311: MSCI Organization Design and Technology
Winter 2012
Department of Management Sciences
Faculty of Engineering
University of Waterloo
Instructor:
Tel.:
Email:
Office:
Office Hours:
Geovania Pimenta
519-888-4567 ext. 33357
[e-mail]
CPH 4343
Monday12:00 - 1:00pm (or by appointment)
Course Description and Objectives
This course will survey and critically examine theories, concepts, and research aimed at
understanding the structural design and functioning of human organizations. Topics include
organizational research, organizational goals and effectiveness, bureaucracy, organizational
design fundamentals, organizational environments, and technology in organizations. The course
objective is to help you develop theoretical and practical approaches for: 1) understanding the
behavioural properties of organizations as social systems and 2) improving the design and
behaviour of organizational systems.
Courseware
The primary sources of learning for this course are lecture slides and any readings/handouts
provided in lectures, tutorials. The lecture slides will be posted on Desire2Learn before the
lecture.
The textbook below is available for background reading and extra information related to most
topics covered in the course. I have placed two copies on reserve at the Davis Centre (3 hour
loan, call number: UWD 1542)
Das, Hary. (1998). Strategic Organizational Design for Canadian Firms in a Global Economy.
Pearson Education Canada
Note: Students must pass at least one exam (one of the midterms) to pass the course.
Students who fail both exams will receive the average of their two exam marks as
their final grade.
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Evaluation
Assessment Method
Quizzes
Short-answer questions.
20 30 minutes in length at
the beginning of class.
Non-cumulative.
Testing knowledge and
comprehension.
Responsible for lecture
notes and handouts
Closed book
Date & Time
3 quizzes,
See the Course Schedule
Individual or in groups (of
up to 4). Groups will
remain unchanged
throughout the term
Cumulative. Each
assignment builds on the
previous.
Assignments 1 to 3 test
comprehension and
application.
Assignment 4 is a miniproject, testing synthesis
and evaluation.
Quiz 1 6%
Quiz 2 7%
Quiz 3 7%
(Total weight = 20 %)
Assignment 1 3%
Assignments
Weight
Assignment 2 3%
More TBA
Assignment 3 3%
Assignment 4 14%
(Total weight = 25%)
1st Midterm Exam
4 - 5 questions and 50 min
in length. Responsible for
lecture notes, handouts,
tutorials, and optional
readings (as bonus
questions)
Will test application and
analysis skills
Closed book
Classroom
More TBA
(Total weight = 25%)
2nd Midterm Exam
4 - 5 questions and 50 min
in length. Cumulative.
Responsible for lecture
notes, handouts, tutorials,
and optional readings (as
bonus questions)
Will test application and
analysis skills. Closed book
More TBA
(Total weight = 30%)
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Outline of Tentative Course Topics
Topics
1. Introduction
2. Organizational Research
3. Bureaucracy
4. Org. Goals & Effectiveness
5. Fundamentals of Organizational Design
6. Organizational Environments
7. Ashbys Law of Requisite Variety
8. Technology
9. Decision Making
Text chapter references
Some of Appendix B
Some of Appendix A &
Handouts
Handouts
Chap 2 & 5
Notes & Some of Chapter 6
Chapter 3
Notes & Handouts
Chapter 4
Chapter 9
Teaching Team
Role
Instructor
Name
Geovania Pimenta
Anuj Vasisht
Contact Information
[e-mail]
CPH 4343, 519-888-4567
x33357
[e-mail]
Teaching Assistant
Sections 101,102
Teaching Assistant
Sections 103, 104
Teaching Assistant
Section 105
Email for appointment
Javier Izquierdo
[e-mail]
Email for appointment
Nikara (Ayinigeer
[e-mail]
Email for appointment
Office Hours
Mondays, 12noon 1pm or by
appointment
Abidourexiti)
Class/Tutorial Times and Locations
Feb. 20-24 Reading Week
Lectures: Jan 4 Apr 2
Lectures:
Time
11:30 12:20 pm
Monday
11:30 12:20 pm
Thursday
11:30 12:20 pm
Friday
Room
RCH 301
RCH 301
RCH 301
Tutorials will be tentatively held on the following Mondays:
January 16th, January 30th, February 13th, March 5th, and March 19th.
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Section
101
102
103
104
105
Time
12:30 - 1:20 pm
1:30 - 2:20 pm
12:30 - 1:20 pm
1:30 - 2:20 pm
3:30 - 4:20 pm
Room
RCH 106
RCH 106
RCH 206
RCH 206
RCH 106
Some further reading on organizations:
Images of Organization, G. Morgan
Structuring of Organizations, H. Mintzberg
The Social Psychology of Organizations, D. Katz R. and Kahn
The Social Psychology of Organizing, K. Weick
Sensemaking in Organizations, K. Weick
The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, H. Mintzberg
The Fifth Discipline, P. Senge
Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay, C. Perrow
Normal Accidents, C. Perrow
Brain of the Firm, S. Beer
Designing Freedom, S. Beer
Organizations, H. Simon & J. March
Modern Systems Research for the Behavioral Scientist, edited by W. Buckley
Designing Complex Organization, J. Galbraith
Organizations in Action, J.D. Thompson
Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic and Postmodern Perspectives, M.J. Hatch
Course Website
A course website is available on https://learn.uwaterloo.ca. Log in using your regular
UW/Nexus user id. Lecture slides will normally be posted before class. Assignments, additional
readings and special announcements will also be posted here.
Fine-print & Legalese
Policy for late assignments, missed tests etc.
If you have a legitimate reason (illness, etc.) for being late on an assignment or missing a test,
quiz or exam, contact the instructor or TA beforehand to explain the situation. A medical note or
other evidence will normally be required. In such cases, an extension may be granted or an
alternative assignment may be assigned. Otherwise, assignment grades will be reduced by 10%
per day late and missed tests, quizzes, or exams will receive a grade of zero.
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Plagiarism and other academic offenses
Cheating will be taken seriously, so please dont do it. Students who may be tempted to hand in
someone elses work as if it were their own, to hand in work that was prepared for a different
course, to look over their neighbours shoulder for the answer to a quiz or test question, or to
commit any other sort of academic offense in an attempt to improve their grade in the course,
should first read the following information very carefully:
UWs Student Academic Discipline Policy (Policy 71)
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm
Students who wish to avoid unintentional plagiarism should also read these documents to make
sure they understand the rules (since unintentional plagiarism still counts as plagiarism according
to the policy).
More Fine-print & Legalese
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the
University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and
responsibility. [Check www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ for more information.]
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university
life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy
70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm. When in doubt please be certain to
contact the departments administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity [check
www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/], to avoid committing an academic offence, and to take
responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an
offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about
rules for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic
advisor, or the undergraduate Associate Dean. For information on categories of offences, and
types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71, Student Discipline,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm. For typical penalties check Guidelines for
the Assessment of Penalties,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm.
Appeals: A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 (Student Petitions and
Grievances) (other than a petition) or Policy 71 (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is
a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72
(Student Appeals). [www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm]
Note for Students with Disabilities: The Office for persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in
Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate
accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of
the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability,
please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.
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