This is a course on economic development that examines the manner in which organizations – both in the private and public sector – can shape the growth and distribution of wealth in a country or region. Poverty and poor living standards in the developing world are frequently traced back to alleged pathologies in countries’ institutions, structural conditions, or levels of social capital. Some kinds of organizations help reduce or overcome these pathologies and allow their countries or regions to grow economically and improve social wellbeing. For example, an effective planning agency in Korea promoted rapid (if unequal) technological and economic growth in South Korean businesses. Similarly, many NGOs promote development by explicitly seeking to build beneficial networks between individuals or groups to diffuse technologies or information or coordinate with one another. But other forms of organizations, such as large business conglomerates in Latin America, may behave in ways that perpetuate slow and unequal growth because of the manner in which their organizations operate. In short, understanding organizations – broadly defined – is critical to the study of development.

The course is structured into two sections. The first section will familiarize you with some primary theories about why some countries or regions develop faster than others. In the second part of the class, we will look specifically at different kinds of organizations – from cooperatives to industry associations, from small domestic businesses to multinational corporations, to government agencies and NGOs. Our discussions of these organizations will examine the manner in which their structure and behavior relates to development.

In exploring this relationship between developmental outcomes and organizations in the developing world, the course includes three kinds of material. The first is geared toward establishing a theoretical understanding of major perspectives on development and underdevelopment. The second are empirical studies of a variety of different organizations – from firms and cooperatives to government agencies and non-governmental organizations – that apply those developmental perspectives to particular cases. Finally, the class will also integrate the application of development theories to descriptive case studies of organizations, which we will use to develop analytical skills through theoretically-informed analysis of contemporary cases.

Course Requirements:

See Syllabus for further information.

Intended Audience:

Organizational Studies Students as well as juniors or seniors within LSA.

Class Format:

Two 1.5 lectures/weekly