Sociology for Business 2600-DSMdz1SB

1. Sociology vs. management science
 Scientific sociology versus 'hot' sociological knowledge
 Fundamentals of social science methodology
 Main currents of sociological thought
 Sociological imagination - the ability to relate the impact of the socio-cultural environment on management and organizations.
2. The culture of society
 Definition and elements of culture
 Impact of cultural change on organizations and management
 The phenomenon of deviance on the example of pathologies of organizational life.
3. Stratification and social classes
 Criteria for class divisions
 Class divisions of western societies and Polish society
 The influence of class membership on individual consumption decisions
 Social class versus profession and work ethos
4. Demography
 Demographic change in the world and in Poland
 Fertility, replacement rate, population growth, age pyramids
 Consequences of demographic change for the labour market
5. Communities, institutions, organizations
 Communities and organizations as two forms of human groups
 The process of institutionalization
 Basic issues in the sociology of organizations
6. Sociology of work
 Structure and trends of the labour market
 Features of the labour market (job insecurity, overflow phenomenon)
 Discrimination at work
 Work and social capital (sociogram)
7. Power, politics, mass media
 impact of the political environment on organizations and management
 development of new mass media (internet and mobile technologies) and social change
 manipulation in the mass media
8. Globalization and post-modern society
 Social effects of globalization and the growth of transnational corporations
 The Americanization of culture
 Post-modern society (consumerism, individualization, hedonistic culture)

Term 2025L:

1. Sociology and Management Sciences
- Academic sociology vs. "hot" sociological knowledge
- Fundamentals of social sciences methodology
- Main streams of sociological thought
- Sociological imagination – the ability to link the impact of socio-cultural environment on management and organizations
2. Culture of Society
- Definition and elements of culture
- The impact of cultural changes on organizations and management
- The phenomenon of deviance exemplified by the pathology of organizational life
3. Stratification and Social Classes
- Criteria for class divisions
- Class division of Western societies and Polish society
- The impact of class membership on an individual's consumption decisions
- Social class, profession, and work ethic
4. Demography
- Demographic changes in the world and in Poland
- Fertility, generational replacement, natural growth, age pyramids
- Consequences of demographic changes for the labor market
5. Communities, Institutions, Organizations
- Communities and organizations as two forms of human groups
- The process of institutionalization
- Basics of the sociology of organizations
6. Sociology of Work
- Structure and development directions of the labor market
- Characteristics of the labor market (employment uncertainty, development of artificial intelligence AI)
- Discrimination in the workplace
- Work and social capital
7. Power, Politics, Mass Media
- The influence of the political environment on organizations and management
- The development of new means of mass communication (Internet and mobile technologies) and social transformations
- Manipulations in the mass media
8. Globalization and Postmodern Society
- Social consequences of globalization and the development of transnational corporations
- Americanization of culture
- Postmodern society (consumerism, individualization, culture of hedonism)

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Course coordinators

Agnieszka Kacprzak
Grażyna Wieczorkowska-Wierzbińska

Learning outcomes

Upon completing the course, the student:
Knowledge outcomes:
● correctly uses terminology related to basic sociological concepts (K_W01)
● identifies the role and significance of sociological factors for business activities (K_W02)
● highlights the importance of socio-cultural factors in human resource management (K_W02)
● discusses the relevance of socio-cultural factors in understanding consumer behavior in the market (K_W02)
● identifies processes and phenomena occurring in contemporary society that impact business operations and economic functioning (K_W05)
Skills outcomes:
● correctly interprets social processes and their impact on the functioning of organizations and the economy as a whole (K_U02).
● prepares a presentation that includes an analysis of social phenomena affecting business operations and economic functioning (K_U03).
● develops a project as part of a team focused on conducting social research (K_U05).
● independently develops a topic related to applying sociological knowledge to issues in business operations (K_U08).
Social competencies outcomes:
● critically analyzes social processes, such as cultural transformations, demographic changes, or social stratification, in terms of their impact on organizations (K_K01).
● supports initiatives promoting social integration, counteracting discrimination, and fostering policies of responsible management in the context of labor market development, technology, and the environment (K_K03).
● identifies the impact of social and cultural changes, such as demographic shifts, the development of artificial intelligence, or changes in the labor market structure, on professional ethics within organizations (K_K05).

Assessment criteria

The final grade depends on the total number of points obtained during the course:
● 50 – excellent (100%) – provided that at least 25 points are obtained from the final test
● 49-45 – very good (90-99%)
● 44-40 – good plus (80-89%)
● 39-35 – good (70-79%)
● 34-30 – satisfactory plus (60-69%)
● 29-25 – satisfactory (50-59%)
24 and less – unsatisfactory (0-49%)
Final test (60% of the grade), activity on the e-learning platform (25% of the grade), project and its presentation (15% of the grade), extra points: class participation, participation in scientific research.

Bibliography

Primary resources:
● Giddens A. (2012). Socjologia Warszawa: PWN

Supplementary resources:
● Giddens A., Sutton P. (2021) Sociology. 9th Edition, Cambridge: Polity Press
● Sztompka P. (2012) Socjologia. Analiza społeczeństwa. Kraków: Znak, Warszawa.

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2600-DSMdz1SB in USOSweb