Course Title: Leadership and Change Management
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Leadership and Change Management
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
MANU2136 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering |
Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face |
Sem 1 2011 |
MANU2136 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering |
Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face or Internet |
Sem 1 2007, Sem 2 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 2 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 2 2009, Sem 2 2010 |
MANU2136 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering |
Face-to-Face or Internet |
Sem 2 2012 |
Course Coordinator: Dr. Arun Kumar
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 4328
Course Coordinator Email: a.kumar@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: 57.03.020
Course Coordinator Availability: Monday 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
None
Course Description
The aim of this course is to present the principles involved in organisational change, and how to manage that change. In particular, the role of leadership and teamwork is addressed, with special emphasis on technology-based organisations. Specifically this course introduces students to the successful management of organisational change, and the issues involved in creating and leading organisations and enterprises of the future. Initially the subject will address how an organisation works, how change effects organisations, the most common types of organisational change, as well as management tools and techniques required as an organisation passes through various stages of the change cycle. Building on this background, the subject provides leadership models and techniques for developing and sustaining a creative, visionary and successful project team. The concepts introduce the selection of a leadership style appropriate for a team performance context, how to build trust between team members, how to truly empower others, and how to manage the conflicts that arise over task performance and interpersonal issues. In particular, attention will be given to these issues in the context of engineering/technology based organisations. Where appropriate, examples and case studies of change management and leadership styles in managing change are used. The course may be considered in three elements; the foundations of organisations (2 and 3), strategy and planning change (4 and 5) and topics of implementation of change in corporations and how to manage it (modules 6 to 11).
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
- Acquire a sound knowledge regarding the role and concepts of organisational change and how management, and in particular the role of leadership in bringing about successful organisational change
- Characterise an organisation in terms of its essential elements, including structures and environments, and as a result understand their effectiveness and the resultant strategic aspects of maintaining effectiveness.
- Be able to conceptualise how change occurs in organisations, the models that can be postulated to describe that change, and the factors involved in organisations that can foster and resist change.
- Identify the key role of leadership in the effectiveness of the change process, and as a result understand the desirable characteristics of good leaders, particularly in professionally based organisations.
- Develop skills to be more effective members of teams, and acquire skills in the management of such teams, and to be able to communicate more effectively with members of your organisation.
see above
Overview of Learning Activities
Students completing this subject would be able to:
(a) present a clear and coherent description of the systems approaches to change in organisations;
(b) identify and explain the various factors influencing change in an organisation;
(c) clearly understand the role and importance that leadership and various leadership styles and characteristics play in the management of change;
(d) demonstrate a good understanding of the role of teams in managing and implementing change, and how to increase ways of enhancing team effectiveness;
(e) recognise the importance of effective communication in managing and implementing change.
Overview of Learning Resources
These resources are available online. You can download them once you are enrolled in the course.
• Walker, J.H., Course Guide Notes, MANU 2136, Leadership and Change Management, SAMME, RMIT University, 2005.
• Doukas, L. (Editor), Reading Notes for MANU 2136, Leadership and Change Management, SAMME, RMIT University, 2005.
Prescribed Texts & References
Robbins S. and Barnwell N. “Organisation theory: concepts and cases” 1998, Prentice-Hall
This textbook is used as it provides an excellent foundation to managing change in that it extensively addresses the organisation – the elements contributing to it, its effectiveness, how change is considered in a strategic sense and how such change is implemented. Further, this textbook contains numerous examples and cases upon which to consider change management and the role of leadership.
The Additional Readings supplement this textbook, particularly in the later topics which address the leadership and management issues. You must have the prescribed text available to do your studies in this course, consequently we recommend that you purchase Robbins and Barnwell. Copies are available in the RMIT university and other university libraries. URL – http://www.rmitbookshop.com.au/gua.html
Recommended Resources
A number of other textbooks can be used to complement Robbins and Barnwell and this Course Material. These textbooks are:
Bateman T. and Zeithaml C. “Management: function and strategy” 1990, Irwin Inc.(a comprehensive general management text with chapters on organisations, strategy, change, leadership and groups).
Egan G. “Adding Value: a systematic guide to business-driven management and leadership” 1993, Jossey-Bass Inc.(a useful description of the management process and the particular role of change management).
Stace D. and Dunphy D. ;Beyond the Boundaries – leading and re-creating the successful enterprise” 1998, McGraw-Hill.(a comprehensive description of change and, in particular, the implementation of change strategies using change agents/intervention tools).
Belasco J. “Teaching the Elephant to Dance” 1990, Randon House.(a broader, but nonetheless interesting description of change in organisations).
Tozer J. ;Leading Initiatives – Leadership, Teamwork and the Bottom Line; 1997, Butterworth-Heinemann.(comprehensive in that it addresses the role of leadership and teams and sets these out in a management and organisational framework).
Northouse P. “Leadership: Theory and Practice” 1997, Sage Publications.(for those particularly interested in the theory of leadership and the characteristics of leaders).
For students undertaking this course online, additional change management and leadership textbooks can be purchased from online sellers like Amazon (highly recommended). URL; http://www.amazon.com
RMIT UNIVERSITY LIBRARY supports the Distance Students by providing the following ONLINE RESOURCES:
• access to online data bases
• library catalogue searching
• document delivery service
• online question and answer service
• guides and tutorials for information literacy including referencing
• complete textbooks and journals
For more information visit the RMIT web sites:
• http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/info-trek
• http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/assistance
• http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/contacts
Overview of Assessment
Assignment 1
Start this assignment in Week 4
and submit in week 6
Summarise an understanding of concepts of the course. Limit of 1000 words, written on A4 pages with a font size of 12.
10% maximum contribution to the final grade.
Assignment 2
Start this assignment in week 7
and submit in week 9
Describe the changes required in a company in a real life situation, and factors influencing the effectiveness of change management.
Limit of 3000 words, written on A4 pages with a font size of 12.
30% maximum contribution to the final grade.
Assignment 3
Start this assignment in week 10
and submit in week 13
Investigate from hypothetical cases the characteristics of good leaders and how this impacts on the effectiveness of teams.
Limit of 4000 words, written on A4 pages with a font size of 12.
40% maximum contribution to the final grade.
Class Test
This will be held in week 13.
Embracing all aspects of Course.
20% maximum contribution to the final grade.