Background

Reviewing undergraduate and postgraduate curricula in project management, business, and leadership across both the United States and the United Kingdom, I have observed that relatively few programs position change management as a standalone area of study. This appears increasingly notable given the contemporary business environment, where continuous adaptation, transformation, and organizational agility are widely recognized as sources of sustained competitive advantage.

As organizations face accelerating technological, economic, and social change, the capability to lead and embed change effectively has become a strategic competency rather than an operational consideration. Yet formal education in this area often remains integrated into broader management subjects rather than examined in dedicated depth.

In response, I have proposed a standalone change management module designed to provide focused study of the key models, frameworks, concepts, and organizational factors that influence successful change implementation. Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening organizational readiness and reducing resistance to change, equipping learners with practical and evidence-informed approaches to leading change initiatives.

---

Topic 1 – Change in the project context

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Understand the importance of change management
2. Identify the role that change management has to projects
3. State the key factors of change that can affect projects

Post tutorial work:

Write about an experience of change in your organization, or an organization you are aware of.

Topic 2 Organizational and individual change

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Identify the drivers of change at the individual and organizational levels
2. Understand the impact of change at individual and organizational levels
3. Consider the situational factors which can affect change plans

Post tutorial work:

Looking at a case study, identify the reasons for the change, and its impact.

Topic 3 – System and transformative change

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Understand the impact of change on wider ecosystems
2. Identify the tools which can help assess impact and dependencies
3. State the common reasons why system change can fail or succeed.

Post tutorial work:

Looking at a case study, what factors needed to be considered for this change?

Topic 4 – Change management models

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. State the difference between change framework and process
2. Understand the commonalities and differences between popular change models
3. Identify how change models can be applied within projects

Post tutorial work:

Write about the model you most identify with, and how it could be applied in a project

Topic 5: Change communications and networks

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Understand the importance of change networks
2. Identify the elements of change communications
3. State the benefits of participation and engagement in change

Post tutorial work:

Choose one the three comms examples and critique the impact on the reader, how will it affect their understanding, concerns, or acceptance of change?

Topic 6: Culture and capabilities

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Understand the impact of importance of culture to achieving change
2. Identify the need for capabilities and how to develop them
3. State the tools which can help assess culture and capabilities

Post seminar work:

In your own words describe what organisational culture is, bringing in examples from academic articles

Topic 7: Change agents

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Explain the role of change agents
2. Identify the key skills required for change agents
3. Understand the connection between change agents and project management

Post tutorial work:

In the following case study, write the key responsibilities and behaviours required for a change agent

Topic 8: Change resistance

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Understand the reasons for change resistance
2. State the mitigations that can be used to overcome resistance
3. Identify the role of projects in overcoming resistance

Post tutorial work:

Think about a time where you have resisted change or seen it in others, what were the reasons and how does our academic knowledge of behaviours relate to this?

Topic 9: Change readiness

Objectives

By the end of the tutorial, you will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of change readiness
2. Identify the measurements used to assess readiness
3. State the impacts on not building readiness

Post tutorial work:

Imagine a change happening in your organisation, how would you determine readiness, and what academic knowledge backs this up?

Example Assignment

The assignment would be based on a hypothetical case study of a merger of two regional TV stations BBC West and BBC Southwest. As part of the 12-month merger plan is the relocation to a new regional HQ, reduction in staff, and upgrade of broadcasting technology and studios.

As an organisational change and project consultant students are asked to produce a report that addresses the following:

1. Critically appraise the impact of the change at an organisational and individual level
2. Critically analyse how change models would be applicable to this change
3. Critically assess the measures of resistance and readiness to this change
4. Critically identify the key roles that will be required to enable the change
5. Make recommendations based on these assessments