21926 Managing Change

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Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Business: Management
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 21827 Change Management

Description

This subject develops in students a personal philosophy of managing individual and organisational change. The subject requires students to critically assess the pressures for change in a contemporary organisational change, the diagnostic process whereby the change was selected, the change management process(es) used to implement the change, individual/group reactions to the change and how these were managed, the effects of the change, an overall evaluation of the change, and recommendations for improvement. Student learning is situated within a broader theoretical and normative framework which prizes universal human values in the pursuit of commercial viable changes.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1.	Analyse the nature, causes and dynamics of organisational change
2.	Evaluate and apply different approaches to managing and leading impact upon organisational change processes and outcomes
3.	Demonstrate a growing personal commitment and skills in pursuit of socially responsible and commercially viable organisational change
4.	Articulate a personal philosophy of organisational change drawing on learning experiences over the semester

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the following program learning objectives:

Interact with colleagues and stakeholders to work effectively in teams and deliver agreed project outcomes (2.2)
Evaluate and apply principles of law, ethics, sustainability and Indigenous values as publicly accountable managers (3.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Managing Change develops in students a personal philosophy and skills of managing individual and organisational change. The subject requires students to critically assess the pressures for change in a contemporary organisational change, the diagnostic process whereby the change was selected with theoretical and practical models, the change management process/es used to implement the change, individual/group reactions to the change and how these were managed, the effects of the change, an overall evaluation of the change, and recommendations for improvement.

The subject aligns with the graduate attributes of intellectual rigour and innovative problem solving, communication and collaboration, and social responsibility and cultural awareness. First, students are provided with opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in both classroom and real-life settings, with an intent to achieve sustainable organizational change. Second, this subject also equips students with communication and collaboration skills by working on a team project to pitch a solution to a specific business problem. Third, student learning is situated within a broader theoretical and normative framework that prizes universal human values to pursue commercially viable changes

Teaching and learning strategies

Classes involve a combination of lectures, discussions of readings, analyses of cases, experiential exercises, presentations from students and industry representatives, and the articulation of a formative personal philosophy of organisational change.

Strategy 1. Students’ Preparation for Learning: With adopting the "flipped learning" approach, each week, students are expected to undertake pre-work which covers readings, cases, articles, listening to practice-oriented podcasts and videos and contributing to case reflection to prepare for their participation in lecture and tutorial activities including collaborative discussion, individual reflection, role play, mock negotiation and the case analysis.

Strategy 2. Lectures: Lecturer and guest lecturers from practice provide both theories and practical cases about organizational change in the real world. Students are expected and encouraged to discuss issues and challenge ideas about organizational change during lectures. Lectures are a key learning resource in this subject.

Strategy 3. Active Learning through Tutorial Discussion, Role Play and Debate: Each week, students will engage in discussions and oral presentations on various aspects of topics in tutorials. Role plays, case studies and the debate based on the real-world cases assist students in understanding challenges in change management practice.

Strategy 4. Online learning: The learning management system is where students access materials for self-directed learning and pre-work for each topic and participate in peer assessment with the tool SparkPlus. Students are highly expected to explore prescribed cases studies, videos and readings; and engage in weekly activities provided in the learning management system.

Strategy 5. Reflective learning: Assessments are based on reflective learning which helps students develop critical thinking skills and improve on future performance by analysing their experience; moves them from surface to deep learning. Reflective learning involves students’ thinking about what they have read, done, or learned, relating the lesson at hand to their own lives and making meaning out of the material.

Content (topics)

Pressures and drivers to change
Change diagnosis and evaluation
Theory and approaches to managing change
Managing resistance
Leadership and change
Communication and change
Culture and change
Managerial capabilities for managing change in global contexts

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Organisational change analysis (Individual)

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 2
Weight:	40%
Length:	1,500 words (-+10%; executive summary, tables, figures, references and appendix are NOT included in the word count)
Criteria:	The task will be assessed according to the following criteria: Analysis: quality and depth of analysis of how the organisation has changed Critical evaluation: critical and persuasive evaluation of the change initiative and recommendations Relevance: application of theories and concepts to the organisational change Communication: professionally written business case report – grammar, spelling, syntax and referencing

Assessment task 2: Business case presentation (Group)*

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 3 This addresses program learning objectives(s): 2.2
Weight:	25%
Length:	Oral Presentation: Delivery for 10 minutes + Q&A for 5 minutes Presentation visual aids: 5-7 Powerpoint slides or similar technology
Criteria:	The task will be assessed according to the following criteria: Critical analysis: quality and depth of analysis of the business problem and consideration of stakeholder alignment Persuasive argument: ability to develop a persuasive value proposition tailored to strategic needs and priorities of the target audience Cohesion of the group delivery: ability to engage well with the group, coherent structure of the presentation Communication: information is structured and presented clearly, drawing on verbal and non-verbal means of professional communication *Note: Late submission of the assessment task will not be marked and awarded a mark of zero.

Assessment task 3: Professional practice reflection (Individual)

Objective(s):	This addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 3 and 4 This addresses program learning objectives(s): 3.1
Weight:	35%
Length:	1,500 words (-+10%; executive summary, tables, figures, references and appendix are NOT included in the word count)
Criteria:	The task will be assessed according to the following criteria: Critical analysis: quality and depth of analysis of the implementation and sustainability issues of the change initiative, including different stakeholder needs and perspectives and justification of formulated strategies Reflexivity: ability to engage reflexively with case scenario and subject learning materials, including evidence of insights/learning outcomes Relevance: application of theories and concepts to the organisational change Communication: professionally written reflective paper – grammar, spelling, syntax and referencing

Minimum requirements

Students must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.

Required texts

Palmer, I., Dunford, R. & Buchanan, D. (2021). Managing Organizational Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach, McGraw Hill: New York (4th ed).

You will find the details on purchasing the e-book on Canvas site.

Recommended texts

Other resources

You may find the following links useful which provide information on academic writing, assignment preparation and APA Referencing.

UTS Business School Writing Guide

APA referencing

Developing your academic writing

Academic English