The Value-Based Organization

Course Description

VEL1210E provides an introduction to topics such as tasks, technology, goals and efficiency in organizations. Furthermore, the subject will deal with topics such as organizational structure, organizational culture, communication, organizational learning, power and conflict in organizations. The course also facilitates a deeper understanding of how change and decision-making processes shape organizations. Particular emphasis will be placed on how the organizational subject can be used within church and voluntary organizations.

Learning Outcomes

A student who has completed the course of VEL1210E The value-based organization should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

KNOWLEDGE

The student:

• has gained knowledge about the importance of organizing, and how good organizing helps to build and develop organizations.
• has knowledge about organizational culture, how organizational culture is built and developed and how it contributes to developing organizations.
• has gained knowledge about visions, goals and values in an organization and how these can support and shape the organization
• has basic knowledge about goals and strategies, and how strategy work can be developed and organized, and support the development of the organization.
• Has basic knowledge on organizational change, and basic knowledge about how to work with resistance to change
• other central organizational concepts and theories concerning relational authority, motivation, decision-making, and learning
• has knowledge about organizational structure and immediate context affect organization (especially in ecclesiastical contexts)

SKILLS

The student:

• has the ability to reflect ethically on organizational development
• can reflect on how to influence an organization in terms of vision, goals, values, structures, and good systems for employee follow-up
• understands how fundamental ethical, ideological and theological conditions have an impact on the development of voluntary organizations and churches

GENERAL COMPETENCY

The student:

• has developed an understanding of how organizing affects performance and capacity for change
• has developed respect for the necessity and tension between structure and flexibility in organizations
• has an increased understanding of how organization, among other things, must be understood in light of the type of business being run (business, government, voluntary / church)

Modes of Instruction

The teaching is provided in the form of interactive lectures, and in the form of one or more supervised case studies. The course consists of a total of 32 lecture hours.

Required Reading

Kotter, John P. (2007). “Leading Change. Why Transformation Efforts Fail.” Harvard Business Review. January. 10 pages

Tschirhart, Mary; Bielefeld, Wolfgang. Managing Nonprofit Organizations. Jossey-Bass, s. 1-279 (279 pages).

Robbins, Stephen P., Judge, Timothy A. (2017). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Global Edition, 14th ed. Pearson. ca. 350 pages

Recommended Reading

Brand, C. O. (ed) (2005). Perspectives on Church Government: Five Views of Church Polity. Nashville: B & H Academic.

Dockery, D. S. (ed) (2015). Christian Leadership Essentials: A Handbook for Managing Christian Organization, Nashville: B & H Acadmics

Grudem, W. (2012). Church Government. Zondervan, Digital short. Zondervan/Amazon Kindle (available in different e-book formats).