Course Outline (Organisational Structure and Design)

Course Details

Academic Session : 2016-17

Term : III
Course Name : Organisational Structure and Design
Name of Instructor : Prof. Pushpendra Priyadarshi

Course Objectives

The management of complex organizations requires a thorough understanding of the impact of organization
design on organization effectiveness. The Designing Work Organizations course responds to this need and
focuses on the fundamental design principles, contingencies governing design choice and the evolution of
organization design with changes in the internal/ external environment. Topics include introduction to
organization theory; relationship between environment, strategy & structure; key design challenges &
structural forms; contingencies governing design choice: environment, technology; organization culture;
change management; organizational learning; & Organization life-cycle.
The course is designed to provide a powerful learning experience through a combination of pedagogy
methodologies including engagement in dialogues on various academic perspectives through lectures, case
analyses, assignments, field exploration through industry/ research based projects, and reflective learning.
Students will have opportunities to hone their conceptual and behavioral skills in the safe environment.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand and explain the broad organization theories and their implications in organizational
settings.
2. Understand and explain how effectiveness is interpreted and defined in various organizational
contexts, appreciating the role that different stakeholders play.
3. Understand the inter linkage between environment, strategy and structure.
4. Understand basic design challenges and how structures evolve to address these challenges. Appreciate the
rationale and utility for the various structural types for making effective design decisions.
5. Understand the contingencies that impact the choice of structure (for e.g.: environment, strategy,
technology) during different stages in the organizations life-cycle.
6. Develop an appreciation of the role that organizational culture and learning play in driving organization
effectiveness.
7. Understand and appreciate the need for managing change and the tools and techniques for change
management.

A: Suchana Bhawan, Audrey House Campus, Meurs Ranchi-834008, Jharkhand.

P: 0651-2280083/113, 2285056 (Ext.: 126) F: 0651-2280940, E: office.pgdm@iimranchi.ac.in, W: www.iimranchi.ac.in
Pedagogy

The pedagogy will be a mix of case studies, lectures, assignments and Industry/ research based projects. Since
much of the course material requires class discussion, it is important that you are prepared for the class and
present and defend your ideas. Preparation for class includes having read the assigned material.

Cases will be suitably used in this course Cases that are a great educational experience but they absolutely
require that you be ready for the class. When cases are assigned, you should come to class ready to discuss
the issues of the case. For each case you should (a) identify the major problem (b) give your recommendations
to resolve this problem (both short and long term), and when appropriate (c) and when appropriate provide
supporting analysis (both quantitative and qualitative analysis for your recommendations).

Resources Required for the Course

A. Prescribed Text Book

Daft, R.L., Understanding the Theory and Design of Organizations (with course mate: Indian reprint),
Cengage Learning: 2016.

B. Additional References if any

C. Cases to be procured (if any)

1. South West Airlines by OReilly and Pfeffer Stanford GSB (HBS Case no. HR-1A)
2. Appex Corporation by Nitin Nohria & Julie Gladstone (HBS Case No. 9491082)
3. Hewlett-Packard: Culture in Changing Times HBS Case No- 9-404-087
4. Campbell and Bailyns Boston Office - Brief Case (HBS)

D. Software Installation Requirement for Students (if any) NO

Evaluation Method

Course Evaluation

Nature of Examination
Sr. No. Component Weightage (%) Duration Of Examination
(Open Book /Closed Book)

a) End Term Examination 50 2 hrs. Open Book

b) Quiz 30 (3 Quizzes) 15 Minutes each Closed Book

c) Project Assignments 10

A: Suchana Bhawan, Audrey House Campus, Meurs Ranchi-834008, Jharkhand.

P: 0651-2280083/113, 2285056 (Ext.: 126) F: 0651-2280940, E: office.pgdm@iimranchi.ac.in, W: www.iimranchi.ac.in
 d) Class Participation 10

e) Oral Examination

Take home
f)
Assignments/Tutorials

Session-wise Plan

Session No. Topic(s) to be covered Reference(s), if any

Christensen and Raynor: Why Hard
Nosed Management Executives
Should Care About Management
Theory, HBR, Sep2003, Vol. 81
Session-1 Course Overview & Understanding Issue 9, p66-74
Organizations Daft: Ch. 1. Introduction to
Organizations

Daft: Ch.3 Strategy and

Effectiveness
Kaplan and Norton: The Balanced
Session-2 Organizational Effectiveness Scorecard: Measures that drive
performance, HBR 1992
Case:
. In Handout: South West Airlines
Daft Ch6. The Impact of
Environment
Session-3 Basic Design Challenges
Case:
Paradoxical Twins (Text Book)
Daft Ch6. The Impact of
Session-4 Fitting Structure to Environment Environment

Daft: Ch.2. Structural Design for

Session-5 Fundamentals of Organization Organizations
Structure
Case:
In Handout: Appex Corporation
Daft: Ch.2. Structural Design for
Session-6 Fundamentals of Organization Organizations (contd.)
Structure (Contd.) Bartlett and Ghoshal, Matrix
Management: Not a Structure, A
Frame of Mind, HBR, Jul/Aug90,
Vol. 68 Issue 4, p138-145
Nohria, Note on Organization
Structure, HBS Publishing
A: Suchana Bhawan, Audrey House Campus, Meurs Ranchi-834008, Jharkhand.
P: 0651-2280083/113, 2285056 (Ext.: 126) F: 0651-2280940, E: office.pgdm@iimranchi.ac.in, W: www.iimranchi.ac.in
 Case:
In Handout: TRW Systems Group
Mintzberg, Organization Design:
Fashion or Fit?, HBR 1981
Anand and Daft, What Is the Right
Session-7 Organization Design?
From Structure to Design
Organizational Dynamics, 2007

Case:
In Handout: Campbell &Bailyn
Daft: Ch9. Corporate Culture and
Values
OReilly, Corporations, Culture and
Commitment, California
Managing Culture in Organizations
Session-08 Management Review

Case:
In Handout: Hewlett-Packard: Culture
in Changing Times
Daft: Ch 10. Organizational
Innovation
Kotter, Why Transformation Efforts
Fail, HBR 1995
Session-09 Managing Organizational Change Case:
In Handout: GEs Two Decade
Transformation: Jack Welch
Leadership
Session-10 Organisation Life Cycle Chapter 12 Text Book

A: Suchana Bhawan, Audrey House Campus, Meurs Ranchi-834008, Jharkhand.

P: 0651-2280083/113, 2285056 (Ext.: 126) F: 0651-2280940, E: office.pgdm@iimranchi.ac.in, W: www.iimranchi.ac.in