Management Organizational Theories

Course Description:

This course will provide an overview of central organization theories discussing their relevance both in scientific and practical terms. The field of organization studies is characterized by a plurality of different theories which offer different approaches to studying the life in and around organizations. This lecture shows that the critical assessment of organizational phenomena can benefit from going beyond merely economic approaches and acknowledging also the wide range of relevant sociological and socio-psychological paradigms. In this vein, this lecture will present and discuss the diversity of perspectives for studying organizations: The historical development of different paradigms will be reflected, the different theoretical approaches will be presented and their practical relevance will be discussed. The different theories will be illustrated with empirical examples.

It will offer an overview of contemporary theories about organizations, their management and organizing processes, intraorganizational relations, organization-environment relations, and the role of organizations in society. PhD students will acquire knowledge about organization and management theories they will have to apply in their future research. After a successful completion of the course, the students are enabled to select theories relevant for their specific research focus. Furthermore, they are enabled to decide which theories they may elaborate in more indepth through specialized textbooks, readings, or courses.

Course Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, you should:

1. Have an in-depth knowledge of the most relevant organizational theories
2. Be able to distinguish between the ontological, epistemological and methodological assumptions underlying the different theories
3. Be able to discuss the scientific and practical relevance of the different organization theories