Assignment MODULE 1.3

Introduction and Questions on the Major Course Assignments-RAs 1 and 2

An RA is a substantive assessment intended to measure student performance against selected course objectives and/or program outcomes within a course.

RAs are completed by all students across all Argosy University campuses and delivery formats without exception. Each RA contributes to a significant portion of the overall course grade and is assessed by faculty using the rubric designed for that assessment.

These are individual assignments, and students earn individual grades. RAs are not intended to assess students on every topic covered in the course but just on the key course objectives and/or program outcomes.

In this course, two major assignments or RAs make up 50% of your total class grade. In RA 1, you will analyze a case study to determine key factors that impact change. Then you will conduct a literature review of articles that address those key factors.

Finally, on the basis of your research, you will determine and justify your choices for the three factors that are most important to the success of a change initiative. Your full report should be a 10- to 12-page Microsoft Word document, written in a clear, concise, and organized manner. A description of RA 1 is given in M4 Assignment 2 RA 1.

In RA 2, you will develop a proposal for a training program on facilitating change within an organization. Your full report should be a 12- to 15-page Microsoft Word document, written in a clear, concise, and organized manner. A description of RA 2 is given in M7 Assignment 2 RA 2.

To ensure that you have carefully reviewed and planned how you will approach these major requirements, your final assignment in Module 1 is to review the descriptions and create a timeline for accomplishing each of these assignments during this course. See the rubrics listed at the end of the RA descriptions. Your timeline should be a Microsoft Word document.

Tasks:

• Carefully review the description of each of these critical projects, prepare a timeline for completing all parts of them, and submit that timeline to your instructor, as described below.

• Describe exactly what you will do to complete these tasks and when you will do each of these tasks.

• List the resources and information you will need to obtain to complete the tasks

M4 Assignment 2: RA 1: Key Factors That Impact Change

Description of RA:

In this assignment, you will analyze a case study to determine key factors that impact change. Then, you will conduct a literature review of articles that address those key factors. Finally, on the basis of your research, you will determine the three factors that are most important to the success of a change initiative and justify your choices.

Background:

Read the following case study:

Helping Employees Adapt to Change at Texas Children's Hospital

This case study describes a change initiative in two units of a large organization. Although both units had identical support and resources available, the outcomes were quite different.

Tasks:

• Discuss each unit's specific strengths and opportunities for improvement as the change was implemented.

• Determine three to four factors that most impacted the outcome of the change initiative presented in the case study.

• Research at least four to six articles that address the factors identified above. Consider leadership challenges such as resistance to change, communication factors, and ethical issues that impact change initiatives.

• On the basis of your findings from your review of the literature, determine the three factors that are most important to the success of an organizational change project. Justify your answer with specific examples and concrete information from your research.

M7 Assignment 2: RA 2: Training Program Proposal

Description of RA 2:

For this assignment, you will develop a proposal for a training program on facilitating change within an organization.

Scenario:

You have been hired as a training consultant, and you are responsible to develop a training program for managers tasked with facilitating change within an organization.

Tasks:

Identify an organization in which you have been involved. Based on the material covered in this course as well as the knowledge gleaned from your work experience, develop a proposal that addresses the following:

• Describe the organization for which you are developing the training proposal. In your description, include a discussion of the industry (including current industry trends) and the organization's customers.

• Identify the organizational characteristics that will influence decisions for how change initiatives will be planned and implemented.

• Provide recommendations for developing effective change leaders and followers. Your recommendations should address the need for healthy change facilitation as well as the demands placed on a change facilitator.

• Describe specific strategies to identify and resolve resistance to change.

• Identify ethical issues that should be addressed throughout the planning, implementation, and assessment phases. Provide recommendations for addressing the ethical issues.

• Discuss future trends that may have an impact on the change initiatives within the next three to five years.