ILRID 1531 - Introduction to the Sociology of Organizations

Spring. 1.5 credits. Letter grades only.

B. Rissing.

Organizations are a prominent, but often taken-for-granted, feature of contemporary society. Organizational sociology is the study of how and why organizations look and operate as they do. There are two key assumptions that underpin this course. The first is that organizations (not individuals) are critical actors in today’s society. The second follows from this: Understanding contemporary political, economic and social events requires an understanding of the forces that drive organizational actions. In this context, we will survey a variety of sociological theories and related empirical studies that address questions about the factors that shape contemporary organizations, and the way in which organizations affect individuals and society. In the first part of the class, we begin by thinking about broad questions concerning the relation between modern organizations and the society in which they exist. In the second part of the class, we consider sociological work addressing issues in organizing – creating and running organizations efficiently, and managing external relations effectively. We conclude by discussing ways in which organizations and organizing are changing.