SU02 Seminar

Managing Organisational Change

Analysing and reflecting

UMODML-15-3
Seminar schedule
Activity Timings
(approx.)
1. Reflecting 40 mins
Presentation, peer feedback, discussion, and tutor
summary
2. Analysing 40 mins
Mini case study analysis beginning with ‘what?’, ‘why?’,
‘how?’, and ‘what else?’ questions
3. Looking ahead 20 mins
Small group formation and future planning
Activity 1 | Reflecting

First attempts a critical reflection – one of three activities directly feeding into
your final assessment.
Critical reflection
We are going to share our critical reflections with a partner.

• We reflect in order to learn something . . . or we learn something as a result of having

reflected
• What do our first attempts at critical reflection suggest about organisational change?
• What experiences do we have in common?
• What experiences can help us think differently?
• What experiences can help us act differently?
Reflecting
• Use clear language • Use thinking/sensing
• Try to be objective verbs
• Be concise in describing • Recognise the impact of
what happened
Naming what happened
Clarifying • Don’t jump to judgement
feelings and or opinion
the issue
emotions

Developing your
skills of
critical reflection

Concluding Analysing,
• What has been the key
learning from your and interpreting, • This is your opportunity to
try to make sense of what
reflection planning evaluating happened
• Does it suggest future
• Compare – contrast –
actions or lead to new
connect
practice
• How can academic ideas
help?
You were asked to . . .
Write a 100-word reflection on your own experiences of organisational change.

In this reflection, you were the case study, meaning you were already some sort of expert.
• But, how many questions did you ask of yourself?
• And, did your reflection have any impact on how you might think or act in the future?

With a partner, spend 20 minutes discussing your critical reflections.

Then, as a wider seminar group, share common experiences of organisational change.
Tell each other what you thought of reflecting – was it a task you enjoyed, or hated?
Discuss what role you think reflection could play in the workplace, particular for change agents.
Activity 2 | Analysing

Mini case study analysis beginning with ‘what?’, ‘why?’, ‘how?’, and ‘what else?’
questions exploring the interrelationship of theory and practice.
Analysis using Four Question Method
We are going to trial this Four Question Method with a mini case study.

• Looking at real cases is a way of understanding the interrelationship of the theory and
practice of organisational change
• Our job is to learn and reflect on what has happened, why and what the lessons are, what to
do differently.
• How will the Four Question Method help you?
1. What happened?
2. Why was this important?
• What are the facts of the
• Incorporate your own
case – how can you
ideas and insights within
evidence them?
the facts
• Try to get a sense of the
• Try to interpret what
most important thing/s
• Ask yourself if others
Describe Analyse thing/s happened
would think differently the issue the issue • Ask yourself if others
would think differently

4. What are the implications

and learnings?
• What can we learn from this
– the key takeaway points.
• Try to craft an argument to
show your understanding
• Ask yourself if others would
think differently
Learn 3. How can we explain this?
Theorise • Add in academic ideas
from the
the issue that might help explain
issue what happened
• Try to make links between
evidence and explanation
• Ask yourself if others
would think differently
Case study vignette – Waterside College
Situated in a metropolitan area, Waterside is a community college near the Atlantic coast with an
enrolment of 30,000 students on three campuses. Years of struggle to combat racial imbalances both
within the student population and in the faculty were followed by a federal court mandate prescribing
specific steps toward desegregation of all state colleges. An earlier effort to help recruit and retain
minority students had failed to gain support from the faculty and administration. The vice president of
student affairs served as the leader to develop the commitment for a second project, a mentoring
program characterized by an application of complex knowledge of human development, as well as the
simplicity of conventional practices for “reaching” others. A prominent Black leader and college
employee was selected to serve as director for the program. With ebullient energy, the new director of
the program recruited and trained 60 volunteers from the faculty and administration willing to support,
guide, advise, and, if necessary, serve as mentors to Black students, especially those in academic
trouble. Opposition to the project was largely passive from some faculty who were unaware of the
project and from others who perceived no relevance to their work. Some opposed the project because
of its restriction to a select group of students. Debate about the added responsibility for faculty to serve
as volunteers on the project without compensation led to considerable controversy among this
unionized faculty.
 • Change seems ‘externally’ imposed by court ruling
around racial imbalance after years of failing to resolve
this within the college.​
• Prominent new leader, representative of the desired
change.
• Recruited and trained 60 volunteers supportive of
change – controversy that this was unpaid work.
• Opposition to change largely passive – some unaware of
change, others uninterested in the change.
Describe
the issue
• Communicating change needs careful attention
• Need to build understanding and communicate benefits Learn
• Need to make people aware of the consequences of not from the
changing issue
• This change seems well-designed but didn’t solve all the issues …
so, was it planned enough or is change always hard to handle​
• Critical considerations …
• Question whether change was needed. In this case, yes it was. Did
that add to legitimacy of change?
• Important to consider internal/external dimensions of change.
Social change obvious driver – what impact then on individual
identities?
• Change isn’t simple – always conflicting ideas and politics.
Resistance is inevitable … to content and/or process.
• Example of wider societal/social change impacting on
organisational change – suggesting this was imposed on
the organisation rather than being chosen.
• Significance that leadership was taken up by a new (and
black) figure – had the organisation learned from
previous failures?
• Should more resourcing been available to support the
change – how to interpret ‘volunteers’ – lack of
willingness to support change financially (commitment?)
or sign of some grassroots support?
Analyse • Why unaware of the change? How was it
the issue communicated?
Theorise
• Introducing academic ideas and relevant literature to enrich
the issue
our explanations:
• ‘passive’ opposition – resistance – explore a lack of
knowledge and understanding
• new change agent – leadership – explore if this impacted
credibility of project
• volunteer roles –top-down v. bottom up change /
participatory – explore different interpretations
• Lack of awareness – communication – explore why change
was not more widely known about
• Also, maybe scale/scope, internal/external drivers
Talking points . . .
1. How important is it to have agreement around the need for change?
2. How important is it that change is well-suited to the organisation?
3. How important is that change is articulated clearly?
4. How important is that change are sustained by appropriate resources and staffing?
5. How important is that top-level leadership shows sustained commitment to the change?
6. How important is it that an identifiable change agent maintains commitment and confidence
of employees throughout the planning and implementation of the change?
7. How important is that there are clearly identifiable champions of change with responsibility
and power to implement change?
8. How important is that the outcomes of the change are obvious and are perceived to clearly
address organisational issues?
Question time

How do you feel about using the

Four Question Method for yourself?

What further advice do you need?

Activity 3 | Looking ahead

Small group formation and future planning.

Case study – seminar format and preparation
• Every student will be working as part of a small group each week to prepare
a case study analysis and apply the core academic ideas for that week’s study
unit.
• Groups will take turns to:
• present the case study,
• engage with formative feedback, and
• lead the discussion incorporating academic ideas and relevant literature.
• Every student, in every group, needs to have a copy of the relevant case
study and the seminar materials. Reading and analysing before the seminar
is key for your participative learning.
Small group formation
• Establish three small groups
• Provide seminar tutor with list of names and emails
• Agree how small group will stay in touch throughout the week and complete
tasks together
• Tasks include preparing to present analysis, reading and responding to
journal article and textbook extract (all reading has guided questions to
make sure you are spending your time on what really matters)
• Key information is on Blackboard within Step 3 for each Study Unit
• Some further information can be found in the relevant seminar slides
• Always know what is expected of you for next week before leaving your
seminar
General advice about small group work
• Groups should work together throughout the week – it is up to you to find
the best way (e.g. meet face-to-face, WeChat/WhatsApp group, Google doc)
• Keep in touch with your seminar tutor – they are your first point of contact
for any module-related questions
• We encourage you to embody the commitments developed by Hanalei
Ramos in principled spaces (https://barcworkshop.org/resources/principled-space/)
• respect – honour one another’s learning journey
• awareness – be aware of our privileges and make space for marginalized
folks
• confidentiality – treat all experiences shared in this session in confidence
See you next week
SU Case study Analysis Academic ideas Discussion
Building a “conversational” conceptual framework
03 MyBank Group 1 Communication Groups 2 and 3
04 Glenrothes Colliery Group 2 Resistance Groups 3 and 1
05 Leeds Rhinos Group 3 Leadership Groups 1 and 2
Building a “contextual” conceptual framework
07 Jerusalem Paints Group 1 Culture Groups 2 and 3
08 British Rail Group 2 Substance Groups 3 and 1
09 Washdale Manufacturing Group 3 Politics Groups 1 and 2