MG200: Managing Organisational Change

Organisations operate in an increasingly complex environment, where change is a constant feature of business life. The impact of not managing change in an effective way can be devastating for small and large businesses alike.

Getting people to change even when it is in their best interest is the most difficult task faced by today’s leaders. Yet, successful change can be achieved at individual, team and organisational levels through the use of a number of practical tools and skills. The course applies a wide range of change-related theories. The course covers issues such as how change can be managed, what is happening in change processes and why managers need to work with change.

This course is designed to increase your knowledge and skill in analysing organisational change in terms of problem diagnosis, solution, implementation and evaluation. The material will be useful in advancing your understanding of the process and consequences of introducing change in organisations while facilitating your analytical skills in recognizing the complexity inherent in changing organisations.

Prerequisites: A university level introductory course in either social science (e.g. political science, international relations, sociology, economics), psychology or management. 

Level: 200 level. Read more information on levels in our FAQs

Fees: Please see Fees and payments

Lectures: 36 hours

Classes: 18 hours

Assessment: An individual reflection written exercise (30%) and an open book take-home assessment (70%).

Typical credit: 3-4 credits (US) 7.5 ECTS points (EU)

Please note: Assessment is optional but may be required for credit by your home institution. Your home institution will be able to advise how you can meet their credit requirements. For more information on exams and credit, read Teaching and assessment

This course is ideal if you are seeking to understand the fundamentals of organisational change and improve your skills in helping people within organisations through their change journey.

If you are targeting a career in consulting, change management or business management you should consider this course. It will also be useful if you are starting a MSc or MBA programme of study and wish to learn introductory concepts in the areas.

• Understand organisational change as a multifaceted phenomenon
• Equip students with the skills to adopt a reflective, multi-dimensional approach when managing and leading change in their future careers
• Learn to identify when, as a manager, change is needed, manage its implementation or guide others through it
• Grasp the theories, strategies, skills and techniques for leading successful change

The design of this course is guided by LSE faculty, as well as industry experts, who will share their experience and in-depth knowledge with you throughout the course.