Digital Innovation and Virtual Organizing in a Global Setting

COURSE OBJECTIVE
This course focuses on three specific objectives:

Knowledge:
• Understanding the new business environment and workplace practices enabled by digital technologies (Internet, mobile technologies, virtual worlds).
• Understanding how working, coordinating, and managing in this new business environment is different from traditional workplace.
• Experiencing management and communication situations common due to the pervasive applications of digital innovation and virtual environments in a global setting.

Academic Skills:
• Being able to analyze the specific requirements of active, successful collaborations and organizing in international environment based on the opportunities that digital technologies offer.

Broadening your Horizon:
• Experience the broad range of new organizing and working practices in global business environment by being introduced to the real-life challenges of digital organizing in a global environment and experience practices that can help them cope with these challenges.

COURSE CONTENT
The courses in this semester centre around the international context of the international business environment. Period 4 specifically introduces you to the environment of developed economies and what this means for different disciplines, in this case technology. Work is increasingly being done virtual and communication extents more and more to social media, which calls for using expertise developed outside the formal boundaries, for example in networks and ‘crowds’. Also, the introduction of robots and so called ‘smart offices’ radically change traditional work practices. The possible consequences of these new digital and virtual technology on how we collaborate and coordinate our work are often predicted but not yet fully and academically understood. In this course, you will learn about the latest insights of new technologies, its consequences of virtual organizing and how internationally operating organizations, ranging from small start-ups to multinationals use digital tools and practices to easily coordinate and collaborate independent from physical boundaries. Guest speakers will introduce you to their world of working internationally by means of the latest technologies. You will also gain hands-on experience with working in international student teams.

TEACHING METHODS
Lectures Tutorials

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Written exam – Individual assessment Assignment(s) – Individual assessment Assignment(s) – Group assessment Class Participation

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Business Information Systems