In the contemporary business environment, well managed innovation and change lead directly the improvement of a business’ competitive advantage. New products, services, materials, processes and markets all drive business efficiency and attract new customers so helping businesses meet their objectives. Businesses want to offer more profitable products and services, customers want cheaper and better products and services and regulators impose legal requirements on markets. Businesses need to develop a culture that supports and promotes innovation and the consequential changes that are required.
This unit will study the importance of innovation and change within an organisation, and how leading change in the organisation culture can promote innovation. The focus of this unit is on key principles, theories and models relating to change and the role of communication and relationship management within change processes
Students will learn how leading change allows employees to be encouraged and supported to innovate and change by seeing such developments as opportunities rather than as threats. Consideration will be given to how change may have some negative impact but that the aim is to ensure that this is outweighed by the beneficial impact. Change requires all stakeholders to be kept informed and engaged but it underpins businesses’ drive to maintain their competitive advantage and to achieve their goals.