UMODML-15-3 Managing Organisational Change Assessment Brief 2025 | UWE Bristol

Module learning outcomes assessed by this task:

1. Understand and critically evaluate different academic ideas in the management of organisational change.
2. Systematically understand the interrelationship of organisation theory and organisational practice.
3. Appreciate the range of approaches to organisational change and the challenges of working with uncertainty.
4. Reflect critically on the ethical dilemmas and challenges of personal/organisational change.

What am I required to do on this assessment?

This assignment incorporates two interrelated parts: analysing organisational change (2000 words) and reflecting on personal change (1000 words):

First part, analyse the implementation of organisational change in a case study of your choice using themes from a range of study units that suit the arguments  and recommendations you are making. To do this, you must critically evaluate both the organisational change and the academic ideas (e.g. theories, models, and frameworks) used in your analysis. This part equates to 2/3rds  of your assignment (2000 words).

• You must choose academic ideas (e.g. theories, models and frameworks) from a minimum ofthree study units from SU02, SU03, SU04, SU05, SU06, SU07, SU08, SU09, SU10. Not SU01, SU11 or SU12. You need to select the academic ideas that most suit making your arguments and recommendations. You will fail if your chosen academic ideas are from a single study unit.

Second part, reflect on personal change and how this might impact future organisational changes you might face. This part equates to 1/3rds of your assignment (1000 words). To do this you must cover these three elements:

a. Draw on your learnings from this module to analyse a change that you have personally experienced. This can be from any part of life, work or university.

b. What are the lessons that you learnt about change, which theories and models help you understand that change, what happened including your and others reactions, sensemaking, and emotions to this changec. 

C. How will you apply the lessons learnt from this personal change and the organisational change you reviewed in the first part to future change you will experience including work organisations, career and employment?

In your reflection, you must demonstrate personal learning (e.g. by reflecting on your analysis, own experience/s, and future practice) and should build on academic ideas (e.g. theories, models, and frameworks) and relevant literature used in the previous organisational analysis. This element equates to about 1/3rd of your assignment.

Both parts of the assignment require you to show achievement across all of the marking criteria – demonstrating, in particular, knowledge and understanding of academic ideas, skills of analysis and reflection, critical evaluation of ethical dilemmas and uncertainty in times of organisational change, and coherence and rigour. 

Where should I start?

You will find materials supporting the assessment embedded in every study unit. These materials are collated within the ‘Assignments’ tab on Blackboard (LH menu).

There are some key videos to support you in ‘case study analysis’, ‘critical reflection, and ‘structuring your assignment’. 

You will then need to choose a suitable case study for the first part and a suitable personal change for the second part. The most common approach is to choose a published case study, such as one used in the seminars.

• You can choose any of the case studies from the module.
• You can choose other published case studies, but remember the analysis needs to beyour own (and not a repetition from other sources).
• You are able to construct a case study from your own experience (e.g. workplace, placement). Take advice from your seminar tutor before committing to this approach.
• Choose the personal change you will review in the second part and ensure you are preparing an answer that looks at a, b and c.

Your seminar tutor is your first point of contact for questions about your assignment – from getting started all the way through to submission.

What do I need to do to pass?

To be successful, you need to give careful thought to demonstrating the module learning outcomes. Meeting these assessment criteria will require the following:

Academic ideas: knowledge and understanding

You need to demonstrate: knowledge and understanding of different conceptual frameworks; knowledge and understanding of appropriate academic ideas; and, support your analysis and reflection with relevant literature.

Interrelationship of academic ideas and practice: skills of analysis and reflectionYou need to demonstrate: knowledge and understanding of the interrelationship of academic ideas and practice (e.g. relating academic ideas to case study and your own experience/s); skills of analysis (e.g. highlighting and exposing key issues); and, skills of critical reflection (e.g. considering the analysis undertaken, linking to personal experience/s, and demonstrating learning for future impact.).

Challenges of managing organisational change: critical evaluation of ethical dilemmas and uncertaintyYou need to demonstrate: skills of critical evaluation relevant to of the challenges of managing organisational change; awareness of the significance of uncertainty to individuals and/or organisations; and, recognition of relevant ethical dilemmas to attempts at managingorganisational change.

Professional, scholarly communication: 

coherence and rigourYou will need to demonstrate: skills of handling of academic material, in a way that is well-argued and with a clear line of thought; coherence in how you address the assignment task; and, this must be underpinned by academic referencing (UWE Harvard style) and appropriate scholarly conduct.

What do I need to do achieve higher marks in this assessment? 

To secure higher marks in this assessment, and to demonstrate ‘good’, ‘very good’, ‘excellent’, and ‘outstanding’ knowledge and understanding, you will need to use more thanthe lectorial materials and core reading. You should explore the further reading suggested inthe reading list and look for ways to extend your understanding across different study units.

Your assignment should be led by what works (or does not work) in the management of change to address the the case study and your own experience/s, and not driven by a review of academic ideas. Make sure that you are critical rather than descriptive in approach – this means uncovering evidence, evaluating implications, and reaching judgements. The emphasis should be on analysis, evaluation, argumentation, and reflection informed by theory and literature.

The best assignments have something to say. The assignment task asks you to write an essay, which requires a form of argumentation that shows that you have thought deeply about the issues. Typically, the argument is described early in the essay and then builds throughout the essay with relevant conclusions. A strong argument clearly addresses the two purposes of the assignment, has a clear line of thought, and demonstrates sound judgement, critical thinking and is well-reasoned.

UMODML-15-3 Marking Criteria