Lecture 1: Organizations studies: theories and key concepts

Lecture 2: Fundamentals of organization structures

Lecture 3: Organization as open systems : the external environment

Lecture 4: Organization size, life cycle, and decline

Organizational Life Cycle Stages

Stage 1: Entrepreneurial Stage

• Focus: Product development, finding customers, and survival.
• Structure: Small teams, informal communication, centralized decision-making by the founder.
• Challenges: Lack of management experience, funding issues.
• Crisis: Need for leadership → The founder must hire managers to scale operations.

Stage 2: Collectivity Stage

• Focus: Growth, expanding customer base, hiring employees, and setting up basic processes.
• Structure: Hierarchical departments form (e.g., marketing, finance).