England
Where do you live?
Key features
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Lead and implement effective organisational development in a digital world -
Develop your understanding of the relationship between organisational change, redesign, and organisational development and effectiveness from both an individual perspective and on a broader strategic level -
Learn the human-centred design thinking process from industry practitioners who successfully embrace holistic design thinking principles to understand customers’ and users’ wants and needs -
Develop essential analytical skills to help you harness technology’s opportunities as digital disruption continues to reshape industries -
The course has a global focus and delivers transferable skills for diverse sectors and organisations
What you will study
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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
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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
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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
Created by leading experts and practitioners from The Open University
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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.
You will gain
Teaching and assessment
Study support
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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
Assessment
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End-of-module assessment
Course length
What's included
Future availability
Regulations
Entry requirements
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a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent level qualification -
experience working in a professional or managerial role -
a strong interest in human-centred organisational development and design.
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If you don’t have a degree or equivalent level qualification, you may find the postgraduate level assessment challenging. -
The course material doesn’t assume learners are working. Past experiences will be just as relevant. -
All teaching is in English, and your English proficiency needs to be adequate for postgraduate study. As a guide, this corresponds to Level 7 of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). However, you won’t need to provide a formal English language score to enrol.
Computing requirements
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Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device. -
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS. -
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS. -
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
If you have a disability
Course fee
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Jul 2026 | 31 Oct 2026 | 03 Jul 2026 | £875 |
