Code:

BERMASC012

Study year:

2007-2008

Long name:

Advanced Topics in Organization Theory

ECTS:

AOT

Language:

5

Lecturer(s):

English

Contact person:

Dr. P.P.M.A.R. Heugens

Coordinator:

Dr. P.P.M.A.R. Heugens

Faculty:

RSM Erasmus University

Number of lectures:

10

Hours per lecture:

3

Goal:

The goal of this course is to provide students with an advanced working knowledge of organization theory (OT). Upon completion, students should be able to: (a) understand the intellectual history of the field; (b) recognize how their own work relates and contributes to OT; and (c) craft a convincing argumentative structure for a conceptual or empirical article in a major OT journal.

Course contents:

The following topics are covered in this course in 10 consecutive weeks: (1) introduction to OT; (2) bureaucracy theory; (3) structural contingency theory; (4) agency theory; (5) transaction cost theory; (6) resource dependence theory; (7) institutional theory; (8) behavioral theory of the firm; (9) organizational ecology; (10) student presentations. These topics address the main questions in OT, such as: Why do firms exist? Why are firms structured as they are? What is the role of myth and ceremony in organizational life? How can organizations manage their external dependencies? How does our perspective change when we switch from the organizational to the population level?

Examination:

The course is organized as a seminar, implying that your cooperation and willingness to actively participate in the sessions will ensure that we jointly create the best possible learning environment. The grading of this course reflects this culture and pedagogy: (a) contribution to the intellectual climate in the classroom (25%); (b) small point-counterpoint summary presentations of the readings (25%); (c) concise written assignment in support of the discussion (25%); and (d) an oral exam (25%) or written referee report (25%).

Literature:

The literature for this course will consist of carefully selected articles and book chapters. The materials will include seminal OT contributions, as well as more recent exemplary articles. The materials are made available via a dedicated BlackBoard site.

Additional Information:

A prerequisite for this course is BERMFC003 (Management Foundations). Students who wish to participate in this course but do not meet this entry requirement are kindly invited to contact the instructor in advance.