University of

Minnesota

MGMT 8302 Ph.D. Seminar in Macro-Organization Behavior

Fall Semester 2007, Wednesdays, 9 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in 184 Humphrey Center

 

Instructor:  Prof. Andrew Van de Ven, 3-402 CSOM, 612-624-1864, Web page

Co-Instructor: Prof. Arik Lifschitz, 3-362 CSOM, 612-626-7964, Web page

 

Syllabus     CourseLib

 

  

MGMT 8302 WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR FALL, 2007 SEMESTER

  

 

MGMT 8302 WEEKLY SCHEDULE FOR FALL, 2007 SEMESTER

 

1. Sept. 5                INTRODUCTION TO PERSPECTIVES ON ORGANIZATION THEORY --back to top

Discussants: Prof. Andy Van de Ven – Course introduction, readings, resources, and procedures

Class Discussion Slides

 

Welcome!  Our first class will introduce the course and alterantive perspectives on organization and management theory.  Please read the required readings and come to our first class prepared to discuss them.

Required readings:

1.        Scott & Davis (2007) “Organizations: Rational, natural, and open systems,” Chpts. 1-5, pp. 1-123.

2.        Aldrich & Ruef (2006) “Organizations Evolving,” Chpts. 1, pp. 1-15.

-- See supplementary readings in course syllabus.

 

2. Sept. 12            CLASSICS IN ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT THEORY: Pre 1950s--back to top

 

This session provides an historical review of classical scholars who worked prior to 1950s and introduced founding perspectives for modern organization theory.  We focus on six scholars: Marx, Weber, Simmel, Durkheim, Commons, and Barnard.  We read brief exerpts from original works of each pioneering scholar, as well as a review by a contemporary scholar.  Class participants are asked to lead discussions of each classical scholar. 

 

While prominent, the six scholars are representatives of a much larger set of pioneering scholars who influenced contemporary OMT.  Paul Adler’s introduction to the Oxford Handbook provides a useful overview of other classic scholars in organization studies. 

 

      Prof. Van de Ven’s Class slides

 

Assignment: Each takes one of the assigned classic scholars, and prepares a 5-10 minute presentation (maximum) on the three points below with the aid of a few slides on each classic scholar/work.   Each presentation will be followed by a 15-minute class discussion.  A time-keeper will be used so that we cover all the assigned classics.

1.        Brief summary of classic scholar's biography.

2.        Overview of the context or situation in which the classic scholar worked.

3.        Brief outline of scholar's argument in the assigned reading.

Discussants: please attach your slides in an email to Andy to post on this web page and make them available to students.

 

1.        Karl Marx   (1818-1883)                 Discussant: John Bechara slides

·         Marx (1847) “Wage Labour and Capital,” download from
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm

·         Adler (2007) “Labor process theory and critical management studies: A paleo-Marxist theory,” Org. Science, forthcoming.

 

2.        Max Weber, (1864-1920)               Discussant: Nachiket Bhawe slides

·         Max Weber on bureaucracy elements - exerpt in chapter 7 of Shafritz, Ott & Jang 6th ed. (2005): 73-78.

·         Max Weber on legitimate authority – exerpt in Pugh (ed.) Organization Theory, chapt. 1: 15-29.

·         Reed (2007) “Bureaucratic theory and the renewal of contemporary organization studies.”

·         Clegg & Lounsbury (2007) “Weber as a cultural theorist of domination.”

 

3.        Georg Simmel (1858-1918)             Discussant: Ack Leerapan slides

·         Simmel, “The Web of Group Affiliations” (1955) trans. by Bendix, New York: Free Press, pp. 125-195.

·         Scott (2007) “Organizations studies and classical social theory: Georg Simmel.”

 

4.        Emile Durkheim  (1858-1917)         Discussant: Lisa Foss slides

·         Durkheim (1893) “The Division of Labor in Society,” trans. by G. Simpson (1933) NY Free Press, pp. xiii-31, 396-409. download from  http://www.cf.ac.uk/socsi/undergraduate/introsoc/divlabor.html

·         Durkheim, “What is a social fact,” in The Rules of the Sociological Method, trans by Halls, NY Free Press, 1982: 50-59 download from  http://www.cf.ac.uk/socsi/undergraduate/introsoc/socfact.html

·         Hirsch, Peer, Fiss, & Hoel-Green (2007) “A Durkheimian approach to globalization.”

·         Dobbin (2007) “Categorization and Identity in Durkheim,” in Adler (forthcoming).

 

5.        John R. Commons (1862-1945)          Discussant: Miriam Fischlein slides

·          Commons (1950) “The Economics of Collective Action,” NY: MacMillan, Chpt 8.

·          Van de Ven & Lifschitz (2007) “John R. Commons: Return to the future of org. studies.”

 

6.        Chester Barnard  (1886-1961)             Discussant: Eric Larson slides

·          Barnard (1938) The Functions of the Executive, Harvard, Part II, chpts. VI-IX, pp. 65-123.

·          Zhou book review at http://www.som.yale.edu/faculty/Sunder/PhdAccountingControl/BarnardReviewLing.doc

 

 

3. Sept. 19            CLASSICS IN ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT THEORY: Post 1950’s--back to top

 

We continue with our historical review of classical scholars by focusing on major works after the 1950s that influence current organization theory.  We read brief exerpts from original works of each pioneering scholar, as well as a review by a contemporary scholar.  Following same procedures as last week, class participants are asked to lead discussions of each classical scholar.  . 

 

1.        The Columbia School                            Discussant: Zeke Hernandez slides

·         Merton (1957), Bureaucratic Structure and Personality, chpt 10 in Shafritz et al 2005, pp. 103-111.              

·         Selznick (1948), “Foundations of the Theory of Organization,” chpt. 12 in Shafritz et al, pp. 125-134.

·         Gouldner (1920-1980) “Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy,” (1954). download exerpt on the gypsum plant from http://www.analytictech.com/mb119/gouldner.htm

·         Haveman (2007) “On the Columbia School,” in Adler’s Classics, forthcoming.

 

2.        The Carnegie School                             Discussant: Hans Rowhouser slides

·         March & Simon (1958) “Organizations,” Chpt. 6, pp.136-171.

·         Cyert & March (1963), “Behavioral Theory of the Firm,” chpts. 1-3 & 11, pp. 1-43 & 268-297.

·         Argote & Breve (2007) “A Behavioral Theory of the Fiorm – 40 Years and counting,” Org Sci, 18, 3: 337-349.

·         March (2007) “Scholarship, Scholarly Institutions & … Communities,” Org. Sci. 18, 3: 537-542.

 

3.        Classics in Organization Design           Discussanst: Bri Keeney & Jin Qi slides

·         Thompson (1967) "Organizations in Action"  Chpts. 3-5, pp. 25-65.

·         Lawrence & Lorsch (1967) "Differentiation and Integration in Complex Organizations," ASQ, 12: 1-47.

·         Stinchcombe (1965) “Social structure and organizations.”

 

4.        Symbolic Interactionism                        Discussant: Darcy Fudge slides

·        Berger & Luckmann (1966) The Social Construction of Reality, NY: Doubleday, pp. 47- 128.

·        Stryker & Statham (1986) “Symbolic Interaction and Role Theory,” Chapter 6 in Lindsey & Aronson (Eds.) Handbook of Social Psychology, Vol. 1, Third Edition, NY: Random House, pp. 311-378.

-- See supplementary readings in course syllabus

 

 

4. Sept. 26             BEHAVIORAL THEORY OF ORGANIZATIONAL DECISIONS & LEARNING--back to top

                Discussants:Eric Larson & Hans Rowhouser class slides and report.

                Prof. Van de Ven’s Notes on Organizational Rationality. and class slides on behavioral theory

 

 

Our historical review of OMT classics included an introduction to the Carnegie School of Simon, Cyert and March, who were influential in introducing a rational behavioral perspective of organizations.  The required readings elaborate and extend this Carnegie perspective on organizational decision making and learning.

 

As for each of the following weeks, please  submit a short (2-4 page) report that addresses the four questions at the bottom of this web page.  The most important of these four questions is “What is the central claim and supporting argument of this perspective?”

To guide your answer to this question, read pp. 22-32 of my Engaged Scholarship chapter on theory building for a brief discussion of the key elements of an argument.  If you have not had any training in theory construction, it would be good to read the other sections of the chapter as well.  Finally, here is an exemplary report prepared by Zhen Zhang, a 2005 Mgmt 8302 student from the Dept. of Human Resources and Industrial Relations.

 

 

Required readings

1.        Scott & Davis (2007) “Organizations: Rational, natural, and open systems,” Chpt. 8, pp. 183-219.

2.        Levitt & March (1988) "Organizational Learning," Annual Review of Sociology, 14, pp. 319-338.

3.        March (1991) “Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning,” OS, 2: 71-87.

4.        Argote & Ingram (2000) “Know. Transfer: A Basis for Compet. Advant.” Org Beh. & Hum. Dec. Proc., 82: 150-169.

5.        Gavetti, Levinthal & Ocasio (2007) “Neo-Carnegie:…Reconstructive for the future,” Org. Sci. 18, 3: 523-536.

-- See supplementary readings in course syllabus.

 

 

5. Oct. 3.           SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES --back to top

               Discussants: John Bechara & Jin Qi slides and report

               Prof. Van de Ven’s class slides

 

Our historical review of OMT classics also included an introduction to symbolic interactionism and social construction, which Scott and Davis classify as a natural view of organizations.  This week we build on this view by examining Weik’s sensemaking and Gidden’s structuration perspectives of organizing. 

 

Required readings:

1.        Weick (1995) Sensemaking in Organizations, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, Chpts. 1&2, pp. 1-62.

2.        Weick (1993) "The Collapse of Sensemaking in Organizations: The Mann Gulch Disaster," ASQ, 38: 628-652.

3.        Giddens (1979) Central Problems in Social Theory, UC Press, Chpt. 2, pp. 49-95.

4.        Barley (1986) “Technology as an occasion for structuring,” ASQ, 31: 78-108.

5.        Weick, Sutcliffe & Obstfeld (2005) “Organizing and the Process of Sensemaking,” Org. Sci. 16, 4: 409-421.

-- See supplementary readings in course syllabus.

 

 

6. Oct. 10              FORMS OF ORGANIZING  --back to top

               Discussants: Darcy Fudge & Miriam Fischlein slides and report

               Prof. Van de Ven’s class slides

               

The past two weeks we examined both rational and natural views of how individual action determines organizations.  Beginning this week we take a more macro organizational-level perspective of alterantive forms of organizing. In particular, we focus on four basic forms of organizing: hierarchy, market, network, and community.  Much of the literature in organization theory over the years has focused on comparative assessments of these four types of organizing, and the conditions when each is appropriate.  In your integrative assessment of these papers, think of preparing one argument that explains when and why organize activities via hierarchies? markets? networks? and communities?

 

Required readings:

1.        Scott & Davis (2007) Chpts. 13 & 14, pp. 340-390.

2.        Ouchi (1980) “Markets, bureaucracies, and clans,” ASQ, 25: 129-141.

3.        Williamson (1996) “Economics and organization: A primer,” California Management Review, 38, 2: 131-146.

4.        Powell (1990) “Neither market nor hierarchy: Network forms of organization,” in Staw & Cummings, ROB, 12: 295-336.

5.        Granovetter (1994) “Business Groups” in Smelser & Swedberg Handbook of Economic Sociology, chpt 18, pp. 453-475.

6.        Adler & Heckscher (2006) “Towards Collaborative Community” in The Firm as a Collaborative Community, Oxford, pp 11-105.

-- See supplementary readings in course syllabus.

 

 

7.  Oct. 17.            ORGANIZATION DESIGN & COMPLEXITY--back to top

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