University of Technology Sydney

420100 Leading Organisational Change

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

UTS: Information Technology: Professional Practice and Leadership
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

In this subject, students explore themes, including an understanding of core organisational process and structure, and the ways in which leaders drive organisational change. Students enhance their conceptual understanding through the completion of a practice-based change management project. This subject explores a set of fundamental concepts and models relating to leading and managing change in an organisation. The subject presents dilemmas in and approaches to implementing change in companies through a set of case studies. Students enhance their conceptual understanding of organisational change through a collaborative process involving participants, theory and industry practitioners. They apply this emergent understanding through the completion of a change management project.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

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

1. Identify the main processes and routines that constitute an organisation and how technology could be used to initiate or support a change intervention. (D.1)
2. Identify types and stages of change, and design interventions to support technology change initiatives. (C.1)
3. Formulate, implement and monitor a context-relevant organisational change initiative. (E.1)
4. Reflect on the developed change process. (F.1)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

  • Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
  • Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
  • Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating autonomously within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
  • Reflective: FEIT graduates critically self-review their own and others' performance with a high level of responsibility to improve and practice competently for the benefit of professional practice and society. (F.1)

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject has six modules delivered online over a period of six weeks. Students work through each module at their own pace and momentum is maintained through weekly interactive activity attached to each theme and/or concept within the modules. In each module, contents are delivered in CANVAS through a combination of learning materials, questions/activities and short video presentation. Over the six weeks, there are 3 synchronous one hour online interactive sessions, facilitated by teaching staff, that discuss the module and provide opportunities for task-based group activity, discussion on subject materials, feedback on learning progress and Q & A sessions. The assessment tasks are built on each other in an effective way to reflect on the feedback for earlier tasks and inform later tasks.

Content (topics)

Module 1: Leadership and Change Management

  • Leadership for Leading Organisational Change
  • A Look at Change and Change Management
  • Leadership Plan

Module 2: Awareness and Understanding of People, Processes and Problems

  • Human Limitations to Awareness and Understanding
  • Awareness and Understanding Toolkit
  • Awareness and Understanding of People
  • Awareness and Understanding of Processes
  • Systems Thinking | Holistic Awareness
Module 3: Leading others through change Emotional intelligence and effective communication
  • Why change fails
  • Emotional intelligence and Leading Others
Module 4: Leading others through change — Mobilisation and motivation
  • The vision for change
  • Building a coalition
  • Tools for Change Management
  • Motivation and engagement
  • Towards Sustainable Change
Module 5: Leading Change in Organisations
  • Management and leadership styles
  • Building an effective change management team
  • Resilient teams and organisations
  • Conflict management and negotiation for leading change
Module 6: Empowerment and sustainable change
  • Sustainability and leadership
  • Sustainable change
  • Ontological framework of leadership

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Leadership Plan?

Intent:

To enable students to become aware of their leadership mission and vision for leading organisational change. This inspires them to develop a leadership mindset that enables effective leadership of change.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1 and 2

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

C.1 and D.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 15%
Length:

1000 words (+/- 10%)

Assessment task 2: Problem Pitch

Intent:

In this assessment students put on their “leader hat” to identify and address the problem by making them become aware of the various dimensions of identifying a problem or opportunity for change, and pitch this to a panel of stakeholders.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

2 and 3

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

C.1 and E.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 15%
Length:

2000 words (+/- 10%)

Assessment task 3: Change Report

Intent:

To enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and the application to leading organisational change, by taking them through the change process and challenges that are faced through it.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

1 and 3

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

C.1 and E.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Length:

2500 words (+/- 10%) report

Assessment task 4: Leadership Learning Journal

Intent:

To enable students to reflect on their personal leadership development throughout the course and it’s application to leading organisational change.

Objective(s):

This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs):

4

This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

F.1

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%
Length:

2000 -2100 words (+/- 10%) report

Minimum requirements

In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.