BMA5405: Managing Change
Session:
Special term 2, 2009/2010
Instructor:
E-mail:
Office location
Class location
Associate Professor Audrey Chia
audreychia@nus.edu.sg
BIZ2, 03-12
TBA
Objectives
This course aims to:
- Deepen your understanding of the nature of organizational change
- Increase your knowledge of the theoretical frameworks that can be used to think
about and analyze change, and build your ability to apply those frameworks;
- Provide some insights into the processes of organizational change; and
- Sharpen your skills for leading, managing and implementing organizational
change.
Course description
The course is designed around six modules, corresponding to each of the six weeks of the
term. We begin by examining the forces for change in organizations and the nature of
organizational change. Next, we critically evaluate the prescription that a vision should
form the basis for organizational change. In the third module, we assume the position of
change agents and consider how change can be implemented while being mindful of
culture, psychological contracts and other features of the organizational context. We then
switch positions in the fourth module and assume the role of recipients of change, trying
to understand how they respond. In the fifth module, we reflect on the personal aspects of
leading change. We conclude by addressing the need for continuous change in
organizations.
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Textbook and other resources
We will use a variety of learning resources.
The main text is Managing Change: Cases and Concepts by T. Jick and M. Peiperl. We
will use the 2nd edition, published in 2003 by McGraw-Hill. Cases from the text will be
supplemented by others that depict change situations in Asia-Pacific contexts.
To gain different perspectives, you will also read journal articles which provide
illustrative cases and experience-based reflections on the relevant topics. The articles are
available for download from e-reserve in IVLE.
Syllabus and Schedule
The course is organized around six major themes, one for each week. Below is an outline
of each theme and the corresponding assignments.
Module 1: What change? Why change?
Types of change
Levels of analysis
Forces for change
Different theoretical approaches to change
Organization theory
Management
Organizational development
An overview: Why do some change efforts fail? Critical success factors.
Assignment 1a:
Reading: Introduction, p. xv
Reading: Introduction to module 1, Forces for change
Case: Change Classic: Changing the culture at British Airways, p. 26.
Questions:
1. What was life like at the “old” British Airways? What was difficult about making
change?
2. What were the critical factors in its successful transformation?
3. Will it be harder or easier to make future changes (such as cost cutting)?
Case: British Airways update, 1991-2000
Reading: Re-energizing the mature corporation, p. 44.
(Do a post class reading): Kotter, John P., “Leading change: Why transformation efforts
fail” Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr 1995:59-67. Available on IVLE e-reserve list.
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Assignment 1b:
Case: Haier: Taking a Chinese company global
Questions:
1. Why was Haier so successful in China?
2. Was Haier’s decision to globalize into developed markets early on a good
strategy?
3. Can Haier build on its success in niche products to become a dominant global
brand in high-end white goods?
4. Is Haier’s “two thirds” strategy a viable or wise approach?
Reading: A note on the organizational implications of globalization
Reading: Cultivating the world
Module 2: From vision to reality
Visions: bogus, or necessary?
Process of creating and communicating a vision
Using the vision to inspire change
What else do we need besides a vision?
Assignment 2a:
Reading: Introduction to module 2, Changing the game
Case: Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd: Chasing a daring vision
Questions:
1. Why has Dr Reddy’s been successful?
2. How realistic is its new vision?
3. Can it become a $1 bil. Company by 2008?
4. What organizational and people challenges must Prasad and his team address in
order to meet the goals for 2008? How can these challenges be met?
Reading: Meeting the challenge of disruptive change.
Assignment 2b
Case: Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy and Mather Worldwide (A)
Questions:
1. What is Charlotte Beers trying to accomplish as CEO of O&M Worldwide?
2. What is your assessment of the vision?
3. Evaluate the process by which Beers and her team created the vision
4. What are the key challenges that Beers faces, at the end of the case?
Reading: Why change programs don’t produce change
Reading: The time is ripe for unorthodox newcomers
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Module 3: Implementing change, keeping the context in mind
Culture
Psychological contracts
Social compacts
Models of change implementation
Processes for managing change
Assignment 3a :
Reading: Introduction to module 3, Implementing change
Case:
Nissan Motor Company Pte. Ltd., 2002.
Questions:
1. What accounted for the success of the Nissan Revival Plan? How much of that
can be attributed to Ghosn’s actions/behaviours?
2. Towards the end of the case, what is the situation that Ghosn faces at Nissan?
What should his next course of action be?
3. What qualities/behaviours are most needed to be a successful change agent?
Reading: Implementing Change
Reading: Strebel, Paul. “Why Do Employees Resist Change?” Harvard Business Review,
May-June 1996: 86-92. Available on IVLE e-reserve list.
Assignment 3b
Change management simulation: Mutari.
Reading:
The notes and instructions will be printed and distributed the week before. You should
read these before coming to class or you will not be able to take part in the simulation.
Module 4: Recipients of change
Responding to changes that one has no control over
The role of politics in change
Learning to anticipate and cope with change
Assignment 4a
Reading: Introduction to module 4, The recipients of change
Case: Donna Dubinsky at Apple Computer
Questions:
1. Why was Donna Dubinsky initially successful at Apple?
2. Place yourself in Dubinsky’s position. Why did she respond the way she did to
the JIT proposal?
3. What do you think she should have done differently and why? Be specific.
Reading: The recipients of change
Reading: Jeanie Daniel Duck, “Managing Change: The Art of Balancing” Harvard
Business Review, Nov-Dec 1993: 109-119. Available on IVLE e-reserve list.
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Assignment 4b
Case: Wellcome Israel
Questions:
1. What is Ofra Sherman’s predicament? How did she get into it?
2. How would you evaluate her actions to date?
3. What is likely to happen next?
4. What, then, should Sherman do?
Reading: Changing the deal while keeping the people
Reading: Back to square zero: The post corporate career
(Case analysis assignment, worth 35% of your final grade, is due on June 5)
Module 5: (a) Leading change: Personal aspects
(b) Continuous change
Value-based leadership
Expectations of change leaders
Managing the personal side of change
Second order change
Change as a constant
Learning organisms, learning organizations
Assignment 5a
Case: Leading Culture Change at Seagram
Questions:
1. Why did Seagram need to change? Why did it use a values based approach?
2. How well has the change been accomplished, according to information provided
in the case?
3. How would you respond to the challenges listed at the end of the case?
4. How feasible or important is it for a multi-national and multicultural organization
to have one set of values worldwide?
Reading: Why change programs don’t produce change
Optional reading: Graham, Ginger L. “If You Want Honesty, Break Some Rules.”
Harvard Business Review, Apr 2002: 42-47. Available on IVLE e-reserve list.
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Assignment 5b
Reading: Introduction to module 6, Continuous change
Case: Singapore Airlines: Changing to stay ahead
Questions:
1. What have been the key factors behind the success of Singapore Airlines (SIA)?
2. How has SIA’s success become vulnerable?
3. As the boss of ground crew at Denpasar and Manila, what advice would you give
them? How would you respond to Denver’s complaint letter?
4. Which of the two approaches at the end of the case would you support? Why?
What do world class organizations need to do to stay ahead?
Reading: Change, stability and renewal: The paradoxes of self organizing systems.
Module 6: Learning from our projects
Assignment 6a and 6b
Project presentations and reports are due during this session.
Each group will present its project.
Every project will be peer-reviewed.
The class schedule may be amended when necessary, for example, to take advantage of
other opportunities for learning.
Learners’ responsibilities
Each change incident can make you better able to meet the next one, if you learn from it.
Using the same principle, this course takes an experiential, interactive approach. You will
assume the role of a change agent or change manager, and think and act accordingly.
To gain the most from this course, it is imperative that you be prepared for all classes.
You should have completed the cases and readings and other assignments for the week,
before coming to class. You will be responsible for participating actively in case
discussions, critiques, debates or project work. In terms of attitude, be willing to question,
think critically and learn from others.
Outside of classes, my main mode of communication with the class will be via IVLE and
e-mail. It will be your responsibility to check your NUS mailbox regularly, and to also
read the announcements, updates and other materials uploaded to the IVLE.
Assessment
Preparation and participation 30%
Case analysis
35%
Project
35%
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A. Preparation & participation
30%
You will be assessed on the quality of your comments, questions and contributions to
class discussions and learning.
B. Case analysis
35%
This is to be done individually, and without any help from others. You are free to
submit your analysis anytime before the deadline and are encouraged to plan your work
schedule so that you will have enough time to complete the case analysis. Submissions
must be done electronically on IVLE. Late submissions will be marked down
substantially.
Please remember to type your name in your document and to name the document as:
(yourname)case.doc.
No case gives complete information. You may have to make certain reasonable
assumptions. State clearly what your assumptions are and be sure that you can defend
them. Do not make more assumptions than necessary.
In all your answers, be specific, refer to the facts of the case and be sure that you can
justify your conclusions. Your analysis should not exceed 2500 words. Remember this is
a word limit and not a requirement so your answers may be shorter than this.
If you are not satisfied with your grade, you may ask for your analysis to be re-graded,
giving detailed and substantial justifications for your request. Bear in mind that if I accept
your request and your case is re-graded, it can be given the same grade, a higher grade or
a lower grade than originally assigned.
C. Project and presentation
35%
In this assignment, you will do independent project investigating a specific case of
organizational change. The case should contain insights into the complexities of
managing change and the difficulties that organisations and their employees face during
change processes.
Requirements
Based on your project, you will write a case study and make a presentation.
Both are due at the last class session.
In class, you should submit a hard copy of the report.
You should also upload to the IVLE project workbin the following items:
(a) the soft copy of the report and
(b) any other materials you used during the presentation – e.g., slides.
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To write the project report, refer to the guide given below.
Subject
You will do an in-depth case study of a specific case of organizational change, and
present your findings to the class. Read widely and think about your own work
experience to identify possible cases for presentation. Make sure that the case you have
selected is substantial and interesting.
The case can be about an organization that you read about from secondary sources such
as newspapers, journals and the web. In the past, students have written about topics such
as the mergers between HP and Compaq and Rover and Mini, or the change leadership of
Rudy Giuliani in New York City after 9/11. The approach in this type of case would be to
analyse the situation using relevant concepts and models, to draw learning points from
the case and to suggest how the change might have been better managed.
The project can also be based on your past or present experiences. For example, you may
write about a change that you are currently experiencing in your organization. The
approach in such ongoing cases would be to assume the position of a consultant or
change leader. You should analyse the situation using relevant concepts and models,
make proposals or recommendations and draw learning points from the case.
You should use the web, media, books and journals, library and other resources to write
the case. You are also encouraged to conduct fieldwork and interviews of the relevant
organization or individuals to collect data for the case.
Project report (in the form of a case study)
You may use the following questions as a guide to writing the case report.
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What is the company’s background? (Make this brief. Any other information that
is interesting but not directly useful to the case can be shown in an appendix).
What was the change about? Why did it take place? What did it aim to achieve?
How was it planned? What were the organisational systems involved? Who were
the main organisational members/units in this case?
Concentrate on analysing how the change was managed. What was done well and
what could be done better? How would you have gone about making the change?
What are the main learning points from this case?
A hard copy of the report should be submitted to me at the end of the last class session.
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Writing the report
The main text should not exceed 4000 words. Aside from the main text i.e., the case,
your report should also include a complete list of references naming all the sources that
you used. You may also any other appendices you judge necessary. The reference list and
appendices will not count towards the length limit. You may use any standard
referencing and citation style: see http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/lion/s/citation.html. Just be
consistent – adopt one style and use it throughout. Another good writing reference is the
booklet, “Writing with Sources” by Gordon Harvey of the Harvard Expository Writing
Programme – go to http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~expos/index.cgi?section=resources
and click on the link for “Writing with Sources”.
Type your case using double spacing, one-inch margins and font size 12. Check grammar
and spelling.
Credits
At the end of your report, please give a short description how each group member
contributed to the project.
Presentation
Plan for a presentation that lasts 20 minutes. This will be followed by questions from the
class. Focus on the main points – don’t repeat everything in the report. You may use any
format for the presentation: role play, debate, seminar, interaction with the class, etc. Be
as creative as you like.
Bring a copy of whatever you have read in preparation for this case, to class. Also bring
interview transcripts and whatever data you have collected. You will need it to answer
questions and verify facts.
Peer review
a) At the last class of the semester, you will be asked to do a peer evaluation of the
performance and contribution of all the members in your project group.
b) In addition, every group’s presentation will be peer reviewed by others in the
class based on the following criteria:
Clarity
Ability of the group to draw learning points from the case
Degree to which the presentation provoked further thinking and ideas
General quality of the presentation.
Enjoy working on the project and presentation!
Academic honesty
Please acknowledge all references and sources that you use in your work. This is not just
good manners but also academic honesty.
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