Module 4 - SLP

MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

For the Module 4 SLP assignment, think about a significant organizational change that occurred in your workplace. Think carefully about the steps taken by management during the change process, and the organizational change processes and concepts that you read about in the background materials. Then write at least a 2 full-page page paper and include 2 scholarly sources from the required and optional reading list addressing the following:

1. Describe the change that occurred in your workplace, and list the major steps or stages involved in this change.
2. What stages were successful during this process, and which ones were problematic or handled poorly?
3. Do a side-by-side comparison between the steps you listed in your answer to Question 1 and the steps used in Lewin's three steps, Kotter's eight steps, or the five-step approach of action research. What were the key similarities and differences between these models and the ones used in your organization?
4. Based on your answers to Questions 2 and 3, do you think the change process would have gone better if management used Lewin's three steps, Kotter's eight steps, or the five-step approach of action research?

SLP Assignment Expectations

1. Your SLP should be at least 2 full-pages in length (not including title and reference pages).
2. Be sure to cite and reference (using APA Style) a minimum of 2 scholarly sources listed in the Course Materials and Bibliography (Module 4 Required and Optional Reading List), or in the Module 4 Background Page: Required and Optional Readings.

Background Material

Hartzell, S. (2014, April 27). Lewin, stage model of change unfreezing changing refreezing animatedpart5 [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kerDFvln7hU

Hartzell, S. (2014, December 15). Explaining Kotter's 8 step change model [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ3EGdZ3_pU

Next, read the following as it relates to the five phases of Action Research:

Center for Education Innovation. (n.d.). Stages of an action research project. Retrieved from http://cei.ust.hk/files/public/ar_intro_stages_of_an_action_research_project.pdf

Read the following on Lewin's change model in this short reading which also includes a supplementary video:

Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2009). Chapter 3: Organizational Change. In Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools & techniques of organizational change (2nd ed.). [Books24x7 version]. Available from the Trident Online Library. Look under Additional Library Resources > Skillsoft Books (BusinessPro and ITPro) and search for31025.

Finally, read up on Kotter's model from the classic original article by Kotter himself:

Kotter, J. P. (2007). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 85(1), 96-103. Available from the Trident Online Library. Look under Additional Library Resources > Business Source Complete (EBSCO) and search the author and title.