Reference no: EM132238641
Coursework Brief
The intended learning outcomes for 310 HRM will be assessed by one piece of coursework which will not normally exceed a total of 5000 words (excluding appendices). The coursework is as follows (word limits are indicative only). After reading the paper you are required to write a 5000 word essay which addresses the following:
Task 1 (CW 2500 words)
Provide an analytical review of the paper outlining the main themes and issues discussed and implications of these for managing organizational change and innovation.
Task 2 (CW2 2500 words)
Drawing on other journal papers and academic materials critically evaluate the extent to which organisations can develop and maintain a culture of Change and innovation.
Provide some conclusions and recommendations which address the implications you have identified within both tasks. Your answer should present a balanced mixture of theory and practice and refer to practical organisational examples. The assignments should be (2500) words in length, plus any appendices, references and bibliography.
Learning Outcomes
1. Evaluate the reasons for change within organizations
2. Understand, analyse and critique the main theories of change management
3. Critically analyse the characteristics of successful and unsuccessful change and apply effective change management strategies
4. Understand what organizational culture is, how it influences organizational success and performance and explore the debates around the possibility of changing organizational culture as well as the strategies for changing organizational culture.
5. Critically evaluate how people can facilitate or resist change and develop an ability to manage human resources in the context of change
6. Identify an opportunity for innovation and improvement in workplace organizations and explain the rationale for this choice in the context of organizational objectives
7. Develop an understanding of the concepts of creativity and innovation and the conditions required to encourage them.
8. Critically evaluate principles and practices associated with managing creativity and innovation;
Students will be required to:
1. Identify the issues within the context of the question
2. Apply research skills to examine and analyze the appropriate literature issues (from the perspective of change management)
3. Discuss the implications of the analysis (from the perspective of change management), supported by practical examples
4. Frame appropriate conclusions and recommendations based upon the research, analysis and understanding of the assignment.
5. Support your arguments through approved academic referencing
Task 1: Guidance
Task 1 of the 310HRM assignment asks you to Provide an analytical review of the paper outlining the main themes and issues discussed and the implications of these for managing organisational change and innovation.
Providing an analytical review means critically analysing the article and challenging the key points and claims the author makes and his credentials for making these claims. You need to find lots of other journal articles that challenges or supports Mendes's views and present a critically analytical debate.
Think about the other claims or views the authors' expresses. To guide you these included the following:
• Innovation is change and change is innovation
• Innovators are change agents
• Organizations defensive routines keep them from embracing transformational change
• People will do everything they can to maintain status quo
• Organizations don't have a coherent approach to change
• Some model of change from your lectures should be used and is useful for innovation
• The importance of shared understanding at project level
• The change agent is a catalyst for increasing the speed of innovation in a company
• Innovation Leaders need to broaden their roles as innovators and learn some of the disciplines of change management
You need to pick four or five of these and using other journal articles present a critically analytical discussion about these views.
You also need to think about the journal and the author. Are they coming from a practitioner's point of view, expressing opinion or are they presenting a research informed and evidence-based peer reviewed journal? How much validity and reliability does the journal and author have to make the claims he does?
Don't forget you must include conclusions and recommendations.
TASK 2: Guidance
Task 2 of the Coursework is asking you to debate and discuss the extent to which you can develop and maintain a culture of innovation and change. It is asking you to ensure that you draw on other journal articles and literature to support your discussion. So, evidence of wider reading and referencing is important.
This question can be broken down in to two parts
1. Can you develop, manage, influence and manipulate culture
2. How do you influence a culture of change and innovation
The first part of the question is asking you to define culture and then have a critically analytical debate about culture and if it can be influenced, managed and changed. For this debate you need to think about the 3 key arguments about culture and change.
These are: -
1. The symbolic view of culture argues that culture is something an organisation "is" which suggests culture cannot be changed. It is the very personality of the organization and cannot be manipulated and changed.
2. The functionalist view suggests that culture is something an organization "has" and it can be influenced, managed and changed
3. A realist view of culture suggests and acknowledges that some aspects of culture, can be changed but some can't. You need to provide evidence that you understand these critical ideas and come to some conclusion about them.
4. The second part of the essay is asking you how you can develop a culture of change and innovation. Here you may want to define innovation, creativity and change. You may also consider exploring ideas about the Learning Organization; Single and Double loop learning, Individual and Collective learning in organizations and changing "Theories in use" and "Espoused Theories". There are lecture materials on all of these topics on Moodle.
5. Do not forget your work must be referenced. The more referenced your work is the more likely you will get a good mark. Try not to be too descriptive in your writing - you need to be critically analytical in your discussion and you must have a clear conclusion and recommendations section. 15% of marks are allocated for conclusions and recommendations.
6. Throughout both tasks try and show your research and knowledge of the subject area, your understanding and application. Exploring theory can do this and applying theory to real life examples to illustrate the point you are making will also help. You will only get a merit and distinction if your work is critically analytical and evidences a comprehensive critically analytical understanding of the subject.
Reading a Research Paper Task
- Spend a minute individually considering the question "Why read a research paper?"
Share your ideas with those sitting close to you.
- Now focus your attention on the research article linked to coursework one and work through the following questions: -
1. What sort of journal is it from?
2. Who is the intended reader? E.g. general practitioner, academic etc.
3. Who are the authors? - Where are they from?
4. What does the title tell you about the article?
5. Does the abstract describe the findings or the methodology?
6. How is the paper organised? i.e. Is it divided into sections? What sections are they?
7. Does it have a systematic literature review?
8. What is its research question or aim? Is this clear?
9. What is its claim?
10. What is it trying to do? E.g. build a theory, test a theory, extend a theory, extend practice/knowledge.
11. What research methods and strategies have been used?
12. What are the main findings of the research?
13. Are there significant controversies?
14. Are there inconsistent findings?
15. What are the unanswered research questions in this area?
16. What do the authors conclude?
Attachment:- Netflix Case study.rar