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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Organizational Analysis by Stanford University

4.6
stars
1,572 ratings

About the Course

In this introductory, self-paced course, you will learn multiple theories of organizational behavior and apply them to actual cases of organizational change. Organizations are groups whose members coordinate their behaviors in order to accomplish a shared goal. They can be found nearly everywhere in today’s society: universities, start-ups, classrooms, hospitals, non-profits, government bureaus, corporations, restaurants, grocery stores, and professional associations are some of many examples of organizations. Organizations are as varied and complex as they are ubiquitous: they differ in size and internal structure; they can entail a multiplicity of goals and tasks (some of which are planned and others unplanned!); they are made up of individuals whose goals and motivations may differ from those of the group; and they must interact with other organizations and deal with environmental constraints in order to be successful. This complexity frequently results in a myriad of problems for organizational participants and the organization’s survival. In this course, we will use organizational theories to systematically analyze how an organization operates and can best be managed. Organizational theories highlight certain features of an organization’s structure and environment, as well as its processes of negotiation, production, and change. Each provides a lens for interpreting novel organizational situations and developing a sense for how individual and group behaviors are organized. Theories are valuable for the analyst and manager because most organizational problems are unique to the circumstances and cannot be solved by simple rules of thumb. Armed with a toolset of organizational theories, you will be able to systematically identify important features of an organization and the events transforming it; choose a theoretical framework most applicable to the observed mode of organizing; and use that theory to determine which actions will best redirect the organization in desired directions. In sum, the course has three goals: to become familiar with a series of real-world organizational phenomena; to learn different theoretical perspectives that can elucidate these phenomena; and to apply these different ways of “seeing” and managing organizations to cases. In such a fashion, the course is designed to actively bridge theory and practice, exposing students to a variety of conceptual tools and ways to negotiate novel situations....

Top reviews

AA

Apr 29, 2020

This course provides in-depth analyses of a host of organizational theories and their application in real life. The dissection of each case and the applicability of the theories are really insightful.

AL

Sep 2, 2019

Very challenging yet worth it. If you are in an administrative position in an organization (especially education) you will get some great perspectives/understandings from this course. Take good notes!

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451 - 461 of 461 Reviews for Organizational Analysis

By Greer M R

•

Feb 21, 2021

Good content for those new to the field.

Old videos, references, etc.

Poorly written final exam.

By Venky I

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Sep 7, 2022

A good introduction for beginners, more corporate case studies would have been better.

By Ann T J

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Sep 23, 2020

My quiz session from week 2 is locked. I can't open it. Please Help me !!

By Andreas F

•

Jan 5, 2023

Needs to be updated - The technology used outdated.

By HASEL B M H T

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Jul 20, 2024

HASEL BIN MADI

By Stephanie D

•

Jan 17, 2021

This course did not meet expectations. The content was delivered in a dry and outdated way. As someone working in a company, I unfortunately was not able to take much out that would be applicable in my day to day life. The case examples and a lot of the content seemed to be geared towards the public sector (schools, government, etc.). Compared to other courses, this was not engaging or delivered in an exciting way, to have the presenter in the corner and very copy/content heavy slides did not match my expectations from other courses. It seemed this was created several years ago and has not been updated or could provide more business related examples. I highly recommend updating the course description to be more reflective of content and who should take the course. And for Standford, to consider updating the content or presenting the material in a more interactive and engaging way.

By Susan M

•

Apr 6, 2022

Way too academic/theoretical for my use.

By Facundo L

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Aug 30, 2022

Muy largo y no es muy bueno

By Vishnu T P

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Jan 21, 2023

Lack simplicity.

Unnecessarily extends too much.

Multiple answers with too much options confuses

Case studies should be kept minimal could have included simple graphical illustrations instead of tables with complicated probability theories.

By Ahmed A

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May 9, 2024

Very long, and very boring

By Atheer A

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Aug 29, 2021

good