Strategic Organization Design will introduce new topics and modules with even more real world examples and opportunities for student interaction than its predecessors Competitive Strategy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/competitive-strategy) and Advanced Competitive Strategy (https://www.coursera.org/learn/advanced-competitive-strategy).
The final course in the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design specialization covers the internal workings of an organization and its interactions with the outside world. Where the first two courses mainly covered the way firms interact with the outside world, in particular competitors and complementors, the third course looks at the way a firm’s organization should be designed to compete effectively.
This course is part of the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design Specialization
Strategic Organization Design
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Offered By
Competitive Strategy and Organization Design SpecializationLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
About this Course
2,991
2,991Skills you will gain
Organization DesignStrategic ManagementBusiness StrategyOrganizational Structure
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
Structure Organizations
This module will introduce the fundamental dimensions of organization design. We will take a designer’s point of view and first introduce the “objective” elements of organization design, the organizational structure. This is reflected in the organization chart, the size and importance of the functional units, the organization by product lines, functions or geographical units. The second part of the module will cover other elements that govern the interaction between units and individuals, such as the degree of formalization and centralization, the reward system and the degree of task division.
9 videos (Total 72 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
9 videos
Introduction3m
Definitions and Examples14m
Organizational Challenges10m
Strategic Organization Design9m
Structural Dimensions9m
Contextual Dimensions5m
Promoting Cooperation and Coordination14m
Wrap Up1m
2 readings
Course Overview10m
Book Chapter & Lecture Slides10m
3 practice exercises
Understanding Organizations4m
Basics of Organization Design4m
Structure Organizations20m
Week
21 hour to complete
Manage Complexity and Interdependence
This module will integrate the elements laid out in the previous one. For an organization designer, it is crucial to realize that each of the elements will interact with others. For example, screening employees for their intrinsic motivation and subsequently leaving them little autonomy would lead to decreased performance. After laying out the general patterns of complementarity and substitutability, the module will proceed to outline the consequences for changing an organization’s design. Changes of a single design element will likely trigger further changes in other, related elements, and some organizational aspects like corporate culture or existing human capital may not be easy to change, if at all.
7 videos (Total 38 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
7 videos
Definitions and Examples7m
Causes and Effects5m
Managing Interdependence5m
Channeling Individual Behavior7m
Designing Complementarities9m
Wrap Up1m
1 reading
Lecture Slides10m
3 practice exercises
Understanding Complexity8m
Managing Complexity6m
Complexity and Interdependence20m
Week
31 hour to complete
Understand your Surroundings
The design of an organization is also affected by the firm’s environment. Firms finding themselves in a competitive environment may have to compete for key resources, including employees, with other firms, which may affect the way they recruit, but it may also have repercussions for the type of employees, or other resources, the firm can acquire. Similarly, if firms strive to continuously innovate and seek out new market opportunities, they have to be designed in a way to support this goal. Thus, a firm’s strategy, its competitive environment and its organization design have to be aligned to help a firm achieve its objective.
7 videos (Total 51 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
7 videos
Definitions and Examples9m
Environmental Challenges6m
Meeting Environmental Challenges17m
Why Industry Matters8m
Example: Knowledge Industries5m
Wrap Up1m
1 reading
Lecture Slides10m
3 practice exercises
Understanding the Firm Environment2m
Industry-Specific Design2m
Understand your Surroundings20m
Week
41 hour to complete
Decide on a Corporate Office
This module will highlight the role of the corporate office in a number of ways. First, its importance in corporate decision-making is analyzed: On the one hand, the corporate office is best placed to take the firm’s overall objectives into account, so corporate choices may be more efficient if taken by the corporate office. On the other hand, lower ranks in the hierarchy often carry more detailed information about the immediate challenges and changes in the different activities of the firm. Second, this module looks at the scope of decisions the corporate office takes. While some corporate offices restrict themselves to providing an internal financial market, others will heavily control the specific actions of the lower-ranked units.
7 videos (Total 35 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes
7 videos
Introduction4m
Improving Performance8m
Shared Services, Compliance and Combinations4m
A Form of Centralization6m
Scope of Decision-Making8m
Wrap Up1m
1 reading
Lecture Slides10m
2 practice exercises
Corporate Office4m
Decide on a Corporate Office20m
Week
52 hours to complete
Design for Growth
This final module of the course will combine many of the aspects learned in the earlier modules. Imagine you are an entrepreneur with a strategic vision to enter a market with specific competitive conditions and a plan for growth. How will you set up an organization that is both effective in the environment it is currently facing so that it is successful in the short term, but also effective in managing and facilitating the growth needed to survive in the long term. The tension between efficiency (in the short run) and flexibility (in the long run) is crucial and this module will discuss options of how to manage it and what role an organization designer can play in this. The final module will therefore serve as a summary of the course content, but also as a practical guide to combine all the aspects above in the actual planning process from foundation to maturity of a firm.
9 videos (Total 46 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes
9 videos
Introduction to Stages and Key Challenges8m
Efficiency and Strategy7m
Natural Benefits4m
Leveraging Scale and Speed4m
Enabling Growth6m
Balancing Efficiency while Growing9m
Dealing with Maturity and Decline2m
Wrap Up1m
1 reading
Lecture Slides10m
4 practice exercises
The Organizational Life Cycle4m
Efficiency Considerations6m
Flexibility Considerations4m
Design for Growth20m
Week
61 hour to complete
Final Exam
1 quiz
1 practice exercise
Final Exam8m
4.6
22 Reviews50%
started a new career after completing these courses
33%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
Excellent course that is fully applicable in real world. The theory explained is demonstrable in real life companies.
Instructor
Tobias Kretschmer
ProfessorInstitute for Strategy, Technology and Organization
About Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)
As one of Europe's leading research universities, LMU Munich is committed to the highest international standards of excellence in research and teaching. Building on its 500-year-tradition of scholarship, LMU covers a broad spectrum of disciplines, ranging from the humanities and cultural studies through law, economics and social studies to medicine and the sciences.
About the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design Specialization
Paired with humorous elements and illustrating examples, the Competitive Strategy and Organization Design specialization is the ideal choice for curious individuals who enjoy unique learning experiences and innovative teaching approaches. Its style is likely to appeal especially to young, middle-aged and young-at-heart learners.
The specialization is indended for learners interested in engaging in fundamental theories and concepts of strategy and organization and applying these to practice. Employed professionals and management students will benefit from deepening and refreshing their existing knowledge by means of our specialization. Learners with non-business backgrounds will gain valuable additional business insights complementing their existing knowledge.
Participants will learn to understand and analyze
● behavior of organizations in situations in which strategic decisions are interdependent
● strategies to build up and maintain a customer base
● internal workings of an organization as well as its interaction with the outside world, i.e. partners, complementors and competitors
● the design of an effective organization that can compete, grow and adjust flexibly to different environments
This specialization is the only online learning program in which students can learn and laugh at the same time. That said, we are looking forward to learning and laughing with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
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.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
Do I need to take other courses together with this course?
Strategic Organization Design is the third course of our "Competitive Strategy and Organization Design" specialilzation on Coursera.
While your overall understanding will surely benefit from enrolling in the first two specialization courses "Competitive Strategy" and "Advanced Competitive Strategy", no worries - you will also enjoy this course individually, without any prior enrollments.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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