MODULE OUTLINE

The management change represents a central activity in management and organisational analysis since organisations change their structure and the scope of their operations with increasing frequency. The course is designed to provide students with a critical appreciation of work in this area. The course aims to provide an understanding of both particular approaches and techniques, and also the limitations of these approaches/techniques when applied in practice. A crucial component in change efforts is creativity - the ability to generate new and useful ideas and the practical component of this model will very much focus on two key dimensions of managing change: the ability to work in teams and implement new ideas.

This module has been designed to be delivered as a 1-week intensive course (running over five full days) during the second week of the summer term. Through a combination of taught lectures, group discussions and exercises, students are invited to investigate, question and challenge the assumptions of theories and practice of creativity and the management of change in an organisational context. By offering an intensive course where both practical methods and in depth theoretical analysis are presented, the module will help students develop their own understanding of creativity and change management and supply them with a range of conceptual tools. Particular attention will be paid to the development of transferable skills - students will act as facilitators on real and fictitious organisational change problems, thus enabling the students to operate as change agents and work effectively in problem solving teams.

MODULE AIMS
The module has been designed to:
1. Provide students with a critical understanding of historical developments and trends in the fields of change management and creativity, both as an academic discipline and as a practice in organizations.

2. To familiarise students with key creativity concepts, perspectives and techniques, including popular concepts such as brainstorming and lateral thinking.

3. To enable students to independently and critically analyse the concept s of change and creativity in theory and practice.

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the module, students should be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of key perspectives, theories and concepts that inform contemporary notions of creativity and change management

Analyse the historical emergence of creativity as a crucial organisational phenomenon and understand the social, economic and political embeddedness of creativity.

Critically evaluate the wider implications of utilising creativity techniques in an organisational context.

Identify the characteristics of different change programmes and understand different approaches to the management of change

Have a critical awareness of change agent skills and work in a client relationship on a change project

Critically evaluate change concepts and techniques