Course:
Change Management
Tutor:
Alice E.Smith
Confirmed by:
Director of MPA_____________________
Smith Alice, PhD
Astrakhan 2009
1
SYLLABUS
Course Number:
MPA 3170
Course Title
Change Management
Session
Summer B
Days:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Nights
Location
Clark University, Astrakhan State University Campus
First Meeting:
May 12, 2009
Last Meeting;
June 04, 2009
Professor’s Name:
Alice E. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor’s E-mail:
Alismith@clarku.edu
Wsmithstat@aol.com
(E-Mails are encouraged)
2
2009
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the identification and management of change in organizations.
Three streams of information are considered throughout the course: 1) the conceptualization and
organizing principles of change (from Jick and Peiperl); 2) a general change management process (from
the Roadmap text); and 3) specific change problem assessment and action processes (from Jansson).
The course is divided into the learning qualities of knowledge, values, and skills—all needed to manage
organizational change as described in various contemporary texts and media and by expert opinion.
These learning qualities are considered as course objectives; student competency in them is
demonstrated as student presentations during the course. A required final integrative
presentation/academic paper allows student teams to demonstrate how an understanding of the course
content is integrated into a “real” organization of their choosing.
Course Objectives
At the completion of this course student will be able to demonstrate moderate-level competence in
the following:
Knowledge
 Organizing principles and theories regarding organizational change and the ways they are
managed
 An understanding of one general change process (as described in the Roadmap text)
 Some specific change process methods (as described in Jansson and others)
 Personal change management and leadership skills needed to effect organizational change
Values

Addressing contemporary dilemmas impacting organizational change
Skills
Listed below are the areas of the reading where students can find introductory material about their
subject area. For their midterm paper/presentation, students are expected to add to this material
with additional information gathered from other sources, such as additional academic articles,
talking with experts, the internet, etc.
1. Organizing principles and theories regarding organizational change salient in
organizations in and around Astrakhan (5/19)
Introductory material can be found in the Introduction to the text and the Introduction
section of Module 1 in Jick and Peiperl text and in the Denhardt et al article.
2. The general Roadmap process and how it can be used in implementing organizational
change in and around Astrakhan (5/19)
Introductory material can be found in the Introduction to the text and the chapter
introductions in the Anderson and Anderson text.
3. Specific organizational processes and how those that are relevant can be used in
Astrakhan (5/20)
3
Introductory material can be found in the Denhardt et al article and in pp. 64-65 of the
Anderson and Anderson text.
4. Individual personality style qualities, such as those identified in the MBTI, that can be
useful in supporting change in Astrakhan organizations. Please describe how
organizational work teams identified by the MBTI can be useful in making change
happen. (5/20)
Introductory material can be found in the Nelson and Quick Organizational Behavior and
Leadership text regarding the MBTI.
5. Individual qualities, such as assertiveness, tolerance of ambiguity, and leader
developmental levels, that can be useful in supporting change in Astrakhan
organizations (5/26)
Introductory material can be found in the assertiveness scales and tolerance of
ambiguity scales presented in class and in the class discussion about leader
developmental levels.
6. Leadership qualities that assist in managing organizational change (from Robert Ristino,
Ph.D.) as they can be applied in organizations in Astrakhan (5/27)
Introductory material can be found in text, Managing Change by Robert Ristino and in
the related PowerPoint presentation.
7. Developing group decision-making as these strategies can be applied in organizations in
Astrakhan (5/27)
Introductory material can be found in the Nelson and Quick Organizational Behavior and
Leadership text under the section of team building. This material fits best under the
Midstream Section VI (Plan and Organize for Implementation) section of the Anderson
and Anderson text.
Typical Class Outline




Professor-led discussion of new material
Questions about the new material
Student-led discussion on a topic-of-the-day (on one of ten topics)
Video or special skill
Clark University Core Competencies
In addition, the course seeks to address the following MPA core competencies at the levels identified
(H=High; M=medium; L=low):








4
Understanding policy/program formulation, implementation, and evaluation (H)
Effectively manage decision-making/problem-solving processes (M)
Understanding political/legal institution, processes, and the legal framework (H)
Understanding fiscal management principles of accounting, finance and budgeting (L)
Understanding information systems/their application to organizational management (L)
Develop strong oral and written communication skills (H)
Developing organizational behavior, analytic tools, and communication skills (H)
Managing human resource functions/labor relations (L).
Methodology
This course utilizes a mixture of didactic, experiential, student presentations, group discussion, and
other educational methodologies to provide variety in the classroom and to support the differing
student learning styles.
Required Textbooks
Jick, T. and Peiperl, M. (2003 or edition that is available). Achieving Managing Change: Cases and
Concepts New York, New York. Irwin/McGraw Hill. International edition: ISBN 0-07-112220-6.
Anderson, L. and Anderson, D. (2001). The Change Leader’s Roadmap: How to Navigate Your
Organization’s Transformation. San Francisco, CAS: Pfeiffer. ISBN: 0-7879-5640-6.
Recommended Textbook
Denhardt, R., Denhardt, J., and Arisigueta, M. (2009). Managing Human Behavior in Public and Nonprofit
Organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-4129-5667-3.
Jansson, B. (2003 or most recent edition.) Becoming an Effective Policy Advocate. Pacific Grove, CA:
Thomson/Brooks Cole. ISBN 0-534-52770-1.
Nelson, D. and Quick, J. (200x —edition available in Astrakhan State University). Organizational
Behavior: Foundations, Realities, and Challenges. Mason, Ohio: Thomson Southwest. ISBN: 0-32431827-8.
Ristino, R. (2000). The Agile Manager’s Guide to Change. Bristol, VT,USA: Velocity Business Printing.
ISBN: 1-58099-019-3.
Harvard Business Review. (2008). Making Change Stick. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Press. ISBN:
978-1-4221-1470-4.
Evaluation
Class discussion and in-class topic presentations on skills
30%
Mid-term skill-based presentation / paper
30%
One-page paper- Five Things you learned in this course
Final paper/presentation
Due Wk 4
Due Wk 4
10%
30%
100%
The content of the three page papers should not only include what your agency does, (or alternatively
what you wish it would do) on a particular topic, but also what you think it might consider. In other
words, not only “what is”, but also what “might be”.
5
All assignments turned in or presented orally in class should meet the stated objectives associated with
each assignment, avoid plagiarism, and conform to the directions provided in the syllabus and any
assignment-specific guidelines or handouts prepared by the instructor. In addition to meeting these
basic requirements, assignments will be evaluated on the basis of:
1. Critical thinking—the degree to which students demonstrate their ability to evaluate and
critique ideas. Critical thinking will be evaluated on the basis of students’ demonstrating their
understanding of ideas, applying critical thinking to the evaluation of ideas and using conceptual
models in critical analyses.
2. Conceptual ability—the degree to which students demonstrate their ability to think in abstract
terms, think logically, and organize ideas into a coherent whole. Conceptual ability will be
evaluated on the basis of the students’ ability to move cross the continuum of concreteness to
abstraction and to address the parts and also the whole.
3. Communication—the degree to which students demonstrate the ability to organize and transmit
ideas in written and oral form. Communication will be evaluated in terms of the students’
ability to use proper syntax, to express ideas clearly, to punctuate sentences and spell correctly.
It is also expected that every written work will include a reference section utilizing disciplineapproved formatting such as the APA or other writing style.
4. Search—the degree to which the project demonstrates that the subject matter has been
adequately researched. Search will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which written and
oral material is supported by literature, empirical research, and, if appropriate, theory and
practice wisdom. Where appropriate, differing views should be reflected.
5. Application—the degree to which students demonstrate the relevance of their ideas to practice
situations. Application will be evaluated in terms of the students’ ability to develop the
implications of concepts and ideas for practice settings and situations.
Note: Class ending change from 9:30PM to 9:00PM. Professor will be available by e-mail and in the
classroom from 9:00 to 9:30 to respond to student questions.
Note: In each segment there are listed recommended readings. These readings are not required for
the day-to-day class responsibilities; however, these recommended readings will be important for
specific assignments, such as preparing for the midterm and final assignments.
CLASS
WEEK/DAY
EARLY IN CLASS
6-7:15
Tuesday
5/12/09
Go over syllabus
Handout: “The
Management of
Change” from
Denhardt, R., Denhardt,
J. and Aristigueta,
Managing Human
6
MIDDLE OF
CLASS
7:30-8:00
Getting to
Know You
exercise(s)
Team and
Project
Development
END OF CLASS
8:10-9:00
OTHER
INFORMATION
Continue group
Homework for next
development in
class:
order to prepare for
Read the
midterm and final
Introduction (pp. 1class
20) in the Road Map
presentations/papers
text
Answer questions
Behavior in Public and
Nonprofit Organizations
(Final
Paper/Presentation is
derived from this
article)
Wednesday
5/13/09
Change Management in
the nonprofit sector
Go over homework by
groups
Introductory sections in
Jick and Peiperl
Module #1 in Jick and
Peiperl
Thursday
5/14/09
7
Individual leadership in
change management:
Tolerance of
ambiguity(Homework)
MBTI scores
(information offered in
class and from Nelson
and Quick
Organizational Behavior
and Leadership text)
Maturity of leader(Inclass presentation)
Assertiveness (In-class
Handout)
from Denhardt et al
article (Handout)
Steps in the
change
management
process
Roadmap
text:
Upstream
change
#1, 2, 3
Field of
Dreams video
clip
Answer
thought
questions for
the Field of
Dreams video
In-class group
work on
developing a
project and
creating a
vision for the
company
related to
Video about Change
Management
Homework for next
class: Do
Tolerance of
Ambiguity scale
(Handout)
Questions for Field
of Dreams video
(Handout)
Starfish and babies in
the river analogies—
PP--Building Agendas
from Jansson, pp.
140-168
(Handout)
Work on midterm
projects by teams in
class
Recommended
Readings: for this
class
Jick and Peiperl:
Introduction
Module #1: pp. 1-88
Anderson and
Anderson:
Introduction: pp. 120
Section #1, 2, 3:
Upstream Changes
Homework for next
class: project
description by team
of what the midterm project will be
and how each team
member will
participate in the
paper/presentation
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Reread vision
statements (p. 136)
and Upstream
Change
your final
paper,
addressing
Upstream
changes
related to the
final project
Roadmap
text:
Midstream
Changes #4, 5,
6
In Anderson and
Anderson
Tuesday
5/19/09
Module #2 in Jick and
Peiperl
Student
presentations: Skills
#1 and 2
Wednesday
5/20/09
Module #3 in Jick and
Peiperl
Roadmap
text:
Downstream
Changes #7,8
Student
presentations: Skills
#3 and 4
Thursday
5/21/09
Module #4 in Jick and
Peiperl
Roadmap
text:
Downstream
Changes #9
Students work in
class on final projects
and presentation
Tuesday
5/26/09
The Human Factor in
Change
Module #5 in Jick and
Peiperl
Roadmap
text:
Leveraging
change, #13
Student
presentations: Skills
#5
Students work in
class on final projects
and presentation
Wednesday
5/27/09
8
The institutional factors
of change
Module #6 in Jick and
Roadmap
text:
Leveraging
Student
presentations: Skills
#6 and 7
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Jick and Peiperl :
Modules #2
Anderson and
Anderson:
Midstream
Changes: #4, 5, and
6
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Jick and Peiperl :
Modules # 3
Anderson and
Anderson:
Downstream
Changes: #7, 8
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Jick and Peiperl :
Modules #4
Anderson and
Anderson:
Downstream
Changes: #9
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Jick and Peiperl :
Modules #5
Anderson and
Anderson:
Leveraging Change:
#13
Prepare Answers to
Questions for
Welcome Aboard
Peiperl
PP--Material from Rob
Ristino’s book
Internal organizational
change factors
Thursday
5/28/09
External organizational
factors of change
Module #6 in Jick and
Peiperl
Change
Leveraging
change, #14
Roadmap
text:
Leveraging
Change
Leveraging
change, #15
Students work in
class on final projects
and presentation
article
(Handout and sent
to students by email)
Class discussion:
Article from Harvard
Business Review
“Welcome Aboard,
but Don’t Change a
Thing”
(Handout)
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Jick and Peiperl :
Modules #6
Anderson and
Anderson:
Leveraging Change:
#14
Prepare Answers to
Questions for
Making Change
Stick article
(Handout and sent
to students by email)
Recommended
Readings for this
class
Jick and Peiperl :
Modules #6
Anderson and
Anderson:
Leveraging Change:
#15
Tuesday
6/02/09
Wednesday
6/03/09
Thursday
6/04/09
AES
9
Information about
presentations and
papers
Practice
presenting by
teams
HW: Articles from
Harvard Business
Review
“Making Change
Stick”
“Too Old to Learn”
(Handout)
4 Final
Presentations
3 Final
Presentations
5/06/09