Program Overview

Course Overview

The course SMF1193, Organizations and Management, is a foundation course that provides a general introduction to the management sciences, with a special focus on organization and leadership topics. The course is taught in Norwegian and aims to develop students' understanding of the basics of the organization and leadership field and how these topics are related.

Course Details

• Credits: 7.5
• Level: Foundation courses, level I
• Course start: Autumn 2025
• Duration: 1 semester
• Language of instruction: Norwegian
• Location: Gjřvik
• Examination arrangement: Home examination

About the Course

Course Content

The course is designed to introduce students to the management sciences, focusing on organization and leadership topics. It covers a range of core topics, including:

• Organization theory perspectives
• Strategy
• Organizational structure
• Power and conflict
• Decision-making processes
• Communication
• Organizations and their environments
• Learning and innovation
• HRM, including topics such as trust and motivation
• Organizations and change
• Leadership in organizations
• The Nordic model
• Sustainability in an organizational context

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

After completing this course, students should have a comprehensive understanding of core phenomena within the field of organizations and leadership, understand the core concepts of the field, and understand how the different topics of the course are related.

Skills

Students should be able to work independently and in groups to apply theory in analysis and problem-solving related to a range of practical organizational phenomena, analyze and discuss current issues in organizations, and communicate ideas based on theory and class discussion.

General Competence

Students should be able to analyze organizational life, substantiate claims made in analysis by building on theory and practical examples, access and acquire new knowledge from relevant research, identify relevant and current issues for organizational development, and communicate and discuss those ideas with leaders and coworkers.

Learning Methods and Activities

The course includes lectures, group work, case solutions, and discussions. Students form permanent groups to work together throughout the semester. Mandatory activities include one obligatory assignment in a group, which must be approved to be entitled to sit for the exam.

Evaluation

The course evaluation consists of a 4-hour individual written home exam, open book. There is a re-sit examination in August. Approved obligatory assignments from the last three years give exemption from resubmitting.

Specific Conditions

Admission to a program of study is required, including:

• Business Administration (BŘA)
• Business Management (BŘKLEDC)
• Business Management (ĹRŘKLED)
• Civil Engineering (MIBYGG)
• Civil Engineering - Engineering (BIBYGG)
• Computer Science - Engineering (BIDATA)
• Digital Infrastructure and Cyber Security (BDIGSEC)
• Electrical Engineering (BIELEKTRO)
• Logistics Management (BLOG)

Recommended and Required Previous Knowledge

There are no specific recommendations or requirements for previous knowledge.

Course Materials

The main course material is "Hvordan organisasjoner fungerer" by Jacobsen, Dag Ingvar og Thorsvik, Jan (2025), along with articles and book chapters published on Blackboard.

Credit Reductions

This course has academic overlap with other courses, including SMF1193F, SMF2051, ORG1100, and AL. If overlapping courses are taken, a credit reduction will be applied to the course with the lowest grade or the most recently completed course if grades are the same.

Subject Areas

The course falls under the subject area of Organization and Leadership.