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Michael Bednar and E. Geoffrey Love

Organizations are complex and can be difficult to manage well, so managers need tools to help them better understand and deal with the many complexities and challenges associated with organizational life. In this course, you will learn theories, principles, and frameworks that will help you design more effective organizations.

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Organizations are complex and can be difficult to manage well, so managers need tools to help them better understand and deal with the many complexities and challenges associated with organizational life. In this course, you will learn theories, principles, and frameworks that will help you design more effective organizations.

You will be able to:

- Analyze organizations from multiple perspectives to better understand business challenges

- Strategically plan for effective organizational governance

- Develop systems to plan for growth and change

- Understand implications of the external environment on business and strategically respond to these factors

This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at https://degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Course Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
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MODULE 1: PURPOSE AND GOVERNANCE
This module explores the purpose of a business and shows how can managers infuse a sense of purpose into their organizations. It also examines different perspectives on corporate governance.  
MODULE 2: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
This module explores various organizational structures and provides a framework for knowing when to choose a particular structure.
MODULE 3: GROWTH AND ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLES
This module explores several of the organizational design implications that managers need to recognize as they grow and move through various stages of the organizational life cycle.
Module 4: EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
In this module, we examine ways in which organizations can be designed to effectively respond to changes in the external environment.  

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Examines core organizational theory and explores various organizational structures
Explores the growth and organizational life cycles commonly seen in various organizations
Teaches how to strategically plan for effective organizational governance
Develops systems to plan for growth and change within organizations
Taught by E. Geoffrey Love and Michael Bednar, instructors with extensive experience in organizational theory
Concepts applicable in a range of organizational settings, such as startups, nonprofits, and corporations

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Reviews summary

Well-received course on organization design

Learners say that "Designing the Organization" is a well received course that provides a comprehensive overview of organizational design principles. They describe the content as thought-provoking and engaging, with a good balance of theory and practical applications. The course is well structured and easy to follow, even for beginners. Learners particularly appreciate the insights from guest speakers, who provide real-world examples of organizational design in action. Overall, learners highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning more about organizational design.
Learners appreciate the clarity and conciseness of the lectures.
"The lessons were presented to the students; they were clear lectures."
"The lectures were precise and the examples provided are very much relatable that individual without prior knowledge in organization design can also able to learn the concepts effectively."
"I enjoyed how the lessons were presented to the students; they were clear lectures."
The course instructors earn praise for their knowledge and enthusiasm.
"Fantastic course.Both Professor Bednar and Love made this course extremely understandable and retain able. Thank you."
"It was the hardest, but best course so far. Surely, it will be very useful to apply in any context."
"Although 4 years have gone by when I finished this course, I still remember the experience I have gone through. The professor mastered this course and delivered it competently."
Many learners find the course to be immediately practical and applicable to their work.
"I got many insights & new skills that are required to Design the organization."
"This course helped me gain an in-depth understanding of an organization design by knowing how to make it effective and efficient."
"This course about designing organizations and structuring them strategically to maintain competitive edge and survival was very helpful."
Learners praise the course content as being highly effective.
"Excellent course. Though there is so much to learn and understand, the way the course is structured it is easy to understand the important takeaways."
"I could really connect most of the topics with my current job. Thank you!"
"Great Informative Course. Learned quite a bit about Organizational Structure and tools for organizations to effectively adapt to the external environment."
Some learners express that the pace of the course is too fast. Quickening the speed of a course is a request heard from learners of many courses.
"Fast pace, very interesting"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Designing the Organization with these activities:
Compile a list of resources on organizational management
Compile a list of resources, such as articles, books, and websites, on organizational management to expand your knowledge beyond the course materials.
Browse courses on Organizational Management
Show steps
  • Search for resources on organizational management.
  • Create a list of the resources that you find.
  • Share your list with other students in the course.
Read 'Corporate Governance: A Practical Guide'
Read this book to gain insights into the principles and practices of corporate governance, a topic covered in Module 1.
Show steps
  • Purchase or borrow a copy of 'Corporate Governance: A Practical Guide'.
  • Read the book in its entirety.
  • Take notes on the key concepts and principles of corporate governance.
Review management skills
Review the basic concepts of management to refresh your knowledge before starting this course
Browse courses on Management Skills
Show steps
  • Identify the key concepts of management, such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
  • Read articles or books on management to refresh your understanding of the topic.
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Follow a tutorial on organizational structure
Complete a tutorial on organizational structure to deepen your understanding of this topic covered in Module 2.
Browse courses on Organizational Structure
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on organizational structure.
  • Choose a tutorial that covers the basics of organizational structure.
  • Follow the steps in the tutorial to learn about different types of organizational structures and their advantages and disadvantages.
Practice analyzing organizational charts
Practice analyzing organizational charts to improve your understanding of organizational structure and design.
Browse courses on Organizational Structure
Show steps
  • Find an organizational chart of a company or organization.
  • Identify the different levels of management.
  • Identify the different departments or units.
  • Analyze the reporting relationships between different positions.
Attend a workshop on organizational design
Attend a workshop on organizational design to learn more about the different types of organizational structures and how to choose the right structure for an organization.
Browse courses on Organizational Design
Show steps
  • Search for workshops on organizational design.
  • Choose a workshop that covers the topics that you are interested in.
  • Attend the workshop and take notes on the key concepts.
  • Apply the concepts that you learned in the workshop to your own organization.
Create a presentation on the external environment
Create a presentation on the external environment to demonstrate your understanding of the factors that can affect an organization.
Show steps
  • Identify the key factors that make up the external environment, such as economic conditions, political factors, and technological changes.
  • Research how these factors can affect an organization's strategy and operations.
  • Create a presentation that outlines your findings and provides recommendations on how an organization can respond to these factors.
Develop a strategic plan for an organization
Develop a strategic plan for an existing organization to demonstrate your understanding of strategic planning and organizational governance.
Browse courses on Strategic Planning
Show steps
  • Choose an organization that you are familiar with.
  • Analyze the organization's current situation, including its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
  • Develop a strategic plan that outlines the organization's goals, objectives, and strategies.
  • Present your strategic plan to the organization's leadership.

Career center

Learners who complete Designing the Organization will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Organizational Development Manager
Organizational Development Managers typically need to have a strong knowledge of organizational design and development. This course can help build a foundation in these areas.
Human Resources Manager
This course would be useful for HR professionals as it would provide them with organizational design fundamentals and insights that are useful for building effective organizations.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Executive Officers need the experience and knowledge to effectively manage their company. Given that this course provides a detailed analysis of organizational design, it can provide insightful knowledge and skills for such a role.
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officers are in charge of day to day operations within a company or business and need the knowledge to make effective choices. This course could provide that knowledge.
Management Consultant
Management Consultants help businesses improve their performance and typically have business knowledge and experience in multiple different fields. This course provides key frameworks for analyzing and dealing with organizational life, which would be useful for a management consultant.
Business Analyst
Business Analysts need business knowledge and analytical skills. This course could provide both by giving a framework for analyzing organizations and their external environment.
Strategy Consultant
Strategy Consultants often need to have excellent organizational analysis skills. This course could help enhance those skills.
Project Manager
Project Managers need to understand the organization and this course may provide that context.
Product Manager
This course may be useful for Product Managers as it can aid their understanding of developing and managing organizational structures.
Operations Manager
This course may be helpful for Operations Managers as it aids in developing an understanding of designing effective organizations.
Financial Analyst
This course could be useful for Financial Analysts as it covers analyzing and responding to external environmental factors, which is key in finance.
Data Analyst
This course could be useful as it covers analyzing and understanding organizations, which is key to understanding data.
Sales Manager
This course may be useful for Sales Managers as it covers analyzing external environmental factors, which can help inform sales strategy.
Marketing Manager
This course may be helpful for Marketing Managers as it covers analyzing external environmental factors, which can help inform marketing strategy.
Accountant
This course may be useful for Accountants as it covers planning for organizational growth and change, which could be helpful in managing finances and accounting for growth.

Reading list

We've selected 18 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Designing the Organization.
Provides a comprehensive overview of organizational design, covering topics such as organizational structure, governance, and culture. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about how organizations are designed and managed.
Provides a critical overview of organizational theory, covering topics such as organizational structure, culture, and change. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about the different perspectives on organizations.
This classic book explores the different ways that organizations can be designed, and provides a framework for understanding how design choices affect organizational performance.
Explores the concept of the innovator's dilemma, which is the tendency for large, successful organizations to fail to innovate. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about how to avoid the innovator's dilemma and create more innovative organizations.
Provides a practical guide to leading change in organizations. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about how to create and implement change initiatives.
Explores the concept of the learning organization, which is an organization that is able to learn and adapt to change. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about how to create more learning organizations.
Provides an overview of the Toyota Production System, which set of principles and practices that have helped Toyota become one of the most successful manufacturers in the world. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about how to create more efficient and effective organizations.
Provides a framework for developing good strategy. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about how to create more effective organizations.
Provides a practical guide to using the lean startup methodology to build and launch successful businesses. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about entrepreneurship and innovation.
Provides a practical guide to getting customers for your startup. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about marketing and sales.
Provides a guide to escaping the traditional 9-to-5 job and creating a more fulfilling life. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about entrepreneurship and lifestyle design.
Provides a guide to achieving deep work, which is the ability to focus on complex tasks without distraction. It valuable resource for students and professionals who want to learn more about productivity and time management.

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