4.6
stars
1,550 ratings

Michael Bednar +1 more instructor

43,871 already enrolled

Offered By

Part of the Master of Business Administration (iMBA) degree
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

About this Course

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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/.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Organizational Structure
Knowledge of General Business Functions
Organization Design
Organizational Theory
Strategic Management

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 13 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.76/5 (202 Ratings)

Michael Bednar

Associate Professor

Business Administration

53,095 Learners

2 Courses

E. Geoffrey Love

Associate Professor

Department of Business Administration, Gies College of Business

101,170 Learners

13 Courses

Offered by

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Start working towards your Master's degree

This course is part of the 100% online Master of Business Administration (iMBA) from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.

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See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating95%(6,491 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Course Orientation

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 16 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz

3 hours to complete

MODULE 1: PURPOSE AND GOVERNANCE

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 47 min), 2 readings, 8 quizzes

7 videos

1.1 Introduction to Purpose and Governance2m1.2 Purpose of a Business6m1.3 Building Purpose Into Your Organization12m1.4 Mission Statements9m1.5 Rational System View of Governance6m1.6 Natural System View of Governance5m1.7 Gauging Organizational Effectiveness4m

2 readings

Module 1 Overview10mModule 1 Readings10m

8 practice exercises

Lesson 1.1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1.2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1.3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1.4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1.5 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1.6 Practice Quiz10mLesson 1.7 Practice Quiz10mPurpose and Governance: Quiz20m

Week2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

MODULE 2: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

4 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 32 min), 2 readings, 8 quizzes

6 videos

2.1 Introduction to Organizational Structure5m2.2 Contingency Theory3m2.3 Functional Structure3m2.4 Divisional Structure5m2.5 Matrix Structure8m2.6 Other Structures4m

2 readings

Module 2 Overview10mModule 2 Readings10m

7 practice exercises

Lesson 2.1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2.2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2.3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2.4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2.5 Practice Quiz10mLesson 2.6 Practice Quiz10mOrganizational Structure: Quiz1h

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

MODULE 3: GROWTH AND ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE CYCLES

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 41 min), 2 readings, 7 quizzes

6 videos

3.1 Growth5m3.2 Growth and the Challenge of Control8m3.3 Mechanistic and Organic Designs10m3.4 Organizational Life Cycle6m3.5 Integrating Mechanisms9m3.6 Recap1m

2 readings

Module 3 Overview10mModule 3 Readings10m

7 practice exercises

Lesson 3.1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3.2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3.3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3.4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3.5 Practice Quiz10mLesson 3.6 Practice Quiz10mGrowth and Organizational Life Cycles: Quiz30m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Module 4: EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 36 min), 4 readings, 7 quizzes

7 videos

4.1 Elements of the External Environment3m4.2 Designing for Uncertainty5m4.3 Resource Dependence Theory4m4.4 Exploitation vs Exploration7m4.5 Disruptive Innovation7m4.6 Designing to Overcome Disruption3mGies Online Programs3m

4 readings

Module 4 Overview10mModule 4 Readings10mCongratulations!10mGet Your Course Certificate10m

7 practice exercises

Lesson 4.1 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4.2 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4.3 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4.4 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4.5 Practice Quiz10mLesson 4.6 Practice Quiz10mExternal Environment: Quiz30m

Reviews

4.6

306 reviews

5 stars
74.80%
4 stars
18.04%
3 stars
4.89%
2 stars
1.61%
1 star
0.64%

TOP REVIEWS FROM DESIGNING THE ORGANIZATION

by JRSep 21, 2017

Watch the summary videos at the end of module four of managing the organization first, they provide great structure to attach your learning to.

by HADec 10, 2020

This was my first Coursera and iMBA course and it was a great introduction to an MBA in my opinion. Lots of useful and revealing information about organizations.

by IIDec 26, 2016

The course is nice but the wording of the course is heavy and is confusing most of the time.

You've to put a lot of effort in trying to understand what the instructor means or want to say/ask.

by JHMar 25, 2018

Good course, but I had a lot of trouble interacting with the app. It would not let me post comments or questions which was a bit frustrating. Going off the app and through the website now!

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Designing the Organization

About this Course

Skills you will gain