Catalogo dei Corsi di studio

The aim of the course is to give students a framework on current and future problems of business organization systems, focusing attention on the issues of complexity management.
In particular, the course aims to:
• provide the basics on the conceptual approaches and models that influence organizational action;
• provide a series of interpretative categories to analyze the organizations and to understand their complexity in terms of organizational configurations;
• develop critical and design skills through the realization of a project work/teamworks, also with the project management methodology;
• enhance critical communications skills during the course of lectures, seminars and in the presentation of the project result of the Laboratory of the didactic unit;
• in addition to the acquisition of a theoretical and methodological baggage, to enable students to develop a critical competence that leads them to distinguish, to know, to co-design complex organizational systems, but also to recognize the gray areas on which action to address the problematic issues of the innovation society.

Programme

1. The conceptual structure of the discipline (basic concepts, theories and models).
2. Critical analysis of survey approaches in the fields of social organisation and social innovation.
3. The institutional categories of the discipline from an empirical point of view.
4. Analysis of case studies and preparation of research drawings in the organizational field.

Adopted texts

- Granovetter Mark 2017, Società ed economia. Modelli e principi, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore.
- Bonazzi Giuseppe, 2006, Come studiare le organizzazioni, Bologna, Il Mulino.

Further bibliography will be indicated.

Prerequisites

No specific condition is required.

Study modes

- Frontal lessons - Research and reporting exercises - Seminarial meetings - Written projects

Exam modes

Oral interview and written tests

Exam reservation date start	Exam reservation date end	Exam date
18/05/2022	31/05/2022	09/06/2022
01/06/2022	14/06/2022	21/06/2022
18/06/2022	27/06/2022	04/07/2022
20/08/2022	07/09/2022	15/09/2022
20/10/2022	01/11/2022	08/11/2022
20/12/2022	09/01/2023	16/01/2023

Programme

1. The conceptual structure of the discipline (basic concepts, theories and models).
2. Critical analysis of survey approaches in the fields of social organisation and social innovation.
3. The institutional categories of the discipline from an empirical point of view.
4. Analysis of case studies and preparation of research drawings in the organizational field

Adopted texts

- Granovetter Mark 2017, Società ed economia. Modelli e principi, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore.
- Bonazzi Giuseppe, 2006, Come studiare le organizzazioni, Bologna, Il Mulino.

Further bibliography will be indicated.

Prerequisites

No specific condition is required.

Study modes

- Lezioni frontali - Esercitazioni di ricerca e report - Incontri seminariali - Produzione di elaborati scritti

Exam modes

Oral interview and written tests

Programme

The monographic course (6 credits) reconstructs the nature of the roots (social, relational, structural) of complex organizations (both economic and cultural) through the critical analysis of some sociological approaches, which can be used as a toolbox to analyze organizational phenomena.
The following issues will be studied in depth: 1) Nature and forms of rooting; 2) Moral economics and economics of conventions; 3) The role of social networks in spreading trust, power and norms; 4) Institutional frameworks, organizational fields and trans-institutional isomorphism; 5) Nature and forms of value in organizational contexts.
The workshop (3 credits) operationally carries out some aspects dealt with in the monographic section, providing an empirical analysis of the new media start-ups active in Lazio, with a specific focus on Rome.

Adopted texts

1. M. Granovetter, 2017, Società ed economia, Milano, Egea;
2. D. Stark, 2019, Il senso della dissonanza. Racconti di quel che conta nella vita economica, Bologna, Mimesis (capp. 1, 3 e 5).

Prerequisites

No prerequisite required

Study modes

The course includes lectures on theory and illustration of the main research approaches through the critical analysis of case studies and empirical research in organizational settings. The laboratory will include the involvement of students in working groups for the design of research drawings in complex organizational systems. The group work will end with the presentation of a project.

Exam modes

The assessment of the students' learning level will be carried out with a final oral exam, in which the project work will also be discussed.

Exam reservation date start	Exam reservation date end	Exam date
18/11/2021	11/04/2022	21/04/2022
18/11/2021	29/05/2022	07/06/2022
18/11/2021	12/06/2022	22/06/2022
18/11/2021	27/06/2022	07/07/2022
18/11/2021	03/09/2022	13/09/2022
18/11/2021	15/10/2022	25/10/2022
18/11/2022	31/12/2022	10/01/2023

Programme

The monographic course (6 credits) reconstructs the nature of the roots (social, relational, structural) of complex organizations (both economic and cultural) through the critical analysis of some sociological approaches, which can be used as a toolbox to analyze organizational phenomena.
The following issues will be studied in depth: 1) Nature and forms of rooting; 2) Moral economics and economics of conventions; 3) The role of social networks in spreading trust, power and norms; 4) Institutional frameworks, organizational fields and trans-institutional isomorphism; 5) Nature and forms of value in organizational contexts.
The workshop (3 credits) operationally carries out some aspects dealt with in the monographic section, providing an empirical analysis of the new media start-ups active in Lazio, with a specific focus on Rome.

Adopted texts

1. M. Granovetter, Società ed economia, Milano, Egea;
2. D. Stark, 2019, Il senso della dissonanza. Racconti di quel che conta nella vita economica, Bologna, Mimesis (capp. 1, 3 e 5).

Prerequisites

No prerequisite required

Study modes

The course includes lectures on theory and illustration of the main research approaches through the critical analysis of case studies and empirical research in organizational settings. The laboratory will include the involvement of students in working groups for the design of research drawings in complex organizational systems. The group work will end with the presentation of a project.

Exam modes

The assessment of the students' learning level will be carried out with a final oral exam, in which the project work will also be discussed.

Programme

This course examines classical and contemporary sociological approaches to organization, opens some discussions on the sociological treatment of organizations and organization, and discusses some contemporary studies on organizational life. The goal, therefore, is not so much to analyze what an organization is and what is not but to provide a theoretical framework for understanding what sociologists are interested in when discussing organizational life.

Topics covered in the course:

Introduction
Overview of the modalities and procedures of the course. Introduction to the discussion on the organization from the sociological point of view. Introductory remarks on the sociology of organizations. Preliminary definitions: organization, system.

Durkheim division of labor
Human beings are unique to the extent that we tend to rigidly define the roles and expectations we have for ourselves and for others. Durkheim demonstrates that these defined roles (at least in contemporary society) create the social structure itself, through his concepts of mechanical and organic solidarity.

Marx
Analysis of the role of Marx in the sociology of organizations.

Weber, bureaucracy and organization
Max Weber's work has not only been fundamental to sociology, but is also considered very influential in the broader field of organizational studies thanks to the analysis of the bureaucratic form of organization and the ideal-typical functions of a "perfect" bureaucracy. ".

Developments in the study of bureaucracy:
Robert Merton and the unintended consequences of bureaucracy. Michel Crozier and his critical examination of the bureaucratic phenomenon.

Functionalism in organizational analysis: Parsons and Etzioni
Obviously, a lot has changed since Marx, Durkheim and Weber wrote: their works serve to situate sociological thinking, to create a framework through which other sociologists work. Analysis of further developments to the theory in organizations: Talcott Parsons (1956, Suggestions for a sociological approach to the theory of organizations - I, "Administrative Science Quarterly" Vol. 1 (1) pp. 63-85; Suggestions for a sociological approach to theory of organizations - II, “Administrative Science Quarterly” Vol. 1 (2) pag. 225-239). Typology of formal organizations: utilitarian, normative and coercive (references to Ritzer and Goffman).

Changes in the study of organizations:
Herbert Simon's Thought

The strand of human relations
Mayo

Dysfunctions, deviance, disasters in organizations:
Many contemporary disasters are the result or consequence of organizations. Case studies will be analyzed and reflection on the difficulty and failure in managing a complex system (Gandolfi, Catino)

Loosely linked organizational systems:
University system will be analyzed as an example of a complex organization with a weak system (Zan, Granovetter)

Recent trends in the study of organizations:
neo-institutionalism
organizational ecology

Adopted texts

For attending students:
1.Bonazzi G, “Storia del pensiero organizzativo”, Franco Angeli (cap.1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,15,16,18,20,21), XIV edizione
2.Catino M, “Miopia organizzativa. Problemi di razionalità e previsione nelle organizzazioni”, il Mulino, 2009. Alternatively, if you have problems finding the text: Catino M, "Da Chernobyl a Linate. Incidenti tecnologici o errori organizzativi?", Mondadori, 2006
3.Progetto della parte laboratoriale

For non-attending students:
1.Bonazzi G, “Storia del pensiero organizzativo”, Franco Angeli (cap.1,2,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,15,16,18,20,21), XIV edizione
2.Catino M, “Miopia organizzativa. Problemi di razionalità e previsione nelle organizzazioni”, il Mulino, 2009.Alternatively, if you have problems finding the text: Catino M, "Da Chernobyl a Linate. Incidenti tecnologici o errori organizzativi?", Mondadori, 2006
3.Fontana R, Rocchi A (a cura di), “Innovare nella società delle reti. Sistemi organizzativi, processi produttivi e Project Management”, Franco Angeli, 2019

Bibliography

Parsons, T. (1956) Suggerimenti per un approccio sociologico alla teoria delle organizzazioni - I Administrative Science Quarterly Vol. 1 (1) pag. 63-85 (su A2L) Parsons, T. (1956) Suggerimenti per un approccio sociologico alla teoria delle organizzazioni - II Administrative Science Quarterly Vol. 1 (2) pag. 225-239 (su A2L) Bittner, E. (1965) The Concept of Organization Social Research, Vol. 32 (3) pag. 239-255 Rainey, H. G. (2001). Una riflessione su Herbert Simon: una ricerca soddisfacente di significato. Amministrazione & Società. 33(5): 491-507. Lune, H. (2010). Understanding organizations. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Ritzer, G. (2015). The McDonaldization of society (8th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Others books and articles (optional) will be indicated during the lessons.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites required

Study modes

Lectures and class discussions

Exam modes

For attending students, there are two exercises (for the monographic part of the course)and a project (for the laboratory part of the course). The results of these three tests will constitute the final vote. The student can accept the vote or decide to integrate it with the oral exam, to be prepared on the texts of the program.

For non-attending students, the exam is oral.

Exam reservation date start	Exam reservation date end	Exam date
08/07/2021	19/01/2022	26/01/2022
08/11/2021	01/02/2022	11/02/2022
08/02/2021	25/03/2022	06/04/2022
08/04/2022	31/05/2022	08/06/2022
08/05/2022	15/06/2022	23/06/2022
08/04/2022	05/07/2022	12/07/2022
08/07/2022	07/09/2022	12/09/2022
01/09/2022	01/11/2022	07/11/2022
08/11/2022	06/01/2023	13/01/2023