Organizational Change & Innovation
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About this Course
One thing is certain in today’s uncertain working world; the need to change and be innovative. People have different reactions to change in their organization, from firm resistance to enthusiastic engagement. Importantly, how people respond to change has a huge impact on organizational outcomes, and understanding these responses provides change leaders with an edge.
In this course we will explore the psychological underpinnings of reactions to change, needs assessment and evaluation models, and how to capitalize on employee creativity toward sustained innovation.
We begin by examining change resistance and readiness dynamics from both employee and leader perspectives.
Then, we focus on the importance of conducting a needs analysis at the change planning stage, and how a rigorous assessment process can increase the likelihood of successful change implementation.
Next, we rely on the ADKAR model to exemplify how change leaders ensure change buy-in and successfully drive change implementation by through employee involvement in the evaluation process.
Finally, we delve into the psychological and organizational factors underlying creativity and innovation, and specify how organizational leaders can develop an innovation climate.
This course is part of the UCx Micromasters in Organisational Psychology, each teaching key topics that will increase your knowledge about this exciting field. In order to qualify for the MicroMasters Credential you will need to earn a Verified Certificate in each of the five courses
Instructors
Joana Kuntz
Joana Kuntz is an Associate Professor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. She gained her PhD from the University of Tennessee, and worked in organisational development in Europe and the United States prior to moving to New Zealand in 2009. She is the co-founder of the Employee Resilience Research group, a team of UC-based researchers who worked alongside government agencies and private corporations across sectors to facilitate the development of resilience capability following the Christchurch Earthquakes. Joana’s current focus is the future of work, and her applied research spans employee resilience and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, and organisational interventions (design, implementation, and evaluation).
Fleur Pawsey
Fleur is a Research Assistant at the University of Canterbury. Fleur's PhD, awarded in 2020, focused on relationships between mindfulness, stress, and wellbeing. Fleur is interested in how mindfulness practices can be utilized in day-to-day life, to support employees and promote positive work experiences. With a background in high-performance endurance and adventure sports, and experience in coaching, Fleur is also especially interested in how employers can support the physical health and fitness of employees, and how organizations can weave aspects of nature into their working environments.