MICRO-STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONS
A Free Online Asynchronous course for researchers taught by Phanish Puranam
This course introduces the micro-structural approach to studying organization design.
The basic premise of this approach is “organization is aggregation”.
It treats complex organizations as combinations of simpler organizations.
The focus is on the aggregation mechanisms that operate within and between them.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Phanish Puranam
Phanish teaches and does research in organization science, specifically organization design.
More details can be found on his home page at INSEAD.
The research on which this course is based was generously supported by INSEAD
and the European Research Council.
COURSE MATERIALS
Updated December 2020
SESSION 0: GETTING STARTED
This course introduces a particular approach to understanding and designing organizations- the micro-structural approach. Here is a short video of an interview that outlines this approach.
In the next video, I discuss course pre-requisites, materials and how to organize yourself to get the most from it
Please note that the primary text for this course is my book "The Microstructure of Organizations" (also on Amazon). You will need to make your own arrangements to obtain the book and other additional readings in case your university library does not have them.
A copy of the course syllabus is here.
SESSION 1: THE CASE FOR THE MICRO-STRUCTURAL APPROACH
Pre-readings:
1. Preface & Chapter 1 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
2.Reviewing, Revisiting and Renewing the Foundations of Organization Design (Joseph J., Bauman O., Burton R.M. and Srikanth K, Organization Design 2018)
Video 1.1: Session Overview (Part A & Part B)
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 1 in the syllabus before seeing Video1.2.
Video 1.2: Session Debrief
SESSION 2 : BEHAVIORAL FOUNDATIONS
Pre-Readings
1.Chapter 2 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
2.Van Vugt (2017) Evolutionary psychology: Theoretical foundations for the study of organizations Journal of Organization Design 6:9
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 2 in the syllabus before seeing Video2.2.
A discussion with Siegwart Lindenberg about Goal Frame Theory and Aggregation, Parts A, B, C and D.
**Additional technical material**- In the syllabus under Session 2, you will find materials introducing how to model adaptive rationality using reinforcement learning
SESSION 3 : DIVISION OF LABOR
Pre-Readings
(please read before seeing the video # 3.1)
Chapter 3 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
Raveendran, Silvestri and Gulati (2020) : The Role of Interdependence in the Micro-Foundations of Organization Design: Task, Goal, and Knowledge Interdependence, AOM Annals, Vol 14, No 2
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 3 in the syllabus before seeing Video 3.2
A discussion with Marlo Raveendran about the micro-foundations of interdependence Part A & B
**Additional technical material**- In the syllabus under Session 3, you will find materials introducing how to model interdependence
SESSION 4: INTEGRATION OF EFFORT
Pre-Readings
(please read before seeing the video # 4.1)
Chapter 4 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
Joseph and Gaba (2020): Organizational Structure, Information Processing and Decision Making; A retrospective, and roadmap for research AOM Annals, Vol 14, No 1
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 4 in the syllabus before seeing Video 4.2
A discussion with Vibha Gaba and John Joseph about the information processing view on integration of effort Part A & B & C.
**Additional technical material**- In the syllabus under Session 4, you will find materials introducing how to model integration of effort.
SESSION 5: AUTHORITY & HIERARCHY
Pre-Readings
(please read before seeing the video # 5.1)
Chapter 5 & 6 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
Klapper and Reitzg “On the effects of authority on peer motivation: Learning from Wikipedia”, 2018 Strategic Management Journal (39)8
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 5 in the syllabus before seeing Video 5.2
A discussion with Markus Reitzig about authority and hierarchy in organizations, both traditional and novel Part A & B
SESSION 6: INFORMAL VS FORMAL ORGANIZATION
Pre-readings:
(Please read before seeing Video#6.1)
Chapter 7 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
Chatman JA, O’Reilly CA. 2016. Paradigm lost: Reinvigorating the study of organizational culture. Research in Organizational Behavior 36: 199–224
B. McEvily, Soda, G. & Tortoriello, M. (2014). More Formally: Rediscovering the Missing Link between Formal Organization and Informal Social Structure. The Academy of Management Annals. 8(1) 299-345.
Video 6.1 Session Overview
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 6 in the syllabus before seeing Video 6.2.
Video 6.2: Session Debrief
A conversation with Ranjay Gulati about the state of the field in understanding the links between formal and informal organization, Part A and B .
SESSION 7: NOVELTY IN ORGANIZING
Pre-readings:
(Please read before seeing Video#7.1)
Chapter 8 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
Video 7.1 Organization Design in the Age of AI
Please stop and think through the Reflection questions for Session 7 in the syllabus before seeing Video 7.2.
Video 7.2: Grand challenges in Organizational Design
SESSION 8: NOTES ON METHODOLOGY
Pre-readings:
1. Chapter 9 from "The Micro-structure of Organizations" by Phanish Puranam
2. Falk, A., & Heckman, J. J. (2009). Lab experiments are a major source of knowledge in the social sciences. Science, 326, 535-538.
A conversation with Thorbjorn Knudsen about the value of computational models in organization design research: Parts 1, 2 and 3
A conversation with Oliver Alexy on the unique value of qualitative research methods for understanding organization design, part A & B.
Suggestions for further reading can be found for this session in the syllabus.
You might also find useful the video lectures for this PhD level technical course: Modeling Organizational Learning (the entire series of video links can be found under each video)
A guide to Data-Driven Organization Design (with Julien Clement)
On INSEAD Knowledge
Non science (non) fiction
CONTACT THE INSTRUCTOR
Please email me with your questions/ comments about the course through this link. Do note I check this email regularly but not very frequently. Thanks for your patience.
Email: