Learner Reviews & Feedback for Organizational Analysis by Stanford University

First of all I want to thank Prof. McFarland for the very interesting course. It was a very good experience!

My main negative point is that I would have loved to obtain more current theories and studies. Additionally, there appears sometimes a little flickering on the screen and in one video at some occasions a slight interference noise can be heared (probably of a mobile phone). Lastly, some typos in the slides and questions may appear.

Still, there the wealth of case studies, examples and additional material that renders the course additionally enlightening. Even the other participants create value through discussion in the forum (thanks at this point to the voluntaries that moderate it and answer questions!). Not to forget the exstensive screenside chats in which Prof. McFarland answers questions and elaborates on the course material even more!

Further, the quality of the audio/video is good and Prof. McFarland as the presenter comes across as very motivated, engaged and likable, so watching sequences of the course over and over again is not uncomfortable. Put together and considering the affordable price, the pros fully outweigh the cons and 5 stars are fully earned.

This was a very extensive and information rich course. I learnt so much that will be highly beneficial to my endeavors and advancement. Very happy that I encountered and engaged in this study.

Plataforma incrível, videos aulas com o melhor professor possível, calmo e paciente para explicar de forma que todos entendam o que ele está tentando repassar!!!

Very abstract at times, but overall a great course. Thank you.

Very boring

Professor Daniel McFarland of Stanford University, deliver here an inspiring and attention-grabbing course about how to find structured keys and solutions for an environment where most organizational problems are distinctive to the circumstances and cannot be elucidated by simple click.

The eleven weeks of materials was indeed long and personally very difficult to absorb, but the final reward is 100% worth it!!

I am highly thankful to Professor Daniel McFarland, for allowing me to be part of his class and sharing us (students) generously his extensive knowledge, theories and thoughts about new ways to enlighten work environment, and understand in a systematic, practical manner & the behind-the-curtain; the industrialized world we are living.

For geographical reasons, it will be technically impossible for me to attend Professor Daniel McFarland classes at Stanford University and thanks to his generous patience, engagement and priceless time to prepare this exceptional course,

I am really honored and proud to have joined this outstanding and must learn course here on coursera!!!

Definitively a stellar 5 Star rating!!!

Found this to be an exceptional course which introduced me to theories for analyzing organizations. The material was challenging, thought-provoking, and highly practical. As an educator in the public school system, I could see how decisions were influenced by many factors. I would like to meet with Professor McFarland one day. I have a few other personal experienced based theories relatinging to analysis of organization , nuances of some presented, that I would like to share with him. I am especially interested in the impact of the consumer on shaping organizations. But I sense the consumer is just lumped in as a member of the environment. The information age empowers the consumer providing greater choice and opportunities for disruptive innovations. I would like to see students wield this influence to bring education into the 21st Century.Professor McFarland, Thank you for your fine work and willingness to share.Robert Schenker: Robert.schenker@gmail.com

An excellent introduction and analysis on the the very essence of organizations. The course is well structured and presented. One may argue that there is lots of theory and material, especially if references and external information are followed and researched. This, in my point of view, is not a minus (however, I'm am used to such an approach given a PhD background). One point of improvement: all theory is accompanied by case-studies and practical examples. Most of them, however, are drawn from the US experience and reality - none really from an international perspective (with the exceptions of the Cuba missile crisis and of Google - an international "icon" anyhow). More intenationally-drawn examples would have been a plus, given the very cultural and nationality-wise mix of students who sign up for MOOCs. Thank you. Dimitris, Athens, Greece.

Well-paced and genuinely personable delivery of course content. Highly relevant theories and models; indeed, I most appreciated the inter- and cross-disciplinary approach used to better understand human and organizational relationships (in organizations and within and between markets and sub-sectors of the economy). This course met its goal of provided learners with a very wide range of theories and models to understand what can sometimes be a complex web of interactions between supporters and detractors, competitors and collaborators. Truly well worth the investment and as long as one takes good notes throughout each lecture and invaluable resource to draw on for understanding and managing the various relationships that exist within and between organizations.

Amazing!! I enjoyed this course a lot specially the flexibility with time stipulation. Being the MOOC this course was well interactive and informative to fit the practitioners choice as well the beginners. Technical aspects of this course was fantastic and nicely equipped with any disruption. I hope this type of course would open doors for the people who have limited access into the professional development process. There could be group assignment for evaluations which could give a go for more interactive and simulative. Cheers to all graduates off course including me. Thanks the Daniel A. McFarland and his great team including Stanford University and Coursera. Best, Dr. Rahat Sikdar, International Consultant and Development Specialist

Excellent course for understanding how organizations work, function, react to problems, change. Very important for managers or business leaders. A large portion of the cases used were from the education field like schools, and universities but the examples can applied to all organizations whether profit or non profit. The lectures were very informative and entertaining. The quizzes were challenging and the final was even more challenging. Thank you Coursera, Stanford, Dr. Dan McFarland for this very beneficial course.

I have many years of experience working at various organizations, however, it was very useful and exciting to learn about different and such complicated paths in the process of decision making. This course has allowed me to gain different perspective and start analyzing in absolute new way organizations/decision making groups with which I am working at this moment.

It also helps to make practical steps in order to succeed in the process of decision making.

Thank you

For a long time, a dreamt with this kind of course and this level of teaching. I believe that this course represents the magna opus of what Coursera's mission fosters to be. It is enlightening, complete and passionate in so many ways that make this intangible asset almost physical. My only advice is, just take this course and embrace what you will learn because it can actually change you and luckily your environment as well.

The course is excellent, it covers several theories about organizational analysis with various case studies. The most interesting thing for me is the constant concern to make practical knowledge, identifying when a theory is more applicable and what course of action a manager should take in each case. In the end, we have a series of tools that can be used in whole or in part, depending on the case in question.

The content was very insightful, it provided me with some lenses (as promised) to analyse different organizational issues and have deeper understanding of possible strategies for me as a change agent. The two things I've missed were 1) some peer-graded assignment in addition to quizzes and 2) some list for future investigation/reading. Maybe you would consider adding those to future courses. Thank you!

Very impressed with the content and structure of the course. A fair bit of information well layered that articulated a host of experiences we have at the workplace very well with explanations about them and how to manage to them. Also listed a host of theories supported with management strategies to use that I was not familiar with. So overall extremely pleased with the course.

I am deeply satisfied with the course! The materials/lectures helped me to understand the basics thoroughly. Particularly the case studies are my real interest. I wish if there was a one big case study as an example where all the theories in this course are covered. I am applying these theories in my current organization and I got a positive feedback..! Thanks Coursera!

Interesting course. Provides good insights to the way different organizations work. As a result, when I recently was looking at a start-up, it was easy to identify the different players and understand the nature of the organization. Hopefully, I will be able to use some of the skills learned in the course to help move the organization in a successful direction.

It is an excellent course, with a lot of information that can help you, on your management skills and better comprehension of how organizations can be, apart of what might guide the organization into a new way.

I recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their management abilities and/or those who are willing to comprehend how organizations behave.

Very informative and well structured course for anyone that would like to understand more about the different lenses you can view a company. Not only useful for organisational analysts but also for anyone that want to understand more about what is happening to one's company and what management styles to use to mitigate or enforce certain behaviours.

This Course is really a good one. A large number of concepts are discussed in this course and moreover the case studies provided are really the USP of this course. This course not only provides with the theoretical knowledge, but also helps to understand the practical applications of the theories. I would love to recommend this course to everyone.

One of the best courses I've taken on Coursera! Thanks to the Professor McFarland for preparing great lectures reach of material, real world examples. This gave me a lot insights on organizations and projects I've worked for. Special thanks for extras - the informal screen side chats that kind of helped to grasp the information easier. Thank you!

It is a great course for anyone who wishes to comprehend a variety of organizational development theories (and their application) and thus hone one's sociological imagination. Huge thank you to our professor - Daniel McFarland and TAs for your dedication! I especially enjoyed screen-side chats and overview lectures - these very extremely helpful.

In my profession as a general manager of a company I can identify a lot of the theories in this course when dealing with both internals of my organization, and even more our customer organizations, which are both privately owned companies and public organizations. I can definitely recommend this course to any managers out there.

Incredible useful course. A detailed breakdown of all the major Organisational Analysis models, how they relate to one another, and which one is the most relevant in any given business sector. Would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone looking to understand why the organisation they work for makes the decisions they do.