Friday 20 September 2013

Introduction to organisations

I've flirted with the idea of an MBA for a long time. Let's see if it's stimulating or dull.

Are street gangs an organisation? The lecture starts by looking at what's in and out of the definition. Structures of people with "collaborative pursuit of specified goals"...

It's interesting to think about this in relation to my other Coursera lecture this week, on the growth of trade along the silk road. Were the caravanserai an organisation? I think yes, but one which dissolved when the shared goal was attained.

Tentative conclusion: a bit dull. Prof speaks in bullet points and I'm not fascinated yet. I'll carry on but if I'm not getting stories within a week or two, I'm going elsewhere. I would have been so much happier if the school examples had all been related back to Hogwarts. In fact, management lessons from Hogwarts is a JK Rowling spin off that someone should write. Chapters could include:

  • professional boundaries - contrasting the behaviours of Dumbledore and Hagrid
  • recruit wisely, check references - Alestor Moody as a what not to do case study 
  • performance matters - Professor Trelawny was coasting for the last 18 years, why was there no improvement plan?
  • reward your star performers - why it was right to give Hermione the time-turner
  •  cast out your serpents - the usurper Umbridge
  • etc. 
Actually - that was fun. Maybe I'll write the book myself?

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