Skip to main content
by learnformula
search
For Business
Team license & compliance management
For Higher Education
Academic partnerships
For Government Agencies
Government training solutions
For Instructors & Course Creators
Teach on our marketplace
Become a Sponsor
Reach professionals where they learn
Log inStart 7-Day Free TrialStart Free TrialStart Free Trial
search
  1. Courses
  2. /Human Resources
  3. /Organizational Effectiveness

The Nature of Organizations

Understand the Models, Power, & Culture of Modern Organizations

Created byMike Claytonworkspace_premiumBest Instructor
IntermediateUpdated Jan 16, 2025

What You'll Learn

  • check_circleUnderstand the nature of organizations and how they work.
  • check_circleBe able to identify and understand the common models of how organizations work.
  • check_circleRecognize and work with different forms of power in organizations.
  • check_circleUnderstand organizational culture and how it forms.
  • check_circleRecognize different organizational cultures.
  • check_circleUnderstand the principal contributions of six critical organizational thinkers.

About This Course

We all work within one form of organization or another. And, if you want to advance, you'll need to understand how organizations work.

A great number of smart people have conducted a detailed study of organizations. And if you work in one, their ideas can teach you a lot that is valuable. So, I have put together this course to summarize the most important of these ideas.

It is designed to serve the needs of working managers who need a broad-brush overview of all the important thinking. This course consists of five sections, which cover:

  • Introduction to Organizations
  • Organizational Models
  • Power in Organizations
  • Organizational Culture
  • Masters of Organizations

In this course, you’ll meet the work of people like Kim Cameron, Peter Drucker, Amitai Etzioni, Charles Handy, Geert Hofstede, Henry Mintzberg, Gareth Morgan, Edgar Schein, Max Weber, and many more.

But more importantly, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the way the organizations you work in and with operate. This will give you a real edge in climbing the organizational ladder.

Course Content

5 activities • 36 videos • duration: 4h 2m

remove
Introduction to Organizations6 videos • 37 min
  • videocamWhat is an Organization?
    Duration 4:11
  • videocamMorgan’s Eight Organizational Metaphors
    Duration 7:36
  • videocamUnderstanding an Organization as a Structure
    Duration 4:17
  • videocamUnderstanding an Organization as a Set of Processes
    Duration 6:11
  • videocamFeatures of an Organization: What an Organization Needs
    Duration 8:25
  • videocamWhy do we Need Organizations? Structure vs Agility
    Duration 6:34
add
Organizational Models12 videos • 1.4 hours
add
Power in Organizations6 videos • 38 min
add
Organizational Culture6 videos • 39 min
add
Masters of Organizations6 videos • 44 min

Your Instructor

Mike Clayton

Business Trainer, Author and Speaker

menu_book28 courses
star1,583 reviews

Dr Mike Clayton is a business trainer, author and speaker. Since 2002, he has been helping professionals, managers and leaders to excel in their roles with management, leadership, and personal effectiveness training. Mike has written over a dozen books for major publishers like Wiley, Macmillan and Pearson, including: Powerhouse, How to Manage a Great Project, How to Speak so People Listen, Brilliant Time Management, and The Influence Agenda. Mike's professional background is 12 years as a project management professional with the London office of international management consultancy Deloitte. Prior to that, Mike had an academic career in Physics, working at the world renowned Schuster Laboratory of the University of Manchester.

Credit Information

Is this course eligible for my CPD requirements as a Canadian CPA?

Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.

Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.

What Students Are Saying

4.9 out of 5
Student's Choice
450 reviews
  • KS
    Kody S.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Good information

  • JF
    Joé F.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Very interesting review

  • HW
    Haley W.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Great information

  • AH
    Aapo H.
    starstarstarstarstar

    Quite good refresher on basics

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 300+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 27 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.

You May Also Like

  • Ethics: Business Ethics

    2026 Ethics and Corporate Compliance

    starRated5.0out of 5,(556 reviews)
    2 CPD hrs
  • Finance: Budgeting & Financial Forecasting

    Critical Skills for CFOs & Controllers: Budgeting & Forecasting Strategies for Today’s World

    starRated5.0out of 5,(113 reviews)
    2.5 CPD hrs
  • Accounting & Tax: Technology for Accountants

    Claude Fundamentals for Accountants (2026 Update)

    starRated5.0out of 5,(646 reviews)
    2.5 CPD hrs