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1.
Purpose
The Change Management Simulation: Power and Influence is an individual assignment and an experiential learning activity designed to enhance your learning about managing organizational change. The goal of the Simulation is to allow students to see and feel for themselves what it means to lead a strategic change in an organization. The assignment is due before the start of Class 9.
Instructions
Start by purchasing the Simulation after clicking on the coursepack link located in the Class Materials folder on Bb for Class 7. Read the information provided about the Simulation. Select and read at least five (5) references (i.e. articles, books, etc.) from the list entitled: Change Management Simulation: Power and Influence References located in the Class Materials folder on Bb for Class 7. Then play the Simulation while being careful to reflect upon your reading prior to each of your decisions.
Paper
After you have completed the Simulation, write a five (5) page paper excluding title page and references, using 12-point font and double-spacing and post it through SafeAssign on Blackboard. You are to cite at least the five (5) references that you read in preparation for playing the Simulation in your paper. This means that you are to integrate the concepts from your reading and refer to them in a relevant way throughout your paper using APA format. In your paper, you must:
- Describe each of the levers that you used and the sequence in which you used them. Provide a rationale for each of your choices.
- Explain your assessment of how effective you were as a change agent.
- Explain what you learned about managing organizational change.
- Based on your response to C. above, describe what are you going to do differently the next time you are leading change.
2.
Advice for Low Credibility or Lack of Adopters
Managing organizational change is indeed very challenging. The point of the Simulation is to try and figure out how to be more effective at managing change as a change agent which includes boosting your credibility and gaining adopters. So, if I give you a direct “answer” that will not aid your learning. Instead, I offer you some questions to ponder and suggestions to consider.
If you have low credibility or only a few adopters, what do the articles say about the predicament you are in? Reflect upon your own work experiences and try to identify when the organization has been successful at implementing change and what they were doing to bring about this success. Maybe it would be helpful to think about how you would improve your own credibility with your friends and colleagues. What would you do? What are some levers you have not yet pulled?
It is also important to consider the level of power or authority you have in the company. As the Director of Product Innovation, can you force or compel your potential adopters to implement your sustainability initiative in the same way as if you are the CEO? If not, how does that affect your approach to managing this change project?
Does your role include responding to your biggest customer in a very time sensitive manner? If so, how does this impact your approach to gaining adopters? If you do not have this time pressure as part of your role, how does the absence of urgency impact your approach to acquiring adopters?
- Writing Your Paper
It’s up to you how you write your paper. Remember to use headings and sub-headings where necessary. Break you work up into paragraphs of about three to six sentences starting with a topic sentence followed by about two to five sentences to support and explain the topic sentence. Note that the “Writing Organization and Mechanics/Language” is another criterion in the grading rubric.
Regarding Part A of the Assignment, one approach is to weave the levers into your narrative discussion. Another approach is to group the levers together in your paper and even create a table as an appendix at the end of your paper and then discuss them in the text of yo
