Crisis: Change and Creativity in Organisations
| Module title | Crisis: Change and Creativity in Organisations |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEP3070 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
This module examines how organisations cope with crises and manage profound change. The complex cultural, political and ethical issues faced by change agents will be examined in detail. Consideration will be given to how managers can be better prepared for the unpredictability, unintended outcomes and possible harmful consequences of change. The module aims to provide an understanding of both particular approaches and techniques for managing change, and the limitations of these approaches/techniques when applied in practice. Particular attention is given to the role of the consultant in the change management process. This module is concerned with the development of transferable skills – you will act as facilitators on real organisational change problems using a variety of creativity techniques, thus enabling the students to operate as change agents.
The module incorporates a practical, creative thinking, organization-based case study assignment where there is engagement with regional industry leaders undertaking profound change e.g. Establishing Cornwall as the first rural Social Enterprise Zone in the UK, Mitigating risk in the Marine Offshore Renewables sector, Superfast Cornwall: implementing superfast broadband enabled technology, An Isles of Scilly - Capacity for Change project, The Eden project: Building the largest indoor rainforest in the world, Tulip: Embedding resilience in food production, Pendennis Shipyard: finalising the transformation at a world-class superyacht facility. You will acquire skills and techniques that will enable you to manage change in practice, understand when/why to hire change management consultants and how to work with creative thinking techniques for problem solving.
Globalisation has been argued to be a driving force behind organisational change, and this idea is examined in this module from a critical perspective. The creation of sustainable and resilient organizations that enhance business, society and the environment is a key concern of this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to examine how organizations cope with crises and manage the impact of change.
The complex cultural, political and ethical issues faced by change agents will be examined in detail.
Consideration will be given to how managers can be better prepared for the unpredictability, unintended outcomes and possible harmful consequences of change. The module aims to provide an understanding of both particular approaches and techniques for managing change, and the limitations of these approaches/techniques when applied in practice. The module aims to pay particular attention to the role of the consultant in the change management process. This module is concerned with the development of transferable skills – you will act as a facilitator on real organisational change problems using a variety of creativity techniques, thus enabling you to operate as change agents.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. understand different approaches to the management of change
- 2. critically evaluate change concepts and techniques
- 3. identify the characteristics of different change programmes
- 4. understand change agent skills, and be capable of facilitating a change intervention
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. critically evaluate current management concerns in the areas of change management, crisis management, creativity and innovation management against the background of the body of organisation theory
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. review and critically assess academic literature and change management techniques
- 7. write concise and reflective essays
- 8. work in client relationship on change projects
- 9. work effectively in creative problem solving teams
Syllabus plan
- Understanding organizational change
- Understanding and managing crises
- Culture, resistance and cynicism
- Communication, narration and change
- Consultancy and change
- Organizational development and change
- Continuity
- Creativity and change
- Creative problem-solving workshop
- Group project presentation
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 120 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities | 24 | Lectures/Seminars |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 6 | Presentations in tutorials |
| Independent Study | 120 | Group work commitments and independent study time to be managed by the student |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan for group project detailing: issue for investigation, approach to research, possible solution, examples of reference materials to be used, remember to detail roles in the group and how these will be allocated | 1,000 words | 1-9 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Project (15 %) and Report (15%) (Group of 2-4 students) | 30 | 2,000 word report and 20 minute presentation. | 4-5 | Presentation: verbal feedback, Report: brief written feedback |
| Essay | 70 | 3,000 words | 1,2, 3 & 5 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report and Essay | Individual 2000 word report and PowerPoint presentation slides with commentary on the client based project. Plus 1,000 word reflective essay component inclusive of improvements | 1-5 | July/August |
Re-assessment notes
A student will be referred in all components if the student fails the module with a mark of below 40% overall.
A student if deferred via a single component will be reassessed in that component only.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
A full reading pack is supplied to students for this module (on ELE)
Selected readings include:
Dawson, P., & Andriopoulos, C. (2014). Managing change, creativity and innovation. Sage.
Alvesson, M. (2009) “Resisting resistance; counter-resistance, consent and compliance in a consulting
firm”. Human Relations 2009 (62): 1115.
Driver, M. (2009) “From Loss to Lack: Stories of Organizational Change as Encounters with Failed
Fantasies of Self, Work and Organization.” Organization 16: (3): 353–369
Sturdy, A. and Grey, C. (2003) “Beneath and beyond organizational change management: exploring
Alternatives”. Organization, 10(4): 651-662
Grey, C. (2003) “The fetish of change”. Tamara: Journal of Critical Postmodern Organization Science,
2(2): 1-19
O'Leary, M., (2003) “From Paternalism to Cynicism: Narratives of a Newspaper Company”, Human
Relations, 56 (6) p. 685-704
De Cock, C. 1996. “Thinking Creatively About Creativity”. Creativity and Innovation Management,
5(3): 204-211
King, N., & Anderson, N. 2001. Managing Innovation and Change: A Critical Guide for Organizations.
London: Thomson. (chapters 2 & 3)
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | Sept 2014 |
| Last revision date | 09/01/2019 |
