ORGANIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL FIRMS

The course aims at providing the knowledge and the understanding of the main concepts concerning the organization design as well their application in the firm context. The course’s learning objective is to provide a conceptual framework regarding the approaches that can be adopted to design an organization and the knowledge of the main problems of organizational design at a firm level, as well as to develop the capability of analyzing, designing and evaluating the most important organizational solutions.

Through the attendance of classes, the individual and group activities based on business cases proposed during the course, as well as through the individual study, the student will acquire the following knowledge and understanding skills:
Knowledge and understanding:
- learning the relevant concepts of the organization design related to the division of labor and coordination;
- understanding the key variables and their impact on the organization design;
- learning the organization design variables related to the micro-structure and meso-structure (horizontal and vertical division of labor, coordination and control mechanisms);
- understanding the differences among the organizational forms at the macro level of analysis.

Application of knowledge and understanding:
- comparing the different organizational solutions at the intra (micro, meso and macro);
- evaluating the impact of the key variables on the organization design variables;
- comparing the different organizational forms and to identify the contextual factors that lead to adopt specific design solutions.

Ability to formulate judgements:
- analyzing and critically evaluate the organization design solution adopted by a company;
- proposing effective and efficient organization design solutions.

The course in Business Administration is a prerequisite.

Introduction to organization design.
Organizational design and organizational theory.
The key variables of the organizational design.
Analysis and design of the organizational microstructure.
Analysis and design of the organizational mesostructured: the horizontal division of labor.
Analysis and design of the organizational mesostructured: the vertical division of labor.
Analysis and design of the organizational mesostructured: the coordination and control mechanisms.
The organizational forms.

Mandatory textbooks: Isotta, F., 2011, La progettazione organizzativa: problemi e soluzioni. CEDAM, Padova.
Chapter 1 (except 1.4.2; 1.4.3);
Chapter 2 (except 2.1; 2.3; 2.5; 2.6; 2.9; 2.10; of section 2.2.2 exclude critiche di Simon alla Teoria della Direzione Amministrativa; except 2.2.3);
Chapter 3;
Chapter 4 (except 4.3, of section 4.5.1 exclude modello burocratico/taylorista e il modello reticolare; except 4.5.2, 4.6; 4.7);
Chapter 5;
Chapter 6;
Chapter 7 (except table 7.4 and figure 7.2);
Chapter 8 (of section 8.3.1 exclude il circolo vizioso di Selznick, except 8.7 e 8.8).

A written exam will be administrated to assess the knowledge and competencies learned during the course, with a particular attention to the capacity of understanding organizational design problems and to compare the different organizational solutions. The exam is evaluated on a 30 points basis, 18 points are the minimum level to receive the 6 credits for the course. Students have the possibility to integrate the grade of the written exam with the grade assigned for individual and group assignments carried out during the course.

written

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

With regard the final grade:
A. scores 18-22 age will be assigned if the student shows:
- sufficient knowledge and applied comprehension with reference to contents of the program;
- sufficient ability to interpret information, formulating independent judgments about organizational design problems and solutions;
- sufficient use of specific language of the organizational design.
B. scores 23-26 will be assigned if the student shows:
- fair knowledge and applied comprehension in reference to the program;
- fair ability to interpret information, formulating independent judgments about organizational design problems and solutions;
- fair use of specific language of the organizational design;
C. scores 27-30 range will be awarded if the student shows:
- very good knowledge and applied comprehension in reference to the program;
- very good ability to interpret information, formulating independent judgments about organizational design problems and solutions;
- fully appropriate use of specific language of the organizational design;
D. honours will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge, comprehension and judgement skills of the organization design solutions.

The course adopts the following learning methods:
- In-class lessons;
- Presentation and discussion of video clips that introduce and exemplify the topics of the course;
- Cases and exercises that allow students to apply the concepts presented during the course;
- Small groups activity that aims at stimulating students to describe the organization of the firm and to find solutions to organizational design problems.
- Conversations with with entrepreneurs and managers who will present their organizational contexts and will share with the students the organisational design implemented in their companies.
The materials discussed during the in-class lessons, the cases and the exercises are available on the e-learning platform moodle.unive.it