Assessment of Organizational Change and Optimization

Summary of Assessment

The Individual Assessment for this module consists of two assessments. You will be paired with a fellow student to undertake the second assignment.

Assessment 1 is focused on optimising the operations of a simulated business from the perspective of a business leader who specifies the requirements for change. Within this assessment Assignment 1 involves contextualizing and specifying this requirement for change, including the need for change and the readiness for change, in the form of a written Leader’s Programme Journal which should be critically supported through the application of appropriate organizational change theory. This Journal is both uploaded to turn it in and delivered to your paired student colleague to brief them for their assessment 2 task.

Assessment 2 is focused on you as the consultant change project manager responsible for delivering a sustained change that addresses the need for organizational optimisation that your fellow student has specified in assessment 1. Within this assessment you will deliver Assignment 2 which will specify your change approach in the form of a written Consultant Programme Journal, again critically supported through the application of appropriate organizational change theory. This Journal is uploaded to turn it in.

The presentation simulation is a role play that supports Assessment 2. This involves two reflective critical discussions between yourself and your paired student colleague about the challenges you faced, firstly in your role as Organistional Leader in Assessment 1 and secondly as Consultant Change Manager in assessment 2. Each discussion should take no longer than 4 mins, the conversation will be stopped after 8 mins. In the absence of a paired student, a single student can talk directly to their tutor.

5.2 Detailed description of assessment

5.2.1 Formative assessment Describe an organization in need of change. 300 -500 words Week 3

Through research and cases studies discussed within the module synthesize a 300 word description of a simulated organization or functional department (e.g. finance) in need of change (can be real with a name change and a disclaimer). The description should include a basic description of its market, ownership, competition and operations.

The description can be extended to include diagnosis of external drivers acting on the business operations that may cause it to optimise operations through a significant transformation.

You can further extend your description to add a diagnostic assessment (upto 600 words) for the need to change, using the tools we have explored in previous weeks

Detailed Description of Assessment

Print a copy off and bring to week 3 seminar where it will be critically reviewed by your paired student colleague. You will reciprocate with a critical review of their organisation description and optional change requirement.

This description will form a foundation for your Journal delivery in Assignment 1.

5.2.2 Assessment 1: Leadership Simulation and written basis for change with considerations 50% TMM individual submission (2000 words +- 10% maximum) Due week 6  Sunday 8th November at 23.59 (late submissions will be allowed up to the following Wednesday and will be capped at 40%) .

Based upon the description of the organisation you have simulated in the formative assessment 1 you will write an illustrated Leader’s Programme Journal from the perspective of a leader of this organisation who has recognised the need for optimising its operations and are therefore initiating a programme to achieve and sustain a correspondingly improved outcome for the business. You will also assess the readiness of the organisation to undertake the change associated with the proposed optimisation of its operations. Throughout your Journal you will critically support your analysis with reference to theoretical structures and models based upon discussions within the module and your own independent research.

A draft format for the Leader’s Programme Journal might include:

1. Introduction and description of the organisation - 300 words If based on real company names and people should be renamed and add disclaimer

2. The internal or external driven needs for change - 600 words Could be wk 2 -PESTEL then SWOT or Burke Litwin

3. The optimisation outcome to be achieved - 200 words Needs to be efficiency cost cutting strategy as wk 3 delayering,

4. The readiness of the organisation to change - 600 words Look at the force field analysis wk 4 then maybe the wk5 readiness method

5. Your readiness as a leader to lead change - 300 words Reflect on your actions as Leader , critic against theory wk6, have you written a vision statement (wk5) for the change in part 4?

5.2.3 Assessment 2: Consultant’s Report and Simulation 50% TMM individual submission (1200 words +- 10% maximum, simulation role discussion); Summative submission due  Friday 11 th December at 23.59 (late submissions will be allowed up to the following Wednesday and will be capped at 40%) The simulation role play discussions will be run in weeks 11 & 12.

Acting as a consultant change manager you will develop a plan to deliver and sustain the optimisation of the operations of a simulated business as has been specified in the assignment 1 Leader’s Programme Journal of your student colleague. Referring to the specification of requirements in your colleagues assignment 1 your Consultant Programme Journal will: leverage illustrative plans of basic milestones and timelines for the proposed operational changes that address the change need; the education of employees (learning plan); the informing of pertinent stakeholders (communication plan); the introduction of effective measures (monitoring plan). For each of the above illustrative plans you will provide a written context that will leverage appropriate change management theories and models that you have covered within the course or through you own independent research. Finally, you will critic how you are to address the culture of the simulated organisation in terms of its resistance to change. If the specification you have received from student colleague in their assignment 1 is insufficient for your needs you can extend the requirements as foundations for your plans.

A draft format for the Consultant Programme Journal might include:

• Introduction – the organisation , need for change and required outcome - 200 words (inc strategy and vision)

• The education plan, model and justification 200 words ( inc learning contracts, loop model and organisation learning)

• The stakeholder communication plan, model and justification – 300 words ( inc comm plan- stage messages and media)

• Critic of the challenges associated with overcoming cultural resistance to change 500 words ( inc Change agency; kotter 8 step v emotional resistance)