Summary of “Lesson 1 – Managing & Organizations (M&O)”
1. Course Overview
The course Managing and Organizations introduces students to contemporary
management theories, focusing on how organizations work, how people behave
within them, and how managers make sense of complex, globalized environments.
The course consists of lectures, a final exam (80%), and a portfolio of reflections
(20%). The portfolio requires short reflections per lecture and one cohesive
concluding text (max. 2000 words).
2. Key Themes of M&O
The course covers three major areas:
People: individuals, teams, groups, leadership, motivation
Practices: culture, conflict, power, politics, communication
Processes & Structures: knowledge, learning, innovation, ethics,
sustainability, organization design, globalization
3. Lecture 1 – Managing People in Organizations
3.1 Making Sense of Managing
Management is not merely a technical activity. It involves:
Communicating, coordinating, and enabling action
Managing relationships with stakeholders inside and outside the organization
Navigating social, political, and ethical responsibilities
Engaging in sensemaking, meaning the continuous process of interpreting
and giving meaning to events
Sensemaking acknowledges that people constantly update their understanding of
situations based on new cues, experiences, and narratives.
3.2 Sensemaking, Framing, and Constructivism
Managers shape meaning through sense-giving (helping others interpret events)
and sense-breaking (challenging old interpretations).
Framing involves defining what is relevant and shaping understanding using stories,
metaphors, symbols, traditions, and artefacts.
1. Course Overview
The course Managing and Organizations introduces students to contemporary
management theories, focusing on how organizations work, how people behave
within them, and how managers make sense of complex, globalized environments.
The course consists of lectures, a final exam (80%), and a portfolio of reflections
(20%). The portfolio requires short reflections per lecture and one cohesive
concluding text (max. 2000 words).
2. Key Themes of M&O
The course covers three major areas:
People: individuals, teams, groups, leadership, motivation
Practices: culture, conflict, power, politics, communication
Processes & Structures: knowledge, learning, innovation, ethics,
sustainability, organization design, globalization
3. Lecture 1 – Managing People in Organizations
3.1 Making Sense of Managing
Management is not merely a technical activity. It involves:
Communicating, coordinating, and enabling action
Managing relationships with stakeholders inside and outside the organization
Navigating social, political, and ethical responsibilities
Engaging in sensemaking, meaning the continuous process of interpreting
and giving meaning to events
Sensemaking acknowledges that people constantly update their understanding of
situations based on new cues, experiences, and narratives.
3.2 Sensemaking, Framing, and Constructivism
Managers shape meaning through sense-giving (helping others interpret events)
and sense-breaking (challenging old interpretations).
Framing involves defining what is relevant and shaping understanding using stories,
metaphors, symbols, traditions, and artefacts.
