Organisational Change and Consultancy Skills

Module Title	Organisational Change and Consultancy Skills
Module Code	25-6045-00L
Semester of Delivery	See Module Information Table
Mandatory/Elective/Option	See Module Information Table
Level	6
Credit Points	20
Assessment Mode Weighting	CW100
Pre-requisites	Placement Year or equivalent level of experience
Co-requisites	None
Class Contact Hours
Average Weekly	1.5
Directed Learning
Average Weekly	5
Module Leader	John Darwin
	Sheffield Business School
Module Banding	A
Approval Status	Validated

Rationale

This module has been designed to develop in students a critical understanding of change processes through the development of analytical and consulting understanding and skills.

The challenges faced by many organisations undergoing rapid and continuous change have profound implications for the people working in them. Many such organisations are increasingly identifying the need for learning, creativity and involvement in order to achieve their goals, and internal or external `consultants' who can facilitate the development of ideas, behaviours and solutions, can often assist in the achievement of these corporate requirements. The use of the analytical approaches and the skills associated with change consultancy can often be an important part of the manager's working life. Those wishing to enter the field of management or further to develop their understanding and skills in this area require a critical awareness of the field of study and of the interpersonal dynamics associated with change and consultancy.

The module meets the growing need for business students to possess a clear understanding of the dynamics of the consulting process and to develop the personal and professional skills to be effective in managing change.

Summary of Aims

This module aims to frame change as process, rather than an event. Students will be introduced to the field of understanding and managing change and will be encouraged and aided to reflect critically on their ability to understand and engage with the field of study.

The module will also introduce students to a range of views on the role of the consultant in the change situation, and on the dynamics of client/consultant relationships. Using a variety of methods students will critically explore consulting models and theories and, through interactive workshop activities and simulated interventions, they will be able to explore the role of the consultant.

Though critical reflection on their own experience, students will gain insight of themselves as consultants and the personal approach they bring the field of change and the consulting arena.

Anticipated Learning Outcomes

On completion of the module students should be able to:

1. Understand the nature of change management and explain the role of different disciplines in achieving change.
 
2. Review the different typologies and models of consultancy approaches and processes, and discuss the various roles consultancy can play in the management of change.
 
3. Recognise and explain the importance of corporate culture and its relationship to strategy and be able to identify and to model existing cultures.
 
4. Develop the skills and abilities to act more effectively as change agent, including a critical evaluation of the perceptions, attitudes and assumptions that they, as individuals, bring to the change process.
 
5. Identify the forces within individuals and organisations causing resistance to change and plan and employ strategies to deal effectively with them.
 
6. Apply a systemic diagnosis to organisational situations, including understanding and practising a range of techniques for gathering data from the client system.

Assessment and Feedback Strategy

Assessment will be via two pieces of work:

1. A Critical Essay (60%) This will entail a critical analysis of the field of change management. Participants will be required to explore academic material and to reflect critically upon their own history and formative experiences as a means of gaining an understanding of self and the experience of the process of change. Key experiences will include those actions and experiences within the student's action learning set, and within their prior work experience. The Critical Essay will allow the student to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, approaches and models, and of the relevant supporting literature. They will be expected to integrate theory and practice through a rigorous, well referenced essay with appropriate structure.
2. A Group Project (40%) that will test students' understanding of the different underpinning theories of consultancy and their implications for both interventions and their relationship to organisational theory. This will involve the preparation of material and presentation on the theme of change consultancy, based on either a specific organisation found by the students, or on web-based and other documented materials. As with the previous assessment, students will be expected to integrate appropriate theory and practice through a rigorous, well referenced report with appropriate structure.

Module Assessment Criteria

Learning Outcome	Assessment Criterion	Level descriptors
		fail	PASS	2.2	2.1	First
Outcome 1	Critical Essay Group Project	Inaccurate representation of theory, concepts etc. No referencing or attribution. Lack of context Confused discussion or argument.	Descriptive approach, showing some understanding of theory, concepts etc. Little attribution Limited contextualisation Coherent discussion/ presentation.	Accurate utilisation of theory, concepts etc. Limited appropriate attribution. Contributing disciplines identified, understood and illustrated	Accurate utilisation of theory, concepts etc. Appropriate and broad use of referencing and attribution. Contributing disciplines identified, understood (illustrated through example and critical appraisal)	Rigorous use of theory, concepts etc. exhaustive referencing and attribution Discursive approach Critical assessment of issues raised.
Outcome 2	Critical Essay	Failure to establish relevance of material utilised. Inaccurate identification of consultancy roles and contributions	Descriptive approach, showing some understanding of typologies and models. Limited attribution. limited identification of roles/descriptive approach to contribution	Straightforward approach, showing accurate understanding of typologies and models Understanding of consultancy roles through illustration and contextualisation.	Clear and coherent identification of appropriate typologies and models. Discussion of roles set in context and illustrated by example, illustration and critical evaluation.	Clear and coherent identification of wide range of typologies and models. Coherent and well reasoned discussion of roles set in context and illustrated by example and illustration.
Outcome 3	Critical Essay Group Project	Failure to demonstrate understanding of subject material. Inability to utilise models	Descriptive approach Limited though broadly accurate application of model to situations	Accurate utilisation of theory, concepts etc. Appropriate and accurate use of models in representing culture	Accurate utilisation of theory, concepts etc. Appropriate and accurate use of models in representing culture. critical evaluation of appropriateness and likely effectiveness	Rigorous and wide ranging utilisation of theory, concepts etc. Critical and insightful use of appropriate models in representing culture
Outcome 4	Critical Essay	Failure to produce evidence of critical evaluation, and/or recognition of skills required.	Limited evaluation of skills required Some evidence for development is produced	Broadly accurate evaluation of skills required Personally appropriate evidence for development is produced	Rounded and accurate critical evaluation of skills required. Demonstration through personal illustration and application of appropriate evidence for development.	Accurate evaluation of change agent skills required, showing insight and the ability to work with feedback. Evidence for development is imaginatively identified and demonstrated.
Outcome 5	Group Project	Inaccurate or irrelevant analysis Irrelevant or unclear strategic plan	Descriptive approach Little attempt (or failure) to set in context Limited but generally appropriate plan	Evidence of analytical approach, Set in context. Generally appropriate plan, supported by assessment of likely impact	Demonstration of understanding of wide range and complexity of issues of resistance. Sensible and relevant strategic plan.	Rigorous demonstration of understanding of the range and complexity of issues of resistance. Innovative and thoughtful strategic plan.
Outcome 6	Critical Essay Group Project	Inaccurate or unclear diagnosis. Use of inappropriate data gathering techniques	Limited integration of theory/practice. Restricted but generally appropriate use of data gathering techniques	Generally accurate and appropriate integration of theory/practice in analysis Appropriate use of data gathering techniques, with evidence of consideration of application issues.	Accurate use of analytical approaches, based on selected and relevant theoretical base. Appropriate use of relevant data gathering techniques, with evidence of consideration of application issues.	Innovative use of theoretical and conceptual approaches. Underpinning carefully thought-through analytical approaches. Data gathering techniques are demonstrably appropriate to the problem and the particular context, and are justified.

 

Teaching and Learning Strategy and Methods

The learning strategy adopted will encourage participants to explore both theoretical and experiential inputs to the fields of change and consultancy.

Activities will include:

• A core range of lectures/Seminars (18 hours total) to introduce key concepts, models and theories.
• Ongoing pre and post- work on exercises and case studies to apply key concepts, ideas and frameworks,

Indicative Content

The module addresses the student's personal, professional and academic development in the fields of change management and consultancy. The content reflects these aims:

• Introduction to managing and to theories of change
• The nature of consultancy and change in organisations.
• Alternative models and approaches in consulting to the change process; their implications for the consultancy relationship.
• Consultancy; the presentation of self
• Organisational diagnosis; the collection of data
• Contracting and reaching agreement
• The dynamics of internal and external consultancy
• Evaluation; judging the effectiveness of the change effort.
• Personal change through an understanding of the key psychological processes that inform consultancy and change
• Key ethical and professional issues in the consulting relationship.