MSc Management and Information Systems: Change and Development (Distance Learning)

Syllabus

1. Introduction: Organizations and OD
2. OD definitions and values
3. Models of change
4. The roots of OD
5. Consultancy: Managing the consultancy process
6. Leadership and manager as change agent
7. Organization development in practice
8. Resistance to change

' To provide a critical understanding of the methods and approaches currently associated with OD, and as applied in a developing/newly industrializing country context.
- To critically examine actual and potential relationships between OD and initiatives in international and social and economic development
- To enable participants to identify the implications of OD for their own practice as change agents working in national and/or international development

After completing the course unit students should be able to:

- Define organization development, and relate it to issues of organizational capacity building in developing countries
- Identify the stages of an OD process, drawing from action research
- Outline the concepts underpinning contemporary OD
- Distinguish between individual, team, and who organization based interventions, and understand their application in developing countries
- Outline the stages in the consultancy process, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of different consultancy styles
- Describe the importance of inter-organizational relationships for capacity building in development
- Critically assess international development agencies approach to change management from an OD perspective

Distance Learning Mode including weekly online tutorials

One 3,500 word essay (90%)

Tutorial participation (max 10%)

• Student must engage with minimum of 4/8 tutorials, including at least 1 synchronous tutorial  (5%)
• Student must engage with minimum of 6/8 tutorials, including at least 1 synchronous tutorial (10%)

Re-sit Assessment: One 3,500 word essay (100%)

Course unit textbook

French, W. and C. Bell (1999) Organizational development: Behaviour science interventions for organization improvement, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Information
MGDI Programmes on which course unit is offered:
MSc Human Resource Management and Development (via Distance Learning) and MSc Management and Information Systems: Change and Development (via Distance Learning)