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Leading Change & Managing Continuity - MAN00097M

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  • Department: The York Management School
  • Module co-ordinator: Information currently unavailable
  • Credit value: 15 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Online Teaching Window 4 2022-23

Module aims

Change is often approached as though it is discontinuous, and leadership or change agency are inevitably disruptive. However, organizational reality suggests that long-term success lies in how the relationship of change to continuity is both managed and led. This module aims to provides a critical introduction to theories of change and explores through a variety of cases how they can shape effective practice. In organisations time, space, contexts and individuals vary to the extent that continuity is just as much an accomplishment as change. We will look at examples that have both long and short-term features, and rather than assuming that change usually improves an organisation, will present a more critical perspective that recognises that change can lead to no improvement and indeed can cause damage – and explore ways of avoiding this.

Module learning outcomes

Academic and graduate skills

Successful completion of the module will demonstrate that students are able to:

  • Critically evaluate different approaches to organisational change and appraise potential future directions.
  • Appreciate the advantages and limitations of particular theories and organisational practices
  • Develop a more sophisticated understanding organisational change and its relation to continuity, based on the challenges of contemporary theory and organisation cases
  • Demonstrate sensitivity to the complexity of social, political, ethical, economic and philosophical issues that shape and drive organizational change and resistance.
  • Reflexively develop a personal leadership and management approach

Module content

Subject content

  • Types of change
  • The context of change
  • Theories of change and transformation; and their critique.
  • Leading change
  • Strategy, culture and continuity
  • Implementing change
  • Power and Resistance
  • Damage, repair and recovery

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
2,500 word assignment		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
2,500 word assignment		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Students will receive regular feedback on formative weekly activities and on the formative assessment. They will also receive a feedback sheet with detailed comments on the summative assessment explaining how they performed in relation to the assessment criteria. Turnaround time for summative assessment is 4 weeks. At the end of term, the module leader will develop a report about the module and the students’ performance which, once approved by the Board of Exams, will be uploaded onto VLE and made accessible to students.

Indicative reading

Hughes, M. (2010). Managing Change: A Critical Perspective. London: CIPD

Baxter, L. F.and MacLeod, A. (2008) Managing Performance Improvement, New York, Routledge.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.