Organisation Theory and Practice
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 36
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning. For Online unit delivery, learning is conducted exclusively online.
2023 teaching periods
| Swinburne Online Teaching Period 2 |
||
|---|---|---|
Dates: Results: Last self enrolment: Census: Last withdraw without fail: |
Aims and objectives
Prior to 2020 Unit was called - Sustainable Organisational Design
This unit explores the nature of organisations and their interactions and co-evolution with complex contemporary environments. Representative themes include the exploration of the structural dimensions of organisations; how organisational design accommodates a stakeholder approach; and the need for organisational design to respond to emergent local and global agendas. The implications of organisational design and governance for culture, ethical values, learning, performance, collaboration, decision making and leadership will also be considered.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Consolidate and extend disciplinary knowledge relating to organisational theory and organisational governance
2. Undertake and evaluate research on the responsiveness of organisational design
3. Critique and apply techniques for increasing stakeholder engagement in product and service design and delivery
4. Evaluate the implications of collaborative decision making approaches for organisational design, governance, innovation and effectiveness
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
Face to Face Contact Class | 2 | 12 | 24 |
Online Contact Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 1 | 12 | 12 |
Unspecified Learning Activities Independent Learning | 9.5 | 12 | 114 |
TOTAL | 150 hours |
Swinburne Online
Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
Online Contact Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.5 | 12 | 150 |
TOTAL | 150 hours |
Assessment
Case Analysis
(Individual) 20-40%
Essay
(Individual) 20-30%
Online Tests
(Individual) 10-20%
Presentation
(Group) 30-40%
Content
- Dimensions of organisational design: structure vs contingency
- The evolution of organisation theory and design.
- Operating model canvas; Interpretations of value creation and organisational effectiveness.
- The role of structure in organisations.
- Decision-making systems, internal coordination, organisational configuration.
- Organisational culture; Social capital building across diverse groups
- Governance, and implications for Sustainability, values and ethics.
- Emergent organisational design, Organisations as Open systems.
- Inter-organisational relationships, resource dependence and collaborative networks
- Organisational Change: Managing change effectively
- Organisations as political systems, managing conflict.
- Governance for effective, sustainable organisations.
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
Students are advised to check the unit outline in the relevant teaching period for appropriate textbooks and further reading.