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Rolf Strom-Olsen

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Critical Perspectives on Management

IE Business School

About this Course

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This course is designed for students of all backgrounds who have an interest in how firms are governed, the forces that have helped define modern management practice, and the outcomes of that practice not only for the firm itself, but also for the societies in which they operate. For students who are thinking of a career in management, it may also prove useful as a basic introduction to some of the conceptual vocabulary and ideas behind modern theories of management. 
Using a wide disciplinary approach - from economics and history to social theory and even a smattering of biblical criticism - the course will invite students to consider several core management strategies and priorities from often unexpected perspectives in order to judge their success or failure. The key objective of the course is to bring into critical focus how we think about the function and culture of management, how managers understand their role within a firm, how they take decisions, set priorities and benchmark success and failure. 

Topics include: the function of the firm; the role of incentive; the ways in which narrative forces shape decision making, and how market relationships define the managerial culture in ways that can lead to sub-optimal outcomes.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Beginner Level

Approx. 17 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 17 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

5/5 (24 Ratings)

Rolf Strom-Olsen

Offered by

IE Business School

IE Business School is an internationally recognized business school where the leaders of tomorrow shape their ideas and learn to become global citizens. For over 40 years, IE Business School has promoted innovation and change in organizations, equipping managers with an entrepreneurial mindset that generates employment, wealth, and social well-being.

Regularly featured among the top business schools in the world, IE Business School has an urban campus in Madrid and a faculty of more than 400 professors who teach students from approximately 90 countries in its undergraduate and master programs. IE uses innovative online, face-to-face, and blended learning formats, including the IE Communities Platform where knowledge and experiences are exchanged with over 50,000 IE graduates that currently hold management positions in more than 100 countries worldwide.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating93%(1,203 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

The Lessons from Rome Part I

In Ancient Rome, merchant organisations very similar to modern firms were critical to capitalising key markets and to solving serious logistical problems to enable a vibrant trading network across the Mediterranean, including, critically, supplying the city of Rome itself with the food its citizens needed to survive. We will examine the Roman grain market and the organisations that operated within that market to ask: what, exactly, is a firm? What led to the firm's evolution? And what is the issue of agency that a firm inevitably entails?

4 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 62 min), 3 readings, 5 quizzes

6 videos

Before We Begin13mIntroduction4mThe Problem of Information10mThe Problem of Transaction Costs8mInstitutional Solutions and The Agency Dilemma12mSupplemental (optional) Video - Class Discussion on the role of Freedmen13m

3 readings

Syllabus & Readings10mGrading and Logistics10mReading & Study Questions1h

5 practice exercises

Introduction10mThe Problem of Information10m The Problem of Transaction Costs10mAgency & Agency Costs10mOne: The Lessons from Rome Part I30m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

The Lessons from Rome Part II

3 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 46 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

What is Innovation?

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 50 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

The Power of Narrative

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 95 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

9 videos

Examples of Commonplace Narratives 13mTowards a Metacritical Concept of Narrative 13mHome-Buying as An Investment 10mIrrationality in The Marketplace 9mContext Analysis 8mThe Behavior of Market Actors 9mA Cognitively Dissonant Market?13mWhy Didn't The Federal Reserve Act? 9mNarrative Structures and Managerial Decisions: Concluding Remarks 8m

1 reading

Reading & Study Questions1h

2 practice exercises

Commonplace Narratives & Metacritical Understanding10mFour: The Power of Narrative30m

Week5

Week 5

2 hours to complete

Is Shareholder Value a Good Idea?

Perhaps the most important lecture of the course. Almost all publicly traded firms are beholden, either explicitly or implicitly, to the principle of creating shareholder value. This week, we look at the history of this idea, how it has become widespread as a principle of corporate governance and how it has changed fundamentally the nature of the firm over the last 40 years. We will look at who the shareholders are, where their interests lie and what they have gained from this development. We will consider the wider and long-term consequences both for the firm and society. And we will ask - is this the kind of capitalism we really want?

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 66 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week6

Week 6

3 hours to complete

Case Studies

We look at the examples of two companies whose experiences encapsulate many of the core ideas of the course. The first is Apple, which, in the context of reporting their quarterly earnings in the Spring of 2013, committed an unprecedented amount of its capital reserves to a share repurchase scheme and dividend increase. We will look at the motivation and logic for this move. The second is Nokia (which has subsequently sold off its mobile phone business to Microsoft). We will look at how the company rose - and then dramatically fell - from its position as market leader in mobile communications.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 87 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Critical Perspectives on Management

Critical Perspectives on Management

About this Course