Management of change: organisation development and design

What you will study

On this postgraduate microcredential, you’ll discover tools and concepts of human-centred management and design and develop skills to manage and lead in the 21st century. Over 12 weeks, you’ll cover the following topics.

• Introduce organisational design, the impact of AI and the value of storytelling
• Understand the importance of creative collaboration and the role of emotional intelligence
• Learn how behavioural insights can inform the design of innovative processes and practices
• Use design thinking as a process of value creation
• Harness other’s creativity to bring together diverse ideas into management solutions in a changing world
• Balance leadership with creative, social and emotional intelligence
• Using analytical thinking and problem-solving in an organisational development context
• Designing a people-centred strategy for change
• Evaluate pressing organisational and policy challenges in a pandemic era

You will learn

By the end of your learning, you’ll be able to:

• reflect on and develop your own capacity for management and leadership within disruptive contexts
• take a critical perspective on the impact of disruptive change with a focus on artificial intelligence within organisation design
• understand the relationship between organisational change, redesign, and organisational development and effectiveness
• understand management of change and critically apply techniques that can be used to help an organisation achieve its desired future state
• understand and analyse assumptions critically within the development of organisation design and development to develop greater resilience in the face of disruptive change
• demonstrate a critical and ethical awareness of how change impacts individuals, organisations and society and how your actions as a manager can support this
• understand how disruptive contexts impact future work skill requirements and how this needs to be incorporated into organisation development
• demonstrate the following skills: critical analysis, engaging with knowledge in the field of organisation design, and ethical awareness.

Skills you will gain

• Applying behavioural insights
• Human-centred management and leadership
• Creating a change strategy
• Applying design thinking principles
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Emotional intelligence
• Decision making
• Understanding policy
• Developing resilience
• Problem-solving
• Design of innovative, human-centred processes and practices

Vocational relevance

The course will benefit professionals, managers and leaders or those aspiring to move into management roles. It is particularly relevant for professionals working in roles that drive human-centred organisational development and change and those working in rapidly changing industries where digital developments and artificial intelligence are changing how we work.

Created by leading experts and practitioners from The Open University

• Anna John (PhD, Exec. MA) is a senior lecturer in strategic management at the OU’s Faculty of Business and Law. She is one of the co-authors and the lead educator on this course. Anna is also co-chair of the British Academy of Management Strategy SIG, with research interests in non-market strategy, sustainability approaches to strategy and learner employability scholarship.
• Hilary Collins is a senior lecturer in executive education with research interests in the economic and cultural role of the creative industries. She researches academic identity and the future of work, with a particular interest in design thinking.
• Ann Ewing has worked with the OU since 2013, teaching on a range of bespoke and open-access masters programmes. Her initial research focused on political history but has evolved into many aspects of organisational design, development, leadership and talent management.
• Francesca Calo has worked with the OU since 2020 and has taught a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Her research focuses on social innovation, non-profit organisations and social enterprises in the field of public management.

Teaching and assessment

Assessment

You’ll take part in weekly tasks and discussions with co-learners to support and consolidate your learning. Towards the end of the course, you’ll submit a project or assessment demonstrating the skills you’ve acquired. This will be marked and graded by subject matter experts and make up 100% of your final mark.

Study support

• Learn 100% online on the OU’s learning platform with a mix of video, audio and written materials
• Engage in interactive learning through self-assessment questions, polls, tasks and reflection
• Share ideas and experiences in discussion with other learners, building skills, confidence and knowledge
• Receive support from mentors who guide discussions and answer questions
• Study at a time that suits you with the flexibility to access the course from your desktop, tablet or mobile device

What you will gain

15 UK credits at postgraduate level from The Open University*. Academic credits are awarded on passing the final assessment. These will be at postgraduate level 7 of the Framework for Higher Education (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) / level 11 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

*Academic credit may be used towards selected OU qualifications. For more details, including eligible qualifications, visit Counting microcredentials towards OU qualifications. The credit awarded may also be used at another university, subject to the agreement of the receiving institution.