Organization Theory

Catalog description

Organizations operate in dynamic environments. This course introduces doctoral students to the principal theoretical perspectives and empirical findings used to explain relationships among environments organizational strategies designs and performance. Students are expected to develop expertise in the analysis of environments and organizations from several theoretical perspectives such as resource dependence theory institutional theory organizational ecology and industrial organization economics. The seminar stresses the competitive and mutual dimensions of environments that propel managers to enact business corporate and collective strategies structures processes and systems to enhance their firms effectiveness. Both theoretical and empirical research are examined to illustrate how different theoretical perspectives require different empirical research methodologies. "