Handbook

This course covers the design and redesign of organisations and work. The focus of this course is on the general concepts and enduring principles that underlie the process and practice of redesign. Many of these concepts and principles will be illustrated by our analysis of case studies.

Our aim is not to give a cookbook of all possible new technologies or management techniques with detailed prescriptions about their implementation. Such a cookbook would quickly outlive its usefulness. Rather, this course is concerned with enduring design concepts and principles that transcend particular types of ‘buzz’ initiatives or management fads. These concepts and principles can be applied to all sorts of redesigns, not just those currently ‘in vogue’. We consider not just how to design the organisation to deliver on the organisation’s strategy, but also how best to implement new organisation designs. We consider how team and individual work can be designed to align with the organisation design. Finally we review examples of particular initiatives that have significant implications for strategic redesign including mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing and downsizing.