Year
2021Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
MGMT213 Organisational Analysis OR HRMG204 Organisational Behaviour
Incompatible
HRMG303 - Organisational Change
Teaching organisation
3 hours per week for twelve weeks or equivalentUnit rationale, description and aim
The effective management of organisational change is an important factor in achieving sustainable organisational outcomes. To be a skilled change practitioner, students will need to understand the issues that shape organisational change policies, systems and practices, and their implementation. In this unit, students will develop their knowledge of the strategies, theories and practices of organisational change which contribute to upholding the human dignity of people during change processes. Students will apply their knowledge of organisational change frameworks and models to organisational activities such as diagnosing change problems, changing culture, organisational transformation, restructuring, intervention strategies, managing resistance, and team development in order to achieve objectives of the organisational change processes that can be sustained. Students will develop skills in the design and implementation of sustainable change processes, activities and solutions.
The aim of this unit is to enhance students’ knowledge of organisational change theory and practices and to develop their understanding of the processes and skills necessary to effectively design, manage and implement sustainable change solutions and activities.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
LO1 - critically evaluate foundation frameworks, philosophies and theories related to organisational change management (GA4, GA5)
LO2 - apply diagnostic models to identify organisational and behavioural issues that may affect the implementation of organisational change processes for sustainability (GA5, GA8)
LO3 - determine organisational change intervention strategies applicable at an individual level, group level or organisational level and address ethical, social, sustainability issues while respecting the dignity of individuals (GA1, GA5)
LO4 - demonstrate the ability to work autonomously and with peers to develop practical and sustainable interventions as a response to organisational change needs (GA5, GA7)
LO5 - apply effective written and oral communication skills individually or in groups (GA5, GA9).
Graduate attributes
GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity
GA4 - think critically and reflectively
GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession
GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively
GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information
GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media.
Content
Topics will include:
- introduction to organisational change and development for sustainability
- critiquing theories of change
- approaches to organisational change
- determining change diagnosis tools
- types of interventions and designing change interventions at an individual, group and organisational level
- planning and implementing change milestones for sustainability
- communication, cross-cultural dynamics and stakeholders’ engagement throughout the change processes
- power, readiness and resistance to change and respecting the human dignity
- sustaining change and stakeholders’ needs and diversity
- analysing future trends and issues in managing organisational change
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Blended mode
This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the development of knowledge associated with change. Students are able to explore the knowledge base underpinning organisational change management in a series of on campus workshops. These workshops are designed to support students to actively participate in the development of this knowledge both individually and in groups. By participating in these workshops, students will systematically develop their understanding of the critical aspects of organisational change and how to design sustainable solutions to organisational change problems. This unit takes an experiential approach to support students in developing the skills required to effectively manage organisational change sharing stories and insights and reflecting on experiences. This approach is designed to interest students who prefer to learn within a social environment and builds in expert support for skills development.
Online mode
This unit takes an active learning approach to guide students in the development of knowledge associated with organisational change. Students are able to explore the knowledge base underpinning organisational change management in a series of online interactive modules. Students have the opportunity to take part in facilitated synchronous online classes designed to support them to actively participate in the construction of this knowledge. By undertaking the individual activities and participating in these online classes, students will systematically develop their understanding of the critical aspects of organisational change and how to design sustainable solutions to organisational change problems. This unit takes an experiential approach to support students in developing the skills required to effectively manage organisational change management by sharing stories and insights and reflecting on experiences. This approach provides flexibility and facilitates the participation of students who are unable to attend classes while building in expert support for skills development.
Assessment strategy and rationale
BLENDED MODE
In order to pass this unit, students are required to complete and submit three graded assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure their level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the Unit. The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to sequentially develop their knowledge and skills in managing organisational change to the point where they can produce a change plan proposal to resolve an organisational change problem in a real-world scenario. In order to develop this level of capability, students will demonstrate their knowledge of organisational change theories in a critical analysis essay, further develop their understanding through a change problem diagnosis presentation and then apply their knowledge and understanding of the development and implementation change strategies through creation of a change plan proposal in the final assessment task.
ONLINE MODE
In order to pass this unit, students are required to complete and submit three graded assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure their level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the unit. The assessment strategy for this unit allows students to sequentially build on the online activities on LEO to develop their knowledge and skills in managing organisational change to the point where they can produce a change plan proposal to resolve an organisational change problem. In order to develop this level of capability, students will demonstrate their knowledge of change theories in a critical analysis essay, further develop their understanding through a change problem diagnosis video presentation and then apply their knowledge and understanding of the development and implementation change strategies through creation of a change plan proposal in the final assessment task
Overview of assessments
BLENDED MODE;
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Discussion Forums Report: This assessment task consists of a1200-word discussion forums report. This task requires students to draw on their effective communication and critical thinking skills to critically analyse and evaluate frameworks and theories of organisational change and synthesise their preferred option. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Report Artefact: Written Report | 30% | LO1, LO5 | GA4, GA5, GA9 |
Change Diagnosis Oral Presentation: This assessment task requires students to collaboratively apply their critical thinking skills as they analyse, evaluate and diagnose what needs changing in an organisation and present findings in a 15 minute presentation with transcript. This requires the application of diagnosis frameworks to understand the complexity and inter-relatedness of organisational components and concisely present diagnostic results to all stakeholders. Individual members to complete Peer Evaluation Tool. Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: Presentation Artefact: Oral Presentation/Transcript | 30% | LO2, LO4 | GA5, GA7, GA8 |
Change Plan Proposal: This assessment task consists of a 1750-word written change plan proposal. This task requires students to apply and integrate the theories, models and concepts from this unit to develop responsible, efficient and effective solutions to organisational change problems. Students will be required to draw on their communication skills as they individually reflect on issues of organisational change in the context of ethical implications and understandings of human diversity and various stakeholders’ needs. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Change Plan proposal Artefact: Written proposal | 40% | LO3, LO5 | GA1, GA5, GA9 |
ONLINE MODE
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
Analytical Research Report: This assessment task consists of a 1200-word analytical research report. This task requires students to draw on their effective communication critical thinking skills to identify the far-reaching impact of change within an organisation and analyse and evaluate frameworks and theories of change. This task requires critical analyses and evaluation of frameworks and theories of organisational change Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Report Artefact: Report | 30% | LO1, LO5 | GA4, GA5, GA9 |
Change diagnosis Video Presentation: This assessment task requires students to independently apply their critical thinking skills as they analyse, evaluate and diagnose what needs changing in an organisation and present findings in a 10 minute video. This requires the application of diagnosis frameworks to understand the complexity and inter-relatedness of organisational components and concisely present diagnostic results to all stakeholders. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Presentation Artefact: Visual Media Presentation | 30% | LO2, LO4 | GA5, GA7, GA8 |
Change Plan Proposal: This assessment task consists of a 1750-word written change plan proposal. This task requires students to apply and integrate the theories, models and concepts from this unit to develop efficient and effective solutions to organisational change problems. Students will be required to draw on their communication skills as they individually reflect on issues of organisational change in the context of ethical implications and understandings of human diversity and various stakeholders’ needs. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Change Plan Proposal Artefact: Written proposal | 40% | LO3, LO5 | GA1, GA5, GA9 |
Representative texts and references
Dianne, W., Creed, A., Cummings, T., and Worley, C. 2019. Organisational Change: Development and Transformation, 7th ed., Cengage Learning Australia.
Hayes, J., 2018, The Theory and Practice of Change Management, 5th ed., McMillan
Beech, N., MacIntosh, R., Krust, P, Kanna, S, and Dadich, A. 2017. Managing change: enquiry and action. Australasian Edition, Cambridge University Press. Cambridge UK
Dawson, P. and Andriopoulos, C., 2017. Managing change, creativity and innovation. Sage Publications Inc. London UK
Domingues, A.R., Lozano, R., Ceulemans, K. and Ramos, T.B., 2017. Sustainability reporting in public sector organisations: Exploring the relation between the reporting process and organisational change management for sustainability. Journal of Environmental Management, 192, pp.292-301.
Kirby, D., 2019. Changing the nature of organizational change. Strategic HR Review, 18(4), 155-160
Kraft, A., Sparr, J., & Peus, C., 2018. Giving and Making Sense About Change: The Back and Forth Between Leaders and Employees. Journal of Business and Psychology, 33(1), 71-87.
Lowe, G., Plummer, V., & Boyd, L., 2018. Nurse practitioner integration: Qualitative experiences of the change management process. Journal of Nursing Management, 26(8), 992-1001.
Riivari, E., & Lämsä, A., 2019. Organizational Ethical Virtues of Innovativeness. Journal of Business Ethics, 155(1), 223-240.
Szabla, David B.; Pasmore, William A.; Barnes, Mary A.; Gipson, Asha N., 2017. The Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers, Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Ziaee Bigdeli, A., Baines, T., Bustinza, O.F., and Guang Shi, V., 2017. Organisational change towards servitization: a theoretical framework. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 27(1), pp.12-39.