Economic Structure of Organisations
Code: 104802Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Communication in Organisations | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Josep Maria Colomer Mur
- Email :
- josemaria.colomer@uab.cat
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
There are no specific prerequisites. It will be adapted to the context of communication students.
Objectives
Once the course is completed, the student must be able to achieve an integrated vision of the economic structure and functioning of organizations, identifying the elements that determine their viability, sustainability and efficiency, and applying this knowledge to the analysis and resolution of situations specific to their professional field.
Upon completion of the subject, the student will be able to:
Understand the basic concepts of economics applied to the functioning of organizations and their relationship with the economic environment.
Identify the main sources of income, cost structures and financing mechanisms that determine the economic viability of an organization.
Prepare operational and project budgets, estimating income, expenses, resource needs and alternative scenarios, as a tool for planning and management control.
Analyze the economic viability of projects or activities through the application of basic indicators of efficiency, profitability and sustainability.
Assess the economic impact of organizational decisions, integrating efficiency, responsibility and sustainability criteria.
Learning outcomes
- Work independently to solve problems and take strategic decisions on the basis of the knowledge acquired.
- Submit high-quality coursework on time, which requires attention to both individual and group work.
- Describe the fundamentals of organisations' business structures in order to generate original ideas about the context.
- Explain the functioning of organisations in the context of the general economy.
Contents
INTRODUCTION TO THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZATIONS
The organization as an economic unit.
Economic objectives and value creation.
Resources, activities and economic processes.
THE ORGANIZATION IN ITS ENVIRONMENT: IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT ON THE STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZATIONS
Market, environment and competition. Oscillations and disruptions.
Adaptation of organizations to industry 4.0. Consequences, adaptation to change, opportunities.
Technological innovation, digital transformation and incorporation of AI in the structure of the organization.
EFFECTS OF MACRO-ECONOMIC OSCILLATIONS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
Influence of macroeconomic oscillations on the structure of an organization.
The black swan event and its effects on the structure of the organization.
Why do companies go bankrupt?. Hypothesis of inherent instability. Genesis of a crisis in a company.
THE ORGANIZATION AS A VALUE GENERATOR.
The concept of value in organizations
Mission, vision and corporate values
The concept of value proposition.
Innovation and corporate social responsibility as value generators
RESOURCES AND STRUCTURES: HOW ORGANIZATIONS ARE SUSTAINED
Economic impact of the supply chain. Supply Chain Management.
The cost structure: fixed, variable, direct and indirect costs.
The primary cost allocation table. Investment costs. The depreciation table.
Tax costs: Direct and indirect taxes.
THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS FINANCIAL NEEDS.
Financial needs of the organization: basic concepts.
Internal financing funds / external financing funds. The financial system.
Difference between economic and financial structure.
Key components of a company's financial structure.
What is a budget and how is it prepared.
THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS STAKEHOLDERS
Principles, dimensions and stakeholders.
Managing stakeholders. The Influence Matrix.
Managing the environment: Porter's five forces.
Case analysis
THE OUTPUT OF THE ORGANIZATION: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Inputs-Outputs relationship of the organization
Innovation and socio-economic impact.
THE ORGANIZATION AND DECISION-MAKING
Evolution of the work organization.
Decision-making systems. Models and trends.
Case analysis
BENCHMARKING OF THE ORGANIZATION.
Evaluation and continuous improvement of products and services.
Benchmarking and its usefulness.
How to carry out an organizational benchmarking study.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL IMPACT.
The balance between efficiency, effectiveness and social responsibility.
New economic models (circular, collaborative, social economy).
Ethical financing and social economy / other models.
The course content will be sensitive to issues related to gender perspective and the use of inclusive language.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical classes | 17 | 0.68 | 1, 4 |
| Theoretical classes | 32.5 | 1.3 | 3, 4 |
| Study of theoretical concepts, elaboration of exercises and cases | 83.9 | 3.356 | 1, 2 |
| Tutorials | 15 | 0.6 | 3, 4 |
The subject seeks to analyze the organizational decisions of the company within an economic context.
For this it is necessary
1.Exhibit the main concepts and theories
This will be done through lectures and additional readings
2 Exercises to reinforce the understanding of the concepts
This will be done through the resolution of problems in the practical classes. Also in these practical classes the active participation of the students is pursued through the search for news published in the media of general scope or specialized in economics or business.
3 Applications to analyze specific problems of reality
This will be done through the study of cases and other examples from the economic news.
The teaching methodology may undergo some modification depending on the dynamics of the group. The subject gives great importance to the presence and the active participation of the student.
The detailed calendar with the content of the different sessions will be displayed on the day of the subject presentation and will also be available on the Virtual Campus of the subject, where students will be able to find the various teaching materials and all the information necessary for the proper follow-up of the subject. In the event of a change in teaching modality due to force majeure according to the competent authorities, the teaching staff will inform of the changes that will occur in the subject programming and teaching methodologies.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| written work | 22% | 0.352 | 0.014 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Problem resolution | 21% | 0.336 | 0.013 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Final Exam | 35% | 0.56 | 0.022 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| development and presentation | 22% | 0.352 | 0.014 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
The evaluation of the course will consist of:
A final exam. In this exam, the student will be evaluated on the basis of all the contents presented throughout the course. The mark of the final exam will count 35% of the final mark of the course. The remaining 65% will be based on the student's performance in the course.
The course is passed when the final mark is equal to or higher than 5.0 (five).
Evaluation of student performance: A good performance requires: i) class attendance and active participation. Class attendance will be monitored and is expected to be no less than 80%; and (ii) submission of scheduled exercises and activities. The scheduled exercises and activities consist of: (ii.1) problem solving covering some topics of the course; (ii.2) development and presentation in class of material related to the contents of the course; (ii.3) a written paper on a topic directly related to the content of the course. All these aspects (i) class attendance and (ii) the delivery of exercises and the completion of the programmed activities will be supervised during the course and will result in a mark, which will count up to 65% of the final mark of the course.
Those students who do not take the final exam will be considered \"no-shows\" (\"not evaluable\").
At the end of the course, the final marks will be published. The final mark for the course is the result of weighting the different aspects subject to evaluation: The weight of the exam is 35% and the weight of the activities the 65%.
Retake Process
\"To be eligible to participate in the retake process, it is required for students to have been previously been evaluated for at least two thirds of the total evaluation activities of the subject.\" Section 3 of Article 112 ter. The recovery (UAB Academic Regulations). Additionally, it is required that the student to have achieved an average mark of the subject between 3.5 and 4.9.
The re-evaluation will consist of taking another final exam, which will include all the contents developed during the course. The student's performance (activities performed) will not be reevaluated. The re-evaluation consists only of the final re-evaluation exam. As a result of the final re-evaluation exam, the maximum mark for the course will be 5.0 (five).
Mark review procedure
Coinciding with the final exam, the day in which the final marks will be published will be announced. Likewise, the procedure, place, date and time of the exam review will be announced in accordance with the University regulations.
Irregularities in evaluation activities
In spite of other disciplinary measures deemed appropriate, and in accordance with current academic regulations, \"in the case that the student makes any irregularity that could lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation activity, it will be graded with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case of various irregularities occur in the evaluation of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0\". Section 10 of Article 116. Results of the evaluation. (UAB Academic Regulations).
The proposed evaluation activities may undergo some changes according to the restrictions imposed by the health authorities on on-campus courses.
The single assessment system for the course is structured as follows: A) 40% – Theoretical Examination: Students must obtain a passing grade (5 out of 10 or higher) in this component in order to pass the course. This is a compulsory requirement. Please note that the format of this examination differs from that of the continuous assessment model. B) 30% – Case Study Assessment: Resolution of four applied case studies or communication challenges. C) 30% – Final Project Submission: An analytical study on the management and structure within an organization, based on primary sources. A (40%) + B (30%) + C (30%) = 100% Final Grade for the Course
Second-time students
In the case of students in the second or more calls, the professor responsible for the subject may decide to evaluate through a synthesis test, which allows the evaluation of the learning outcomes foreseen in the teaching guide of the subject. In this case, the qualification of the subject corresponds to the qualification of the synthesis test. (Article 267.2 of the academic regulations of the UAB. https://www.uab.cat/web/lauab/itineraris/normatives/normativa-academica-1345668305783.html).
Use of Artificial Intelligence
In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed as an integral part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution of the student in the analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a penalty of a grade of 6 for the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.
The UAB is part of Law 3/2022 on university coexistence, which considers total or partial plagiarism or presenting as one's own a text generated with AI without declaring it, as a very serious offense that may result in the invalidation of the work or the suspension of the subject.
- The use of AI tools is permitted only as support and must be explicitly declared.
- Any AI-generated content that influences the work must be properly cited.
- It is necessary to indicate how AI has been used (ideas, writing, revision, etc.).
- The student is responsible for the veracity and quality of the final content.
- The use of AI without declaration or the presentation of generated content as one's own may be considered plagiarism.
- Failure to declare the use of AI may result in a grade of Insufficient.
Bibliography
Zoltan J. Acs and Daniel A. Gerlowski (1996), Managerial Economics and Organization. Prentice-Hall Inc (ISBN: 0-02-3002921).
Carmen Galve Górriz, María Pilar Rivero Torre y otros (coords.) (2012). \"Introducción a la economía de la empresa.\" Editorial: UNED.
Lucía Alegre Saz, Carmen Berné Manero, Carmen Galve Górriz (2000), Fundamentos de la Empresa: Perspectiva Funcional. Ariel Economía (ISBN 10: 8434421771).
Emili Grifell-Tatjé and C.A. Knox Lovell (2015), Productivity Accounting. The Economics of Business Performance. Cambridge University Press: New York. (ISBN 978-0-521-88353-5).
Joan Enric Ricart, Mariano Anderle Rodríguez, Pablo Sánchez, and Luis Ventoso (2005), The Sustainable Enterprise. Learning from DJSI Leaders. Fundación BBVA. (ISBN: 84-8856223-3).
Rosa Rodríguez De Castro (coord.) (2015). \"Economía de la empresa para ciencias sociales.\" Editorial: Pirámide.
Paloma Sánchez y Mercedes Torregrosa (2001). \"Economía de la empresa: una perspectiva de organización.\" Editorial: McGraw-Hill.
Software
The course will provide the software if needed.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 7 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |
| (SEM) Seminars | 71 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |