UMass Boston

Course Overview

Description

Organizations are at the heart of markets and societies. Profit-seeking corporations transform economic resources into outputs via organizations; governmental agencies delivered services and regulate other organizations; and numerous non-governmental organizations, from unions to churches to advocacy groups, constitute the realm of civil society. Organizations shape how a society functions. They are the vehicles through which societal-level interests and agendas are channeled. They represent a form a structural power; some groups systematically benefit relative to others as a result of how organizations operate. Organizations are frequently the target of public policy, as they are sites of both societal aspirations (productivity, innovation, opportunities for advancement) and societal challenges (inequality, discrimination, pollution, deception). Organizations can also be arenas of resistance and change, advancing new ideas and addressing old problems. An understanding of organizations - their sources of power, their role in governance, and their structures and processes - is therefore highly relevant for future researchers who wish to conduct studies of use for policy analysts, activists, and managers in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.