Organizations: Theory and Research, 7.5 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Entry requirements

A bachelor's degree or equivalent in the humanities, social-, cultural-, behavioural-, natural-, computer-, or engineering-sciences.
English corresponding to the level of English in Swedish upper secondary education (English 6/B).

15 ECTS credits passed in one or several of the following subjects:
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Computer science

Intended learning outcomes

After completion of the course, the student should at an advanced level be able to:

• describe, combine and apply models in organization theory to analyse research questions
• integrate knowledge of quantitative and computational methods into the study of organizations
• describe and evaluate applications of quantitative and computational methods in organizational scholarship
• evaluate the current state of quantitative empirical research on organizations
• formulate research questions of relevance to the contemporary study of organizations

Course content

This course engages with research on organizations, with a specific focus on quantitative methods and computational models. Theories and empirical research in the study of organizations are discussed and compared, including organizational demography, internal labour markets, organizational decision making, and organizational ecology. Research papers on organizations are read and assessed, theoretical models of organizations are formulated, and empirical predictions from theoretical models are derived. Special attention will be paid to the use of complex statistical and computational methods in organization research.

Teaching and working methods

The teaching consists of lectures, readings, and seminars. Homework and independent studies are a necessary complement to the course.

Language of instruction: English.

Examination

The course is examined through written assignments, active participation in seminars, and a written individual final assignment. Detailed information about the examination can be found in the course's study guide.

Students failing an exam covering either the entire course or part of the course twice are entitled to have a new examiner appointed for the reexamination.

Students who have passed an examination may not retake it in order to improve their grades.

Grades

Other information

Planning and implementation of a course must take its starting point in the wording of the syllabus. The course evaluation included in each course must therefore take up the question how well the course agrees with the syllabus. 

The course is carried out in such a way that both men´s and women´s experience and knowledge is made visible and developed.

Department