Introduction to

Organizations
Organization Design Session 1
Session Plan
• Me

• Evaluations

• Class discussion
• What is an organization?
• Video: What is organization design?

• *Break

• Case: Ayurveda Online

• More theory

• Video
Introduction International standards
Me • Core course
• 4 professors
• French-Canadian • Common syllabus (common cases)
• Case method
• Accent
• Colonizer colonized
• Cases
• International students
• India
• International cases
• Netherlands

• Organization theories
• Industries (multilateral) • Different symptoms
• Aerospace • Different diagnoses
• Port logistics • Different solutions
• Different results
Evaluations (read Syllabus)
• Mid-term exam (DigiExam): 35% • Team project: 30%
• Open book
• Topic before session 5
• Random team members (Moodle)
• End-term exam (DigiExam): 35% • Syllabus
• Open book
• Interim report
• Before session 12
• No participation points • Division of work?
• Attendance (Manshreya + OLFs) • Sources of information

• Cold calls
• Presentation: 15%
• 15min
*Learnings beyond evaluations • PPt before 1st team’s presentation (session 16)
• Team work (self-awareness)
• Final Report: 15%
• Presentations
• Max 20 pages (double spacing, Word format)
• Group discussions (argumentation) • Before session 16 via Moodle
 Team Project: Evaluation Grids
Final Report (max 20p.)

Criteria
Interesting Presentation (max 15min.)
• 2 or 3 topics max. (in depth)
Relevant to organizational design Criteria
Clear writing Interesting
• Structured Dynamic
• Coherent Original
• No repetitions Visual supports
Rhythm
Appropriate sources of data
Total
Appropriate list of references
Total
Team Project: Peer Evaluation
(Prof. evaluations X % contribution)
Grade your team members Added contributions
contributions in %

Team member Contribution Team A B C D

member
A 23% A 27% 26% 23% 24%
B 24% B 26% 27% 24% 23%
C 26% C 26% 23% 27% 24%
D 27% D 23% 24% 26% 27%
Total 100% Total 102% 100% 100% 98%
Poll 1: What is an organization?
• A social entity made of people
• A goal-directed process of value creation
• A structured and coordinated system of activity
• An open system linked to the external environment
• The first two
• The first three
• The last two
• The last three
• All of the above
An Organization Is (p.12):
• Social entity
• People

• Goal-directed
• Means to an end (creating value)
• Profit
• Social impact
• Process

• Structured and coordinated activity system

• Configuration

• Linked to external environment – open systems view

What is organization theory?
• “Organizational theory is not a collection of facts; it is a way of
thinking about organizations […]. The way to see and think about
organizations is based on patterns and regularities in organizational
design and behavior. […]. The facts from the research are not as
important as the general patterns and insights into organizational
functioning gained from a comparative study of organizations.” (p.24)
Video: Organizational Problems
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9_EHU5BKnQ&list=WL&index=
237&t=23s
Organization Design Approach?
Poll 2: Do you use Ayurvedic products?
• Yes but I do not believe in it
• Yes but only as complements to other treatments
• Yes but only for the prevention of illnesses
• Yes. For prevention and treatment of illnesses
• Yes but only as a last resort
• Never
 Case: Ayurveda Online
• What is this case about?
• What do we know?

• How can Ayurveda Online grow?

• Can Ayurveda Online grow without changing

the basic nature of the organization?
• Why changing now?
• What if Ayurveda Online does not change?
• What made the success of Ayurveda Online so
far?
 • Identify the options. Discuss their
advantages and disadvantages.
• What are the resources?
• What are the conditions for change?

• How will Ayurveda Online evolve?

DOCTORS

Demand
for Consulting AYURVEDA
PATIENTS ONLINE
Demand PLATFORM
for Medicines

GENERIC RETAILERS /
PHARMACISTS
 Today’s Organizational Challenges • Speed of Responsiveness
• Technologies
• Communication
• Globalization • Access

• Interconnection and interdependence • Consumers’ expectations

• Millennials
• Multinationals
• *Protectionism periods and trade wars
(multipolar world) • Digitalization
• *Pandemics • Workplace
• Organizational boundaries
• Intensification competition
• Global competition • Diversity
• Outsourcing • Suppliers
• Consumers
• Ethics and Sustainability • Workplace
• Generating wealth vs long-term sustainability • Gender diversity
• Cultural diversity
• Scandals
• *Generational diversity
Poll 3: Which organizational challenge is
the most worrying for you?

• Globalization
• Intensification of competition
• Ethics and sustainability
• Speed of responsiveness
• Digitalization
• Diversity
 Organizational Stakeholders
Employees

• “Any group within or outside of

Owners Customers
the organization that has a
stake in the organization’s
performance”
• Dynamic perspective: Stakes and
Suppliers Creditors
stakeholder prioritization change
Organization

• Paying attention to all

stakeholders vs automatically
Community Management
prioritizing shareholders or
stockholders (owners)
Union Government
• Static simplistic perspective
• Scandals
 Features of Organizations:
Interacting Structure and
Culture
Contingencies
• What are contingencies?
• Set of overlapping elements influencing
structural dimensions
Structure
Technology Environment
Formalization • What can be adjusted?
Specialization • Structure
• Contingencies: Not completely controlled by
Hierarchy of the organization and depends on other
authority organizations
Centralization • Size: Market shares
• Strategy: Distinctiveness

Goals &
Size
Strategy • Is there only one best fit between
structure and contingencies?
• What is there was only one best fit?
Video

What will the future of jobs be like? Worst company disasters?

• https://www.youtube.com/watc • https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=eH1fFdjzJAw h?v=T0Z73Zbtlyg
Next Session: Environment and Structure
• Tomorrow

• Chapter 6

• Case: The Decision Dilemma