AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide in-depth knowledge on the functioning of public administrations, the power dynamics within complex organizations and the main theoretical paradigms that have inspired the trajectories of public sector reform in many countries: New Public Management, Public Governance, Nudge. The central themes addressed concern administrative reforms and the different approaches to design and change from a comparative perspective. In this sense, different organizational solutions implemented in various institutional contexts will be analyzed. The course aims to develop knowledge to be applied to the design of change interventions, analyzing the complexities that characterize administrative reforms. Using tools and methodologies of the social sciences, such as case studies and comparative approaches, the processes of diffusion of changes and administrative innovations will be analyzed. The course aims to provide the knowledge useful to carry out the analysis of individual processes of innovation in public administrations and students will be asked to critically read the specificities, solutions and effects that various organizational designs can have in different institutional and organizational contexts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the students will be able to:

• Describe the dialectic relations between the political and administrative sphere in relation to the organizational models in order to detect the main problems related to the public/private sphere.

• Analyze the reforms and solutions within the complexities that interest the public sphere and administrative context.

• Identify both opportunities and constraints in human resources.

• In the analysis of public administration activities and public administration reforms the students will be able to distinguish between judicial, political and economic logics identifying the prevailing logic that drives the changes.

TEACHING METHODS

The course will be carried out with frontal lectures. All students are required to keep up with the readings and to participate actively in class discussion also through presentations focused on case studies or theoretical insights; in both cases the topic must be decided together with the lecture.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course presents main theoretical and empirical approaches for the analyses of public administrations adopting a political science perspective and, more specifically, an organizational theory approach. The main topics covered will be: the classics of organizational theory; public administration as organization and model of power; organizational culture and climate; organizational and institutional change; the role of PA in political, social and economic systems; human resources management; New Public Management; the Nudges.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compulsory readings:

- A. Lippi, Modelli di amministrazioni pubbliche; Bologna, il Mulino, 2022.

- B. Bolognini, L'analisi del clima organizzativo, Roma, Carocci, 2014.

Non-attending students will need to bring one of the following texts in addition:

- M. Penco, Tra chiesa e impresa. Strategia del cambiamento e vincoli organizzativi nell'università italiana, Genova, ECIG, 2011.

- R.H. Thaler e C.R. Sunstein, Nudge. La spinta gentile: La nuova strategia per migliorare le nostre decisioni su denaro, salute, felicità, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2022

- F. Di Mascio e A. Nataliani, Oltre il New Public Management, Roma, Carocci, 2018

- G. Bonazzi, Come studiare le organizzazioni, Bologna il Mulino, 2006.

- B. Bolognini, La formazione nelle organizzazioni, Roma, Carocci, 2012.

- B. Bologini, L'effetto PA e l'innovazione organizzativa delle amministrazioni, self publiching, 2024.

Alternative texts may be agreed with the professor.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARCO REMONDINO (President)

LARA PENCO

FABIO SOZZI (President Substitute)

PAOLO LORENZO GAMBA (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February 17, 2025

codice teams jdtle78

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3A26IXe5Rm1gcGoXuh2rCeomBcQWkzzQiz9DT0M5hnuXs1%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=c5dc99c9-122d-41ef-aa15-c330d2a9f777&tenantId=6cd36f83-1a02-442d-972f-2670cb5e9b1a

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral.

Attending students will have the opportunity to present a case study or a theoretical analysis in class, which will be evaluated and contribute to the final grade.

Non-attending students may also submit a written paper on a case study or a theoretical analysis, which must be sent to the professor via email at least one week before the exam. This written paper will then be discussed and commented upon during the exam.

All presentation topics must always be previously agreed upon with the professor

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is oral (for both attending and non-attending students) and is based on all topics covered during the class and in the suggested texts. For non-attending students, the oral exam will also include a discussion of the in-depth paper (if any).

The oral exam will be evaluated based on the completeness of the topics covered, the analytical precision with which theoretical concepts are presented, the possible connections established between different themes discussed in the course, the mastery of technical language, and the ability to apply what has been learned to specific problems. The questions on the chosen text will specifically aim to assess the student’s ability to apply analytical tools provided during the class.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students will find additional materials on Aulaweb to better understand suggested texts and to prepare presentations or written papers.

"It is suggested to non-attending students to get in touch with the Professor to better prepare the final exam.