 |
|
| Information School |
University of Washington |
| Instructor Jochen Scholl |
Office Hours Fridays, 3 to 4 pm |
Office Location Mary Gates Hall, 310C |
Office Phone/ Email |
| Fall 2008 | SLN 14565; 19915 | Meets Fridays 4:30-7:20 pm at MGH 228 |
Course Listserv imt581b_au08@u.washington.edu |
| Course Description | Objectives | Outline of Course Topics |
| Teaching and Learning Strategies | Grading Method | Academic Conduct |
Announcements
We will post announcements here as needed.
Course Description
The course highlights the critical roles and aspects of information and information processes in the management of organizational change. Learning and the management of knowledge in organizations is key to organizational survival and success. Instrumental to learning and innovation is an organization's understanding of its competitive environment and of both the nature and the focus of change processes. Effective change management encompasses the knowledge of concepts of a variety of subfields such as strategy, peripheral vision, andalyzing internal and external forces, analyzing the competitive position, information and information systems as change agents / change inhibitors, cultural enablers and barriers to change, change management principles, stakeholder analysis, and other topics.
The course provides theoretical and practical frameworks for professionals who engage in organizational change, innovation, and improvement projects.
Theoretical frameworks will be linked to practical methods and tools
both of which will be related and applied to practical cases, vice
versa.
Objectives
In this course students will:
- Analyze the strategic underpinnings of organizational change
- Demonstrate understanding of information use in various strategy-making situations
- Apply the principles of management to organizational change and development
- Understand the role of information in organizational management
- Understand the role of information systems in organizational change
- Apply change management techniques to information systems
- Understand incrementat and radical techniques to organizational change
- Analyze the capacity of information systems from an organizational change perspective
- Demonstrate project management and project analysis skills
- Understand how to manage organizational change
- Understand the role of information in decision making
- Demonstrate ability to collaborate effectively to meet objectives
- Understand and apply the information perspective to organizational change
- Understand and practice the relationship between people, information, and technology
Outline of Course Topics
- Be introduced to concepts and methods of strategy development and execution in the context of organizational change
- Be introduced to the basic concepts of change and the management change
- Prepare an ex-ante inventory of individual understanding of change and its dimensions
- Carry out a study on a real-world change project
- Critically assess the effectiveness of the strategic approach to change in a real-world organization
- Be introduced to concepts of information and information systems to enable organizational change
- Be introduced to various major interacting variables and processes involved in change
- Be introduced to concepts of systems thinking
- Critically assess the effectiveness of the information and information-systems-related approach to change in a real-world organization
- Investigate how the change project unfolded, succeeded, or failed along the dimensions and concepts introduced in this course
- Understand the role of "soft" variables such as organizational culture, climate, learning, stakeholder relationships and others in organizational change
- Synthesize the various dimensions of organizational change in the light of a real-world change project
- Deliver a cumuluative written report and give update presentations iin class
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Each session will provide a range of learning experiences that will integrate formal input, personal and professional experiences, discussion, reflection and action. Students will work in groups and actively engage with the literature of the field, both in preparation for and reflection on each session, and as part of the assessment process. Active engagement in the work groups is essential for satisfactory performance in this course, as is regular attendance at the class sessions.
Grading Method
Your final grade will include the following components:
| Term Project ----Stage ! - Strategy Development and Change Strategies ----Stage 2: Information and Systems in Organizational Change ----Stage 3: Synthesis, Lessons Learned, & Recommendations |
50%
15% 15% 20% |
| Quality of Presentations (updates and final) |
10%
|
| Individual homework ---- Individual Assignment #1 ---- Individual Assignment #2 |
30%
5% 25% |
| Class Participation in In-class Discussions and Exercises |
10%
|
Please also refer to the grading page for grading criteria used in this class.
Academic Conduct
The following paragraphs discussing academic integrity, copyright and privacy outline matters governing student conduct in the iSchool and the University of Washington. They apply to all assignments and communications in this course.
Academic Integrity
The essence of academic life revolves around respect not only for the ideas of others, but also their rights to those ideas and their promulgation. It is therefore essential that all of us engaged in the life of the mind take the utmost care that the ideas and expressions of ideas of other people always be appropriately handled, and, where necessary, cited. For writing assignments, when ideas or materials of others are used, they must be cited. The format is not that important–as long as the source material can be located and the citation verified, it’s OK. What is important is that the material be cited. In any situation, if you have a question, please feel free to ask. Such attention to ideas and acknowledgment of their sources is central not only to academic life, but life in general.
Please acquaint yourself with the University of Washington's resources on academic honesty.
Students are encouraged to take drafts of their writing assignments to the Writing Center for assistance with using citations ethically and effectively. Information on scheduling an appointment can be found here. Both virtual and face to face appointments can be made.
Copyright
All of the expressions of ideas in this class that are fixed in any tangible medium such as digital and physical documents are protected by copyright law as embodied in title 17 of the United States Code. These expressions include the work product of both: (1) your student colleagues (e.g., any assignments published here in the course environment or statements committed to text in a discussion forum); and, (2) your instructors (e.g., the syllabus, assignments, reading lists, and lectures). Within the constraints of "fair use" (you should have/will have learned about that in depth in LIS 550), you may copy these copyrighted expressions for your personal intellectual use in support of your education here in the iSchool. Such fair use by you does not include further distribution by any means of copying, performance or presentation beyond the circle of your close acquaintances, student colleagues in this class and your family. If you have any questions regarding whether a use to which you wish to put one of these expressions violates the creator's copyright interests, please feel free to ask the instructor for guidance.
Privacy
To support an academic environment of rigorous discussion and open expression of personal thoughts and feelings, we, as members of the academic community, must be committed to the inviolate right of privacy of our student and instructor colleagues. As a result, we must forego sharing personally identifiable information about any member of our community including information about the ideas they express, their families, life styles and their political and social affiliations. If you have any questions regarding whether a disclosure you wish to make regarding anyone in this course or in the iSchool community violates that person's privacy interests, please feel free to ask the instructor for guidance.
Knowing violations of these principles of academic conduct, privacy or copyright may result in University disciplinary action under the Student Code of Conduct.
Students with Disabilities
To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services: 448 Schmitz, 206-543-8924 (V/TTY). If you have a letter from DSS indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me so we can discuss the accommodations you might need in the class.
Academic accommodations due to disability will not be made unless the student has a letter from DSS specifying the type and nature of accommodations needed.
Student Code of Conduct
Good student conduct is important for maintaining a healthy course environment. Please familiarize yourself with the University of Washington's Student Code of Conduct.
Overview •
Schedule, Required Readings, & Assignments • Group Term Project
•
Optional Readings • Grading •
Course Resources •
Library & Tech Tips
Last updated: Friday, 26-Sep-2008 15:58:56 PDT
09/20/2007 01:31:49 PM
© 2008-2009 Jochen Scholl, The Information School of the University of Washington
All rights reserved