Instructions

This assignment is worth 20% of your final grade and addresses Course Objectives 1 through 6. It gives you an opportunity to apply theories and models, identify barriers to change, and propose appropriate change interventions. You must complete this assignment individually, without contacting other students, and you may not use a paper or any part of a paper from a previous class or from another person. If you have questions about this assignment, please post them in the Ask the Professor discussion forum so that everyone can benefit from the answers.

We have discussed a number of organizational development and change theories and concepts throughout this semester. You will incorporate some of those theories in your final paper, showcasing your ability to apply organizational development principles.

Your Task:

Use what you have learned in this course to develop an 8-10 page change process proposal (excluding cover and reference pages) for your organization. Assume that you will submit this proposal to the organization for implementation.

For this proposal, identify a problem area of your current organization (or one in which you have previously worked) that you believe warrants a change initiative. In your opinion, what restraining forces are blocking implementation of a change program? From an internal OD practitioner perspective, what recommendations can you make to overcome these barriers?

You should apply ideas, concepts, theories, and practices set out in the course materials as appropriate to the specific organization that you have selected. Please follow APA guidelines for citations, quotations, and references, and use at least eight scholarly resources that are dated within the last five years. You are strongly encouraged to use the required and reserved readings in this course, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles found through the UMUC library.

Your paper should include the following:

2 pages: Introduction (Incorporate course objectives 1 - 3)

What is the organization and how did you select it? What is your relationship with the organization? Using a systems perspective, include any historical information about the organization and the organization's culture that would be helpful in this context. Identify the organizational issue in need of change.

3 pages: Need for Change (Incorporate course objectives 4 - 5)

Describe the change that needs to take place and discuss internal and external forces that represent obstacles to the change, supporting your opinion with appropriate citations. Describe the various kinds of data you would need to gather to confirm your diagnosis. What level of analysis (organization, group, or individual job) should be applied to this situation?

3-5 pages: Proposed Solution (Incorporate course objective 6)

Create recommendations for a proposed solution. What do you believe would be an effective intervention? What forces could be harnessed to promote the change? Who should be included in the solution's implementation? What would be considered a success? What additional approaches could be considered? What steps would you take to implement the recommended solution. Be sure to present your findings objectively, without emotion.