Assessment item 3
Essay - Resistance to Change
Value: 35%
Due date: 28-Jan-2018
Return date: 19-Feb-2018
Length: 1,500 words
Submission method options
Alternative submission method
Task
Essay:
Discuss both of the following questions:
Why is resistance to change frequently demonised by managers, as a problem that must be managed?
What are the ethical implications of this and how else can resistance be understood?
Use examples from your own organisation, or other sources, to illustrate your essay.
To help you to answer these two essay questions, it can be useful to break them down into a set of sub-questions:
Drawing on your subject material (topic material, textbook, relevant required readings, online material) and your wider reading from the academic literature,
1. Identify and examine why employees resist change; critically discuss the range of different understandings of resistance in the literature; explain why managers frequently consider resistance as a problem that has to be managed.
2. From a critical perspective, examine the relationship between power and resistance in the context of organisational change.
3. Identify the key ethicial issues associated with power and resistance, and drawing upon a relevant ethical framework, analyse the ethics of the managerial and of resistant positions.
4. Assess the implications of the managerial and of resistant positions for achieving an effective change management programme.
5. Draw conclusions that summarise your work and directly address the two essay questions.
You must follow an essay structure that is at a minimum:
• an introduction that provides an overview of the key issues and argument of the essay;
• a main body that uses relevant sub-headings,
• a conclusion that summaries the essay and that directly answers the two essay questions,
• a reference list.
Use appropriate sub-headings in the main body. Your writing style must follow professional literacy: Citations and a final reference list that follows the APA6 guidelines accurately; Quality in writing and presentation through: use of topic and linking sentences, connected paragraphs organised in a logical flow of ideas; accurate mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation, sematics, etc.); follow the guidelines on the presentation, use respectful language to discuss all people; avoid emotive language; employ inclusive, non-sexist language; not opinionated, i.e. support ideas and observations with evidence and logical argument.
A minimum of twelve appropriate and relevant peer-reviewed references should be used.
Online submission via Turnitin is required for this assignment. Details will be provided by your subject lecturer.
Rationale
The aims of this assessment task are to:
• Assist you in developing your analytical and critical thinking skills by using them to deepen your understanding of key concepts, issues and debates related to organisational change management.
• To provide you with experience to develop and refine you academic literacy skills
• To assess learning outcome 4 - Identify, analyse and critically evaluate resistance to organisational change from a range of positions.
• To assess learning outcome 5 - Analyse and assess the ethical nature of organisational change.
• To assess learning outcome 6 - Assess an organisational change management programme and propose, justify and evaluate an alternative to this.
Marking criteria
Marking Guide
Mark High
Distinction (HD) Distinction (D) Credit (C) Pass (P) Fail (F)
Total 35 85% to 100% (29.75 - 35) 75% to 84% ( 26.25 - 29.7) 65% to 74% (22.75 - 26.2) 50% to 64% ( 17.5 - 22.7) 0% to 49% (0 - 17.4)
INFORMATION; KNOWLEDGE OF THEORIES, KEY CONCEPTS AND ISSUES AND THEIR APPLICATION 15 Scholarly application of relevant theories and concepts, drawing upon required and wider readings.. All key issues expertly canvassed.
Scholarly, highly proficient and rigorous use of a wide range of relevant sources. Expertise in applying relevant theories and concepts, drawing upon required and wider readings. Most key issues addressed well. Proficient use of a wide range of relevant sources. Competent application of relevant theories and concepts, drawing upon required and wider readings. Many key issues addressed. Uses a wide range of sources, most of which are relevant. Application of some relevant theories and concepts, drawing on required readings. Some key issues addressed to some extent. Limited use of sources, most of which were relevant. Little application of theories and concepts to set task. Few or no key issues addressed. Insufficient or unacceptable ranges of sources. Many of little relevance.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS; ARGUMENT – EVIDENCE, CLARITY & EXPRESSION 10 Scholoarly use of critical analysis.Logical argument developed in a scholarly fashion and well supported by evidence. Conclusion draws argument together in a coherent and scholarly manner to fully address the essay questions. Expert use of case examples. Considerable skill with critical analysis.Logical, well-developed argument clearly supported by evidence. Comprehensive conclusion that addresses the essay questions. Skilful use of relevant case examples. Some competence demonstrated in critical analysisLogical argument supported by some evidence. Effective conclusion that addresses the essay questions to some extent. Use of relevant case examples apparent. Critical analysis somewhat demonstratedArgument is not well developed, with only limited evidence to support it. Conclusion evident, addresses essay questiosn to a limited extent. Attempt to use case examples. Critical analysis below standard or not evident.Argument, if evidenced, not developed or supported. Substandard, or no merit to conclusion, which does not address the essay questions. Case examples not used.
PRESENTATION and REFERENCING 4 Expertise in use of correct referencing style. Report expertly presented with a notable standard of scholarship Very competent use of correct referencing style. Presentation is set out with high standard of scholarship Reasonable skill in use of correct referencing style. Presentation is set out with a good standard of scholarship Some inaccuracies in use of correct referencing style. Presentation set out with some evidence of scholarship Referencing is either insufficient or contains significant inaccuracies. Presentation inadequate with little regard for standards of scholarship
EXPRESSION 6 Scholarly use of academic communication. Proficient in paraphrasing key comments, and sparing, and approrpiate, use of direct quotations. Excellence demonstrated in use of language, syntax and mechanics; a very clean,well- proofed submission. Very competent use of academic communication and use of language, syntax and mechanics; competent in paraphrasing key comments and sparing, and appropriate, use of direct quotations. A proofed submission. Skillful use of academic communication and of language, syntax and mechanics; Skill in paraphrasing key comments and sparing, and appropriate, use of direct quotations; evidence of proofing Acceptable level of academic communication, and use of language, syntax and mechanics; Quotations used frequently and/ or sometimes inappropriately; some revisions needed. Language, syntax and mechanics is below an acceptable University level. Quotations over-used and/or used when irrelevant. Remediation required.
Penalty/Bonus
(-10, +10)
Percentage
Overall Mark
Presentation
Place your list of references (in APA6 style) at the end of your assignment.
This must be submitted as a word.docx document NOT a pdf!
Requirements
For this assessment you are required to use APA referencing to acknowledge all the sources that you have used in preparing your assessment. All ideas and information drawn from your reading of sources must be referenced. Please refer to the CSU referencing guide http://student.csu.edu.au/study/referencing-at-csu. In addition a very useful tool for you to use that demonstrates how to correctly use in text referencing and the correct way to cite the reference in your reference list can be found at https://apps.csu.edu.au/reftool/apa-6
This assignment must be submitted through Turnitin.
It is recommended that your name, student ID and page number are included in the header or footer of every page of the assignment.
Further details about submission in Turnitin are provided in On-line submission.