Organizational Theory
- Management Sciences
- 400 level
- 2 credit units
- 110 pages
- 15 units
This course explains organisational theory and identifies it as the basis for guiding the management and organization of an enterprise. It covers classical-mechanistic, behavioural-humanistic, and modern theories. Students will learn about authority, power, conflict, and change within organizations. The course also explores various approaches to organizational management and the factors influencing organizational behavior, preparing students for effective decision-making and leadership roles.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 156 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of BUS424, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- UNIT 1 THE NATURE OF ORGANISATIONS AND ORGANISATION THEORY
- UNIT 2 MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION THEORYPage 7
- UNIT 3: THE CLASSICAL-MECHANISTIC THEORY OF ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENTPage 12
- UNIT 4 THE BUREAUCRATIC MODEL OF ORGANISATIONS(CLASSICAL THEORY)Page 16
- UNIT 5 THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPROACH TO ORGNANISATION AND MANAGEMENT (CLASSICAL THEORY)Page 23
- UNIT 6: THE SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT APPROACH (CLASSICAL THEORY)Page 29
- UNIT 7: OTHER CONTRIBUTORS TO SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENTPage 37
- UNIT 1: THE BEHAVIOURAL-HUMANISTIC THEORY OF ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENTPage 42
- UNIT 2: THE HUMAN RESOURCES APPROACHPage 49
- UNIT 3: MODERN THEORIES OF ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENTPage 60
- UNIT 4 THE SOCIO-TECHNICAL SYSTEMS APPROACHPage 66
- UNIT 5 QUANTITATIVE OR MANAGEMENT SCI- ENCE APPROACH AND THE SITUATIONAL OR TASK-CONTINGENCY APPROACHPage 72
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
BUS424 · UNIT 1 THE NATURE OF ORGANISATIONS AND ORGANISATION THEORY
You are welcomed to this course BUS 423 and it is the first unit of the first module of this course. In this unit, you will be introduced to the definition of organisations, the characteristics and different types of organization, examining typologies by Talcott Parsons Blau and Scott Katz and Kahn and J.D. Thompson. .
What you should be able to do
- Understand the nature of organizations and organization theory
- Understand the classical-mechanistic theory of organization and management
- Understand the behavioural-humanistic theory of organization and management
- Know the modern theories of organization and management
- Differentiate between authority and power in organizations
What it prepares you for
- Business Manager
- Human Resources Manager
- Management Consultant
- Administrator
- Project Manager
- Business
- Government
- Non-Profit
- Education
- Healthcare
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 1:
Unit 4: The Bureaucratic Model Of Organisations
Requires understanding of complex historical context and diverse perspectives on organizational structures.
- Module 2:
Unit 5: Quantitative or Management Science Approach and the Situational or Task-Contingency Approach
Involves grasping abstract concepts and applying them to real-world organizational scenarios.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 66 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1:
Unit 1: The Nature of Organisations and Organisation Theory · 4 hours
Read the unit introduction to understand the scope.. Define organizations and identify their characteristics.. Differentiate between types of organizations using typologies by Parsons, Blau & Scott, Katz & Kahn, and Thompson..
Unit 2: What is Management and Organisation Theory · 3 hours
Define management and organization theory.. Understand the functions of management and organization theory.. Relate theory to real-world organizational behavior..
- Week 2Module 1:
Unit 3: The Classical-Mechanistic Theory of Organisation and Management · 4 hours
Trace the evolution of organization and management theory.. Identify the characteristics of classical-mechanistic organizations.. Understand the role of hierarchy and division of labor..
Unit 4: The Bureaucratic Model Of Organisations · 3 hours
Define bureaucracy and its characteristics.. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of bureaucracy.. Examine Weber's contributions to organization theory..
- Week 3Module 1:
Unit 5: The Administrative Approach · 4 hours
Understand Henri Fayol's contributions.. Explain the 14 principles of organization.. Analyze Lyndal Urwick's contributions to effective organizations..
Unit 6: The Scientific Management Approach · 3 hours
Understand the Scientific Management Approach.. Analyze F.W. Taylor's theories.. Discuss the objectives and principles of scientific management..
- Week 4Module 1:
Unit 7: Other contributors to Scientific Management · 4 hours
Identify other contributors to scientific management.. Discuss Henry Gantt's task-and-bonus system.. Examine Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's motion studies..
- Week 5Module 2:
Unit 1: The Behavioural-Humanistic Theory of Organisation and Management · 5 hours
Understand the characteristics and elements of behavioral theory.. Analyze the Human Relations Approach.. Discuss the Hawthorne studies and their conclusions..
- Week 6Module 2:
Unit 2: The Human Resources Approach · 5 hours
Understand the Human Resources Approach.. Analyze the approaches by Maslow, McGregor, Herzberg, Argyris, and Likert.. Examine the contributions of human resources theorists..
- Week 7Module 2:
Unit 3: Modern Theories of Organisation and Management · 4 hours
Understand the Systems Approach.. Identify the characteristics of open systems.. Analyze the contributions of the Systems Approach..
- Week 8Module 2:
Unit 4: The Socio-Technical Systems Approach · 4 hours
Understand the Socio-Technical Systems Approach.. Analyze the contributions of the Socio-Technical systems approach.. Examine the relationship between technology and organizational structure..
- Week 9Module 2:
Unit 5: Quantitative or Management Science Approach and the Situational or Task-Contingency Approach · 5 hours
Understand the Quantitative or Management Science Approach.. Analyze the contributions and limitations of the Quantitative approach.. Discuss the Situational or Task-Contingency Approach..
- Week 10Module 3:
Unit 1: Authority and Power in Organisations · 4 hours
Differentiate between Power and Authority.. Understand the nature of Authority and power.. Identify the sources of power and Authority..
- Week 11Module 3:
Unit 2: The Nature and Causes of Organisational Conflicts · 4 hours
Understand the nature and causes of organisational conflicts.. Analyze the negative effects of organisational conflicts.. Discuss the various tools and strategies of conflict management..
- Week 12Module 3:
Unit 3: Meaning and Objectives of Organisational Change · 4 hours
Understand the meaning and objectives of organisational change.. Analyze the approaches to organisational change.. Discuss resistance to change: causes and solutions..
- Week 13Module 3:
Final Revision · 6 hours
Review all modules and units.. Work on assignments and TMAs.. Prepare for final examinations..
Preparing for the exam
- Create concept maps linking classical, behavioral, and modern theories.
- Focus on real-world examples to illustrate theoretical concepts.
- Practice applying different management approaches to case studies.
- Review key terms and definitions from each unit.
- Allocate study time proportionally based on unit complexity.
Questions students ask about this course
What is BUS424 about?
This course explains organisational theory and identifies it as the basis for guiding the management and organization of an enterprise. It covers classical-mechanistic, behavioural-humanistic, and modern theories. Students will learn about authority, power, conflict, and change within organizations. The course also explores various approaches to organizational management and the factors influencing organizational behavior, preparing students for effective decision-making and leadership roles.
How many units does BUS424 have?
BUS424, Organizational Theory, has 15 units across 3 modules, over 110 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is BUS424?
BUS424 carries 2 credit units, at 400 level in Management Sciences.
Is BUS424 hard?
BUS424 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical work.
How long does BUS424 take to study?
About 156 hours of study, spread across its 15 units.
How is BUS424 assessed?
BUS424 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What can I do with BUS424?
Business Manager, Human Resources Manager, Management Consultant, Administrator and Project Manager.