Course offers 2010

Course offer: The Management of Change in Economies, Markets, Organizations and Technologies

Change Management is a form of management designed to make sure that a society, economy, company or institution responds efficiently to changes within its remote and business environment, such as new political and economic situations, structural adaptions, technological advances, competitive pressure or changes in consumer tastes. Change management has become increasingly popular during the past 15 years; this period has seen the collapse of communism, the spread of globalization and the introduction of new technologies that have changed the way people work.

Companies have reacted to these changes in various ways, such as merging, outsourcing and cutting staff. At the same time, they have also introduced new management thinking. Such changes usually have long-lasting effects on all or most parts of an organization.

Introducing change can be difficult, however. Change can cause people to feel insecure and to lose confidence in politics, economics, corporate strategies and operations or technology. Also, most people accept change only if they can be persuaded that it is necessary. Therefore, a key aim of change management is to get people to support this process. This is done with the help of change management programmes, which are designed to encourage participation, good communication and team building.

The course aims to train and to clearly understand the different internal and external dynamics of change in economies and businesses. It offers the instruments and arguments to precisely observe and describe change within its strategic framework. By the end students of all disciplines will re-evaluate their understanding of vision, leadership, teamwork, intercultural communication and strategy, and be able to act as an effectice change agent.

Participating students can choose between three specialization courses.