Organisation and management of the firm A, 5p

Syllabus          : Organisation and management of the firm A
Course code       : FEKA80
Responsibility    : The Dept of Business Administration
Subject           : Business Administration
Level             : A (Introductory level)
Course credit     : 7.5 ECTS / 5 points
Field of education: Social Science

This course is at introductory level in a Bsc- or a Msc-degree at the 
University of Umeå. The course is intended for exchange students within 
particular exchange programmes.


1.	Resolution to arrange the course
The course is established by the Faculty of Social Science at Umeå 
University and the syllabus is confirmed by the Board of Business 
Administration May 28, 2004.

2.	Objective and contents
The main objective of this course is to give fundamental knowledge in 
different ways of organising and managing a firm's operation. The
course will deal with different ways of studying the management of an
organisation. The implication of different perspectives and theories will
be highlighted. The links between the firm's/organisation's structure and
its environment and the connection between structure and strategy will be
discussed. Within these frames, the course aims to:

* Give understanding for central perspectives in organisation theory and 
  provide knowledge of their historical development.

* Develop the student's skills in leadership and innovative work in 
  businesses and organisations

Leadership and employee involvement will be treated from both a normative
and a descriptive perspective. Leadership discussions will be linked to
organisational flexibility and to obstacles and support in innovative work.
The importance of maintaining and developing human resources in the organi-
sation will be discussed. So will the shape of the organisation and the
arrangement of innovative work, taking into consideration appropriate
factors such as participation, developing competence and learning. Further
important perspectives are culture and gender. The impact and relevance of
culture (both within and between firms and different multinational settings)
and gender in managing organisational activities and processes will be dealt
with.

3.	Prerequisites
General qualifications for university studies.

4.	Teaching methods
Instruction sessions consist of lectures and of literature-seminars as well
as case-seminars. The literature-seminars and case-seminars are both held by
the teacher as well as by the students. Guest lectures and student tasks that
relate to present practical and theoretical issues constitute a complement to
the course literature. Guest lectures might be used in examination. All
teaching and examination will be in English.

5.	Examination
The examination consists of written and oral exams and obligatory case-
assignments.If necessary to supplement previous obligatory assignments it must
be done within two weeks after the course is finished.

The following grading system will be used: Pass with distinction (Väl 
godkänd, VG), Pass (Godkänd, G) and Fail (Underkänd, U). For exchange 
students the ECTS grading scale will be used upon request.

When a student has failed an examination on two occations, he or she has
a right to have another grading teacher. A written request should be handed
to the director of studies no later than two weeks before the next
examination opportunity.


6.	Course literature

Bolman, L.G., Deal, T.E. 
Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, 
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publications, 
Second Edition, 1997 ISBN 0787908223

Adler, N.J. 
International Dimensions of Organizational Behaviour, 
4th edition, South-Western Pub, 2000 ISBN 0-324-05786-5

Articles:

Kerfoot, D. & Knights D. 
"Management, Masculinity and Manipulation: From Paternalism
to Corporate Strategy in Financial Services in Britain".
Journal of Management Studies. July, 30:4, 1993. S 660-677.

Alvesson, M. & Billing Y.D.
"Beyond Body-counting" - a discussion of the social constitution
of gender at work, with the Scandinavian public sector as an example.
Institute of Economic Research. Working Paper Series.
ISSN 1003-3010. S 1-22.

Billing, Y. D. & Alvesson, M.(1989)
"Four Ways of Looking at Women and Leadership" 
Scand. J. Mgmt. Vol. 5 No. 1 pp 63-80

Other material can be collected at the Student-office. (Studentexpeditionen)


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UMEÅ UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Social Sciences 
Department of Business Administration
S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden 
www.fek.umu.se