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After completing this course, you will be able to:
- Conduct, in a small group, a literature review on a topic in the field of Change Management and Consultancy leading to: (a) a focused research question, (b) a robust search strategy, (c) a well-written synthesis of recent academic articles and practical texts, (d) valid practical advice for top management, employees and/or other stakeholders and (e) recommendations for future research.
- Analyse international business cases from the viewpoint of a change management expert by identifying root causes of problems and suggesting alternative courses of action to managers, employees and other stakeholders in these cases.
- Discuss and provide verbal commentary on change and/or consultancy situations during plenary business case discussions, by grounding these comments in the knowledge gained from the materials provided in this course.
- Reflect on (a) your own behaviour while working on a group project (i.e., the group paper), (b) factors that influence the effectiveness of your group’s work processes and, (c) self-improvement for future projects based on your own Insights Discovery report and also the behaviours and reports of your group-members (if they share them with you).
Key words
Assessing the Need for Organisational Change & Consulting; Tools for Managing Change & Consulting Practices; Process Perspectives on Organisational Change & Consulting; Managing Employee Resistance to Change & Consulting; Culture Change; Lean and Agile; Effective Coaching; Predictors of High Change Performance; Action Research/Appreciative Inquiry.
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Change Management & Consultancy in a Global Context (CMC) aims to develop knowledge and skills within these closely related, practice-relevant fields. This course bridges the gaps between theorising and the many complex practical issues faced by managers and consultants in today’s organisations around the globe. It is paramount that you, as future change manager and/or consultant, learn about effective organisational change, which is a rapidly increasing important subject.
Course Description
During the lectures, the teachers of this course (including guest lecturers) will share science-based knowledge and practical insights. Moreover, you will learn to apply this knowledge and insights during plenary case discussions by means of the Harvard Business School Case Method. Additionally, you will write a creative and thorough group paper on a topic of your own choice that falls within the scope of this course. The teachers will help you during the weekly writing tutorials to formulate your research question(s) clearly and to develop your paper. Finally, you will reflect individually from a coaching point of view on various key aspects of your group project, including your own behavioural patterns and the unique team dynamics that facilitated or inhibited effective collaboration. As a part of this course, you will also participate in an Insights Discovery workshop and will receive a unique personalised report that will help you understand yourself and others better and to build effective relationships with others.
In other words, this course will enable you to read, think and write about, as well as sharply analyse, discuss and present, various issues in the field of change management and consultancy and to develop associated practical skills. The aim is to prepare you to manage and consult on (international) organisational- and team-level change effectively.
Assessment
- Harvard Business School style Plenary Business Case Discussions (45% in total). In Part 2 of this course, you will discuss five business cases during plenary class sessions chaired by a teacher (one session each week). This educational method was developed by the Harvard Business School faculty and presents you with difficult challenges that confront today's organisations, including the oftentimes incomplete information found in real-life organisational issues. The case method provides you with rich hands-on experience in analysing root causes for various business problems. It also allows you to improve your ability to propose suitable solutions and alternative courses of action as well as actively listen and dialogue. These are important skills for future change leaders and/or consultants to develop. As used at the Harvard Business School, active class participation and quality of your verbal contributions will be assessed during each session.
- Final Group Paper on a self-chosen subtopic, with 3-4 other students (40%). The final paper assignment comprises a critical literature review on a self-chosen topic, falling within the scope of Change Management and Consultancy. Each student group is guided by the teachers via: (1) weekly paper tutorials (Part 1 of course) and (2) feedback on one oral presentation of a next-to-final paper (in Part 2 of the course).
- Individual Reflection Assignment on the group dynamics during the writing of the group paper, (15%) In this 2-page assignment, you will use insights from the professional development workshop and individualised Insights Discovery report with which you may reflect on your own behaviour in the group process during the writing of the Final Paper.
Contribution to the Program Learning Goals
- This course is demanding from students to do a literature review which is something all students must engage in as a part of their MSc-thesis. Because we offer the students guidance in the various steps of doing so, the course can be considered a preparation for their master-thesis activity. Also, the fact that the paper is a group process, we think that during this process the students can learn from each other.
- Each group of students must present the knowledge and insights they already gained from working on their Final Paper at various occasions. They must offer presentations not only to the group members but also to the teachers, on which basis they will get immediate, hands-on answers and feedback. Hence, writing the paper in this course is offering each student a chance to ask for help at the right time and place, and incorporate the various suggestions made by the teachers. Given that these consultations are not evaluated, there is ample chance for each group to learn from the teachers in a non-evaluative way. This is because only at the very end of the quartile, after each group has handed in their paper, a group grade will be offered.
- Students will be taught things about effective group- and project-work which they can utilise in their individual writing on the process of the writing of their Final Paper for this course. This small assignment is meant to reflect back on the writing process; it is also meant to draw explicit lessons learned for their prospective own review of the literature once they start with the literature review in their master thesis part of this.
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Final Group Paper, weight 0.4
Plenary Business Case Discussions, weight 0.45 Reflection Assignment, weight 0.15
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Recommended Prior Knowledge
-Bachelor level courses (or the equivalent) on Change/Consulting and/or Organisational Behaviour
Assumed Previous Knowledge
-Bachelor level courses (or the equivalent) on Change/Consulting and/or Organisational Behavior |
| Master Business Administration |
| | Verplicht materiaalCanvas| Materials will be offered through Canvas |
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Aanbevolen materiaal-WerkvormenHoorcollege| Aanwezigheidsplicht | | Ja |
| Presentatie| Aanwezigheidsplicht | | Ja |
| Werkcollege| Aanwezigheidsplicht | | Ja |
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ToetsenAssignments
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