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Semester 2

Managing Change (BUST10107)

Subject

Business Studies

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

A pass in Organisational Behaviour 2 (BUST08028) an equivalent course. Visiting students should have completed at least 4 Business Studies courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses.

Course Summary

Organisations, their workforces, clients and customers face new internal and external contextual issues on a regular basis. This course covers organisational design and development. The course will enable students to develop a critical understanding of organisational change via the theories and conceptual frameworks of organisation design and the principles and practices of organisational development. Both are critical to our understanding of organisations and how they function and both reside within a framework of organisation theory.

Course Description

The course focuses on decisions that have to be made on the most appropriate organisational structure(s) to ensure dynamic delivery of organisational activities. Organisation design is about shaping an organisation to maximise its effectiveness; aiming for flexibility in delivery of its services. Through breaking down departmental barriers, seeking improved supply efficiencies, teamwork and collaboration and working towards better customer management and retention, organisations can enhance their performance and ensure that organisational goals and targets are achieved. Organisation design activities therefore focus on finding the most appropriate structures, relationships between departments and sections, and allocation of work activities, including definition of duties and role responsibilities. The module also focuses on how an organisation's culture, values and environment support and enhance organisational performance and adaptability. Organisation development is defined as a 'planned and systematic approach to enabling sustained organisation performance through the involvement of its people'. This might include how organisational members acquire new skills, knowledge and behaviours, and do things differently, often as part of the application of continuous improvement strategies. The concept of the 'learning organisation' as one of a number of organisation development strategies that might be adopted as part organisational change activities is also explored. Overall, the course aims to introduce students to a range of explanations that can help in the understanding of how organisations and their component groups and individuals approach change. In so doing, students will be encouraged to explore a range of practical techniques that can be used in dealing with change. The course requires critical reflection on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development. Syllabus - Introduction: managing change and types of change - History, paradigms, and models of change: why change organisations? - Organisational design and strategic change - Changing groups and changing individuals - Change leadership and change communications - Resistance and other reactions to change - Cultural change and organisational learning - The roles of power, politics, and ethics in managing change - Change agents, change agency, and the HR role in managing change - Technological change, evaluating change, and Course Overview Student Learning Experience The two-hour class sessions combines lecture input, class and case discussions and student presentations.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%

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