Module description
What is the module about?
Change management has never been more important than it is today. Consequently, this module is designed to demonstrate the ways in which contemporary organisations navigate the increasingly turbulent environment. To achieve this, I have mixed necessary theoretical material with contemporary examples, such as Nike, TaskRabbit, and Elon Musk’s approach to leadership, to convey the importance of, and different perspectives on, organisational change.
We will cover topics including the nature and context of change, how individuals perceive and deal with change in a changing world, new ways of working, disruptive organisations and the gig economy, and the pivotal role of leaders in the organisational change process. There will be emphasis on the increasing importance of change management within organisations in the face of rising environmental challenges and turbulence.
The knowledge and skills that you glean from this course will help you to engage more effectively in, and provide greater utility to, the organisations that eventually become your employers.
Who should do this module?
This module is designed for those who are interested in leading organisations and engaging in strategic roles within organisations during their career. It is available to all third-year undergraduate students in the Business School who want to understand change in contemporary organisations, what drives it, and how it might best be strategically managed. Students are encouraged to view change as a complex, unfolding process.
By studying the module, students will gain insight into the processes involved in implementing change and how these might be used to effectively bring about change in different organisational contexts. Importantly, they will learn to understand resistance to change in organisations and how it might best be overcome, which is of great strategic benefit to today’s organisations. They will gain knowledge of the roles that individuals play in the change process, as leaders, as change agents and as participators in the process of change.
There are no right answers for this module and students need to be comfortable with ambiguity and with being asked to apply concepts and structure arguments in complex situations. This is important as previously some students have struggled with this aspect of the module
Assessment
The module will be assessed with 5 tutorial submissions (15% in total) and an applied case study which will require students to apply material from across the course to a specific scenario (85%).
Provisional Lecture Outline:
1. Introduction to Organisational Change
We will consider why change management is important and look at the nature, causes, and predictability of change and internal and external triggers for change.
2. Change in the Organisational Context
We will consider how factors in the organisational context affect the organisational change process, such as aspects of the organisation's internal and external environment.
3. The Changing Nature of Work
We will discuss changing tends in society, work, and employment and consider how these affect the way organisations function and in relation to this, leader's need to adapt.
4. Individuals and Change
We look at why people react to change in particular ways, why some accept, and why some reject change. We also look at the pivotal role of trust in the process of managing change
5. Leadership and Change
We will look at the different theoretical approaches to leadership and consider how different leadership styles might affect follower motivation and engagement towards change initiatives
6. Strategies of change - "Hard" systems models and approaches
We continue with the importance of leading change and consider change from a planned, linear 'management' perspective
7. Strategies of change - 'Soft' systems models and approaches
We consider approaches to change in situations characterized by ‘soft’ complexity and the Organisational Development approach in particular
8. Power, Politics and Change
We consider the role of power and politics in the change process and how these can inhibit or facilitate change. We also look at conflict in organisations and consider ways that change leaders might seek to manage it
9 Resistance to Change
We will look at why resistance to change occurs and discuss ways that resistance to change might be overcome
10. Ensuring Sustainable Change
We will consider why many organisational change initiatives fail and consider ways that change can be led and managed in a sustainable way which helps to contribute to a sustainable future.
Assessment details
80% Coursework
20% Tutorial Assessments
Teaching pattern
Weekly Lecture
Fortnightly Tutorial
Suggested reading list
Key text or background reading
Senior, B. and Swailes, J. Carnall, C. (2020) Organizational Change, FT Prentice Hall (Sixth edition) – Main text
Hodges, J and Gill, R (2015) Sustaining Change in Organisations, Sage