Organisational Development

• Basic concepts of business organization theory
• Basics of organizational development and human resource development
• Influencing factors and drivers for change processes in organizations
• Types and phase models of organizational development
• Learning organization
• Trends towards modern organizational forms (e.g. agility, holacracy)
• Psychological phases in dealing with transformation processes
• Adopter Types
• Causes, symptoms and dealing with resistance/conflicts
• Stakeholder analysis regarding organizational development and change

In order for digital transformations to succeed in organizations, it is important to get the people affected "on board" and to involve them adequately. This course provides an initial insight into the basic concepts and methods of organizational development. The students deal with personal, group-related and organizational learning processes and the basics of change and transformation in an experiential and action-oriented way. Emphasis is placed on understanding and dealing with resistance to change and intervention methods to overcome it. This course prepares students for subsequent in-depth courses on the design of change processes and leadership.

The students

• know central technical terms and concepts from the field of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management.
• are able to describe organizational culture and organizational climate as well as the differences and similarities between these phenomena. Are able to analyze and describe organizational culture in relation to case studies.
• know basic phase models of organizational development on a process, project logic and psychological level.
• know the role and effect of adopter types and of networks within change.
• know the importance of different stakeholders in change processes.
• are able to compare different intervention methods of organizational development and their effects as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
• are able to draw comparisons between different change strategies and phases of organizational development.
• understand individual processing patterns and resistance of people in change and have a broad repertoire of methods to deal with them constructively.
• reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses in shaping change, as well as their own forms of resistance and behavior patterns.
• can argue and plan their own contribution and role in shaping a learning organization.

• Self-study: basics of organizational theory and human resources management
• Business game (e.g. SysTeamsChange or comparable method)
• Business game debriefing and integrated transfer exercises
• Impulse lectures with discussion

• Entrance Exam (20%): Fundamentals of Organizational Theory and Human Resource Management
• Individual Reviews based on independent literature study (30 %)
• Short individual seminar paper on the use of an intervention method/instrument (30 %)
• Use of an intervention method/instrument (30 %)
• Debriefing report on the simulation individual and group reflection report and lessons learned (20 %)

• Cummings, Thomas G.; Worley Christopher G. (2018): Organization Development and Change. 11th ed. Boston: Cengage.
• Doppler, Klaus; Lauterburg, Christoph (2008): Change Management. Den Unternehmenswandel gestalten. 12. aktualisierte Auflage. Frankfurt/M.:Campus.
• Jorgensen, Hans-Henrik; Bruehl, Oliver; Franke, Neele (2014). Making change work...while the work keeps changing. How change architects lead and manage organizational change. Somers: IBM Institute for Business Value.
• Kauffeld, Simone (2015): Arbeits-, Organisations- und Personalpsychologie für Bachelor. Heidelberg: Springer
• Kotter, John P. (1996): Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
• Kriz, Willy C. (2017). Teamkompetenz als Schlüssel zur Organisationsentwicklung. In: H. Asselmeyer, & H. Roehl (Hrsg.), Organisationen klug gestalten. Kompetenzen für eine komplexe Welt (S. 328–333). Stuttgart: Schäffer-Poeschel.
• Pfannenberg, Jörg (2013). Veränderungskommunikation: So unterstützen Sie den Change-Prozess wirkungsvoll. Frankfurt/M.: Frankfurter Allgemeine Buch.
• Robbins, Stephen P.; Judge, Timothy (2019): Organizational Behaviour. 18th ed. Boston: Pearson.
• Senge, Peter (2001): Die fünfte Disziplin. Kunst und Praxis der lernenden Organisation. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta.
• Vahs, Dietmar (2019): Organisation: Ein Lehr- und Managementbuch. 10. Auflage. Stuttgart: Schäffer Poeschel.

On-site course with compulsory attendance (Skills Lab)