ASOB05020U Sociology of Organizations - Please note that this course is closed for further registrations

Organisational sociology is a fascinating subject because it is applied science dealing with ’living people’. Within modern and thus highly differentiated societies most functions essential to the reproduction of society are carried out by organisations. Consequently, most people are involved in one or more organisations.

Theories about organisations are manifold, and considered in a historical perspective they have changed with the development of the industrial society. Consequently, it is important to consider their origins as well as their relationship to other research fields dealing with organisations such as economy and political science.

Within organisational theories, the analysis of the relationship between participants, structure, processes and culture is essential for understanding how organisations are able to achieve their goals. Organisations were by and large considered as closed systems during the first half of the 20th century, either as hierarchical industrial production or as administrative bureaucracy. However, the importance of the environment with regard to the development of the internal as well as external relationships of organisations has since been emphasised. Within the analysis of such open systems, the shift of perspective is mirrored in a wide range of organisational sociological positions today, i.e. institutional, action theoretical (RC), systems theoretical, structuration theoretical, cultural (symbolic interactionism and phenomenology) and feminist approaches.

During the course it will be demonstrated how these theoretical approached may be applied to various degrees when analysing different types of organisations. These organisations comprise industry, services, public administration, interest representation, states, transnational co-ordination (e.g. the EU), but also networks of so-called intermediate organisations between the welfare state and the marked (e.g. voluntarily work). The course will provide an illustration of the discussion of the different theoretical approached by drawing on existing empirical analysis of relevant types of organisations, ranging from kindergartens to states or transnational institutions. During the course the students will be encouraged to use a case when illustrating their discussion of one or more organisational sociological positions within the framework of the oral examination.

Actively participating students have to hand in a working paper (3-5 pages) three times during the semester. The papers will be evaluated according to the mark pass/fail. Students who need a grade will have to complete the course by handing in a 15 page written essay or by doing an oral exam based upon a one page written synopsis, which will be marked according to the Danish standard of marking.