Management of organizations

Organizations are a central unit in socities: we are born in them, we study in them, we work in and with them, and we spend our free time in them. Organizations are created when individuals alone cannot achieve their goals. On the other hand, individual and group level activity explain organizational activity and success. Managing organizations, and developing effective organizations, is extremely challenging. Managing and leading are activities that aim to support achieving organizational goals together, as an organization, amidst conflicting pressures from internal groups and actors as well as from competitors and other external stakeholders in the organization's environment.

This course provides students with an understanding of the key issues and questions related to managing organizations, along with guidance for using analytic tools. Lecture themes include strategy, human resource management, organizational design, and sustainability in business. Other central topics include contemporary trends and developments as well as the constraints and opportunities presented by the operating environment. Lecture guests and assignments provide practical angles to course topics.