MSc Organisational Change and Development

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Organisation Development

Course unit fact file
Unit code MGDI70461
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Overview

' Aims, history and philosophy of OD
- Ethics, values and OD
- OD and its relationship to HRM and HRD
- The role of internal and external OD consultants
- Understanding organisational change processes from an OD perspective; methods and techniques
- OD diagnosis: methods and techniques
- OD in international applied settings
- Critical perspectives on selected OD literature
- Resistance to change in OD processes.

Aims

- To provide a critical understanding of OD as an approach to organisational change and development;
- To enable participants to identify the implications of OD for their own practice as change agents in international settings particularly developing/transitional country context

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

·         define OD, and relate it to issues of organisational capacity building in developing countries.

·         discuss the relationship between OD, HRM and HRD theories and practices.

·         explain the philosophy that underpins traditional OD.

·         Identify the stages of an OD process.

·         distinguish between individual, team, and whole organisation based OD interventions and evaluate their relevance to developing countries.

·         identify symptoms and causes of resistance to change in OD interventions, and strategies for dealing with resistance to change.

·         outline the stages in the consultancy process, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different consultancy styles.

Intellectual skills

·         develop their ability to assimilate and review critically academic literature.

Practical skills

·         work collaboratively with others in order to analyse and written material.

·         develop their ability to present the findings of their work both orally and in writing.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

·         develop the skills which they need to gather data from a range of sources.

·         develop their ability to review and analyse critically contrasting information.

·         develop their ability to empathise with managers who have to manage change in work organisations.

·         develop their self-management skills including their ability to manage time effectively.

·         develop the skills which they need to articulate clearly their point of view particularly in response to questioning.

·         develop their willingness to question and develop their understanding, perspectives and values in response to listening to others

Teaching and learning methods

The unit will be delivered by means of weekly lectures. These lectures will incorporate opportunities for students to work together in small groups. Where appropriate, the teaching and learning processes will include formal lectures, case study work, the use of audio-visual material, and student presentations. The teaching programme will be delivered, in the main, by the module convenor but may include inputs from guest speakers. Blackboard provision will include material covered during the weekly sessions and material designed to help students complete the assignment.

 

Knowledge and understanding

  • define OD, and relate it to issues of organisational capacity building in developing countries.
  • discuss the relationship between OD, HRM and HRD theories and practices.
  • explain the philosophy that underpins traditional OD.
  • identify the stages of an OD process.
  • distinguish between individual, team, and whole organisation based OD interventions and evaluate their relevance to developing countries.
  • identify symptoms and causes of resistance to change in OD interventions, and strategies for dealing with resistance to change.
  • outline the stages in the OD consultancy process, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of OD consultancy processes.

Intellectual skills

• develop their ability to assimilate and review critically academic literature.

Practical skills

  •  work collaboratively with others in order to analyse and written material.
  • develop their ability to present the findings of their work both orally and in writing.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

 

• develop the skills which they need to gather data from a range of sources.

• develop their ability to review and analyse critically contrasting information.

• develop their ability to empathise with managers who have to manage change in work organisations.

• develop their self-management skills including their ability to manage time effectively.

• develop the skills which they need to articulate clearly their point of view particularly in response to questioning.

• develop their willingness to question and develop their understanding, perspectives and values in response to listening to others

Assessment methods

One 3000 word assignment (100%). This assignment may contain more than one distinct section.

Feedback methods

Feedback via Blackboard/face to face.

Recommended reading

Beech, N. & Macintosh, R. (2012) Managing Change: Enquiry and Action. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

 Brown, D. (2010) Experiential Approaches to Organization Development (8 ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall

 Burnes, B. (2017) Managing Change (7 ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall

 Cheung-Judge, M. & Holbeche, L. (2015) Organization Development: A Practitioner’s Guide for OD and HR (2 ed.). London: Kogan-Page

 Cummings, T.G. & Worley, C.G. (2019) Organization Development and Change (11 ed). New York: West Publishing Company

Hodges, J. (2020) Organisation Development: How Organisations Change and Develop Effectively. London: Macmillan Education Ltd

Traeger, J. & Warwick, R. (2018) Organization Development: A Bold Explorer’s Guide. Farringdon, England: Libri Publishing

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Independent study hours
Independent study 130

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Christopher Rees Unit coordinator

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