UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PS 220: ORGANIZATION THEORY - 2009/10 Course Instructors: 1. Prof. Rwekaza Mukandala - Office: REDET Offices DUP Building 2. Mr. A. Kweyamba - Office: Room No. 602 in Arts Tower Lectures: Tuesday 17- 18 hours Theatre 2 Thursday 17 – 18 hours Theatre 2 A. COURSE DESCRIPTION This is an introductory course to the study of organizations as inevitable entities in societies. The course discusses the organization concept, and reviews theories of organization, as found in the various approaches to the study of organizations. Critical organizational characteristics, functions, processes and dynamics are discussed and analysed. These include structure and complexity, power and authority, organizational goals, decision making, planning and budgeting, communication and information systems, and management styles. B. ASSIGNMENTS Coursework will account for 40% of the final aggregate mark for this course and will be made up of the following: Seminar attendance and participation 5%, Seminar presentation 5%; 1st test 10%, second test 20% (Total coursework grade 40%). The final examination will account for the remaining 60%. C. CORE READINGS There are three core readings for the course: 1. W. Richard Scott, Organizations: Rational, Natural, and Open Systems (1992, 2nd ed.). 2. Organization Theory: A Reader. 3. Buchanan, D. & Huczynski, A.; Organizational behaviour: An Introductory Text (1997 3rd ed). TOPIC 1: ORGANIZATIONS Conceptual and historical perspective, define the concept and trace the historical development of organizations. Required Readings 1. W. Richard Scott, Organizations, Chapter 1. pp: 1-26 and chapter 7. 2. F. Engels, “The Origins of the Family, and Private Property, and the State” in K. Marx and F. Engels, Selected Works. 3. N. Henry; Public Administration and Public Affairs; New jersey, Prentice Hall, 1989 pg. 52-77. TOPIC 2: THEORIES AND APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF ORGANIZATIONS Rational, Natural, Open and Marxist approaches to the study of organizations. Required Readings 1. Richard Scott, Organizations, chapters 2, 3, 4. 2. N. Mouzelis, Organization and Bureaucracy, pp. 7-21; 38-40; 55-95, chapter 5 and 6. Supplementary Readings (i) Karen Hult and C. Walcott; Governing Public Organizations (1990).Ch. 2 (ii) F. Kramer. Dynamics of Public Bureaucracy; An Introduction to Public Management [ch. 4 (SR)]. (iii) N. Mauzelis. Organization and Bureaucracy, pp. 7-21; 38-40; 55-95, chpts, 5 and 6. (iv) J.D. Thompson, Organizations in Action (1967), pp. 3-24. (v) Max Weber, The Theory of Social and Economic Organization, pp. 218- 250. (vi) F. Taylor; The Principles of Scientific Management (1911). (vii) L. Gulick and L. Urwicks (ed), Papers on the Science of Administration. (viii) I. Selznick; Leadership in Administration. (ix) C. Argyrist; Integrating the Individual and the Organization. (x) Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman Jr.; In Search of Excellence (1982) especially chpt. 4. (xi) Gareth Morgan; Creative Organization Theory (1989), pp. 39-163. TOPIC 3: ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE Definition of structure, exploration of key elements and basic principles as well as dynamics of organizational design. Required Readings 1. W. Richard Sott; Organizations, chapters 9-10, pp. 236-283. 2. Herbert Simon; Administrative Behavior; Chapter 2, pp. 29-49. 3. Buchanan, D. & Huczynski, A.; Organizational behaviour, Part 3 Chapter II, pp. 295-330. Supplementary Readings 1. Karen Hult and C. Walcott; Governing Public Organizations, chpts. 4-7. 2. H. Simon, Smithburg, D. and V. Thompson, Public Administration, 6-7. 3. B. Guy Peters, The Politics of Bureaucracy, (1978) chpts. 5, pp. 109-136. 4. P. Blurt and Jones, M.; Managing Organizations in Africa, Berlin, Watter de Gpyter, 1992, Chpt. 6. TOPIC 4: ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLEXITY, LOOSE COUPLING AND DECENTRALIZATION Essence and impact of increased organizational complexity. Exploration of alternative organizational arrangements to cope with complexity, including networks. Required Readings 1. W. Richard Scott, Organizations, Chapters 9-10. 2. J.D. Thompson, Organizations in Action, Chapters 5, 6. Supplementary Reading 1. W. Bennis, Beyond Bureaucracy (1993), chpt. 1 pp; 3-18. 2. Simon, Smithburg and Thompson, Public Administration, chpts. 12-14. 3. Mahmood Mamdani, Citizen and Subject (1996), chpt. 1-5. 4. R. Mukandala, Decentralizing and Power in Tanzania (1994). 5. O. Olowu; “The Failure of the Centralized African State”. In James Wunsch and Dele Olowu (eds), The Failure of the Centralized African State (1990). 6. P. Blunt and Jones, M.; Managing Organizations in Africa, Chpt. 8. TOPIC 5: VIRTUAL ORGANIZATIONS Required Readings: Hellen Margetts. :Virtual Organisations” is Ewan Ferlie et al. (eds.) Public Management (2005) pp. 305-325 TOPIC 6: ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS AND POWER Definition, nature and functions of organizational goals and power, and their relationship to organizational control. Required Readings 1. W. Richard Scott; Organizations, Chapter 11. 2. Amitari Etzioni; “Organizational Control Structures” in J.G. March and Cyert (eds) Handbook of Organizations. 3. Simon, Smithburg and Thompson, Public Administration, Chapter 8-9. 4. Buchanan, D. & Hucyynski; Organizational behaviour, Part 5, chapter 22, pp. 667-702. Supplementary Readings 1. Henry, N., Public Administration and Public Affairs, pp. 81-111. 2. O. Nnoli, Introduction to Politics, chpt. 4, pp. 71-91. 3. N. Poulantzas, Political Power and Social Classes, chpt. 5. 4. Weber, Max; From Max Weber; Essays in Sociology (eds), Hans H. Gerth and C. Wrights Mills, New York Oxford University Press, 1946, pp. 295-301. 5. H. Simon, Administrative Behaviour, chpt. 7, pp. 177-207. 6. G. Mutahaba, Reforming Public Administration, chpt. 5. 7. R. Mukandala, “State Power and Political Institutions in the Eighties” in Strom, G., Country Analysis Tanzania The Decade of 1980-1980 and the Future (1992). TOPIC 7: COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATION LEARNING Readings 1. Herbert Simon; Administrative Behavior, Chapter 8, pp. 208-249. 2. B. Argyris; On Organizational Learning (1995), Chapter 6. Supplementary Readings 1. Leonard, D., “Communication and Deconcentration; in Hyden, G., Jackson, R. and Okumu, J.C. (ed), Development Administration (1979). 2. Landau, M. “On the Concept of a Self-correcting Organization”, Public Administration Review (Nov/Dec. 1973). TOPIC 8: DECISION MAKING Discusses processes and dynamics involved in making decisions in organizations. Required Readings 1. Herbert Simon; Administrative Behavior, Chapters 3, 4 and 5. 2. D. Braybrooke and C.E. Lindblom, A Strategy of Decision. 3. C.E. Lindblom, The Policy Making Process. Supplementary Readings 1. Mukandala, R. and Shellukindo, “Capacity Building for Policy Change and Sustainability: The Tanzania Experience” (1991). 2. Mukandala, R., “Bureaucracy and Agricultural Policy: The Case of Tanzania” in Asmerom, H.K., R. Hoppe and R.B. Jain; Bureaucracies and Development Policies in Third World Countries, (Amsterdam, 1992). 3. Agor, W.H.; Institution in Organizations (London: Safe Publications Inc. 1989) Part I. 4. Nagel, S., “Conflicting Evaluations of Policy Studies” in Lynn and Wildvsky, Public Administration, chpt. 17. 5. F. Kramer; Dynamics of Public Bureaucracy, chpt. 8. 6. G. Hyden; “We must run while others walk.” African Review, Vol. 4 No. 2 (1975). 7. Graham, T. Allison, Essence of Decision: Explaining the Missile Crisis, (Boston Little Brown and Company, 1971). 8. Merilee, S. Grindle and John, W. Thomas; Public Choice and Policy Change (1991), especially chpt., 2 and 3 pp; 18-69. TOPIC 9: MANAGEMENT STYLES Required Readings 1. Douglas McGregor; The Human Side of Enterprise (New York 1982) Chapter 2-3. 2. Herbert Simon, Administrative Behavior, Chapter 10. 3. Albert Hirschman; Exit Voice and Loyalty. 4. Buchanan, D. & Hucyzynski; Organizational behaviour, Part 5, chapter 20, pp. 581-630. Supplementary Readings 1. Peters, T.J. and Waterman, R.H.; In Search of Excellence (1982) chpts. 203. 2. P. Blurt and Jones, M., Managing Organizations in Africa, chpt. 71. TOPIC 10: ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND FAILURE Discusses criteria for its definition, approaches to its assessment and accounts for differences in its realization. 1. W. Richard Scott; Organizations, chapter 13. ____________ PS 220: ORGANIZATION THEORY, 2009/10 FIRST SEMESTER: SEMINAR QUESTIONS Q. 1. Do you agree that organizations under the capitalist social formation are more developed, complex and effective? Why? Q.2: Do you agree with the statement that “the natural system perspective was developed in response to perceived inadequacies and limitations of the rational system perspective?” Justify your position. Q.3: Do you agree with the Marxist view that “rationality is an ideology?” Justify your position. Q.4. Compare and contrast formal and informal structures of organization. What are their positive and negative contributions to organization. Q.5. How does knowledge and power relate to organization structure. Q.6: Discuss the proposition that :there is always an inherent decentralizing tendency in any organization.” Q.7. Discuss the concept of organizational complexity and in the process show how its negative aspects can be avoided. Q.8. Rarely do the goals of employees match those of the organization. How do organizations go about ironing out this incongruence? Q.9: Critically compare and contrast the sources of power in organizations. Q.10. Discuss the proposition that a bureaucratic organization is as good as its information