Business Case

Change is a fact of life; if not the only reality. Today, organizations are working in uncertain and turbulent environments causing opportunities and tensions for them. Hence, Organizations are demanded to own a culture for innovation and change. To survive healthy, managers and people in organizations should understand the nature of change, what causes it, and how to benefit from it with the least possible damage.

This course focuses on emphasizing that managing change should be a shaping rather than a controlling process. During the course, students will be exposed to a variety of change approaches, will gain an understanding of the underlying issues in managing change, and learn to identify options for future actions.

Required Books:

Cummings, Thomas G. and Christopher G. Worley (2005). Organization Development and Change, 8th ed. Australia: Thomson.

Course Objectives:

This course aims to provide an understanding of how to approach the management of change through opening up new, innovative, and different ways of seeing, thinking, conceptualizing, and practicing organizational change. To achieve this, the following related goals are addressed:

1. Discuss the forces and reasons causing organizations to change.

2. Identify what changes in organizations.

3. Outline a number of macro models and techniques for mapping and assessing where changes are needed.

4. Understand how people react to change and why they resist it, along with the techniques required to counteract such response.

5. Identify the approaches to implement change.

6. Define how to link change to the organization vision.

7. Develop the strategies and skills to communicate change whether inside or outside the organization.

8. Identify how to ensure change sustainability.

Course Teaching Methods:

The course will be run in a seminar format; therefore, active participation is required from all students. Using seminar allows for a learning experience for all involved since it engages the students in a meaningful exchange of ideas and develops their communication skills. That's why, students are expected to show to class prepared (the text provides the necessary background information).

Course Grading Weights:

Course Work 50%

* Participation 10%

* Book Review 10%

* Presentation