Full-time MBA students learn how to tackle change in any organisation
“The Change Management module highlighted that we live in an ever-changing landscape where organisations constantly face new challenges. We did interesting case studies that guided us to practise the change management tools we learned. These tools will help me to manage and anticipate change in the future organisations I will work in.”
This is what current full-time MBA student Lourens Bester said after successfully completing the module. “The focus of the module was on how to evoke change rather than only enforcing it. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and tools like Chat GPT will influence businesses dramatically, but the behaviour of people within organisations will always be relevant.”
The module guided the full-time MBA participants to analyse and structure the culture of an organisation and discerning the major challenges. “It gave me an understanding of the different possible Change Management approaches one can take when tackling these challenges within an organisation,” according to Lourens.
In addition, the module guided Lourens in understanding his own preferred style of leadership when approaching change in an organisation. “Obviously, this preference comes with strengths and weaknesses but this discovery has been very insightful as I can now work on the weaknesses. Furthermore, it also gave me confidence in managing future change within any organisation as the module equipped me with the necessary frameworks and tools.”
Lourens also highlighted the study environment. “I love the Tapijnkazerne campus. I mean how cool is it that you can have your lunch break on a city wall dating back to 1229 while looking at a river, pretty nature and listening to birds. The facilities are modern and everything is close and accessible.”
About the Change Management module
Change has become a constant factor in today’s business world. (Global) organisations constantly have to adapt, to their external environment as well as make changes to their internal organisation. Projects aiming to improve efficiency, IT implementation projects, cultural change processes and organisational restructuring projects can run concurrently in one organisation at a point in time. This can put extreme demands on employees, who can either act as a barrier or catalyst for successful change initiatives.
Organisational change requires a fundamental different approach to organisational processes than the traditional approach of management. Managers and leaders have to decide on the direction of change and guide their organisation through the process of transition.
Leadership is an increasingly important subject because of the organisational challenges which always require forms of leadership. Those challenges are more often than not characterised by change or the need for change. Change can be something that just happens, or something which is planned, conducted and benefited from; the latter case is where people can show leadership in being on top of the change process.
The Change Management module provided the participants with the knowledge and understanding of the major principles underlying successful change management initiatives. It also prepared the participants for the challenges of designing and leading organisational change and renewal.
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