MAN 605: Mastering Complexity in Organizations – How to navigate through the complexity of our times
Contents
Complexity is the main challenge of management in the 21st century. Only those organizations that know how to use complexity and rapid change intelligently to create and defend competitive advantages will thrive in the long run.
This course equips students with the theories, concepts and tools to be successful in the age of fast change and multiple options. It is a comprehensive introduction into the world of systems, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence. Students will learn about the basic concepts of complex adaptive systems like variety, connectedness, emergence, and self-organization. They will understand how cybernetics, the science of communication and control, can help them to design adaptive and resilient organizational structures that scale. They will discover how the human brain copes with complexity and how computers and artificial intelligence can improve individual and group decision-making processes in complex environments.
This course provides both theoretical foundations and practical applications, endowing students with the skills to effectively navigate and manage complexity in a variety of contexts.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand the theoretical foundations of complexity.
2. Analyze the impact of complexity on organizations.
3. Diagnose and design effective organizational structures.
4. Learn how to debias individual and group decision-making processes.
5. Assess the role of AI in mastering complexity.
6. Collaborate effectively in groups to solve real-world cases.
7. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
8. Communicate findings and recommendations effectively through group deliverables and a final report.
Necessary prerequisites
–
Recommended prerequisites
Master-level knowledge on organizations (e.g., MAN 691 Selected Topics in Organizational Behavior)
| Forms of teaching and learning | Contact hours | Independent study time |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 SWS | 15 SWS |
| ECTS credits | 6 |
| Graded | yes |
| Workload | 180h |
| Language | English |
| Form of assessment | Oral presentation (50%), commented slides (30%), participation in class (20%) |
| Restricted admission | yes |
| Further information | The course will be limited to 16 participants |
Examiner Performing lecturer |  | Prof. Dr. Karin Hoisl Dr. Sebastian Hetzler |
| Frequency of offering | Spring semester |
| Duration of module | 1 semester |
| Range of application | M.Sc. MMM, M.Sc. WiPäd, M.Sc. VWL, M.Sc. Wirt. Inf., LL.M. |
| Preliminary course work | – |
| Program-specific Competency Goals | CG 1, CG 2, CG 4 |
| Literature | • Journal articles • Case studies Available for downloads via ILIAS |
| Course outline | • Complexity as main challenge in the 21st century • Basic concepts of the Theory of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and System Theory • Modelling complexity • Controlling complexity • Application (Viable Systems Model) • Decision making in complex systems including the role of AI • Wrap-Up |