Postgraduate Course: Change Management - Executive Education (BUST11233)

Course Outline
School	Business School	College	College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	Overall, the course aims to introduce students to a range of concepts and tools that can help in the understanding of how organisations, groups and individuals approach change. In so doing, students will be encouraged to explore a range of topics, models and techniques that can be used in dealing with change. The course requires critical reflection on theory and practice from an ethical and professional standpoint and provides opportunities for applied learning and continuous professional development.
Course description	Academic description: Organisations, their workforces, clients and customers face new internal and external contextual issues on a regular basis. This module covers organisational design and development. The course will enable students to develop a critical understanding of organisational change via the theories and conceptual frameworks of organisation design and the principles and practices of organisational development. Both are critical to our understanding of organisations and how they function and both reside within a framework of organisation theory. Outline content: The course focuses on decisions that have to be made on the most appropriate organisational structure(s) to ensure dynamic delivery of organisational activities. Organisation design is about shaping an organisation to maximise its effectiveness; aiming for flexibility in delivery of its services. Through breaking down departmental barriers, seeking improved supply efficiencies, teamwork and collaboration and working towards better customer management and retention, organisations can enhance their performance and ensure that organisational goals and targets are achieved. Organisation design activities therefore focus on finding the most appropriate structures, relationships between departments and sections, and allocation of work activities, including definition of duties and role responsibilities. The module also focuses on how an organisation's culture, values and environment support and enhance organisational performance and adaptability. Organisation development can be defined as a 'planned and systematic approach to enabling sustained organisation performance through the involvement of its people'. This might include how organisational members acquire new skills, knowledge and behaviours, and do things differently, often as part of the application of continuous improvement strategies. The concept of the 'learning organisation' as one of a number of organisation development strategies that might be adopted as part organisational change activities is also explored. Student learning experience: Achievement of learning outcomes will be demonstrated through class participation and understanding, and through completion of the individual assessment.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Identify the historical and theoretical basis of organisation design and development and their context in terms of value and contribution to organisational life. Outline a range of potential change management scenarios and design options regarding organisational structures and relationships. Deploy a critical awareness of processes and systems that need to be in place to maintain such structures and relationships, and evaluation of same. Identify the methods and procedures of organisation development and the skills and tools used to review their strategic impact. Express a critical appreciation of the importance of the HR role in advising on these design and development choices and supporting their implementation.