Organisation Theory and Organisational Behaviour

Organisation theory refers to the design/architecture of an organization, the development of the appropriate organizational structure and the design of the processes that assure the effective/efficient functioning of an organisation. Whilst, organisational behavior relates to the the study of human (at the individual and team level) behavior in organizational settings, the interface between human behavior and the organization, and the organization itself. Both fields provide the knowledge and theoretical background that is useful for managers to effectively design and manage human resources, which in the contemporary business environment are valuable for the competiveness and success of a business.

Objectives

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the main concepts, value and drawbacks of the core theories of organisation design and organisational behaviour in order to be able to understand and critically assess business dynamics, design effective structures and be effective leaders. Emphasis is put on the characteristics of the organization structure, the strategy of the organization, the architecture, the technology and the environment of the organization, as well as on issues related to organisational development and change, behaviour in organisations, power and team dynamics, motivation and leadership. In details, students will maintain the knowledge and theoretical background in order to: • Be in a position to design/redesign effective organizational structures, job positions and organizational processes • Understand human behavior in organizational settings • Create conditions and provide motives (motivation systems) that motivate/empower employees to work more effectively • Comprehend leaders’ roles and behaviours, as well as their importance for the competitiveness and success of their organization and their own careers. • Develop leadership skills such as: communication, team cooperation, change management, organizational culture management.

Prerequisites

Not available

Syllabus

In the Organisation Theory and Organisational behaviour course are covered two basic management functions: a) Organizing and b) Leading, emphasizing on leadership, motivation, employee attitudes and team dynamics. In the frame of Organisation Theory students are introduced to: basic concepts of organizational theory and (re)design, types of organizational structure, typical, atypical and power organisation/structure, learning organisations and change management. Leading/ Organisational Behaviour includes the following: introduction to OB and the factors affecting human behaviour, theories of organizational behaviour related to motivation and leadership, as well as organisational culture issues, employee attitudes and well-being, stress and team dynamics.