ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRM
Prof. SARA BONESSO
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Calender
From 07.11.2011 to 12.12.2011
Monday
h. 08.45 -10.15
Room 10C
Tuesday
h. 08.45 -10.15
Room 10C
Wednesday
h. 08.45 -10.15
Room 8B
Holiday Monday 21 November
Last class: Monday 12 December
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Course overview
The organization design issues and problems
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Does organization matters? Introduction to organization design
The variables which orientate the organization design process
The organization of work – micro structure
Design variables
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Division of labour (horizontal and vertical)
Coordination and control mechanisms
Forms of organization
Firm boundaries and networks
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Recommended Reading List
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Douma S. Schreuder H., 2008, Economic approaches to organizations, Englewood Cliffs:
Prentice Hall (4th edition), chapters 1, 8.
Mintzberg H., 1979. The structuring of organization: a synthesis of the research, Prentice-Hall
Englewood Cliffs, chapters 1, 2, 10 (pages161-168), 11.
Grandori A., 2001, Organization and economic behavior, 2 edition, London Routledge,
Chapter 4 (122-124), Chapter 8, 10, 11, 12 (pages 219-252, 300-411).
Whittington R., Pettigrew A., Peck S., Fenton E., Conyon M., 1999. Change and
Complementarities in the New Competitive Landscape: a European Panel Study, 1992-1996,
Organization Science, 10(5), 583-600.
Power point presentations
Further materials (cases, articles) available on the dropbox
folder “Organization of the firm_materials)
http://venus.unive.it/orgaz
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Assessment (1)
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Oral exam
 Recommended readings
 Power point presentations available on the web
site of the course
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Four exam sessions
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13 January 2012, room 8B, from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m.
27 January 2012, room 3B, from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m.
1 exam in May/June 2012
1 exam in September 2012
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Assessment (2): Project work
Objective
 The purpose of the project work activities is to provides students with the opportunity
and challenge to apply the theoretical concepts acquired throughout the course to real
cases.
Guidelines
 Form small group of 4-5 students
 Each group will identify one topic related to organizational design issues (e.g. case of
organization redesign; cases of specific organization form….). Materials can cover
articles, company profiles downloaded from the websites; interviews of managers, etc.
 Each group will prepare a written report.
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The written report needs to include theory as well as your analysis, main findings, and conclusions. This
report should not exceed 20 pages, font 11 pt normal, paragraphs justified using single spacing
In total this assignment is worth from 1 to 3 points added to the final grade of the oral
exam.
Within Friday 18th November send to [email protected]:
Name and e-mail address of the project leader and group members
Within Wednesday 21th December send to [email protected] the final report
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Some ideas for project work
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Describe and analyse cases of organization re-design
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At micro level (job analysis)
At macro level (shift from a organization form to another)
Identify the causes, analyse the design variables and the advantages
of the new structure
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Choose one coordination mechanism (teams,
standardization…) and analyse its characteristics by means
the discussion of real cases
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Select one organization form and identify its characteristics,
its advantages and disadvantages by means the discussion
of real cases
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Teaching Methods
in-class lessons
case studies
team work
visual supported training
SPEACH AND WORKSHOP (to be defined)
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CONTACT INFORMATION
E-mail
OFFICE HOURS
[email protected]
Venice - San Giobbe
Office n. 38
Wednesday
10.30-13.30
Web site of the course
http://venus.unive.it/orgaz
Program, Presentation, Materials (Username e
Password), Calender, Links
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On line resources
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Online Ebsco database - unive.it
Financial times
BBC
Knowledge Wharton
Harvard Business School (HBS) Working Knowledge
Business Week
Economist
BBC
institutions
 European Group for Organizational Studies
 European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management
 European Academy of Management
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