Organization Theory

GOV320 Organizational Theory provides a solid foundation for analyzing and understanding the functions and decision-making processes in public, voluntary, and private organizations. The main theme of the course is the interaction between organizations and their environments: How and when do organizations adapt to existing conditions and changes in their surroundings? How and when do organizations influence their environments? What factors lead to such inter- and intra-organizational activities taking place - or not?

The course offers fundamental knowledge of theoretical and empirical questions in classical and modern organizational and institutional theory. It also provides a basis for understanding how these theories can be applied in studies of politics and public administration. The course covers classical texts in organizational theory as well as analyses of state-of-the-art literature.

Teaching combines lectures, practical exercises, and examples from research and practice. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to independently apply various theoretical traditions in empirical analysis, thereby laying the groundwork for their master’s thesis.

A candidate who has completed this course should have achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• Has a good overview of, and can systematically present, both classical and contemporary organizational and institutional theory
• Has solid knowledge of, and understanding of, how organizations and their environments influence each other
• Has solid knowledge of how various theories within organizational and institutional research can help explain how public, voluntary, and private organizations make decisions
• Has solid knowledge of relevant academic perspectives and how to relate them to how different organizations address societal challenges

Skills

The student:

• Can explain the relevance of organizational and institutional theory within public administration and politics
• Can use this knowledge to analyze current research contributions and political issues based on the characteristics of the research field
• Can assess the relevance of academic perspectives from organizational and institutional theory and apply them in their own research
• Can develop and present critical analyses of relevant literature, understand the relationship between theory and empirical data, and apply this knowledge in practice

General Competence

The student:

• Can explain the significance of various academic perspectives to individuals without in-depth knowledge of the field
• Can apply acquired knowledge in thorough and constructive feedback on written and oral presentations
• Can contribute to critical thinking and problem-solving across different societal domains in general, and within administration and politics in particular
• Can work independently and demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills
• Can carry out independent research and analytical work