Course Manual INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – week 50 First trimester: week 36

Course Manual
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
2nd Year Bachelor
2013/2014
First trimester: week 36 – week 50
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Summary of important rules and regulations for BScIBA and MSc students
General Information
Summary of Workshop/Team Registration dates
Student Advisers
Master Event
Third Year Elective Choices
Article 3.4 – Fraud
Leadership, Sustainability & Governance (BAB27)
Organizational Theory & Dynamics (BAB21)
Philosophy of Science (BAB26)
Quantitative Decision Making (BAB19)
IBA curriculum 2013-2014
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Course Manuals give more detailed information about courses within a trimester. They contain
the following information per course:
course title, course code, number of credits;
name of coordinator;
teaching staff;
contact person, secretariat, room numbers, phone numbers, visiting hours;
educational form;
examination form;
examination regulation;
examples for examinations;
aims and objectives of the course;
extended description of the course content;
subjects per lecture/workshop;
required literature: books, syllabus, reader, sheets;
literature and course content to be examined;
recommended further reading.
Course Manuals will be available at the beginning of each trimester, for each year of the
programme.
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Summary of important rules and regulations for BScIBA and MSc students
The following rules and regulations, depending on your situation, may have an effect on your
studies. For more information and a detailed explanation of all of these rules please consult
the BSc IBA Examination Regulations.
RSM rules
The Bachelor-before-Master rule
Admission to all RSM Master programmes is only possible if students have completed the
entire Bachelor programme, without a single course left open.
Period of validity of grades
Final course grades (published in Osiris) for the bachelor programme are valid for six years.
The final course grades (published in Osiris) for the master programmes are valid for 3 years.
(Consult Examination Regulations for detailed information)
Compensation rule for 1st year courses
The compensation rule means you can compensate one insufficient grade (between 4.5 and
5.4) with at least two rounded 7s or one rounded 8 or higher, provided that you have passed
all your other courses of Bachelor 1 in your first year of enrolment. The grade for the compensated course will remain on your grade list and counts in the grade point average for the total
bachelor programme. (Consult Examination Regulations for detailed information)
Compensation rule for 2nd and 3rd year courses
Students (excluding Pre-Master students) may graduate from the BSc IBA programme with a
4.5 or higher for one examination part of the course year B2 or B3 (with the exception of the
minor, internship, and the Research Training & Bachelor Thesis), provided that the calculated
grade point average for the total bachelor programme (including the course to be compensated) mentioned in Article 6.2 paragraph 2 of the Rules and Guidelines is at least 7.0. This
compensation rule will only be applied by the Examination Board upon request. The grade for
the compensated course will remain on your grade list and counts in the grade point average
for the total bachelor programme. (Consult Examination Regulations for detailed information)
Last-Result Rule
Students have a free choice in the number of times that they wish to take a written examination. The result is the last grade obtained. If the material to be studied for an examination has
changed, the new material must be studied.
General Information
You can download the Bachelor 2 Trimester 1 course manual, schedule, and book list via the
RSM IBA Current Students page (www.rsm.nl/current-students/iba). Also be sure to subscribe to all of your trimester 1 courses via SIN. If any changes to the schedule, registration dates, etc. should occur, these updates can be found in the respective SIN course channels.
Tip: Take the time to peruse the message archive of your courses once a week to make sure
you are aware of all relevant registration dates, schedule changes, etc.
Registration for the final exams takes place via OSIRIS-Online. The registration dates are
always 35 to 7 days before the date of the exam. Mark your calendar!
An online course evaluation will be mailed to you at the end of each trimester 1 course. This
evaluation will remain open until the course’s exam date. The day of the final examination
you will receive a separate evaluation about the exam. Please take the time to fill in both of
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these evaluations; your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated by members of the
IBA teaching staff and programme management.
We also recommend that you subscribe to the following SIN channels:
RSM Bachelor 2 International Business Administration - IBA B2 general information
channel with messages from programme management
RSM Examination Board - The RSM Examination Board’s own channel
Tentamenlocaties (Dutch for Examination Locations) – seating assignments for exams in the
M-hall are announced via this channel
IBA Notice Board - where all non-programme related messages for IBA students are posted
Summary of workshop/team registration dates (per course) –Register via SIN!
Leadership, Sustainability & Governance (BAB27)
Registration for the mandatory workshops – Wednesday, 11 September – Sunday, 22 September via SIN-Online. Registration for examination via Osiris.
Philosophy of Science (BAB26)
You will not be required to register via SIN in order to take the BAB26 assignments.
Organizational Theory & Dynamics (BAB21)
Workshop and team registration – Monday, 23 September – Sunday, 29 September
Quantitative Decision Making (BAB19)
Plenary lectures (no registration required). Registration for QDM exam part 1 via
SIN-Online.
Student Advisers
The student advisers’ key task is to support students with their IBA studies. Students may
contact one of the student advisers for information, advice and/or guidance. The student
advisers are familiar with all aspects of the course programmes and can assist students in
making decisions in the fields of study planning, study choices, internships, exchange,
a second study, mediation with regard to examination board issues, etc.
Students who are not able to continue their studies or experience delays, for instance because
of personal circumstances such as illness, handicap, family circumstances etc., may also turn
to the student advisers for personal advice and guidance. For more information and contact
details please consult the following site: http://www.rsm.nl/study-advice/bachelor-iba/
Master Event
The next Master Event will be held on 29 October, 2013. This event will allow you to visit
lectures, workshops and a general information market about the RSM master programmes.
Staff and Master student ambassadors will be present to answer your questions. The Spring
Master event will be held on 15 April 2014. To learn more about the RSM Master programmes
please visit www.rsm.nl/master
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3 year Elective choices (Exchange or Internship/Minor + 5 ECTS elective)
Exchange: The application process for the fall 2014 exchange will take place starting in October. The deadline for submitting your exchange application for fall 2014 is 12 December 2013
(before 17:00). More information about the bachelor exchange will be provided during the
Bachelor 2 kick-off (Wednesday, 4 September, 09:00-10:00 in room M2-03), during the information session on BSc Exchange on Monday 14 October (9:00-10:45 in room CB-1), and
during the Study & Internships Abroad fair on 14 November, 2014.
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Minor: You have the option to take a minor at the EUR or at another university.
Minors on offer at the EUR: www.eur.nl/minor
Registration period: most likely April – May 2014
Register via: SIN-Online by subscribing to the “Minors” channel from the “EUR”
Extra information about the RSM minors is available here via the following site:
http://www.rsm.nl/home/sites/RSM_minor_website
Please note: You may only do a minor if you have obtained at least 60 ECTS
from the IBA curriculum.
Internship: Another option to consider is to conduct an internship which involves the research
of a practical problem that is carried out for an international organization abroad or in the
Netherlands (for non-Dutch students). To be used for credit, the internship must last at least
10 weeks full-time (the equivalent of 420 working hours). For information about finding an
internship, meeting the specific requirements for receiving credit, and much more, please
consult the ‘Bachelor Internship Manual’ and the ‘Bachelor Internship – Steps to Follow’ found
on the IBA Current Students page (http://www.rsm.nl/information-for/currentstudents/bachelor-iba/bachelor-3/internships/ ) .
There is no specific deadline for arranging your internship, however it is recommended that
you request approval from an academic coach for your internship proposal before the summer
months.
Please note: You may not do an internship for credits if you have not successfully
passed all of your B1 courses.
5 ECTS Options: There are a number of different options available to students who choose to
do a minor or an internship and who still need 5 ECTS in order to graduate. For detailed
explanations about these options, please consult the following Current Students page:
http://www.rsm.nl/information-for/current-students/bachelor-iba/bachelor-3/elective-options/
Questions? Contact Raechel Torner (rtorner@rsm.nl)
Interim Project – held in weeks 46-50 (after the Minor exams)
Elective course from another faculty / university
Language Elective - after successful completion of 2 modules of the same language. See IBA Current Students – Language Electives for more information.
Article 3.4 – fraud
1. If in the matter of taking an examination, fraud – within the meaning of Article 1.2, paragraph 2 – is detected or suspected, this is set down in writing as soon as possible by the
invigilator or the examiner whom he/she must call in. The invigilator or the examiner may ask
the student to make available any items of evidence. A refusal to do this is recorded in the
written report. The student is given the opportunity to add written comments to the written
report of the invigilator or examiner. The written report and any written comments are handed
over to the Examination Board as soon as possible.
2. The Examination Board or the examiner may exclude a student who has cheated from
further participation in the examination during which the irregularity was detected, and/or take
other appropriate measures. The exclusion has the consequence that no result will be established for the examination concerned. Before the Examination Board decides to make the
exclusion, it gives the student the opportunity to give his/her account.
3. The other appropriate measures as referred to in paragraph 2 may consist of, among others, the following sanctions:
a. reprimand; b. invalidation of the examination concerned; c. exclusion from the examination
concerned for at most one year; d. exclusion from one or more rounds of examinations; e. a
combination of the above measures with a maximum of one year. f. in a serious case of fraud
the Examination Board may advise the Executive Board to end the enrolment for the programme of the person concerned once and for all.
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Leadership, Sustainability & Governance
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Teaching staff:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
Student Representation:
(BAB27)
Leadership, Sustainability & Governance
BAB27
5 ECTS
1st Trimester
Dr. M. van Dijke (course coordinator), Prof. Dr. M. Kaptein, Prof.
Dr. R. van Tulder, & Prof. Dr. G. Whiteman
Plenary lectures, dilemma meetings
Monday & Wednesday (10 lectures), Monday & Thursday (3
dilemma meetings – see SIN Timetable)
Written exam, closed book, with open questions (75%); Participation during dilemma meetings (25%)
feedbackIBA@rsmsr.nl
1. Description of course content
Leadership, Sustainability and Governance (BAB27) presents an overview of theories and concepts that describe the relationships between domestic and international firms and their natural and social environment. This environment is complex
and entails a wide variety of stakeholders such as governments, competitors, NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs), shareholders, suppliers as well as employees. The environment also entails a wide variety of issues for which firms are often
(also) held responsible. At the core this interplay is about sustainability and ethics of
organizational conduct in all its facets.
Apart from the first lecture in which the course is introduced, the lectures are organized in four clusters. In order to build an integrated understanding of these issues,
the course is structured such that it starts with a cluster of two lectures on ethics, to
introduce the core concepts of the course. Subsequently, the second cluster (“leadership”) presents an analysis of characteristics of individual leaders, and leaders in
interaction with the teams and organizations that they lead in order to understand
how they influence the effectiveness and potential contribution to sustainable organizations. The third lecture cluster (“governance”) then addresses various governance mechanisms that are intended to protect the interests of various stakeholders
and which can thus also contribute to sustainable organizations and a more sustainable society. Is there a ‘business case’ for sustainability? Governance questions
not only play a role at the level of the organization, but also at the level of the network (supply chains, multi-stakeholder platforms) and society. Governance questions are closely related to sustainability questions. Finally, in the fourth cluster,
organizations are explicitly analyzed in the context of the natural environment.
After ten lectures, the exam will be organized. Then, students participate in three
dilemma meetings, which focus on complex managerial dilemmas in which the
discussion centers around a specific theme. These dilemma meetings are also
intended to make the course material more personally relevant to students, by linking it to their personal development in terms of their career and in terms of sustainability.
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2. Learning objectives
After this course, you will be able to:
• Name and discuss leader characteristics that contribute to effective and sustainable organizations;
• Explain how leadership processes at the interpersonal, team, and organization
level contribute to effective and sustainable organizations;
• Understand the comparison and differences between your own leadership skills
and the skills organizations and society are asking for;
• Determine how the business case for sustainability looks like and what the tipping
points are;
• Explain firm behavior in terms of relationships with stakeholders and governance
models; and
• Explain how the firm’s relationships with these various stakeholders relate to issues of sustainability and ethics.
3. The department
This course is offered by the department of Business-Society Management (B-SM).
This department also offers the course “Macro-economics & Institutional context,”
“Academic writing and critical thinking,” “Methodology,” and “Philosophy of Science”. In addition, the department offers various electives and minors e.g. about
climate change, compliance, corporate communication, behavioral ethics, partnerships, and non-profit management.
The Master Global Business & Stakeholder Management deepens your understanding of topics that are being covered in the course Leadership, Sustainability &
Governance. This Master focuses in particular on the ways in which these topics
can be dealt with by managers, and studied by scientists. This requires a strong
interdisciplinary, international and research oriented focus.
In addition to teaching, the department is also very active in basic and applied scientific research. Students can participate in this research by means of studentassistantships, internships, and research for their master thesis.
4. Study load
Lectures:
Studying literature:
Preparing case for dilemma meetings:
Dilemma meetings:
Exam:
Total:
20 hours
96 hours
12 hours
9 hours
3 hours
140 hours
5. Rules for dilemma meetings
There will be three mandatory dilemma meetings. The first meeting will take three
hours with around 40 students. The second and the third meeting will be 1,5 hours
long in groups of roughly 20 students.
You must register for a specific Group using SIN-Registrations; this is possible from
Wednesday 11 September until Sunday 22 September 2013. After this date, it is
no longer possible to register. Without registration, you will not be allowed to attend
the dilemma meetings.
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During a dilemma meeting, the literature and the lecture materials will be applied to
concrete cases that describe actual events in international firms. Therefore you
have to understand the cases, the literature and the lecture material. Additional
knowledge gained form the media might be very useful. You can find the cases on
Blackboard or in the literature.
When you register for the dilemma meetings, you are obliged to attend each of the
three meetings in the same group. This is necessary for the development of each
individual student and also for the development of the group’s discussion. For instance, when a specific argument is discussed in a dilemma meeting, it should be
possible to briefly refer to this at a subsequent dilemma meeting, without going into
all the details again. Missing a dilemma meeting will thus not be accepted and students will receive a subtraction of three points from their grade. In the event that
exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control prevent a student from missing a mandatory session then these circumstances must be communicated beforehand via an email to lsg@rsm.nl. Such requests will be evaluated on a case-bycase basis and may result in a replacement assignment or placement in a different
dilemma group. Such exceptions can only be granted if the absence can be validated with documented proof and if the absence was communicated before the
missed session via an email to lsg@rsm.nl.
Attendance and studying the required literature are necessary conditions to obtain a
grade. During the dilemma meetings, you will start with a dilemma meeting grade of
4 if you have fulfilled the necessary preconditions. You can earn extra points for
each dilemma meeting by engaging in the discussion. If you do not attend, you will
receive a point deduction of -3 on your LSG dilemma meeting grade, and if you
participate exceptionally well you can receive a maximum of 2 points per session.
Once you have obtained a grade for the dilemma meetings, this will be your final
grade. You cannot improve your grade for the dilemma meetings by participating
again in a subsequent year.
6. I WILL
During the dilemma meetings I WILL will be connected to leadership, sustainability,
and governance topics. I WILL is an initiative by RSM which enables you to share
your ambition with the world and to make it reality. I WILL and LSG wants to help
you to rely on your intellectual and personal leadership potential. To make a difference it is important that critical thinking will be transformed into practical actions.
Therefore we will address some topics during the dilemma meetings to trigger your
thoughts.
Before the first dilemma meeting you have to make sure you have a) an I WILL
statement and b) a Twitter-account.
a) I WILL statement.
This can be the same I WILL statement that you have previously created. Alternatively, you can adapt your statement. If you do not have an I WILL statement at all
you should create a new one before the start of the first dilemma meeting. You can
change your statement or create a new one during the I WILL photo-shoot at the
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end of September. You will receive more information about this via lectures and
announcements on blackboard.
b) Twitter account.
You can use your own personal twitter account or you can create a new twitter
account (www.twitter.com) specifically for the dilemma meetings. Before the first
dilemma meeting you have to tweet your I WILL statement with a # to your own
dilemma meeting group (for example #RSM2013dilemmagroup2a). You will also
receive more information about this via lectures and announcements on blackboard.
In this way we will question your plans, challenge your ambitions, clarify your future
career options and explore your possibilities during the dilemma meetings.
7. Literature
The following two books are used in the course:
• Van Tulder, R., Van Tilburg, R., Francken, M. & Da Rosa, A. (2013). Managing the
transition to a sustainable enterprise: lessons from frontrunner companies.
Earthscan/Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-71613-0 (paperback) or 978-0-415-71612-3
(hardback) (Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8).
• Northouse, P. G. (2009). Leadership. Theory and practice (6th edition) Sage
Publications. ISBN/EAN 9781452203409. (Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, and
14).
• 3 articles on Blackboard
1. Kaptein, M. & Wempe, J. F. (2011). Three General Theories of Ethics and
the Integrative Role of Integrity Theory. Available at SSRN:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1940393 or
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1940393.
2. Changing Pace (2012) World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
3. Bridging the Science-Business Gap (2012)
http://www.stockholmresilience.org/21/research/research-news/9-8-2012bridging-the-business-science-gap.html
Additional (no exam material):
• Guardian podcast on Planetary Boundaries with
han Rockstrom, Kate Rawoth (Oxfam) and Gail Whiteman:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/planetary-boundaries-limits-earthpodcast
8. Assessment and examinations
The written examination will count for 75% of your overall course grade. The exam
is closed book and consists of multiple choice questions and open ended questions.
Statistical analysis of the exam may result in one or more questions being removed,
which will affect the grading norm. The three dilemma meetings together are worthf
25% of your overall grade. This 25% is based on the quality and creativity of the
student’s contribution to the discussion.
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Your final grade is a weighted average of your grade for the exam (75%) and for the
dilemma meetings (25%). There is no minimum grade required for each of the two
individual parts that make up the final grade. Both grades will be recorded separately in Osiris. Osiris will calculate the final, overall grade automatically. The separate
grades will be valid in Osiris for 6 years.
If you choose not to attend the dilemma meetings, the maximum grade you can
receive for the course is a 7.5 (out of 10).
Final Examination: Wednesday, 9 October, 2013 – 09:30-12:30
Re-sit Examination: Wednesday, 2 July, 2014 – 09:30-12:30
Registration via Osiris is required. You can register from 35 to 7 days before
the examination.
9. Exam perusal
Place and time of possibilities to view your exam will be communicated via Blackboard and SIN-Online.
10. Exam preparation
You will need to study all chapters in the textbook and articles that are indicated as
part of the literature in the lecture schedule. Furthermore, all lecture content is
exam material. The cases and videos that you have to prepare for the dilemma
meetings will not be asked for in the exam, unless otherwise noted.
11. Students retaking the course
Students who have already received a dilemma meeting grade (25%) are not allowed to re-take the dilemma meeting aspect of the course. Any previous grade
that has been obtained for the dilemma meetings thus remains (including insufficient grades). You can retake the written examination. All examinations are based
on the content and conditions that apply to the 2013-2014 academic year.
12. Contact
Questions, remarks, and suggestions can be addressed to the course coordinator,
Marius van Dijke (mvandijke@rsm.nl). Questions about the course content and
literature can be addressed to the teachers during the lectures. The studentassistant Corona Meerman (lsg@rsm.nl) will answer questions on discussion
board, questions concerning the dilemma meetings and general questions. The
administrative office of the department Business-Society Management can be
reached at Telephone number 010-4081923. Teachers and staff do not have specific contact hours.
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13. Required reading per session
See My Timetable on SIN-Online for the exact dates, times, and locations.
Lecture
I:
Theme
Introduction
Professor
M. van Dijke
Literature
Van Tulder et al. (2013)
Chapter 1
Changing Pace (2012)
See Blackboard.
Three General Theories of Ethics and
the Integrative Role of Integrity Theory
(Kaptein & Wempe, 2011) See
Blackboard
Three General Theories of Ethics and
the Integrative Role of Integrity Theory
(Kaptein & Wempe, 2011) See
Blackboard
II:
Business ethics I:
Deontological ethics and
consequentialism
M. Kaptein
III:
Business ethics II:
Virtue ethics
M. Kaptein
IV:
Leadership I:
The leader as a person
M. van Dijke
Northouse (2009)
Chapter 1, 2, 4 and 6
V:
Leadership II:
Team leadership
M. van Dijke
Northouse (2009)
Chapter 8, 9 and 12
VI:
Leadership III:
Organisational leadership
M. van Dijke
Northouse (2009)
Chapter 3, 11 and14
VII:
Sustainability I:
The business case and
tipping points
R. van Tulder
Van Tulder et al. (2013)
Chapter 2 and 3
VIII:
Sustainability &
Governance I:
Stakeholders, supply
chains and challenges
R. van Tulder
Van Tulder et al. (2013)
Chapter 4 and 5
IX:
Sustainability &
Governance II: make it
practical, interventions
and management styles.
R. van Tulder
Van Tulder et al. (2013)
Chapter 6, 7 and 8
X:
Sustainability II:
The environment
G. Whiteman
Changing Pace (2012)
See Blackboard.
Bridging the Science-Business Gap
(2012)
See Blackboard.
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Organizational Theory & Dynamics
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Coordinator:
Teaching staff:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
Student Representation:
(BAB21)
Organisational Theory and Dynamics
BAB21
6 ECTS
1st Trimester
Dr. I. M. Bogenrieder
Dr. I.M. Bogenrieder (course coordinator), Prof. Dr. P.P.M.A.R.
Heugens, Dr. J. Essers
Lectures and interactive workshops (ws)
See schedule
50% M.C. exam (individual); 50% Final Assignment (team)
feedbackIBA@rsmsr.nl
Teaching staff:
Course coordinator:
Irma Bogenrieder, Course coordinator
Consulting hour: every Wednesday in T8-24, 10.00-12.00
E-mail: otdiba@rsm.nl
Student assistant
Email: otdiba@rsm.nl
Teachers:
Pursey Heugens, Juup Essers, Irma Bogenrieder
Consulting hours Heugens: Make an appointment at the department of Strategic
th
Management and Entrepreneurship (7 floor)
Email: cheintjes@rsm.nl
Workshop-supervisors:
Irma Bogenrieder
Juup Essers
Pushpika Vishwanathan
Secretary Department Organisation and Personnel:
Room: T8-28
E-mail: bverploegh@rsm.nl
Description:
The course Organisational Theory and Dynamics covers two themes as already
indicated in the title. The first theme is about analysing and diagnosing the structural elements in an organisation and its environment. Different organisational forms
and the social and technological structure of an organisation will be introduced and
discussed. The relationship between an organisation and its environment and its
effects on the organizational design is another important issue.
In the second theme we will concentrate on a more dynamic perspective of an organization. This theme will cover the broad area of organizational change. Types of
organisational change, change methods and how to implement change are im11
portant issues that will be discussed. Several perspectives on how to conceptualize
change will be introduced, especially the distinction between planned and emergent
change.
These basic concepts of organization, change and management are relevant for
understanding and evaluating any organizational context in which you as future
graduates of Rotterdam School of Management will operate. Because notions of
organization theory and dynamics are easy to understand, but require careful
thought when used to evaluate a complex organization situation, this course requires you both study the main theoretical concepts and also apply them in a real
life organizational context of your own choice.
As far as this last issue is concerned, the lectures will be complemented with an
assignment. In the assignment you are asked to make an analysis of a ‘real’ organization and recommend a change process. There will be two interactive workshops
in which student groups will get feedback on parts of the assignment or, rather, their
slides. This assignment will help you to apply the theoretical knowledge to real-life
situations. In this way you will experience how the knowledge gained in the lectures
is of use in ‘real-life’. Another goal of this company research is to get in contact with
business life.
Learning goals:
The course aims to

develop your knowledge of and insight in the main concepts of organization
structure and design; the influence of organizational context on these matters; processes of organizational change and development

develop your ability to describe, analyze and evaluate organizational structure & design, and processes of change and development.
After completing this course successfully, you will be able to:

Understand the history, content, and limits of the field of organizational theory;

Make an analysis of the structure of a formal organization and its technology
used;

Explain how the organization adjusts itself to its environment and vice versa;

Get a feeling for the informal aspects in an organization by using the ethnographic method;

Discern several different perspectives on organizational change and their
underlying assumptions;

Map several different organizational change methods;

Relate organizational change methods to perspectives on change;

Identify the needs for change by using interviews as method;

Appreciate and understand the personal and leadership dimensions of
change;

Differentiate between ‘planned’ and ‘emergent’ change;
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Skills
The general educational goal of the course is to learn basic academic and management skills. Academic skills include such things as understanding concepts,
recognizing and reflecting on the application of these concepts in a concrete situation, critical thinking and the ability to argue a point. The lectures and practical assignment require your active engagement and application of the subject matter.
During the first workgroup session you are asked to provide reasons and arguments
for your fit/misfit analysis. This supports the students’ academic and, more specifically, analytical skills. During the second workgroup session you are asked – as a
team – to announce a change project in front of an audience. This supports the
students’ managerial skills, i.e. communication. They now have to design their own
way how to communicate a plan.
Procedures: Lectures, company research and workshops
As implied by the name, the course consists of two theoretical fields of research:
organisational theory and change. Parallel to the lectures two partial assignments in
a ‘real’ organization have to be made which cover these two fields.
Lectures
In the first part of the lectures the most important subjects within organisational theory
will be discussed, mainly: organisation structure and its relationship with the environment. The different organisational forms that can be identified in the current business
environment will be explained. Two specific questions are in the foreground:
(1) Why do formal structures differ so drastically within different organisations?
(2) How can organisations develop a mutually productive relationship with internal as
well as external stakeholders?
Right from the start it will be clear that these two questions are closely connected.
In the second part of the lectures we will focus on organisational change. These
lectures will provide insight as to why organisational change is necessary, how to
analyze an organisation in order to identify the appropriate and necessary change. The
lectures will also offer insights in the various change methods available and the
initiatives necessary to make change really happen. We will also discuss forms of
change that are less planned, like organisational learning. Knowledge management
plays an important role here.
Company research (assignment)
You will work on in a team of 4 students on a research assignment in a company. As
a team you choose an organisation (government or private, profit or non-profit) of which
you will make an analysis and develop recommendations for change based on the
theoretical concepts from the lectures. By working on the partial assignments, which
are based on the two parts of the course, you will develop a coherent picture of an
organisation in terms of an analysis and accompanying needs for change. In the two
partial assignments you will use different methods for data gathering. Beside desk
research you will use ethnographic methods (for the first partial assignment) and
perform interviews (for the second partial assignment).
The final assignment consists of the improved versions of both partial assignments and
an extra assignment based on the two former ones. As the partial assignments are
13
handed in as powerpoint slides, the final report has to be rewritten as a text and should
have the structure of a report.
Below you will find a more detailed explanation of the company research.
Workshops
During the course there will be two workshops, for which you must enrol via SIN-online.
The workshops have two goals:
(1) In the first part of the workshop we will discuss ‘difficult’ issues as
manifest in the assignments. With the input of all the five teams we
will clarify such difficulties.
a. More specifically, the fit/misfit analysis in the first workshop
will be discussed extensively. As a preparation the fit/misfit
analysis should be summarized in a synopsis (in a figure, a
table or another type of overview) and printed out in A3
paper format. Please, bring this A3 sheet with you to the
workshop. There is no need to prepare a formal presentation. However, the team should be able to explain the
fit/misfit analysis.
b. In the second workshop the team should prepare a performance (see for this also the description of assignment
2). In this performance you announce in front of an audience (your classmates) that change is upcoming and you
try to be as persuasive as possible to get their commitment.
(2) You will get feedback on the content of the partial assignments; this
will be done in writing, as well as verbal feedback by the lecturer
during the workshop
Step by step: company research and workshops
The company research will start at the same time as the lectures. You will make two
partial assignments and a final assignment. The company research is related to a
specific organisation, which you will have to study up-close and from the inside.
Step one: forming a team
Teams in this course will consist of four students. You can start looking for teammates even before the classes start. This process will continue during the first week
of the classes (week 36). It is recommended that you form mixed teams; try to team
up with at least one Dutch-speaking student to help make the process of finding a
company in the Netherlands. Professors will not interfere with this process in any
way.
To form a team you have several options:
(1) Form a team with students you know
(2) We will open a site on blackboard (under ‘discussion forum’) on which you
can leave your personal information in order to find teammates. Staff won’t
interfere with this under any circumstances. The initiative is up to you
Be aware: At this stage there is no need to register your team composition somewhere.
14
Step 2: find a company
Right after the teams are formed you will start looking for a company. Week 39, at
the latest, you should have found a company that is willing to cooperate. As a team
you have the freedom to select an organisation - government or non-government,
profit or non profit - of your choice, as long as it meets the criteria formulated below.
You can choose to use the same company as you used for the course ‘Business
Plan’ (as long as the company meets the criteria of this course). The teams are
responsible for finding a case organisation and for maintaining the relationship with
this organisation.
The organisation you choose must meet the following criteria:

The company must have at least 20 employees

The company has to be at least 3 years old

You cannot study a staff department

If you choose to study a part of a larger company, that part has to be recognised as a relatively independent unit

The unit you chose to study must have an identifiable (internal) environment
When choosing a company, it is important to keep in mind that you have to use the
same company for both partial assignments and the final assignment as these assignments build on each other. Therefore, make sure you have access to the organisation during the entire course. It should also be ensured that you can make observations within the organization for the ethnography and have interviews with (at
least) two persons within the organization next to your contact person.
More specifically you will need the following input/effort from the case organisation:
Especially for the first partial assignment, it should be possible to gather general
information about the organisation structure, work processes, strategy, products
and services and the environment of the organisation. To do this you will need access to websites and other (non-confidential) written material. Besides that you will
make an ethnography of the informal organisation for the first partial assignment.
An ethnography is a detailed description (including pictures or videos) of how people in an organisation cooperate (a more detailed explanation of the ethnographical
method will be given during the second lecture in week 37).
For the second partial assignment it has to be possible to interview at least two
persons about their view on the need for change and the change process within the
organisation. Another question in these interviews will be how they think change
should be realised. These interviews will take approximately one hour per person.
The advantages for the company to participate could be:

You will offer fresh insights in their way of doing things and the organisational culture

You will analyze the necessary changes needed

You will formulate concrete recommendations how change should actually
be implemented

You will present your findings to the organisation if wanted; It is the responsibility of the team to make appointments how to communicate the
15
gathered insights to the company. This could be a presentation of the results, a report, or any kind of variation in between.
If you are not sure whether the chosen company is suitable for this assignment you
have the option to consult with I. Bogenrieder (T8-24) on Wednesday the 18th of
September (week 38) between 12.00 and 17.00. Keep in mind that this consultation
takes place along the principle of ‘first come – first served’. There could be a waiting
queue.
Be aware: There is no need to register the choice of your company somewhere.
Step 3: enrol the team for the workshops via SIN-online (mandatory)
Time: between Monday 23-9 and Sunday 29-9 (week 39)
In week 39 you will have to enrol for a workshop.
Keep in mind that there are several workshops taking place at the same time (parallel).
Make sure that you have all the names and student numbers from your teammates
available when you enrol.
Participating in the workshops is mandatory.
Keep in mind that your decision for enrolment for the first workshop will also determine the time of the second workshop. So, for example, if you enrol for Friday afternoon in week 41 for the first workshop you will automatically be registered for the
second workshop at the same time (Friday afternoon) in week 45.
Sep 4: working on partial assignment 1
Deadline for handing in the assignment (mandatory!!): Wednesday 2-10 (week 40),
17.00
Hardcopy in a box in front of room T8-28
Please make sure that you post the assignment in the right box
Handing in your partial assignment is mandatory. If you do not hand in the partial
assignment we will not be able to provide the final grade for the assignment.
Maximum number of pages: 7 powerpoint slides and 2 pages text about the ethnography
Line spacing: 1.5
A short description of partial assignment 1:
A detailed description will be published on blackboard during the course.
The first partial assignment will be introduced during the first lecture. In the following
lectures the theoretical background and the use of the ethnographical method will
be explained more thoroughly. The analysis that has to be made in this first assignment will be based on Nadler and Tushman’s model (see mandatory literature:
Palmer, Dunford and Akin (2009) Managing Organisational Change, p. 126-128).
The goal is to make an internal analysis of the organisation of your choice, as well
as an analysis of the environmental context of the organisation. Your analysis
should clearly indicate points of fit or misfit in the organization and between the
organization and its environment. You will, for example, gather information about
16
the size of the organisation, personnel characteristics and the organisational structure. You will also study the external environment, for example by looking at stakeholders and external dependencies. Furthermore you will have to analyse the fit
between different parts of the applied model. The better this analysis is conducted
the easier it will be to finalize partial assignment 3 as this assignment builds on the
analysis performed in assignment 1. The ethnographical method (which will be
explained in week 37 more thoroughly) will be used to describe the informal organisation. This method invites you to make pictures or videos of the internal social
interactions. This method intends to look ‘through the eyes’ of the persons involved.
Step 5: attendance at the workshops in week 41/42 (mandatory)
All four team members of every team have to attend the workshop. If not, you won’t
get (written and oral) feedback on your assignment 1.
There are five teams in a workshop of 100 minutes, which means there are 15
minutes for every team.
During the workshop we will discuss issues from assignment 1 and present your
fit/misfit analysis based on the A3 print. Afterwards every team will get individual
feedback from the tutor on their analysis. Besides this oral feedback you will also
get written feedback and an indicative grade. This grade is solely meant to inform
you about your performance. This grade will not be registered as an official grade.
Please bring a print in A3 format with a synopsis of your analysis with you to facilitate the explanation of the identified fits and misfits between the organization’s
environment and the internal structure of the organization.
The following goals should be achieved by the workshop:

The written and verbal feedback will help you to improve the partial assignment 1. Thus, the feedback is meant to be constructive.

Based on the feedback you should improve/change the first partial assignment, as assignment 1 is also part of the final assignment. Be aware
that in the final assignment all your findings from partial assignment 1 have
to be expressed as text

During the workshop extra attention is paid to the fit/misfit analysis as this
analysis is the groundwork for assignment 3/final report
You will work on the second partial assignment in the weeks following the first
workshop.
Step 6: working on the partial assignment 2
Deadline for handing in the assignment (mandatory!!): Wednesday 30-10 (week
44), 17.00.
Hardcopy in a box in front of room T8-28
Please make sure that you post the assignment in the right box
Handing in your partial assignment is mandatory. If you do not hand in the partial
assignment we will not be able to provide the final grade for the assignment. Maximum number of pages: 7 slides in powerpoint format
17
A short description of partial assignment 2:
A detailed description will be published on blackboard during the course.
The second partial assignment will change the level of analysis from a diagnosis to
considering change and interventions. You will have to interview at least two persons within the organisation next to the information you gathered from your contact
person. Together with your contact person you will first identify a concrete change
project you should focus on in your assignment 2. In this contact with your contact
person you will have to determine which change is considered necessary, and why
(see chapter 3 of the mandatory literature: Palmer, Dunford, Akin (2009) Managing
Organizational Change).
In the other two interviews, preferably with persons from a different ‘level’ in the
organisation, you should get insights in the way how this change project (as mentioned by the contact person) can be realised successfully. In assignment 2 the
most important part is to develop recommendations which method for change is the
most appropriate to realise de desired change goal, which steps have to be taken,
and the best way how to communicate during the process of change (see chapter 6,
7, 8 and 10 of the mandatory literature: Palmer, Dunford, Akin (2009) Managing
Organizational Change).
Step 7: attendance of the workshop in week 45/46 (mandatory)
The structure of the second workgroup is more or less the same as the first.
All four team members of every team have to attend the workshop. If not, you won’t
get (written and oral) feedback on your assignment 2.
There are five teams in a workshop of 100 minutes, which means there are 15
minutes for every team.
During the workshop we will discuss issues from assignment 2. Then you will announce the planned change in front of your classmates based on a ‘performance’.
Afterwards every team will get individual feedback from the tutor on their analysis.
Besides this oral feedback you will also get written feedback and an indicative
grade. This grade is solely meant to inform you about your performance. This grade
will not be registered as an official grade.
As just mentioned we expect a ‘performance’ by every team: this can be a formal
presentation, a visionary speech, a role play, an information session, a video message etc. etc. The performance has as goal to announce the upcoming change
project. You as a team try to design this performance in such a way that everybody
will get enthusiastic about the change. Your classmates represent the employees in
‘your’ organization. It is important in this performance to be persuasive towards the
employees with the goal to inform them, persuade them of the necessity and advantages of change, and, finally, to get their active commitment. The ‘performance’
should not take longer than 3 minutes.
The following goals should be achieved by the workshop:
18



The written and verbal feedback will help you to improve the partial assignment 2. Thus, the feedback is meant to be constructive.
Based on the feedback you should improve/change the second partial assignment, as assignment 2 is also part of the final assignment. Be aware
that in the final assignment all your findings from partial assignment 2 have
to be expressed as text
During the workshop extra attention is paid to the persuasiveness of your
performance – thus the efficient use of a communication strategy. The performance itself is not part of the final assignment.
Step 8: handing in the final assignment (mandatory)
Deadline: Monday 25-11 (week 48), 17.00
Hardcopy in a box in front of room T8-28
Please make sure that you post the assignment in the right box
You will also have to upload an electronic version of the final assignment via the
digital dropbox on blackboard.
Period for submitting the electronic, final version: Monday 18-11 until Friday 29-11,
midnight (please do not upload the pictures)
Handing in a final report is mandatory. 50% of your final grade will be based on this
final assignment.
Maximum number of pages: 20 (excl. Appendices)
Line spacing: Multiple 1.2 (at least)
A short description of the final assignment:
A detailed description will be published on blackboard during the course.
The final assignment is based on the two partial assignments and some additional
work. It will consist of an improved version of both prior assignments but now put in
a report (instead of powerpoint). In partial assignment 1 you made, among other
things, an analysis of the ‘(non)fit’ between different (internal and external) elements. In partial assignment 2 a change project as identified by your contact person
was worked out. You performed interviews to determine and recommend a change
process. Beside the improved and text versions of these two earlier assignments,
you will add answers to the following points in the final assignment:
1. Where, according to you, is the most important misfit or not optimal fit
among the elements as analysed in assignment 1 that should be solved?
You thus develop own suggestions which misfit should be taken up in a
change project.
2. Based on these suggestions you also develop recommendations how
these changes should be realized. Which method would you recommend?
You also provide reasons for your recommendations. However, there is no
need to elaborate your recommendations in detail.
3. General reflection. In the description of assignment 3 some guiding questions can be found. Make an open, interesting and sincere reflection about
the problems you encountered during the assignment and about the group
19
process. A superficial note will cost credits. This reflection is again teamwork.
The final assignment will be an integrated version of the two partial assignments
plus the questions mentioned above – laid down in a report.
Literature and other course materials
Mandatory literature
o Hatch, M.J., Cunliffe, A.L. (2006) Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic, and
Postmodern Perspectives (3rd edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
o Palmer, I., Dunford, R., Akin, G. (2009) Managing Organizational Change.
McGraw-Hill International Edition
Blackboard
o Detailed assignments
o Additional literature on interviews and the ethnographical method
o Other miscellaneous materials
Exam
Weight
50%
Multiple choice exam (individual):
the MC exam will consist of 30 MC questions with four answer alternatives.
The questions will be about the mandatory literature and the subjects discussed during lectures. Questions for practice purposes will be published at
the end of the course on blackboard.
50%
Final assignment (team)
The weighted final grades will be published via the exam administration/Osiris.
All other partial grades will also be published on SIN-online.
The final exam will be held on Monday, 9 December, 2013 from 9:30-12:30. Registration via Osiris opens 35 days before the exam and closes 7 days before the exam.
The re-sit exam will be held on Saturday, 19 July, 2014 from 9:30-12:30.
In case your grade is not sufficient to pass this year, partial grades equal to or above
5.5 (meaning the partial grade for the final report or the grade for the MC exam) will be
valid in the next academic year but not longer. It is not possible to do a retake of the
company research during the current academic year.
In case you want to ‘carry over’ a partial grade from the last year, please send an email
to bverploegh@rsm.nl indicating your intention.
Re-examination of final report
A re-grading of the company research (final report) is only possible if a form (which
can be found on blackboard) is filled out. You must provide a detailed explanation
why you think the grade for the final assignment is incorrect. By sending an email to
bverploegh@rsm.nl you will get access to your grading form.
Keep in mind that a re-examination might also imply that the grade will end up lower
then it was before!
20
The form with the re-examination request must therefore be signed by all four team
members.
There is a re-sit for the MC exam during the academic year.
Rule regarding minimum grade requirements
Article 5.2 point 4 of the examination rules for Business Administration states the
following:
“If the examination part of a course is assessed on the basis of more than one examination, no final grade for the examination part will be calculated if one of the
examination grades is lower than a 4.5. Examinations that can be taken only once
per academic year, most likely practicals such as case reports and team assignments, are exempted from this rule.”
In other words: the minimum grade requirement rule does not apply to the company
research, but to pass the course you have to get at least a 4.5 on your multiple
choice exam.
Deadlines
The deadlines for handing in your assignments are very strict. Negotiation or delay
is not possible. If you cannot meet the deadline you will not get the partial grade
and, thus, no final grade either. So make sure you will hand in all your assignments
on time.
Bonus points for research participation
RSM Erasmus University is a worldwide leader in management research, through
the work of the members of the Erasmus Research Institute of Management
(ERIM). ERIM is the joint research institute of RSM and the Erasmus School of
Economics. Practically all the teachers that you meet in class are members of the
institute and they are active in research two days per week on average.
During this term, you will be offered the opportunity to participate in research studies in return for bonus points towards the final grade of this course. Participation is
entirely voluntary.
Participation in these studies will provide you with additional learning opportunities,
as a complement to the content of the lectures. Through participation in research
studies, you will become aware of the nature and insights of management research
and learn about a variety of research areas and methods in an engaging manner.
During the lectures of this course, reference will be made to the critical role of empirical research and research methods in producing the business knowledge that is
taught in this course.
You will be able to earn a maximum of 0.4 points contributing towards your final
grade for this course. This means that during this term you can participate for
course credits in a maximum of two sessions of approximately 30 minutes. Note
that bonus points will only be awarded if the final grade for the course (without bonus) is at least 5.5. The bonus points are valid for both the regular exam and the re-sit exam during the academic year 2013/14.
21
You will be able to participate in research studies to earn bonus points for this
course between the following dates: 09/09/2013 and 15/11/2013. Additional information about registration procedures will be announced in class and on Blackboard
at the beginning of the course. Reminders and deadlines will be communicated
during the term via email. Check your student email regularly.
All studies will take place at the Erasmus Behavioral Lab (EBL), which is located on
the 12th floor of the T building. To access the lab, you will need to use the elevators
located towards the back of the T building. The bonus points are only valid for the
current academic year (in other words, the bonus points expire after the re-sit exam). You are responsible for checking that your credits have been attributed to the
correct course after each experiment. If a mistake occurred or if you want to reassign your credits to a different subject, please contact the system administrator
before the deadline: 15/11/2013. Note that credits earned in past terms cannot be
reassigned to this course.
You can sign up for a research session via the Erasmus Research Participation
System (ERPS). To register, log in at www.rsm.nl/lab. On the platform you will also
find FAQs that should answer most of your practical concerns. If you have problems
logging in, or if you have any remaining questions regarding the course credits or
your profile information, please contact the ERPS administrator, not the teacher(s)
of this course. The name of the administrator is Elisa Maira; you can contact her at
the following email address: maira@rsm.nl.
22
OTD Course Schedule
Lecture
Monday 11.00-12.45 hours (except wk. 36 and
38)
Literature
Lecture Thursday 5 Sept. 14.00-15.45 hours
- Introduction design of the course and procedures;
- Introduction company research and partial
assignments;
- Introduction diagnosis and diagnostic models;
- Introduction ‘interview’ as a method
- explanation bonus points
- Palmer et al.
Ch. 5
- article about
‘interview’ as a
method
37
PH
- Why organisation theory
- Introduction ethnographical method
- Hatch et al.
ch. 1, 2, 6
- article about
‘ethnography’ as a
method
38
PH
Lecture Tuesday 17 Sept. 9.00-10.45 hours
- The social and technical structure of organisations (I)
Hatch
ch. 4, 5, & 7
39
PH
- The social and technical structure of organisations (II)
- Basis characteristics; organisational design and
authority line
Hatch
ch. 4, 5, & 7
40
PH
- Organisation and environment (I)
- Ratio behind choices of design: task environment influence and social legitimacy
Hatch
ch. 3, 8
41
PH
- Organisation and environment (II)
- Ratio behind choices of design: The institutional
environment
Hatch ch. 3
42
JE
Overview of change approaches:
- images of change
- preparation for partial assignment 2
Palmer et al.
ch. 1,2,3 & 4
43
JE
Consultancy(I)
- Organization Development
- cognition and change
44
JE
Consultancy (II)
- Managed Change; n-step model
- Resistance to change
Palmer et al.
ch. 6, 8, 9
- hand in partial assignment 2;
deadline: Wednesday 30-10,
17.00
45
JE
Consultancy (III)
-Example
Palmer et al.
Ch. 10, 11
- Workshops
46
JE
Organizational Learning (I):
- emergent change
- organizational learning-models
- social networks and other “enablers”
Hatch, ch. 9 & 10
- Workshops
47
JE
Organizational Learning (II):
- Community of Practice and other forms
Summary, wrap up
Preparation for exam
- hand in final assignment
(hardcopy and digital);
deadline: Monday 25-11
50
Exam
Mon. 9-12, 9.30-12.30
Wk
36
IB
Other activities and deadlines
- form a team of 4
- find an organisation that
meets the criteria
- find an organisation that
meets the criteria
- enrol as a team for workshops; between 23-9 and 29-9
- hand in partial assignment 1;
deadline: Wednesday 2-10,
17.00
- workshops
- workshops
Palmer et al.
ch. 7
23
Philosophy of Science
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Coordinator:
Teaching staff:
Course structure:
Course schedule:
Examination:
Student Representation:
(BAB26)
Philosophy of Science
BAB26
3 ECTS
1st Trimester
Prof. dr. Hans van Oosterhout
Prof. dr. Hans van Oosterhout, Jorien Pruijssers MSc.
Plenary Lectures, essay assignments
Lectures in weeks 36-47 on Tuesdays
Written examination, MC
feedbackIBA@rsmsr.nl
Office Hours
By appointment only! Substantive questions are to be asked during class, so that
other students can benefit from the answers given. For all other questions, please
use the breaks during the plenary lectures. Questions about grades are best directed to the secretary Janneke Suijker (jsuijker@rsm.nl) phone: 010-4081405.
Questions about the assignments are best directed to Jorien Pruijssers MSc.
(jpruijssers@rsm.nl)
Course Overview
The course Methodology of Management Science focused on the selection of appropriate research methods for the scientific analysis of managerial issues. This
Philosophy of Science course not only addresses deeper philosophical questions of
how scientific research as a human activity can track the truth about ‘management
reality’, but also has the aim of providing a conceptual apparatus to understand and
evaluate the assumptions and truth claims of the many different theories that exist
in the field of management. Management is an interdisciplinary field, and therefore
harbors different theories that explain management reality using different concepts
and relying on very different assumptions. Sometimes theories in management
even give incompatible accounts of the same phenomenon. For both researchers
and future managers it is important to be able to make a reasoned choice between
the theories that apply to a specific phenomenon. This course not only seeks to
provide students with the conceptual apparatus that is relevant in choosing between
different theoretical perspectives, but also aims to develop the critical abilities of
students to analyze and evaluate theories in management.
Learning Goals
The principal objective of this course is to equip students for evaluating and choosing
between the many different theories in the field management. Questions that will be
addressed during the course include:
1. What is the difference between theories and concepts, on the one hand,
and facts and empirical research on the other?
2. To what extent can and should theories in social science be based on
facts and empirical research?
3. Should there be room for concepts and theories that do not reduce to facts
and observations?
24
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
If we accept non-empirical concepts and theories in social science, how do
we establish their validity?
What are the assumptions of theories in management, and to what extent
are these assumptions scientifically acceptable?
Should we look only at behavior in social science, or do human intentions
also matter in explaining social reality?
To what extent can social science be value free?
Can social science say something sensible about normative questions, or
should social scientists remain silent about normative issues?
Course Information
There are no prerequisite requirements for students to take this course.
Although there are no mandatory lectures or other meetings in this course, attending the lectures is strongly advised as most exam questions will come from the
topics discussed in the lectures.
Lectures
There will be 11 weekly plenary lectures for this course. The lectures will take place
each Tuesday from week 37 until week 47. Please see the table below for an overview of topics that will be discussed at each weekly lecture. An overview of the
literature to be studied will be given during the first class. Students are advised to
read the literature before they come to class as much as possible, so that questions
can be asked during classes and explanation can focus on topics that are difficult
for students to understand.
Week
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
Topics
Introduction and instructions
Philosophy of science: Ontological and Epistemological issues
The ideal of positive science 1: Logical Positivism and the Standard View
The ideal of positive science 2: Critical Rationalism and Pragmatism
The ideal of positive science 3: Paradigms
The ideal of positive science 4: Summary, Conclusion and Discussion
Theoretical Theme 1: Functionalism and Evolution
Theoretical Theme 2: Rational Choice Theory
Theoretical Theme 3: Understanding vs. Explaining
Theoretical Theme 4: Individualism vs Holism
Summary lecture and practicing exam questions
Literature
One book and several articles will need to be studied for this course. The book was
especially made for this course, and will outline the basic content for the course.
The book will be made available through STAR and Studystore in the first week of
September:
25
T. van Willigenburg (2012) Introduction to the Philosophy of the Management Sciences Utrecht: Kant Academy. (Please note: New edition!)
There will also be a reader with different articles. A syllabus for the course which
includes all the required readings outside the book will be posted on blackboard
under course documents. This syllabus will contain the electronic links to all articles
you will need to study for this course. Please note that you will need to be logged
in through the VPN network of the university to access these articles. In the
event that articles are available only in hardcopy, they will be sold at the secretariat
of the Department of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship in room T7-25.
Two take home essay assignments
In addition to the exam (see below) there will be two essay assignments that have
the form of a take home exam. The overall grade for this course is calculated based
on the average grade of the essay assignments (2 x 15%) and the MC Examination
(70%). It is possible to re-sit only one of the two assignments, but only in the event
that a student has failed one of the assignments or in the event that a student did
not turn in the assignment. This re-sit opportunity (with the previously mentioned
limitations) will take place in the beginning of January, when the final assignment
grades will be published in Osiris.
You will not be required to register via SIN to take the assignments. All students
subscribed to the BAB26 SIN course channel will be given access to the submission system where the assignments can be uploaded. If you complete one or both
of the assignments then you will receive an assignment grade in Osiris. As explained below under ‘assignment re-sit’, students will not be allowed to retake the
assignments, and the points earned for the two assignments will stand as they are
for the remainder of your studies at RSM (the average assignment grade and the
examination grade are recorded separately in Osiris).
The assignments consist of writing an essay in response to a number of pointer
questions. The contents of this assignment will be published on Blackboard (BB)
once the relevant materials have been dealt with in the plenary lectures. The essay
assignments must be done individually and will need to be uploaded via the SIN
submission system.
After each of the 2 assignments is graded, you will have the possibility to register
for a perusal. Please note that the perusal is only intended to provide you with an
opportunity to check whether any mistakes were made in the grading. The perusal
is not meant to provide you with feedback, as feedback is given in written form
together with the grades for the assignments. Nor does the perusal provide you with
an opportunity to have your exam graded again. There are strict and formal procedures for appealing to grades that must be followed in case of an appeal.
Detailed information about the assignments (including deadlines, how to submit
your assignments, and assignment perusals) will be available via Blackboard.
26
Examination Dates
Final Examination: Thursday, 5 December, 2013 13:30-16:30
Re-sit Examination: Saturday, 12 July, 2014 9:30-12:30
Registration via Osiris required. You can register from 35 to 7 days before the
examination.
Assessment and Examinations
The final exam for this course will consist of 40 multiple choice questions (4 alternative answers per question) about all lectures and course materials and will count for
70% of the course grade. Jointly, the two take home essay assignments count for
the remaining 30% (i.e. 15% per assignment).
Assignment Re-sit
Please note that is possible to re-sit only one of the two assignments, but only in
the event that a student has failed one of the assignments or in the event that
a student did not turn in the assignment. This re-sit opportunity (with the previously mentioned limitations) will take place in the beginning of January (exact
dates to be announced), when the final assignment grades will be published in
Osiris, after which these grades will stand as they are for the remainder of your
studies at RSM (please note that grades in Osiris are only valid for 6 years).
Students Retaking the Course
Students retaking the course from years prior to 2013 who have not yet received an
assignment grade must complete the assignments and exam for the 2013-2014
academic year. If a student has already received an assignment grade from a previous academic year then they will not be allowed to re-take the assignments (see
paragraph above); they may only re-take the examination. All examinations and
assignments are based on the content and conditions that apply to the 2013-2014
academic year.
Examination Perusal
The date, time and place of the perusal will be announced when the grades are
published.
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Quantitative Decision Making
(BAB19)
Course name:
Course code:
Course load:
Term:
Coordinator:
Teaching staff:
Student assistant:
Course structure:
Quantitative Decision Making
BAB19
6 ECTS
1st Trimester
Dr. R. Kuik
Dr. R. Kuik, and Dr. M Pourakbar
Anna Troitskaya
Plenary lectures (2 hours per week), Response lectures (2
hours per week)
Course schedule:
PL Wednesdays (9.00-11.00 with the exception of week 41), RL
Fridays (9.00-11.00 with the exception of week 44)
Examination:
Two partial exams, See SIN-Online (2x)
Student Representation: check BB site
Department of Technology & Operations Management
Secretary: Room T9-26; Tel: 010-4082032
Course Overview
This course gives an overview of a number of quantitative modeling techniques that
can be used to support decision making processes. These techniques come from
the broad area that is known as Operations Research or Management Science.
This area focuses on techniques for describing problem situations in terms of quantitative models for generating appropriate or optimal solutions (“how to?”) or for
evaluating problem situations under varying situations (“what if?”). Such techniques
can be used in application areas such as Logistics (production and transportation),
Marketing, and Finance. The application of such techniques may lead to more efficient business processes or to better service for the customers.
The techniques that are covered by this course are the following:

Markov models (during 3 weeks),

Waiting line models (during 3 weeks), and

Linear programming models (during 5 weeks).
Waiting line models and Markov models can be used to analyze stochastic business processes. Linear Programming is a deterministic optimization technique.
Learning Goals
The student is able to understand the added value of the quantitative modeling
techniques, and to apply the presented techniques in relatively simple examples.
That is, in such situations, the student is able to translate the problem situation into
a quantitative model, and to analyze the model with the help of the presented techniques. The student understands the presented concepts and techniques, and can
participate in discussions on the results of the application of these techniques.
Course Information
More information will follow on Blackboard.
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Literature
th
Hillier & Hillier - Introduction to Management Science 4 edition (ISBN
978-007-128931-3), McGraw Hill, offered at Erasmus Studystore as a custom book for a reduced price (ISBN 978-112-121739-3.
Synopsis Quantitative Decision Making –Random Processes- 2013, available at Erasmus Shop, and as an electronic version in pdf-format through
Blackboard. Note: the 2012 edition of the synopsis can still be used.
Examination Dates
Exam Part 1: Saturday, 26 October, 2013 9:30-11:30
Exam Part 2: Monday, 2 December, 2013 13:30-15:30
Re-sit Examination: Monday, 7 July, 2014 9:30-12:30
Note: Additional details concerning registration dates will be available via SIN.
Registration for Exam Part 1 will take place via SIN-Online. For Exam Part 2 and
the re-sit exam, registration via Osiris required. You can register from 35 to 7 days
before an examination.
Assessment and Examinations
The course grade is based on two partial written open-book tests. For each part one
may obtain a maximum of 50 points. The second partial written test contains both
multiple choice questions and open questions.
The course’s end result is computed from adding the points for the two partial tests.
A partial test cannot be retaken.
The course’s re-sit examination takes place on 7 July, 2014. The re-sit is an integrated examination covering all of the course’s materials (and is thus worth 100% of
the final grade).
There is no minimum grade requirement for the two partial tests.
Consultation hour/Forum
During the course there is a weekly consultation hour. Dates and time are announced through Blackboard.
The course’s Blackboard site also hosts a forum where students can ask questions.
Students Retaking the Course
Students retaking the course must exams as they are required for the current academic year. The examination for re-takers is thus based on the content and conditions that apply to the current academic year (2013-2014).
Examination Perusal
The date, time and place of the perusals will be announced when the grades are
published.
Final note
The examination dates are provided as a service. One needs, however, to always
verify dates on the BSc IBA Examination Schedule 2013-2014 (available via the IBA
Current Students website): http://www.rsm.nl/information-for/currentstudents/bachelor-iba/
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International Business Administration (BSc IBA) – Academic Year 2013-2014
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Satisfied or Dissatisfied with your courses?
Speak your mind and contact us with your complaints or suggestions at
feebackIBA@rsmsr.nl.
We are always looking for motivated students interested in improving courses of the International Business Administration program. If you want to become a part of the Student Representation, please contact us.
Website: www.rsmsr.nl or at info@rsmsr.nl.
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