Organizations Across the Lifecycle

Catalog description

This course reviews sociological theory and research on a selected set of common issues and problems that face organizations as they go from founding to established operations. We begin by examining factors that affect people's decisions to found new organizations, then consider choices in organization and job design, problems of exercising authority and influence effectively, group dynamics that may affect decision-making and coordination, and different approaches to managing cooperative and competitive relations with external audiences. Course topics will be examined through readings, class discussion, cases and interactive exercises.