MBA 611: OAGANISATION STRUCTURE & BEHAVIOUR

Semester I, 2006 – 2007; Mon, Tue 9.00-10.30 am

Rahul Varman, FB 327, Ph: 7970, email: rahulv@iitk.ac.in
Course Outline

Purpose
We spend most of our professional lives in organisations. Organisations shape our
identities and define our place in the society. They are complex social formations
not given to any straightforward input – throughput - output relationships, hence
the need to understand them. The purpose of this course is to introduce the
students to the practice and theory of organisations with some of its complexities.
This will include an understanding of organisation goals, various designs and
structures available for different organisational contexts, organisation culture, and
processes like decision-making, communication and politics. In the later part, the
course will go into the cutting edge problems and emerging organisation issues &
relevant designs. The course will help build a perspective on organisation design
& behaviour including the recent advancements and link them up with various
relevant theoretical streams. Theoretical and practical advancements will be
situated in their historical and social context.

Classes
The class discussions will primarily be based on real life cases. This will require
that the student goes through the assigned reading, analyses the case for the day -
preferably in small groups, and comes prepared with his/ her analysis for
presentation in the class. Group/s may volunteer to initiate class discussion and
make a presentation of their analysis for a particular class.

Learning in the class will primarily happen though discussions amongst the
participants and not through ‘lecture’ by the instructor. Thus, it becomes
everybody’s responsibility to get into a constructive dialogue instead of expecting
a particular individual to be the provider of ‘solutions’. A constructive dialogue
means not only to speak, but also listen carefully and draw out some of the
relatively quieter colleagues. This is not a course on oratory and hence what
matters is quality of your participation - in speaking, listening, explaining and
critiquing. The way the course is conceived, there can not be almost any learning
without class participation. Hence, in normal circumstances, I expect you to be
present in all the classes. If for special reasons you are not able to attend a
particular class, I expect you to explain it in writing. If you miss more than three
sessions then it will invite negative weightage as it is not only that you are not
attending the class as an individual but you are also depriving the rest of the class
from your views and analyses. If you are coming to a class it is expected that you
have prepared assigned reading and are ready with your case-analysis.

I expect you to do whole lot of activities and preparation in groups. So please

make groups of 3 right after the first class as per your choice.

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 Evaluation
Class Participation & Presentations (20%)
As already explained class participation is a fundamental part of learning in the
course. The purpose of class presentations is to initiate the discussion on the
reading/ case. The presentation may be done by a group. Please come prepared
with your presentation and only present your analysis in not more than 10
minutes. I would prefer if you inform me in advance in case you want to make a
presentation in a particular session. I expect every group to make at least two
presentations during the semester. The evaluation will be divided into two halves.

Quizzes (10%)
There will be two short – in class quizzes.

Take Home Assignments (10%)

Two case analysis reports to be submitted in groups.

Project (30%)
Take up an organisation or an organisational issue and analyse it in depth and
relate to class discussions and theory. The objective is to learn from the
complexities of a real life situation. Some of my ideas on the kind of projects that
you can take up will be given to you shortly. I expect you to interact with me
every week regarding your project. The evaluation of the project will be in three
steps: project proposal – 5%, interim presentation – 5%, final report – 20%.

End Semester Exam (30%)

It will be an in class - individual exam. The emphasis will be to examine
understanding of the subject and analysis of complex situations and organisational
issues.

Schedule
Assign. I Mon, 14th August Proj. Proposal Mon, 21st August
Quiz I Mon, 28th August Assign. II Mon, 18 th Sep.
Quiz II Mon, 25th Sep. Interim Prsent. Mon, 16th Oct.
Final Report Fri, 17 th Nov.

This is my suggested scheme for evaluation; if any individual wants it to be

specific to her needs s/he is free to suggest alternatives.

Text
Organization Theory: Text and cases, 4/e by Gareth Jones. Delhi: Pearson
Education

References
1. Organisation Theory and Design by Richard L. Daft, 6th Edn., Cincinnati,
Ohio: South-Western College Publishing, 1998.
2. Organisation Theory by Stephen P Robbins, New Delhi: Prentice Hall, 1998

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 MBA 611: CLASS SCHEDULE

SESSION DETAILS
Note: All the italicised cases/ readings are assigned for class presentations and
discussion

Module A: Introduction to the Complexities of Organisations

I Introduction to the Course and Case Method
Read: Course Outline, Suggestions for Project Ideas
Tips for case method of pedagogy
Approaching Human Phenomena: A methodological note
Make groups

II Organisation: an introduction
Case: Dashman Company
Read: Chapter 1, OT
The Emerging Concept of an Enterprise

III & IV Organisational Goals

Case: The Parable of the Sadhu
Read: Chapter 2, OT
Read: A Note on that Dirty Word “Efficiency”

V, VI, VII Origins of Modern Organisations

Read: The Modern Corporation: Origins, evolution, attributes
(esp. the first two parts)
Film: Corporations
Read: Organisations and Markets
Examining the Origins and Nature of Corporations

Module B: Conventional Designs & Structures

Organisation Structures and Systems
VIII Case: Gamma Appliances
Read: Chapter 4 & 5, OT
IX Case: Acme & Omega, Part 1&2
Read: Why Bureaucracy?

X , XI Designs of Organisations
Case: DIENA
Read: Chapter 6, OT

XII, XIII Organisation and Environment

Case: Jacobs Suchard
Read: Chapter 3, OT
The Institutional Perspective on Management

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 XIV Technology & Organisation Design
Read: Chapter 9, OT

XV Organisational Pathology
Case: The Hubble Error
Read: Dysfunctions in Organisations

Module C: Organisational Processes

XVI From Structure to Processes
Case: Bob Knowlton at Simmons Lab
Read: Organigraphs

Organisational Culture
XVII, XVIII Case: Cirque du Soleil
Read: Chapter 7, OT
XIX Film: Office Space
Read: Life on the Fast Lane at Datsun

XX Decision Making
Case: Sandhogs
Read: Chapter 12, OT

XXI Organisational Politics

Read: Chapter 14, OT

Module D: Contemporary Designs and Challenges

XXII, XXIII Organisation Change and Restructuring
Case: Restructuring at AUTOMAJOR
Read: Chapter 10, OT
Your Company’s Secret Change Agents

XXIV IT & Organisations

Case: Vandelay Industries, Inc.
Read: Chapter 12, OT

Learning Organisations
XXV Case: SEMCO
Read: Why my Former Employees Still Work for me?

XXVI, XVII Case: W. L. Gore & Associates (Case 6, OT)

Read: The Collectivist Organisation

XXVIII Organisations as Networks

Case: Massimo Manichetti
Read: Beyond Vertical Integration

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