University of Essex

BE482-7-AU-CO:
Managing Organisational Change

The details

Year: 2023/24

Department: Essex Business School

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Postgraduate: Level 7

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 05 October 2023

End date: Friday 15 December 2023

Credits: 10

Last updated: 01 August 2023

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

MSC N21712 Organisational Change Management,
MSC N21724 Organisational Change Management

Module description

Having built an awareness of key theories and debates, students will explore further the techniques and practices for managing organisational change.

The emphasis of the module is to examine change from the perspectives of different agents and to understand the different roles of organisational members. We will explore issues of power and influence in transforming organisational culture and embedding new organisational practices. Full details of the assessment are given below, and additional guidance is available on the Moodle page.

Module aims

The main aim of the module is:

To enable students to critically analyse techniques and practices for managing organisational change.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

Discuss various techniques and practices which managers can employ to manage change in organisations.

Appreciate the complexities of changing organisational culture and institutionalised organisational routines.

Analyse the assumptions and perspectives which various organisational actors have towards organisational change.

Critically analyse power and influence in managing organisational change.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered over the course of five weeks via:

A formal lecture with group discussions. The former will utilise both multi-media resources and interactive exercises. Each week group discussions will centre on the critical evaluation of a relevant case study presented in read-ahead, role play, or 'live' guest lecture format.

Bibliography

Hughes, M. (2010d) Managing Change: A Critical Perspective. 2nd edn. London, UK: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6455488.
Sveningsson, S. and Sörgärde, N. (2020) Managing Change in Organizations. Edited by R. Stitt. London, UK: SAGE Publications. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/402885.
McCalman, J., Paton, R. and Siebert, S. (2016) Change management: a guide to effective implementation. 4th ed. Los Angeles: SAGE. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=519414.
Balogun, J., Hope Hailey, V. and Gustafsson, S. (2016) Exploring strategic change. Fourth edition. Harlow: Pearson Education. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1419404.
Burnes, B. (2017) Managing change. Seventh edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1594476.
Canterino, F. et al. (no date) ‘Leadership and Change Mobilization: The Mediating Role of Distributed Leadership’, Journal of Business Research, 108, pp. 42–51. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.052.
‘Breaking down silos: Case study - Copy available on BE482 Moodle pages’ (no date).
Hughes, M. (2010e) ‘The Leadership of Change’, in Managing Change: A Critical Perspective. 2nd edn. London, UK: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, pp. 135–149. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=6455488&ppg=162.
Hendy, J. and Barlow, J. (no date) ‘The Role of the Organizational Champion in Achieving Health System Change’, Social Science & Medicine, 74(3), pp. 348–355. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.02.009.
Tucker, D.A. and Cirella, S. (2018) ‘Agents of Change: Insights from Three Case Studies of Hospital Transformations’, in D.A. Noumair and A.B. Shani (eds) Research in Organizational Change and Development. Bingley, UK: Emerald, pp. 307–340. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Danielle-Tucker/publication/326692205_Agents_of_Change_Insights_from_Three_Case_Studies_of_Hospital_Transformations/links/5bd9d320a6fdcc3a8db3bf05/Agents-of-Change-Insights-from-Three-Case-Studies-of-Hospital-Transformations.pdf.
Balogun, Julia and Johnson, G. (2004) ‘Organizational Restructuring and Middle Manager Sensemaking’, Academy of Management Journal, 47(4), pp. 523–549. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/20159600.
Johansson, C. and Heide, M. (2008) ‘Speaking of Change: Three Communication Approaches in Studies of Organizational Change’, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 13(3), pp. 288–305. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/13563280810893661.
Schweiger, D.M. and DeNisi, A.S. (no date) ‘Communication with Employees following a Merger: A Longitudinal Field Experiment’, The Academy of Management Journal, 34(1), pp. 110–135. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/256304.
Brown, A.D., Gabriel, Y. and Gherardi, S. (2009) ‘Storytelling and Change: An Unfolding Story’, Organization, 16(3), pp. 323–333. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508409102298.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	2,500 word Case Study Analysis		100%

Additional coursework information

Assessment will be a case study analysis. The word count should be a maximum of 2,500 words and you should submit this assignment electronically by the date specified on Moodle.

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Mr Anthony Holt, email: alrhol@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Mr Anthony Holt

Contact details: ebshrm@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: No

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

Name: Dr Ruth Reaney

Institution: University of Glasgow

Academic role: Lecturer in HRM

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 15 hours, 15 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Essex Business School

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Module Directory

BE482-7-AU-CO:Managing Organisational Change