Course syllabus

Förändringsledning för ingenjörer
Change Management for Engineers

MAMN55, 7,5 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2023/24
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering, LTH
Decided by: PLED C/D
Date of Decision: 2023-04-18

General Information

Elective for: BME5, C5, D5, F5, I5, M5, MD5, N5
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English on demand

Aim

The course "Change Management" is a project-based course that aims to;

1. Provide students with theoretical knowledge about the complexity of change management within companies and organizations and develop an understanding of what within organizations and the outside world is behind this need.
2. Give students the opportunity to apply this knowledge and gain practical experience of change management through work with real cases from companies and other organizations.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• Demonstrate knowledge of and understanding of the importance of change management in connection with the introduction of new technologies in organizations' products and processes
• Demonstrate an understanding of and be able to apply and present key tools for change management in different contexts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of different change management methods to support innovation and organizational change over time and how they work in practice, e.g. their advantages, disadvantages and limitations.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of change leadership with regard to both strategy and work environment (from macro to micro perspective).

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• Compare available change management methods and decide on the most appropriate one in accordance with a company's or organization's specific characteristics, conditions and challenges.
• Practically apply change management methods in weekly group exercises and seminars.
• Practically apply and evaluate change leadership in project work together with a specific company or organization and apply methods that take both strategy and work environment into account.
• Communicate lessons learned by making presentations and leading discussions in connection with seminars and presenting the project work both in writing and orally.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

• Individually and together with other course participants reflect on the course's theoretical frameworks, how change leadership appears in practice and ethical positions in the event of organizational change.

Contents

The world is currently undergoing revolutionary changes. Technologies that enable and support the development of increased sustainability and digitalisation are some of the areas that companies need to prepare and adapt to. Engineering students thus need to prepare for leading and developing companies in a changing world.

We live in a changing world, not least because new technologies enable new products, processes, organizational forms and working methods. To take full advantage of these opportunities, changes are often required in many parts of the organization, which places demands on good change leadership. Leadership in today's organizations is thus often about leading in change. The course focuses on knowledge, understanding, tools / methods and judgment to lead change, not from a strict functional perspective (R&D, marketing, purchasing, etc.), but from an overall perspective where different functions and units in an organization should change in a coordinated and integrated way.The course aspecially emphasises the importance of employees' needs in this change work.

The course is practically oriented and students work in project groups with the different concepts/change management methods before seminars and with a major project work together with a company (or other organization) during the course. A significant part of the course i made up of literature seminars, where the students actively discuss and analyze research articles in the field.

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U,3,4,5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment: Grades will be based on: project work in groups (67% of the grade), and active attendance at group exercises (33% of the grade). Attendance at exercises is mandatory. In the absence of attendance at a group exercise, a written supplement may be required. Number of gradings: 2.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Parts
Code: 0122. Name: Group Excersises .
Credits: 2,5. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: P: when all goals have been met satisfactorily. Contents: Active attendance at case and practice seminars. Attendance at seminars is mandatory. Further information: Opportunity for completion will only be offered to those students who have not received the grade "pass".
Code: 0222. Name: Project Work.
Credits: 5. Grading scale: TH. Assessment: 5: when all goals have been met, shows deep knowledge of the course content, can show innovative and creative thinking, and possibly gone beyond established practice. 4: when all goals have been met very well and completely. 3: when all goals have been met satisfactorily, or when some have been met very well and others satisfactorily. Contents: Project work carried out in groups of 3-4 students and reported in writing and orally. Further information: Opportunity for completion will only be offered to those students who have not received the grade "pass".

Admission

Admission requirements:

• MAMF15 Work Organization and Management or MAMF16 Work Organization and Management or MAMN30 Management, Work Organisation and Project Management or MTTN60 Business Process Management

Assumed prior knowledge:
The number of participants is limited to: 30
Selection: A maximum of 10 places are given to exchange students. Among LTH programme students, selection is based on number of completed university credits within the programme. Priority is given to students enrolled on programmes that include the course in their curriculum.
The course might be cancelled: If the number of applicants is less than 12.

Reading list

• Beer, M., Eisenstat, R. A., & Spector, B. (1990). Why change programs don't produce change. Harvard Business Review, 68(6), 158-166.
• By, R. T. (2005). Organisational change management: A critical review. Journal of change management, 5(4), 369-380.
• Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2016). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human relations, 69(1), 33-60.
• George, T. J., Atwater, L. E., Maneethai, D., & Madera, J. M. (2022). Supporting the productivity and wellbeing of remote workers: Lessons from COVID-19. Organizational Dynamics, 51(2), 100869.
• Eden, C., & Huxham, C. (1996). Action research for management research. British Journal of management, 7(1), 75-86.
• Ford, J., Ford, L., & Polin, B. (2021). Leadership in the implementation of change: Functions, sources, and requisite variety. Journal of Change Management, 21(1), 87-119.
• French, J. R. P., Jr., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (p. 150–167). Univer. Michigan.
• Kenis, I.et al (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on the Organization of Cancer Care in Belgium: Lessons Learned for the (Post-) Pandemic Future. Int.J.of Env. Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12456.
• Kotter, J. P. (1995). Leading change. Harvard business review, 2(1), 1-10.
• Lewin, K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics. Concept, method and reality in social science; social equilibria and social change. Human Relations, 1, 5-41.
• Morey, N. C., & Luthans, F. (1984). An emic perspective and ethnoscience methods for organizational research. Academy of Management Review, 9(1), 27-36.
• Rosengren, C., Bergman, A., & Palm, K. (2021). ICT Enforced Boundary Work: Availability as a Sociomaterial Practice. In Topologies of Digital Work (pp. 173-196). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
• Smircich, L., & Morgan, G. (1982). Leadership: The management of meaning. The Journal of applied behavioral science, 18(3), 257-273.
• Tichy, N. M. (1982). Managing change strategically: The technical, political, and cultural keys. Organizational dynamics, 11(2), 59-80.
• Tripp, D. (2005). Action research: a methodological introduction. Educacao e pesquisa, 31, 443-466.
• Weick, K. E., & Quinn, R. E. (1999). Organizational change and development. Annual review of psychology, 50(1), 361-386.
• Additional literature might be added, and complementary literature is chosen based on student projects.

Contact and other information

Examinator: Lars Bengtsson, lars.bengtsson@design.lth.se
Course coordinator: Jonas Borell , jonas.borell@design.lth.se