MAN6005 Managing And Leading Strategic Change Assessment Answer

BIRMINGHAM CITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

ASSESSMENT BRIEF

MODULE TITLE:Managing and Leading Strategic Change

MODULE CODE: MAN6005

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria specific to this assignment:

On completion of the assignment, students should be able to demonstrate their ability to:

1. Critically analyse and evaluate the nature of the relationships between an organisations’ environment and forces for change.
2. Critically evaluate key issues arising from the management and leadership of change.
3. Critically appraise management and leadership responses in relation to change forces, and emerging organisational dynamics.
4. Structure and communicate ideas and arguments effectively in writing, and reference source materials consistently and accurately using the Harvard referencing system.

Number of attempts

Under the Standard University Assessment Regulations (UAR20) students have two opportunities to be assessed and to pass this module. If a student has not achieved a pass in this module after the resit, no further opportunities are available and the student will be withdrawn from the course.

Penalties for late submission

• Assessments submitted between one and 24 hours after the published deadline will be reduced by 5% of the actual mark.
• Assessments submitted between 24 hours and five working days after the published deadline will be reduced by 10% of the actual mark.
• Work submitted more than five working days after the published deadline will not be marked and the student will be deemed to have failed an attempt at the assessment.

If a student has a Disability Support Summary recommending additional time to complete coursework, the penalties will only apply from the alternative deadline given.

1. Assessment Overview
2. Overview

The Assignment context

“…the competencies that helped the current leaders succeed may not be appropriate for the next generation of leaders. Next generation leaders require different skills, behaviours, and insights for the challenges ahead…”

(Conger 2004)

One of the most significant of these challenges will be the necessity to understand change and its underpinning, emergent dynamics in order to lead and manage successful and sustainable organisational change. Many organisations such as CMI, CBI, CIPD conduct and commission research across a range of sectors to help inform effective organisational responses to the opportunities and threats arising from change.

To pass this module, you must achieve a final overall mark of at least 40%. If your mark is less than 40%, you will be required to retake the assessment.

Assessment

Responding to the challenges of change: a Briefing document

This assignment requires you to conduct research, then plan and produce a 3000 word Briefing report Document.

As a graduate you are likely to be involved with Briefing documents/papers to support a range of organisational activities, and will see them presented in various formats dependent on the purpose. They are often used within organisations to clearly and concisely present research findings when considering strategic options and choices. Given this purpose they are particularly helpful for contemporary organisations when trying to assess and make sense of strategic opportunities and threats generated by a complex and dynamic mix of both external and internal forces. Building on this feature effective briefing documents can then be used to inform and evaluate appropriate organisational responses in support of sustainable development and change.

Assessment Brief

Required task(s)

The Briefing report document for this assignment has three sections and the requirements for each of the sections are introduced below;

Section 1

1. Select and justify an appropriate focus for the Briefing document (i.e. chosen sector/industry etc.). See the notes below offering ideas for shaping a focus.
2. Research and identify the current trends and drivers for change that are influencing and impacting on organisations operating within the chosen sector/industry.
3. Given the trends identified above identify two or three key areas of change that managers/leaders within organisations may be required to work with.

Section 2

Drawing on the key findings of Section1 you are required to apply ideas and theory from appropriate academic sources in order to evaluate how managers/leaders and organisations may respond effectively to key aspects of the organisational dynamics likely to be generated by the areas of change identified.

Section 3

As a conclusion the final section requires you to draw on the evaluation and discussion within the Briefing document to establish the key elements of learning in terms of approaches, skills and qualities etc. for leading/managing sustainable responses to change.

Word count

The maximum word count is: 3,000 words (+/- 10%).

The word limit is for your coursework assignment, and does not cover material submitted as an appendix. Material submitted as an appendix provides background for your coursework, but it will not be marked unless specified in the brief. Also, it is important that you cross-refer between the main text of your assignment and any appendices, in order to demonstrate the linkage, and that the appendices do not constitute additional material unrelated to that included in the body of your assignment. If you do not refer to this work in the Appendix, then this included work in the Appendices are not marked.

Your references page will not be included in the word count, but inline citations used in the main body of the assignment (e.g. Smith and Jones (2010) identified that…)  will be included in the word count.

You are required to declare the number of words used in your assignment. If you produce less than or exceed the stipulated word count by more than 10%, a deduction of the mark awarded will be made to reflect that you have not met the assessment requirements.