Core courses

Core courses introduce you to the necessary theories and tools you need to master before proceeding with the master electives.

Theories on Change, on Behaviour, and on Differences

This course deepens insights in actual change situations by using post-modern and social constructionist change theory, methods, and concepts. It helps students on two levels: by developing cognitive and social knowledge crucial for the role of change agent, either manager or consultant. The course offers a range of perspectives on change, methodical concepts and methods, and an engagement component that allows students to experience change and work with the offered insights and instruments.

Managing Professional Organisations

Introducing the most central change agent of our day and age, the professional service firm, this course focuses on two broad questions: (1) How are such knowledge-intensive organisations structured, governed, and managed internally? (2) How do such organisations manage to stay on top of – and actively intervene in – the fast-moving environments in which they operate? The instructors use a case-based approach to transfer cognitive knowledge about the organisational side of professional service firms to students, and equip them with the skills to diagnose and manage it.

Studying Change

Giving students the knowledge and skills to scientifically study change in organisational settings, this course commences by introducing the leading modern, symbolic and post-modern theories of change that will be used as sources of working hypotheses. Subsequently, it offers in-class case presentations from leading change consultants who embrace one of these perspectives in their work, collectively covering all three. Finally, it offers students state-of-the art methodological skills for studying change through either lens.