SFS40116 Organisation and leadership 1 (Autumn 2020–Spring 2021)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Mandatory course in the Master's Programme in Organization and Leadership.

Lecture Semester

First and second semester (autumn and spring). Part-time with eight three-day sessions in total during the autumn and spring semesters.

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

The student:

• can provide a general overview of different theoretical traditions in the study of organisations, leadership and decision-making

• can describe the historical framework for the forms of organisation and labour market relations in the Nordic countries

• has knowledge about  the difference between modernist and social constructivist approaches to organisations

• can describe the differences between forms of explanation in social science that build on qualities, relations and structure

• can describe the content of key concepts such as efficiency, rationalism, flexibility, change and legitimacy, and understanding what these phenomena mean for the organisation's internal and external relations

• can analyse and understand cooperation within and between organisations

• can use different analytical perspectives on change and cooperation in organisations

• can describe the mechanisms at play in a group dynamics process and knowing how to control them as a leader

• can analyse how power, authority and influence can impact working life

Content

Emphasis is placed on:

• placing the topic of leadership within an organisational theory and organisational analytical framework Leadership is practised in situations and organisations where changes in and pressure from the surroundings constantly steer the leadership practice. Such changes and pressure, including increased cost efficiency requirements, also place pressure on the organisation's internal structures and processes. Restructuring and transition requirements increase the need for skills in cooperation and communication, and for leaders to be able to understand the causes, dynamics and solutions to conflicts.

• elucidating changes in organisational design and how these are contingent on historical factors. Emphasis is also placed on highlighting the relationship between an organisation's purpose, structure and processes.

• developing the ability to analyse power and authority relations in organisations, so that awareness is raised of what different sources of power exist and how the organisation can be swayed in a desired direction by utilising the interaction between different sources.

• the organisation's micro-processes, i.e. the close and everyday interaction between members of the organisation, in and between groups, across sections/agencies and organisations. The theoretical basis for this topic is different sociological and social psychological action theories.

• developing practical skills on the basis of theoretical insight and previous experience. Conflict, negotiation and teambuilding are examples of areas where practical skills development takes place in light of broadened perspectives on causes, functions, intentions and how humans socially construct our reality.

Forms of teaching and learning

Teaching methods vary between lectures, group work, exercises and plenary discussions. The course requires great effort on the part of the students both at teaching sessions and in their own time. This entails reviewing literature of relevance to the programme and conducting surveys and exercises. Work groups will be organised so that students can work on assignments, literature studies etc. between sessions. The students will write two in-depth assignments as a basis for assessment in the course. The coursework requirement for the course is submission of draft papers for the in-depth assignments.

Workload

The expected number of working hours for the whole course is 840 hours, of which the sessions comprise 168 hours.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

• Attendance requirement of 75 % of the teaching days

• Submission of individuell draft papers for the in-depth assignments, with oral presentation of these in seminar groups 

• Act as opponent for the draft papers of fellow students in groups (of 4-8 students)

Required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam.

Examination

Individual portfolio assessment

In the course of the academic year, the students must submit two in-depth assignments of 6000-8000 words each(excluding cover, table of contents, and literature list), which will form the basis for awarding an exam grade. An overall grade will be awarded for the two assignments using grades from A to F. Students are allowed to improve the content of the portfolio until the given submission deadline.

Examiners

One external and one internal examiner or two internal examiners are used.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

If a fail grade is awarded, the student has one opportunity to rework the content of the portfolio. In the event of a resit exam, a new portfolio must be submitted. Please note that the student is not entitled to further supervision in such cases.

If the grade awarded is appealed, the whole portfolio will be reassessed.

Course evaluation

Student evaluations are conducted in accordance with the procedures for quality assurance work at HiØ.

Literature

The reading list was last updated on 24.06.2020. The literature list can be supplemented with literature related to the spring semester by December 1st.

The syllabus comprises both literature and lectures. The size of the written syllabus is approx. 2.000 pages.

You will find literature marked (*) in the compendium Kopisamling 1 for the Master's Programme in Organization and Leadership.

You will be able to buy the literature in the bookstore at campus, in your local bookstore or online.

 

Jacobsen, Dag Ingvar & Thorsvik, Jan (2013). Hvordan organisasjoner fungerer. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. 4th Edition. Chapter 1 (Bokens overordnede perspektiv), p. 16-34 (18 pages)

Ry Nielsen J.C. Ry, Morten (2002). Anderledes tanker om Leavitt - en klassiker i ny belysning. København: Nyt fra Samfundsvidenskaberne. (39 pages)

*Noon, Mike, Paul Blyton & Kevin Morrell (2013) The Realities of Work. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, Chapter 9. p. 225-263 (38 pages)

*Perrow, Charles (2013) Complex Organizations. Brattleboro: Echo Point, Chapter 1. p. 1-42 + 46-48 (46 pages)

Haaland, Frode & Dale, Frode (2005). På randen av ledelse: En veiviser i førstegangsledelse. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk. (205 pages)

*Bass, Bernhard M. (2004). Fra transaksjonsledelse til transformasjonsledelse: Å lære å dele en visjon. I: Martinsen, Øyvind L.: Perspektiver på ledelse. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk. p.191-205 (15 pages)

Scott, W. R. and G. F. Davis (2016). Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural and Open Systems Perspectives. London, Routledge. Chapter 1-4, p. 1-106 (106 pages)

Heiret, Jan et al. (2007). Arbeidsliv, historie, samfunn. Norske arbeidslivsrelasjoner i historisk, sosiologisk og arbeidsrettslig perspektiv. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. Chapter 3 og 4 (136 pages)

Skorstad, Egil J. (2002). Organisasjonsformer - kontinuitet eller forandring. Oslo: Gyldendal Akademisk. Chapter 7,9 og 11 (80 pages)

Einarsen, Ståle and Pedersen, Harald (2017). Håndtering av konflikter og trakassering i arbeidslivet. Gyldendal akademisk. (360 pages)

Taylor, F. W. (2005 [1911]). Prinsippene for vitenskapelig bedriftsledelse. Oslo: Vidarforlaget. p. 13-111 (98 pages)

*Roethlisberger, F.J. & Dickson, W.J. (1939) Management and the worker: an account of a research program conducted by the Western electric company, Hawthorne works, Chicago. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. Chapter 22. p. 511-524 og Chapter 24. p. 551-568 (30 pages)

*Thorsrud, E., & Emery, F. E. (1969). Mot en ny bedriftsorganisasjon: Eksperimenter i industrielt demokrati, fra Samarbeidsprosjektet LO/NAF. Oslo: Tanum. Chapter 7. p. 174-182. (16 pages)

*Atkinson, J. (1984). Manpower Strategies for Flexible Organisations. Personnel management, 16(8), 28-31. (4 pages)

*Skorstad, E. J. (2015). Det fleksible fenomenet lean. I: A. C. Bergman, G. Gillberg & L. Ivarsson (Red.), Tankar om arbete: 17 texter om arbete, arbetsliv och samhällsförändring. Falun: Premiss. p. 220-237. (18 pages)

Røvik, Kjell Arne (2007). Trender og translasjoner. Ideer som former det 21. århundrets organisasjon. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Chapter 2, 3, 10, 12, 13 og 15. (180 pages)

Freeman, R.E. & Reed, D.L. (1983). Stockholders and Stakeholders: A New Perspective on Corporate Governance. California Management Review, 25(3), 88-106. (18 pages)

Kay, J. (2018). Theories of the Firm. International Journal of the Economics of Business, 25(1), 11-17. (6 pages)

Lov om årsregnskap m.v. ("Regnskapsloven"), especially § 3-3b. Redegjørelse om foretaksstyring, https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/1998-07-17-56#CHAPTER_3

Mostovicz, E. I., Kakabadse, N.K. Kakabadse, A. (2011) Corporate governance: quo vadis? Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, 11(5), 613-626. (13 pages)

Norsk utvalg for eierstyring og selskapsledelse (NUES) (2018). Norsk anbefaling: Eierstyring og selskapsledelse, https://nues.no/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NUES_nor_print_okt2018_2.pdf (54 pages)

Vinten, G. (2002). The corporate governance lessons of Enron, Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, 2(4), 4-9. (5 pages)

Brunsson, Nils & Brunsson Karin (2015). Beslutninger. Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk, (120 pages)

March, James G., (1994). A Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen, New York: The Free Press. (272 pages)

Jacobsen, Dag Ingvar & Thorsvik, Jan (2013). Hvordan organisasjoner fungerer. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget. 4th Edition. Chapter 9 (Beslutningsprosesser i organisasjoner), p.306-349 (43 pages)

*Flaa, Paul m.fl. (1995). «Beslutningsteori og beslutningsmodeller» I: Flaa, Paul m.fl. Innføring i organisasjonsteori, Oslo: Universitetsforlaget. Chapter 11, p. 166-189 (24 pages)

Collier, J. & Esteban, R. (2007). Corporate social responsibility and employee commitment. Business Ethics: A European Review, 16(1), 19-33. (14 pages)

Frostenson, M., Helin, S. & Sandström, J. (2012). The internal significance of codes of conduct in retail companies. Business Ethics. A European Review, 21(3), 263-275. (12 pages)

Kvalnes, Ø. (2012). Etikk og samfunnsansvar. Universitetsforlaget. (161 pages)

Maclagan, P. (2007). Hierarchical control or individuals’ moral autonomy? Addressing a fundamental tension in the management of business ethics. Business Ethics: A European Review, 16(1), 48-61. (13 pages)

Nyberg, D. (2008). The Morality of Everyday Activities: Not the Right, But the Good Thing To Do. Journal of Business Ethics, 81(3), 587-598. (11 pages)

Schwartz, M.S. (2013). Developing and Sustaining an Ethical Corporate Culture: The Core Elements. Business Horizons, 56(1), 39-50. (11 pages)

von Weltzien Høivik, H. (2002). Professional Ethics - a Managerial Opportunity in Emerging Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 39(1-2), 3-11. (8 pages)

*San Martín-Rodríguez, L., Beaulieu, M. D., D'Amour, D., & Ferrada-Videla, M. (2005). The determinants of successful collaboration: a review of theoretical and empirical studies. Journal of interprofessional care, 19 (sup1), 132-147 (15 pages)

*Kristiansen, A (2014). Tillit og kommunikasjon i ulike samarbeidsprosesser (2014). I: Grelland, H. H., Eide, S. B., Kristiansen, A., Sævareid, H. I., og Aasland, D. G. (2014). Samarbeidets filosofi. Oslo: Gyldendal akademisk, p. 137-157 (20 pages)

*Jacobsen, Dag Ingvar (2004). Hvorfor er samarbeid så vanskelig? I: Repstad, Pål: Dugnadsånd og forsvarsverker. Universitetsforlaget 2004. (37 pages)