Skip to main content Skip to navigation

WM9J1-15 Management of Change

Department
WMG
Level
Taught Postgraduate Level
Module leader
Andrew Sparks
Credit value
15
Module duration
2 weeks
Assessment
Multiple
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

This module provides participants with an opportunity to understand change –its drivers, risks, consequences and people’s responses - and develop their personal competences through hands-on experience in a simulated business environment and practice in the use of relevant methods, tools and techniques.

Regardless of size and maturity, organisations today operate in a business environment that continues to grow increasingly complex and demanding of ever higher standards of efficiency, integration and customer service. Change can be both externally and internally driven, thus both skill sets of intelligent, timely reaction to external drivers and proactive planning to prevent organisational drift are critical to the sustained success of any organisation.

Individual competence in implementing change is essential for leaders and managers and this requires a resilient and positive mindset combined with skills in strategy formulation, communication, leadership, influence and the integration of various disparate functions within a complex organisational system. Developing a critical mass of competent individuals contributes significantly to organisational change capability.

Module aims

Participants will be able to hit the ground running as change leaders and managers, whether they be Project and Programme Managers, or functional heads.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

  1. Introduction
  2. The need for change
  3. The scope of change
  4. Change approaches and models
  5. Power and conflict in the transition process
  6. Managing teams through change: importance of trust, empowerment and involvement
  7. Resilient culture
  8. Tools and techniques for change: applications
  9. Authentic leadership in organisational transformation
  10. Communicating shared vision
  11. Change modelling
Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Analyse the internal and external drivers and impact of change on projects and the organisational system at large.
  • Interpret the different ways people respond to change, discover appropriate leadership approaches and develop strategies to build stakeholder engagement.
  • Select and apply appropriate models of change to a given situation.
  • Effectively utilise appropriate change methods, tools and techniques in planning and implementing change.
  • Gain insight into their own personal effectiveness in leading and managing change.
Indicative reading list

Bridges, William. (2009) Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (3rd edition). London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing. (ISBN: 978-0738213804)

Burnes, Bernard. (2004) Managing Change (4th edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. (ISBN: 0273683365)

Collins, Jim. (2001) Good to Great. London: Random House Business Books. (ISBN: 978-0712676090)

Goffee, Rob and Jones, Gareth. (2019) Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? Boston: Harvard Business School Press. (ISBN: 978-1633697683)

Handy, Charles (1993). Understanding Organizations (4th edition). Harmondsworth: Penguin. (ISBN: 978-0140156034)

Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. (2004) Confidence: Leadership and the Psychology of Turnarounds. London: Random House Business Books.

Kellerman, Barbara. (2008) Followership. Boston: Harvard Business Press. (ISBN: 978-1422103685)

Kim, W. Chan and Mauborgne, Renee. (2005) Blue Ocean Strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. (ISBN: 978-1625274496)

Kotter, John P. (1996) Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. (ISBN: 978-1422186435)

Kotter, John P. and Cohen, Dan P. (2002) The Heart of Change: Real Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Pettigrew, Andrew M. and Whipp, Richard. (1991) Managing Change for Competitive Success. WileyBlackwell. (ISBN: 9780631191421)

Pfeffer, Jeffrey. (1993) Managing with Power. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. (ISBN: 978-0875844404)

Schein, Edgar H. (2016) Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers. (ISBN: 978-1119212041)

Senge, Peter. (2006) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation. London, Business Books. (ISBN: 978-1905211203)

Subject specific skills

Planning and implementing systemic change, stakeholder engagement, responding to adversity, systems thinking, change leadership skills.

Transferable skills

Communication (including intercultural communication), collaborative problem analysis and decision-making, creativity, critical thinking, innovation, negotiation, motivation, transformational leadership, project management, adaptability, resilience, self-management, learning-by-doing

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 14 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (14%)
Supervised practical classes 6 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (6%)
Online learning (independent) 3 sessions of 1 hour 30 minutes (3%)
Assessment 115 hours 30 minutes (77%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

No private study requirements defined for this module.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A
Weighting Study time
Assessed work as specified by department 50% 60 hours

2000 word written post module assignment 50%

Reflection and presentation on a case 15% 12 hours

Personal reflection on self and application of theory to a case.

In module performance in simulation 15% 13 hours 30 minutes

Performance in terms of their contribution towards successful change.

Group Presentation 20% 30 hours

Presentations related to the in-class simulation

Assessment group R
Weighting Study time
Assessed work as specified by department 100%

4000 word written assignment 100%

Feedback on assessment

Mark sheet with comments

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • TWMS-H1SB Postgraduate Taught Programme and Project Management (Full-time)
    • Year 1 of H1SB Programme and Project Management (Full-time)
    • Year 1 of H1SB Programme and Project Management (Full-time)

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 1 of TWMS-H1S3 Postgraduate Taught Engineering Business Management (Full-time)
  • Year 1 of TWMS-H1S9 Postgraduate Taught Management for Business Excellence (Full-time)
  • Year 1 of TWMS-H1SD Postgraduate Taught Supply Chain and Logistics Management (Full-time)