GED2883

Management and change

Associate Professor P C Gronn

12 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have acquired a detailed knowledge and understanding of the major trends in theories of organisations; an understanding and critical appreciation of new organisational forms, and organisational processes; skills in devising a range of strategies and approaches to change management, team leadership and the enhancement of team-based and organisation-wide learning; knowledge and skills required to formulate their own understandings of management and change in the light of their own organisational practices.

Synopsis In recent years there has been an important emphasis in the corporate, human service, and not-for-profit organisational sectors on new management techniques, autonomous work teams and similar ways of harnessing productive efficiencies in the workplace. At the same time the day-to-day organisational processes intended to enhance productivity and service delivery in a variety of educational and non-educational settings have adopted a variety of accountability mechanisms for ensuring quality provision and assurance in service delivery. These developments have necessitated important organisational transitions. This subject considers in detail these processes and the organising mechanisms to which they have given rise. A range of topics is considered including the evolution of management and organisation theory; emerging organisational forms; structures and processes; self-managing and self-leading workplace teams; organisational development and effectiveness; change and change management; organisational learning and the learning organisation; groupthink and teamthink; organisational problem solving.

Assessment Essay (3000 words): 50% - Practical assignment (3000 words): 50%

Recommended texts

Angus L and Brown L Becoming a 'School of the Future': The micropolitics of policy implementation Monash University Faculty of Education, 1997
Argyris C Overcoming organizational defenses: Facilitating organizational learning Allyn and Bacon, 1990
Morgan G Images of organization 2nd edn, Sage, 1997
Robinson V Problem-based methodology: Research for the improvement of practice Pergamon, 1993

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