Course syllabus - Organisation: Form and function

Objectives

The purpose of the course is to deepen the students' knowledge about how to design and optimize sustainable organizations by applying various systemic perspectives and by modelling organizations as sociotechnical systems. Attention is also given to analysis, modelling and evaluation of organizations. The course furthermore aims at stimulating students to reflect about which competences engineers need to develop in order to act as change agents and to help them improve their group working skills.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the student shall be able to:
1) identify concepts and models used to understand and model organizations from different systemic perspectives
2) model and evaluate organizations as sociotechnical systems, particularly regarding sustainability and equality, by applying concepts and models from different scientific traditions
3) use digital tools and ways of working to develop a sustainable organization by identifying problems in the contemporary organization and - with the help of scientific literature - design and motivate suitable suggestions for change
4) evaluate and motivate when an organization can, or cannot, be optimized through organizational change, and which knowledge and competence are needed from an engineer as a change agent
5) support the work processes of another team of students

Course content

The course requires an active particpation on behalf of the students by combining seminars and workshops on various systemic perspectives, with group work, where the students based on a given case work with developing and finalizing a digital prototoype that visualizes a more sustainable organization. The course also includes lectures that introduce various methods for analysis and ways of working for developing prototypes. The lectures furthermore problematize the idea of optimization and the idea of planned change. Finally, the course contains activities that aim at developing the students' abilities to support the work processes of other student groups.

Tuition

Lectures, seminars, workshop, group work, work with digital tools.

Specific requirements

15 hp within the subject "industrial engineering and management" and 7,5 hp within the subject "other subjects within technology" or comparable.

Examination

Assignment (INL1), 2,5 credits, grade Passed (G), (refers to learning outcomes 1)
Group project (GRU1) 2,5 credits, grade Passed (G) (refers to learning outcomes 2, 3, 5)
Assignment (INL2) 2,5 credit, grades 3, 4, 5, (refers to learning outcomes 2 and 4)

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Grade

Pass with distinction, Pass with credit, Pass, Fail