| Unit name | Re-thinking Change, Systems and Organisation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0126 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Dr. Ketch Adeeko |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
To lead strategic change successfully you need to see the wider system that our decisions and actions are part of and are influenced by – you need to connect your individual perspectives to your organisation’s and the views of wider society. This unit aims to encourage your critical engagement with perspectives on change processes, systems thinking, multi-level perspectives and social practice theories to develop strategic responses to complex problems.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The unit contrasts the more classical change management theories covered in the Understanding Change Management unit by exploring contemporary concepts that take a systems perspective on organisations’ role in the creating and responding to societal challenges and problems.
An overview of content
Initially, the unit will look at societies, encouraging us to adopt a systems thinking approach, including the challenges of understanding competing stakeholder demands. We will explore the challenges of change in the context of wicked problems and societal challenges. The unit then moves onto the perspective of organisations, looking at the importance of alignment with societal norms and the expectations of their members. This often triggers reflection and ways for organisations to explore development and learning opportunities. The final focus of the unit is the lens of the individual. We all have our own individual identities and reputations. We discuss why this is so important to manage and the catastrophic damage that can occur when good people make poor decisions.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
As a result of this unit, students will have gained an understanding of change processes, identifying how perspectives on change processes can be applied to different organisations. Students will have developed an ability to apply insights from critical thinking to develop strategic responses to complex problems.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the unit, students should be able to:
1. Describe and critically engage with perspectives on change processes.
2. Identify how these perspectives can be applied to different forms of organisation and organisational challenges.
3. Apply insights from systems thinking, multi-level perspectives and social practice theories to develop strategic responses to complex problems.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of mini-lectures, group and plenary discussions, Lego Serious Play, Question and Answer sessions, reflection exercises and case-study discussions.
This includes asynchronous structured learning (collaborative/peer to peer tasks, pre-recorded videos on Teams or similar, quizzes, multiple choice questions and exercises), synchronous virtual learning as well as in-person or hybrid sessions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Short individual written assignments, or equivalent, to demonstrate understanding of relevant academic literature, theories and models.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The summative assessment is a group presentation of up to 15 minutes based on a collectively written policy or strategic brief of 3,000 words (70%), where each group receives a single mark, and an individual reflective report of 1,000 words (30%).
The 70% mark is based on the combination of the presentation and the written report.
The presentation, collectively written brief and individual report will each separately assess all the Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs).
When assessment does not go to plan
Where reassessment of the unit is needed it will usually take a similar format to the failed assessment(s). Where this is a group piece of work it will be undertaken individually and will include reflection on team working, if required. Where this is a presentation it will be pre-recorded individually and again, will include reflection on team working, if required.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EFIMM0126).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
