Course content

Systems theory: Open systems, focal systems at different levels, system feedback loops

Projects and project management; project organisation, program and portfolio management, management of projects, project teams and project success.

Inter-organizational theory: value chain management, industrial networks theory

Organizational topics will be taught with a special emphasis on how organizations represent constraints and possibilities for technological development and vice versa.

Learning outcome

The position and function of the course in the study program MTIØT: The course is obligatory for all third year students at MTIØT, and is designed to contribute to learning outcome 2.1 in the detailed learning outcomes for MTIØT, where it requires a broad and sound basic knowledge in managerial and economic areas. The course contains the following knowledge areas: - General knowledge of open systems and how to change system levels - General knowledge of projects and project work - Specific knowledge about models on how to measure project success, as well as an understanding that success must be seen in relation to who is asking, the purpose of measuring success and the point in time in which success is measured - Specific knowledge about models and factors which decides how to organise a project in relation to it's mother organisation(s) - Specific knowledge on how to build a project team, and what factors needs to be assessed when building a team Specific knowledge about models of interaction between projects and interest groups in the project environment - Specific knowledge about how projects fits together and how to choose the right project portfolio General knowledge about Interorganizational theory - Specific knowledge about value chain management - Specific knowledge about industrial networks theory and how it models an organization's interaction with its environment.

The course will give the students the following competences: - competence in evaluating what would constitute reasonable boundaries around a system and the consequences of changing these boundaries - competence in evaluating and analysing the situation in an organization with respect to important interorganizational questions - competence in suggesting action alternatives to improve end develop interorganizational relations for an organizarion - competence in evaulating and analysing the situation in an organization with respect to questions related to projects and how they are run by the organization - competence in suggesting action alternatives to improve and develop the way in which the organization handles existing and future projects.

Other important learning outcomes: - Through a large project in a real organization, the students will get practical training in analysing a real situation - Through the report, students will learn to use written arguments to explain a situation and the action alternatives seen as important in improving the situation analysed - Through the process of evaluating and giving feedback on each others group reports, students will learn to give oral and written response on other people's work in order to develop their own skills at understanding other peoples work.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and written excercises. The excercises are compulsory and done in groups, and contributes to the final mark in the course, together with an individual exam. It is obligatory to be present at certain presentations and to give feedback to other students work as assigned by the course coordinators.

Compulsory assignments

• Feedback Exercise
• Presence at presentations

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

TIØ4102 Organization and technology 1 or similar background. The Course is restricted to students at the study program MTIØT.

Required previous knowledge

The Course is restricted to students at the study program MTIØT.

Course materials

A literature list is handed out at the beginning of the course.