Managing and Leading Change

Question: This will be a report style document that can be created using either:

• A Microsoft Word document (with themed sections) OR,
• A Mahara (e-portfolio) digital storyboard page (with themed sections)

You are required to write around 3000 words (or equivalent if adopting Mahara, e-portfolio method).
Your Microsoft Word document OR Mahara (e-portfolio) storyboard page should analyse and evaluate the application of contemporary change management practices/behaviour and relevance, to the designated employer firm - RE-BUYER.
You should also make robust recommendations to highlight how change management improvements could be approached within the organisation; this should be supported by an ‘action plan' in your appendices section, to highlight how this would be achieved.

In producing the report, you should ensure you have:

1. Analysed i.e., compared, and contrasted the organisations approach against a range of models and frameworks covered within the module

2. Based on your analysis on identify the strengths and weaknesses within the organization and related this to any approaches to managing and leading change (including the people aspects e.g., creating readiness and overcoming resistance)

3. Make recommendations by identifying what the organization needs to do in terms of improvements in its practices/behaviours... supported by an ‘action plan' that clearly articulates the short and medium actions, required to enhance the organisations approach to managing and leading change.

You must utilise a ‘report style' document by including the following sections:
• Title page with your name, student number, programme of study, module title, module code and module tutor name and word count
• A contents page with appropriate page numbers
• An introduction
• The main body of the report separated by the following sub-headings
– Identify a change initiative within the organisation
– Discuss why this change is important
– Analyse, diagnose and justify the need for change (discussing and using appropriate models (e.g., PEST, SWOT, Force-field Analysis)

– Critically debate how change readiness will be achieved
– Identify and justify the approach to change (planned/emergent/hybrid)
– Evaluate change models and identify and justify a model for change implementation within the organisation
– Discuss approaches and make an informed choice around managing change resistance
– Debate ethical and responsible approaches to planning and implementing change
• Summary and Recommendations - identifying any key operational aspects the research has produced - what the organization needs to do, to implement any identified ‘change' - the recommendations should be supported by an implementation action plan.
• Comprehensive list of references and bibliography, which demonstrates your research (these should be in-line with the latest version of the ‘Harvard Referencing' guidelines)
• Appendices (‘Action Plan' to be included in this section)

Managing Business Continuity and Resilience

Your Microsoft Word document should critically analyze and evaluate the factors related to organizational continuity and resilience, considering the complexity of the business contexts. Your report is going to use a live case study of "TheNextGen Consultancy" company in Malaysia. The recording of an interview with top management of the company is shared with you on Canvas. Reviewing their online platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, you can learn more about the company and beside reviewing the academic literature, you can use this information in preparing your report.

A discussion board will be opened on week 8, and you can ask any question you face about the live case and the answers to your questions (which are needed for your final assignment preparation) will be shared by the module leader and the management team of "TheNextGen Consultancy".

Your assignment will be mainly focusing on recommending some strategies and action plans regarding the continuity and resilience of "The NextGen Consultancy".

In your report you should ensure that you have:
• Critically analyzed the key strategic processes that affect decision makings on business continuity.
• Elaborated the concept of "business resilience" from different perspectives such as systems and processes, culture, human capital, leadership style, organizational climate and so on
• Shared clear strategies on complex inter-related functions of TheNextGen Consultancy's business

Your report must have the below sections:
• A cover page sharing your name, your module leader, tutor, course name, student number, word count and submission date
• A contents page, sharing the pages of each title in your report.
• A short abstract or executive summary, sharing the big picture of your report in 150 words.
• An introduction section, sharing the problem statement, importance of this report, your most important contribution/s and finally the main research questions.
• Main body, sharing the academic literature review on the perspectives chosen by you to discuss in your report, covering previous studies, models, frameworks and strategies (including but not limited to systems and processes, culture, human capital, leadership style, organizational climate and so on)
• Conclusion section, sharing the main strategies to manage the business continuity and resilience for the case of this study and the action plan steps in order to implement them (at least Four strategies and their implementation steps are needed).
• A comprehensive list of references used in the text (you are encouraged to have half of your references from past 5 years)- References need to follow Harvard referencing style, as recommended by University of Sunderland)- The references are not counted in the word count
• Appendices (If needed)- The Appendices are not counted in the word count