Organizations increasingly rely on technologies to operate, organize, and innovate in this digital/big data era. This course focuses on the relationship between technologies and organizations: how technologies shape organizational practices and performances, and how technologies transform the way we work, facilitate collaboration across space and time, and afford new forms of organizing and innovating. It is essential for managers to understand and utilize technologies to successfully manage and solve current organizational and managerial problems. Topics covered in this course include the IT impact on organizations, new forms of organizing such as online communities, social media, and digital platforms, IT-enabled open innovation, and the future of work with cutting-edge digital technologies including AI, algorithms, automation and data analytics.
The learning will take place via multiple aspects combining class discussions, lectures, case studies, and a group project. The class will cover various topics that represent cutting-edge issues in management and technologies based on seminal and most advanced research and practices in technologies and organizations. These topics are chosen to complement learning in other courses and will introduce important concepts, perspectives, frameworks, and approaches that are necessary and timely for a career in managing organizations and technologies.
Students are expected to attend the class fully prepared to discuss the assigned readings. You need to read articles or a case beforehand and contribute to in-class discussions. Active participation is the key to learning in this course. You will actively engage with the discussions in class to collectively make sense the assigned readings and understand the practical implications of the readings and topics covered in the class. You are also expected to reflect what you have learned in the class and to take into account those learning for your group project. Theoretical perspectives, frameworks, and findings of the literature will help you think deeply and guide you how you can address business/managerial problems you face in the real-world practice.