Change Management in Software Development Organizations

This course focuses on explanatory and illuminating theories on organizational change and change management. The aim of the course is that students should gain an ample understanding of the phenomenon and concept of change and change management from different perspectives. The ability to change an organization is increasingly important in order to maintain, gain edge and survive in the rapidly changing environment. To meet these challenges, the software industry is moving towards more agile practices, self- managed teams and similar efforts, which emphasizes the need for sufficient understanding of change management on all levels of the organizations. The ability to efficiently and effectively introduce, adopt, manage, and achieve change initiatives is needed from a collective and collaborative perspective in contemporary software industry organizations.

Learning proceeds by thematic problem solving sessions in which students solve open-ended problems using theories and methods introduced in the lectures and the course literature.