perspectives and approaches in studies of organizations
- can identify and explain organizational approaches to learning and change, culture, and collaboration
- can discuss risks and ambiguities of organizational decision-making
- can point out and clarify organizational challenges related to diversity, gender, identity, power, and control
Skills. Upon completion, the student:
- can analyze organizational challenges and practices from different perspectives
- is able to apply different organizational perspectives to identify, analyze and handle specific problems in organizations
- can reflect on and discuss the meaning of organizational learning and change, culture and collaboration, risks and ambiguities of organizational decision-making, as well as challenges related to diversity, gender, identity, power, and control
- can select, arrange, document, and put into perspective different ways to handle organizational challenges
General competencies. Upon completion, the student:
- will have an academic basis that prepares for advanced studies of organizational sociology
- will have acquired the knowledge and skills to work with organizational perspectives and approaches in practice
In addition to the semester fee and costs for purchasing course literature, the students are expected to have a laptop.
Theoretical subject. Elective subject for students enrolled in Master in Social Analysis (full time).
The course will be given as a mixture of lectures, student presentations, and class-room discussions. Active student-participation is expected and necessary to obtain the learning outcomes.
*The course is taught provided that a sufficient number of students register for it.
The study program is evaluated annually by the students through course evaluations and study program evaluation. These evaluations are included as part of the university's quality assurance system.
Oral examination, individual or in groups of maximum two students (Individuell 30 min/Gruppe 45 min).Grading scale A-E for pass, F for fail.
Pencil, pen, ruler, calculator, bilingual dictionary, PC/mac, other tools for presenting and discussing.
Bachelor: Introductory courses in organizational theory or similar. The course is taught in English and it is a requirement that students can understand, speak, and write English.
Overlap refers to a similarity between courses with the same content. Therefore, you will receive the following reduction in credits if you have taken the courses listed below:
SAM5023 - Organizational Practices and Perspectives - 10 credits