Organizations exist because they are a better means of allocating resources than a pure market system. Business entrepreneurs learned more than a century ago that it is preferable to hold resources in the form of a firm than it is to obtain them repeatedly from markets. Doing so allows for more control and predictability, and it gives entrepreneurs time to obtain returns on their investments. Holding resources in organizations allows entrepreneurs to take collective action, and over the years business empires have been built in railroads, steel, automobiles, banks, social media, and information search engines. Today, organizations are used in other sectors as well because they are the most effective means of taking collective action.

The essence of organizing is the ability of individuals, groups, and larger collectives to process information in order to make decisions about identifying and assembling resources. Organizations that cannot process information effectively cannot learn and adapt. The field of organization design was born when entrepreneurs, managers, military commanders, and other strategists focused their attention on how to arrange resources inside their organizations. This seminar will examine how and why organizational designs have evolved over time, and it will describe how the process of designing organizations has expanded as knowledge about organizations and management has accumulated. A particular emphasis will be placed on theories and perspectives that lead to practical designs.

You are asked to read all of the readings before coming to the seminar so that you are prepared to participate actively in the discussions. In addition, please skim through every issue of the Journal of Organization Design (www.jorgdesign.net) to see the various types of articles that have been published and the kinds of topics that are covered.

Target audience

The seminar is designed primarily for doctoral students, but post-docs and other early stage researcher may also benefit from attending. We assume students have a basic knowledge of organization theory obtained during their (Research ) Master studies or equivalent. Please let us know if you do not have this basic knowledge of organization theory, and we will provide you with a reading list to prepare for the seminar.

Programme Coordinator & Faculty
Evaluation

Upon successful completion of the seminar, the participants will be given a certificate and granted 4 ECTS.

Application Process

Interested doctoral students should register online (and add the required documents) no later than January 5, 2015. Besides doctoral students, other researchers may participate. The number of participants will be limited to create a stimulating environment. The selection among the applicants will be conducted by the Institute’s Faculty. They will review the following documents which should necessarily complement each application form:

Time & Location

The seminar will be held at the Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. The programme will start on March 16, 2015 and is scheduled to end March 19, 2015.

For additional details and registration, please visit EIASM EDEN.