Strategic Organization Design

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Strategic Organization Design

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Description

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About this course: Strategic Organization Design will introduce new topics and modules with even more real world examples and opportunities for student interaction than its predecessors Competitive Strategy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/competitive-strategy) and Advanced Competitive Strategy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/advanced-competitive-strategy). The final course in the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design specialization covers the internal workings of an organization and its interactions with the outside world. Where the first two courses mainly covered the way firms interact with the outside world, in particular competitors and complementors, the third course looks a…

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When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan

  • Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
  • Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.

About this course: Strategic Organization Design will introduce new topics and modules with even more real world examples and opportunities for student interaction than its predecessors Competitive Strategy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/competitive-strategy) and Advanced Competitive Strategy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/advanced-competitive-strategy). The final course in the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design specialization covers the internal workings of an organization and its interactions with the outside world. Where the first two courses mainly covered the way firms interact with the outside world, in particular competitors and complementors, the third course looks at the way a firm’s organization should be designed to compete effectively.

Created by:  Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
  • Taught by:  Tobias Kretschmer, Professor

    Institute for Strategy, Technology and Organization
Basic Info Course 3 of 4 in the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design Specialization Commitment 6 weeks of study, 5,5 hours/week Language English How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.5 stars Average User Rating 4.5See what learners said Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) As one of Europe's leading research universities, LMU Munich is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in research and teaching. Building on its 500-year-tradition of scholarship, LMU covers a broad spectrum of disciplines, ranging from the humanities and cultural studies through law, economics and social studies to medicine and the sciences.

Syllabus


WEEK 1


Structure Organizations



This module will introduce the fundamental dimensions of organization design. We will take a designer’s point of view and first introduce the “objective” elements of organization design, the organizational structure. This is reflected in the organization chart, the size and importance of the functional units, the organization by product lines, functions or geographical units. The second part of the module will cover other elements that govern the interaction between units and individuals, such as the degree of formalization and centralization, the reward system and the degree of task division.


9 videos, 2 readings, 2 practice quizzes expand


  1. Video: Trailer Strategic Organization Design
  2. Video: Introduction
  3. Reading: Course Overview
  4. Reading: Book Chapter & Lecture Slides
  5. Video: Definitions and Examples
  6. Video: Organizational Challenges
  7. Practice Quiz: Understanding Organizations
  8. Video: Strategic Organization Design
  9. Video: Structural Dimensions
  10. Video: Contextual Dimensions
  11. Video: Promoting Cooperation and Coordination
  12. Practice Quiz: Basics of Organization Design
  13. Video: Wrap Up
  14. Discussion Prompt: Structure Organizations

Graded: Structure Organizations

WEEK 2


Manage Complexity and Interdependence



This module will integrate the elements laid out in the previous one. For an organization designer, it is crucial to realize that each of the elements will interact with others. For example, screening employees for their intrinsic motivation and subsequently leaving them little autonomy would lead to decreased performance. After laying out the general patterns of complementarity and substitutability, the module will proceed to outline the consequences for changing an organization’s design. Changes of a single design element will likely trigger further changes in other, related elements, and some organizational aspects like corporate culture or existing human capital may not be easy to change, if at all.


7 videos, 1 reading, 2 practice quizzes expand


  1. Video: Introduction
  2. Reading: Lecture Slides
  3. Video: Definitions and Examples
  4. Video: Causes and Effects
  5. Practice Quiz: Understanding Complexity
  6. Video: Managing Interdependence
  7. Video: Channeling Individual Behavior
  8. Video: Designing Complementarities
  9. Practice Quiz: Managing Complexity
  10. Video: Wrap Up
  11. Discussion Prompt: Complexity and Interdependence

Graded: Complexity and Interdependence

WEEK 3


Understand your Surroundings



The design of an organization is also affected by the firm’s environment. Firms finding themselves in a competitive environment may have to compete for key resources, including employees, with other firms, which may affect the way they recruit, but it may also have repercussions for the type of employees, or other resources, the firm can acquire. Similarly, if firms strive to continuously innovate and seek out new market opportunities, they have to be designed in a way to support this goal. Thus, a firm’s strategy, its competitive environment and its organization design have to be aligned to help a firm achieve its objective.


7 videos, 1 reading, 2 practice quizzes expand


  1. Video: Introduction
  2. Reading: Lecture Slides
  3. Video: Definitions and Examples
  4. Video: Environmental Challenges
  5. Video: Meeting Environmental Challenges
  6. Video: Why Industry Matters
  7. Practice Quiz: Understanding the Firm Environment
  8. Video: Example: Knowledge Industries
  9. Practice Quiz: Industry-Specific Design
  10. Video: Wrap Up
  11. Discussion Prompt: Understand your Surroundings

Graded: Understand your Surroundings

WEEK 4


Decide on a Corporate Office



This module will highlight the role of the corporate office in a number of ways. First, its importance in corporate decision-making is analyzed: On the one hand, the corporate office is best placed to take the firm’s overall objectives into account, so corporate choices may be more efficient if taken by the corporate office. On the other hand, lower ranks in the hierarchy often carry more detailed information about the immediate challenges and changes in the different activities of the firm. Second, this module looks at the scope of decisions the corporate office takes. While some corporate offices restrict themselves to providing an internal financial market, others will heavily control the specific actions of the lower-ranked units.


7 videos, 1 reading, 1 practice quiz expand


  1. Video: Introduction
  2. Reading: Lecture Slides
  3. Video: Introduction
  4. Video: Improving Performance
  5. Video: Shared Services, Compliance and Combinations
  6. Video: A Form of Centralization
  7. Video: Scope of Decision-Making
  8. Practice Quiz: Corporate Office
  9. Video: Wrap Up
  10. Discussion Prompt: Decide on a Corporate Office

Graded: Decide on a Corporate Office

WEEK 5


Design for Growth



This final module of the course will combine many of the aspects learned in the earlier modules. Imagine you are an entrepreneur with a strategic vision to enter a market with specific competitive conditions and a plan for growth. How will you set up an organization that is both effective in the environment it is currently facing so that it is successful in the short term, but also effective in managing and facilitating the growth needed to survive in the long term. The tension between efficiency (in the short run) and flexibility (in the long run) is crucial and this module will discuss options of how to manage it and what role an organization designer can play in this. The final module will therefore serve as a summary of the course content, but also as a practical guide to combine all the aspects above in the actual planning process from foundation to maturity of a firm.


9 videos, 1 reading, 3 practice quizzes expand


  1. Video: Introduction
  2. Reading: Lecture Slides
  3. Video: Introduction to Stages and Key Challenges
  4. Practice Quiz: The Organizational Life Cycle
  5. Video: Efficiency and Strategy
  6. Video: Natural Benefits
  7. Video: Leveraging Scale and Speed
  8. Practice Quiz: Efficiency Considerations
  9. Video: Enabling Growth
  10. Video: Balancing Efficiency while Growing
  11. Video: Dealing with Maturity and Decline
  12. Practice Quiz: Flexibility Considerations
  13. Video: Wrap Up
  14. Discussion Prompt: Design for Growth

Graded: Design for Growth

WEEK 6


Final Exam





    Graded: Final Exam
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