363-0301-00L  Work Design and Organizational Change

SemesterAutumn Semester 2017
LecturersG. Grote
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractGood work design is crucial for individual and company effectiveness and a core element to be considered in organizational change. Meaning of work, organization-technology interaction, and uncertainty management are discussed with respect to work design and sustainable organizational change. As course project, students learn and apply a method for analyzing and designing work in business settings.
Objective- Know effects of work design on competence, motivation, and well-being
- Understand links between design of individual jobs and work processes
- Know basic processes involved in systematic organizational change
- Understand the interaction between organization and technology and its impact on organizational change
- Understand relevance of work design for company performance and strategy
- Know and apply methods for analyzing and designing work
Content- Work design: From Adam Smith to job crafting
- Effects of work design on performance and well-being
- Approaches to analyzing and designing work
- Modes of organizational change and change methods
- Balancing stability and flexibility in organizations as design criterium
- The organization-technology interaction and its impact on work design and organizational change
- Example Flexible working arrangements
- Strategic choices for work design
LiteratureA list of required readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe course includes the completion of a course project to be conducted in groups of four students. The project entails applying a particular method for analyzing and designing work processes and is carried out by means of interviews and observations in companies chosen by the students.