COM-31306 Management of Change: Inter-Human Processes and Communication

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

Introduction to Communication and Innovation Studies
(English or Dutch version)

Contents:

Many people talk about change in terms of 'what should be done'. In this course we try to understand change and change management by analysing how people actually communicate when they are confronted with new developments. We will focus on a range of inter-human processes, as they emerge in interpersonal communication. Resistance to change, for instance, will be discussed with special attention for social identity issues such as group-think, the role of honour and shame and the importance of face-saving, being decisive factors in change processes. Related to conflict and negotiation for change we will analyse how people construct frames while communicating, including the goals they pursue in specific interaction contexts. There will be special attention for self-organization in networks, based on direct interaction between people, resulting in expected and unexpected change. Finally, we will pay attention to the role of stories and storytelling for organizational change.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of the course, the student is expected to:
- know and understand relevant theories and insights of inter-human processes and communication related to change;
- be able to combine these theories and insights and use these for analysing real-life situations and practices related to change;
- be able to use theories for developing a research proposal.

Activities:

The course consists of 12 meetings of two-three hours each. During these meetings students will work together in groups to review and discuss different theories and practices related to change processes. Subjects such as resistance to change, strategies for image-building, risk perceptions, group processes and leadership will be addressed. Several guest lecturers will share their experiences in change management.

Examination:

Students will write a paper in which they elaborate a set of theoretical concepts, and use these concepts for analysing a real-life problem related to change. Step-by-step the writing process will be guided. The quality of the paper will be judged.

Literature:

Articles will be handed out.