ORGANIZING IN A DIGITAL WORLD

The course will develop students’ understanding of organizational design and its challenges in companies involved in digital transformation. It will provide theoretical and practical knowledge on what organizational design is, which are the main decisions, organizational solutions at different levels of analysis and intervention: organizational , group and individual level of analysis. A specific focus will be provided on main challenges beyond the Covid Era from an organization design point of view

The course will help students to develop an integrated set of frameworks and tools for understanding and making decisions regarding organization that can influence innovation and ultimately the effectiveness of organizations. A special attention will be given also to ethics. Today’s manager can create an ethically healthy climate for his or her employees and encourage employees to behave with integrity.
Specifically students :
 will learn what organizational design means , what are the main dimensions of organizational design based on the main organization theories
 will understand key decisions of organizational design at different levels of analysis: inter-organizational, organizational, teams and individuals ones
 will able to comprehend what are the key challenges posed by the digital transformation to organizational design in a variety of sectors
 will learn analytical frameworks to managing the main challenges in designing organizations

It is a prerequisite to have taken the exam of the course of Digital management and have the grade registered

The course will develop a robust in-depth analysis of organizational design and will stimulate critical discussion about it.
The course is structured in 4 sections

1. Organization, structure and the environment
- Organizations and Organizational Effectiveness and ethics – Jones Ch. 1 pag. 23-41
- Organizing in a Changing Global Environment – Jones Ch 3 pag.81-90
- Designing Organizational Structure: Specialization and Coordination - Jones Ch 6 pag 170 - 192

2. Organization design
- Basic Challenges of Organizational Design - Jones Ch 4 pag .114-140
- Designing a start-up – foundations of group behaviours - Robbins Ch. 9-10
- The future of organization Design

3. Organizational culture and organizational change
- Creating and Managing Organizational Culture - Jones Ch 7 pag 201-221
- Types and forms of change - Jones Ch 10 295 - 302

4. Organizing beyond Covid
- Organizing beyond Covid Era – remote working

The course material will consist of case studies, journal articles and book chapters. Most of the material will be available online.
For each section there will be selected further readings useful for deepening the analysis.

Mandatory reading
Gareth R. Jones, 2013, Organizational theory, design and Change, Pearson (7th ed.) CH. 1-3-4-6-7-10
Robbins Stephen P., Judge Timothy A., 2017, Organizational Behavior -Prentice Hall . CH. 9-10
Comacchio A., 2021, The Transformation of Work in the COVID-19 Era, PIJ/Volume 6 - Issue 2/2021

Other mandatory readings will be communicated the first lesson and the list will be available in moodle

Attending students
Group Assignment and written exam
- Group assignments is an opportunity given just to the attending students
- The assignment will be identified and fully described at the beginning of the course and it will be delivered by attending students during the course
- Attending students can also choose to take the written exam without assignment

Non attending students
Written exam

Written exam is structured in 30 questions (20 multiple choice and 10 structured questions) - 1 hour
A simulation of the exam will be delivered during the course

Interactive approach based on:
Simulations/role playing
Online self-assessment exercises
Assignments
Case Studies
Visual supported training
Key note speakers

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Circular economy, innovation, work" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development